I've been a long-time fan of the Lord of the Rings so when the Hobbit came out, a prequel to the LotR series, I was basically the first one in to see it.
This is just a test trial to see if I can write it so any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.
For all those who have not seen or read the Hobbit, beware, for there are some spoilers as my story basically follows the movie and book storyline very closely.
Disclaimer: I do not in ANY way own The Hobbit or any of its characters, the only things I own are my own characters and any plot that may be different to the movie/book.
"My dear child, what is it that has led you to sleeping on the side of the road?"
Mirabelle Took started in her sleep. Her rest was slowly, painfully being taken away from her and it would do well for the person who woke her to leave immediately.
"Dear girl, I know you are awake. Will you please show me the direction to Bag End?"
That woke Mirabelle up for real. Who is this man and what was he doing in the Shire?
"There are hardly ever any visitors to Hobbiton. What is your purpose here?" The small girl rubbed her eyes and stood up before brushing her bangs out of her face. As she finally took in the appearance of the man in front of her, she gasped and took a reasonably large step back.
"You're a wizard, mister." Mirabelle stated and gulped audibly. She took another reasonably large step back. Her mother had told her not to talk to strangers, especially wizards.
"What is your name, child?"
Mirabelle could not look him in the eye. She lowered her head as he stared at her; her bangs covering her face.
"Mirabelle Took, sir. May I be so curious as to ask your name in return? One does not normally ask another's name before giving their own."
The wizard let out a hearty laugh; the small hobbit's response seemed to amuse the wizard quite a bit. "Gandalf. Now will you please lead me to Bag End, or more so, Bilbo Baggins?"
"What business do you have with my cousin?" Mirabelle narrowed her eyes at the wizard, abruptly looking up at him. The action caused her bangs to fall to the side of her face and Gandalf's eyes widened.
"What is that mark you bear on your forehead, child?" The wizard's expression was curious and suspicious at the same time. "This girl of such small stature bears the marking of a star on her head." He murmured quietly, his words almost inaudible to the hobbit's ears.
"My birthmark?" Mirabelle self-consciously covered her forehead with her hands, "I have had this since the day I was born. My parents are distant when talking about it."
Gandalf looked as if he was about to ask more but seemed to decide against it. The wizard smiled widely at the girl, making her nervous and jittery.
"I shall take you to Bilbo now." Mirabelle bolted ahead, not looking to see if he followed.
Gandalf knew where Bag End was; he was no fool. Mirabelle had just sparked his curiosity; something told him that there was more to her than she knew.
"Perhaps Bilbo will know." Gandalf smiled and followed after the small girl. Before long, they had reached the front gate of Bilbo's home and Mirabelle smiled at the wizard.
"Thank you my dear, run along now and get some rest, just please be sure not to sleep on the side of the road again."
Mirabelle blushed furiously and nodded her head before running off; her speed was rather amusing for a young Hobbit.
Gandalf then turned to look at the house, with its little gate and cute blue door. The wizard smiled.
Mirabelle ran home, heading back to her parents, for it was already near dinner time. "Mother! I am home! Today, there was something strange that just happened."
Her mother frowned. Strange was not a word used normally for things that happened in Hobbiton. "Come inside, Mirabelle. Tell me what happened while we prepare dinner."
Mirabelle gladly stepped inside and followed her mother. As she told of her meeting with the wizard, Mirabelle's mother's face became more and more concerned.
"Is it happening already? But it is too soon, she is but a mere child." Her mother whispered to herself, lifting a hand to rub her temple.
Her father had arrived home and upon seeing his wife's face, his too fell in concern. "No, it cannot be. Tell me it is not true." Her father seemed to know immediately what had happened.
Her mother simply shook her head and burst into tears. "It is too soon for Mirabelle. Why must she be the one to travel on this dangerous and treacherous journey?"
"Mother? Father?" Mirabelle stepped forward as her parents hugged each other.
"Oh, my dearest daughter! What will become of you?"
Mirabelle was confused. Her mother sounded distraught and her father had a grim look on his face.
"Mirabelle, go to your room and pack your bag, carry only the things you may need for survival." Her father shooed her away and turned back to her mother.
The young hobbit was confused and hurt but listened to her father's words none the less.
"I do not understand…" Mirabelle ran up to her room and packed food and water and a jacket. She changed into comfortable and warm clothes before returning downstairs.
"Mirabelle."
The girl turned to her mother, whose face was rundown with tears.
"Mother? What is going on? Are we leaving?"
Her father's face was stern and grim; something the girl was not used to seeing. Not saying a word, her father handed her something wrapped in leather. "May this help you on your journey, wherever it is that you are to go."
Her mother wrapped a belt around her waist as she unravelled the object. Inside were two daggers in their sheaths; light as feathers. When Mirabelle unsheathed it, she gasped in surprise.
"It is beautiful, father, but what am I to need it for." Mirabelle sheathed it again and slung the daggers onto her back.
"Oh Mirabelle."
The small girl found herself encased in a hug as her father and mother encircled her. "I never wanted this to happen, but it must. It is your fate."
Mirabelle stood still, unaware of what was happening.
"Go up to your room, Mirabelle. You will need a lot of rest."
Still quite confused, Mirabelle listened to her mother and headed to her room. She slipped off her bag and daggers, placing them beside her bed. Why did they tell her to pack but then send her back up to sleep?
