Glittering Golden Hoard
Chapter 1:
In the Shire
Gandalf the Grey walked up to a hill with a round, green door with a hobbit sitting on a chair, relaxing with his eyes closed and a pipe, this hobbit's name was Bilbo Baggins, Bilbo blew out a ring that turned into a smoke moth which flew into his face, he opened his eyes to see Gandalf standing there, leaning on his staff, he sat there awkwardly before he finally spoke up "Good morning,"
Gandalf replied to him "What do you mean?" Biblo looked confused "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?" Bilbo was still confused "Can I help you?"
"That remains to be seen. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure,"
"An adventure? Now, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures," Bilbo got up and walked over to his mailbox. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things, make you late for dinner, hm, hm" He grabbed his mail and sorted through and then went to go back inside. "Good morning,"
"To think that I should have lived to be good morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door,"
Bilbo paused "Beg your pardon?"
"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means… me,"
"Gandalf… not Gandalf, the wandering Wizard, who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Ha, ha! Well. I had no idea you were still in business,"
"And where else should I be?"
"Well…"
"Well, I'm pleased to find you remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks. Well that's decided," Bilbo looked confused again, "It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others,"
"Inform the who? What, no, no, n- wait, we do not want any adventures, here, thank you, not today, no- I suggest you try over the hill, or across the water. Good morning" Bilbo then walked back into his house, locking the door behind him.
However, little that Bilbo knew, Gandalf knew of course because he's Gandalf, not too far away was a young man with armour and a cloak (The power of shadow skin's armour from Shadow of Mordor but black and dark grey), who looked only 20, give or take a number or two, but he had seen far more than most, as Gandalf walked away from the small hill that was home to the Hobbit, but not before he left a mark on the door, he then looked up at a tree to see the young face, but old eyes.
Gandalf raised his staff in greeting and nodded his head slightly, the young man gave Gandalf a two fingered salute then leaned back on his thick tree branch and went to sleep, using a black, scaled tail to keep him on the branch.
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Night Fall
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The young man woke up as he heard two familiar voices talking, he shook his head and stood atop the tree branch as he saw two dwarves walking up the path, one with black hair, the other with brown, the young man silently jumped down and put his hood up, he creeped up to the dwarves and got up close, then released a animalistic growl, the dwarf with dark hair took out his weapon and went to attack him but was parried by another sword with a black blade and draconic runes on the hilt and blade, "Dracon!" the brown haired dwarf exclaimed.
"Fili! Kili! Good to see you two again!" Replied the young man, Dracon.
"How long has it been?" Fili asked.
"Not since after Moria," said Kili the three fell silent. Kili and Dracon sheathed their swords and continued walking.
"So, I heard there was an adventure?" Asked Dracon.
"Yea,"
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Bilbo Baggins' Hole
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"...I'm sorry," Bilbo said with his hands up. Balin and Dwalin paused and looked at Biblo.
"Apology accepted, now fill it up, brother, don't stint," The doorbell rang "I could eat again, if you insist,"
Bilbo opened the door and there stood 2 dwarves and a human standing behind them, although the human wasn't exactly human, Bilbo could see he had red eyes, 2 black wings on his back and he thought he saw a tail for a moment. "Fili"
"And Kili"
"At your service" they both bowed.
"You must be Mr. Boggins," Kili stated.
"Baggins," Dracon whispered to him.
"Nope, you can't come in, you've got the wrong house," Bilbo was about to close the door but Kili held it open.
"What? Has it been cancelled?"
"No one told us,"
"Can-? No nothing's been cancelled,"
"Well that's a relief," Kili pushed Bilbo aside and the dwarves shoved all their equipment into Bilbo's arms
"Careful with these, I just had 'em sharpened," Fili ordered.
Dracon ducked his head to go through the small door then put his sword, his clawed gloves and gauntlets and some different shaped and coloured daggers into his arms, "Uh, be careful with that one," he pointed to a green bladed dagger "Very deadly poison," Bilbo looked uneasy, Dracon walked further into the Hobbit Hole to help with the food and moved some furniture.
Balin walked up to Dracon and greeted him "Dracon! Or have you changed your name again?" they shared a laugh "Good to see you again,"
"Evening," Dwalin greeted him as he went past.
Not too long after, the doorbell rang again, this time harder, Bilbo opened the door and more Dwarves tumbled through the door and landed on top of each other, Gandalf was stood behind them.
All the dwarves and Dracon were grabbing food, furniture, utensils, Bombur grabbed three whole wheels of cheese, "Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?"
"Cheese knife? He eats it by the block," Bofur said as he walked by Bilbo.
