She was always different from the other hobbits, always have been so close to the borders of the Shire where the trees grew higher and higher to give such a faraway view of a land she'll probably never see.
That's what Scarlet Deepdelver of Woody End had done since she had first been able to walk on her two unnatural small feet for a hobbit. She wasn't alone before, no she wasn't indeed. She wasn't even of Woody End, but of Bag End.
There had been another that used to climb the trees and traverse the woods with her as children before he soon became such a domesticated man, always smoking that pipe of his every afternoon like a lone codger. Always eating and drinking alone in which she would come over to destroy his little peace.
Standing on one of the tallest trees in the Shire, she could see nearly every hovel and home that was claimed by her people. However, there was something that was odd. There was a tall grey figure in front a particular home of someone she knew.
She slid down the tree, occasionally stepping on a branch or two before landing on the ground and running on her bare feet towards Bag End.
Scarlet barely reached the road before seeing the grey figure having already disappeared around the corner and from her view. Looking over to the door, she opened the gate and ran up the stone steps. Knocking on it, she smiled a bit to hear Bilbo Baggins ranting on something about not wanting to go on an adventure. As the door opened and revealed her to the man, Bilbo's irritated face lessened a bit and only a bit.
"Scarlet … what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be traveling through the leaves in Woody End?"
She shrugged, ignoring the slight insult to her past time before asking her own question. "Who was that grey fellow who came by?"
Bilbo began to stammer, waving a hand side to side as if to dismiss the person who had tried to confront him. Scarlet looked displeased at her friend's denial of answering her question. She then decided another protruding question, "Can I stay here for the evening? It is rather cold tonight." She couldn't help but smile at Bilbo rolling his eyes at such a request.
"I need to buy a few things," he muttered mostly to himself as he went inside, leaving Scarlet out the door who waited for his return.
XxxxX
The market was bustling with activity, hobbits far around the Shire trading and sharing what they had harvest or tended for the past season. Despite the festive manner that everyone was expressing, she could notice that a few were giving her unwelcome stares hidden beneath smiles.
Her black hair fell down over her red eyes, the ones that many of the elder folks believed to make her a fire demon among them.
Pushing away this discomfort of the situation, she asked, "Who was that human, Bilbo? Come on! Please tell me!"
The hobbit just shook her off, carrying his items with a sense of urgency as he walked to the fish monger, grabbing the cased fish and hurriedly aimed to return to his hovel. Scarlet didn't deter from him, trailing after him while her small feet brushed against the grass and stone of the area before one of the farmers from the West Farthing stopped them, eager to show them his harvest that he was planning to sell for the day.
She smiled as the gesture returned with the same she had shown which gave her comfort that there were still people here who was ignoring her strangeness and also her past.
When she turned to Bilbo in hopes of having the question she had been asking to answer, she saw him awkwardly hiding behind the ledge of the bridge. She looked around, trying to see what he was hiding from until she noticed what looked like a hat on top of some fabric piles behind the white covers of the vendors. Frowning, she wondered what was so frightening of them until she saw Bilbo sigh exasperatedly, but relieved.
A new question rose as she walked over to him. "Bilbo … are you alright? I've never seen you this concerned since… well…"
"I'm fine, Scarlet … look, I just want to get home and make my supper."
"Then I shall join you."
"No."
XxxxX
"Are you sure you don't want anyone to join you for supper?" she mumbled a question, staring at him as he cooked his fish.
It has been nearly four days since the visit of the grey figure, but Bilbo didn't seem to be bothered by the man's short visit on his daily life of leisure and contentment. He sighed, pausing just a brief moment before answering, "Please, Scarlet. Can you just go home? I like to eat in peace."
"But you are always alone ... remember when we used to eat in the forest and just randomly shout that a troll was going to eat us? You would always play the hero," she giggled. She caught a small smile, just so small that if she wasn't looking for it that she would have not seen it. But it had disappeared as fast as it came, followed by a frown.
She sighed soon, filled with defeat before she stood up. Scarlet was about to excuse herself as Bilbo was setting himself up. She always knew when she wasn't welcomed, though it was a habit of wishing to reconnect with her childhood friend. As the hobbit began to sprinkle the lemon on the fish and Scarlet was just down the hallway, a loud ring echoed through the hole. The two stopped what they were doing, both looking at each other questionably.
