Bagginsheild LET THE STORM RAGE ON

Prolouge The Meeting

Bilbo sighed as he stared at the unwelcome dwarf that apparently found it okay to enter the home of an absolute stranger and eat their food. As suddenly as the first a second knock came at the door. Bilbo paled as he made his way to the front door. When he opened it another dwarf came bustling in with a bow and a pledge of service. The same as the first. Did he expect that a pledge of service was like a key to his home? That once he said it, he could enter (not to mention eat) anytime he wanted? Bilbo followed the dwarf into the dining room where the two dwarves head butted eachother. What was that about? Bilbo wondered though his wondering was cut short by one of the dwarves (the one with the odd tattoos on his head) exclaimed, "It must be the rest of the company!" By now Bilbo had begun to grow scared. He had had enough dwarves to last the day, two was plenty. "If there are more dwarves outside, if this is some sort of practical joke, well..." He opened the door and to his surprise a heap of dwarves tumbled in. Behind them stood Gandalf. "You... get these dwarves out at once!" He ordered the old wizard. Gandalf simply laughed and waved his hand in a disconcerning way, as if to shoo his order. Bilbo was flustered. He let out a slight squeak as a pile of weapons were thrown into Bilbo's arms. He almost fell with the weight! "Mind putting those away for us? Oh! Don't scratch them." A younger dwarf requested. Bilbo said nothing but once the blond dwarf was out of sight he dropped the blades and bows to the floor, much to the amusement of Gandalf who was watching Bilbo too closely but if he had a say Gandalf would be somewhere far off in Middle-Earth right now. Bilbo's face showed no amuesment. He quickly bustled into the pantry and shooed away the dwarves to their dismay. Bilbo had just started to hide the best stuff when he heard a loud knock at the door. "No. NO ONE IS ANSWERING THAT." He said harshly looking at Gandalf. But the gray wizard simply walked to the door and opened it without a care in the world. Bilbo shoved through the loud crowd of dwarves when he reached Gandalf. In the open doorway stood another dwarf. He had on a fur coat and heavy armour. A sword dangled at his side. His blue stare was menacing and Bilbo bit his lip. The dwarf was also exceedingly handsome. Something made Bilbo dislike the dwarf immediately. "Ahh Thorin. Welcome. You were expected." Gandalf waved Thorin into Bilbo's home with his staff. "Thank you Gandalf, I got lost on my way here... twice." Thorin replied. Then he stopped and looked at Bilbo. The hobbit felt very foolish standing here leaning slightly back in Thorin's presence. A smile danced across Thorin's lips. "And our host... the..." Thorin seemed to choke on the last word, "burglar..." His voice was dripping with doubt. All the same Bilbo felt an urge to prove this dwarf wrong. He was not one to need caring for. And though he was not a theif, for Bilbo had never stolen anything in his life, Bilbo felt like a burglar.