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"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Balin asks, making her look at Thorin. "Did they all come?"
"Aye. Envoys from all Seven Kingdoms." He answers as she crosses her arms. "Ah. All of them!" They all say at the news.
"And what did the dwarves of the iron hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asks, making Thorin put his spoon down.
"They will not come. They say this quest is ours and ours alone." He tells them as the air becomes solemn.
"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asks from behind Gandalf. "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf says, and she watches as Bilbo leaves the room.
"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak," Gandalf says as he places down a map.
She moves closer to the table, looking over the leader. Bilbo walks past and brings a candle to the table. "The Lonely Mountain." He says, looking at the map.
"Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is the time!" Gloin says as her eyes come to focus on the red dragon.
From across the table, Fili watches as a scowl approaches her face seeing the print. His eyebrows furrow at the anger she presented.
But the scowl drops as she lifts her head to look at Oin as he says, "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."
"Uh..what beast?" Bilbo asks, making her turn to him. "That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible," Bofur says, making Erthril grimace.
"Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne firebreather. Teeth like razors. Claws like meat hooks." Bofur says, making them all look at Erthril.
"Extremely fond of precious metals." He finishes making her return to the corner out of eyes view.
"Yes, I know what a dragon is. Does Erthril not have..." Bilbo says, causing the attention to go to her.
"Annet is good. She would never commit what has been by Smaug." She tells him defensively as Ori stands.
"I'm not afraid. I'm up for it." He tells them indirectly, taking the attention from her. "I'll give him a taste of Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!"
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us...but we number just fourteen," Balin says, making her step forward.
"You have a dragon on your side. Unless you wish us to leave!" Erthril says, causing them to look at her. "Who needs an army with a dragon!"
She turns on her heel, the clothed meat in her hands. She opens the front door and leaves through it.
She escapes up to the hill back to her Annet. She smiles as the dragon moves toward her with a low purr. "Annet, you are all I need."
She unwraps the meat and throws it into the air. Annet caught it swiftly, making her smile.
"We will stay until the morning, then we leave." She tells Annet before getting her mat from the pouch.
She lays it out next to her dragon and lays herself down. Annet places a winged arm over Erthril warming her from the cold.