"I thought you said that you had wished to dine alone," she spoke while Bilbo nodded and replied. "I am not expecting anyone."
Placing down his napkin that he had tucked into his shirt, Bilbo walked towards the door as Scarlet curiously followed. As Bilbo opened it, the two nearly just stared at who was at the door.
It was a dwarf in black, a rather intimidating one. Scarlet had nearly cowered to stay out of view from next to Bilbo as she was obviously frightened by this newcomer. The man slightly regarded her but mostly focused on the owner of the home, introducing himself, "Dwalin, at your service." He did a bow, showing a rather odd sense of courtesy for one such as himself. His eyes didn't break from looking at Bilbo, not even blinking.
Bilbo returned the gesture with less confidence, but more bewilderment before the one named Dwalin stepped inside.
"Uh… I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Bilbo asked, quite confused by this man who was simply walking into Bag End. As he passed the two, he looked a bit annoyed at the question as he simply answered, "No."
"Of course you wouldn't know a dwarf, Bilbo," she muttered under her breath. She noticed the side glare she got from Bilbo, obviously indicating that she was heard.
XxxxX
She stood nearby in the dining room/kitchen where they watched Dwalin devour the whole plate that was to be Bilbo's dinner. Discomfort was evident in the hobbit's eyes, glancing as the dwarf bit the head of the fish and eating it with mild satisfactory. "Do you have anything more?" Dwalin seemed to demand which Bilbo seemed to quickly oblige.
Looking around, he stared at Scarlet. Quirking an eyebrow at the stare, she was then ushered to the side to make way for the hobbit. He reached for a plate of soft cookies that was obviously made for a snack by the fire. Taking one cookie for himself, he handed the rest to the dwarf who eagerly began eating the sweets. Deciding that this was more of his own matter to deal with, Scarlet moved to go for the door before hearing the bell ringing off once again.
Blinking blankly, she could hear Dwalin taunt Bilbo, "That would be the door."
The door opened once again, showing a dwarf that was much the height of Bilbo and had white hair and beard. He had a rather large hook nose and an inviting smile. His tone of voice even matched that smile, filled with manners before stepping inside. The dwarf had introduced himself the same manner as Dwalin did, only his name was Balin. There had to be some relation to the two as she watched the dwarves interact with each other in a friendly manner, hands to arms like brothers.
Soon, the two dwarves were raiding the pantry of the Baggins, throwing out the blue cheese as Bilbo seemed to try and talk to them. Scarlet watched as they seemed to gather all the food, as if there was to be…
The bell rang once again, making both hobbits turn to the door. Bilbo looked at Scarlet before she noticed him staring at her. Gesturing to her own self and the door, he nodded which made her groan unhappily. Walking towards the door, she opened it to reveal not one dwarf but two. They looked rather young compared to the first dwarves that had arrived and both seemed to be curious as they seemed to be not expecting her.
"Are you sure this is the right house?" she heard the blond whisper to the other.
"Probably just the wife," the other whispered back.
"Didn't Gandalf say that he would be living alone?"
Deciding to answer their question but bringing the actual person they were expecting, she then called, "Bilbo! It's the neighbors! They are asking what the entire racket is all about! I do believe they do not wish to speak to your cousin." She gave a bit apology to him mentally as he went to the door, opening his mouth to explain before seeing the two dwarves.
They were Kili and Fili, the blond one being the first and dark brown haired one as the second. They were fair looking as the one named Kili said, "You must be Mistah Boggins."
Scarlet couldn't help but let out a loud laugh but covered her mouth as Bilbo glared back at her. She took that moment for her to take her leave, heading towards one of the guest bedrooms she used to sleep in when she came over to Bag End. Once inside and the door closed, she giggled at the name that was butchered so easily by the dwarf.
"Boggins… hmm," she repeated again, giggling at that name. She then looked about, staring at the books that were placed there by the late Belladonna Took. She had been the only woman who would help her along with her husband. She saw them as her parents, losing her own tragically long ago and the incident was so traumatic that she barely remembered what happened to them. Taking one of the books, she sat down on the bed, placing it on her lap as she opened the large parchment and began to read from wherever the page had opened to.
