After a festive night in the little hobbit hole of the shire, the dwarves rose with the dawn, all needing to go on quick as possible.
"Quiet." Thorin whispered. "We don't want to disturb the peace, this entire area looks like a place which is not appreciative of noise."
"What about Bilbo?" Bombur asked.
"Don't disturb him." Thorin told. "we've all-ready been a bother enough to the little guy, he gave us food and a roof over the head for the night, lets not be ungreateful for at least that."
"But, isn't he coming with us?" Fili asked. "Yeah." Kili responded. "I sort of like the little fellow." Bombur finished.
"You all heard him, he didn't want to come." Thorin responded in a whisper. "And that's probably for the better."
"You're probably right." Glorin sighed as he reached out for the table, and the long contract he had written in pure jest on their long journey on pony back.
"No, leave it." Gandalf spoke as he suddenly appeared in the door.
Glorin blinked. "As a souvenir for the little guy?" he asked.
"Well… you might say that." Gandalf whispered.
"You still think there is a chance he will come?" Thorin asked in a frown.
"Well, one might never know." Gandalf smirked.
"Have you seen this place?" Thorin asked gesturing around. "And did you see him? Why on earth would he ever come?"
"Oh there might be more to that specific little hobbit than you know." Gandalf responded in a whisper. "I might just know him a bit better than that."
"But he sure didn't know you." Thorin responded in a frown.
"Details." Gandalf shrugged.
"All-right then, leave the contract." Thorin told in a role of his eyes. "Lets just go." He ordered. "And hurry, the sun is rising."
"No need to rush." Gandalf responded as he opened the door. "One should think you are out to be as far away from here as possible by the time Bilbo wakes."
"One should think." Thorin responded in a slightly sarcastic tone. "A person like that, doesn't belong on a quest like ours, that much is obvious."
"I say it again, perhaps there is more to him." Gandalf told as he exited.. at least Gandalf hoped there was more to Bilbo Baggins, that that thing Gandalf remembered being inside of the Hobbit wasn't completely gone, if there was just one spark left, there was no way Bilbo would stay home, but maybe Gandalf was wrong, that would be such a shame, for he remembered, he remembered the last time he visited this place, and a very young hobbit had left such a big impression on the wizard, that he had returned, after all this time.
If there was some-thing you should know about wizards, then it is that a wizard is never late and never early, but all-ways arrives precisely at the right time.
That though is more complicated than it sounds, because no one knows when the right time is.. not even the wizard.
Some-times the wizard could proclaim that he knew all along that he would be there at that time, that he knew all along the what had happened would happen. But you wouldn't have to be that smart to figure out that was is a lie, for the wizard could act quite surprised as well when that thing happened.
That how-ever didn't stop Gandalf from trying, even though he as the eternal wanderer just walked with the wind, went where-ever that wind took him, where ever it felt like he was supposed to be at that moment.
Ones he had tried to settle in a little house, for a while, and it even looked like he was going to stay as he just kept being there. Until one day, he simply stood up, walked out and went away. "Where are you going?" his neighbour had asked.
"I don't know." Gandalf had responded in a slight smile while finding his pipe.
"Then why even leave?" the neighbour had asked.
"It's just time." Gandalf had told in a slight shrug, lithe his pipe and walked on while happily humming for himself.
"Wait? Are you coming back?" the person far behind him had managed to yell.
"I don't know." Was what Gandalf had answered, and then he was gone.
That was how Gandalf worked, you just never knew where he would wander off to, how long he would stay, if he would come back. Wizards did what they pleased and no one could tell them what to do, no one could demand them to stay put or work for them, for wizards didn't belong to any race or kingdom, the closest thing they had to a leader was the great Saruman the white, but even then it was rare that wizards would meet more than ones every hundred years, and then it would mostly be because of coincidence, then they would politely greet each other, and then just go on to mind their own business, what kind of business that was? Who knew, a wizards business was his own business, and Gandalf the gray wanderer, wandered, that was what he did.
