Iaur Meleth

In 2941 of the Third Age, at a particularly warm sunny noon, an old man in a grey, worn travel coat stopped in front of a certain Bilbo Baggins. The young landowner was sitting on a bench in the garden and let out smoke rings from a wooden pipe. 

He caught the attention of the dreamy hobbit by directing the smoke straight on his face. The hobbit coughed, looked at the newcomer a little confused, and then greeted him as befits a good hobbit. However, his speaker was not another hobbit but a wizard. So, instead of talking for a moment about faunts, crops and taxes and then going to care for their own business, the wizard responded with convoluted language and riddles, creating confusion - as usual - for his talker. Because, as is well known, only another wizard can understand a wizard.

Of course, as the wizard - Gandalf, how he finally introduced himself [What a bad manners!] - had meaning for his presence. He wanted to find a volunteer for the expedition. In the peaceful and quiet Shire, where no one even dreamed of an adventure, unless he was a little faunt still growing up under the care of their parents. Or a Took. Madness. Completely madman.

However, regardless of his opinion, he advised the old man to look for volunteers east of Bree, where he would likely would have enough of them.

Still, he felt uncomfortable in the company of the traveller. So he got up, dusted his pants off, and walked over to the gate, taking the letters out of the mailbox and humming under his breath, pretending to be concerned about something. He said goodbye and strode to the door, frowning at the wizard's murmur that he would inform the others.

Not knowing about the creature's deal with his door or what awaited him later that day, he decided to return to the paperwork, which he had interrupted for a short break, and the unusual meeting soon fell out of his mind.

The young hobbit, having finished all the paperwork he had been doing, looked out the window. Seeing the sun was already declining, he decided to go out to the market to buy some products that he could use to prepare meals for the next two or three days.

He stood up from behind the massive desk, stretched, took the coin purse and left his property. On the way to the market, he met and greeted his neighbour - Bella, beloved Bella, and her group of children - as well as a few of his tenants. He wandered around the stalls, buying a lot of fresh meat, vegetables and a few bags of flour to bake bread - after all, what a hobbit is as lazy as a man and buys ready-made loaves, how humiliating it would be! - and organised a few burly young men who would take his groceries to his burrow for a few extra coins.

While shopping, he also got acquainted with the latest rumours - after all, Hobbits are very curious [eghm-nosy-eghm] creatures, and despite his not entirely flattering social status, everyone was eager to talk, about the young Took offspring - Rosamund - was caught with the oldest of Bolger's boys or how tasty was the latest pumpkin cake of Adamanta or who was lately caught on the fields of old farmer Margoth stealing the corn and carrots.

When he got home, he started cooking. He took out the groceries, put them in their places in the spacious pantry, and took out the necessary ingredients. Today, he deserved a decent dinner for all the work he had finished. He prepared a feast beyond what a hungry Hobbit could eat, but it's not that he couldn't eat the leftovers in the morning - for his first breakfast - sparing himself from having to cook so early in the morning.

When he finished, it was late afternoon. The cutlery had just been placed on the table when he heard an insistent knock. Surprised, he walked to the door thinking that maybe Hamfast needed something, and he forgot about the existence of a functioning doorbell in a hurry and opened the door right after another - even impatient - knocking. Then, he was greeted by a surprising sight - a Dwarf. In Hobbiton. Knocking on the door of a hobbit hole, late in the evening, when one does not look acceptable for an unannounced visit, except for the utmost necessity or in haste.

Of course, every once in a while, everyone saw a dwarf in the Shire, though that was more common just after a larger group of them had moved to the colony in Eren Luin. Well, it was almost a common sight in Bree! But for the dwarf to go to Hobbiton and to one of the most important residential districts and knock on the door? It has never happened yet, and Bilbo had hoped it would stay like that. But the Fates are not on his site. Or they are?

Shocked, the Hobbit looked at the newcomer. The dwarf was a full head taller than him, bald on the top of his skull, but he made up for the loss of the rest of his hair with its voluminous beard. The other was visibly tired and - considering the late hour - probably hungry. He barely had a chance to see anything else when the dwarf bowed low and spoke with a heavy accent.

