//------------------------------//
// The Tale of the Lonely Mountain 
// Story: The Hobbit: Desolation is Magic 
// by King Camelot 
//------------------------------//

Thorin Oakenshield had arrived at last. He was much different from the last time Starlight had seen him, for one he was shorter than her, like all the other dwarves. She didn't know why she was surprised about that, perhaps sitting with him at eye level in the Prancing Pony had convinced her he was taller than most. He also wore a long brown coat over what looked like battle armor, he looked like he was preparing for war. The one thing that didn't change about him, was that grumpy and brooding look he had to him, like he really didn't want to be here right now. Yet, that was not true. He very much wanted to be here now, but he had a troubling week up to this point, and he did not have good news to share.

Letting himself in, he went up to speak with the wizard who had invited him here, " Gandalf, I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I would't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

Bilbo, who had overheard this, rushed out to see this "mark", "Mark? There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago."

"There is a mark, I put it there myself," Gandalf reassured him.

Starlight, who had calmed down for the most part, came up and said, "Wait a minute, so you invited dwarves over to a house whose host had no idea you were coming and you left a mark on his door? Have you not heard of manners?"

Thorin stepped forward, "What's it matter to you, 'Merida'? What are you and your drunk little friends over there doing here, anyway?"

"They are here on my authority," Gandalf declared, "And they will remain here, and during the trip to Erebor, as long as I see fit."

"Very well," scoffed Thorin, he was not happy that three strangers were here to listen in on their business. But he had more important matters to attend to, he and Gandalf could talk about them later. Right now, he was more interested in the hobbit that was standing right in front of him.

"Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf stated, with a tone as if he was introducing a king.

Thorin stepped forward a little bit. He was examining Bilbo, as if a predatory bird was sizing up his prey, "So, this is the hobbit? Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting? Ax or sword, what is your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo had not understood the question. He was slightly skilled at Conkers, at least. But he had never started an actual fist fight in his life, let alone used an ax or sword. Thorin seemed to pick up on the hints, "Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

With that little chuckle, all the dwarves moved to the dining room, ready to discuss plans on what was to be done, with Bilbo following close behind, confusion covering his face once more. Sunset and the others did not follow them, they had a small bone to pick with Gandalf, and they intended to let him know about it.

"Him, you want him to be the burglar?!" Sunset had asked, " I think Thorin's right, you're practically sending him to his death!"

"Calm yourself, Sunset," Gandalf waved, "all will be explained in due time. Now come over to the table, we are about to begin."

The three equestrians were confused, most of all Sunset. What was this wizard planning?





Everyone was once again at the dining table, but the reason for it was absolutely different. All of the dwarves had sat down in their original places, with Thorin being at the end of the table. Gandalf had chosen a spot in the corner, next to Thorin. Bilbo and the three equestrians stayed outside a bit, this was obviously a private matter. But apparently not too private, if the grey wizard wanted them to be close.

Balin was the first to speak, having a question he wanted answered, "What news from the meeting in Erid Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorin simply nodded, "Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." The dwarves were pleased greatly at these words. If all seven managed to come, then they were certainly interested in the quest. Surely Thorin had convinced them to join them on their adventure.

Dwalin however, had a question of his own that he wanted to ask, "And what did the Dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

Thorin's look became somber at this question. He did not know how to answer it, he'd rather not answer it at all. But all the same, he did, "They will not come. They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

Needless to say, the three equestrians listening in on the conversation were not pleased at all, especially not Sunset and Starlight. What Dain and his people were doing to Thorin was not right at all. Friends help friends, no matter the danger or the peril. Dain was basically abandoning his friends to the fire of Smaug! Sunset was about to speak her mind on the matter, when she was stopped by Stygian. Slightly shaking his head "no", he told her that Dain and his kin had made their choice, and no amount of speeches about Friendship and Loyalty were about to change that. Feeling defeated, Sunset slunk back into her spot.

