A/N: Hey everybody! I hope summer and school is going okay. I'm sorry that I've been m.i.a; its just getting ready for school and some bloody boy problems have been impeding my creativity. I can say that I've resolved a majority of those things and get back to working on some writing. Survivor and Moving On are still getting worked on. I couldn't help myself with this little ditty. It just seemed like a fun story to start and I love Bofur and Dwalin.
Review; tell me if you like it... (Oh and forgive me if the spellings a little off. I'll look back at it tomorrow and probably find the errors)
Enjoy!
Prologue
Mae Brandybuck and Primrose Took were perhaps the two most beautiful and strangest hobbits that ever inhabited Hobbiton. Rather than keep to themselves, except for the occasional polite small talk, both girls were boisterous and outgoing.
Now that in itself was no grounds for deeming them strange for there had been plenty of young hobbits who were the exact same. No you see there was more that labeled them "disturbers of the peace" and "odd" amongst their peers.
The quirky brunette and brazen blonde did not dress as prim and proper hobbit lasses should. Sure Mae wore her skirts and blouses when going out to the market but it was almost a guarantee that her small sword was hanging from her belt. Rose, on the other hand, cared less for the hobbit formalities. She wore breeches, tunics, and boots over her small delicate feet.
That was another thing that left them social outcasts among the other hobbits. Both girls were the products of infidelities on their mothers' behalves with humans. They were taken care of till proper age than urged out by those same women that brought them into the world.
So the two relied upon one another and a few aunts who still cared to make it on their own. Mae got a job at the bakery thanks to a kind elderly woman who took pity on them while Rose got a job at the forge. Though it was simply taking orders and not molding weaponry as she had hoped, it paid the bills so complaining was out of the question.
When the two had enough money, they managed to leave Bree and find a cozy home in the Shire. Their reception was a tad warmer though not by much. The only one who truly did not pass judgments was their next door neighbor Bilbo Baggins.
He was a quiet soul but he always offered them friendly good mornings. The friendship grew when he realized that they were actually distant cousins and so they found their family.
One adventure changed all these hobbits lives. For the better, some would say no for it brought a level of pain to their lives. However in the end each grew, learned, and loved along the way.
Let the adventure begin!
End of Prologue
A small groan of pain escaped Mae's lips as she leaned back and sat upon her knees. She had been tending to her flowers for quite sometime and the constant hunched over position was taking its toll.
As slowly as hobbitly possible, the brunette got to her feet and admired her handy work with a grin.
The garden looked incredible! The jasmine crept up the trellis in an intricate pattern and delicately framed their rustic yellow door. Rose objected to the "girly" detail but ultimately learned to like it for when in bloom the flowers assaulted their senses as they came home.
Primroses, hydrangeas, ivy and lavender were just a part of the picturesque combination of greens and bright colors that made up their garden.
It was turning in to a lovely day thus far for Mae. She managed to finish work early this morning and revived what was starting to look like an oasis all onto itself. All that was left was to make dinner and sink into her bath tub to ease her aching muscles.
A dull thumping caught Mae's attention as she gazed about searching for the source. With a quirked brow and pursed lips, she turned on her heels and let her hazel eyes gaze around to the green hills of the Shire.
A tall elderly chap cloaked in grey robes and a pointed hat stood out like a sore thumb in front of Bilbo's door. A scowl marred his seemingly kind features knocking again with no success upon his door.
"Bilbo left to the market no more than an hour ago. Would you like me to tell him you stopped by?" Mae called stepping over to the fence as a grin replaced the scowl upon his face gazing at her.
"No, thank you though Mae Brandybuck. You have spared an old wizard from looking like quite the fool." He began as Mae was rather surprised at the fact that he knew her name.
"I do believe you have me at a loss. You know my name and yet I do not know yours." Mae replied as the bearded man chuckled good-naturedly.
"Forgive me, I am Gandalf the Grey." He began with a bow that put a smile to Mae's lips. It had been quite sometime since anyone had bowed to her.
"I knew your mother from quite some time ago and met you when you were just a young hobbit. You look so much like her."
A tense grin pulled at her lips at the mention of just how much mother and daughter looked alike. That was one of things that used to instill pride in the family, before…
It appeared that she was reliving the pain for just too long because Gandalf's gently voice lulled her back to reality.
"Mae."
"I'm sorry Gandalf, my mind got away from me for a moment." She began gazing back at the wizard with a soft smile.
"I'm afraid that I don't remember you but that will not affect my manners at all. Would you care to join me for some tea? I'm certain Bilbo will be retuning soon."
"I'd be delighted." Gandalf began as Mae opened the gate allowing him to follow behind her. "As for your manners, I think you have nothing to worry about. You're inviting a man that you don't remember into your home."
Mae stopped just before her door realizing the truth in his words. The oddest thing though was that he didn't feel like a threat. Normally she would be leery of strangers but this felt perfectly natural.
Oh Rose would not be pleased!
Once Gandalf was settled in her kitchen with a mug of tea and an array of snacks before him, Mae sat across from him with her mug in hand.
"So if you don't mind me asking, just why are you calling on cousin Bilbo for?" Mae began watching as a grin pulled at the old man's lips.