XxxxX
After turning the page a few times, she heard a knock on her door. Rolling her eyes, she closed the book and headed to open it, assuming that it was Bilbo trying to avoid the four dwarves that had entered into his home uninvited and was possibly kicking her out if he was successful with putting out the latest visitors.
It was not Bilbo. It was a new dwarf, one that was even younger than the ones she had last seen and from the noise coming from the dining room, there had been more who had come. He seemed to be doing an odd dance on his feet before Scarlet quickly realized what the boy had come to look for. A slight panic rose in her face as she quickly ushered the dwarf towards the bathroom.
It was a small incident but the two were able to overcome it as the dwarf stepped out, sighing in relief before politely saying, "Thank you so much, ma'am." Scarlet nodded before she held her hand out, introducing herself. The dwarf returned it, smiling and answered, "Ori, at your service."
The two seemed to talk for a bit, heading back to the dining room as she saw that the pantry was just empty… which was a first. Looking to the dining room, she could see that there were many more dwarves as Ori joined them. Bilbo looked like he was ready to explode which was both worrisome and amusing.
"Hey! Scarlet!"
She looked over, seeing Ori waving her over to join him and his brethren. She shook her head, politely while declining with a gesture of her hands. Scarlet froze a bit, looking back to see Bilbo glaring at her. Easily reading what he was assuming, she quickly denied, "Hey! I wasn't the one who invited them. I live in the woods, remember? No dwarf has ever lived in the woods… or so I have read."
Before Bilbo could go into his tirade of ranting, a dwarf stepped between them with a large cup of ale, heading towards the kitchen. "But come on… at least it's lively. Way more exciting than what you have," Scarlet tried to up his mood which was obviously a failure as Bilbo went back to trying to stop the dwarves from possibly trying to destroy his home. She was suddenly handed a cup of ale by a dwarf with his silver hair tied together at the bottom but a probably silver band. Carefully taking the cup, she spoke her thanks but didn't drink it.
But with how everyone was drinking carelessly and happily, it was a bit hard to deny such an act that was being done by all the others.
As she was about to take a sip, she was suddenly pulled towards the kitchen where she spun a bit into the room and standing, spilling none of her drink before she was standing to a dwarf whose hair seemed to spike in three different directions. There was another one who seemed to speak in some odd language, gesturing to her as he spoke.
She tried to catch the words, understand the movements before saying, "I'm sorry… I don't… I don't understand."
"He says that you should sit down and enjoy! Tonight is a merry gathering!" shouted the star-haired dwarf, all in the room cheering as did a few others from outside of the room.
All she could do was nod and cheer rather weakly before stepping out of the kitchen to hallway, sighing in relief that she could at least gain some air.
"…pillaged the pantry! I'm not even going to tell you what they did to the bathroom."
Guess the hallway was going to stay full like the rest of this part of the Baggins' home.
She looked over to see Bilbo telling all that was going wrong during this unexpected party to an old man. Scarlet looked at him, seeing that he wore a grey robe. "Hey… you're that man from earlier this morning," she pointed out, getting the conversationalists focused on her now as the old man nodded with a smile. "Ah, yes. I'm Gandalf the Grey," he spoke, shaking hands with Scarlet whose eyes lit up from the name.
"Wait… Gandalf? The one with the fireworks?"
Gandalf smiled a bit as the childish smile grew on her face before she shouted, "I remember your fireworks when I was little! Oh my! What are you doing here?"
The man chuckled a bit before he gently but quickly pushed her back to avoid a dish flying where she had stood. She turned to see it caught by the one called Kili before even more dishes were being thrown to him which he caught easily. Looking over, she saw that the one who had accompanied with him was the thrower, tossing dish after dish. The sound of pounding on wood was heard along with stomping on the floorboards got their attention.
"Stop! You'll blunt them!" Bilbo scolded before the one wearing a hat taunted, "You hear that, boys? He's says we'll blunt the knives."
The sounds of the utensils pounding on the table and stomping was suddenly as a sort of tempo. Her head tilted curiously as she stepped a little forward as she saw the two dwarves she had opened the door for start off singing.