Not surprising at all, Bilbo had not one, but many questions that he wanted answered. After all, out of everyone here he was the least informed on what was happening, "You're going on a quest?"

Neither Gandalf or the three equestrians knew how to convey it in one or two sentences, so Gandalf tried to answer his question through other means, "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."

Recognizing the request, Bilbo went into the other room to grab one of his candle sticks. To help explain what was going on, Gandalf pulled out a small piece of paper, about the size of a handkerchief. Bilbo and the three equestrians leaned forward to see what was on it. Depicted on the paper, was a single solitary mountain, and a series of other smaller, less important places, with a set of instructions that not many could read. Clearing his throat, Gandalf began, "Far to the East, over Ranges and Rivers, beyond Woodlands and Wastelands, lies a single solitary peak." 

Bringing the light a little closer, Bilbo read aloud the title of the page, "The Lonely Mountain?"

Starlight, who also read it aloud, spoke up a little, "The Lonely Mountain? That's where you guys used to live, right?"

Thorin chuckled, "So Gandalf, you're friends over there seem to have a sapling of an idea about what's going on after all. Aye, Miss Glimmer, the Lonely Mountain was once our home, ruled over by the Dwarvish King Thror."

Gloin nodded, "Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time!"

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountains, as it was foretold!" Oin explained, trying to prove his findings: 'When the birds of Yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end.'

Bilbo paused right where he stood, he had left the conversation some time ago to get his pantry back in order. But at the sound of 'Beast' he instantly stopped right in his tacks, his interest in the conversation rekindled once again, "Um, what beast?"

"That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible," Sunset jumped in, eager to share the knowledge she learned in Twilight's journal, "Chiefest and Greatest Calamity of the Third Age to date."

Bofur, who was about to explain it himself, simply nodded, approving of Sunset's description of him, "The lass is right. Airborne Firebreather, Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious metals."

"Yes I know what a dragon is," Bilbo interrupted, not wanting to hear more. Such details were just too much for a respectable hobbit such as himself to bear.

Ori, who suddenly stood up, started claiming that he wasn't afraid of any dragon, and that he could shove his iron sword right up the dragons... well, down below. This earned a mix of praise from some dwarves, while others just told him to sit down. Sunset and the others agreed, Ori was just showing signs of his youthful foolishness, and such rash actions like that were going to most definitely get him killed.

Balin shared these thoughts, as he somberly added, "The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."

This earned him a few comments, a few of the more "Brawn than Brain" types calling him out for calling them stupid. But that didn't stop Fili and Kili, who were showing signs of their youthful foolishness as well. But unlike Ori, they had seen battle before, and they knew how to turn that foolishness into bravery.

"We may be few in number," Fili admitted, "But we're fighters, all of us, to the last dawrf!"

Kili agreed with his brother, "And you forget we have two wizards in our company! Gandalf and Stygian would have killed hundreds of dragons in their time!"

Both Gandalf and Stygian backed away, not being able to back up the claims that were being laid on them. "Well, not exactly," Stygian admitted, "Where I'm from, dragons are nothing more than common nuisances. I've never had any reason to actually kill one before."

Despite this new bit of knowledge, Kili was unwavering, "Gandalf then, even if Stygian hasn't killed any Gandalf certainly must have!"

Left to fend for himself, Gandalf stuttered, "Oh, well no, I-I-I wouldn't say.."

"How many then?" Dori asked most accusingly, "How many dragons have you killed?! Go on, give us a number!"

Gandalf could do nothing but just cough slightly in his pipe. Without solid proof that either Gandalf or Stygian had experience in defeating dragons, the room erupted into chaos. Many were aimed at Gandalf, accusing him of being a fraud. The more kinder ones rather bashed him for bringing Stygian and his friends into the party, since they had yet to prove their usefulness to the quest. It was too much for Bilbo to bear, "Um, excuse me, please?"

Nobody could hear him, they were too busy yelling at each other. Starlight, who had heard Bilbo's attempt, tried to get the others to calm down so he could speak, but still to no avail. It was only when Thorin himself entered the fray when everyone stopped fighting and sat back down, "NO MORE!"

