Reverie - 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓷 𝓞𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝔁 𝓞𝓒

Chapter 2 - Destiny

Blair had just finished baking a tray of cinnamon walnut cookies when the grandfather clock in her sitting area chimed four times. She quickly put the warm delights in a basket and left her apron on a hook by the fire place. She wiped the remaining crumbs off her olive green dress and unwrapped her curls from a tightly wound bun, letting them loose over her shoulders. Before she left for her brother's home, she grabbed her journal full of questions to ask the wizard!

She locked her yellow door behind her and began on the stone path. The sun was just beginning to set in orange and yellow hues, and a warm spring breeze could be felt coming from the south. Blair closed her eyes and breathed in, smelling a mix of baked goods and budding daisies. In her mere moment of bliss, she ran smack into a brick wall.

"Aye! Mind yourself" the wall snapped, turning out to not be a wall at all. Blair had fallen over after the collision and rubbed her forehead. A few cookies had fallen from her basket and crumbled on the stony path. She looked up and saw a strange person with a long gray beard and scary tattoos on his head. He bore a menacing glare, large nose, and grey cloak.

"My apologies, miss, I'm not in the best of spirits currently, so you must forgive my outburst," he spoke, reaching a hand down and pulling her up. Blair was at a loss for words, closing and opening her mouth. He bowed low to the ground before continuing on the path, grumbling. Blair quickly came to her senses and bounded after him.

"Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?" She breathed, stopping in front of him causing him to stop. He immediately looked annoyed. "It's just, I've never seen you around these parts before and I tend to speak to any travelers passing by. Not to toot my own horn, but I've helped more than one passerby-er in my day," she smiled, reaching down to rub dirt off her knee. His gaze softened, and even let out a chuckle.

"Well, if you insist, I'm looking for a house with a dark green door. Should have a purposeful mark on it, meant to guide my kin and I," he replied, looking around the Shire at the various hobbit holes. Blair had barely heard what he said, as she was trying to ponder what he was. It wasn't like she could just ask him, not wanting to be disrespectful. Suddenly, Blair got it! He was a dwarf! Hence the long beard and strange tattoos. She felt rather foolish for not realizing it sooner, but blamed the coming darkness of night.

"A green door with a mark, you say?" She questioned, talking more to herself than him. He nodded in confirmation. Blair knew of a familiar green door but immediately shot down the option. Why would a dwarf need to go to her brother's house? Plus, his door was painted a week ago, so she was positive there was no mark. "Hmm. Follow me, there is a green door which belongs to one of the Bracegirdles down the road!" She remembered, beginning down the path. He started following her but stopped.

"No, the hobbit I'm looking for had a name that started with a 'b' but it's not blaze-glurdle or whoever you said," he stated. Blair furrowed her brow.

"The person you're looking for... it's not, Bilbo, is it?" She asked, readjusting the cookie basket hooked on her right arm. He shook his head, his grey beard following the motion.

"The name was longer. Something like Biggins?" He thought, trying to remember what Gandalf had informed him and his kin. Blair blinked twice.

"Are you looking for a Baggins?" She questioned, almost in a mock way, assuming it wouldn't be true. He snapped his fingers.
"That's the name! Now where is he? Baggins with the green door?" Blair felt like she was still asleep on her desk, having the strangest dream-like interaction of her life. In a dazed state, she started walking towards her brother's house. She could hear the dwarf trekking behind her, and every so often she glanced at him. She had not noticed his large weapon strapped to his back. Even in her confused state, she could not help but ask questions.