(NOTE: All rights go to J.R.R. Tolkien for the full poem, which is below, and Peter Jackson for the film adaptation of the song, which is above.)

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"The lass is right. 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 added after giving a nod to Valadhiel. He was glad  that she, at least, had brains and wasn't just a pretty face.

     "Hey, who are you calling dim?" Gloin asked angrily, shooting  the older dwarf a glare. He then looked at Oin when he asked what had  been said, and he rolled his eyes before repeating what had been said.

     "We may be few in number." Fili said, looking around the table before he stood. "But we're fighters; all of us, to the last dwarf!"

     "And you forget, we have a wizard in our company." Kili added as  he looked over at Gandalf. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of  dragons in his time."

     "Oh well, no. Uh, I...I-" Gandalf tried to say, but was then cut off.

     "How many then?" Dori asked him.

     "What?"

     "Well, how many dragons have you killed?"

     "He's a wizard, not a dragon slayer." Valadhiel said flatly,  rolling her eyes at the dwarf. Wizards were indeed powerful, but that did not make them dragon slayers. Eru had a  tendency to use the small creatures of Arda for greatness. There were  tales of the immortals, yes, but there were just as many, if not more,  of the mortals, and she had a feeling that several hobbits would one day be the center of stories. After all, despite their small size, they could have big hearts and a lot of courage.

     "Enough!" Thorin commanded, getting to his feet at the head of  the table. "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."

     "Not to disagree, Master Thorin, but I do disagree." Valadhiel  commented, looking over at him, ignoring the others as they murmured and  groaned. She even heard one quietly ask who had died and made her queen. "Smaug stole that land because of your wealth. He wouldn't  simply leave it there. No, he has not been seen in sixty years, but that  doesn't mean he isn't still in the mountain. I would not be surprised if he's been in  hibernation among all the gold. Dragons can be a greedy race, and they  would rather hibernate with their hoard than leave to eat and risk  losing it, unless their food is near their treasure."

     "What would you know of dragons?"  Thorin questioned her, giving her a small glare. She was always  disagreeing with him, and it rather got on his nerves.

      "Trust me, Master Thorin, Vala has had plenty of experience with  dragons." Gandalf replied, looking from the fiery haired elf to the  dwarven king. "She is right."

Bilbo, the poor hobbit, was awfully tired and rather confused. He looked over at Valadhiel, and he shuddered a little when he caught sight of her gleaming yellow eyes. But, if one looked closely, sorrow could be seen in those eyes of hers. Pain, and perhaps wisdom beyond her years. Of course, she was an elf, therefore immortal. No doubt she had seen a lot. And she did seem to be fairly kind, despite feisty at times. He couldn't judge her because her eyes were dragon-like, after all.

After he had looked at her a moment, he looked around the table. "So, if you are going to... wherever it is your going to reclaim what's yours, and there's a dragon there, how do you... how do you plan to go about even getting in in the first place?"

"There's a hidden door, of course." Fili replied, looking over at the hobbit. "Dwarves are experts at creating doors hidden to all."

"They're such experts, in fact, that they lose their own doors." Valadhiel added in comment with a slight smirk, crossing her arms as she sat back just slightly.

"So there is another way in." Kili commented, watching as Gandalf handed Thorin a key and explained that he'd gotten it from Thrain. "We'll be able to get in undetected by the dragon."

"Surely that'll be no easy task." Bilbo commented, crossing his arms. This plan of theirs was absolutely ridiculous, and it would be suicide!

"Which is why we'll need a burglar." Ori said, looking at Bilbo. That was why Gandalf had brought them all here- hadn't he picked up on that by now?

"Hmm, and a good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine." Bilbo replied, looking at the map Thorin had laid out on the table only moments ago, back when they were talking about the dragon.

"And are you?" Oin asked, looking at the halfling with suspicion. Sometimes they wondered if Gandalf even knew what he was doing.

Bilbo looked at Oin in confusion. "Am I what?"

Oin looked around at the others with a grin. "He said he's an expert!"

Bilbo's eyes widened when he finally realized what was going on. "Me? No. No, no, no. I'm not a burglar- I've never stolen a thing in my life."

"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mister Baggins." Balin commented, giving a small sigh. "He's hardly burglar material."

"Nope." Bilbo replied, rather happy that they were saying so. He didn't plan to go on any adventure ever! He would no longer be a respectable hobbit if he did so. Yet, a part of him told him to go with them. It could be rather exciting... adventure. What would he do if he stayed? Just go about his repetitive life. But if he left, all comforts of home left. No, maybe he would rather just stay home.

