Thorin's Long Lost Daughter

They opened the door, and there stood Thorin. He entered Bag End.

“Gandalf. 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.” Thorin said, in a deep voice that seemed to flow like silk.

“Mark? There’s no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!” Bilbo exclaimed.

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

“So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?” Thorin asked, as he began to circle the Hobbit.

“Pardon me?” Bilbo asked, in confusion.

“Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice?” Thorin asked.

“Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that’s relevant.” Bilbo said, his voice breaking at the end.

“Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.” Thorin said, as he stopped in front of Bilbo.
The dwarves laughed, and that was when Thorin noticed Evelyn, hood over her face, blending in with the shadows.

"Who's this, Gandalf?" Thorin asked, and Gandalf turned to face Evelyn, as though he forgot she was there.

"I am Evelyn Thalina, a Ranger of the North." She said, plainly.

"I can avoid being seen if I wish. But to disappear entirely. That; is a rare gift...For others at least...” She said, before she melted with the shadows, leaving everyone speechless at the spot where she was just standing.

"I can move with darkness, as if it was water, and I was a fish. To others, it appears that the darkness itself, has swallowed me up, for I can appear..." She said, appearing beside Balin, before she turned and ended up beside Thorin again.

"...and disappear in the blink of an eye..." She continued.

"So, you can move in the shadows, but, despite the fact that you are a Ranger, can you fight properly?"

"What do you mean. Properly?" She asked, her voice growing cold like ice.

"Well...you are a woman after all..." Was all Thorin said, before he felt the cold metal blade of a sword near his throat.

"What are you implying, Thorin Oakenshield?" Her voice laced with venom. Thorin whipped around, to find no one standing behind him.

"Oh for goodness sakes Uncle, just test her a bit, so that she doesn't rip your head off..." Fili said, absentmindedly.

"Wise idea. Listen to your nephews, Thorin. If I am a woman, then... I am not much of a challenge for you..." She said, challengingly. He drew his sword, and he brought it down on where Evelyn was standing, only to be effortlessly blocked, by another sword. He tried again, but his sword slashed through air. Just then, a foot was brought down behind his knees, and he hit the ground, and he was rolled over onto his back. Evelyn had her arm gently pressed his neck, and a knife in her other hand, her eyes flaming.

"Do I prove my claim, Thorin Oakenshield?" She asked. The corners of lips curled up into a smile. Evelyn grinned, and she held out her hand to help him up. He stood up, and he kept her hand in his own.

"Welcome to the Company, Evelyn!" He said, in a booming voice, and he gave her hand a good-hearted squeeze, and then the Dwarves, Evelyn, and Gandalf walked back to the dining table. Evelyn sat by the corner with Kili and Fili, but she kept her hood over her face, and as Thorin ate, the rest of the Dwarves spoke to him.

“What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?” Balin asked.

“Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms.” Thorin answered, and the Dwarves murmured their joy.

“What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?” Dwalin added.

Thorin paused for a moment, before replying."They will not come.", and the Dwarves murmured in disappointment.

“They say this quest is ours, and ours alone.” Thorin added, and there were further disappointed murmurs.

“You’re going on a quest?” Bilbo asked, curiously.

“Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light.” Gandalf said, as Bilbo brought a candle to the table, where Gandalf had spread out a map, that he had carried in his pocket.

“Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak.” Gandalf said, as Bilbo looked over his shoulder, and he read the map.

"The Lonely Mountain." He read aloud.

"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time.” Gloin said, to Bilbo.

“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, and the mumbling that had been going, immediately ceased.
As soon as Bilbo heard "the beast." he looked concerned.

"Uh, What beast?" Bilbo asked.

"Smaug, a fire drake of the North..." Evelyn said, her voice quiet, but still delicate.

“Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals--” Bofur said, cutting Evelyn off.

“Yes, I know what a dragon is.” Bilbo said, a bit defensively.

“I’m not afraid! I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie.” Ori said, boldly as he stood up, and several dwarves began to shout.

"Sit down!" Dori shouted.

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

At that comment, the dwarves started objecting, and they began shouting things like, "Hey, who are you calling dim?"
"Watch it!"
"No!"

“What did he say?” Oin asked, after the shouting was mostly over.

“We may be few in number, but we’re fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!” Fili said, bravely. Evelyn smiled, at the courage that the dwarves had, and she placed her hand on Fili's shoulder.

“And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time.” Kili smiled.

“Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn’t say that, I- -” Gandalf stammered.

“How many, then?” Dori asked Gandalf.

“Uh, what?” Gandalf said, absentmindedly.

“Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!” Dori shouted.

“Hm.” Gandalf stuttered, and he started to cough on his pipe smoke, and the dwarves jumped to their feet, and they began to argue about the number of dragons that Gandalf had killed. She took her hand off Fili's shoulder, and she touched the side of her temple, the yelling was giving her a headache.

"Evelyn...?" She heard someone ask, and she looked to see Kili, looking at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Just then, Thorin jumped up in anger, and he bellowed, which seemed to silence everyone.

“Shazara!" *Silence!*

"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!"

*To arms! To arms!*

With that, all the Dwarves began to cheer, but they were all silenced when Balin spoke up.

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

“That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true.” Gandalf said, and he twiddled his fingers, and after a few seonds, he produced a dwarvish key, ornately wrought, and Thorin looked up at it, in wonder.

“How came you by this?” Thorin asked, in disbelief.

“It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now.” Gandalf replied, and with that, he handed the key to Thorin, and everyone else looked on in wonder

“If there is a key, there must be a door.” Fili said, hope rising in his voice, and Gandalf pointed at runes on the map with his pipe.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage, to the lower halls

“There’s another way in!” Kili said, his smile growing.

“Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden 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 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.” Gandalf said, deep in thought.

“That’s why we need a burglar.” Ori said, at last.

“Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I’d imagine.” Bilbo said, thoughtfully.

“And are you?” Gloin asked.

“Am I what?” Bilbo asked, unaware of what he was implying.

“He said he’s an expert! Hey hey!” Oin said, grinning, as several dwarves laughed.

“M--Me? No, no, no, no, no. I’m not a burglar; I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.” Bilbo stammered out.

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He’s hardly burglar material.” Balin said, agreeing with Bilbo, who nodded in agreement.

“Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.” Dwalin said, and Bilbo continued to nod in agreement, and the dwarves began to argue. Evelyn looked over to Gandalf, and she saw that he was growing angry.

"Here we go..." She sighed. Gandalf rose to his full height, and he cast darkness over the group, and his voice went deep, and powerful. Everyone stopped arguing and they looked up at Gandalf in awe, and fear.

“Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is.” Gandalf boomed, before he turned back to his normal self.

“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 fifteenth 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.” Gandalf added.

Thorin sighed, before replying.“Very well. We will do it your way.

“No, no, no.” Bilbo nearly whimpered.

“Give him the contract.” Thorin demanded.

“Please.”

“Alright, we’re off!” Bofur exclaimed, as Balin handed Bilbo a very long contract.

“It’s just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth.” Balin explained.

"Funeral arrangements?” Bilbo asked, with panic in his voice, and he stepped back a few feet, to read the contract. Meanwhile, Thorin leaned towards Gandalf, and he whispered.

"I cannot guarantee his safety..." He began, before his gaze flickered over to Evelyn, who was talking to his nephews.

"Same with the girl...I cannot guarantee their safety..."

“Understood.”

“Nor will I be responsible for their fate.”

“Agreed.”

Bilbo began to read parts of the contract out loud.
“Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth 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?” He read, before he stopped.

“Oh, aye, he’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.” Bofur said. Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Not entirely..." She said, and everyone turned to look at her. She rolled up her tunic sleeve, and a few stray gasps were heard through the room. A long, ugly burn, trailed down Evelyn's arm, but only some flesh was burned away, no bones were showing. After a few moments, she rolled her tunic sleeve down her arm. Bilbo looked a bit breathless.

"Huh."

"You all right, laddie?" Balin asked.

Bilbo bent over, looked nauseous and pained. "Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint."

“Think furnace with wings.” Bofur said.

“Air, I--I--I need air.” Bilbo gasped.

“Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you’re nothing more than a pile of ash.” Bofur added.
Bilbo began to breathe heavily, as he tried to compose himself as the others stared at him.

“Hmmm. Nope.” Was all Bilbo could say, before he fell to the ground in a faint.

“Ah, very helpful, Bofur.” Gandalf said, unamused.