Teagan walked through the town swiftly, trying to get out of the rain. She was soaked through her clothes and had no intention of staying out in the cold longer than she needed to. Tapping her staff against the cold cobblestones in the street, she found her way to the Inn. Teagan peered up at the building with her milky white eyes. She slipped through the door and stood in the front of the room for a moment before turning and making her way to a chair across from what appeared to be a normal old man.
"Hello old friend. Why have you called me to this place?"
"My dear, still straight to the point, just as always." The man said.
"Well one has to be, with all your riddles, it's enough to drive a woman mad", She said with a chuckle.
Gandalf smiled and looked at what appeared to be a young woman, although she was anything but. He saw a woman of short stature with a tight leather armor covering her entire body, stopping mid neck. She had a brown hooded cloak fastened with a copper clasp. Her short grey hair seemed to glimmer and shine in the light. Around her waist was a sword that seemed to ring and speak whispers to the room. He knew the battle that sword had faced, and the opponents it had struck down. The sword cut through its' owners enemies like a butter knife does to warm butter. The sword resembled its' owner when enraged; quick, lethal, and regal.
Her boots were made of the same leather armor that covered the rest of Teagan's body, and it too was molded to fit her lithe frame and short height.
Her staff was a solid piece of wood that was twisted and gnarled into a knot at the top of the stick, where a white gem was softly glowing. Gandalf looked from the gem to Teagan's eyes, and noticed that her eyes seemed to glow in the low light cast off by the candle.
"My dear Teagan, I have come to ask if you would like to take part in an adventure."
Teagan raised one dark eyebrow at him curiously, Gandalf took this as excuse to continue.
"There is a would be Dwarf King who seeks to reclaim his home and the treasure that lays within. Ah, you know this story." He exclaimed seeing her lean forward in interest, a gleam in her eyes. "Would you be willing to help him and his company?"
"Now that the question indeed. Would I help a Dwarf who hates easily and without a just cause, who's heart will become sick, and his sanity mingled with that of the gold that rests within the dragon's castle? Why would you enlist the help of a blind lady on this?"
"Because, you, Teagan, see more than any else. You do not need your eyes to see the faces of others, or to fight against the evil that taints this world. You see through your magic, as it flows through your body you see the shadows and shades of the world. The magic within you is your guide, and it will help not only you, but will be a light in the darkness for these Dwarves as well."
She slowly blinked up at the old man, her mind churning. She had been in her home for so long, years it seemed. She had been in a deep sleep like meditation for so long, and was awakened by a moth landing on her nose. The magic seeping off of the small creature is what alerted her that something was going on. The moth told her of the meeting the flew away. She came to the meeting, not knowing what to expect, and now that she knew the reason for her summoning, she didn't know whether she wanted to continue. She had been alone for so long, and maybe it was time for her to come out and be with others.
Teagan took a good long look at Gandalf, tapping her foot to send her magic through the room. She saw his kind face, and didn't detect any deceit coming from him. He truly did want her to go on this adventure. She looked away and internally sighed, knowing she was going to go. She knew she would have to deal with the prejudice of dwarves, and of all the men who believed that a woman could never fight, let alone a blind woman. She had dealt with it her entire life, and knew what to expect from people. Some were afraid to be around her because of her lack of sight. She could see more than the average person, that much was true. She could see how a person was and what their shadow looked like. Her magic allowed her to see not only where she was and who was near, but she could see the life and feelings through the people, objects, and creatures based on her magic. She could tell if she was being lied to if their shadow flickered, if they were kind if the shadow blinked, and all sorts of feelings.
Teagan, realizing she had been in though too long, looked back at Gandalf, who was patiently waiting for her response.
"Yes, Gandalf, I will go. I will go on this adventure of yours. Pray, do tell, how are we to get to this Dwarf home?"
"Ah, yes, Erebor, The home of Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain. You see, I have a map." Gandalf pulled out the map and slid it over to Teagan. Teagan picked it up and examined it.
"Gandalf, this map, this is what you are relying on? How are we going to get into the lair of a dragon without him noticing? It is not like we can just walk through the front door."
"No, we are going to walk through the back door. There is a door on the side that we shall use."
"Won't the dragon notice? it isn't likely that he doesn't know that the door exists."
"Smaug may have discovered the door, but that is no matter. He could not ever fit through the door. Even as a young dragon, he could not fit. I have the key to the door, and with it we will sneak into the mountain. To do that, we will need a burglar."
"And where are we going to get a burglar"
"Don't worry, my dear Teagan, I already have one in mind. He is a Hobbit, named Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire. Meet me at his house in three days time. You'll know which house is his, look for the mark."
"I'll see you there. Gandalf, I do have one question."
"Pray tell what is on your mind."
"What is a hobbit?"
A/n Hey this is my first attempt at The Hobbit. I know I have another fanfic to work on, but this idea came to me and I haven't had the inspiration to write anything for a long time. I'll write as soon as I can, but with finals coming up and all, I don't know if ill have time to. Please Review!