"Also," went on Gandalf, "I forgot to mention that with the map went a key, a small and curious key. Here it is!" he said, and handed to Thorin a key with a long barrel and intricate wards, made of silver. "Keep it safe!"
––The Hobbit; Ch. 1: An Unexpected Party; p29
It's easy to forget that in the beginning, the quest to the Lonely Mountain depended entirely on a single key and a secret door that the Dragon didn't know about. In fact, without the key, Bilbo wouldn't have been able to get into the mountain, Smaug never would have been ticked off enough by the little hobbit to fly out and attack Lake Town, and Bard the Bowman wouldn't have had the chance to shoot him (did I mention that there would be spoilers?).
So what is this all important key, and where did it come from? That, good reader, is what we'll be talking about today.
The quote above describes the moment when Gandalf first produces the key and gives it to
Thorin (who, as usual, is the picture of gratitude). Along with the key came a map, a copy of which is posted right after the break:
