To The Ends of The Earth

Chapter 4: The Hobbit

My head was spinning as I trailed behind Gandalf. Dragons, mountains full of gold, creatures called orcs, and small people that he referred to as hobbits. And dwarves, who were also small people, yet somehow they differed from hobbits. It was a lot of information to process. I was used to strange creatures by now, but this was an entirely new level of strange.

We had been following a narrow, dirt path for the better part of an hour. As I looked around I realized that the path had begun to widen, and the trees were beginning to thin. It appeared we were coming out of the woods and heading into a town of some kind. Small vegetable stands and carts lined the street, although I did not see anyone nearby behind or around the fixtures. As we continued the carts turned into buildings, smaller than would seem fitting for the average human. I was only five feet even myself, and looking at the door to a tavern titled 'The Green Dragon' I felt as though I'd hit my head on the way in. I quickly turned my attention from the changing surroundings to the wizard in front of me. I still had a million questions burning in my mind.

"So, we're going to see a hobbit," I started, putting an emphasis on the unfamiliar word.

I could see Gandalf's head bob in acknowledgement in front of me.

"Yes."

"To come with us, and some dwarves, to fight a dragon," I continued.

Gandalf nodded again.

"Yes, that is correct."

"The dragon is in the mountain where the dwarves used to live. The dwarves need to retake the mountain because..." I trailed off. "Why do the dwarves need the mountain?"

"The mountain is impenetrable." He began. "Anyone who is able to successfully take the mountain would have a foothold that is not easily challenged. The orcs are always looking to gain an advantage in Middle Earth. If they are able to take the mountain, or worse, if they are able to persuade Smaug to their side, they might become an even deadlier force."

I nodded, still putting the pieces together in my mind.

"Can a dragon be persuaded?" I asked.

"Not all of them." Gandalf said. "But Smaug is no ordinary dragon."

"And the Saran guy-"

"Sauron." He corrected.

"Sorry, Sauron." I repeated. "You said this all connects to Sauron somehow? The guy with the rings?"

I saw his head bob up and down again in front of me. He never turned, keeping his gaze and attention focused on the path ahead of us. I heard a light chuckle as he continued.

"More or less. Sauron has been gone for many years, but the orcs that serve him are ruthless, vile creatures. They exist to kill, torture, and destroy. They are always growing in number, and they will never stop ravaging Middle Earth. A hold like Erebor could prove to be deadly in their hands."

"And why do you think the outcome of this could affect other worlds, like mine?" I asked, still uncertain of how this all connected to me and to my home.

I nearly crashed into Gandalf as he came to a sudden halt in the middle of the road. He turned around to face me finally, and rested his hands on the top of his staff as he spoke.

"A seer in our world has had a vision of Sauron's return. We do not know how, or when. It seems Sauron's return to power is inevitable. By ensuring the dwarves retake Erebor, it is a crucial step in slowing him down.

"In her vision, she saw a future where the dwarves failed to reclaim the mountain. In that future, Sauron wields the ring and destroys Middle Earth as we know it. He grows to be so powerful that he ventures out of our world and into others. Think of it as a domino effect. We cannot stop the pieces from falling, but we can make certain that they do not fall too quickly."

I stared at him for a moment, absorbing all of the information.

"I see." I said simply. It was the only thing I could think to say. "And I thought the infinity stones were complicated."

Gandalf chuckled again as he turned to continue down the path.

"I am not sure what infinity stones are, but given what you've accomplished in your world this should be right up your alley."

"I hope so." I said, following behind him, though not as closely this time. "I've never dealt with dragons before, though."

I heard him chuckle again.

"Neither have I, my dear."

The path we followed narrowed again as it wound around, leading us into a separate part of town. Green, grass covered hills began to appear on either side of the road, and they stretched down the winding trail as far as I could see. Each small hill had a round, colorful door in the center. As I looked closer I saw windows and chimneys. I felt my mouth gaping as I realized they were houses.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Gandalf asked, as though he had read my mind.

"Very." I said, looking back and forth between the small hill-homes that dotted the countryside.

 As we approached I began to see what I could assume were the hobbits. They darted back and forth, between the homes, within small gardens, and up and down the path beside us. As they passed several gave Gandalf a kind nod, and myself an unwelcoming, wary stare. None of them came close enough for me to be certain, but it appeared they stood no higher than my chest. They were all dressed similarly, in short cropped breeches, jewel colored vests, and, to my surprise, no shoes.

"Hobbits?" I asked quietly, hoping I was not speaking loudly enough for the peculiar little people to hear.

"Yes." Gandalf answered. "Very kind folk. I have always enjoyed the company of hobbits."

I followed him in silence for a few more moments before he came to a stop in front of one of the small homes.

"Here we are." Gandalf said, gesturing to another short, winding path. It led up to one of the strange, round doors set into the side of a hill. At the top of the path, sitting on a bench outside of a green door was another hobbit. He was smoking a pipe as he leaned back against the bench. I had a feeling Gandalf was about to uproot his entire morning. 

"Wait here." He said, gesturing for me to stay. "I will be right back."

I nodded absentmindedly, scarcely noticing his absence as I continued to take in the sights around me. A few more hobbits passed as I stood awkwardly at the end of the path. I nodded kindly to a few of them. Each one hurried past, not a single one willing to return my greeting. 

"Not very friendly, evidently." I mumbled as another hobbit passed quickly, avoiding my gaze.

Before I had the chance to sit down in the grass, Gandalf reappeared.

"Come along, Lilith. We have much to do before this evening."

He walked past me, not stopping to see if I was following, and continued back down the road in the same direction we had just come.

"That was it?" I asked, falling in behind him. I looked back at where he'd come from and saw the hobbit he'd been speaking to was gone.

"For now." He said. His pace quickened and I found myself having to jog to keep up. "We will be back. I have a few errands in the meantime."