There was though, some places that he for some reason kept on being attracted to, he kept surprising himself by finding himself there.
One place was Rivendell, house of Elrond.. or perhaps that wasn't to surprising, for Elrond would always warmly welcome Gandalf and give him the best wine elves had to offer.. plenty of wine.. plenty of great delicious wine.
The house of Rohan was another favourite where the different kings always honoured Gandalfs visit and called him the wise one, and they would eat, no one made better stews than the Rohans.
Gondor was less welcoming, but the city would still keep on being so fascinating and there would always have happened some-thing new each time Gandalf visited. Gondor was a city that never stood still, new things happened, new degrees demanded, old degrees diminished by the people only for new degrees to happen again, fascinating city, and of cause their sherry was un-matched by any kingdom.
All high marks on any map, great wonders of middle-earth, but Gandalf liked to visit the smaller places to, the small villages, the forests so few seemed to care about, and one little place, so many forgot to even put on a map.. for some reason it kept drawing Gandalf back.
A tiny little place no one cared much about, simply called the shire, where the hobbits lived. These small people also called haflings, smaller than even dwarfs, and certainly a lot more quiet and lot more prober, yet also much simpler than the elves and didn't carry the weight the humans so often took upon themselves.
What was it about these hobbits that kept on bringing the wizard back there? Gandalf couldn't tell.. maybe it was because while he was so honoured in the big cities, here, he was just a funny old man passing by, to the amusement of kids and frown of the adults.
Gandalf appeared in many different ways according to whom saw him, regular people most often saw him as a weird old guy, the elves saw him as a person whom should be respected, any-one able to remember even further back than them, should have that respect.. even if some elves found his ways weird and eccentric, and didn't understand why he would even mingle witch creatures so much younger then him, and let people believe he was nothing but an weird old man.
Maybe it was the simple way of hobbits that attracted him to them? They were a small folk and was well aware of that, but neither did they feel any shame in it, they never seemed like they had to proof any-thing or be more than what they were.
A hobbit was a hobbit, and being a hobbit is a good thing, and that's the end of it.
Perhaps it was how all hobbits seemed to enjoy all the little things in life, enjoyed to just sit and smoke a good pipe, eat a good meal, watch the blue sky and be happy to be a hobbit in the shire being able to do these simple things.
When you had lived as long as Gandalf and seen as much as Gandalf, it was really the small things that ended up being worthwhile.
… or perhaps it really was because the hobbits made the best pipe tobacco Gandalf had ever had, and he was now running out.. perhaps that was the real reason Gandalf was entering the shire ones again.
And as he did, as usual, the older hobbits would look up at him, some trying to hide their intrigue and some looking with genuine distaste that he would come and bring disorder to their orderly little comfy existence.
Then there were the younger hobbits whom had never seen a human before, whom would stop in awe and look at him, and the kids.. the kids were always the best part of any culture, how they would wonder and awe, and those kids whom remembered him from his last visit to get some old toby tobacco, could even light up and cheer.
Gladly Gandalf walked his way, looking forward to get his new stash of tobacco, when suddenly.. he stopped.
Gandalf blinked as he looked out in the air and then back-tracked, three steps he went backwards, before he turned his head to the left, where there was nothing but bush's, only to use his staff to push away the bush branches, and in there and out of sight where no one would ever have discovered him.. was a tiny little hobbit. Even for a hobbit tiny, this one was nothing but a boy, he couldn't be more than eight or nine.. ten at most, and he was laying flat on his stomach starring intensely in front of him, at a little caterpillar crawling on a leaf. The boy smiled as he reached forward and slightly touched the caterpillar.
"Careful." Gandalf spoke. "Smalls things breaks easily."
