Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a dirty, gross, wet hole filled with a foul odor, nor a terribly dry, desert-like hole. It was a hobbit hole, and that meant comfort.
It had a perfectly round door, painted green, with a shiny golden knob in the center. The door opened into a tunnel shaped hall. It was a very comfortable tunnel, with paneled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with comfortable chairs, and lots and lots of book shelves, and many pegs for hats and coats. This hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound not too far, going straight into the hill, and several little doors opened out of it. No going upstairs for this hobbit; everything was on the first and only floor, and all along the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left hand side, all going in, for these rooms were the ones that had windows, deep-set round windows looking over the garden and fields beyond.
The hobbit was a very gentle hobbit, and her name was Bella Baggins. The Bagginses had lived for quite some time in the neighborhood of the Hill, and people considered them to be a respectable bunch, at least, until Bella was born. Bagginses were supposed to be unadventurous, and predictable. This is a story of how an unhobbit-like hobbit went on the adventure of a life time.
The parents of this particular hobbit – what is a hobbit? Well, to describe a hobbit would be easy, if not for the fact that Bella was not your average hobbit. Hobbits were short, as was she (even smaller than dwarves) and had feet with leather soles on the bottom. Her feet were a bit smaller than most hobbits', and instead of a thick brown fur on top of them, she had bare feet. This was considered to be odd and rare amongst hobbits, although it was more common to occur with females than males. Hobbits do not grow beards, and have very little magic about them. Most hobbits have brown hair, and Bella is one of them, although hers is a dark chocolate color and falls down her back in thick curls, whereas most have a lighter color and a reddish tint and prefer to keep theirs cropped shorter. All Hobbits are considered to be more respectable if they are plump, but Bella has always preferred to be a healthy weight, yet still curvy, and with lightly defined muscle. Many Hobbits considered her odd for wishing to remain a bit more slender.
By some curious chance one morning a good many years ago in the quietness of the Shire, when there was little noise and lots of green, Bella was standing at her door nibbling on a muffin – Gandalf came by. All that unsuspecting Bella saw that morning was an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down, and immense black boots.
"Good Morning!" Bella said, and she grinned. The sun was positively sparkling as it shone down upon the green grass of the Shire. Gandalf looked at her fondly, with a twinkle in his eye.
"That it is!" he said. "But do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
"All of them at once," said Bella. "And it is a very fine morning for sitting on one's porch with a muffin. Would you care to join me?"
"As intriguing of an offer as that it, I must decline," said Gandalf. "I have no time to enjoy a muffin this morning. I am looking for someone to share an adventure with, and it's very difficult to find anyone."
Bella let out a small chuckle. "You'll never find any man in these parts willing to go on an adventure. Most of us are plain, quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Although, I find their distaste for adventures to be shocking. I can only imagine getting to travel the world, seeing new things at every bend and dealing with dangers among the side of companions." At Gandalf's knowing look, Bella blushed. "Oh, excuse me for my ramblings. Many a folk around here think me a bit odd for my brooding on things that just cannot happen for a young hobbit woman such as myself." Which was very true since Bella was only in her early adulthood. Many think that marriage should be her next big decision in life, but she was inclined to disagree.
"May I come over for tea tomorrow?" Gandalf said at last.
"Of course you may!" Bella said. "Hopefully by then you've found the adventurer you're looking for. What is your name, good sir?"
"You do know my name, though, you don't remember I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!"
"Gandalf!" Bella spluttered, nearly choking on a bite of her muffin. "Good gracious me! I should have known it was you! The rumors of you spilling about in the Shire about a wizard disturbing the peace and the Hobbits that disappear with you."
"Yes, that would be me," he said, that glint shining strongly in his eyes. "I'll be over tomorrow for tea. Goodbye Bella Baggins."
"Goodbye Gandalf," Bella said, wondering slightly how he knew her name as she went inside her Hobbit hole, shutting the round door behind her.
Gandalf in the meantime was still standing outside the door. After a while he stepped up, and with the spike on his staff scratched a queer sign on the hobbit's beautiful green door. Then he strode away, just as Bella was contemplating what it would be like if she was invited to go on this adventure.
The next day, she was up bright and early, preparing cakes and muffins and a meal large enough for an army. Knowing Gandalf, since he was a one of the larger folk (and she wasn't even half his height) he'd eat a fair bit. After cooking, she brushed her hair so that it fell in soft waves down her back, and dressed in her finest navy blue dress and corset.
Just before tea-time there came a tremendous ring on the front-door bell. Hiking up her dress skirt, she ran to the door.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Bella was going to say, when she saw that it was not Gandalf at all. It was a dwarf, bald on the top of his head, but with a long black beard and had a dark green hood. As soon as the door was opened, he pushed inside as if he had been expected.
