*PRESENT*
Balin's POV
"What news from the meeting of Erin Luin? Did they all come?" I asked Thorin once he is half way done eating.
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin answered, this made all around the table speak in joy.
"What did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin spoke above the rest. Thorin sucked in a breath before he spoke, leaning back from the table.
"They will not come." Everyone mutters their disagreement as soon as he finishes. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone." Thorin reveals the envoy's reasoning.
"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo inquires from behind Thorin.
"Bilbo my dear friend let us have a little more light." Gandalf says, pulling a parchment from his robes folded in three. "Far to the East over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands lies a single solitary peak." Gandalf explains while laying the map onto the table pointing to our home. Coming up beside Thorin to his left Bilbo leans over the table with a candle.
"The Lonely Mountain." He reads out loud.
"Aye. Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time." Gloin says making most roll their eyes and scoff.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold." Oin paused. "When the birds of yore return to Erebor the rain of the beast will end." Oin finished repeating what the prophecy states.
"What beast?" Bilbo questions.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the terrible chiefest and the greatest calamity of our age." Bofur answered. "Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks and extremely fond of precious metals." Bofur continues.
"Yes I know what a dragon is." Bilbo says, stuttering from fright.
"I'm not afraid, I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie." Ori stood from his chair to say.
"Sit down." Dori orders pulling Ori back into his seat.
"The task would be difficult with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best nor brightest." I say. In backlash all of them start to argue over me calling them dull.
Slamming his hand onto the table Fili speaks up; "We may be few in number, but we're fighters. All of us, to the last dwarf." Fili finished. The two of them are just like Dia, driven.
"And do you forget we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Fili's younger brother, Kili, chimed in.
"Oh well I- I wouldn't say-" Gandalf started to stutter.
"Well how many then?" Dori demands.
"What!?" Gandalf says in surprise.
"How many dragons have you killed?" Dori once again demands. Gandalf begins to puff his smoke but seems to be having trouble.
"Go on, give us a number!" Dori says louder. At this point everyone starts yelling at each other about how many he has killed.
"Enough! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours 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?" Thorin ends his small speech.
"You forget the front gate is sealed, there is no way into the mountain." I said as Thorin sat back into his seat.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf corrects me by pulling yet another relic of the Durin line from his robes; this time it was a key, instantly Thorin recognized it.
"How come you by this?" Thorin asked Gandalf.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain. For safe keeping. It is yours now." Gandalf explains, giving the key to Thorin.
"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fili assumes.
Nodding to confirm. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."
"There's another way in." Kili puts it into simpler terms.
"Well if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies somewhere in this map...and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require no small amount of courage. But if we are careful and clever I believe it can be done." We all listen as Gandalf explains what we need to do in order to reclaim our home.
"That's why we need a burglar." Ori breaks the second long silence.
"Hmm. And a good one too. An expert I imagine." Bilbo gives his two senses leaning over the table once again examining the map.
"And are you?" Oin questions Bilbo. Making us all face the hobbit. Bilbo looks behind him at this and quickly realises we are speaking to him.
"Am I what?" Bilbo questions right back.
"He said he's an expert!" Oin cheers.
"Me? No. No, no, no. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life." Bilbo said over Thorin's shoulder proudly.
I peered thoughtfully at Bilbo for a moment before giving a slight nod "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins." I paused. "He's hardly burglar material."
It was from this comment that Dwalin fidgeted then commented; "Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can not fight nor fend for themselves." Came from my brother, Bilbo stood in the background nodding eagerly along, utterly agreeing with Dwalin's words as it would seem. His agreement just further implemented Bilbo's resistance in being involved in our quest. For from the moment Gandalf appeared that morning mentioning the adventure Bilbo set his mind firmly against taking part.
There were a few comments thrown around at Bilbo's inability to burglar anything, Bilbo looked like he accepted these comments still agreeing with them. Soon the moment got very out of hand and Gandalf seemed to be the only one to voice his opinions on the matter. Dimming the lights that have the normally homey space a dark and eerie atmosphere he stood and towered over the dwarves and hobbits alike.
"Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!" He exclaimed soon Gandalf calmed himself while sitting back down. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. And in fact they can go unnoticed by most if they choose. And while Smaug is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him. Which gives us a distinct advantage." Gandalf paused, turning to Thorin. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There is 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." Gandalf gave a small smile after his words as he looked at each dwarf as his words sunk in slowly, slowly nodding.
"Very well. We will do it your way. Give him the contract." Said Thorin eventually, I was the holder of the contract until it was passed and Thorin shoved the folded paper into Bilbo's chest.
Third Person
Unbeknownst to all but Bilbo and Gandalf, "Dia" had been listening in on the entire discussion and decided to go along with her dear friend in hopes of protecting him and the other members of the company. Most of all, she wanted her family back together.
But after what she has done would they ever love her again? And what about everyone else?
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A big thank you and shout out to all those who have left feedback and positive comments on my story. I appreciate you all and hope you enjoy the rest of my story. Updates are slow but I try to make them worth it when I post.
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The Lost Durin
FantasyFili and Kili are not the only descendants in the line of Durin. They have an older sister by the name of Dia. She escaped with little but the clothes she had on her back and a necklace given to her by her mother. Travelling for years she finally s...