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
That's what Bilbo Bagginshates!
The tempo picked and she noted that someone was playing some instrument that she couldn't point what it was at first. The dwarves began to all sing together as they began to stack the plates and dishes together.
Cut the cloth and tread 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;
And when you've finished, if any are whooooooooooooooooooooooole,
Send them down the hall to roll!
Scarlet had been clapping her hands to the music that was playing about, the dwarves suddenly were bards. However, her clapping slowed down and lessened when she saw Bilbo glaring at her briefly before trying to stop them from possibly destroying the plates. But upon seeing them from a less frantic view, Scarlet noticed that they were rather careful to the dishes and were cleaning the mess they have made.
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
So, carefully! Carefully with the plates!
Scarlet walked after Bilbo who ushered into the kitchen before seeing the plates and cups stacked high but were clean. If there had been a better light, she would have sworn they would have sparkled. As the dwarves laughed at Bilbo's unneeded worry-aching, there was a pounding on the door, making everyone silent for once since the men have arrived.
"He's here…" Gandalf spoke calmly yet it felt so eerie in the way he said it.
XxxxX
There were thirteen, thirteen dwarves that were inside Bilbo's hovel and for once, it was a bit crowded… too crowded for her liking. The last one, the named Thorin, was inspecting Bilbo after having asking of his combat skills or lack of thereof. After he was scrutinized by the dwarf, he and the others headed off towards the dining area in which to give the man some food.
She noticed Gandalf had laughed with the dwarves before groaning irritably and looking after the final dwarf with disappointment.
Scarlet sighed before she quickly quipped, "Uh… Bilbo?"
The hobbit turned and seemed to glare at her without meaning to. If he had done this on other times, she would have brushed it off like always. However, she was in company of strangers and thus her confidence was much less than it usually was.
Her request died in her throat before she muttered, "I'll just… be in the guest room for the night then. It's a tad unhealthy of me anyways to go… walking out at night… heh."
Bilbo's expression softened just a bit before he stepped to be by her side. "Let me make a lantern ready, Scarlet," he suggested by she shook her head.
"I'd rather not let people know that I am blind as a bat when it is dark. I'll just stay in the room until daybreak. I promise to keep it clean."
Bilbo quickly nodded before seeing the dwarves gesture the latest arrival to the dining room. He hurried after them, feeling the need to be close by in order to make sure that they do not cause such a ruckus again.
"May I inquire to you about something, Miss Deepdelver?"
The woman turned, staring at the grey wizard as he seemed to gesture downwards of her. Looking down, she looked at her bare feet that were like any other hobbit, but there was a big difference. They were small, like ones that would be considered natural as if she was a human child. Feeling a bit conscious about the fact that was the only thing that made her different from all the other hobbits, she kicked down her leg sleeves that spooled around her feet. "Tis nothing. Might be a trick of your eyes, Gandalf. You are a bit old," she quipped as if to change the subject subtlety. "I bid thee good night."
Before the old man could ask again, press further or deny the fact that he was old, she was already gone from the area and into her room which she locked behind her. Her small feet stepped over each other absently, making her even more conscious of her abnormality as a hobbit. Pulling up the leggings of the large pants she always had tied up; she glared at them and muttered to them, "Why can't you just grow normally?"
She now lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind wondered a bit, remembering how some of the children would ridicule the one who was not like everyone else. It was short lived, mostly because the parents of those children were easily silenced by Belladonna who always said that because of her small feet, she was probably the fastest hobbit in the Shire. However, it still never stopped the odd stares by those who were outside of Hobbiton, those who never heard of the forest-dwelling hobbit. Maybe that's why she never really connected with Bilbo after his parents died.
She went to sigh, wanting to at least sleep away the night so she can go back to the forest and just get lost in the trees like always.
As she was close to drifting off to sleep, a rather loud thud made her eyes open widely and alerted her that something probably bad happened. Those dwarves did come here with axes and knives and all sorts of sharp weapons. Running out of the room, she nearly tripped over her pant leggings before she ran towards the dining hall where she saw Bilbo semi-unconscious on the floor. "What did you do?!" she shouted, kneeling beside her friend as she checked him for any injuries but it more looked like he fainted. There was a folded paper in her hand, rather long to be like a scroll with a side attachment to it.
