The Company of Wolves

Chapter 1: The Dwarves

There was a knock on the door, and the three girls sitting in their rooms swung their heads up. Bilbo was making dinner, but he never mentioned company before. Nor was he planning on inviting anyone over soon. So they all got up and peeked out of their doors.

Bilbo came from the kitchen, his face scrunched in confusion as he tied his rob tighter around the center. When he looked behind at the girls, they shrugged. They don't invite people over anyways, everyone in the shire was terrified of them. Even if they weren't so upfront about it. They were friendly at times, but the girls knew they were talked about in hushed tones. It didn't bother them, they had Bilbo, who had looked after them since they were pups.

They watched as Bilbo opened the front door and was met with a tallish, burly man. His beard thick, but his head partially bald. They could smell something new about him. Maybe he wasn't a man? It's not man's scent.

"Dwalin. At your service." He bowed, his voice thick with an accent. Bilbo didn't know what to say or if he should question the strange man first. So he fixed his robe a bit more and nodded back,

"Bilbo....Baggins, at yours."

Dwalin, the strange man, barely taller than Bilbo himself, frankly just walked through the door and pushed past Bilbo. Stammering, Bilbo decided to actually ask his question earlier. "Do we... know each other?"

Dwalin seemed just as confused as the hobbit. He furrowed his thick brows, "No?" As if that answer was obvious. Which it was but to Bilbo just walking up to a random hobbit's house and inviting themselves in without prior invitation, calls for necessary questioning.

"Uh...Bilbo?" One of the girls asked, making the very befuddled man turn around and look at her.

"Yes Ash?" He watched as Dwalin took off his coat and wrapped it around his arm. Before tossing it at the hobbit to catch. He turned to look at the three girls as well, not even noticing them there.

"Should we shoo away the guest?" She asked, one brow raised since clearly this man wasn't invited. His scent alone was making her want to plug her nose after only a minute of being here. Her friend Rea already put a hand up to her nostrils to block it out.

Bilbo shook his head after a moment of thinking, clearly not wanting to say anything in front of their 'guest'. Dwalin bowed to the girls, "Evenin'."

"Wow you're an ugly one."

Ash covered her mouth with a laugh while Rea punched her other friends arm. Bilbo looked at the girl in the middle who didn't seemed fazed at all at what she just said. "Dakota, be quiet." He said through clenched teeth.

Dwalin huffed, "You're not much of a looker either sweetheart."

Dakota didn't even react just glared at him, arms crossed. "Now, where is it?" Dwalin boomed suddenly, startling Bilbo who was still holding his things.

"Where is what?"

Dwalin glanced at him, like he was expecting to be bottle fed these answers. "Supper? He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

The girls came down from the hall and stood next to Bilbo as Dwalin made for the kitchen. "He said?"

"Wait, who said?" Rea echoed, exchanging a look with Dakota. While Ash turned to Bilbo,

"Bilbo did someone else come by today while we were out hunting?" She put on a face of concern, he was supposed to tell them if anybody strange ever bothered him. They're very protective of him and he knows that.

"Well...No! No! I have food right here for you mister Dwalin!" Bilbo shoved the items away, forgetting to answer Ash and went over to share some of the dinner he made with Dwalin. Disapproving looks from all three girls followed suite.