...I own nothing.
Thanks for reading, any advice, corrections, suggestions appreciated, and for give me for my ignorance, if indeed it shines through. This is meant to be light and amusing, don't take seriously, so sorry for OCC-ness
It happened to be that some five or six years after the affair with the Dragon Smaug, that Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End found, again, his nice hobbit hole filled with dwarves. Though in years past his friend Balin had been most active in paying the ex-burglar a visit from time to time, the other members of the company kept contact with Bilbo through letters and word of mouth from Balin.
However one summer evening, Mister Baggins heard many hardy knocks on his door, and quickly rose from his armchair to see who it was, that was so ready to break the door down. To his surprise and happiness it was Balin and Gandalf, who Bilbo happily ushered in and started asking if they wanted anything; wine, coffee, tea, beer, etc.
But before either the dwarf or wizard could answer, there were even more hardy knocks upon Bilbo's nice green hurried to answer less they should scratch off the paint.
"Dwalin, at your service!" The dwarf said with a barely contained smile upon his face.
Bilbo took no pains to hid his glee and responded in kind with the words of that fateful night, "Bilbo Baggins at yours! Do we know each other?"
"I believe so." Dwalin answered, taken aback by how forceful his old friend's embrace was, but returning it with as much force, even picking the Master of Bag End up in the process.
He set him back down, in time for Bilbo to see that Nori, Ori and Bofur had acompanied the brothers as well. They were all ushered inside, and attacked with,hugs and happy smiles by their little hobbit, who was quick to calm down, and hurried them into the dining room, asking what they would like to drink, and assuring them to help themselves, no doubt remembering the way to his pantry. Soon the reunion of friends had the table set for a welcome dinner, and began to eat, though this time the visitors tried to be a bit more civil (in respect to their friend) than they had the last time they pillaged, er, that is graced the halls of Bag End.
After they had finished, they shared news of the Lonely Mountain, and likewise Bilbo told those who had not heard the story already (namely Balin and Gandalf) of his discovery of his cousins mischief when he returned, and his friends (namely Bofur really) were all but rolling on the floor with mirth when he reached the part about his spoons.
"Oh, Dear Bilbo, we really disturbed your way of life didn't we?" Bofur asked, wiping small jovial tears from his eyes.
"Well, it was asking to be disturbed. And besides I got my spoons back, or most of them anyway."
Bofur and the others chuckled, and Nori pointed out that the eventful year they spent with one another still must have thrown his life in the Shire off course in more ways.
"I've heard Gandalf say how much an, uneventful life is treasured here," The Dwarf motion with a hand around him.
"Yes, yes, I got quite a share of queer looks when I returned, and still get them every so often," Bilbo said this jovially, but didn't notice the small flicker of regret and apology in some of his friend's faces, no doubt apologetic for knowing they're adventure affected their hobbit's life in his own homeland, negatively and forever.
Bilbo added quickly, "But it's not as though I had many friends to lose. Really there is only one or two other hobbits I could consider a friend, the rest? Neighbors and acquaintances! And now most try to barrow money off me! Ha ha!" He said lightly, but noticing the sad spirit he saw before did not waver, so he quickly changed the subject.
Dwalin, and surprisingly Nori, had taken to training many of the younger dwarvlings in weaponry, and battle strategies, Ori had secured a position in guarding and keeping up to date, the records and accounts in the many libraries, and was in fact known for his documentation of the destruction of Smaug. Balin had become a trusted adviser to Dain and Bofur had, in his own words, happily remained in the humble job of toy-making for the dwarvlings. True since their return to Erebor, the remaining members of the company had become quite famous among their own, and held in high regard, and some position. Which is why if baffled many that Bofur was happy to remain in the same business he had taken after Smaug had taken the kingdom.
His defense was he was "a simple dwarf, with need of a simpler hobby", and really that's what it was. With their own share of the treasure being plenty, even after much of it had gone to rebuilding the Kingdom, most if not all members of the company had no financial need of a occupation, and really only kept one to keep themselves from being bored to death. And to remind themselves they had fought for the right to have one, in the great halls of Erebor.
It made Bilbo smile to hear of his friends happiness, and they of his happy return to his quiet and warm hearth, even if it took some time for it to become his hearth again.
They talked to one another for minutes more, and eventually (later they will all agree none of them are sure how the conversation turned to it) the matter or camouflage came up, with Dwalin and Nori leading the conversation. They spoke of how the game hide-and-seek was useful in training the younger dwarfs, and that some of then were already very skilled in it. But then again Dwalin remembered fondly, looking at his brother, being trained to surprise the enemy with that game as well.
The others concurred and Ori stated it had always been common to use the child's game as a training exercise. The young ones had fun and still learned to hide them selves in the face of the enemy. Soon they all glanced at their ex-burglar, expectantly. Bilbo noticed Gandalf, who he had nearly forgotten was there, as the Wizard was being exceptionally quiet that evening, but who now had an amused look on his face.
"Oh, hide-and-seek is a plain child's game here, you lot know what skilled warriors hail from here in need of it." Bilbo joked, earning chuckles from his friends (namely Dwalin), and continued, "I was a rather bookish little lad, not much for it."
"Don't sell yourself small Dear Bilbo!" Gandalf said, the others turning to face him, "I remember visiting Belladonna one evening and finding a small and sooty little hobbit who had crawled up the fireplace, "
The wizard motion to the very one they were all seated in front of. Ori and his brother look curiously from it and their hobbit friend, who had started turning a deep shade of red when Gandalf related hearing pitiful cries, and the hour it took to get little Bilbo out.
When he was done the attention was back on Bilbo, with teasing grins and chuckles. Bilbo, who was still blushed said ,"I...can not justify the incident, except to say I was very young." In truth he had been three years shy of his coming of age, but thankfully the old Wizard gave the impression he was much younger when it happened.
"So we may take it hobbits aren't good in hiding?" Bofur put forth.
"Hobbits are light on their feet remember?" Bilbo reminded with a sly grin, "I would think that's all you would need to escape an enemy."
"To not make a sound yes, but there is a certain art and form to have in it." Nori added, and seeing the hobbit rolled his eyes, "you don't think so Dear Halfling?"
"I don't know about the art and form part of it."
"Well what's say you to a challenge then?" Bofur spoke up.
The Hobbit and Dwarf looked at him curiously, as did the others, so he expanded, "Why not? We're all still young yet-most of us that is." He glanced at Balin, "Mister Baggins could hide,somewhere in the house, and we find him, just a simple game between friends. And see if there is a art to it..."
"After a pause the others, excluding Balin who decided he'd rather observe with Gandalf, agreed, why not indeed? A friendly game between friends. But they looked to Bilbo for final say, after all it was his house, and he would be the one hiding.
Bilbo thought for a moment, and counted his friends, then stood up from his chair and said, "Alright. But what's say we make it a bit more even? There are four of you playing? I'll fetch three more hobbits, one for each dwarf."
The guest exchanged looks, not sure what to think. They were use to Bilbo, who knew them and was no longer scared of them, but each clearly remembered their hobbit's expressions of fear and discomfort that fateful night they met him. To bring in three hobbits who didn't know them, probably never even seen a dwarf, that would be a little cruel wouldn't it?
But the Master of Bag End smiled so brightly and stood so sure, it was obvious the hobbit he no doubt already had in mine were not the usual hobbit they had seen on their way to visit Bilbo. So finally they agreed, Dwalin encouraging a fourth, one for Balin, even though he wasn't participating. With that Bilbo grinned and put on his jacket, saying he wouldn't be long in getting them.