Emery walks the few steps toward the door and pulls the handle with her mouth, allowing the door to swing open. On the other side, Thorin looks in with a tired expression.
"Gandalf," he says, stepping inside. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." He removes his cloak and Emery nudges his shoulder in greeting. He pets her snout as he says "Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."
"Mark?" says an alarmed Bilbo. "There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago!"
"There is a mark, Bilbo," Gandalf interjects, "I put it there, myself." Emery is mildly irritated at the lack of consideration for the poor hobbit's property, but also knows the mark was necessary. Kili and Fili had the advantage of having Emery to lead them to the smial, and several of them had Gandalf, but the rest only had the mark to guide them. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." The dwarf himself looks analytically at Bilbo.
"So," he says stepping toward him, "this is the hobbit. Tell me Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?" he questions, with a "pardon me?" from Bilbo. "Axe or sword, what is your weapon of choice?"
"Well I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant." Bilbo's answer produces some chuckles from the dwarves in the room.
"Thought as much," Thorin sighs. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." The chuckles are louder this time. Emery sighs and closes her eyes, wishing not for the first time that she could pinch the bridge of her nose. A rough hand gently pats her knee and she looks down, seeing Oin.
"Don't worry, Lassie, Thorin knows what he's talking about, few better. He's a good leader, you've been around long enough to know that." She nods. Oin may be going deaf, but his mind is as sharp as ever, and he's always been wise, even decades ago when he was Kram's junior partner. The old dwarf sadly passed six years ago, but none were more deserving of his position as the head healer than Oin. She bows her head so he can scratch behind her ears for a moment, then they both make their way to the table. Oin sits beside his brother, and Emery lies down in the hall and stretches out. She wasn't able to before with everyone moving around, and it's nice to finally get the kinks from walking all day out of her joints. Bofur reaches down to pet the fur of her neck briefly, then sits back in his chair.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Balin asks. "Did they all come?"
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms." There's happy chatter at Thorin's words, but Dwalin interrupts them.
"And what do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" He asks, his tone not hopeful. "Is Dain with us?" Thorin takes a breath before speaking.
"They will not come," he says. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone." Emery rolls her eyes. Dwarves may be loyal, but politicians are politicians. They'll want nothing to do with the mountain until there's a high enough chance they can reap the benefits. There's disappointed muttering, but Bilbo distracts them by voicing his curiosity.
"You're going on a quest?" he asks. Sensing an awkward silence, Gandalf clears his throat.
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light." he suggests, and starts pulling a map from his pocket. "Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak," says the wizard, spreading the sheet on the table. Bilbo, having returned with a candle, reads aloud.
"The lonely mountain."
"Aye," interjects Gloin, "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say, it is time."
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain," Oin himself says, "As it was foretold. 'When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the Beast will end.'" That catches Bilbo's attention.
"Uh...what beast?" he asks, and Bofur is quick to answer.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age." Apparently thinking Bilbo's silence means he doesn't understand, he offers more details. "Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"
"Yes, I know what a dragon is," Bilbo interrupts.
"I'm not afraid," Ori says, standing up, "I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!" Ori might not be half bad in a fight (nearly all dwarves are at least somewhat capable of holding their own) and he might be brave, but despite being older than her boys by two years, his naivety shows in his voice. He's never been in a real fight for his life. His brother Dori seems to be thinking the same and yanks him back down into his seat.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," says Balin on a sour note, "but we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best...nor brightest." A couple of the company take offense to the insinuation, but Fili speaks up.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters. All of us, to the last dwarf!" Emery smiles bittersweetly. Fili doesn't enjoy giving speeches, but he's good at it. And a good thing too, given the fact that he's the crown prince. And of course, as always his little brother jumps in to help.
"And you forget," Kili says, "we have a wizard in our company! Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" Emery chuckles. Kili may be eager to help his brother and he may be more outwardly bold, but pretty speeches (and well-thought-out speeches) aren't his strength. Not that he isn't brilliant, but his thoughts tend to be less organized than his brother's. Back in the world Emery was born into, she probably would've guessed he has adhd. Fili took to smithing like a duck to water, masonry and mining as well. When he crafted his bead at age forty, it came out shining and beautiful, an impressive testament to his artistry. Kili's was well-done also, but it took a considerably greater amount of time and effort to get it to that point. Kili's strengths lie in things like architecture and farming, and even tailoring. In matters of politics, Fili is adept at thinking rationally, and Kili gives voice to emotion and empathy. The two of them are quite different, but their strengths compliment each other well and balance each other out, and they make a formidable team. Although, at the moment, their excitement and worry got the best of them, and they've put Gandalf unnecessarily into a rather awkward spotlight.
