Thorin and Company

**Thorin and Company** was an organization led by Thorin Oakenshield and created by Gandalf the Grey. They were initially thirteen Dwarves, all but three part of the Line of Durin. However, they were later joined by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. They succeeded in their quest in reclaiming Erebor from the dragon Smaug and fought alongside the Dwarves of the Iron Hills against Azog's and Sauron's forces. However only ten survived the Battle of the Five Armies, with Thorin and his nephews Fíli and Kíli falling in battle.

## History

Thorin, desperate to find his father ended up in Bree, a village on the borders of the shire. Two men attempted to kill him, but Gandalf joined Oakenshield for supper and convinced him to reclaim Erebor, with the help of a Burglar.

Thorin Oakenshield didn't want to create an army to take back the mountain. Instead, he and Gandalf decided to muster up a group of Thorin's most trusted warriors and old friends. Gandalf helped with retrieving a hobbit he once knew as an adventurous child.

The group met at Bilbo's home, Bag End, and subsequently, Bilbo became the official burglar and fourteenth member of the company despite his initial rocky relationship with Thorin at this point.

### Travels and encounters

Sometime in June, The company settled near the Trollshaws, the company was caught and nearly killed and eaten by William, Bert and Tom. Gandalf returned in time to keep the trolls occupied until dawn when the light of the Sun turned them to stone. Recovering themselves, the Dwarves found that these Trolls had a cave nearby filled with stolen weapons, food, and a small treasure. Amongst the many weapons were Sting (which Bilbo armed himself with, and which he named after a battle with a giant spider), Orcrist (claimed by Thorin), and Glamdring (taken by Gandalf). Strangely, all were ancient Elvish blades that had been forged several millennia earlier, in the First Age in Gondolin.

Reaching Rivendell, the company held talks with Elrond and learned about the secret Moon-letters on Thorin’s old map of the Lonely Mountain. Elrond also read the runes on Orcrist and Glamdring, thus identifying them. After spending a short time there, the group resumed their journey through the Misty Mountains.

On their way through the High Pass, the company (minus Gandalf) were captured by goblins. Taken before the Great Goblin, they were in mortal danger. Gandalf suddenly appeared and killed the Great Goblin, creating enough disarray for them to escape. Unfortunately, Bilbo fell down a hole and was left behind during their hasty retreat. Wandering lost and alone in the depths of the mountain, he found the One Ring and met Gollum, described in *The Hobbit* as "a small slimy creature … as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face."

After a hazardous game of Riddles with the creature, Bilbo fortuitously discovered the ring he had found could make him invisible. Wearing the ring, Bilbo escaped Gollum and a group of goblins guarding the eastern door out of the caverns and soon reunited with his companions. Collecting themselves, the company made their way down the mountainside, where they were attacked by Wargs and forced to seek refuge in the trees. Goblins soon arrived and tried to kill the company by getting them down on the ground by tampering down the trees. With all hope nearly gone, the hapless company was rescued by a group of giant Eagles.

After thanking the Eagles, Thorin and Company made for Beorn's house where they managed to impress the wary shape-changer. Fully stocked and prepared the Company, they left Beorn's home and made for Mirkwood. When they reached the edge of the perilous wood, Gandalf announced that he had pressing business elsewhere and would not be coming with them through the forest. Grumbling, they went on ahead, taking the Forest Path into the darkness of Mirkwood. After a few days, they reached a dark stream which Beorn had warned them not to drink or bathe in, for it was enchanted and caused great drowsiness and forgetfulness. They were able to cross it, but Bombur fell in. By the time they fished him out he was already asleep and had to be carried by the rest of the company.

Eventually, they reached a point where they were practically out of food and tried to beg from a group of feasting Wood-elves. Thorin was captured by these Elves, while the remaining company, with the exception of Bilbo, were snared by Giant Spiders. Bilbo rescued them with the help of his magic ring, but they were soon captured by the angry Elves and imprisoned by their king.

With the aid of the ring, Bilbo eluded the Dwarves' captors. Weeks later, he found a way to free them. Hiding in empty wine barrels, the company made their way down the river to Lake-town. There they were fed and clothed with the hope that they would defeat Smaug and regain prosperity for the region.

