A/N: If you are here after reading my LOTR fic 'Bargaining with Death' then it's lovely to see you! If you have decided to read this because I managed to make my summary look vaguely interesing then it is lovely to meet any newcomers!
Disclaimer: This will be the only disclaimer regarding The Hobbit; I do not own The Hobbit or any of Tolkien's works. Nor do I own the rights and genius of Peter Jackson. Anything you do not recognise is mine so please don't steal.
Prologue- In which our tale begins…
The late summer night was hot and humid despite the first signs of autumn. Trees were starting to show signs of leaves reddening and the crops were almost ready to be harvested. Typically the weather would begin to turn cooler with strong breezes creeping over the land from the sea. But tonight there was no breeze to be found at all. The doors and windows of the Hobbit hole had been flung wide open in an attempt to beckon any passing wisp of wind in. The trees, grasses and plants all remained eerily still on the night landscape of The Shire.
Above the dark sky was clear of any rain clouds and the stars shone brightly in the canvas of midnight blue and the Hobbit who had remained wide awake due to the almost insufferable heat could be found sitting on his bench, outside the Hobbit hole, pipe in hand and gazing up at the stars.
This particular Hobbit should be familiar for it was one Bilbo Baggins; owner of Bag End and the Hobbit who had gone gallivanting into the wild in the company of thirteen dwarves and a most meddlesome wizard. Bilbo Baggins, despite his adventures, was still a Hobbit who behaved with decorum, managed his home and relatives and dressed impeccably. On this hot, sticky and all together bothersome summer night our Hobbit was not dressed to impress.
Shirt unbuttoned three times from the collar, no waistcoat and his hair all ruffled and disarrayed; he was quite content to sit on his porch and smoke his Old Toby. Besides if there were any Hobbits awake and strolling around Bag Lane at this hour, then they would only put his eccentric ways down to his past history; 'Mad Baggins' they called him and his current appearance would only add to that title.
Chuckling to himself at the thought of his disgruntled relatives bemoaning his lack of proper attire Bilbo almost missed the footsteps within Bag End that were tentatively creeping toward the front door. Ceasing his laughter Bilbo puffed on his pipe and waited for the young Hobbit who was peering round the door frame to speak.
Teddy clutched in hand the fauntling crept from the house his hairy bare, feet not quite silent on the smooth, cool-ish paving slabs. Looking down from the stars Bilbo turned his attention to the timid and wide, blue-eyed Hobbit child who was gazing up at him.
"Frodo, my lad. You should be in bed, asleep." He frowned down in mock disapproval and was rewarded with a sheepish grin.
"Can't sleep Uncle. It's too hot." Indeed the fauntling had removed his pyjama top and was currently clothed in only a pair of short style pyjama bottoms which were of the most thin and worn fabric Bilbo could find. After adopting the young Baggins there had been no time to go and purchase or order more clothes for Frodo.
Bilbo had collected Frodo from Brandy Hall and not a moment after they had stepped from the threshold then the pair of Baggins' had been assaulted and berated by the Sackville-Baggins. Both Lobelia and Otho were fuming at Bilbo's adoption of the orphaned Frodo, the chances of them now receiving Bag End when Bilbo died (or went off on an adventure from which he didn't return) were now very slim and so the angry married couple had stormed over to Brandy Hall to prevent the adoption.
Arriving too late they had settled instead for making discriminatory remarks about Bilbo and how he wasn't suitable to be bringing up a young child. The final straw for Bilbo Baggins however had been when the fuming Hobbits had made disparaging comments about the newly orphaned Frodo's parents. Their comments about Bilbo ran off his back like water off a duck, but loudly stating that Frodo's parents had been fools to go messing about in a boat and that they hadn't been suitable parents had caused poor Frodo to hide his head in the crook of his uncle's neck. The soft tears dripping onto Bilbo's neck had been the final blow and Bilbo had quickly brought the Sackville-Baggins down a peg or two.
Bilbo had picked up many skills on his journey to Erebor and he certainly knew how to knock down pompous and arrogant fools. The Sackville-Baggins' were no match for Bilbo who had gone up against stubborn dwarves and they had retreated accompanied by boo's and hisses from the watching Brandybuck family.
The interruption from the insufferable Hobbits had caused Frodo to become very upset and incredibly shy. Deciding that shopping could wait until tomorrow, Bilbo had carried the still tearful fauntling up to Bag End with his meagre possessions being trundled up in a wheelbarrow. The afternoon had been spent with Frodo following Bilbo round Bag End as the once bachelor Hobbit made preparations for Frodo's integration into his life.
Anything particularly dangerous had been demonstrated to the young Hobbit, Bilbo didn't believe in hiding things from Frodo; it was far better to show him a dangerous item and explain why he couldn't touch or use it than to hide it and then have a near-death experience later when Frodo uncovered it.