The boys entire body gave a big jump as the boy yelled in shock, which also made the caterpillar fall down, then the boys head turned and his mouth dropped open as he saw Gandalfs feets and robe right in front of him, then slowly, the boys eyes climbed upwards, until finally they reached Gandalfs face, under the whole process the boys mouth hadn't been closed but just stood wide-open, and his eyes that now looked up at Gandalf.. Gandalf was hard pressed to remember any-one else having that wide eyes, that just starred in complete awe. "Are you a giant?" the boy barely whispered, as if he almost didn't dare.
Gandalf laughed amused. "No, boy, giants are much bigger than me."
Slowly the boy crawled out from the bush and then stood up, looking wide-eyed up at Gandalf. "Are you sure?" he asked, and well.. that could might be considered a valid question, for the boy didn't go any further than to Gandalfs knee-cap.
"Yes I'm quite sure." Gandalf smiled amused. "for I am a wizard, Gandalf the grey."
"A wizard?" the boy gaped. "Does that mean you can do magic?" he asked.
"Of cause it does!" Gandalf exclaimed. "What kind of wizard wouldn't be able to do magic? Who have ever heard of such a ridicules concept?" he asked.
"Can I see?" the boy asked, now certainly looking more excited than scared as he jumped up and down, still not coming any further than just Gandalfs kneecap.
"Well, I suppose." Gandalf murmured stroking his beard. "There's a neat little trick I learned, turning water into wine.. it's a very thin wine that doesn't taste to good, but it comes in handy ones in a while."
"That sounds boring." The little boy muttered.
"I could make a cloud change shape." Gandalf offered.
"how would I even know it's you changing the cloud and not the cloud doing it by itself?" The little boy asked. "Clouds changes shapes all the time you know."
"oh aren't we clever?" Gandalf asked now sounding slightly annoyed. "What if I just turned you into a rabbit and hid you in my hat?" he asked.
The boy blinked and then looked wide-eyed up at Gandalf ones again. "Could you do that?" he asked.
"Are you willing to take that chance?" Gandalf asked as he crossed his arms with a slightly lifted eye-brow, looking down at the boy.
"What an adventure that would be." The boy grinned. "I don't think many hobbits can tell that they were a rabbit ones, that would be a story actually worth telling!"
At that Gandalf laughed. "No, no that is quite true, Hobbits usually don't get out much." He happily chuckled. "You boy I like." He stated clearly. "What is such a fine young gentleman called?" he asked amused bowing down to get a little closer to the boy.. though that didn't help much, the boy was just to tiny.
Even when the boy proudly tried to straighten up, to his fullest height which wasn't much, and held his jacket in a proud manner. "Well, as you can see I am the greatest adventurer the shire has ever seen, and my name is..."
"BILBO BAGGINS!"
Frightened the boy jumped up and turned around. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. "That's my mom! And." Hopelessly he looked down at himself, trying to brush his fine clothes clean, but it didn't help much, clearly the boy had been crawling around the bushes for quite a while. "She's going to scrub my ears for hours because of this!" he exclaimed.
"Quick! Hide!" Gandalf encouraged and pushed the branches aside, and little Bilbo didn't waste any time as he dived into the bush's, just in time for a little hobbit woman coming running by, the woman also seemed to wear what for a hobbit was considered better finer clothes, a dress in beautiful velvet green, and her long blond curls neatly collected in a velvet bow, she even wore pretty necklaces and rings, things there were very exclusive among hobbits, her face how-ever, looked impatient.
"Bilbo Baggins! Running about again, that is not prober behaviour for a Baggins." She hissed as she came running by. "I know you are here some-where! Don't you dare get your clothes dirty!"
"Good after noon." Gandalf politely nodded his head at the woman as she came running by, for a moment she stopped looking up at Gandalf in mild shock, but then by the sight of Gandalf the woman cleared her throat and hurried by, ignoring him and his strange presence to the best of her ability.