Thorin, realizing he had the room, spoke in a clear and decisive voice, "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors 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?!

Now this is what set Thorin apart from Ori, Fili, and Kili. He was neither young nor foolish. When he spoke, he knew exactly what he was talking about, how he could rally others to his cause. How he could turn a forgotten group of washouts into a battalion of warriors! And it worked, every dwarf in the room rallied and cheered, willing to risk their lives to reclaim what belonged to them! But there was one problem...

"You forget," Balin added, "The gateway is sealed, there is no way into the mountain."

Sunset was confused, "Wait a minute, what do you mean sealed?"

Balin cleared his throat, "What I mean, Miss Shimmer, is that when the dragon Smaug attacked Erebor, he destroyed the main entryway into the mountain, no doubt to trap any potential meal who intended to escape. As said before, there is no way into the keep."

Gandalf simply smiled, "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf suddenly pulled out an old looking key, made of dwarvish design and a metal so sturdy it would be nearly impossible to break. Twirling it in his fingers, he showed it to Thorin, who had a look of disbelief in his eyes, "How came you by this?"

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain" Gandalf explained, "For safekeeping. It is yours now." He then held it out for Thorin to take. Slowly putting his hand forward, Thorin allowed the heavy key to fall into his palm, staring at it like it was antique piece of precious metal.

The purpose of the key became clear to everyone in the room, "If there is a key, there must be a door."

Referring back to the picture of the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf explained, "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls.

"There's another way in," Both Kili and Sunset simultaneously spoke, hope was not lost after all.

Gandalf however, was not done talking, "Well, if we can find it. But dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answers lie somewhere hidden in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it."

"Maybe I can?" Sunset offered. Suddenly, all eyes were on her, "What I mean is, I have a journal with me that has data on every known language of Middle Earth. If you could give me the time to read it, maybe I can decipher it."

With that out on the table, Sunset grabbed the picture, and rifled through her journal to find the corresponding language. About ten minutes passed before people started to get restless, "Well, what does it say?"

Sunset continued to rifle through her journal, a panicked look in her eye, "I don't know! I can't seem to find the language!"

"Here, allow me to take a look, Miss Shimmer," offered Gandalf, taking the journal off her hands. After a few minutes, Gandalf came to his conclusion, "Well, I thought as much. You cannot find the language because it is not here."

"What?!" Sunset asked bewilderingly, certain that languages wouldn't have been erased from the journal. 

Gandalf brought his hand up, "Allow me to explain. You mentioned to me before that parts of your journal had been erased from your view. Whatever is at play with this journal, it does not want us to figure out how to read the map, at least not without earning it. We will discuss this later, for now let's get back to business. Just because Miss Shimmer and I can not read it does not mean that there are not those who can."

Changing the subject, Gandalf continued, "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."

Ori, who was paying attention rigorously, was the first to catch on to what Gandalf was talking about, "That's why we need a burglar!"

"And a good one too," Bilbo added, not knowing who they were thinking about, "An expert, I imagine."

"And are you?" Gloin asked, making it perfectly clear that they were talking about him. Yet despite that, despite the fact that everyone in the room was looking at him, Bilbo still couldn't grasp that he was who was chosen to be the burglar,

"Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert!" Oin declared, having heard so from his hearing horn. This caused a few chuckles poking at his partial deafness, but Bilbo didn't find it funny at all, "What, me? No, nononononono. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life. I was thinking that maybe you consider Miss Shimmer for the job. She looks like she's had a fair amount of practice in stealing and sneaking and that sort of thing."

"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mister Baggins," Balin confided, knowing what kind of sort Bilbo was, "He's hardly burglar material. Miss Shimmer would be the right person for the job."

"Nope," Bilbo agreed, trying his best to seem non-burglarly like.

Dwalin confided as well, "Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves. Miss Shimmer, everyone seems to be looking at you. How much of a burglar are you really?"

