The bird in a cage

by appletreebrightness

Something is very wrong with the Shire. When Gandalf arrives to Bag-End he finds a hysterical, fear filled Belle Baggins, a watchful Lobelia and hobbits who watch him not just with distrust but anger and a barely restrained violence as well. The Company of Thorin Oakenshield may very well have to stage a rescue before they even begin on the great Quest to reclaim Erebor. Fem!Bilbo

1. Chapter 1

"What kind of sick joke are you playing?!"

In his long life Gandalf had been looked at in many different ways. The Orcs he had slain looked onto him with hate, the men looked to him in askance and on occasion, dread, the dwarves treated him with something akin to indifference and the hobbits thought him to be a very bad influence indeed.

But he had never been looked at the way Belle Baggins was looking at him right now. Like he'd shattered an already broken heart beyond all measure.

Why the mere suggestion that perhaps she might like to go on an Adventure had her near tears he did not know.

"Is that funny to you?" Her voice broke at the last two words and Gandalf's brow furrowed. Fear flashed for a brief moment in her eyes, such terror that Gandalf was alarmed and she stepped away, nearly falling in her haste to get away from him. "We don't want any Adventures here thank you!" She said loudly, her eyes flicking behind him for a brief second before she retreated behind the safety of her smial.

He turned around to see her cousin (or was it Aunt? He could never keep the relations of these hobbits right) Lobelia Sackville Baggins eyeing him with distaste before flashing one venomous look at the round bright green door.

"You heard the girl. Leave." She said harshly, the menace in her voice raising alarms in Gandalf.

The powers bestowed upon him by the Valar surged through him, finding their outlet in his voice and for a moment the Shire was overcast and grey. "I do not take orders from you, Mrs Sackville Baggins." His voice shook and a dazed confusion flashed on Lobelia's face but it settled back into its scowl again.

"It's in your best interest to leave Belle Baggins to her home." She said one last time and left a shocked wizard in her wake.

And then he took the time to notice his surroundings and felt the dread growing in him.

The usually emerald green grass of the Shire was an insipid yellow instead, the trees lining the paths bore fruit that was small and almost shrivelled, the birds that used to chirp were silent but the caw of a crow was heard loud and clear.

A sickness lay upon the Shire and the quicker Thorin's Company got here the better. Gandalf had a feeling he would need reinforcements.