A great exhale of relief sounded from the bush's as the woman was gone, and slowly the little hobbit boy crawled out, this time though, being twice as dirty as before, Gandalf had might not helped the little boys cause at all by his gesture, but that didn't stop the boy from being relieved in the moment. "Thank you." He smiled up at Gandalf, before starting brushing himself off again.
"Oh no trouble, no one should ever have to be scrubbed behind their ears for hours." Gandalf told the little hobbit. "That my dear boy, is indeed a faith I would not wish upon my worst enemy. It was a pleasure meeting you Bilbo Baggins, but I must be on my way." He told in a smile, and was just about to resume his walk to the town.. only to have the little boy run in his feets, and the boy had to run, every-time Gandalf took one step, the boy would have to take five in the same amount of time.
"Where are you going?" Bilbo asked as he ran after Gandalf.
"Some day Rivendell, some-day the great tower where Saruman resides. Tomorrow, who knows where?" Gandalf asked. "But today, I am merely going to buy some tobacco and sell some fireworks."
"RIVENDELL?" Bilbo exclaimed loudly. "The place of the elfs? Have you've seen real elfs mister Gandalf?" he asked.
"I'm friends with quite a few." Gandalf responded.
"What about dwarves have you ever seen dwarves?" Bilbo asked.
"They are a merry folk, we are good friends as well." Gandalf told an a amused smile.
"What about orcs?" Bilbo asked.
"Those I am not very good friends with." Gandalf told. "Few are."
"Goblins? Trolls? Giants?" Bilbo asked. "You've seen those?"
"Of cause I have." Gandalf shook his head.
"What about a dragon? What is a dragon like?" Bilbo asked.
"You really are a curious one aren't you?" Gandalf asked the little hobbit boy.
"I think it would be grand to see a dragon." Bilbo sighed as he still ran to keep up.
"Grand but dangerous." Gandalf told. "The world out-side is a big dangerous place, but you all-ready know that don't you? Weren't it the greatest adventurer in the shire you called yourself?"
"Well of cause." Bilbo told. "Don't tell my mother but…" he lowered his voice. "One night I snook out, and got as far as to the Running river.. or not quite, but I saw it in the distance! Before I had to turn around again so my mother wouldn't discover."
"The running river you say, you saw it in the distance?" Gandalf asked as he stroked his beard. "That's quite a feet for a hobbit I must say, you really are an adventurer of heart."
"One day I want to cross it." Bilbo told in a slight whisper. "Hobbits, and most of all Baggins's are not supposed to do that but… that's where the elfs, dwarves and orcs are." He sighed. "That's where the adventures are, right?" he asked.
"Well, adventures can be in the oddest of places." Gandalf told. "You seemed like you were in the middle of quite the adventure with that caterpillar as I so rudely interrupted you." He noted. "But if you mean the truly big kind of adventure, that people talk about for generations and small kids wants to hear over and over, then yes, you'll have to get out there." Gandalf noted. "As exciting as that caterpillar was to you in that moment, I doubt that that many people would be so interested in hearing about it."
"You have a lot of stories to tell, don't you?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.
"Oh, I am quite a decent story teller, I might tell one or two later." Gandalf told amused.
"Please wont you?" Bilbo asked. "Please!"
"You like stories?" Gandalf asked.
"I love stories! Stories are the best thing in the entire world!" Bilbo exclaimed. "The stories in the books, about the things out there, those are what inspired me! I would really like to be a part of a story one day! That would be every-thing a hobbit could ever want."
"You talked me into it master Baggins." Gandalf laughed. "I'll stay for a bit, I do like to share stories with people whom likes to listen, and you look like a lad whom would like to listen."
It did become, three hole days the hobbits seemingly would never forget, several times did Gandalf witness Bilbo sneak away from his prim and prober wealthy parents, to get closer to the festivities, he liked that boy, it was a boy full of spirit and curiosity yet at the same time, had that heart and appreciation of all good small things that characterized a hobbit.
Gandalf even manage to land himself a job, to show off some fire-works and he did, all the children loved it, yet Bilbo a little more than the others as his face lithe in awe and then become distant in dreaming.
