Disclaimer, I own nothing except my OC. Reviews welcome.
Bilbo Baggins was, to say the least, shocked when he caught a whiff Gandalf's familiar scent of pipe weed and magic. He had been sitting outside his hole smoking his own pipe, eyes closed and enjoying the sunshine, when that scent reached his nose and his eyes bolted open to see the wizard far down the lane below him.
Wind must have carried his scent here. The were-hobbit thought, and he puffed his pipe as the wizard approached.
"My dear Bilbo." Gandalf smiled. "How are you today?"
"Fine." He replied carefully. The wizard almost always seemed to want something. "Been a long time since you were in these parts, I was beginning to wonder if you were still in business." He allowed himself a small smile as the wizard's eyebrows drew together in an angry frown.
"I don't know where else you think I'd be." He replied stiffly. "But enough of that, I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."
Bilbo raised his own eyebrows, the tip of his pipe dropping from his mouth in apparent surprise. In truth, his heart beat faster in excitement. It had been so long since he'd been outside the Shire, but some of his travels, and the Fell Winter, had left him wary of more adventures. Still, he felt some of the old Bilbo stirring into life and held it at bay, for now.
"I don't believe anyone west of Brie has much interest in adventures." He stood, fishing some letters from the mail box. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things, make you late for dinner!"
Gandalf sighed. "Come now Bilbo. It will be good for you to get out of the Shire." He lowered his voice. "To run with a pack again."
Bilbo froze. While most in the Shire were happy, ordinary hobbits, the two of the clans had been were-hobbits, the Tooks and the Baggins. His shift came from his mother's side, a clan of werehyenas. He could not take the shape of an eagle, which had been the Baggins' shift. Be that as it may, hyenas were social animals and Bilbo had not run with a pack, a were one at least, since his parents' death. It made him lonelier then he'd like to admit.
"And the people you want me to go with, I assume they are weres?"
"Yes. Wolves to be exact." Bilbo snorted. Different species of were didn't usually get along well. "Not to worry, it will be perfectly fine."
Bilbo snorted again, than glared at the wizard. "How many?"
Gandalf grinned. "Fourteen counting myself. They'll arrive tomorrow evening."
"I'll see them, but I won't promise anything, understand?"
Gandalf nodded. "I understand perfectly Bilbo. Until tomorrow then." He gave a low bow and swept off.
Bilbo sighed, than suddenly stiffened as his nose picked up another familiar scent, or rather, the absence of one. On top of his house rose a figure, cloaked in black. For a second it wavered, than collapsed, falling from the roof of his house to the doorstep as he rushed up the stairs.
"Oh dear." He whispered, spotting the bloodstains on the doorstep. "What have you gotten yourself into this time Umbra?"
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