"Whatever is happening, I hope it will not change my life too much." Mirabelle's own words were of no comfort to her, as she knew that they rang falsely. To be given a sword by her father was one thing. If he said she was to use it…
"Oh no." Those were her last words as Mirabelle drifted off, dreaming of nothing but happiness.
Gandalf led the dwarves out of Bilbo's home at first light. They needed to make a stop at a certain hobbit girl's home.
"We will be stopping somewhere else; there is someone we must recruit."
"Another person? You must be mad Gandalf; the more there are, the harder it will be to protect everyone."
Gandalf narrowed his eyes at Thorin; his words were haughty and childish.
"I wonder what your reaction will be when you realise it is a girl." The wizard muttered, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others.
"Ah, we are here." Gandalf stopped the dwarves and walked to knock on the door. It swung open before his hand could touch it. A lady hobbit was standing there, her face distraught and angered.
"How dare you? You will not take her away from me."
Gandalf smiled apologetically at her before brushing past and heading to Mirabelle's room, leaving the lady to stand there and sob for her daughter.
"Get up my child, we have places to be." He said softly, placing a hand on her head.
Mirabelle stirred and sat up rubbing her eyes. "Mister Gandalf! Must we always meet when I am asleep?"
The wizard smiled at the girl and held out his hand. She hopped off her bed, grabbed her bag and sword and took his hand.
"I apologise early for any rude things Thorin may say."
Mirabelle did not know who Thorin was but she smiled and nodded none the less.
"Where are we to go, Gandalf?"
"On an adventure, my dear." The wizard replied.
"Adventure?" Mirabelle stopped and pulled her hand away from his. "I shall not go on an adventure; there are others more willing than I."
"Funny; Bilbo said almost exactly the same thing when I asked him."
Mirabelle frowned at the wizard as he turned and kept going, bending low. The hobbit home was far too small for a wizard of his height.
Mora ran after him, past her mother and shut the door. "Gandalf what is going-" Her words were cut off as 13 dwarves turned to look at her, making her freeze in shock.
"Gandalf... You are joking right?" Thorin turned to look at the hobbit female in front of him. "She is a female, and a small female at that. Her appearance does little to assure me that she will be able to hold her own out there. Are you taking me for a fool, wizard?"
Mirabelle had been staring at the dwarves in awe but these words caused her to stop. They stung and Mirabelle swallowed down a sob. Never had anyone insulted her so directly. She looked up and raised her chin.
"I am guessing you must be Thorin. Who do you think you are to speak such words of and to me? I can assure you that you will not need to look after me. I am as reluctant to go on this... Quest as much as you are reluctant to let me."
The other dwarves smiled at this, wondering if Thorin was regretting his choice of words now.
"Mirabelle Took will be joining us on this quest and she is to be treated with the utmost respect." Gandalf beckoned to Mirabelle and she trotted over to him.
"The three there are Nori, Ori and Dori."
The three dwarves bowed to Mirabelle, a grim smile on their faces.
"Oin, Gloin, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Balin and Dwalin."
Mirabelle raised an eyebrow at the pattern of names.
"Fili," one dwarf began.
"And Kili," another continued.
"At your service." They both finished.
Mirabelle blinked; the two dwarves in front of her were speaking their names in a way that it almost seemed practiced.
"Mirabelle Took, at your service?" She hadn't meant for it to come out as a question but everything that had happened was quickly overwhelming her.
"Come now, Gandalf, you must return the girl to her home." They had already made quite some distance in the forest and Thorin had been glaring at the back of Gandalf's head the whole way.
"She is no hobbit. I understand how Bilbo may be our burglar but this girl has no attribute of being a hobbit except for her height. Does this not make her a liability if she has neither stealth nor strength?"
Mirabelle walked a little faster and noticed Gandalf put a hand on her head.
"Riding a horse does not give you the right to act like that, Thorin. You are no king until you have a kingdom of people who love you. Right now, it would be your best bet to be nice to all those who are willing." Gandalf was looking sternly at Thorin and Mirabelle felt out of place. The girl did not like the feeling of being unwanted.
"Cheer up Mirabelle; I am sure Thorin is just worried about you."
The female hobbit looked up to see Fili and Kili smiling down at her.
"I'm not so sure…" She smiled back at the two and raised two thumbs awkwardly. "I am fine though, you should probably join the rest of the group again."
The two brothers shared a look but headed back none the less. Mirabelle sighed, she had wanted them to leave her alone because she was afraid of their pity, but now she felt truly lonely.
"Wait! Wait!"
Mirabelle lifted her head and stopped walking, as did the dwarves.
"Bilbo!" Mirabelle ran to her cousin and embraced him, "What are you doing here, cousin?"
Bilbo frowned at Gandalf, "This was not part of the deal! I thought I was the only one to be joining you, Gandalf." He stood protectively in front of his cousin and handed the contract to Balin.
"It looks as if everything is in order."
Gandalf nodded at him before ordering Thorin to give Bilbo a pony. Bilbo refused at first but was lifted up anyway. It was awkward for Mirabelle to watch her cousin riding a pony, for he held onto the reins tightly and the poor horse looked extremely uncomfortable with Bilbo clenching his legs so tightly.
"Miss Mirabelle, I suggest you ride with me, we still have a long way to go." Mirabelle looked up at Kili who was offering his hand to her. Gandalf sent her an encouraging look and she sighed.
"If I must."
Please review, it will be greatly appreciated and will help my writing become better. Please do tell me if my character is a Mary-Sue and how I may make it better.
I need your help here, my dear readers. (: