Ghost of A Memory

There But Not Back Again

Bilbo started packing all of his things for his journey to Erebor.
"Okay I have my clothes, Sting, a journal, a map, and the ring is here in my pocket, and I have my handkerchief."
Bilbo threw everything in his bag and threw it over his shoulder.
"Wait," Bilbo whispered to himself.
"My house; my stuff will be sold again. Oh," Bilbo annoyingly sighed to himself. He put his stuff down and picked up a piece of paper and his quill and wrote something on the paper. He went outside and nailed it to his door and went back inside to gather his things. Bilbo walked outside and closed the door, locked it, and put the key under a flower pot beside the door.
The sign read: Please do NOT go into my house and sell everything. I will be returning shortly.
"That's perfect," Bilbo said to himself.
And with that, he was on his merry way. As he walked through the village he got many looks and everyone's voice came to a whisper.
"Where is Mr. Baggins going?" They said.
"I heard that he fell in love with a dwarf."
"Another adventure? Bless him."
Bilbo shrugged these statements off and payed no attention to them and continued on.
"Here goes nothing." And with that he took one step and was out of the Shire.
He continued on walking the way that he left with the company before. By nightfall he had reached the outskirts of Rivendell with no Orc pack in sight.
"I shall stay in Rivendell for the night and be accompanied by the elves."
Bilbo started walking through the narrow rock paths and finally reached Rivendell. He could hear the beautiful singing and harp playing of the elves and smelt the food in the distance. He continued on walking until he had reached the place in which he and the company stayed.
"Bilbo Baggins is that you?" Bilbo heard someone say behind him.
"Gandalf!"
"Oh my dear Bilbo! What brought you here? The last time I saw you, you said that you were to go on no more adventures of any sort."
"Well, I changed my mind I guess."
"What brings you to Rivendell?
"I'm going to Erebor. I have some unfinished business."
"With whom?"
"Just personal matters. Nothing big."
And with that Bilbo gave Gandalf a quick smile and they both walked up the path to where he was staying.
"I can't think about Thorin. I can't think about Thorin. Gandalf better not bring this up again." Bilbo thought to himself, already on the verge of crying.
"Lord Elrond, you have a visitor," Gandalf said walking past Bilbo to greet Elrond.
"Bilbo Baggins, what brings you back to Rivendell?" Elrond said.
"I have personal matters to attend to in Erebor," Bilbo said with a stern expression.
"I found a letter that Thorin wrote before he- before he- he died," Bilbo said choking on every word, "and I have questions about it. That's all."
Gandalf looked at Bilbo as if he had two heads.
"Bilbo, Thorin isn't dead. He is alive and in Erebor. He is the king under the mountain."