Thorin and Company

Thorin and Company was a group of thirteen Dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo Baggins led by Thorin Oakenshield whose purpose was to regain the lost Dwarven kingdom of the Lonely Mountain from the Dragon Smaug. Successful at the conclusion of the Battle of Five Armies, the group paved the way for the future defeat of Sauron and the restoration of peace.

Background
The formation of the group grew out of a meeting Gandalf had with Thorin in Bree which led to his interest in recapturing his long lost family inheritance. Remembering that he had once known an adventurous Hobbit on his travels in the Shire, Gandalf decided to add Bilbo to their company because he knew that stealth and cunning were preferable to force. Gandalf also believed that someone like Bilbo could keep the sometimes prideful and stubborn dwarves from rash action.

Formation of Thorin and Company
On the 26th of April TA 2941, Gandalf and the dwarves arrive at Bag End. After tea and supper with Bilbo they explain themselves and their intentions. Bilbo was reluctant but Gandalf rushed him out of the door.

Travels and Encounters
After traveling for sometime and crossing a river, the company was caught and nearly killed and eaten by three hungry trolls had it not been for Gandalf’s timely arrival. Recovering themselves, they find that the Trolls had a cave nearby of which they used to hide from the sun. Inside the cave, they find a cache of stolen weapons, food, and a small treasure. It is here that Bilbo acquires Sting and Gandalf Glamdring.

Reaching Rivendell in June, the company talks with Elrond and learns about the Moon Letters on Thorin’s map of the Lonely Mountain. He also reads the runes on both Bilbo and Gandalf’s swords identifying them. After spending sometime there, they decide it is time to leave and resume their journey heading toward the Misty Mountains.

On their way through the mountains, the company is captured by orcs. Not being able to convince the Great Goblin to spare their lives, they are again placed in mortal danger. Gandalf then reappears and slays the Great Goblin creating enough disarray for them to escape. Unfortunately, Bilbo is dropped and lost separating him from the main party. This creates the situation that leads him to finding the One Ring and meeting Gollum.

Bilbo escapes from Gollum and the company is reunited. Collecting themselves, the company makes their way down a dell, through a small stream and down a landslide to a clearing. There they are attacked by Wargs and Goblins. With all hope nearly gone, a group of eagles rescues them and they are taken to their eyries on a mountain for the night. The eagles fly them to the Carrock and from there they head to Beorn’s house where they stay for a few days.

Fully stocked and prepared the company leaves Beorn’s and makes for Mirkwood. When they reach the edge of the perilous wood, Gandalf announces that he has pressing business elsewhere and will not be coming with them through the forest. Grumblingly, they go on ahead taking the Forest Path into the darkness of Mirkwood.

Encountering many difficulties, they reach a point where they are practically out of food and are forced to leave the path. Trying to speak to a group of feasting Wood-elves, they are denied and Thorin is captured by them while the remaining company, with the exception of Bilbo is taken by the spiders. Bilbo frees them and they make their way to an elf-clearing where they are captured by the wood-elves.

With the aid of the ring, Bilbo eludes the dwarves' captors. Weeks later, he finds a way to free them. Escaping by hiding in wine-barrels, the company makes their way down the river to Laketown. There they are fed and clothed with the hope that they will defeat Smaug and regain the kingdom.

They reach the mountain after a few days and try to locate the Secret door described on the map. They find it with the help of a Thrush. Thorin elects Bilbo to enter and "burgle" something. After Bilbo's conversation with Smaug, he emerges and attacks Lake-town leaving Thorin and Company free to enter the mountain. They stay there until an army of Lake-men and later wood-elves led by the Elvenking both claim a share of the treasure to compensate them for their losses. Thorin refuses and they are besieged within the mountain.

The Battle of Five Armies and the Dissolving of the Company
Just before they are about to fight each other, the company is joined by an army of dwarves from the Iron Hills. Gandalf arrives just in time to inform them that an army of orcs and wargs are coming to attack.. The battle begins and Thorin and Company goes to war. Bilbo stays out of it with the aid of the ring. The enemy has the upper hand until the arrival of the eagles and Beorn. The company and its ally’s win but Thorin is mortally wounded and Fili and Kili are dead. Bilbo bids farewell to Thorin as he dies. Bilbo leaves with Gandalf and a modest share of the treasure.

Legacy
The deeds of Thorin and Company led to the restoration of the dwarvish 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 situations it created led to the Council of Elrond and the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring. It also depleted the forces of evil so that later Sauron would have less of them to call upon during the War of the Ring. Additionally, Bilbo's finding of the ring brought it into the care of the one that would bring it to its destruction. Else it would have stayed in Gollum's cave or with him meaning he would never have gone searching for it, or followed the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam, and thus would never have been in Mount Doom to accidentally fall to his death with the ring.