Haha! Another chapter!
Belladonna didn't forget that she would have company over in three days. She kept busy by buying enough food to feed an entire army and then some. But the day she would be having guests crumbled. The man she had to marry heard about the wizard coming to her home. Turns out his name was Tobias Proudfoot. He was not a kind hobbit already. He came over as she was putting a roast in the oven demanding she open the door none to kindly.
"Having a wizard over!? I will not be having my future wife act like this!" He stomped his foot like a child and pushed her to the floor. She ended hitting her hands and side rather harshly as her body made a loud thump when it came into contact with the floor.
Bella scrambled to get up, "I was only being kind!" she defended herself.
He got right up in her face, "You will not do such acts again." He seethed. Tobias then proceeded to force her down again hard. Spitting out insults and threats he continued to do so untill she stayed down. After spitting on her floor he backed away and left, slamming her green door shut. By the end of the torment her hands were busted open and bleeding slightly. She was almost convinced her sides and back would be bruised from the force he put into each shove.
That wasn't very nice. She thought as she wiped her hands on her skirt trying to stay the bleeding if only a little. She went back into the kitchen and finished putting some finishing touches on some cakes when a knock sounded at the door. She completely forgot to wrap her hands.
Opening it she was greeted with the sight of a very angry looking dwarf that tattoos on his head, "Dwalin. At yer service." He inclined his head, "Are ye Belladonna Baggins?"
"Yes that is me! Belladonna Baggins at your service Master Dwarf. Do come in! I have some cookies and scones set out already." She bowed.
He walked in the smial. Shucking off his pack and larger weapons he dropped them on the floor and they landed with a loud thump. He hung his cloak on a long row of coat hooks. Bella lead him into the dining area, "Just out of curiosity how many of you will there be?"
"Twelve more lass." He grumbled. He looked at her and furrowed his brow, "What 'appened to yer hand?"
"My hand?" She brought up her hand to inspect them, "Oh...I fell…" She sighed. There was broken skin on her hands and a thin trail of blood on her left hand.
"I know what a fall looks like. That ain't it." The dwarf said, "What 'appened?"
Bella hid her hands behind her, "I fell Master Dwalin." She then turned to clean her hand.
"Who pushed ye?" By the way she froze Dwalin guessed he hit the nail on the head.
She froze, "No one." Another knock sounded, "That's the door!"
"Balin, at your service." An old dwarf informed her the moment she opened the door.
"Come in! You are the second to arrive." She smiled kindly. Opening the door widely he stepped in and went to Dwalin.
After greeting one another (Belladonna gasped when she saw them butt heads) the Hobbit left to go check on things. Dwalin's eyes flickered to Bella's retreating form and back to Balin's face, "She's been hurt brother." He told him in Khuzdul.
Balin looked astonished, "Are you sure?"
"Aye." He said grimly. Then he remembered something, "Does the name 'Belladonna' sound familiar to you?"
"I think I've heard it from Thorin when he was talking to a messenger." Balin responded.
"You know Thorin?" A head of honey curls popped in the room. Bella walked into the room with a dishcloth in her hands.
Dwalin looked at her, "Aye, that we do. How do you know who he is."
"Oh...um...We've met before and he is a dear friend of mine." The Hobbit blushed. She gathered her skirt up in her hand but winced, "Drat. I forgot about that." Bella looked at her hands.
"Let me see your hands lass." Balin requested. Belladonna held her hands out and the old dwarf looked them over, "How did you get these? It must have took a lot of force or this was repeated."
"He did…" The lass mumbled.
"Who did?" Dwalin asked not all to kindly. He didn't fancy lasses getting hurt.
Bella was quick to reassure nothing had happened and no one injured her. But she was fooling no one, "I'm going to take care of my hands after everything has been set."
A doorbell prevented the dwarves from questioning her further. Bella rushed over and opened it.
"Fili-" A young, blond dwarf stated.
"-and Kili." A merry looking burnet finished.
"At your service." They concluded with a short bow.
The Hobbit smiled, "Belladonna Baggins at yours, do come in!" She opened the door wider for the two to come in.
