Author's Note: Hey guys! So I watched both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and got hit hard with this beautiful plot bunny. I hope you like the first chapter, review if you want more!..ok that's it, here's the chapter, bye!
Elvish
"regular speech"
'thoughts'
A large black mass was running through the forest under the cover of night fall, bleeding heavily with labored breath. It stopped and lifted it's big black muzzle to the sky and sniffed, smelling the grass and flowers of the Shire in front of him. It started running again until it stopped at the border, it lifted it's muzzle once more and started to smell the smoke of Old Toby Weed. At this it perked up slightly before taking off in the direction of Bag End. As it slowed to a stop in front of the gate he heard Bilbo and Gandalf speaking.
"Old Toby, the finest weed in Southfarthing!" Bilbo said.
Bilbo blows a perfect smoke ring and watches it rise into the air. A tiny sailing ship with masts and sails glides through the Center of Bilbo's smoke ring.
"Ohhhh, Gandalf my old friend...this will be a night to remember!" He said with glee.
Gandalf chuckled but was cut off as he noticed the black mass, which had actually been a large pony sized wolf.
"My dear Bilbo, it seems you have company," he said, pointing his pipe at the wolf.
Bilbo turned towards the wolf and gasped, "Oh dear. Gandalf, I do not know any wolves and you of all people should know why hobbits don't like them."
Gandalf sighed but paused as he saw the blood, "Come here, let me see your wounds."
The wolf stilled but complied, it's strength waning as it wavered up the steps of Bag End.
BOOM! A firework explodes into the night sky high above Hobbiton in the shape of a great green tree with unfolding branches. Glowing flowers rain down from the branches evaporating just above the up turned faces of the delighted party-goers 144 Hobbits, feasting and drinking Carts of beer and wine are scattered about, and the tables are piled high with steaming scones and savories. Gandalf hurries about, lighting fireworks with a blue spark that dances magically from his staff while Bilbo is greeting visitors with the wolf all patched up.
Frodo and Sam sit at a table drinking ale. Frodo notices Sam's eyes keep flicking to another pretty Hobbit, Rosie Cotton, sitting some distance away.
"Go on, Sam, ask Rosie for a dance," Frodo suggested.
"I think I'll just have myself another ale," he replied, horrified.
"Oh, no you don't. Go on," Sam goes to drain his glass, suddenly it is snatched out of his hands as Frodo thrusts him into the middle of a passing throng of dancers.
As he is Swept away, Frodo laughs and finishes Sam's beer.
Gandalf sets alight a particularly spectacular firework that draws gasps of admiration from the party guests. Close by, Bilbo and the wolf is relating stories of his adventure to a group of young hobbit children.
"So, there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls. Have you ever heard of a troll? Do you know what a Troll is? Great big nasty twenty foot high smelly things, and they're arguing . . . arguing about how they were going to cook us!" he told as the wolf let out a bark of laughter. A little hobbit girl's eyes growing larger and larger at the tale.
"Whether it be turned on a spit or minced in a pie or whether they were going to sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly! But they spent so long arguing the whether-to's and why-for's that the sun's first light crept over the top of the trees...and turned them all to stone!" Stunned gasps from his young Audience greet his astonishing feat.
Close by, Merry and Pippin, two mischievous young hobbits in their late teens, sneak near the fireworks. Pippin scrambles on to the back of Gandalf's wagon, snatching up a small firework.
"No, no..the big one...the big one!" Merry whispers urgently.
Pippin grabs a huge rocket and they quickly rush towards an empty tent as Pippin lights the fuse which crackles with flame. Merry is holding out the big rocket. He looks aghast at the fizzing fuse that Pippin has just lit. The two didn't notice the large black wolf sneak into the tent with them.
"You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" Merry whispers worriedly.
"It is in the ground," Pippin whispers back.
Merry fearfully tosses the Rocket to Pippin, the fuse sizzles angrily.
"Outside!" Merry whispers loudly.
