(DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song above, nor do I own the poem below. The poem below is J.R.R. Tolkien's, and the song above is the film adaptation.)

CHAPTER ONE: PLANS IN ACTION

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Valadhiel smiled when they walked into the Needlehole, which was a part of the Shire. It had been a long time since she had been in the peaceful land of the halflings other than for just passing through, and she had missed it very much, even if most of the hobbits weren't so fond of her company.

She had been traveling with the dwarves for quite some time, and they had recently gotten out of Elven Lands, for which the dwarves seemed relieved, even though the elves they had encountered had been very polite and welcoming despite some of the dwarves being rather rude.

Now that they were in the Needlehole, she stopped and looked at the dwarves before sending some ahead of them, Dwalin being the first, then Balin being next. She then had Fili and Kili follow behind Balin, and she then had some stay back with her. Once enough time had passed, she decided the rest of them could make their way to Bilbo's house.

"From here we will walk through the Rushock Bog, then we reach Hobbiton. Gandalf said to go up a hill once we enter Hobbiton, and look for the hobbit-hole with the mark he left. Gandalf said the door was green; that won't help us much if there are more green doors, though. I would just search for the mark Gandalf left."

"Gandalf is to be meeting us soon, correct?" Thorin asked, looking over at Valadhiel after a moment.

"He'd said he would meet us in Hobbiton before you and I even set out for your halls." Valadhiel replied, looking over at the tall, handsome dwarf. She looked away from him after a moment when she felt a tingle go along her spine for a brief moment, then she began walking. "We'd better go meet him now."

"Is this hobbit expecting us?" Bofur asked after a moment, looking at the elvish skinchanger. After their journey together, he wasn't as cautious around her, though he still didn't talk to her very much, and he would certainly never try to wake her up again.

"I would think so. Then again, Gandalf is the one that planned much of this, so there's a chance the poor halfling has no idea about any of this." Valadhiel said in response, leading the way.

After a little while of walking, they reached the river in Hobbiton, and Gandalf was indeed waiting there. Evening had come about now, and the sun was setting by now. "Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin arrived only minutes ago." Gandalf informed them once they got there, then he began walking up the hill. "Now it's time for us to arrive."

"This hobbit will be willing to help us?" Thorin asked Gandalf, walking alongside him now. "None of these people seem to like outsiders, and none of them seem to go anywhere, and I doubt they know how to defend themselves."

"Ah, but Bilbo isn't most hobbits, Master Thorin." Gandalf replied. After he spoke, they walked in silence awhile, until they reached the top of the hill and reached a gate. "Dwarves first."

Thorin entered the gate first, of course, followed by Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Valadhiel, then Gandalf followed after them. Thorin walked onto the porch and rang the bell, then looked over when Gandalf began knocking on the door with his staff.

Valadhiel crossed her arms after a moment of waiting by the door, and looked over when Gandalf knocked again, then she looked at the door when it quickly opened, causing Thorin to fall onto the mat inside on his face, Bombur falling onto him, then Bifur and Bofur, too. She smirked and tried to hold back a laugh, though a quiet snicker escaped.

"Careful, Bilbo!" Gandalf said, looking at the hobbit, nearly in amusement, however. "It isn't quite like you to keep friends waiting on the mat, and then open the door like a pop-gun! Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Valadhiel, and especially Thorin!" [1]

Valadhiel watched as the dwarves got up to their feet, then she leaned forward just enough so that Thorin could hear her. "That was quite the majestic entrance, Master Dwarf."

Thorin looked back at her and gave her a small glare, then he turned his attention back to the others as they hung up their coats, and he nodded to Bombur after he apologized for falling onto him.

Valadhiel grinned at Thorin in reply, then she made her way inside. However, unbeknownst to her, Kili and Fili had sneaked into the room. Kili took his sword, which was sheathed, and stuck it out, causing the elf to trip. She would have fallen had Thorin not caught her. As soon as he caught her, Kili and Fili retreated in hopes that Valadhiel didn't and wouldn't see them.

Now it was Thorin's turn to smirk. "What was that about majestic entrances?" He questioned her in a quiet tone of voice, his blue eyes sparkling in smug amusement as he looked into her yellow eyes. "I didn't trip over my own feet, at least." He then helped her stand upright before he resumed a serious pose, turning to look at the halfling. He had now finished a small chat with Gandalf and had then turned back to Thorin.

"I am so sorry about that." Bilbo said for about the hundredth time, obviously feeling bad about what had happened.

"Pray don't mention it." Thorin replied with a grunt, and he finally stopped frowning at the halfling. [2] After a moment, he looked over at the halfling and crossed his arms. "Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked, furrowing his brow and backing up a little. Not only was this throng of dwarves intimidating, but the elf with the dragon-like eyes freaked him out a little. He was rather flustered by being questioned by some important dwarf even though he was the one who ought to have his questions answered!

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Thorin then asked, beginning to circle the hobbit a moment before he finally stood still.

"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant." Bilbo replied, trying to keep any ounce of annoyance out of his tone. He was annoyed by all of this, and he was so confused.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Thorin looked around at the other dwarves with a smirk, and they all chuckled.

Valadhiel raised a brow before she crossed her arms and gave Thorin somewhat of a glare. "But looks can be deceiving, now, can't they?" She questioned the dwarven king.

"No one asked you, elf." Thorin replied, glaring right back at the fiery-haired woman.

"Well, I'm giving my opinion whether you like it or not, dwarf." Valadhiel snapped back, not about to just shut her mouth and let this dwarf belittle the poor hobbit in his own home.