"He can eat the whole pantry by himself," Dracon said as he walked by "Ow!" He hit his head on a doorway, causing him and the other dwarves to laugh, Biblo winced.
"Good thing you've got a thick head eh? Otherwise that would have hurt even more," Dwalin said.
"Yea, heh heh." Dracon then quickly spun around to face him "Hey wait!" His wings unfolded slightly in agitation causing harder laughter amongst the dwarves and even Gandalf. "Walked right into that one didn't I?"
Dori walked up to Gandalf and Dracon "Excuse me? Mr. Gandalf? Dracon? can I tempt you two with a nice cup of chamomile tea?"
"Oh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine for me, I think." Gandalf replied.
"Um, I was just going to have some ale once we got our feast ready,"
"Got it," Dori went to get Gandalf's red wine.
Once the food and the furniture was set the Dwarves and Dracon all sat around the table and ate, the Dwarves were messy, Dracon was only a bit messy.
"Bombur!" Bofur called him "Catch!" He threw some food that Bombur caught in mouth which made everyone cheer and they threw food of their own.
Fili walked upon the table, handing out tankards of ale "Who wants an ale!? Here you go!There you go!"
Dwalin poured his into Oin's ear trumpet "Have another drink," there was laughter once more, as Oin blew into it as the ale went out and the trumpet made a squeal.
"On the count of three! One...Two!" The Dwarves and Dracon begin drinking their ales with the Dwarves' ale pouring onto their beards, once finished they begin burping and cheering but Ori's was the loudest.
"I knew ya had it in ya!"
"Alright! I got one coming up!" Dracon prepared to burp as the others went quiet, but once he opened his mouth, the only sound that came out was a quiet, high pitched sound. Laughter filled the air as Dracon blushed in embarrassment.
"There, there," Bofur 'comforted' Dracon "you at least beat a rat," the laughter was even louder.
"Hey Bombur! How many sausages can you fit in your mouth without swallowing or chewing!" Kili asked.
Sausages were passed over to Bombur as he began putting them into his mouth.
"1...2...3...4...5...6!" Bombur struggled to get the 7th sausage in but made it, "...7!" Bombur raised his arms in victory and all cheered before he swallowed all seven sausages whole.
"Alright then! Watch this!" Dracon grabbed a knife and placed his palm onto the table, he then proceeded to stab in between his fingers, going faster as he went, the Dwarves sang along as he did.
"There is an old tradition, a game we all can play
You start by getting liquored up and sharpening your blade
You take a shot of whiskey, you grab your knife and pray
And Spread apart your fingers, and this is what you say
Oh, I have all my fingers, the knife goes chop chop chop
If I miss the spaces in between, my fingers will come off
And If I hit my fingers, the blood will soon come out
But all the same I play this game cause thats what its all about
O you can't use a pencil, you can not use a pen
The only way is with a knife when danger is your friend
And some may call it stupid, some may call it dumb
But all the same we play this game because it's so damn fun
Oh, I have all my fingers, the knife goes chop chop chop
If I miss the spaces in between, my fingers will come off
And if I hit my fingers, the blood will soon come out
But all the same I play this game cause that's what it's all about
Oh, chop chop chop chop chop chop chop
I'm picking up the speed
And if I hit my fingers then my hand will start to bleed"
He suddenly stabbed a steak and ate it and raised his hands. Everyone cheered and laughed.
The feast was finished and the Dwarves were putting away the dishes. "Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" Bilbo took away a doily from Nori.
"But it's full of holes," Bofur said.
"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet,"
"Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you got the balls for it,"
"Bebother and confusticate these dwarves!" Gandalf walked up to him.
"My dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?"
"What's the matter? I'm surrounded by dwarves. What are they doing here?"
"Oh, they're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them."
Nori and Bofur played tug-of-war with a chain of sausages "I don't want to get used to them. The state of my kitchen! There's mud trod into the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom, they've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in my house!"
Dracon walked by and said "That would be Bombur,"
"Not to mention him," Bilbo pointed to Dracon as he turned back into the dining room, he played with a knife that was just sharpened today,"
Ori walked up to Bilbo with an empty plate. "Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"
"Here you go, Ori, give it to me." Fili grabbed the plate and threw it over to Kili who threw it to Bifur at the sink, who catches it without looking.
"Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing crockery, it's over a hundred years old!" Biblo panicked as more dishes were thrown around the place, while the Dwarves made a little tune with the cutlery and their feet. "And can-can you not do that? You'll blunt them!"
"Ooh, d'hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives," Bofur said.
Kili began singing "Blunt the knives, bend the forks," the rest of the Dwarves and Dracon joined him.
"Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll"
Some of the Dwarves were using the dishes as instruments.
"That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!" Biblo rushed to the dishes to be surprised as they were neatly stacked and the everyone laughed.
All laughter ended when three knocks on the door sounded "He is here," Dracon said.
Gandalf opens the front door and Thorin stood there "Gandalf," he then walked inside and saw Dracon, "Dracon, or have you changed your name again?"
"Nope, still Dracon,"
"I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door,"
"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago," Bilbo said.
"There is a mark, I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield,"
"So, this is the Hobbit." Thorin studied the Hobbit "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?"
"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"
"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant,"
"I have no idea what that is," whispered Dracon to no one in particular.
"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar," the Dwarves and Dracon laughed as they all went back to the dining room where Thorin ate.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked.
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdom," the Dwarves happily muttered to each other.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked.
"They will not come," Thorin said with sadness. The Dwarves were all disappointed.
"Aww, I like Dain, he's funny," Dracon commented.
"They say this quest is ours, and ours alone,"
"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked them.
"Why do you think we're all here then?" Said Dracon Bilbo shrugged.
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light, Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak," Gandalf explained."
Gandalf took out a map and spread it across the table, Bilbo returned with the candle.
"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo read aloud.
"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time," Gloin stated.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," Oin told the Dwarves. Bilbo looked concerned and faced the company.
"Uh, what beast?"
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne firebreather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious
Metals," Bofur described.
"Yes, I know what a dragon is,"
Ori stood up and announced his bravery, however stupid it may be, "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie," many Dwarves shouted at him.
"Sit down," Dori grabbed Ori's shirt and dragged him into his seat.
Drancon stood up "It is unwise to underestimate a dragon, especially one as powerful as Smaug, dragons are bred for battle, they will not show mercy to their enemy and I have seen them take entire cities such as Erebor, alone, an army of Dwarves wouldn't be much use against it, let alone 13 of them and not 13 of the best, and not particularly the brightest," The Dwarves instantly objected.
Oin just asked "What did he say?"
"We may be few in number, but we are fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili said.
"Did you listen to a word I said?" Dracon asked as his tail and wings twitched in exasperation.
Kili just ignored him "And you forget, we have a wizard in our company and a half dragon! Gandalf and Dracon would have killed hundreds of dragons in their time,"
"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I" Gandalf stuttered.
"How many then?" Dori asked.
"What?"
"Well, how many dragons have you killed?" Gandalf started coughing on his pipe in embarrassment "Go on, give us a number!" The Dwarves argued amongst themselves about how many Gandalf would have killed.
They all went silent as Dracon unleashed a roar to silence them all and they all instantly sat back down.
"Is someone at the door?" asked Oin
Thorin nodded in appreciation to Dracon..
"If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?" The Dwarves cheered "Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!"
"You forget, the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain," Balin killed the mood.
"Yep… thanks for killing the mood, we uh, we really appreciate it," Dracon said sarcastically with a thumb up.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said as he pulled a key out of… somewhere.
"Haha!" Draco raised his arms in the air, but then hit it on the ceiling "Ow,"
Thorin looked at the key with amazement "How came you by this?"
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now."
"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili put the pieces together.
"Or perhaps a… chest or… a locket or… it could even be for decoration so it's not a must for a door,"
"Well, in this case, Dracon, it's a door," He pointed to some runes "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls,"
"There's another way in," Kili said excitedly.
"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage," he glanced at Bilbo "But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done,"
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori realised.
"Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo said.
"And are you?" Gloin asked.
"Am I what?"
Oin misheard that as usual "He says he's an expert! Hey hey!" Some of the Dwarves laughed.
"Dang it, Oin," Dracon lowered his head.
"Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar, I've never stolen a thing in my life,"
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Bilbo nodded in agreement to Balin's words.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin said.
"Understatement of the age," laughed Dracon.
The Dwarves then argued… again, but this time Gandalf stood up and using his magic he increased the shadows around him and made his voice more powerful. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is,"
"Gandalf! What the hell?" The Dwarves looked at Dracon to see he had changed, his head had horns that spiraled and curved upward, his eyes were completely reptilian, his hands and wrists (and further up his arms to his his shoulders) were black scales and his fingernails were claws. "You know my illusion magic is weak, even a slight magical disturbance could tear my spell down,"
"My apologies, Dracon," Gandalf apologised. Bilbo looked a bit shocked and frightened.
"As I was saying, Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this,"
"Very well, we'll do it your way," Thorin grumbled.
"No, no, no," Bilbo tried to object.
