Hearing his words and looking at his righteous expression, the dwarves fell silent for a moment, glancing at each other.
Even Mr. Baggins seemed infected by it.
"Alright." Finally, Balin nodded, then looked at Thorin, hesitating. "I think what he says makes a lot of sense. Perhaps we can give it a try. Thranduil may have abandoned us in the past, but that dragon is the main culprit behind the destruction of the dwarven kingdom. If the person Mr. Aine mentioned really can slay the dragon, we can just exact our revenge!"
"What if we fail?" Thorin said in a deep voice. "If we fail, all of us will perish in dragon-fire!"
"Er..." Mr. Baggins stepped forward. With his Hobbit stature, he looked a bit short even in front of the dwarves. "Actually, I think this is the right thing to do, um, I think so. Besides, the consequences of failing to slay a dragon don't seem much different from the consequences of getting caught stealing from a dragon's hoard..."
"Mr. Baggins is right!" Balin agreed.
"I'll cast a vote in favor as well," said the immensely strong Dwalin. Pausing for a moment, he added, "The wandering Mage's bravery and wisdom along the way are enough for us to trust and admire him."
"I agree too!" Kili raised his hand.
"Me too." Fili raised his hand as well.
"Then... I suppose I'll cast a vote too." Bofur raised his hand with flickering eyes; his nature wasn't stubborn.
Then the dwarves raised their hands in silence one by one, signaling their agreement, yet they all looked at Thorin, still waiting for him to make the decision. If he persisted in his opposition, they would still follow him.
"You..." Thorin furrowed his brow deeply, finally letting out a sigh. "Very well.