Chapter 1
"Bilbo wake up!" I called from the kitchen as I began to fry the eggs. I received no response, "Bilbo?" I called again. Still no answer. I sighed and then continued on the breakfast.
I finished off the eggs and put them on two plates. I boiled some water for the tea and went to the pantry to get some herbs. Along the way I knocked on Bilbo's door, but still he wouldn't response. I reached the pantry got the herbs and also took some scones for the meal.
I walked back to the kitchen and stirred the herbs into the boiling water and buttered some honey on the scones. I put the scones on the plates together with the eggs and poured the finished tea into two mugs. I set the table; there, now breakfast was finally ready.
But Bilbo still hadn't woken up yet. Dang it, I just had to go get him. I don't care if he doesn't like being woken up in the mornings, breakfast was ready and he'd better eat.
But perhaps I should introduce myself first; my name is Belladonna Took II Baggins. I'm the adoptive daughter of Belladonna Baggins née Took and Bungo Baggins. Bag End is my home and I've lived here for as long as I can remember.
You see, my parents Isengar Took and Frieda Brandybuck died when I was only an infant. They drowned on their way to my kin in Buckland when they where traveling with the Bucklebury ferry over the river. When none of them came to Buckland, people began to search for them. And after several weeks of tracings and tens of different search parties, they found them in the river. None knew how it happened, some suspected due to the heavy storm that was terrorizing the night of 23 April.
So my aunt Belladonna and her husband adopted me as a baby and took care of me. They already had a son, but both of their kind souls took me in as one of their own. So I didn't lose the experience of having loving parents and additionally I received a loving, but sometimes unbearable, big brother.
Brother.. Oh yes! Now it was time to wake up Bilbo. I thundered up to his bedroom door and pounded on it.
"Bilbo it's breakfast, come out!" and yet still no answer.
By the love of Bag End. That was it.
I burst into his room, finding him in deep sleep with a dreamy expression in his face. An evil smile spread across my face, perhaps I could punish him for not waking up. I climbed onto the footboard of the bed and prepared for an attack. Then I leaped on him.
"Alas! They're here! They're HERE!" I cried out as I landed on him. In response, he shrieked in horror, asking whom where here. When he realized that it was only me, he pushed me off the bed and muttered some curses. I twirled in laughter and outrage. His face had been priceless.
"What is it that you want?" he grumped as he dressed into his housecoat.
"Breakfast's ready." I gasped through my laughter.
"And you just had to give me a heart attack to tell me so?" he snorted as he walked out of the room.
"Of course!" I yelled after him, "Being a little sister and cousin, it is my duty!"
I followed him out to the kitchen and ate together with him. After we finished our meal, he did the dishes and I went to get dressed. I put on my favorite, turquoise velvet dress and then combed through my corky, bronze tresses.
I met up with Bilbo in the eastern hallway and we began our weekly chores inside the hole. I watered the flowers and cleaned the kitchen, the parlor room and cleaned out the pantry of old and rotten food. Bilbo cleaned the windows, swept the floors and cleaned the bathroom.
Then it was time for second breakfast, but Bilbo decided only to have a smoke on his pipe outside the hole on the bench. I myself took the chance to snitch some berries from the pantry.
As I walked around the hole, chewing on a lovely strawberry, I heard Bilbo talking to someone outside. I went up to the front door and peered out from the window. He was standing on the first step on the small stairway down to the wicket. It seemed like he was talking to someone anxiously, he was fidgeting and gesturing oddly with his long-pipe as he stood out there.
What was he doing?
I swallowed the strawberry and I opened the door, stepped outside and then closed the door behind me. I turned around, to meet a jubilant sight.
By the wicket, right beside our mailbox, stood Gandalf the Grey, leaning against his staff. His wrinkled face was confused and a little angered, but as soon as he lay his gaze on me, a warming smile tugged at his lips. My eyes lit up and I was overjoyed to see him again. How I had missed the old wizard.
"Gandalf!" I cried out as I sprinted past Bilbo and down the steps towards him. He laughed merrily and crouched down as he stretched out his arms, waiting for me to run into his embrace. I flew into his arms and gave him a long, hard hug. "It's so good to see you, my dear friend!" I tweeted. We leaned out of the embrace to look at eachother. He stroke my rosy cheeks and his smile only widened.
"Always so happy and loving." he mused, "It is a joy to see you too, my darling Belladonna!" he said lovingly.