That was a trait Gandalf noticed in little Bilbo.. Bilbo was a dreamer, so often as Gandalf told stories or showed his things, Bilbo would disappear and you could see it in his eyes, that the boy was far away, at distant lands with other creatures, exploring and seeing, far away from the little shire.
But at last, after a few days.. it was simply time ones again, Gandalf packed his things, and then he walked, through the mild summer breeze of a late night, it had to be very late for the sun was setting and the dark was crawling over the horizon as Gandalf left the shire, he walked over the hills and over a wide mark.. he could almost see the running river, just as a little voice stopped him.
"WAIT! WAAAIT GANDALF!"
Gandalf turned around. "Little Master Baggins." He greeted as the little boy ran up to him on the hill.. Gandalf had to wait for quite a while, it was quite a run for such a little boy, and Bilbo was indeed out of breath as he finally reached the gray wizard, almost fell over on his back.
"You.. you're leaving." Bilbo breathed in heavy breaths. "All-ready?" he asked sounding so very dissapointed.
"When it's time it's time." Gandalf shrugged. "My chest told me I should go to some-where so I will." He told.
"Where?" Bilbo asked.
"Who knows." Gandalf shrugged.
"That's what adventure is all about isn't it? You don't know what will be next, it's a surprise." Bilbo breathed as he looked towards the river.
"Finally! Some-one who gets it!" Gandalf smiled, then looked at Bilbo, and how Bilbo looked towards the river, with such longing eyes. "Bilbo my lad, are you fine?" he asked.
"I'm fine." Bilbo mumbled, but his eyes didn't leave the dark horizon.
"Tell me, what are you thinking about?" Gandalf asked.
Bilbo exhaled. "You are a wizard, to wander from place to place is what you do." He explained as he looked up at Gandalf. "But I am a hobbit, and hobbits never leaves the shire, what if I am never going to leave?" he asked. "What if I am never going to cross that river? So I'll never see an elf, and never be able to tell any real story." he asked looking at Gandalf which what looked like very painful eyes.
"oh I don't think you need to worry about that." Gandalf told Bilbo. "Snook out of your house again just to run after me right now didn't you?" he asked. "I think you have the stuff in you to become a great adventurer, possible even the greatest in hobbit history."
"I want to go where you go." Bilbo at last told Gandalf. "Can't I come with you?" he asked Gandalf.
Gandalf exhaled. "It's not my place to take children away from their home and their families that worries about them." He told, and saw how Bilbos heart was almost breaking from that message. "But.. I can offer you some-thing else."
"What?" Bilbo asked curiously.
"I can give you a promise." Gandalf at last told as he leaned forward on his staff. "I promise to come back, when you are bigger." He told. "And then, as you are an adult, you can feel free to follow after me or not follow me as you like, across the river." He told.
"And you would be fine with me following you?" Bilbo asked.
"It's always nice with a travelling companion ones in a while." Gandalf told in a warm smile. "I promise you Bilbo Baggins, one day I'll come back and invite you to a real adventurer, so don't worry."
"Really?" Bilbo asked, and then broadened in a smile. "Thank you!" he almost but yelled. "I'll look forward to it! I'll count the days!"
"BILBO BAGGINS!"
Bilbo jumped up and then crumbled together. "Oh no, how did she find out?" Bilbo asked. "I'm going to be in so much trouble!"
"There may be a way out yet." Gandalf whispered. "Take the other way around, back to your hill, then crawl into the window and into your bed, when your mother enters again and asks, tell her you were thirsty and went to the kitchen for a glass of water, now, hurry!" he ushered Bilbo.