"Give him the contract,"
"Please,"
"Alright, we're off," Bofur exclaimed.
Balin gave Bilbo a long contract "It's just the usual summary of out of pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo took it into the next room to read.
Dracon walked into the living room and sat by the fireplace, he breathed his fire into it after putting some firewood into the it. He then sat down in front of it and folded his wings and tail around his body to rest, he then heard "nope," and then something hitting the floor. Dracon ignored it and was deep in thought.
"I'll be alright, just let me sit quietly for a moment," Bilbo was sitting in a chair by the fire that Dracon lit earlier, Dracon moved from his spot in front of the fireplace and went to where the dwarves were shortly after Bilbo gained his consciousness and was drinking a cup of hot tea.
"You've been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young Hobbit who always was running off in search of elves and the woods, who'd stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young Hobbit who would have liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps, it's out there," Gandalf argued.
"I can't just go running off into the blue. I am a Baggins, of Bag End,"
"You are also a Took. Did you know that your great-great-great-great-uncle, Bullroarer
Took, was so large he could ride a real horse?"
"What?" Dracon's head appeared from around the corner.
"Yes," Bilbo answered Gandalf.
"Well he could. In the Battle of Green Fields, he charged the goblin ranks. He swung his club so hard it knocked the Goblin King's head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole. And thus the battle was won, and the game of golf invented at the same time,"
"I do believe you made that up,"
Dracon came up to Bilbo "It's true actually, I was there, although maybe a slight exaggeration,"
"Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back,"
"Can you two promise that I'll come back?" Bilbo asked. Gandalf and Dracon looked at each other with unease.
"No," Dracon answered.
"But if you do, you will not be the same," Gandalf added.
"That's what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, Dragon,"
"Dracon,"
"Whatever, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong Hobbit," Bilbo got up and walked away.
"Well, at least us coming here wasn't a complete waste of time," Dracon said, "We ate and had fun,"
"But it could've gone better," Gandalf took a puff at his pipe.
Humming could be heard in Bilbo's living room, then singing, first by Thorin, then by the rest.
"Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere 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"
Dracon hid his tears with his wings as the Dwarves finished with their song, then everyone began to pack up their equipment so they could go early tomorrow morning.
Morning
Dracon jumped from tree to tree wearing his illusion magic so as to not frighten the Hobbits on their way out of the shire, as the rest of the company rode on horseback through the forest that lead out of the shire with some of the Dwarves calling him a showoff, otherwise the Dwarves were just chatting about how that was a waste of time and 'Use a Hobbit'. The company came to a halt when Bilbo called out from behind "Wait! Wait!" Bilbo gave the contract to Balin "I signed it," Dracon jumped from his tree, frightening Bilbo.
"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin
Oakenshield," Balin confirmed that Bilbo had correctly signed the contract. The Dwarves cheered but Thorin didn't look overly excited.
"Give him a pony," Thorin commanded.
"No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I-I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once- Ah!" Bilbo tried to object but two Dwarves picked him up and put him in the saddle of a pony.
Not too long later, Dracon was walking in between Bilbo and Gandalf "Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on," Nori tossed a sack of coins to Oin (haha) "Hey, hey, hey," Dracon took out some coins and began counting, he held some in his right hand and pocketed the rest in his left, he grabbed a small bag and put the remaining coins into the bag and threw it to Balin, growling something under his breath.
"What's that about?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.
"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't, including Dracon,"
"Be careful there, Dracon!" Bofur called "Your being so salty that you could turn a lake into an ocean," some of the Dwarves laughed, Dracon continued to growl.
"What about you?" Bilbo asked.
Gandalf hummed then caught a bag himself "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second,"
Bilbo suddenly sneezed which made Dracon jump. "Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction," Bilbo searched his pockets "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around," The entire company stopped and started grumbling, except Dracon, who continued.
"Nope! Not stopping again,"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.
"I forgot my handkerchief,"
Dracon didn't stop "Use your sleeve!"
Bofur ripped a piece of his shirt off "Here! Use this."
and tossed it to Bilbo.
"Or you can use his! Whatever!"
Bilbo looked at the cloth in disgust as the Dwarves laughed.
"Move on!" Thorin ordered and the company did so, although Dracon was already on the move.
"You'll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you, the world is ahead," Gandalf told Bilbo.
Hey guys, it's me! So I hope you enjoyed this fanfic, I will limit to the amount of fanfics I do by three at a time and I will be doing this story in 'An Unexpected Journey' only then the next one with 'Desolation of Smaug' and so on.
If you spot any errors in grammar or anything please tell me.
See you in the next chapter.