"Oh please call me Bella, will you?" I tittered. He chuckled along heartily. "What on Earth are you doing here?" I asked him. His smile faded a small bit.
"I have come for some errands I have here in Hobbiton. Nothing of a major sake, just some things I must see to." he answered and then his gaze traveled to Bilbo. I looked back at Bilbo, who were looking incredibly annoyed and disturbed. My brow furrowed in confuse, but I dropped the confuse swiftly and then glanced back to Gandalf.
"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" I asked him, sparkling with my eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry Bella, but the errands that I have come for I must fulfill immediately. I only wanted to drop by for a minute to see how things were. And I can see that things are uttermost well." he said.
My face dropped. What a shame, but perhaps he could come by later?
"That's too bad, Gandalf. But how about coming by later? Those errands that you have can hardly take more than a day could they?" I gazed into his grey and old eyes.
"Oh no of course not!" he smiled and then rose to his feet. "I shall come by later, but I might run late." he said and began to walk down the road.
"No worries about that!" I chirped, "Supper will be ready when you arrive. Off you go now and good luck with your errands!" I called after him.
"Good morning!" he called back over his shoulder. Then he was gone.
Bilbo snorted offensively. I turned to look at him with a desperate stare. I knew something was going on, from the look on both Gandalf's and Bilbo's faces, it was not hard to sniff it out.
"What?" he asked, noticing my glare.
"What in Baggins name did you say to him?" I sighed mercilessly.
"I didn't say anything!" he defended himself, "It was him blabbering of some sort of adventure and nonsense."
"And what was this adventure and nonsense that he was talking about?" I questioned.
"He did not say." Bilbo mumbled and then began to head back into the hole, " Neither do I care. Come on, we must get going to the market!" he called from inside the hole.
I shook my head and sighed, but followed back into the hole. I did not see why he did not like the wizard. Gandalf was neither mean, bitter or evil! He was the main focus in partys with his magnificent fireworks and set pieces, and the children enjoyed his exciting story-tellings.
Well well, I had gotten what I wanted, he would swing by later which brought me to good spirit.
And then we were off to the market, Bilbo and I. Bilbo put on his dark blue velvet coat and brought a basket for the groceries of tonight's supper and I put on my golden velvet cardigan with flowing sleeves.
We walked down the road of Bagshot and then we strode on the way to the Hobbiton market. As we chatted away about mostly everything, I saw in the distance that Lobelia Sackville-Baggins was walking on the road towards us. My eyes widened and I swiftly interrupted the conversation.
"Lobelia is walking on the road there." I hissed to Bilbo and pointed at her.
"Oh mother… Wait, come here." he hissed back and then pulled me off the road.
He found a bush where we hid behind, lying down on the soft grass. We began to chuckle and snicker uncontrollably, like we were performing some sort of trick on Lobelia. But we had to cover our mouths in order not be heard by her. She walked by, not noticing us and then she was gone.
I burst out in laughter and then rose to my feet.
"She's completely clueless." I said, "The coast is clear, cousin, come on out." Bilbo came out from the bush.
His coat was covered with blades of grass and he began to sweep it with his hands. I walked up to him and helped him sweep his back.
"That was too close!" Bilbo said and chuckled, "If we would've let a single snicker out she would've noticed us right away."
"Indeed she would have." I chuckled along, "I absolutely despise that woman, she's honestly the most dreadful and greedy hobbit I've ever known."
"Couldn't have said it better." he agreed. We continued on sweeping his coat, when I heard a female voice snort behind us
I spun around, to meet the despicable woman the we had just managed to avoid.
"So, are you two going to hide from me now?" Lobelia spat while Bilbo continued sweeping off his coat. He was just about to answer her, but instead I spat back at her.
"Well, given the thought that you are always hankering after Bag End and treating its owner like a dirtbag, is it really odd that we do?" I snapped at her. Lobelia exhaled and looked very offended.
"How dare you, young lady? By my feet! Tooks always butt in business that are not their own!" Lobelia snorted. Now it was my turn to get incredibly offended.
"Pardon me? Firstly Lobelia, you're just as old as I am so you don't have the right to call me young lady." I bit out and neared her on the road, with narrow eyes, giving her the evil-eye. She was just about to bring a comeback, but I was quick to interrupt her. "Secondly, calling me a Took isn't offensive to me, because I'm proud to be one. But don't you dare speak of us Tooks like we are a bunch of fools. Thirdly, you don't have the right to tell me what my business is and what not is, Sackkville-scum." I snarled at her. Her eyes darkened.