He hung his hooded cloak on the nearest peg, and looked surprised for a moment as he looked down at her. "Dwalin at your service!" he said with a low bow.
"Bella Baggins at yours!" she said in shock, dipping in a slight curtsey. She was too surprised to ask any questions for the moment. Not forgetting her manners she said: "I am just about to take tea, would you like to come join me?" Knowing that he was a man who probably enjoyed his ale, she added: "Or perhaps something a little stronger?"
She went and showed him to her long dining room table and showed him where the barrels of ale were when the doorbell rang again.
"Excuse me!" said the hobbit as she darted to the door once again.
"So you've finally arrived!" she was going to say to Gandalf this time. But it was not Gandalf. Instead there was a very old-looking dwarf on the step with a white beard and a scarlet hood. He too stepped inside as if he had been invited.
"I see they have begun to arrive already," he said when he caught sight of Dwalin's green hood hanging up. He hung up his red one next to it, and "Balin at your service, Madame!" with his hand on his breast.
"Bella Baggins at yours!" she said for the second time that night to a total stranger. She liked having visitors, but she liked knowing who they were before they showed up on her doorstep as if they'd been invited. "Come along in, and have some tea or ale!"
"Thank you," the dwarf said kindly, although he too looked surprised at the sight of Bella, as if she were not what he expected to see. While she sent him off in the direction of the dining hall, she brought more food from the pantry into the room, surprised to see Balin and Dwalin talking at the table like old friends. As soon as she set down the trays, another loud ring at the bell again, and then another!
"Gandalf for certain this time," she thought as she ran to the door. But it was not. It was two more (younger) dwarves with blue hoods, silver belts, and one with a blond beard and one with a black beard. Each carried a blade strapped over their shoulders, slightly startling the hobbit from the sight of the weapons. As soon as the door was open, they both came inside.
"What can I do for you, my dwarves?" she asked, eyeballing their weapons.
"Kili at your service!" said the one with the darker beard. "And Fili," said the other. They both swept off their hoods and weapons and hung them on one of the many hooks.
"Bella Baggins at yours!" she said for the umpteenth time that night.
"Dwalin and Balin are already here, I see," Fili said. The two dwarves smiled at her as they followed her into the dining room. As soon as the two sat down, the doorbell rang again!
The poor little hobbit ran back to the door, when five more dwarves pooled inside. They all said "At your service," and introduced themselves as Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. They, too, all seem seemed surprised when they saw her. All five of them hung up the hoods and any weapons they carried before following her to the dining room. Once they were seated, she darted to the pantry to gather some more food and ale and was pleasantly surprised when Fili and Kili came to give her a hand at carrying it all.
"Thank you," she murmured as she handed them various items to carry into the dining hall.
"Think nothing of it, Bella," Kili said with a cheeky grin. At that moment, the doorbell rang once again.
With a sigh, she ran to the door and opened it to see three dwarves and Gandalf standing on her doorstep. They all stepped inside. "Good evening Bella. May I introduce Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur!"
"At your service!" said Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Bella repeated the gesture. They all hung up their hoods and weapons. Once she guided the four of them into the dining hall, she was mildly amused to see all the dwarves talking and laughing with each other. As weird and strange as it was, it was nice to have a full house. She didn't get many visitors since she was so odd.
The doorbell rang once again, and everyone fell silent. "He's finally here," Gandalf said, sharing a knowing look with the dwarves. "This is our most important member, Bella."
Hiking up her skirts for what she prayed was the last time that night, she ran to the door and opened it, revealing a tall, broad dwarf on her doorstep. A blush stained her cheeks as she took in his massive form, with long black hair and a short beard. Thin strands of silver flowed through his hair in a few places. He was dressed in a fine blue coat and had a fur lined cloak draped over his shoulders. A mighty sword was hung at his hip. This man looked the most surprised to see her, causing her blush to deepen. He stepped inside. No greeting came from him as he stared down at her with piercing blue eyes.
"Ah, Bella, this is Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf's voice came, and Bella turned to see the wizard and all the dwarves standing a few feet away from them. Thorin silently followed the dwarves and Gandalf into the dining room, while Bella tried to calm her heart.
"What was it about him that had me react like that?" she thought. "Perhaps I'm just a bit tired, or flustered from the unexpected company."
Once the dwarves and Gandalf were seated, Bella watched with fascination as the devoured more food than she thought was possible. She sat at a stool by the fire, and felt oddly out of place in her own home as she watched how comfortable they all were together. They ate and ate and ate until finally they pushed their chairs back and she stood up to go collect their plates.
