A Hobbits Tale

Gandalf the Grey had visited my cousin Bilbo Baggins earlier talking about an adventure. I had been eves-dropping, again...

I grab my sketch book, go sit on my porch at an angle so I can still see Bilbo's house, and draw Gandalf.

"Ah Y/N Took...." I hear an old familiar voice say. "You're still very good at art I see." I smile, set down my book, turn and stand to see the very face I had been sketching.

"Gandalf! Oh it is so nice to see you again!" I walk over to him and he bends down to give me a hug. After all I am a Hobbit..... Very short compared to Gandalf. "Would you like some tea?" I ask when he stands back up.

"Oh no thank you my dear. I only stopped by to say hello, and to ask you of a favor." He smiles.

"Anything." I say smiling up to him.

"It may seem an odd sort of favor." He says. I nod to him an he continues. "I will be asking Bilbo on an adventure, should he say yes, I would like it if you come along." He says mysteriously.

"Adventure is my middle name." I smile. "But how am I to know if he says yes?"

"We will be leaving tomorrow at dawn. Watch and see if Bilbo is with us." I nod and he smiles. "Good. I will see you then, tomorrow at dawn." Gandalf then walks away.

I finish my drawing of Gandalf and go inside. "What to pack..." I murmur. I grab some of my more worn dresses and fold them into my pack. Then I grab some foods, pouch for water, and whatever else I need. I set my pack beside the door. Then go back out and sit on the porch. Absently I braid my long dark brown hair into single braid.

I notice a man go to Bilbo's house. He's not a Hobbit though... To tall for a Hobbit and he has a long beard. I decide to ignore my curiosity for now.

More and more of those strange men show up and my curiosity gets the best of me. I sneak into Bilbo's house and hide in the shadows as all the odd men eat a feast of food.

One of the men walks into the dinning room with three block of cheese!! "Need a cheese knife?" Bilbo asks him a bit irately.

"Cheese knife? He eats it by the block." Another one of the men say. This particular one has a silly hat and I smile thinking it looks good on him.

After they eat all the food they sing this very catchy song and throw the dishes around to each other. The one with the silly hat is playing the flute. He's quite good. Somehow they get all the dishes washed and stacked. I laugh at how silly they are. All grown men but still very silly.

I move from my hiding spot to find another one with a good view of the dining room. I'm not paying much attention and bump into one of the men.

I jump away quickly and realize I ran into the one with the hat. He begins to apologize but I interrupt him. "Shh..." I place a finger to my lips. "I'm not here." I say then run off to a new hiding place. He looks sort of shocked and I smile.

"Bofur! What're you lookin at?" Someone asks him. He just shake his head and sits in the dining room.

So his name is Bofur.... I smile to myself. There comes a loud knock at the door and Gandalf mutters "He is here..." He gets up, winks at me, and lets the man at the door in.

They come back and sit the table, talking amongst them selfs. I learn that they're Dwarves and I tune out for a little while, then listen as they talk about going to reclaim their home, The Lonely Mountain, from a Fire breather. A dragon named Smaug. They need Bilbo to be a burglar for them. I roll my eyes. I'd do better than Bilbo. Only Gandalf and Bofur even know I'm here.

They give Bilbo a contract and he reads it out loud. "Lacerations.... Incineration?" He asks.

"Oh aye. Smaug will melt the skin off yer bones. A flash of light, some searing pain and poof yer nothin but ash." Bofur says.

Bilbo looks a bit scared. I think for a moment he will be fine but then he faints.

"Nice going Bofur!" One of the other dwarves says.

Gandalf gets Bilbo awake and sits him in a chair. He thinks it over and says no. I sigh. I was hoping that I would get to go along.

Everyone is quiet for a while then all the Dwarves begin to hum a very pretty melody.

"Far over the Misty Mountains cold"

"To dungeons deep, and caverns old"

"We must away, er break of day"

"To find our long forgotten gold"

"The pines were roaring on the height"

"The winds were moaning in the night"

"The fire was red, it flaming spread"

"The trees like torches, blazed with light"

My heart grows heavy for them as I realize they're singing of the destruction of their home. I sneak back out of the house as they finish their song.

I get out of the house and Gandalf follows me. "So Y/N..... What do you think of the adventure now?" He asks.

I turn to him and smiles sadly. "I think if I could help them regain their home, then I would do whatever I could."

He nods, turns to go back inside, and says "Be ready to leave in the morning."

"I will." I say and continue walking to my house.

"First light." Gandalf says as a reminder.

I go into my house, put my sketch book in my pack and lay down for the night.
That night I dream of dragons fire and a lonely mountain.