Gandalf,
needing to remove the menace of Smaug
from the northern border with Sauron,
and wanting to settle allies in the dragon's place, aided Thorin's plan
to retake the Lonely Mountain, known as Erebor, back from the dragon to
be resettled by the dwarves.
Not completely aware of the Valar's
reason for including Bilbo, Gandalf made sure that the Hobbit was added
to the Company. Later he told Bilbo that he was meant to find the Ring, and that it
was intended to be inherited by Frodo. Although the Ring was obviously
one of the Rings
of Power, as it could make a person invisible, it had no gem, at
first misleading Gandalf into thinking it was not one of the greater
Rings.
Gandalf included himself for a time in the Company
but was called away to attend to the business of the White Council,
dealing with Sauron in Dol Guldur. He knew the dwarves would need aid
outside themselves and intended Bilbo to give them that.
Thorin included Bilbo in his Company as the Burglar
who had been suggested by Gandalf, as well as to prevent their party
from
numbering an unlucky thirteen.
Although the greed of the dwarves caused
complications, both the objective of Thorin to recover Erebor from
Smaug and Gandalf's design to strengthen the north against Sauron were
accomplished. At the same time, the unseen hand of the Valar moved the
One Ring to a location favorable to its eventual destruction, should
the Free Folk show the courage to do so.
In the Company, Balin and Dwalin were brothers. Kili
and Fili were the youngest dwarves.
King Thorin, Ori, Nori, and Dori were of the House
of Durin. Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur were more remote kinsman of
Thorin's, as they were descended from Dwarves of Moria but not of
Durin's line. (RotK App.A)
All the dwarves wore hooded cloaks, "all with the
best detachable party hoods"1. They were
willing to help Bilbo: all but
Thorin helped clear the table, singing as they did so.
They sang more formally after the meal. The music
the
dwarves made together, accompanying themselves on instruments they had
brought, was "sudden and sweet", and as they played they began singing
one by one until all were together, with deep-throated voices as the
dwarves did in the deep places of home. Their music evoked in Bilbo a
love of beautiful things crafted by hand, cunning, and magic, with the
fierce and jealous love of the dwarves. It woke his suppressed Tookish
side making him desire to explore and to wear a sword instead of a
walking-stick.
References: The Hobbit:
Ch. 1 "An Unexpected Party" Return of the King:
Appendix A Line of the Dwarves of Erebor top