Chapter 1 - Harsh Greetings
In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with – Bilbo was stopped by a musical tune being tapped on the door of his home. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and put his quill back in his ink pot.
"Who could this be? Calling so early in the morning, I was just starting my book as well." He grumbled as he shuffled awkwardly down the hall to his freshly painted door. As he walked through his house he shut a few trunks that were filled with gold and souvenirs from the quest he had had sixty years prior. Sighing again he swung open the door, painting a frown on his face in hope that his visitor wouldn't be staying long. However when the figure turned around from where she had been looking out at the rolling green hills of the Shire and had the biggest grin he'd ever seen, his frown vanished and his own smile challenged hers.
"Bilbo!"
"Brandi!"
He instantly ran out of the door with his arms spread out and they embraced each other tightly, both fighting back tears of joy at seeing each other again.
"It's so good to see you Bilbo! I'm so sorry I haven't visited before, I've just been so busy, forgive me." She smiled down at him and he pulled away taking her hands in his.
"No no, don't be silly it's perfectly fine!" He smiled and gestured for her to come through the open door and back into his cosy home. He went to offer to take her coat but it she had already hung it up so he went to the kitchen to put the kettle on whilst she fumbled around with something in her backpack.
"Tea or coffee?" He called down the hall to her as he went on fumbling around the kitchen.
"Coffee please." She called back and pulled out a small box from her pack making a successful noise as she looked at it briefly and walked down the corridor to the kitchen. Bilbo presented her with a cup of steaming coffee and she took it in one hand, the other carrying the box behind her back. They walked to his kitchen table and sat down.
"I heard it's your one hundred and eleventh birthday today." She smiled taking a sip from her coffee letting a satisfactory 'Ah' escape her as she licked her lips, the warmth falling through her.
"Yes, getting old now." He said and looked longingly out of the window smiling at his past memories that Brandi was bringing back.
"Well, I've got something for you. A gift, because you can't celebrate a birthday without one. It might not look like much but it took me ages to make, and several attempts." She laughed with him as she set the long wooden box on the table and pushed it towards him. He placed his tea down and pulled the box towards him unlocking the golden clasp at the front. He opened it slowly and breathed in as he looked at the contents of the box whilst Brandi sipped her coffee and watched his expression as he gently plucked the item out of the box.
"What do you think?"
"It's beautiful Brandi! Are you sure you made this?" He laughed as he turned it around in his hands. It was a long oaken pipe with a dragon coming from the mouthpiece and twirling around to the end where an acorn was carved in to make the hole. He stared at the intricate detail of the dragons scales, it was truly magnificent and had been sanded and smoothed to perfection.
"I know it's not much but I wanted it to be something heartfelt and homemade. Something that would bring back memories. It's made out of one of the trees from Beorn's garden so it's another connection if you like." She smiled and watched as he traced the carvings with awe.
"Thank you so much, this is the best gift I have ever received!"
"Thank you, I'm glad you like it." She smiled and hugged him from across the table, finishing her coffee.
"How are the others?" Bilbo asked her as she stood and washed up her cup, he was still holding the pipe in his hands.
"Everyone's fine. They're all coming, none of them wanted to miss a chance to see their burglar again."
60 Years Earlier
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Brandi screamed as she fell towards the house roof, her limbs flailing around in the air as she neared the lawn. "Gandalf! Oh FUCK!"
She hit the floor with a thump and her shouts echoed across the Shire's peaceful greenery. She heard a startled squeak from below her. She pulled her head up from the floor and spat grass and leaves out, not being able to stop herself from giggling slightly. She rolled over and stood up laughing harder.
"Gandalf I just fell out of the sky!" She called down from where he was stood on the path, completely unscathed from their teleportation.
"I know, I saw it."
"Hey how come you landed perfectly but I just fell?" She asked and jumped down from the roof of one of the houses in the Shire and went to stand in front of the wizard. Her hands were on her hips and she was trying to be annoyed but she was in a particularly good mood and couldn't help but smile.
"Because I do it more often, practise makes perfect." He smiled at her and then walked over to the startled hobbit who was staring at the wizard that had appeared out of nowhere and the girl that had seemed to have landed on his roof.
"I'm terribly sorry for that Mr Gamgee. If you could direct me to Mr Bilbo Baggins house we will be on our way and you can spend the rest of the day in peace." He smiled at the hobbit who stuttered for a while before pointing in a general direction.
"Up the hill, green door, you shouldn't miss it." The wizard tipped his hat in thanks and Brandi just smiled and walked on next to Gandalf. Once they were out of earshot again she sparked up a conversation.
"So this is the Shire?" She asked, strolling alongside the wizard.
"Yes, quite a peaceful place really."
"And remind me, why am I here?"
"Because you've killed a dragon in the past and you're stupid enough to fight another one. You will be a good asset to the quest."
"I wouldn't say stupid. It was a laugh last time. But what if they don't like me? I'm not very good at making friends."
"They will have to like you Brandi, just try to not flirt with them, I don't think that would help in the making friends part."
"Hey! I'm not flirty!" At that he just gave her a knowing look and she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed loudly. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little flirty but I just like to spice things up a bit."