"Dwalin!" Kili shouted. He hurried over to the warrior to give him a big hug.
"Alright laddie, set yer 'tuff down an' come on in an' let's help Mrs. Baggins set this 'tuff in th' dinin' room." Kili did as was asked quickly and headed followed Dawlin into the kitchen to aid with the relocating of dishes.
"You don't have to do that!" Bella shouted.
"Just let them lass. Go bandage your hands." Balin advised.
Bella nodded and hurried away to take care of her injured hands. She came back out of her room with a clean white bandage wrapped around her left hand and her right was washed. As she was about to go into the kitchen to see if anyone needed more help with the relocation of dishes when the door. The hobbit walked over with a jump in her step. As she went to open the door a group of dwarves fell onto her floor. Gandalf was standing behind all of them enjoying Belladonna's astonished gasp.
"Get off me!" One of them wheezed
"Nughhh" That didn't sound good
"Bombur! GET OFF!" Bella was starting think Bombur was the fat one on top of everyone.
"I think I'm in Mahal's Halls." The last comment got some laughter.
Fili wandered in, "What are all you doing on the floor?"
"We fell." A dwarf with a very interesting hat stated. He wormed his was out of all the dwarves, " The name's Bofur, and that's Bifur. At your service lass." He pointed out a dwarf with dark hair that was covered with thick silver streaks. Bella was shocked to see an axe embedded in his forehead. They then took of their cloaks and hung them up.
"Gloin. At your service." Then there was Oin and Bombur. Lastly there was Nori, Ori, and Dori. After introducing themselves then took of all their cloaks and heavy weapons and hung them up on the coat rack.
"Well I'm Belladonna Baggins. Please do come in! Let's see if the rest of your group has finished arranging the dining room and transporting dishes." She smiled and led them into the dining room. The other four have finished moving around the furniture. Bella did a quick head count and realized, "Where is your thirteenth member?"
"He is late. He traveled north to meeting of our kin." Dwalin stated.
"Oh well I should probably set some food aside for him."
"Wise idea lass." Dori stated. Bella nodded and got to her foodstuffs that were sitting on the table. After performing some mild acrobatics and narrowly dodging food several times, she finally got some food for the missing member. The dwarves stared at the wide variety of stews, roasts, sides, desserts, and appetizers.
Diner was a mass feast of food, drink, throwing food, and song. The dwarves were a merry people from what Belladonna gathered from this experience. But even with all of the merry making that was going on, Bella could do without all of the food throwing. Not to mention the treatment of her mother's pottery.
"Put that down!" She had squeaked when she saw someone trying to move more furniture. Several times she saw burping contests. The use of her dollies as dish cloths. Fighting over food that resulted in one dwarf shouting insults in their language. Bombur was eating whole cheese rolls to himself.
"Excuse me, I am at a loss of what to do with my plate." Ori said.
Just then Fili walked by, "Hand it over here Ori." The dwarf handed over the plate to the blond, "Kili! Catch!" The other brother caught the plate and tossed it into the kitchen. Bella squeaked and ran after her plate.
"Please don't do that! That's my mother's Westfarthing Pottery! It's over a hundred years old!" There was the clanging of knives on knives and forks on forks, "Don't do that, you'll blunt them."
"Ya 'ere that lads? She thinks we'll blunt them!"
Kili opened his mouth.
Blunt the knives, bend the forks,
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Belladonna Baggins hates
Cut the cloth, trail the fat,
Leave the bones on the bedroom matt
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
And when you've finished if they are whole
Send them down the hall to roll!
That's what Belladonna Baggins hates
Other dwarves joined in, they brought out instruments and more song lyrics. Plates soared, leaving a hobbit to run around and try to rescue them. As she was about to put a stop to this song she shoved her way into the kitchen.
What she was greeted with was a sight. There sat her plates, bowls, and various utensils stacked and clean. They all started to laugh due to the silly expression on her face. The lass started to join them when a knock sounded at the door.
"He's here." Gandalf informed rather lugubriously.
With a smile still on her face Bella went to the door, "Hello I'm-" She gasped.
