In The End-The Hobbit

Chapter 3 : Thorin Oakenshield

"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asks Thorin.

"No. They will not come" Thorin says with disappointment. All the other dwarves talk amongst themselves with disappointment as well " They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo says walking into the dining room.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf says while pulling out a map from in his pocket. Bilbo places a candle on the table for more light.

"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak" Bilbo reads the top of the map which says The Lonely Mountain.

"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time" Gloin says with a strong accent.

"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 says.

"Ah. What beast?" Bilbo says from behind Thorin. I didn't realise that I was slowly tuning out of the conversation until Bilbo's voice startled me, I almost forgot he was here and that he doesn't know what he may or may not be getting into.

Bofur begins to explain in detail "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 meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"

"Yes, I know what a dragon is" Bilbo cuts in.

"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie" Ori says with no fear coursing me to giggle.

"Sit down!" Dori yells at Ori and pulls him back to his seat.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest" Balin says with a little lose in faith.

The dwarves start arguing at what Balin has said. Some of them saying things like "Hey, who are you calling dim?"

"Watch it!"

"No!"

"What did he say?" Oin looks around confused by what is happening. He can't hear very well, only through a horn-shaped figure.

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters," Fili says. He slams his hand to the table "all of us, to the last dwarf!"

"And you forget we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf would have killed hundreds of dragons in his time" Kili says with high spirits. I can't help but let out a small giggle, my gaze turning to Gandalf in amusement. I've known Gandalf all my life and I've never heard a story about him slaying a dragon which only makes this so much funnier when I see his expression.

"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that I-" Gandalf shudders.

"How many, then?" Dori asks with force.

"Uh, what?" Gandalf says in a dim voice.

"Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!" Dori says coursing havoc between the dwarves. They all begin yelling at Gandalf to answer and yelling at Dori.

The noise begins to get beyond okay, causing Thorin to stand up and raise his voice. "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?" Thorin says with strong hopes.