CHAPTER 2| THORIN OAKENSHEILD

ALMOST instantaneously, the meal was over and the place was left a mess. Dirty dishes, most likely every dish that poor Bilbo owned, was dirty and sprawled out on the table; food crumbs littered the floor, and tiny droplets of ale were scattered around the table top. Ygritte was long gone from the table and now stood in the hallway, watching as the dwarves moved from room to room.

She soon decided to find her father, hoping he may know when this meeting will begin. She was far too eager to begin the quest. As she headed around the corner, a plate suddenly flew by her face, just barely missing her head. The person who threw it was lucky that she had quick reflexes or else she would be in a great deal of pain and probably bleeding from the glass hitting her.

She took a step back, raising a brow at dark haired dwarf who had caught the plate before she watched as he threw to another dwarf that was at the sink. The dwarf then threw her a wink as he said, "I'd watch where you stand. We wouldn't want that pretty face to carry a nasty scar."

Ygritte smirked at his flirtatious behaviour. She had a feeling she will be getting many flirtatious comments on the quest. "This pretty body has plenty of scars," she said.

With that, she turned on her heel, prepared to find her father down a different hallway. She was stopped short again, this time by running into someone.

Ygritte gripped their arm so they both wouldn't fall. "Sorry," she apologised. Then her eyes lit up when she noticed it was the other woman she had run into. The dragon, before asleep, was now awake and sitting on her shoulder, its tail wrapped around her neck.

The woman, Aninth, smirked after noticing her staring at the dragon. "His name is Ryvniss. The Dark, The Swift and The Stubborn."

"Ryvniss?" Ygritte said with a cocked brow. "Does it have a meaning?"

Aninth shrugged in response, a smirk pulling onto her lips. "I just like the name."

"Nothing wrong with a name with no meaning," Ygritte said. "It gives mystery, I think."

"I'm Aninth, Champion of Dragons, Protector of Creatures, Destroyer of Men and the last of the Dragonkin," she said whilst extending her hand out towards the fellow blonde. "It has no meaning either."

Ygritte chuckled and grasped her hand, giving it a shake. "Nor does mine. My name is Ygritte, though I'm sure you probably already knew my name when my father recruited you."

"Gandalf is your father?" Aninth's eyes seemed to grow a tiny bit larger.

"Or not," Ygritte said, some light laughter slipping past her lips. "I do believe he doesn't speak of me. No one seems to know who I am in this Company."

Their attention was suddenly drawn away from each other as the dwarves burst out into song whilst throwing around the dirty utensils and dishes to one another.

"Blunt the knives, bend the forks, smash the bottles and burn the corks, chip the glasses and crack the plates ─ that's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

Ygritte chuckled. "Have you been around dwarves before? Do they usually break out into song?"

Aninth laughed along with her. "Aye, they do. Expect more of this."

"Cut the cloth and tread on the fat, leave the bones on the bedroom mat, pour the milk on the pantry floor..."

Ygritte and Aninth moved out of the way as a dwarf walked past them with a broom.

"...splash the wine on every door. Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl, pound them up with a thumping pole; when you've finished, if any are whole send them down the hall to roll...that's what Bilbo Baggins hates!" The song ended with laughter shared.

Ygritte and Aninth were now standing closer to the doorway of the kitchen. They peered in and raised their eyebrows at; all the perfectly cleaned plates, cups and utensils have been neatly stacked on the center of the table. Ygritte was not the only one shocked either: Bilbo stood before them with wide eyes.

Suddenly, there are three loud knocks on the door, which causes everyone to fall silent. Ygritte began to wonder just who this next person was, and why they caused all their moods to die. Her father then spoke.

"He is here."

Bilbo and Gandalf headed for the door, the rest of them following loosely behind. The door was opened by Bilbo himself, revealing another dwarf. This one had the longest hair of them all, and it was raven black, much like the night. Ygritte knew this had to be Thorin Oakenshield.

"Gandalf," the dwarf said as he stepped into the house, his eyes resting on said wizard. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark?" Bilbo's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!"

"There is a mark; I put it there myself," Gandalf said. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our Company, Thorin Oakenshield."

At the mention of the hobbit's name, Thorin perked up and glanced toward him. "So...this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?"

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

Yrgitte found the question rather amusing. With one look at Bilbo, you could easily tell he was a hobbit that never once participated in violence, so the question was pointless to ask.

"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant," Bilbo replied, making a smile pull onto Ygritte's face.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." The dwarves all burst into laughter at Thorin's remark before they began to lead their Company leader into the dining room.

In the dining room, they all quickly reclaimed their seats, and Thorin was given a bowl of food, which he hungrily scooped with a spoon into his mouth.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

"Aye," Thorin said in a gruff voice. "Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

Murmurs of joy were spread amongst the dwarves.

"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

Thorin shook his head. "They will not come." This time, the murmurs were of disappointment. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked from where he stood behind Thorin.

Ygritte shifted in her chair, wondering why Bilbo has yet to know that they were here to recruit him. Surely, he must know by know that they need him. Otherwise, why would they have barged into his home and eaten all the food from his pantry?

"Bilbo, my dear fellow," her father said. "Let us have a little more light."

Bilbo gave a nod and scurried off to find some more light for them. Beside her, her father pulled out a map from his pocket and spread it out on the table. Bilbo soon returned with a candle and placed it near the map. Ygritte leaned forward to have a look.

"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak," said Gandalf.

"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo read out loud.

"Aye," nodded one of the dwarves. "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time."

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," Oin said.

Bilbo's face scrunched up in concern. "Uh, what beast?"

"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire­breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals­."

"Sterotypes," Aninth said as she leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Ygritte frowned slightly as she stared at the blonde. She could easily sense that Aninth and her dragon will be getting some comments said to them on the journey.