Sunset gulped. It was true that she used to cheat and steal things back before she met Twilight, but she would hardly call herself a burglar,"Well, I've stolen a magic crown before, but that's just about it."

Bilbo was happy to agree, "See? She stole a crown, a magic crown, no less. Definitely more burglar material then I am."

Once more, the room erupted into loud talking and mixed opinions. Many were against Bilbo, and wanted to pick Sunset to be the burglar instead. Others, like Kili and Fili, wanted to give Bilbo a chance and insisted that he'd manage just fine. Sunset herself was rather nervous about the whole thing. No doubt she could be their burglar had the circumstances been different, but she had already been told by Gandalf that she couldn't be. Even her friends were against the idea of her being the burglar, Starlight for the obvious reasons of Space-Time Continuum stuff and not wanting her to get hurt, Stygian for the same reasons, having shared a drink with her and attached to her enough to not want to see her die. The more the dwarves argued, the more Gandalf became more stressed and restless. Until finally, enough was enough...

"Enough!" Gandalf stood up, roaring in a booming voice that didn't sound like him at all, the area around him becoming dark, with the rumbling sound of thunder accompanying it, Sunset Shimmer is not my choice! And if I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!

Once he was done yelling, the sound of thunder ceased and the blackness around him faded. Continuing, he added, "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. True, Miss Shimmer is the more obvious choice, but you forget one thing: The dragon Smaug has long been accustomed to the smell of Man and Dwarf, the scent of a hobbit, is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage."

Sitting back down, Gandalf addressed Thorin, "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mister 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." 

Thorin scoffed, "And what of Sunset and her lot?"

"They will be coming as well," Gandalf answered unwavering, "They know a lot about our quest and could be a liability if left unchecked. Besides, their use to the company may present itself in time. You must trust me on this."

Thorin did not like this plan at all, the four people that Gandalf suggested would be a burden more than anything. This quest had no place for a gentlefolk and three meddling children. But, he had to admit, it would be amusing to see how long they lasted before they wanted out, "Very well, we'll do it your way. Give them the contract."

Bilbo and Starlight did their best to try and weasel their way out of this, but both Sunset and Stygian were eager to begin. Taking the contract, Stygian asked, "So, what does this contract entail?"

"It's just the usual," Balin clarified, "Summary of 'Out-of-Pocket' Expenses, Time Required, Remuneration, Funeral Arrangements, so forth."

Bilbo couldn't believe his ears, "Funeral Arrangements?"

"Don't worry about that," comforted Sunset, "My friends and I will make sure you get back in one piece. For starters, let's just look over what the contract says.

As Sunset and Stygian helped Bilbo look over the arrangements, Thorin quickly whispered to Gandalf, "I cannot guarantee his safety. Not his, not the children's. Nor will I be responsible for their fate."

Gandalf understood, realizing that it would be up to him to keep both Bilbo and his new friends alive, "Agreed."





After the meeting, Bilbo and Sunset's gang had resided to the other room to discuss the terms of the agreement, "Terms: Cash on Delivery; up to but not exceeding 1/14th 17th of total profit, if any."

"Wait, why was the fourteenth crossed out?" Sunset wondered.

"Because we were never supposed to be here," Starlight insisted, "They never expected Gandalf to add a few surprise members to the company. Hell, we shouldn't even be here!"

Alright, alright, quit worrying!" Stygian snapped, "Now what does it say here? Present Company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted or sustained as a consequence thereof including, but not limited to: Lacerations, Evisceration, Incineration, etc." 

Bilbo grabbed that contract, "Wait, did I hear that right, Incineration?"

"oh, aye," answered Bofur, who happened to be nearby at the time, "He'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

These words were not comforting to Bilbo, nor Starlight. Bilbo's life had never been in mortal danger before. For Starlight, it was different, she had been in mortal situations before, but she also had her magic, something she lacked thereof at the moment. She couldn't just teleport herself and her friends out of there if it ever got dicey, she would be going in with no real security or reassurance that she would make it out alive."

