Concerning the Hobbits

Welcome to the Shire

  P.O.V Firiel

It took us a couple weeks to get to the Shire, but it felt like a century. Not that I knew what a century felt like, but, I knew that it probably felt like those couple weeks. I did enjoy the journey, don't misunderstand me, It's just that, I had not seen another hobbit in twenty-three years... Not since I was ten years old. Gandalf kept warning me throughout the journey that these hobbits were not like the ones I had known. I convinced myself that Gandalf was being an overprotective old fool. Hobbits are Hobbits? Right? 

Or so I thought....

"Welcome to the Shire, my dear." Gandalf smiled down at me. I stood there shocked, where were the trees? The forests?
"This cannot be, Father? Why are there no forests here?" I asked, disappointed.
Gandalf frowned, "I told you, these Hobbits are different, and they really are amazing creatures, I think you will learn a great many things from them. Do not be disheartened child." Gandalf smiled down at me and made me feel a great deal better. We continued on in silence, I was in awe of my surroundings, these hobbits were completely different from the ones from my tribe, and I still was not sure whether this was a good or bad thing, however, the Shire was truly a beautiful place. A few of the hobbits watched us curiously from their windows, I smiled. A couple smiled back, whilst others took one look at Gandalf and closed their shutters rather quickly.

"They are rather timid..." I murmured quietly to myself. Gandalf chuckled, "That they are." We kept walking along a path. Gandalf turned to me, "You are probably wondering what we are doing here, yes?" I nodded, "I thought so, Firiel, stay quiet while I talk. You will have many opportunities to interrogate the hobbits later, hmm?" I thought for a moment, and then I nodded, "Yes Father." Gandalf nodded and then started walking again; I followed hurriedly trying to catch up.
We approached another home, and sitting on a bench was a hobbit, smoking his pipe. He wasn't aware of us until a moth flew into his face, I giggled quietly. He stared at Gandalf startled. Then masked it with a polite nod, "Good morning."
"What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps, you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?" I struggled to keep a straight face, Gandalf knew exactly what this hobbit meant, and he simply wanted to appear wise or other worldly....It was extremely entertaining, the hobbit appeared bewildered by Gandalf's reply to his simple greeting.

"All of them at once, I suppose," Gandalf frowned at the hobbit. Apparently disappointed by the hobbit's answer, "Can I help you?"
"That remains to be seen, I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." I almost laughed out loud at Gandalf's words. That hobbit? Going on an adventure? He does not look like an adventurer to me! "An adventure? Now I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner, hm, mm" I snorted, Gandalf gave me a sharp look and Bilbo glared at me, probably found me rude. But I couldn't help it, he sounded like an old man. I grinned sheepishly as I bowed my head and looked at the ground. The hobbit began to walk back up to his home, "Good morning."

"To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door." Gandalf took both the hobbit by surprise, and me. He knew this man's mother?
"Beg your pardon?" My sentiments exactly, hobbit.
"You've changed, and not entirely for the better Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf had never mentioned this Bilbo before...although Gandalf never mentions anything.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Mr Baggins tilted his head, obviously as confused as I was.
"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means...me." Some recognition appeared in the hobbits eyes. It was like a light in a rather dim mind... oops...that was mean. Sorry....
"Gandalf...not Gandalf, the wandering wizard, who made such excellent fire works! Old Took used to have them on Midsummers Eve." Mr Baggins chuckled, reminiscing, "Well. Hmm, I had no idea you were still in business."

"And where else should I be?" Gandalf asked rhetorically.
Mr Baggins laughed awkwardly; "Hm...hmm" he smoked a little bit more of his pipe. I didn't like pipes much, they smelled terrible.
"Well, I'm pleased to find you remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks. Well that's decided. It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others." Gandalf said rather ominously. Who was he informing? Who were the others?
"Inform the who? What? No. No. No! Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thankyou. Not today, not-mm. I suggest you try over the hill or across the water. Good morning." Mr Baggins then proceeded to gesture at us with his pipe, trudge into his home and bolt his door from the inside. I could hear him muttering from where I stood with Gandalf.

"He's a very eloquent creature, father" I smirked, Gandalf chuckled quietly. Gandalf walked up to Mr Baggins's door and drew a glowing symbol. Gandalf stood there for a moment and then hurriedly walked off gesturing at me to follow. "What did you draw on his door?"
"That was to help the dwarves find their way to Mr Baggins's home." Gandalf smiled mischievously.
Whatever Gandalf was up to Mr Baggins was definitely not going to like it.