A Hobbits Secrets - The Hobbit

{3 - Taking Control}

I grab one of the chairs that hadn't already been stolen and hopped onto it, trying to get a headcount. "Dwalin...Balin...where's the other two? 5..." but there were too many running around and I kept getting confused.

I jump off my chair and pull it over towards the pantry. That's where most of the dwarves were. Popping up onto my chair I tried to get their attention. "Everyone, yes hello, may I please have your attention!" Nope, not working. This only worsened my mood.

"EVERYONE, BE QUIET!" I don't yell often, but it got the attention of all the dwarves. They all turned to me, "good, thank you, now" here it goes. But as I start to speak they start to talk again, guess I'm gonna have to yell all of it.

"EVERYONE, SHUT. UP." silence, so I continue, "OUT OF THE PANTRY, ALL OF YOU! OUT, OUT, OUT" I start to usher them out, but the cubby red-headed dwarf starts to exit with some of the cheese.

"BUT THE FOOD BACK" they stuff the food back on the shelves "WHERE IT BELONGS!" I have never seen dwarves scramble to remember where something was, but they all looked super shocked. They turned back to me.

"NOW, FOLLOW ME!" still raising my voice, I guide them to the dining room. "EVERYONE, IN!" they file into the room, standing around the table.

"NOW! HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE AND WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES?" I wave my hand wildly over all of them.

Dwalin raises his hand "I'm Dwalin."

"I hope you remember my name, laddie" Balin said.

"Yes, Balin," I point at Kíli and Fíli "Kíli, Fíli. But I don't know the rest of you. Or at least your names, I technically don't know any of you." I mumbled the last part.

The dwarfs go from Dwalin and to the other end of the half-circle.

This is how it goes: Bifur, who seemed to have something permanently embedded in his forehead, amongst his gray and black hair. Bofur, with his crazy hat that matched his braids. Bombur, who obviously liked to eat and had a huge red braid looped from one side of his head to the other that settled on his round belly. Dori, with plaited gray hair all around, seemed to have the shortest hair. Nori, who had brown hair shaped upwards in three different spikes and a plaited beard. Ori, who had braided his auburn beard into two tiny braids and was sporting terrible bangs. Fíli and Kíli. Oin, who had also braided his gray beard into two, but had turned the two sides up in curls. and Gloin who had bushy red hair that he had parted in different sections with round clips.

"Great, nice to meet you, wasn't expecting you and have no idea why you're here!" I pointed between Kíli and Fíli, "you two, please follow me, I'm going to get you all chairs."

I walked out of the dining room and down the hall with the two dwarves talking behind me.

"Here!" I stop in front of a storage room, "please grab enough chairs for everyone."

I watched as Fíli and Kíli grabbed chairs. I counted how many they grabbed. 13. I frown.

"You're grabbing 13, there's only 12 of you," they stop and look at me then look at each other, "oh, let me guess, one more person is coming?" I ask, my voice oozing sarcasm.

"Yup! The leader of our comp'ny will be here later!" Fíli pipes, smiling.

"Don't know when he'll arrive though." Kíli shrugs.

Heaving the chairs on their shoulders (wow these dwarves are strong) they walk back to the dining room, this time with me trailing behind. When we reach the dining room, the chairs are passed around and the dwarves all sit down, speaking loudly over each other again. I shake my head. I see that they set the extra one at the head of the table. I stare sadly at it. It was the fanciest chair that I owned, fit for a queen. It used to be my mother's. They even set it where she used to eat.

I duck into the kitchen. I need to make food. I search my brain for recipes and I come up with one of my mother's favorites. She called it the quick guest stew. Her words come back to me 'you must always be a good host, no matter how unwanted the guests may be. This stew is for the unexpected guests.' I smile at the memory of her bustling around the kitchen.

I clap my hands together. "Let's get to work now shall we?" 

A/N: Hello my lovelies! Still don't know if anyone is reading this but if so hope you enjoyed it!! I know this is a shorter one but all in good time, all in good time! :)

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