Merchants bustled about in the cool morning of April as they either packed their wagons full of wares to sell in nearby towns, or set up shop in the small rundown town of Bree. The Prancing Pony was filled with the lively, jovial conversation and laughter from the dwelling patrons perched on barstools while other patrons lounged within the booths creating The Prancing Pony's strong, warm structure completed with strong wood tables adjacently placed from each other; leaving 4 — 5' between the tables filling the 6 — 10 Square foot space with a quaint fireplace roaring with a lively fire to keep The Prancing Pony warm and welcoming until the nippy spring morning air began warming up.

Gandalf sauntered into The Prancing Pony that very morning to inform he had found the Company's Burglar to his 13 not-so-trusting companions — particularly Thorin Oakenshield, who sat at the head of a long table amongst his kin flanking the table's sides. The Wizard sauntered up to the table while the Dwarves finished their hearty breakfast. Thorin's electric blue eyes were the first pair to meet his steel grey eyes.

All heads followed Thorin's line of sight when their King was the first to greet the Wizard. "Gandalf." He slightly smiled. "We didn't expect you to show up so soon." He said by way of greeting. Gandalf wasn't surprised though. The Dwarves had a way of greeting others that — from the outside, one might think was a bit cold; he couldn't fault them, though. They had lost so much — Thorin Oakenshield more so than the rest of them.

"Good morning, my dear Thorin." Gandalf flashed the exiled king and kin his signature smile that always ended with a twinkle in his steel grey eyes. "I trust you and your kin slept well last night?"

"As well as one would expect us to." In other words, not at all. Thorin had tossed and turned all night, and judging from the deep shadows veiling the eyes and faces of his kin, neither did the rest of the Company.

"Then I am glad I came back as soon as I did." Gandalf smiled. His eyes caught sight of the hard look rising to the surface within the depths of Thorin Oakenshield's trademark blue eyes turning to a frosty blue ice. The Dwarf King's patience was always thin in the mornings due to lack of sleep stemmed from rattled nerves caused by anxiety. He hadn't slept soundly for more than 100 years due to the harrowing events he went through. The frost in his blue eyes was his silent message: get on with telling us your news.

"Very well." Gandalf watched Thorin straighten his head slightly when he saw his message had been received. "I am pleased to inform you — all of you." His steel grey eyes flickered to the 12 gathered Dwarves watching him with undeciphered looks before meeting Thorn's frosty blue eyes again. "I have found our Burglar."

Those frosty blue eyes of Thorn's hardened at the suspenseful tone in the Wizard's voice. "Gandalf…" his baritone laced the jagged edges of his warning tone. He was in no mood for suspense. Balin, his advisor; apparently sensed his impatience. The elder Dwarrow placed a comforting hand atop his king's shoulder and flashed him a knowing look.

Shifting his frosty blue eyes from his advisor to the Wizard, Thorin mustered the last of his patience with every fiber in his being before asking his next question. "Our Burglar?" He fought to keep his tone calm due to his rattled nerves maximizing from the Wizard's infuriating suspenseful tone. "Who is he?" His patience all but snapped at Gandalf's response.

"She." The Wizard gently corrected, knowing what was to come.

"She?" He nearly shouted and lowered his voice just a little bit when the attention of the surrounding patrons shifted in the Company's direction from the king's outburst. Ori, the youngest Dwarf other than Fili and Kili, looked down at the table in grimace at Thorin's outburst.

"Yes, Thorin." Gandalf soothingly confirmed. "Our Burglar is a woman — and a very intriguing one at that."

"Intriguing or not, Gandalf." Thorin forced his tone to keep below shouting. "A woman has no place in the wild — much less a difficult adventure that will be filled with danger at every turn."

Gandalf raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Did you miss the part where I said our Burglar is intriguing?"

"No." Thorin was close to snapping. "I heard you the first time, WIzard." He forced himself to inhale and exhale.

Balin spoke up before Thorin had the chance to say anything else. "Gandalf?"

"Yes, my dear Balin?" The Wizard smiled at the elder Dwarf who pegged him with a shrewd look that was more curious than critical.

"What is it about our Burglar that is so intriguing, you have chosen her to join the Company?" Balin asked with a curiosity that could be easily mistaken as criticism.

"I'm glad you asked, my dear Balin." Gandalf informed the elder Dwarf who ignored Thorin's pointed glare, but gave a soothing squeeze to the king's shoulder before pegging him with a look that told him to wait and see what else Gandalf has to say before giving anymore replies.

Turning his attention to Gandalf, Thorin made a gesture with his hand for the Wizard to continue; conceding to his advisor's silent request.

"The woman I have chosen lives a fighting lifestyle in similarity to all of you." Gandalf informed. "The only difference is her lifestyle began when she was but a little girl."

"A little girl trained with weapons is unheard of." Thorin snapped.

Gandalf pegged the ill-tempered king with a pointed look. "She didn't train with weapons until she was thirteen." He shook his head. "No. Our Burglar was taught how to fight with her fists and wits at the age of six."

"What kind of lifestyle could possibly cause a six year old girl to learn how to fight at a young age?" Balin asked to keep the ill-tempered dwarf king from snapping again.

"That is something you all must learn for yourselves when we go to visit her." Gandalf pursed his lips.

Thorin pegged the Wizard with a questioning look — as did the rest of the Company. Gandalf elaborated. "Our Burglar went through a similar harrowing event at the age of five; the only difference was the harrowing event was carried out by man, not a fire breathing dragon."

Stricken looks echoed on all thirteen faces. The news especially captured the attention of Thorin, Balin and Balin's younger brother, Dwalin, matched by the less stricken looks mirroring between Fili and Kili and then Ori and Bofur.

If the decision were up to him, Thorin would have chosen a male fighter purely out of fulfilling the deed of keeping woman safe. He didn't think women weak by any means; his little sister, Dis, strongly attested to that. No. He only sought women to stay out of battle simply due to women being very few among the Dwarves. But the number of women among man was entirely different; difference — besides being the point, Thorin always made sure women were well protected, and the only way to do that was to keep them from battle, or in this case, from a grueling adventure surely to be filled with danger at every turn. Though he was fuming, Thorin couldn't deny his curiosity had been piqued with the way Gandalf subtly described the Company's Burglar.

Deciding to reserve judgment until his own eyes saw the sought out Burglar the infuriating Wizard had chosen, Thorin pinched the bridge of his nose to further push down his rash full temper and rattled nerves. And reluctantly conceded. "What choice do we have?"

His frost blue hardened eyes pegged the infuriating Wizard with a hard dagger glare. He knew full well he put himself in a position to concede to the Wizard's reply. But the Company desperately needed a Burglar in order to fulfill the quest at hand, and Thorin was out of time — and options. The evidence strongly reflected on the faces of his kin gathered around him as he stood from where he sat; their looks were mixed with silent pleas, sharing in the same desperation he felt. Thorin silently prayed to Mahal he would not come to regret his decision.

"None." Gandalf replied gently with a subtle bluntness.