"Is that so? Poor little Bella, who's got no parents." she taunted. "You're not a Baggins by blood and you'll never be! Despicable wench!" she called out at me. I heard Bilbo gasp behind me over Lobelia's cruel words.
"You're so brave, Lobelia." I hissed sarcastically, "Attacking someone verbally and not backing up your words physically." I stepped towards her, my eyes burning of fury.
I came closer to her. Her eyes flickered and she fidgeted a small bit, but she did not leave her spot.
"I'm quite proud over it after all." she sneered and stretched her neck arrogantly.
"Walk away." I growled, lowering my voice.
"No." she persisted.
"Remember last year, Lobelia? Remember when you accidentally ran into my fist and then cried like a baby over it?" I said darkly. This was when she actually heeded my warning. Without saying a word, she began to back away and my stare mentally pierced her. She stumbled on her feet as she turned around and then she walked swiftly off.
Last year on Bilbo's birthday party, I punched her. She had verbally abused Bilbo during the party in a private corner, but I had been eavesdropping the conversation and I pretty much lashed out on her. How could someone be so cruel and vile that you insult them on their own birthday? Afterwards, she had run back to her own hole with her tail between her legs.
She had not told anyone of it and neither had Bilbo and I. I bet she didn't tell anyone because she was embarrassed and we didn't tell anyone because we have common sense and moral. You don't go around and brag about punching people, that's just too uncivilized, even for a Took.
Lobelia never makes an approach on me otherwise, because she knows that I am not as nice and forgiving as Bilbo. But she did a poor mistake to jump me with insults of my kin. Some Tooks may be not the wisest, but respect is something that we all deserve, except for Lobelia.
I straightened up and walked back to Bilbo, who was in complete shock.
"What in the world did you say to make her leave?" he burst out in laughter, "She looked like had seen a ghost!"
"Oh nothing special." I replied triumphantly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his laughter fading away.
"I'm fine. But I don't feel like talking about it." I said and bit my lip. He smiled at me and patted my shoulder.
"Well at least you managed to drive her off." he said, "Even if she said some unnecessary things."
"I'm getting kind of used to it now." I mused and gazed off. "It doesn't bother me as much anymore when people speak of it than what it did before." he smiled at me again.
"Come on, we must get going now." he said and tugged at my arm. I gave into his tugs and followed him.
All of our lives, we had been treated like this by the Sackville-Bagginses. They were the only heirs that Bilbo had and they were well aware of that. Because just a few years ago, I announced to him that I did not want to inherit Bag End when he would perish. The memories would cause too much pain and I don't want to live in a such big hole all by my own.
At least Lobelia had a husband she could spend her days with; Otho Sackville-Baggins, who were no better than her with the attitude. I should punch him as well, just to mark our territory so that they would stay out of our ways until we die. Or at least until Bilbo dies. I've known all my life that I will not die in the Shire.
Some day, I will leave the Shire. It's not that I don't like living here, it's just that I feel like I am already dying, even though I have recently come of age. For 33 years I've lived in Hobbiton and I do not want to spend any more wasting years here.
I want to go and live with the Elves. Just imagine how wonderful it would be, to become an Elf friend. I do speak some elvish actually, I know some basic phrases. I've met one elf in my lifetime, her name was Arwen, which means noble maid in Sindarin.
I met her in the East Farthing woods when I was a small child on 9 years. She was traveling all alone on her way to the Grey Havens, she was to visit a friend of hers. I don't know much about her. All I know is that she lives in a place called Imladris together with her father, her mother had passed to Valinor and she has twin brothers called Elladan and Elrohir.
She was very kind and sweet she was, but she seemed so sad in a way that I cannot describe. You know how everyone always say that Elves has a kind of glow, like they the very stars of this world? Well, Arwen was glowing, but it seemed like her glowing was to an end. Like it was fading out. That saddens me quite a lot somehow, that she no longer find happiness in Middle Earth. I had wished her well on her journey, because I could not keep her company for long. It was almost night when I came back from the woods and my Aunt Belladonna was very upset that I was out alone in the woods.
I wonder where Arwen is today, if she's left Middle Earth or if she's stayed. It would be very nice to meet her again, but she probably would not recognize me anyway...
What did ya think? Think this one got potential for some adventure? ;) The first three chapters will be a little slow, but in the fourth or fifth they will set out for Erebor. Tell me what you think of the story so far, cause reviews are the best! Hope you enjoyed, I'll update as often as I can. Peace out!