One room in the house in particular had piqued Frodo's interest after Bilbo had shown it to the faunt. A basic bedroom with a large almost human-sized mattress on the floor, a chest of drawers and a small bookcase but what had sparked interest and life in Frodo had been the hairs that spotted the floor. Smooth and short hairs that sparkled brown, white and black. There had also been the spear that was propped up against a wall, a knife and the female hairbrush that lay on top of the dresser and finally a soft toy that was made of white rabbit fur in the form of a wolf with a black crescent moon on its forehead.
Bilbo had said little about this room only that Frodo should not go in it and that he definitely shouldn't play with the spear or knife. The dark curly-haired fauntling had nodded seriously and asked no questions but Bilbo had seen the curiosity burning in his eyes. All through the rest of the afternoon Frodo's mouth had opened as if poised to ask a burning question, but then he had thought better of it and closed his lips once more.
Curiosity in a young Hobbit was not uncommon and Bilbo had no desire to quench Frodo's thirst for knowledge. Despite the boy only being 11 years old he had shown great interest in the many artefacts which littered Bag End and indeed he had asked questions about Bilbo's reputation.
After tea however the curiosity had been replaced with steady and repetitive yawns and Bilbo had decided it was bedtime for the young Hobbit. Examining the faunt's sleepwear Bilbo had been disgruntled to discover that the clothes within Frodo's trunk had been either winter clothes or ones that were at least two sizes too small. Living in Brandy Hall with its various young faunts; it was almost no surprise that the orphan Baggins' clothes had been overlooked, as many of the clothes that covered the young Tooks and Brandybucks residing in the Hall were second hand or at least until the faunts stopped growing so quickly.
Bilbo had gone to his storage room and rummaged through a couple of trunks until he had found the last of his old tween clothes. Despite being several years old now the clothes were still in good condition but most of all they were thin and light after being worn for several years the fabric had become soft and smooth, a blessing on this warm summer night.
After taking a pair of scissors to both the pyjama arms and legs Bilbo had fashioned some crude sleepwear. Frodo had dressed himself in the mutilated clothes without fuss and then crawled up onto the bed, his teddy-bear clutched securely in his arms.
Sleep had eluded both Baggins that night however and thus the pair found themselves outside Bag End on a warm summer night.
"Uncle Bilbo." Frodo began and then stopped. Bilbo sensed that he was about to be asked a serious question and decided to sit Frodo up on the bench next to him. Picking up the small Hobbit child around the middle, he lifted him and then sat him on the cushion next to him.
Wriggling around a bit Frodo made himself comfortable and placed his stuffed bear in his lap and then turned his serious blue eyes upon his uncle once more.
"What is it you want to ask dear Frodo? I'm sure I can answer or give you some response." Bilbo put out his pipe and placed it gently on the ground whilst he waited for Frodo to form his question.
"Why do you have a room for a female in Bag End? It isn't for a wife, nor is it for your mother unless your mother slept on the floor, but you said your mother slept in the room next to yours so it can't be your mother's room. So why do you have a room with a mattress for a human, a spear and a toy wolf in it?" Frodo blurted out the question that had been plaguing him all afternoon and then looked steadfastly at Bilbo waiting for an answer.
Letting out a strong, loud laugh Bilbo pondered his answer.
"Frodo. You know how I went on an adventure a few years ago?" Frodo nodded eagerly after all everyone west of Bree knew how Mad Baggins had disappeared for over a year and then returned with a chest of treasure.
"Well, I went on a quest to a place far in the East, to reclaim a mountain that belonged to a Dwarf King and his people. But I was not the only person who went on this journey from the west. In fact the answer to your question begins several years before I left the Shire. It began when my mother and I were visited by a strange creature one Spring night. That creature then became very important to my mother and I but it never visited during the day."
Forgetting all about the heat and sticky humidity of the night Frodo scrambled closer to his Uncle and waited.
"Would you tell me the story Uncle Bilbo? I shan't sleep tonight and if you make me go in now I shall have so many questions and my mind won't let me sleep. So please Uncle Bilbo? Tell me about your quest and the strange creature that uses the room down the hall?" A soft whine had crept into Frodo's voice and Bilbo did not have the heart to refuse.
"Well, my dear Frodo, it all began one Spring night. It had been an ordinary day for my mother and I and we had just finished our supper when we heard a strange noise from outside. That was when Kiyiya; The Forest Child, Snow Maid, Feral Child and Wolf Princess of the Ithil Draug Tylwythau first appeared in my life…"
Please Review and let me know what you thought! I'm equally nervous and excited about this foray into The Hobbit universe!
Ryua