“Dwalin. At your service."

He froze for a moment, brushed his vest of invisible dust, then replied, opening the door a little wider. What a proper hobbit would he be if he closed the door in the face of an exhausted traveller.

“Bilbo Baggins. At yours, "and then, after a moment of awkward silence, he asked, " Have we ever gotten acquainted? "

"No." He received a soft grunt as the tall dwarf pushed his way through the door.

“Ah yes, what a poor host I am. Please, leave your… weapons here, yes. And here, to the dining room. " Young Baggins regained his innate silver tongue. "I am sorry to say that I was not expecting any guests, so at the moment, I don't have much to serve." He cleared his throat, a bit confused, as he placed a guest at the long dining table.

"So the others haven't come yet?" The Dwarf grunted, startling the Hobbit

"Others? No, no one else came. Nobody usually shows up without an appointment at this late hour. "He added under his breath," How many more guests can I expect, Master Dwalin? " He asked loudlier, turning to the visitor with a fake smile.

“Thirteen in total. And Gandalf, ”said the slightly surprised dwarf, slowly beginning to understand what the grey-haired wizard had encouraged them to do.

“Gandalf, yes, uh... yes. I could have expected it, "Muttered the hobbit under his breath with an irritated expression " Sly Cunning Fox."

Bibo put the tableware on the table - of course, not the most expensive and old porcelain of his great-grandmother, but the one slightly worse than hers - but Yvanna forbade that it would not be suitable for guests! That was the best porcelain that was currently available on the market. After a moment's thought, he took all the teacups except two and replaced them with decent mugs. The dwarves do not seem to enjoy a cup of velvet tea with their meal. They seemed to be more of the beer-type men. He put a plate of fresh bread and jam in front of the guest with a soft murmur of "help yourself" and marched into the kitchen, briskly planning a meal for the thirteen - Yvanna help! - dwarves, himself and one of the nosiest wizard.

 As he was just putting the last of the baking trays in the oven, the doorbell rang again.

When he opened them, he was greeted with the sight of an old dwarf with a thick head of white hair covered with a hood of dark red robes.

"Balin, at your service," he greeted, bowing low

He welcomed him duly and added, "Enjoyable evening, isn't it?"

"Yes, for sure," he stepped in. "I see they've already started arriving?" he stated, then, after putting down the weapon on the rack, he headed down the corridor where you could hear the murmurs in Khuzdul.

"Dwalin, brother," he exclaimed, "You didn't cause our host any trouble?" he was worried.

"Balin!" he replied, getting up from the chair and bumping his head hard with him. " No, although I don't think he expected us at all."

" What are you talking about? Gandalf said we would be warmly welcomed, "he was amazed, as he thanked Hobbit softly as additional portions and a glass of fresh beer were placed on the table.

The old dwarf - always a diplomat - was about to ask his host about that matter when the bell rang again, with a soft, muffled laugh coming from behind the door.

The brothers only heard the loud "At your service", followed by the loud scolding of the young dwarves about the correct treatment of the furniture. When the two rascals finally entered the dining room, they were greeted with grimaces on their faces and a grunt, “ This halfling has a spine. It will be interesting. "

" Especially when uncle arrives," added the second, and both giggled

“Master Dwalin! " the boys got excited to see him

They didn't even have time to sit down when the bell rang again, impatiently, along with quite a loud knocking and echoing conversations. When the Hobbit opened the door, he froze in amazement. Eight dwarves stood at the door at once, almost bursting in. And behind them, he saw that annoying wizard, unable to stay out of disturbing the lives of other creatures.

After more performances and putting the weapons back in their rightful place - apart from Gandalf [the privileged old man - not even that he needs this cane!] - everyone took their seats at the table, and Bilbo went around serving more and more cooked dishes. Wizard was always served last, and even if someone had seen this, no one said something, not wanting to confront the visibly irritated owner of the house.

"One is missing," Gandalf mused, "Where's Thorin?"