"Don't speak to Master Thorin that way!" Bifur snapped right back at the elf. "Or men baruk vel menu vazr an morag!" [My axe and your face will be friends.]

"All of you, stop this foolishness." Gandalf said firmly, giving them all a 'don't make me whack you with my staff' look before he gestured for them all to come into the kitchen. "Come, let's join the others, then we can discuss why we've come." He eyed Thorin and Valadhiel. "In a civilized fashion."

Valadhiel waited for Thorin to follow Gandalf back to the kitchen before she joined them, and after a little while, there was food and drink of all sorts at the table. She had gotten up to help the poor hobbit since there were many mouths to feed, which he thanked her for. It seemed to help the little guy calm down and not stress too much.

"What would you like to drink, Miss Valadhiel?" Bilbo asked her once Thorin, Gandalf, and the rest were served. He had insisted that she eat with them, even before them (but still after Thorin) since she was a lady, but she had insisted on helping him instead.

"Just water will do, Mister Bilbo; thank you." Valadhiel replied with a smile, still helping Bilbo out some. Soon, she was seated, as was Bilbo, and she began to eat quietly. She was seated next to Kili, who was next to Fili, so the three of them began to talk quietly amongst themselves. They somehow managed to talk fairly quietly even amongst some of the louder chatter.

"So, where are you from, Miss Valadhiel?" Fili asked her after they had chatted off and on for a little while. They'd never discussed where she had come from; they just knew that she had been to many places. Bree, Rivendell, Mirkwood, and even the Shire a few times before.

"Oh, well, nowhere all too special." Valadhiel replied with a light shrug. "It was in an ancient kingdom not far from the Withered Heath. That was before the Withered Heath was so barren, though."

Kili looked at her in surprise, then blinked when she mentioned she'd been born before the Withered Heath was barren. "How old are you?"

Fili elbowed Kili in the ribs. "Kili!" He hissed. Didn't he know that you never asked an immortal woman how old she was? For Durin's sake!

"Ow! What?" Kili asked, shooting Fili a small glare before he looked over at the elven maid again.

Valadhiel chuckled. "It's fine, Fili. I... honestly don't even remember how old I am. I haven't been keeping track of my age." She replied, then she looked up when everyone was finished with dinner. All the dwarves got up to help with the cleanup after Thorin told them to clear the area so they could get to business. Her eyes widened a little when the dwarves began to toss the dishes to each other, causing the halfling to fret. Then, Bofur began to sing.

"Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates-
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!" [3]

After Bofur finished singing that line, all the other dwarves began singing along with him as they threw dishes to each other, passing them into the kitchen where another dwarf was washing them up, another was drying them, and another was putting them away.

"Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;
Pound them up with a thumping pole;
And when you've finished if any are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
So, carefully! carefully with the plates!" [3*]

Valadhiel couldn't help the amusement she felt over the dwarves giving Bilbo a fright like that, yet she also couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing. He still didn't know why they were all here. Now that all was cleaned up, however, and now that they were all seated at the table again, Thorin, Gandalf, and the other dwarves began to discuss things with him. After telling him about the quest and the dragon, they presented him with a contract.

Thorin had been watching Valadhiel some as the dwarves were tossing around the dishes. Her yellow eyes had been sparkling in amusement, and her smile had been one of fondness. Even though she had yet to say it, it seemed that she had become fond of them all. And, he had to admit, many of them had become fond of her. Including himself- even though she could be a pain in the neck. Once the table was clear, they got straight to business.

Valadhiel had noticed Thorin looking at her, but she didn't dare look at him, not wanting him to know that she had seen him looking for some odd reason. She looked over at Kili and Fili when they took a seat on both sides of her, then she dazed off for a moment, daydreaming. She had to admit... Thorin was a rather handsome dwarf. And he was tall for a dwarf, too.

What was she saying? He was a dwarf! She was a skin-changing elf, and she was disliked by many dwarves simply because of what she was. She shook all the random and odd thoughts from her mind and focused on what was being said, just in time to hear Bilbo speak.

"Uh... what beast?" He asked, sounding rather worried, his voice small and nearly squeaky. Why Gandalf had chosen him for the burglar, no one seemed to know.

"Well, that would be a reference to Smaug The Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age." Bofur replied nonchalantly, yet at the same time made Bilbo sound silly for not knowing about the beast. Then again, he was a hobbit, and the halflings lived in their own little worlds. "Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals."

Bilbo raised a brow and gave the dwarf a look. "Yes, I do know what a dragon is." He may be a homebody hobbit, but he sure as fire was hot knew what a dragon was!

Ori suddenly stood up from where he sat and raised a fist. "I'm not afraid, I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the dwarvish iron right up his backside!"

Valadhiel rolled her eyes as Gloin gave him a 'good lad, Ori!' and as Dori ordered him to sit down. "Do you really think your weapons would be a match for a beast like him? He's got scaly armor covering his body. You have to find a weakness before you even so much as think about giving the worm a taste of his own medicine. March in with that as your only plan, and you'll end up as lizard food."

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[1]: Based off of page 18, Chapter One (An Unexpected Party) of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, which reads '"Carefully, carefully!" he said. "It is not like you, Bilbo, to keep friends waiting on the mat, and then open the door like a pop-gun! Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin!"'
[2]: Based off of page 19, Chapter One (An Unexpected Party) of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, which reads, 'Thorin indeed was very haughty, and said nothing about service; but poor Mr. Baggins said he was sorry so many times, that at last he grunted "pray don't mention it," and stopped frowning.'
[3]/[3*]: The original poem in Tolkien's book, still in Chapter One (An Unexpected Party).