"Thank you!" Bilbo whispered back in a grin. "I'll be looking so much forward to see you! Come again soon!" he asked of Gandalf. "Real soon if you can!" he asked as he run over the hill, to the great amusement of Gandalf whom laughed as he saw the little boy, speeding over the hill, fast as an arrow but yet.. silent as a forest creature, Hobbits could really move about extraordinary quiet and with extraordinary stealth did they wish to do so. Good thing hobbits were a good folk and wouldn't' succumb to burglary, they would be way to good at that business.
A wizard, never came to late and never to early, he always came when the time was just right, that was how it was.
Gandalf did as he had promised, he returned to the shire, and even with only one single goal in mind, to visit a certain Bilbo Baggins.
It dependet on whom you asked whether Gandalf was late or early, if you asked an elf, one of the great immortals, they would say Gandalf hadn't been long gone at all, and had been quick in returning as promised.
If you asked a Hobbit though…. It had been a long time. So long that those whom were kids when he left now were adults, and not just young adults whom could still be trouble makers, but prober adults! Whom knew their place in the world, whoms very role now was to be prim and prober themselves so they could teach how to be a prober hobbit to the younger ones, actually the hobbits whom were kids when Gandalf last was at the shire could now be considered being close to middle-age, and as Hobbits lived longer than humans, that was saying some-thing.
Gandalf how-ever hadn't even considered that at all, some-thing had just told him, now was the time and this was it.. all though.. some-thing else filled his stomach. A kind of.. dread, for that journey he was about to take. As if this journey was only a smaller of piece of some-thing.. bigger.. some-thing darker.
And then, without any real reason, Gandalfs thoughts had turned to the hobbits, and the name Baggins, and, not for any reasons Gandalf could pin-point, he had felt happiness even.. hope? Not even knowing why hope would be so important yet, and his guts told him, it was time.
"Excuse me." Gandalf addressed an elderly hobbit whom was pretending that he worked in his garden. "Could you direct me to a Bilbo Baggins?" he asked.
The elder Hobbit looked up at him, with a distaste on his face.
"He is expecting me." Gandalf told in a pleasant voice.
"Njah I'll doubt that." The elder hobbit answered. "Bilbo Baggins is a decent hobbit if there ever was one, no one more decent than him I tell ya, can't imagine he would invite people like you into his home, no offence."
"A little taken." Gandalf told in a slight huff. "But I assure you, I promised him to come and he said he looked forward to it, so here I am, I just need to find him."
"Of cause he said that." The elder hobbit huffed. "Bilbo Baggins is a mannerly hobbit if there ever was one, decent and mannerly, you can always count on a Baggins to be that."
"That's quite nice, where is he?" Gandalf asked now slightly annoyed.
"Sitting right over there in his garden." The elder Hobbit told pointing behind Gandalf. "Minding his own buisness, as any decent hobbit would."
Gandalf turned around and then frowned. "Are you sure that's him?" he asked.
"Of cause I am!" The elder Hobbit snapped. "Bilbo Baggins, a real hobbit, prober, correct, knows how to stay that way and out or trouble, decent, and never pulls unexpected stunts like some kind of a Toke. There is no better neighbour, I and the wife are happy to have him there, proud in fact, to life so close to such a good Hobbit."
Gandalf frowned as he saw the hobbit in front of him, that wasn't at all what he had expected such a boy to grow up to become. This hobbit in front of him was… as the elder hobbit had just put it, very prim and prober, wearing what for hobbits were considered very fine prim clothes that should be taken care off, and that clothes as well was absolutely spot-less, no dirt would ever come on that long red velvet coat, there was no doubt his ears were incredible clean along with the rest of him, nothing looked out of place or even the slightest bit adventurous about that Hobbit whom sat back with his pipe smoking for himself.. worst of all, this hobbit had grown fat!