"Well no 'spicing thing up' this time. This is meant to be a serious quest and we can't have your mouth getting in the way."
"Fine. Is that it?" She pointed to a big green door with a hobbit sat on the bench smoking a pipe and blowing smoke rings into the valley. Gandalf smiled and walked along the cobbled path towards the hobbit that hadn't noticed them yet.
The hobbit's smoke ring collapsed and became a smoke moth, as Gandalf walked in front of the fence that surrounded the half buried home. The moth flew into his face, waking him from his daydream.
"Good morning." He said cheerily but was slightly weary of the two figures. One was very tall and was cloaked in dark grey, his tall hat shadowing his serious face; whilst the other stood to the side smiling back and he couldn't help but notice the light leather chest plate she wore and the big fur coat that was slung over her shoulder. Her leather trousers were covered in small knives that were each strapped to the side of her leg and he could see a sword, bow and quiver sticking out from her back.
"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?"
"All of them at once, I suppose." Gandalf looked slightly disapprovingly at Bilbo who was feeling confused and bewildered at the pair's presence and the blunt way he spoke.
"Can I help you?" "That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."
"An adventure? No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner." Bilbo got up and checked his mailbox, grabbing some mail and sorting through it. His uncomfortable expression grew as they both watched him, the girls head tilted to the side slightly.
"Good morning." He went to head inside but was stopped by the man's voice that seemed to boom at him.
"To think that I should have lived to be good morning'd by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door."
"Beg your pardon?" The hobbit squeaked in surprise at the man's anger and recognition of him.
"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Bilbo sqinted his eyes as if that would help him get a better view and understanding of who he was, he couldn't remember him despite the man seemingly knowing himself.
"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means … me." Gandalf smiled at the bewildered hobbit who was clearly connecting memories in his head and he glanced over at Brandi who had gotten distracted by the scenery but when she turned back around she was smirking at them both.
"Gandalf...not Gandalf, the wandering Wizard, who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Ha! Hmm, I had no idea you were still in business."
"And where else should I be?" He frowned at the Hobbit who had put his pipe back into his mouth and was staring at him, occasionally flicking his gaze at Brandi.
"Ah, hmm..." The girl snickered at him and Bilbo actually smiled a bit, she hadn't said anything and he felt a bit wary if her because of all the weapons she was carrying but she looked friendly enough and hadn't stopped smiling.
"Well, I'm pleased to find your 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. Brandi, look after him for the time being, I will see you later and remember what I said." He raised his eyebrows at the girl who rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Yes Dad" She said huffing and walked through the gate, straight past the blinking hobbit and into the house like she lived there. Bilbo didn't protest as such but sort of waved his hand which she ignored and turned back to Gandalf.
"Inform the- who? What? No. No. No! Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today, not-. I suggest you try over the Hill or across the Water. Good morning." With that Bilbo hurried back into his home forgetting that the girl was also in here and shut the door.
He turned to rest against the door but was startled again by the girl who was stood in front of him holding all her stuff except her coat which she had already hung up.
"Hiya! My names Brandi. I know that the name sounds like I'm some sort of slut but I'm not, ignore what Gandalf says." She smiled and shook his hand whilst she rambled on, he just stared wide eyed at her. "I was wondering if there was somewhere I could put all my stuff and have a nap? I'm really tired." She smiled again and he quickly cleared his throat and seemed to screw and unscrew his eyes up quickly blinking a couple of times before pointing down the hall.
"Err yes certainly. Strait down the hall, third door on the right." She smiled and turned to walk down the hall counting the doors as he followed closly behind her.
"Umm how long will you be staying?"
"Probably until the morning, I'm not really sure when the others will be joining us." She smiled over her shoulder and opened the door that Bilbo had told her about.
She left the door open and he followed her into the guest room where she slung her stuff on a wooden chair in the corner and sat on the floor to start disarming herself.
"The others? I don't want others. What's going on?" He said, clearly distressed at her intrusion and the possibility of more.
"To be honest Bilbo, I've got no idea and I'm sure when they get here we'll both find out. But it's okay because I've never met the others either, well except for Gandalf obviously." She said as the small pile of blades that varied in size became a large pile and then her main sword joined it and her bow and quiver. However she didn't stop there, she pulled out every one of her arrows and put them into the pile.
She turned around when she was finished and sort of pushed the pile from the middle of the room to the side and stared up at him from where she was sat cross legged on the floor.
He was at a loss for words, he clearly couldn't just kick her out she had made herself quite at home in the short time she had entered the door and the prospect of more people joining her meant that he couldn't ask her to leave because she'd come back. And Bilbo was always polite to his guests, or at least he tried.
"I guess I'll leave you to it then." He said to her and she smiled again, why was she always smiling it was unnerving like she was going to murder him or something.
"Thank you Bilbo, I will see you later." With that he walked out and closed the door leaving her alone in the room.
So new story! Never really know how to start these things but hey! Thanks for clicking on this despite my probably awful summary!
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Reviews, constructive criticism and questions are most welcome and appreciated.
Also you can follow/favorite if you want to see more I've got a vague plan for this story and I think I'm going to make the romantic interest Kili or Fili, so let me know who you want for that!
Thank you for reading and stick around if you want to see more
xxx
