The Lonely Mountain [1]

The Adventure Begins

Amara was the first one to wake the next morning. Elves always were early rises. She pulled on a silver and green garb, grey leggings and her brown boots. She clasped her cloak and walked out. Her cloak was what had kept her alive over the ages. It was woven with magic that, when she pulled up the hood, enabled her to vanish. It had been a gift from her father after the orc attack that had left her mother broken and had caused her early departure to Aman in the west.

She sat in one of Bilbo's arm chairs and waited for everyone else to wake up. Slowly but surely, one by one, the rest of the company started to emerge until they were only waiting on Thorin. When Gandalf appeared, Amara walked over to him.

"Gandalf, what about Bilbo?"

"We will leave him the contract and he can decide whether or not he will join us." Gandalf said as Thorin appeared.

Everyone checked over their belongings one last time before they all walked outside. Waiting for them outside were thirteen ponies and two horses for Amara and Gandalf. As soon as they secured their kit and were all seated, they set off down the road.

Bilbo woke up a little while later to find a clean, empty house. He thought he may have dreamed the whole night until he saw the incredibly long contract sitting on his coffee table. He picked it up and looked towards his travel pack with a determined face.

Bilbo raced out of Bag End, the contract billowing behind him. He ran through Hobbiton jumping fences and pumpkins in his hast, all while his neighbours shook their heads at him.

"You! Mr. Bilbo! Where are you off to?" One of them called as he ran past.

"Can't stop, I'm already late!" Bilbo said.

"Late for what?"

"I'm going on an adventure!" Bilbo called as he continued running.

Amara, the dwarves and Gandalf were riding their ponies and horses through the woods down the east trail when Bilbo caught up with them.

"Wait! Wait!"

Everyone stopped their ponies and Amara watched with a smile as the seemingly non-adventurous hobbit ran up to them.

"I signed it!" Bilbo said handing Balin the contract.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin said after he had inspected the contract with his pocket glass.

Everyone cheered but as Amara looked at Thorin she could see he was not impressed. She knew he thought Bilbo would be a liability. She wondered if he would. Bilbo certainly didn't look like someone who would fair well on a quest such as this, but Amara had been wrong before and she would be happy to be wrong again.

"Give him a pony." Thorin called, before turning around and continuing riding.

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I- I- I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once - WAGH!" Bilbo was cut off as Fili smiled at Kili and together they lifted the hobbit from behind and put him on a pony.

Amara had never seen anyone look so uncomfortable as Bilbo looked on his pony. But her eyes were drawn away from him as all of a sudden, the dwarves began tossing sacks of money back and forward between themselves.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked.

"Oh, they all took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." Gandalf told the bemused hobbit with a laugh.

"What did you think?" Bilbo asked.

"My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." Gandalf said as he caught a sack that was thrown at him.

"All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction." Bilbo said with a loud sneeze. "No, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around." Bilbo said checking his pockets.

The entire company came to a halt. The dwarves started objecting and asking what the problem was.

"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked worriedly.

"I forgot my handkerchief." Bilbo said.

Everyone sighed and carried on down the road. Amara went back to her conversation with Balin.

"So how did you two meet anyway?" Balin asked Amara.

"I met Kili around sixty years ago. I was in the woods near the Blue Mountains and there were three warg riders around him. They had disarmed him and were moving in for the kill when I shot them all. We have been friends since." Amara told the old dwarf.

Balin nodded as Kili drew Amara's attention. He rode to the front to speak with Thorin.

"Why Amara?" Balin asked once he was levelled with Thorin. "Do you forget I know of your hatred of elves?"

"She gives Kili hope. It has been a long time since I saw my nephew's so happy." Thorin said glancing back at Amara, Kili and Fili who were all laughing between each other. "Gandalf seems to think her and Kili's friendship might be enough to bring the elves to help us. She can fight and that is something we desperately need."