Thereupon the twelve dwarves – not Thorin for he stayed to talk with Gandalf – jumped to their feet and made tall piles of all the things. Off they went, not waiting for trays, balancing columns of plates, each with a bottle on top, while Bella watched nervously, and hoping they didn't smash her china. Thankfully, nothing was smashed, and soon everything was cleaned and put away, while Bella was standing in the middle of the kitchen trying to observe how they were doing everything so quickly. When they went back into the dining room, Gandalf and Thorin were ending a discussion.
"Now for some music," said Thorin.
Kili and Fili rushed for their bags and brought back little fiddles; Dori, Nori, and Ori brought out flutes from somewhere inside their coats; Bombur produced a drum from the hall; Bifur and Bufur went out too and came back with clarinets. Dwalin and Balin went outside and came back with huge viols and a golden harp for Thorin. It was a beautiful golden harp, and when he struck it the music began all at once, so sudden and sweet that Bella forgot everything else. And suddenly, first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes; and this is like a fragment of their song:
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.
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.
The bells were ringing in the dale
And men they looked up with faces pale;
The dragon's ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.
The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.
Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!
As they sang, Bella felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through her, a fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Thorin's voice was enchanting to her, having taken her away from her hobbit hole and to the mountains that he spoke of. She wished that she could see these mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the vast lands. She stood up, having felt a chill settle over her body.
"Where are you going?" asked Thorin, in a tone that suggested she might be going off to flee or something.
"To get my cloak," she said simply. "I'm feeling a tad chilled at this late hour." Darting into the hall, she grabbed her black cloak and slung it over her shoulders before walking back into the room to take her seat.
"Where is your husband?" Thorin asked, shocking Bella.
"M-my what?" she stuttered, gaping at him. A little bit horrified, she added: "I'm not married!"
"Gandalf!" Thorin snapped, turning to face the wizard. "We must start our business, and we need the Baggins gentleman that will be joining us."
Gandalf's head tilted slightly at this. "There is no Baggins gentleman, Thorin. Bella is the Baggins I intend to take with us."
Bella's heart leapt with glee until she saw the utter horror and disgust on Thorin's face, crushing her hopes. "She's a woman! Surely you must be joking, Gandalf! She'll only cause more problems for all of us, slowing us down."
Before Gandalf could reply, something in Bella snapped. Standing up, she pointed a delicate finger at Thorin, locking her blue eyes with his. "You listen here Mr. Thorin Oakenshield. I don't know who you think you are, but how dare you come into my house and insult me like that. I'm just as capable as any man in the world and have a particular fondness for the idea of leaving this boring hobbit hole." With a huff, she sat back down, not missing the shock and anger in Thorin's eyes.
"There you have it," Gandalf said, as if that covered everything. All the other dwarves stared at Bella in shock, as if it had been taboo to stand up to Thorin like that. "Now Thorin, I want to hear nothing else on the matter. Start talking about what is going to be happening."
As Thorin started to talk, Bella became intrigued at the start of the adventure that he was describing. Before long, Gandalf spread a piece of parchment onto the table.
"This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin," he said. "It is a plan of the Mountain."
"I don't see that this will help us much," said Thorin disappointedly after a glance. "I remember the Mountain well enough and the lands about it. And I know where Mirkwood is, and the Withered Heath where the great dragons bred."
"There is a dragon marked in red on the Mountain," said Balin, "but it will be easy enough to find him without that, if ever we arrive there."
"There is one point that you haven't noticed," said Gandalf, "and that is the secret entrance. You see that rune on the West side and the hand pointing to it from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls."
"It may have been secret once," said Thorin, "but how do we know that it is secret any longer? Old Smaug has lived there long enough now to find anything there is to know about those caves."
"He may – but he can't have used it for years and years. He could not creep into a hole that small, certainly not after devouring so many dwarves and men of Dale. Also, with the map went a key, and here it is!" He handed Thorin a key with a long barrel and intricate wards, made of silver. "Keep it safe."
"Indeed I will," said Thorin, and he fastened it upon a fine chain that hung around his neck under his coat. "Now things begin to look hopeful."
They began to discuss plans about where they would head to and how they would maneuver their way up to the Mountains where Smaug resided. Bella was shocked when she was informed that if she went along, she would get a share of the treasure if they succeeded. She cared not for treasure, but the adventure sounded intriguing. Shock filled her as she learned more about Thorin's history, and that he was the next King Under the Mountain.
When everything was finished, the dwarves all retired to her various spare rooms and sofas, while she tiredly crawled into bed. From the room next to hers, where Thorin lay, she could hear him humming that tune from earlier. It lulled her to sleep that night, sending her off into a peaceful sleep, eager of the upcoming adventure and chance to prove herself to these strangers.