The White Rider (Thorin Oakenshield)

Chapter Two: The Company of Thorin Oakenshield

Adelaide rode through the Shire, her hood covering her face, looking for the door with the mark on it, like Gandalf said. She soon found it, and tied Daley to the fence, next to the other dwarves' ponies. She made her way up the path, dirt and pebbles crunching under her knee-high black leather boots.

She could hear the deep rumbling of the dwarve's voices with her sharp half-elf ears as she stood in front of the door to the hobbit hole of one Bilbo Baggins. She raised her hand, and knocked thrice on the door. The people inside went silent.

"I did not know anyone else would be coming," someone inside said. Adelaide could hear feet approaching, so she pulled her hood farther over her face, and tightened her white cloak around herself, trying to keep her identity a secret for as long as she can.

The door opened, and a hobbit only an inch taller than her opened the door. Without looking at her, he said: "Come in," in a tired voice. Adelaide guessed that this is Bilbo. She nodded her head, and stepped into the cozy hobbit hole.

She ignored the hobbit as he asked if he could take her cloak, and went right to the dining room, where the dwarves looked up at her entrance, and gaped.

One of the youngest spoke up. "It can't be...You're the White Rider!" He said, in an awed voice. Adelaide nodded her head, smirking, though no one can see it.

The dwarves whispered amongst themselves.

"He's shorter than I imagined him to be."

"I hear he's the best swordsman and archer in Middle Earth."

"No one knows his true identity."

"Does he have food?"

She noticed Gandalf smile at her, and she walked gracefully over the old wizard.

"Good to see you could join us," he said.

The dwarf at the head of the table, which Adelaide guessed was Thorin, looked confusedly at Gandalf. "You know him?"

Adelaide bristled at being called a 'him' when she's a 'her,' but let it slide, seeing as Thorin doesn't know her true identity.

"White Rider and I go back for many years. Before The White Rider was even known as the White Rider."

Adelaide fidgeted as Thorin eyed her up and down. "Balin, give him a contract."

An older-looking dwarf pulled out a long piece of parchment, and unrolled it in front of the cloaked legend standing in front of the company.

Adelaide only signed with her initials, A. R., without even reading the contract through.

Thorin looked closely at the cloaked being's hands. They were dainty, very feminine...

His thoughts were interrupted by Balin. "Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield...er..." He faltered, seeing as the person before him only signed their initials. "'A. R.'"

The others - except Gandalf - pondered over this new revelation.

Adelaide watched silently from the corner as Gandalf gave Thorin a dwarven key and map. Balin handed Bilbo another copy of the contract, and Adelaide watched, slightly amused, as the hobbit fainted as the dwarf named Bofur described incineration to him.

They left him to rest in an armchair by the fire, and Thorin stood from his spot at the head of the table. "Everyone should get some rest. We leave at first light, with or without our burglar."

The dwarf that recognized her as the White Rider approached. "I'm Kili," he said, holding his hand out. Adelaide shook it quickly, remaining silent.