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin added after Balin and Bilbo spoke. Why had they even come here to begin with? What had Gandalf been thinking?

"Enough!" Gandalf said. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is! Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And, while a dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf... the scent of a 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 Mister Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Thorin gave the hobbit an unsure look, then he raised a brow at Gandalf before he sighed and gestured to Balin. "Very well. We will do it your way; give him the contract."

Balin took the contract out of an inner pocket and handed it to the hobbit, thinking that this was going to be a mistake. "It's just the summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, and so forth."

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo asked nervously, then he opened the contract and blinked when he realized just how long this contract was.

Thorin leaned closer to Gandalf and spoke in a lowered tone of voice. "I cannot guarantee his safety."

"Understood." Gandalf replied in just as quiet a tone.

Valadhiel had heard them, so she got up from where she'd been seated, trading places with the dwarf next to Thorin and Gandalf. "Gandalf, I am willing to keep the hobbit protected. I still cannot guarantee safety, but I can look after him. Thorin already has all of his men to look out for."

"Would you even have the patience to deal with the hobbit?" Thorin asked her, giving her a look. The maiden didn't seem to have very much patience at all, and he and his men had spent enough time with her to know that by now.

Valadhiel raised a red eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Yes, I will have the patience for the halfling. He's kind, and I can tolerate kind and gentle people more than I can certain others. Besides, I've travelled all over to help others in need. Hobbits are some of the folk I've worked for." After she spoke, she looked over at Bilbo when he nervously spoke a little louder.

"Incineration?"

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur replied as if it were no big deal.

Balin looked over at Bilbo when the hobbit suddenly didn't look too well. "You alright, laddie?"

"Huh?" Bilbo asked, then he registered the question that had been asked. "Yeah, I fee... I feel a bit faint." He replied.

"Think furnace with wings." Bofur continued on, as if oblivious to the hobbit's reaction. Either that, or he didn't really care that the hobbit was feeling faint.

"I...I...I need air." Bilbo stuttered quietly.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

Bilbo looked at them, and it seemed he was going to try to compose himself, but he then said "no" right before he ended up fainting on the floor.

Valadhiel looked over at Bofur after a moment. "Oh, very helpful, Bofur." She said sarcastically before she walked over, scooped the hobbit up, and took him out into what she assumed was the living room. Who knew when the poor thing would come to? She laid him down in a comfortable looking chair by the fireplace. After she'd laid him down, Kili, Fili, Thorin, and Gandalf walked into the room.

"Are you so sure that he's burglar material, Gandalf?" Kili asked after a moment. He wanted to believe in the little guy, but come now. He had fainted after only being told about the things that could happen on the quest. Then again, if he wasn't considering coming, then he wouldn't have fainted, right?

"I don't want to be questioned on the matter any longer." Gandalf replied, standing in a corner of the room where the ceiling wasn't too low. "He's our burglar, and he will come."

"He didn't seem to be thinking the same thing." Thorin replied gruffly. After he saw some of the dwarves with the instruments they brought with them, he asked for Kili and Fili to go fetch his own instrument before they left to do so. Soon, Oin and Gloin had their viols, which were nearly as big as as they were, eleven other dwarves had their clarinets, and Thorin had his golden harp, which was a very beautiful instrument. [1]

The dwarves began to play their music to pass the time until Bilbo woke up, though they already figured it wouldn't be too long before he finally did. Hopefully it wouldn't be, anyways. He'd only fainted, after all.

Only seconds after the music began to play, Bilbo woke up, and he looked over when he heard the music and the singing of the dwarves' deep voices.

"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!" [2]

After hearing the song, Bilbo got another strong desire to go with them on this quest, despite all the dangers he may face. But the Baggins side of him still overpowered the Took side of him for the time being. After a short conversation with Gandalf, he went to his bedroom and laid down.

Valadhiel watched as Bilbo left, and all the dwarves began to settle down for the night. After they had settled down, she walked over to a corner, shifted into her leopard form, and curled up to go to sleep. As she drifted off to sleep, she could hear Thorin's deep, smooth voice as he quietly sang, and the crackling of the fireplace made it even more peaceful.

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

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[1]: In the book, the dwarves brought their instruments with them. It is found in Chapter One, An Unexpected Party.
[2]: The full poem from Tolkien's book in Chapter One (An Unexpected Party).