This was a paper I did for school on the topic sentence, "We were not expecting company." What LOTR nerd would not think of this scene?
We were not expecting company. Firstly, Bilbo had not told me about his meeting with Gandalf a few days ago. And secondly, even if he had, how were we to know that the wizard was planning a party? For all we knew, tonight was just as ordinary as any.
Bilbo and I were merely having dinner, quietly discussing the Gaffer's odd notion that butterflies were pests. Just as Bilbo started to compose a poem for his beloved insects, we heard a ring of the doorbell. A puzzled expression came over Bilbo's face. He rose and walked to the door. I continued eating, and only paused when I heard a gruff voice say,
"Dwalin, at your service." A moment of silence followed, before Bilbo replied,
"Bilbo Baggins, at yours." I looked up to see a dwarf stomp in the door. Bilbo stood looking bewildered. I, on the other hand, was quite delighted, for I had never met a dwarf before. He was in no mood for chit-chat, however, so I stopped pressing.
Not two minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Bilbo froze, grimaced, and walked purposefully to the door.
"Balin, at your service," said a voice when the door was opened. Bilbo didn't reply, for he was too flabbergasted. I was amazed, and looked on with open-mouthed wonder at the elder dwarf that came in the door. He greeted the first dwarf with familiarity (after all, they were brothers).
The next bell ring came sooner than I would have expected. Listening, I heard Bilbo call exasperatedly,
"No, no, no! There is no one home!" He opened the door cautiously, and two voices greeted him:
"Fili"
"And Kili"
"At your service." Closing the door straightaway, Bilbo said,
"No, you can't come in." However, they caught the door before he could close it all the way.
"Don't tell me it's been cancelled?" said one.
"No, nothing's been cancelled!" replied Bilbo.
"Well, that's a relief," said the other as they brushed past Bilbo. By now, I was beginning to have an inkling of trepidation. What were all these dwarves doing here?
I waited expectantly for another ring, and presently it came. It was an insistent ring, as if someone were deliberately ringing it repeatedly. Bilbo was completely disgusted.
"If this is someone's idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste." He opened the door, and a throng of dwarves piled in. With a squeak, I fled to the furthermost room, and stayed there for the rest of the night.