"Well my dear girl, I am looking for someone to share in an adventure and I thought that Bilbo would be perfect." Gandalf began, bushy brows furrowing in concern as Mae choked on the tea she just sipped.
"What?!" Mae spluttered trying to regain her breath as the wizard patted her back gently.
"I need an individual of great courage to join me and a company on a journey. One that is fraught with peril to regain a valuable treasure that was lost."
A well sculpted brow quirked upon hearing the wizard's explanation. Granted, Mae had not met many wizards in her life but this was certainly not the first time that she heard such flowery words.
"And when you mean an individual of great courage," Mae began plucking a grape from its stem and toying with it between her fingers.
"Surely there are others in Middle Earth who would be more useful in such a quest; unless there are other attributes of Shire-folk that serve a purpose."
The amused grin upon Gandalf's face coupled with what she could have sworn was a faint coloring upon his cheek spoke volumes to whether her assumption was correct.
"You are quite the perceptive hobbit Mae Brandybuck, I must say. That is a trait that most of your relatives could stand to inherit." He began with a warm chuckle that brought a giggle to pass through her lips.
"You are quite right there are attributes other than your friendly dispositions that would be most vital on a quest of this nature. To be quite frank, you seem to be rather well versed for such an adventure. Has it ever crossed your mind?"
The silence that followed afterward was one of thinking on Mae's behalf.
Firstly, she wanted nothing more than to smack the amused and almost knowing smirk off his face.
Secondly, no words managed to escape her lips at the proposition. The thought of going on a journey and escaping the normalcies of Hobbiton was quite appealing. Neither she nor Rose fit in, so what was necessarily wrong with seeing what the rest of the world had to offer.
Thirdly, well there was no thirdly for as Mae's thoughts began to organize, the familiar sound of the door creaking open caught her attention.
"Mae, are you in?" Rose called as she gazed back in the direction.
"I'm in the kitchen. We have company by the way." Mae replied before gazing back at Gandalf with a warm grin. "Seems that you will be able to meet my dear cousin ."
Gandalf nodded as both gazed over to third individual who entered the room. Rose's blonde hair was pulled back into a low messy ponytail as her once clean tunic and breeches have a layer of dust upon them.
The empty basket that she left with was full with many goods from the market.
"How do you do?" Rose began placing the goods down before turning to face Gandalf with a grin. To any outsider, she seemed to be friendly maintaining the airy Hobbit manner. However Mae could see that she was weary. Her hand never rested more than an inch from a blade.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Primrose. I am Gandalf the Grey." Gandalf began as both girls eyes' widened in surprise.
A subsequent glare followed from Rose as she gazed over at Mae half expecting her to look guilty for having told this Gandalf her name. Yet the glare turned to surprise to see that her cousin looked equally surprised.
"Your cousin was quite the hostess offering an old man like me a bit of company while I waited for Mr. Baggins to return." Gandalf said offering Mae a kind grin before gazing back at Rose.
"Bilbo should be back at home now. We walked from the market together." Rose replied as Gandalf grinned and excused himself thanking the hobbits for their hospitality.
Out of sheer habitat, Rose walked him to the door then returned to the kitchen finding Mae busying herself with putting away the food.
"Would you like to tell me what in the world that was about?" Rose questioned with a smirk as Mae rolled her eyes.
"You heard him; I offered him a place to rest while you and Bilbo returned back from the market." Mae replied purposefully avoiding Rose's gaze as she focused her attention elsewhere.
"What else?" Mae's nose scrunched up as she gave up the avoiding and turned to face her friend.
"He plans on trying to get Bilbo to join some sort of quest." Mae added not helping her smile watching as Rose broke out in a fit of giggles. They grew rather contagious as Mae could not help but join in.
The idea did seem rather ridiculous, Bilbo who was probably afraid of his own shadow, actually going into the wild blue yonder. They loved him with all of their hearts but that was something that would swallow him whole.
"Come on, let's get dinner started." Rose murmured rolling her sleeves up joining her beside the sink.
"That Gandalf fellow is welcome any day if he can make us laugh that much." She added with a grin as Mae shoved her with her hip as they got down to work.
The rest of their evening was calm and peaceful or as peaceful as it was for them. The two practiced their sword play and archery in Mae's case. After the two worked off dinner, each retired to their rooms for leisurely soaks in their tubs.
Mae was so thoroughly sated with her bath and exercising that the harsh knocking upon their front door nearly sent the book and her behind clear off the sofa. Slowly but surely, Mae pattered towards the front door finding Rose waiting there with her robe and dagger.
"Aulë forbid a robber catches you in your nightie." Rose mumbled as Mae could not help but glare at the blonde before her.
She muttered it one time, years ago, during a storm when the two went to check out the house for damages. It appeared she'd never live that down.
The two positioned themselves at the door, one before it and the other to the side, each well-armed. Hazel eyes gazed over at blue and with a nod, Rose flung open the door to their home.
Startled gasps escaped their lips as stacks of what appeared to be dwarves fell down at their feet.
"What in the world?" Rose mumbled as the two exchanged confused glances before redirecting their attention to the groaning, and moaning pile of dwarves.
Both girls could not help their sighs. This simple evening was quickly developing into a chaotic pit and Mae had the sneaking suspicion that a visit from a friendly wizard today might have been the cause.