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12.26.15

Prologue

"Good morning Sara!"

Saraclya Took, Bilbo Baggin's cousin was making her way over to his house so the two of them could have breakfast together, she barely even noticed that he was sitting casually outside on his outdoor bench.

"Oh! Bilbo! Good morning, i almost didn't see you there." Sara replied with a light laugh, settling herself down next to the slightly taller hobbit.

Bilbo scooted over so she had room to sit down. "Well I thought that I'd get out for a bit this morning, get some fresh air." He explained.

She laughed at him. "Of course Bilbo," Then the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, Bilbo blowing smoke rings and Sara watching with amusement as they drifted off into the atmosphere.

"Bilbo?" Sara asked after a few moments of silence. "Who is that fellow over there?" She questioned, gesturing over towards a tall man with a blue, pointy hat and a deep gray cloak and a long white beard that hung so low it almost touched the ground!

The taller Hobbit sat up a bit straighter, his eyes widening. "My god! I think that's Gandalf!" He exclaimed joyously.

"Gandalf? The old wizard that used to come with his fireworks? Not him surely, what would he be doing up here?" She asked curiously.

Bilbo relaxed back in his seat. "I'm not sure, but it looks like he's on his way up here... to Bag End!"

Sara narrowed her eyes as they watched the old wizard approaching although she couldn't help but feel wary of the wizard there was a twinge of excitement in her stomach, her curiosity was getting the better of her soon enough, the wizard had made it up to where the cousins were sitting together on the small bench.

"Good morning!" Bilbo greeted politely, blowing once more on his tobacco pipe.

The old wizard shot him a look. "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?" He asked rather quickly.

Sara's mouth practically fell open in shock, she'd never heard someone so forward about an everyday greeting! Bilbo, on the other hand didn't seem as phased. "All of them at once, I suppose." He said simply, a polite smile still on his face.

Gandalf shot the two hobbits a somewhat disapproving look, leaving the two of them feeling confused and bewildered. Bilbo cleared his throat before speaking again. "Can I help you?" He asked.

The old wizard eyed the hobbits. "That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." He said bluntly.

Sara felt her heart start to race as the words left the wizard's mouth, an adventure! How incredible would that be! However, Bilbo seemed to have other ideas. "An adventure? Now, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner, hm, mm..." Bilbo mulled over.

Bilbo stood up from the bench, while Sara remained seated, wanting to hear more of what Gandalf said, but the wizard only watched as Bilbo started to gather his mail and start to sort though it, looking somewhat uncomfortable at the fact that Gandalf hadn't left yet. "Good morning." He said once more, puffing his pipe in vexation as he began to head back inside.

Gandalf took a few steps forwards, approaching the hobbit. "To think that I should have lived to be good-morning-ed by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door!" He exclaimed.

Bilbo froze, not heading back inside but turning back to the wizard. "Beg your pardon?" He asked.

The wizard gave Sara a quick glance from the corner of his eye before turning back to the older hobbit. "You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins." he said, "but as for my adventure-"

The hobbit was quick to cut him off. "No, no thank you!" He busied. "We'll have no adventures here today! Stop by anytime though, today! For tea..." He had made it to his door now, standing awkwardly outside it. "Good morning!" Then he shut himself inside the house, leaving Sara by herself with Gandalf.

When Sara's cousin had locked himself safely inside she had stood up and approached him, "Saraclya Took!" Gandalf smiled. "I had a feeling you'd want to know more about this adventure of mine." He said with a chuckle.

"I would!" She cried, feeling her excitement bubble up more and more.

He chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm. "Well, why don't you join myself and the others when we meet up with your cousin for tea?" he offered.

Immediately, Sara went to accept his offer, her excitement of what was to come growing as each minute passed. "Of course!- wait... others?" She asked curiously.

He merely smirked, ignoring her question. "I shall see you soon!" He told her, walking towards Bilbo's front door.

Sara shook her head, marveling at the mysterious wizard. Then she turned back towards the pathway Gandalf had just taken up to Bag End, heading back towards her home, Bilbo wouldn't mind if she stopped by, she did so quite often.

She calmly made her way back to her home on the outskirts of town, closer to the boundaries of their land. She'd always loved it there, where she could occasionally watch travelers and their flamboyant ways.

Saraclya was a Took, after all... and Tooks sure did love adventures!

Hope you liked it!