"Oh, well no. I-I-I wouldn't say-"
"How many then?" Dori asks.
"What?"
"How many dragons have you killed?" Thorin looks at the wizard, not expecting an impressive number given his hesitation to respond but still curious what he'll say. Rather than answer, however, Gandalf awkwardly coughs on the smoke from his pipe. "Go on, give us a number," says Dori, inciting the dwarves to jump up in aggressive chatter. It doesn't last very long, though.
"NO MORE!" Thorin yells in a commanding tone as he stands, causing the others to fall silent and sink back into their seats. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?!" Cheers arise from all the dwarves.
"You forget, the front gait is sealed." Well, all except Balin. "There is no way into the mountain."
"That, my dear Balin," says the wizard as he flips a key through his fingers, "is not entirely true." His fingers still and he holds the key up to Thorin.
"How came you by this?" he asks softly.
"It was given to me by your father," answers Gandalf, "by Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now." He hands the key to Thorin, who stares at it with an unreadable expression.
"If there is a key," Fili says, "there must be a door." The wizard nods.
"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," he says. Kili excitedly grips his brother's shoulder.
"There's another way in!" he says softly.
"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he says as-a-matter-of-factly, and heaves a great sigh. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it. But, there are others in Middle Earth who can." Thorin raises his eyebrows questioningly. Gandalf ignores the unspoken question. "The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori chimes in.
"Hmm. A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo says, thumbing his suspenders.
"And are you?" Gloin's question both follows and precedes a short silence. Bilbo looks at him confused.
"Am I what?"
"He said he's an expert! He he!" Oin says happily.
"Me?" Bilbo says surprised. "No. No, no. No, I'm not a burglar. I-I've never stolen a thing in my life!"
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mister Baggins," says Balin. "He's hardly burglar material." Dwalin agrees.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Emery agrees with his logic, but having the advantage of foreknowledge influences the side she takes. She never did tell him the details of the quest, only that it succeeded at the cost of three rather important lives. It wasn't easy to convince him to support Thorin in his choice to pursue it. A chatter arises once more, voices mixed with agreement and disagreement. Gandalf sees the dwarves bickering over it and apparently decides enough is enough, and rises to his feet.
"ENOUGH! IF I SAY BILBO BAGGINS IS A BURGLAR, THEN A BURGLAR HE IS!" Having thoroughly silenced the group, his voice and magic calm themselves as he continues speaking. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the scent of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage." He turns to Thorin. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mister Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this." Thorin looks him in the eye, as if deciding whether he can indeed trust the wizard. He seems to have made a decision though.
"Very well, we will do it your way," he says amidst mild "no's" from Bilbo. He turns to Balin and says, "Give him the contract." Balin nods reluctantly and pulls a fold of papers out of his pocket.
"It's just the usual," he says to Bilbo, "summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remunerations, funeral arrangements, so forth." Thorin passes the contract to the disturbed hobbit, who begins to unfold it.
"Funeral arrangements?" He walks into the hallway, taking care not to step on the wolf and letting the contract fall open as he begins to read.
"I cannot gurantee his safety," Thorin says quietly to Gandalf.
"Understood," the wizard replies.
"Nor will I be responsible for his fate," Thorin makes perfectly clear.
"...Agreed," Gandalf says after a moment.
"...'terms: cash on delivery,'" Bilbo continues, "'up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any,' hmm, seems fair...er, 'present company shall not be liable for...'"
Emery doesn't realize she dozed off until the weight of a fainted hobbit suddenly lands on her side and she yelps in surprise. Several of the dwarves, including Fili and Kili, stand suddenly to see why she yelped. She makes one of her friendly groans to calm them and sniffs the hobbit still lying on top of her. Bofur moves to pick him up ("my fault, sorry Lassie") and carries him to his armchair in the sitting room. Gandalf follows and remains after Bofur returns to the table. Getting to her feet and stretching, and then yawning, Emery decides to follow the wizard and hobbit, knowing that's where most of the company will be sleeping. Finding a nice cozy corner, she plops onto her side and soon falls back asleep to the sound of Bilbo and Gandalf talking. She half-wakes briefly when Fili and Kili settle down beside her and lean into her warm fur as per usual, and the low humming that soon follows sends her right back to sleep.