"It was your idea," Pippin attempts to throw the fizzing rocket back to Merry as the wolf bounded out of the shadows, grabbing the wooden spike at the end and rushing out of the tent. A shower of sparks shot out od the rocket which blasts off with frightening power. The rocket zooms over the Party. It suddenly bursts apart, forming the shape of a great red golden Dragon. Fire gushes from its nostrils as it turns back and Flies low towards the startled crowd. Frodo watches the Fireworks Dragon with alarm but Bilbo is oblivious to the panicking crowd and impending danger.
"Bilbo! Watch out for the dragon!" Frodo shouted, alarmed.
"Dragon? Nonsense, hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years!" Bilbo replied nonchalantly.
Frodo hurriedly pulls Bilbo to the ground, just as the dragon roars a few feet above their heads like a flaming express train. Hobbits dive to the ground, tables overturn, tents collapse, food flies everywhere. The fireworks dragon turns a somersault and explodes over the hills with a deafening bang!
This gets the biggest Cheer of the night.
"That was good!" Merry said.
"Let's get another one!" Pippin replied excitedly.
Large hands suddenly clamp down on Merry and Pippin's ears.
Gandalf looked down sternly, "Meridoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took...I might have known."
Merry and Pippin are leaning over a barrel, washing dishes in soapy water with Gandalf sitting nearby, smoking his pipe and sipping an ale as the wolf laughed in the corner.
Cries of "SPEECH! SPEECH!" erupt from the party.
Bilbo stepping on a stool, he bows in gratitude at the applause.
"Speech!" Frodo shouted, the wolf barked loudly, startling and scaring a few guests.
Bilbo cleared his throat, "My dear Bagginses, and Boffins, tooks and Brandybucks...Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots-"
"Proudfeet!" Odo Proudfoot exclaimed.
"Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday. Yes, and alas...Eleventy- one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable Hobbits! Tremendous outburst of approval! I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you as well as well as you deserve," Bilbo continued.
The crowd claps awkwardly as the guests try to work out if that was a compliment or not. Frodo and Gandalf smiling to themselves. A strange hum seems to fill Bilbo's head as a bead of sweat rolls down his brow. Bilbo's hand pulls something out of his waistcoat pocket and holds it behind his back.
"I have..things to do and I have put this off for far too long..." Bilbo's knuckles turn white as he tightens his grip on the small object behind his back, "I regret to announce, this is the end. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell!"
Bilbo looks across at Frodo and hesitates, then he whispered, "Goodbye."
Bilbo instantly vanishes. The party explodes into an uproar the crowd leaps to its feet as the wolf sniffs around in shock. Frodo stared at the empty stool in disbelief.
The party is still in an excited uproar, some 50 yards away as we pan across a moonlit lane to the front door of Bag End, the door opens, pulled by an invisible hand. The door quietly closes and Bilbo materializes as he pulls a plain gold ring off his finger. Bilbo laughs as he tosses the ring in the air and then places it in his pocket. Bilbo rushes around the home, packing up everything he would need on a journey before emerging from the passage, carrying a walking stick. He finds Gandalf looming over him.
"I suppose you think that was terribly clever?" he states flatly.
"Come on, Gandalf! Did you see their faces?" Bilbo said with a chuckle.
"There are many magic rings in the world, Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly," he scolded gently.
"It was just a bit of fun . . . Oh, you're probably right as usual," Bilbo sighed.
"You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?" Gandalf asked.
"I'm leaving everything to him," Bilbo stated.
"What about this ring of yours? Is that staying too?" he inquired softly.
Bilbo gave Gandalf a look and nods toward the mantelpiece, "Yes, yes, it's in an envelope...over there on the mantelpiece."
Gandalf frowns at the empty mantelpiece, Bilbo suddenly feels his waistcoat with a look of guilty surprise.
"No, wait. It's here in my pocket. Isn't that...isn't' that odd now? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?" Bilbo asked harshly.
"I think you should leave the Ring behind Bilbo. Is that so hard?" he sighed tiredly.
Bilbo sighed, "Well, no...and yes. Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine. I found it. It came to me!"
Gandalf looked down at him in rising concern, "There's no need to get angry."
"Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault! It's mine. My own, my precious," Bilbo snarled.
Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you," Gandalf replied warily.
"So? What business is it of yours what I
do with my own things?" Bilbo's voice, shape and manner have suddenly changed.
"I think you've had that ring quite long enough," Gandalf said sternly, stepping towards Bilbo.
"You want it for yourself!" Bilbo snapped.
Gandalf rises to his full height, his eyes flash, his shadow suddenly seems to fill the room, "Bilbo Baggins do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks!"
Bilbo cowers from Gandalf, disarmed by his power...a frightened Hobbit.
Gandalf's expression softens as he continues, "I am not trying to rob you. I am trying to help you."
Sobbing, Bilbo runs to Gandalf and hugs him, he starts again, "All you long years we've been friends...trust me as you once did. Let it go!"
"You're right, Gandalf...the ring must go to Frodo," Bilbo lifts his knapsack and heads for the front door.
"It's late, the road is long... yes, it is time," he starts to step out the door.
"Bilbo?" Gandalf calls back to him, "Hmmm?" Bilbo turned to face him.
"The ring is still in your pocket," Bilbo hesitates but reaches into his pocket.
"Oh, yes," Bilbo pulls out the ring, he stares at it in his palm.
With all his will power, Bilbo allows the ring to slowly slide off his palm and drop to the floor. The tiny ring lands with a heavy thud on the wooden floor.
Bilbo turned and staggered out of Bag end. he braces himself in the night air, pale and trembling, as if his loss of the ring has weakened him.
Gandalf steps up behind him as he says, "I've thought up and ending for my book... And he lived happily ever after to the end of his days."
"I'm sure you will, my dear friend," he smiled down at him.
"Goodbye, Gandalf," Bilbo smiled up at him gently.
"Goodbye Bilbo," Gandalf said with a small wave of his hand.
Bilbo walked away from Bag End, disappearing into the night, softly singing: "The Road goes on and on."
"Until our next meeting," he said softly, watching as Bilbo walked down the road.
The ring glinted on the floor as Gandalf circled around it, a puzzled look on his face. Gandalf slowly reached for the ring his fingers barely touched the ring before the wolf walked through the doorway and barked at him.
Gandalf turned to face him and sighed before pulling himself into a chair in front of the fire, with his pipe...staring into the flickering flames.
'It's mine, my own, my precious,' Gandalf thought back to Bilbo as the wolf wrapped itself around Gandalf's chair.
"Riddles in the dark," he sighed as he puffed a cloud of smoke into the air.
"Bilbo! Bilbo!" Frodo rushed into Bag End, he stopped and picked up the ring at his feet. Gandalf continued staring into the fire, as if locked in thought.
"My precious...precious.." Gandalf whispered to himself.
"He's gone, hasn't he?" Frodo said as he stepped into the living room, "He talked for so long about leaving...I didn't think he'd really do it."
"...my own," Gandalf muttered to himself.
"Gandalf?" Gandalf turned, his eyes locked onto the ring in Frodo's fingers, "Bilbo's ring."
Gandalf rose and walked over to the table, sorting hurriedly through Bilbo's papers, "He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you Bag End..."
Gandalf held out an envelope to Frodo to put the ring in it.
Frodo drops the ring into it, "...along with all his possessions."
Gandolf sealed the envelope with wax before handing it to Frodo.
"The ring is yours now. Put it somewhere out of sight," Gandalf hurriedly started to gather his things.
"Where are you going?" Frodo asked, following Gandalf through the house.
"I have some things I must see to."
"What things?"
"Questions. Questions that need answering," he stated.
"You've only just arrived! I don't understand..." Gandalf is already at the door, he turned to Frodo.
"Neither do I. Keep it secret, keep it safe. My wolf friend will help you," Gandalf hurried out the door, leaving FRODO standing alone next to the wolf, in the Bag End.
Author's Note: Hey, hope you liked the chapter, it killed my hands to type but anyway, I own nothing except my wolfy friend, can y'all guess who it is? Leave a Review with a guess and i'll put you in the next author's note, bye bye!