They reached the mountain after a few days and tried to locate the Secret door described on the map. They found it with the help of a Thrush. Thorin decided to have Bilbo enter the mountain and "burgle" something. This the hobbit did and even had a conversation with the mighty Smaug (while wearing the Ring, so that he could not be seen). But the enraged Dragon soon emerged and attacked Lake-town, leaving Thorin and Company free to enter

the mountain. Meanwhile, the dragon was slain by Bard of Lake-town, but the town suffered great loss and destruction. The Dwarves remained inside the mountain until an army of Lake-men, and later Wood-elves, led by the Elven-king, arrived seeking a share of the treasure to compensate them for their losses. Thorin refused, and the Dwarves were besieged within the mountain. They called for aid from their kin in the Iron Hills (a range to the east of The Lonely Mountain).

The battle began and Thorin and Company went to war. Bilbo stayed out of the battle with the aid of the Ring. The enemy had the upper hand until the arrival of the eagles and Beorn. As he did so, another horn blast sounded from the mountain, causing the orcs to stop in their tracks as the doorway to the mountain was cleared by a huge bell, out of which ran Thorin and his companions, causing the Dwarvish soldiers to shout and cheer at the sight of the king. Roaring a defiant Dwarvish war-cry, Thorin charged the Orc lines and, emboldened by his bravery, Dain's forces charged with him, smashing headlong into Azog's forces and taking out large groups of the orcish forces. Farther out in the valley and within Dale itself, the remaining men of Lake-town and the Elvish forces too found fresh resolve and charged back into battle also. The battle raged on harder than ever only now the allied forces began to evenly match their enemies blow for blow. During the battle, Thorin decides to kill Azog in Ravenhill and is followed by Dwalin, Fili, and Kili. At first, they are aided by Balin heading a dwarven war-chariot. On their journey towards the peak; they are chased by ogres, wargs, and a huge armored battle troll, but even among all the chaos around them, they successfully make it towards their destination. When they reach the peak, Azog is nowhere to be found so Thorin sends Fili and Kili to scout the upper levels. Fili is then captured, impaled by Azog, and thrown off a tower. Bilbo arrives to warn the Dwarves of Bolg's army which is near but is knocked out by Bolg in Ravenhill. Bolg later finds Tauriel and injures her but before he can finish her, Kili arrives to save her but is impaled by Bolg's mace and dies. In anger Tauriel throws Bolg off a hill but she is dragged down with him. Legolas then spots Bolg and engages in a climactic duel with him in which the giant Gundabad Orc is killed when Legolas plunges a short sword into his head. After Bolg's death, the Great eagles arrive, led by Radagast and Beorn who quickly demolish the Orc army.

Thorin confronts Azog in an epic fight to avenge Fili and he gains the upper hand by throwing Azog off a hill but the Defiler sends Orc soldiers to kill Thorin but this fails. Azog then returns with a flail but Thorin breaks the ice on the river and Azog falls in the water due to the weight of his weapon. Thorin follows Azog's body but is stabbed in the foot and while he is incapacitated, Azog stabs him in the chest, mortally wounding the Dwarf but Oakenshield plunges Orcrist through Azog's chest and stabs him into the ice, killing the Orc. Thorin later apologizes to Bilbo for almost killing him and dies having made peace with Bilbo. Despite Bilbo's efforts to keep him alive, Thorin succumbs to his wounds and dies. He is found dead when the rest of his company arrive.

### Legacy

The deeds of Thorin and Company led to the restoration of the Dwarven Kingdom of the Lonely Mountain and the Dwarven dynasty in the Lonely Mountain, the kingdom of Dale, the rebuilding of Lake-town, and restoration of peace and prosperity in the immediate area for many years. In the long term, the journey of Thorin and Company and the situations it created led to the Council of Elrond and the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring many years later and played a major part in the starting of the War of the Ring.

It also depleted the forces of evil so that later Sauron would have less to call upon during the War of the Ring. Gloin's son, Gimli, would later be a member of the Fellowship as well, contributing his ax to their ultimate victory. Additionally, Bilbo's finding of the ring would bring it into the care of Frodo, who would one day bring it to its destruction.

### Aftermath

After wards, there was only eleven members left in Thorin's Company. Only Thorin, Fili, and Kili had not survived the battle. Bilbo later went on to raise his "nephew" Frodo Baggins. Balin later led a quest to reclaim Moria from the OrcsOin and Ori later were killed after Balin was murdered by Orcs. Meanwhile, the rest of the Company had stayed in Erebor with the gold. Bombur grew so fat that he needed five to six young dwarves to move him.