Balin seemed to notice their concern, "You two alright?"

'Yeah, I'm fine," both Starlight and Bilbo lied, starting to hyperventilate a little bit. Bilbo was starting to feel a bit faint.

Bofur didn't catch the hint at all, continuing to list off the ways they could painfully and gruesomely die, "Think furnace with wings. Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

Bilbo tried desperately to get a hold of himself, tried to convince himself that none of that would happen to him, but in the end he couldn't do it. He just gave a quick and short, "Nope" and fell on his carpet, dead to the world. That just left Starlight to keep herself calm and collected.

"Oh, and one more thing," Bofur added, "No one will know you even died! Your family will never know what became of you before it was too late, and your friends would likely share a fate similar to yours."

That was the tipping stone for Starlight, she said something awfully rude to Bofur, and then fainted herself, barely missing Bilbo as she fell next to him.

Sunset, who had managed to grab hold of the contract before Bilbo fainted, shot Bofur a mean look and continued to drag Bilbo and Starlight into the other room."

"Very helpful, Bofur," Gandalf remarked as he left to help Sunset with the bodies.





Bilbo sat in his living room in one of his comfy chairs, slightly whimpering as he sipped from a hot cup of tea. Starlight was also in the room, with a cup of her own. But she sat on the floor, the furniture in the room not built to handle someone as big as her. They just sat in the room, whispering to themselves, how they were going to be alright, how Starlight was gonna find a way to bring herself and her friends home before they had to face Smaug.

Sunset and Gandalf were closely watching from the other room, Sunset being very concerned for their mental health, she wanted to give them one of her trademark pep talks about how they were going to make it, and how the Magic of Friendship would guide and protect them. But this time, she couldn't find the words, every time she tried, the words just hung in her mouth, "What are we gonna do, Gandalf?"

Gandalf however, couldn't have been more confident in what he was about to do, "Don't worry, Miss Shimmer. I know exactly what to do. You just wait here while I get these two sorted out."

"I'll be alright, just let me sit quietly for a moment," Bilbo insisted, trying to get Gandalf to go away.

But Gandalf would have none of it, "You've been sitting quietly for far too long."

"Or maybe," Starlight interrupted, "Maybe we haven't been sitting quietly for long enough. If we just sit quietly for a very long time, you and your dwarf friends will just go on your quest without us and we'll just wait here for someone to rescue us from this nightmare."

"Miss Glimmer," Gandalf tried to comfort, "Everything that you just said is wrong and flawed. Even if you stay behind, you surely cannot convince Miss Shimmer and Mister Stygian to do the same. They've already signed the contract and have agreed to its conditions."

At these words, Starlight shot up, "They've what?! What the hell are they thinking?! They could be hurt or worse! They could alter the timeline, or cause things that weren't supposed to happen to happen! No, the best course of action is to stay here and wait to be found."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Bilbo chipped in, although he had no clue what she was talking about, "If the original 'timeline' means me not going on this quest, just sitting here with my books, my pipe, my doilies and dishes, then I would very much like to stay on this side of the timeline."

But Gandalf did not move, he came here to get them out of this stupor they were in, and he aimed to stay here until they were, "Tell me, since when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? Since when did worrying about future events and avoiding them actually stop them from happening?"

Turning his attention to Starlight, he continued, "Starlight, you're so busy worrying about the future, that you haven't stopped to think about the present. Whether you go or don't go is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. I will still go, Thorin and his company will go, and Sunset and Stygian will most certainly go. You can't stop what has been set in motion, you can only go along with it and hope for the best. That's about as good as anyone can do."

"And Bilbo," Gandalf mentioned, "I remember a young hobbit who was always running off in search of elves in the woods. Who would stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud, twigs, and fireflies. A young hobbit who would've like nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps, it's out there."