"He will be late," replied Dwalin, "He returns from a meeting of the heads of the clans from the north."

The dwarves started eating as soon as the food was placed on the table. Much of his pantry had been used up for this meal, and even that wasn't all - there was still a portion of this Thorin to be warmed up and served. Dwarves like this Dwarfs ate loudly. The room was full of conversations, laughter and not necessarily cultural sounds. Beer was also poured non-stop from barrels specially brought from the basement with the help of one of the redheads. There has also been a lot of scolding about the proper use of items and other things that were important to the Hobbit. Overall, the meal could be described as successful, even considering the little heart attack he had when they started throwing plates and other tableware in the air. But later, thinking with a cool head, it was even funny, and the dwarves, as a famous craftskin, must have had a good sense of strength in their hands. So technically, he didn't have to worry that much about his porcelain. And they're even pretty good at making songs on the spot. But before leaving his burrow, he will make sure that they would clean up and fix whatever they broke.

Soon, there was a loud knock on the door, impatient with its volume. The owner was probably irritated by the loud laughter coming from inside.

Gandalf sprang to his feet and almost ran for the door, the hobbit on his tail.

He swung the door open with a soft "finally" grunt that did not escape the hobbit's sensitive ears.

There was a dwarf standing in front of the door, of course. However, he was of a slightly different stature than the others, a bit more serious and gloomy.

"Thorin!" The old man called, "How good to see you."

On entering, the newcomer addressed the wizard immediately, completely ignoring proper etiquette.

"Gandalf, you said I would easily find this place," he said indifferently, a bit weary, "I got lost twice on the way. If it weren't for the mark, I would have walked by without looking back," he stated, taking off his coat and putting his weapons on the pile with the others.

"Mark? There is no mark!" The Hobbit protested. "Hamfast painted them just a week ago!"

This drew the dwarf's attention to the short owner.

"And that ..." looked at him from head to toe for the first time "is said Hobbit?"

"What kind of weapon do you use?" He asked, circling around. "Axe or sword?"

"Pardon me?" He replied bluntly, "If you must know, I have excellent skills at conkers." Bilbo was disgusted by the strangers' horrible manners. None of them were as rude as him. "But I don't understand what you need this knowledge for."

"I thought so," he snorted, "He doesn't look like a shopkeeper, let alone a burglar." he turned to the rest and was led towards the table by the youngest.

"I hope you will explain to me why this gathering is taking place in my house, Gandalf?" Bilbo asked, walking next to the wizard

"You'll see," he replied mysteriously.

When Thorin finished his meal, he was inundated with excited questions until he showed them the harsh reality. Then Bilbo was lured by Gandalf's touching and sublime story and almost immediately brought to the ground by the news of a monstrous beast lurking at the destination of this journey. He really didn't want to meet the beast described as "the greatest calamity of this age". He was not in such a hurry to the grave.

However, when he wanted to withdraw, and the dwarves even began to support him, the old-sly fox demanded his participation in the expedition. He. A middle-aged hobbit who has never held anything sharper than a letter-knife in his life. And definitely not a burglar they needed. If he weren't a damned wizard, he would have said he was crazy.

He was even presented with a solid legal contract, which he had read briefly at first. It had some very detailed clauses through which, luckily, he didn't pass out, but he was close to. He did ask for Balin, who introduced himself as the company's legal adviser and Thorin's right hand, to the little salon to discuss the contract in depth. After all, what of a Master Baggins, grandson of Thain and Master of the Hill and the Underhill [also known as the master of Hobbiton by non-hobbits folk], would he be if he had signed the contract without knowing all its contents?

One of the factors that convinced him to finally sign the contract was the longing and pain he heard when they sang as they had settled down in the living room. Although some lines felt as if they were talking about much older events, there was a feeling of homesickness and love in them.

He only asked for a moment in the morning to send letters and relevant documentation to Thain and his cousins. Most of the dwarves scowled at this but were silenced by Gloin and Balin, who considered it appropriate, without even knowing who the request was really from.

And that is how the youngest member of the Company joined and began the journey of his life.