"All I said was that he should think of a furnace with wings, sharp teeth, searing pain and poof, he would be a pile of ash," the one named Bofur answered as she read the paper. It seemed to be a contract of sort which she began to skim through carefully for the referenced part. She soon came to the one word which was "incineration".
"What are you trying to get him to sign?" she muttered a bit loudly, hearing probably an answer which she seemed to ignore as she saw the two signatures at the bottom. There was indeed room for another signature but the name beside it said "Burglar".
"What the… are you saying you are asking Bilbo to steal something?"
XxxxX
After helping Bilbo into a chair in the living room, Scarlet was sitting with Balin as he began to explain the need of the contract to be signed by Bilbo.
"So… what exactly is he supposed to steal for you?"
Balin seemed to be ready to answer her question rather easily but the one named Thorin stood beside the silver-haired dwarf and seemed to give a silent command to refrain from speaking to her. Scarlet frowned a bit and then walked away towards the fireplace where Bilbo was moving to stand up, saying, "Sorry, Gandalf. You got the wrong hobbit."
He nearly bumped into her which he sighed. "I thought you were in bed already. Do you want a lantern now?"
"I think it'll be best if I do head home now… you really need some time alone… or mostly alone, to think about this deal they are offering," she answered.
"Do you think I should do it? Go out there with a clear chance that I might not come back to Bag End?" asked the hobbit. Scarlet smiled softly before answering, "We've been always going on 'adventures' when we were kids and listened to stories that your mother would hand us. I know it changed after they died but… don't tell me you don't want to step out of that door and go on an adventure?"
It was silent before he just stepped away, heading to his room. She sighed with what felt like the tenth time today, more than she had ever done in one day. Walking back towards the fireplace living room, she noticed that all the dwarves were gathering into that area.
Moving back to step out of place, she was beginning to find another way around them to head for the door when she heard a few of them humming. This wasn't happy and merrily humming. It was much more solemn, calm… and also sad.
Far over the misty mountains cold.
To dungeons deep, and caverns old.
We must away, at break of day.
To find our long forgotten gold.
Seeing all of them stand up slowly, she continued to watch before she seemed to feel the emotion of the song come over her. Yes, it must be normal. A young woman like herself would be so affected by such a song so easily. But something like this felt like a personal thing, one that which she should hurry and leave alone.
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.
Taking a deep breath, she took a small candle that was lit and carefully moved to leave the home of Bilbo. Just as the door was to be shut and her standing in the cold night, a hand seemed to stop it before opening it. There stood Balin, the second arrival of the merry group of dwarves. "I apologize, miss. But we are also taking our leave," he spoke as all the other dwarves had their things.
Nodding, she stepped back as she said, "Then I'll bid you all farewell, Master Dwarves. Good luck on your journey."
With that, she turned to leave but Gandalf seemed to join her in her stride towards home nearly uninvited. "May I accompany you towards Woody End, dear? My wagon is just down this road."
She nodded, walking in pace with the much taller man compared to the natural height of a female hobbit.
"I believe you were always one that loved to climb the trees," he commented, making Scarlet a bit hesitant to confirm that statement but this man had probably lived way longer than anyone she has known in the Shire and possibly their grandparents.
Nodding her head, she answered, "Yes. I always liked just being able to feel the air and warmth above the trees. Better than the cold ground."
"That would be a rather handy tool… if you were ever wanted to go out to the world," Gandalf slipped those words but Scarlet shook her head.
"I am no adventurer, Gandalf. I am… rather frightful of everything beyond the borders of the Shire," she confessed.
"So be it," he sighed, out of contentment or disappointment it was hard to tell. They soon reached her home in the ground which was just a few ways away from where Gandalf seemed to have placed his horse and wagon. "Be sure to be up bright and early, Miss Deepdelver. I'm sure it would be good to at least have one walk together for a time."
Scarlet stared at his retreating form, wondering what he meant by those words but shrugged before heading inside and lighting everything. It wouldn't matter for the fire to be around, given that she would be sleeping soon but she still needed to find her way to bed.