Bilbo managed to catch a glimpse outside one of his windows. A part of him would very much like to leave the Shire, to see what lied beyond, to secure that 1/17th of that humongous treasure that Smaug was greedily guarding. That part of him was growing stronger by the second. But like a tidal wave, his common sense came crashing down, "I can't just go running off into the blue! I am a Baggins of Bag End!" 

Gandalf laughed, "True, but you are also a Took. Did you know that your great-great-great-great Uncle Bullroarer Took was so large, he could ride a real horse? Well, he could!"

Gandalf pointed towards the picture of Bullroarer that Bilbo's family had hung for years now. Grabbing both Bilbo and Starlight's attention, he continued his story, "In the battle of Greenfields, he charged the goblin ranks! He swung his club so hard, it knocked the Goblin King's head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air, and went down a rabbit hole. And thus, the battle was won, and the game of golf invented at the same time."

Both Bilbo and Starlight didn't believe it, that just sounded like a fairy tale that a mother would tell her child at bed time. Bilbo laughed, "I do believe you made that up."

Gandalf sat down, giving a small chuckle of his own, "Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You both'll have a tale or two of your own to tell when you come back."

Bilbo was almost convinced, but one small thing still dug at his head. Starlight, on the other hand, was firm in her belief that she wouldn't go, "That's the thing, isn't it? Will we come back? Let's assume that we do go with you, the timeline still stays the same, and everything goes according to plan; will we come back? My friends are putting their lives in danger for this stupid treasure hunt, and if they're gonna go flamboyantly toss it away like that, I need to trust that you will look after them, look after us. Can you absolutely promise to me, to both of us, that we will come back?"

Gandalf's smiled faded, there were no other cards he could play. There was no sugarcoating this answer, "No. And if you do, you will not be the same."

Bilbo looked satisfied, he had an absolute, very real reason not to go on this adventure, "That's what I thought. I'm sorry Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong hobbit."

"I can't either," Starlight agreed, "If my friends want to toss everything aside and risk their lives, that's on them. I refuse to be a part of this crackpot of an adventure."

And with both of their minds made up, they put down their tea and left the room, leaving Gandalf to his thoughts.





Sunset sighed, unable to believe that someone she considered a friend would make a decision like that. She just couldn't understand.

"So I guess that's that, then," said a voice behind her. Sunset jumped, turning around to see who it was. She gave a breath of relief, it was only Stygian, who was using his Soul Gem to cast an invisibility spell, "Starlight Glimmer, will not be going to Erebor."

"Does that mean we're still going?" Sunset wondered, "Maybe we should stay here and watch after her, make sure she doesn't do something she'll regret?"

"No Sunset," Stygian bluntly said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "The adventure must go on. We can't just end it because one of our own has abandoned the path. We can't force her to join us, and we can't just stay here, hoping against hope that equestrian help will come. It won't, the mirror's broken, and by the time they fix it, we may already be three quarters there to Erebor. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward with life, and live with our own choices and the choices of those around us."

"I know," Sunset admitted, "But it just doesn't feel right, leaving her here by herself. I know I wouldn't want to be left behind by my friends."

"Neither did I," Stygian said, "I know what it's like, and it doesn't feel good. But we can't just stop the path because we're afraid. That's what Starlight is doing, she's letting fear dictate her actions. But if we stay on the path and show her our bravery, then perhaps we can inspire her and others to show their own bravery."

Giving a small sigh, Sunset agreed, "You're right."

With their minds made up, they went into the living room, where everyone seemed to be gathering. They were humming a song, but this song wasn't merry and happy. This song had a somber tune, full of sadness, longing, anger, and a distant memory of better times. Both Sunset and Stygian felt swayed by the music, to the point where they had to sit down to not topple over. They watched and listened as Thorin started to sing, who was soon joined by others. The song went something like this:

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale
And men they looked up with faces pale;
The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!

It sounded like a somber lullaby, neither Sunset, Stygian, nor Starlight and Bilbo (who were secretly listening in the other room) could resist falling asleep to the music. And thus ended the Party at Bag End.