From what she could tell, Ryvness was well mannered and listened to Aninth's every word. Plus, he was small, meaning he was most likely a baby; Ygritte made a mental note to ask more about the tiny dragon.

"Yes, I know what a dragon is," Bilbo said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

The youngest of the dwarves then rose from the table and slammed his fists down onto the wood. Ygritte raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie."

Several dwarves shouted, one even forcing him back into his chair with a loud, "Sit down!" The youngest dwarve slumped over in his chair slightly.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."

The dwarves stared shouting their objections.

"Hey, who are you calling dim?"

"Watch it!"

"No!"

"What did he say?" asked Oin, glancing to the dwarf seated beside him.

The blonde, long haired dwarf near the end of the table then spoke up. "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

Beside him, the dark haired dwarf that was flirting with Ygritte just earlier, joined in the conversation. "And you forget, we have not one, but two wizards in our company. Gandalf and Ygritte will have killed hundreds of dragons in their time."

Ygritte shifted her in chair. I wish I have done something so honorable as slaying a dragon. She glanced over at Aninth and the dragon on her shoulder. I've never even seen one before now.

"Oh, well, now, uh, I­-I­-I wouldn't say that, w-we ─ " Gandalf stuttered.

"How many, then?" Dori asked.

"Uh, what?"

The white haired dwarf was staring at Gandalf and Ygritte with a large smile plastered on his face. "Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

Gandalf embarrassedly started coughing on his pipe smoke; the dwarves jump to their feet, arguing about the number of dragons Gandalf and Ygritte have killed.

When Thorin jumped up in anger and bellowed, "Shazara!" they all quieted and sat down. Ygritte knew the dwarvish word meant for them to be just that: silent.

Thorin glanced around at all his fellow dwarves before speaking again. "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 60 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? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!"

The dwarves began to cheer.

"You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf twiddled his fingers and produced a dwarvish key, ornately wrought.

Thorin looked at it in wonder. "How came you by this?" Ygritte was wondering the same, as she has never seen her father carrying the key before. Nor has he ever mentioned it.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf handed the key over to Thorin as everyone looked upon it in wonder.

"If there is a key, there must be a door."

Gandalf nodded, and with a gesture of his pipe, he pointed at the runes on his map. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

"There's another way in!"

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Ygritte said, speaking for the first time since Thorin arrived.

"Ygritte is correct," Gandalf said. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle­earth who can. 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," realised one of the dwarves.

"Hm, a good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo said as he peered down at the map.

"And are you?"

Bilbo glanced up from the map to find everyone was now staring at him. "Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" Several of the dwarves began to laugh.

"I do believe he never said that," Ygritte said.

"Yes," Bilbo said, nodding toward Ygritte. Then he frantically shook his head. "Wait no! No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Bilbo nodded in agreement to Thorin's words. Ygritte also could not help but agree. She wondered why her father has chosen this hobbit over the others that live in the Shire.

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves."

Bilbo continued nodding in agreement as the dwarves began to argue. Ygritte glanced up at her father after noticing him shift in his chair. With just one look upon his wrinkly face, she could tell he was angry.

He then began to slowly rise to his full height, casting a darkness over the group with his abilities. Ygritte smirked as the group of arguing dwarves stopped their arguing to stare at her father in awe. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."

Gandalf stared at them for a moment before sitting back down next to Ygritte."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 smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. 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 nodded after a moment. "Very well. We will do it your way. I have asked you for a fourteenth, but why have you made it a Company of sixteen?"

Gandalf glanced to his daughter and Aninth. "My daughter, Ygritte, she will be a great addition to the Company. As for Aninth, her kin once stood alongside yours, it only seems proper for her to be apart of this quest, does it not?"

Thorin glanced at both females before releasing a small sigh, his eyes lingering on the dragon wrapped around Aninth's shoulder for a long moment. Ygritte could tell he going to have trouble dealing with a dragon being in the Company, seeing a dragon named Smaug has claimed the Lonely Mountain as his own.

"Very well," Thorin said. He then gestured behind him to the hobbit. "Give Mr. Baggins the contract."

"Alright, we're off!"

Bilbo is then handed the contract by one of the dwarves "It's just the usual summary of out­of­pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."

Bilbo's eyes widened. "Funeral arrangements?" With the contact clutched in his hands, he took a few steps back to read it.

As Bilbo was reading, Thorin leaned toward Gandalf and whispered, "I cannot guarantee his safety."

"Understood," Gandalf replied.

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate."

"Agreed."

"But I do not," Ygritte said in the volume of a whisper, joining their private conversation. "I will watch over Bilbo and make sure he lives."

Gandalf nodded. "So be it."

Bilbo then began reading parts of the contract out loud. "Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one sixteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations...evisceration...incineration?"

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

Ygritte furrowed her eyebrows in concern as Bilbo looked suddenly breathless. "You alright, Bilbo?" She asked.

Bilbo bent over, a nauseous and pained expression pulling onto his face. "Uh, yeah...feel a bit faint."

"Think furnace with wings."

Ygritte whipped her head in the direction of the dwarf and sent him a small glare, to which he shurgged in response to. She rolled her eyes before looking back at Bilbo.

"Air, I­-I­-I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof!" Said another dwarf. He earned the same glare as the other recieved. "You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

Aninth suddenly stood to her feet, leaning on the table to look down towards Bilbo. Ygritte raised an eyebrow. She could sense Aninth was about to say something in defensive for Ryvniss, who seemed perfectly kind and capable of joining the quest. "Not all Dragons just like to kill! Smaug is a terrible example."

Bilbo began to let out heavy breathes, trying to compose himself. "Hmmm. Nope."

Suddenly, Bilbo hit the floor, unconscious.

Gandalf sighed heavily. "Ah, very helpful, Bofur."