Chapter 2

First of all I would like to thank everyone who has followed and favourite this story!
sorry for the short chapter but enjoy.

Dawn glided over middle earth, and a layer of mist settled in the morning gloom. Most of the dwarves began to stir and wake; fresh morning dew layered the lush green rolling hills of the shire. A dwarrowdam was leaning on the picketed fence of bag-end admiring the simple life of the shire folk. She sighed sigh of content closing her eyes as the wind caressed her porcelain skin. Whips of hair whisked out of her unkempt braid. She sighed, and pulled the brown lock into her hand and undid the silver clasp. She trailed her fingers down her hair and her hair fell from its loose braid. She shook her head, her hair turning into a mane of brown slightly curled hair that reached her waist.

She opened her eyes, revealing giant emerald orbs. She turned to head back into the hobbit hole when she noticed a figure staring back at her.

"Thorin" she said with a nod whilst striding past him in a regal manner.

Thorin nodded in reply, and headed over to the tied up ponies and began to fill the packs.

Tris opened the round green door, and a heavenly aroma of sizzling bacon hit her nose. She brined when she saw a familiar large ginger Dwarf cooking away in the hobbits kitchen. She glanced around and saw the little hobbit was nowhere to be seen, she shrugged and sat beside Bofur and Bifur whom were idly sat smoking on their pipes. She then rummaged into her own bag and produced a similar looking object. She put some tobaccos in the chamber at the end and lit it a fire.

She went into a peaceful trance, the crackling of the fire and bacon soothing her mind.

Tris suddenly snapped out of it when a plate filled with bacon and eggs was sent next to her. The scent of the bacon was taunting her, so she hastily picked up the plate and wolfed it down without much thought releasing a belch once she cleared the plate. Looking up she saw all the Dwarfs staring at her. She looked around, and wondered what was wrong.

"Is everything alright lass?" Balin asked concerned.

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine" Tris said smiling "Just daydreaming" she finished sighing.

Balin nodded and mumbled something to Dwalin, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. But truthfully she wasn't sure how she felt, her tummy had been doing summersaults all morning.

Thorin came in a gruffly and sat beside Tris and eating his share of bacon, nodding approvingly to Bombur. He then turned his attention to Lady Trissella.

"So, you're coming with us then" He asked, Trissella thought she heard a tone of concern in his gruff voice.

"Aye" She nodded and looked at Balin who nodded in return.

"Do you deem it wise to come; you are a dwarrowdam after all…." Thorin was cut off by an angered dwarrowdam.

"I am a warrior am I not, I am the Shield-maiden of Ered Luin master Dwarf. And I have just a much right to go on this quest as you do!" she stormed out of the hobbit hole.

"Maybe it's her time of the month" Kili suggested earning a well-deserved nudge by Fili.

Thorin glared at the duo, "It's time to leave, whether master Baggins comes with us or not." His pupils turned black as if he was possessed by something as he said "We have enough liabilities on this quest as it is."

Soon the Dwarves were all saddling upon their ponies, and head out to the forest of the shire, heading to the town of Bree. Tris sighed "Shouldn't we wait for our hobbit?"

"He is not our Hobbit" Thorin snapped "He's a coward, a waste of our time" Thorin ranted on and Tris rolled her eyes. The dwarves carried on riding their ponies and Gandalf on his horse, down a path through a wooded area. A few words of their conversation are heard, including "waste of time" and "use a hobbit".

Tris heard rustling and yelling in the distance and halted her pony. And Thorin glanced back to see why she had stopped. He noticed a hobbit running full speed at them.

"Wait! Wait" Bilbo cried he was running so fast that he didn't have time to stop and collided with Tris' horse making it jolt slightly.

He bounced back up and dusted himself, before continuing.

"I signed it!" Bilbo said holding up the parchment in his hand proudly, handing it over to Balin.

Balin takes the contract and inspects it with a pocket-glass. He then smiles at Bilbo.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin smiled.

Tris and the dwarves cheer, Thorin doesn't look too impressed and folded his arms across his chest in annoyance.

"Give him a pony." Thorin huffed unimpressed.

"No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I-I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I- I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frog Morton once-WAGH!" Bilbo's speech is cut off as two of the dwarves ride alongside him and pick him up from behind to put him on a pony. Tris erupted into a laughing fit looking at the trio. Even Thorin had a smile, watching Tris' eyes light up and music coming from her mouth.

The whole company went silent when they heard booming laughter erupt form Thorin. Soon they all joined in, Dwalin even gave a light hearted whack on the back of Bilbo back.

Bilbo chuckled nervously; riding a pony and looking quite terrified. The pony neighs and tosses its head, making him quite uncomfortable.

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on." Oin chuckled

Nori tosses a sack of money to Oin; sacks of money begin passing between the dwarves.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Oin yelled laughing.

All the dwarves laugh and joke catching the money bags that were being thrown about.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked

"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." Gandalf explained chuckling as Thorin threw a velvet pouch of coins to Tris.

"What did you think?" eyeing the bags up.

"Hmmm." Gandalf said watching as Ori was preparing to throw a pouch to him

Gandalf catches a sack of money tossed to him and hastily puts it in his bag.

"My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." Gandalf chuckled patting his bag.

Bilbo sneezes loudly, Tris sent him a sympathetic look.

"Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction." Bilbo groaned

Bilbo searches his pockets for his handkerchief. He is unable to find it, and he looks up in shock.

"No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around." He cried

The entire company comes to a halt, and the dwarves start objecting and asking what the problem is. "What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked

"I forgot my handkerchief." Bilbo yelled

Bofur tears a strip of cloth from his clothing and tosses it to Bilbo.

"Here! Use this." Bofur said happily

Bilbo catches the rag and looks at it in disgust. The dwarves laugh and begin to continue their journey; Tris looked at the poor Hobbit and sighed. She rummaged into her pack and produced a white silk handkerchief, with a daffodil pattern stitched onto it. She then steered her pony to the sniffling Hobbit and handed her handkerchief to him.

"Here" She said noting that her voice sounded somewhat like Thorins she cleared her throat.

Bilbo beamed up at her and stared down at her handiwork.

"You made this?" He asked

"Yes" She smiled

"Thank you" Bilbo said

"You'll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead." Gandalf said not seeing the transaction between the two.

Home is behind, the world ahead Bilbo thought.