It was very normal for a hobbit to be round around the waist as all hobbits had a certain love for food and enjoying food, a trait Gandalf liked in them, the thing just was, the boy he had left behind had been so full of energy that Gandalf couldn't have imagined him standing still long enough to become as round as the rest.. Bilbo Baggins.. had changed a lot in the time that had passed, and it was a kind of sad change, but then suddenly Gandalf realised, as Bilbo sat there, with his pipe.. he was also looking out into the air.. with very distant eyes, eyes exactly like they had been when he was a child, eyes that was far away on adventure, seeing strange creatures and exploring, this Hobbits mind wasn't at all in the present, he was dreaming about some-thing else. Even if he would never admit it, not even to himslf, and probably not to any other Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins was still the great dreamer, and that amused Gandalf a lot.
And Gandalf knew, he had been right, out-side Bilbo had may changed as he had been raised, to be a prober hobbit, but inside.. he was the same. Gandalf would just have to… give the hobbit a little nudge, to make the real Bilbo Baggins emerge ones again, and do all the things he was so scared he would never be able to do, Bilbo Baggins would become the greatest adventurer the Shire had ever known and Gandalf was going to make damn sure of that! It was all he had in his mind as he stepped up to the little hobbit, whom didn't even see him as he was so emerged in his own world, and at last addressed him. "Bilbo Baggins."
The Hobbit blinked, slightly frowned as he looked up at Gandalf, no recognition in his eyes at all, no delight by the re-union or what it could bring, no awe to see a wizard standing a front of him, only a slight annoyance in being disturbed like this, all though he answered very politely, as a prim and prober person should. "Yes… good-morning."
"You're still sure he will come?" Thorin asked. "We are almost out of the shire now." He remarked. "In fact, there goes the border." He pointed right in front of him.
"Oh he'll come." Gandalf told in a smirk. "Just you wait, Bilbo Baggins is not just another hobbit."
"No, he is a comfortable, prober and wealthy little hobbit." Thorin rolled his eyes. "I doubt he has ever worked as much as a single day in his life or done any-thing he shouldn't."
"Oh do you now?" Gandalf asked.
"I saw him and his home." Thorin remarked. "And it was quite nice as it is, comfortable, we should have left him alone. Why would such a person ever run after a bunch like us?" he asked. "that would defy all logic for all kinds of reasons."
Just at that moment, a voice sounded from the woods. "WAIIIIT!" a yell sounded. "WAIT! WAIT! I'M COMING! I'M COMING WITH YOU!"
All dwarves raised up, they all recognised that voice, most of them had strongly counted on never ever hearing it again, and Gandalf turned to Thorin with a smirk on his lip. "Some-thing you should know, dwarf prince, Hobbits have a thing about defying logic."
Thorin blinked, for a moment looking like he couldn't comprehend what was happening. "But, why?" he asked.
Gandalf shrugged. "Why not?" he asked back, just in time for a little Bilbo Baggins to stark breathed break through the bush's with a back-pack on his back and a long paper in his hand. "Wait.." Bilbo gasped for air. "Wait, I… I signed the contract!" he managed to say between trying to capture some kind of breath. "I'm coming with you." He told.
Gandalf exchanged a smirky glance with Thorin, Thorin how-ever returned a stern look, a look that said. "Okay, you were right for now, but we'll see before this is over, and it'll all be on you."
Gandalf shrugged. "We'll go where the wind happens to take us." He wisely told and kicked his horse as they all continued, all fifteen people in the party, thirteen happy dwarves, a wizard whistling a tune.. and a Hobbit not looking at all happy with being forced up upon a pony and also looked like he was all-ready really questioning himself what in the whole wide world he was doing.. and even why he was doing it?
AN; I know, I know, Martin Freeman is not fat by any definition of the word, in fact is he quite slim, I take that fat part from the book where all Hobbits are described as being quite round around the waist, because of their love for food, even Frodo, Merry and Pippin were descibed as having healthy figures as they began, but then lost weight on their travels and even had to make new holes in their belts because their belts became far to big, and yeah.. Bilbo to, Bilbo went from being a prober thick little hobbit to a slim little thing upon his return, the books states that very clearly X)
Ah Hobbits, ya can't help but love them!