Starting Over
Some weeks later a reply came, delivered to Thorin at the forge, he waited impatiently for the afternoon to pass, glancing at the letter many times, so very glad that Bilbo replied. He prayed to Mahal that the hobbit would remember and give them another chance. He prayed that he would get the chance to apologise. In the mean time he worked on a set of small throwing knives, if Bilbo joined, Thorin would not have him weaponless and if, in his heart, he made them with a different intent, no one need ever know.
Finally Fíli and Kíli arrived from the training grounds, where they were working with Dwalin to improve their already impressive skills. They wanted to be a little more versatile with different weapons this time around. The guard seemed delighted that the lads wanted to expand their expertise, he distrusted a warrior that used only one type of weapon and so, pushed the lads as hard as they would go.
The two lads looked so tired, he hoped that the letter in his coat would give them some respite. He missed their smiles, he even missed the pranks.
Closing the forge took little time and soon the three were entering the small house they shared. Dís would be home late tonight, her meetings often ran later into the evening and this one threatened to be later than most.
When he put the letter on the table the air in the kitchen changed, became tinged with anticipation. Wanting to get their meal out of the way the three moved around the kitchen and each other in a well choreographed dance. Food eaten, dishes done and pipes filled Thorin gave the letter to Fíli to read aloud.
Fíli and Kíli.
Tell that stone-headed* Uncle of yours that you three will stay here. I will tolerate no arguments to this.
Dwarrow travelling from both Ered Luin and the Blue Mountains would have to pass through Hobbiton on their way to Bree. Best use the Green Dragon Inn, here, for the Company to gather. This way no dwarrow will have to retrace their travels to get to Bag End.
Your mother is quite capable of running the Hall without your help, so I expect you here, at least the two of you, inside the month. It's up to Thorin if he joins you or not, the parting was hard, so don't push him. Not yet.
Let's start as we mean to go on with. This time we need to be official, meet with the Thain, etc., but we can work that out when you get here.
Hurry up, lads!
Tea is at 4, don't bother knocking.
Bilbo.
"He remembers!" Kíli whooped.
"Can we, Uncle? Please?" Fíli pleaded.
"Please?" They both begged, together.
"Yes. You can go, lads. I'll talk to your mother tonight. I can't come yet, I have to meet with the Ri and Ur brothers first, but once that's done I'll join you." Thorin didn't realize how much weight just knowing Bilbo remembered had removed from his shoulders.
"For now, start getting your things together. We'll try and get you away some time tomorrow."
"Where are they going? Where are you sending my sons?" Dís said as she entered the kitchen. The lads disappeared quickly, if they started packing maybe Amad wouldn't argue too hard with Uncle. Maybe.
"Hobbiton, my naná. The Hobbit that Gandalf recommended to us, has offered to allow us to use his home as a base, the boys will assist him in organising whatever the Company needs. He has suggested that we use the Green Dragon Inn for the members of the Company to gather in, before meeting at his home. However he would like the boys and myself to stay with him, as he feels that we need to present a unified leadership. You know that most dwarrow are slow to accept outsiders, but we cannot afford for the Hobbit to feel this way, he must be accepted within the Company from the very beginning. Having him relaxed and comfortable with the lads and myself, will go a long way with others."
"Hmm."
"They are looking forward to seeing him. Let them go, sister."
"Why? Why are they looking forward to it?"
"Because they're a pair of curious little dwarflings."
"Hey! That's not fair." Fíli pouted as he hurried passed the door with an armful of weapons.
"To open his home to the unknown after one letter-"
"And the recommendation of the wizard." Kíli put in as he passed the door carrying their travel packs.
"Yes. Thank you, Kíli. And the recommendation of a wizard. Is this normal for Hobbits?"
"No, sister. Hobbits welcome outsiders less than we do."
"So?, he is a remarkable hobbit."
"Quite so." Thorin changed the subject, he and his nephews had decided that they would not tell Dís that their dreams were not dreams, but rather that the three of them had somehow been transported back, back in time inside their own minds and bodies, to undertake their Quest again. He didn't want to lie to her, so a change of subject was essential. The letter went into his pocket, he wouldn't put it past Dís to snoop.
The brothers were packed to their mother's satisfaction by mid-morning, three times she'd emptied their packs, three times she'd made them start again. Finally they were ready, packs on ponies, weapons close at hand, they hugged their mother and uncle before mounting their ponies, their smiles were back in full force. They waved and were away. Thankful of a mild winter, Thorin watched the lads until they were lost to the winding mountain road, the place would dreadfully quiet without them.
They left their ponies at the Green Dragon's stable yard and shouldered their packs and began to walk. Crossing the little bridge they made their way up Bagshot Row and around the corner to Bag End. Both dwarrow were nervous as they reached the gate in front of the oh-so familiar and welcome round green door.
They both took a deep breath at the top of the steps.
"He said don't bother knocking, but…." Kíli started.
"Mother would skin us if we didn't." Fíli continued, lifting a hand to knock.
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound rang through the smial.
"Coming." Bilbo's voice grumbled. Fíli and Kíli looked at each other and nodded, no words needed.
The door swung open.
"Fíli."
"And Kíli."
"At your service, Master Baggins."
"Boys."
Bilbo got no further before he was sandwiched in a hug between the two brothers.
"Oh, my boys, my boys. Come in, come in." He laughed.
They were as ready as they were going to be. The cold meats were cut and packaged, the roasts were in, as were the vegetables, they would be ready by tea time. Bilbo and the lads had spent most of the last few days cooking, some biscuits and cakes, but mainly traveling food. The rangers had given him the recipe and after a little bit of experimentation he and Kíli had worked out something that tasted quite good and still lasted.
He'd sent the lads to see that the ponies were ready for the morning and to meet Thorin, even though he'd been to Bag End before, it had been dark and Bilbo was sure he was still going to get lost. The dwarf king had no sense of direction above-ground. And of course, he didn't want any of them seeing him confront Gandalf, that wouldn't be a pretty sight.
Glancing at the clock, Bilbo realised it was nearly eleven. Time for the blasted wizard.
The wizard wandered his way up Bagshot Row to Bag End, spying a hobbit sitting in the front garden, smoking, he stopped and looked. Hmm… There was something amiss, but he wasn't quite sure what.
The hobbit seemed thinner, but at the same time more robust, more vital, it might have nearly ten years since he was in Hobbiton, but he'd recognise one of Belladonna's sons in a heartbeat. He was wearing calf length brown britches, a cream long-sleeved shirt with a mint-green cravat under a golden waistcoat, gleaming with brass buttons. Honey-golden locks seemed a little long and unruly, even for a hobbit, but his feet were neatly groomed. Hmm… Yes, something was definitely amiss.
But before Gandalf could work it out, the hobbit spoke.
"You're late, Gandalf." The was no inflection in the voice, no anger, surprise or irritation, it was just a statement of fact.
"A wizard is never late-" the wizard started.
"-nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Blah, blah, blah. Yes I know. I've heard it before."
Before? How could he have heard it before, I just made it up. Thought Gandalf.
"Not that it matters. You're still late. Now, get inside, I don't think you want an audience, do you?"
"Now, see here, Bilbo Baggi-"
"Now, Gandalf." Gandalf had never heard steel in a hobbit's voice before and it troubled him, what would cause a hobbit to be anything but gentle? He made his way in the gate, up the steps and in the door, totally unsure of what was about to happen.
"Hat. Staff." The hobbit held his hands out for the items and after taking them, placed them carefully out of the way.
"Kitchen."
Once in the kitchen the hobbit filled the teapot from a bubbling kettle and placed it on the table. He also placed a glass and a bottle of fire-whiskey on the table in front of the wizard. Gandalf's eyebrows raised. Fire-Whiskey? What in Mordor…?
"Fire-whiskey, Bilbo?" He asked as the hobbit poured dark amber liquid into the glass.
"Yes. You're going to need it." Again it was just a statement. Something was very wrong.
"Why do you say that?"
When the hobbit's control snapped, it was almost audible, his hands slapped down on the table and he leant towards the wizard. This wasn't anger. This wasn't rage. This was icy fury.
"Tell me, Gandalf. What part of Orcs do you find entertaining? Goblins, amusing? What about a Dragon? Gandalf, do you find Dragons laughable? Defacing my home, funny?" The hobbit's voice was beyond cold. Never before had a hobbit's voice contained so much emotion.
"Orcs? Goblins? Dragons? Bilbo, my boy, I don't know what you're talk-"
"Erebor, Gandalf," was snarled viciously at him.
"Oh." Oh, dear.
"Yes. Oh. How dare you risk the lives of hundreds of hobbits, Gandalf. What gives you the right? Huh?"
"Hundreds? Oh, no. Not hundreds. Just one. Just-"
"Just. Me. Me, Gandalf. I am The Baggins. Not just any Baggins. The Baggins. Do you know what that means, Gandalf?" the hobbit's voice never rose above polite volume, but the strength, the power, the anger in it was staggering.
"You are the Master of Bag End?"
"Do you have any idea what that means? How many people are dependent on me? Look to me for their livelihood? 57 families are under my care, Gandalf and you want me to risk them? For what? Your entertainment?!"
Gandalf rose to his feet, darkness drew in around him and the wizard seemed to get taller. Sterner. Harder. Stronger.
"Bilbo Bag-"
"Sit down, Olórin." Gandalf sat, stunned. He picked up the glass of fire-whiskey and downed in one swallow.
"How?" he was nearly speechless. How did the hobbit know his name, he'd left that name in Valinor when he sailed East to Arda.
"How do I know your name? How do I know what you planned? How do I know that you've not told the dwarrow that I wasn't aware of their coming? How do I know anything? I've been here before, Gandalf. And you, sir, have a lot to answer for. A lot."
"Before?"
"Before, Gandalf. You want Thorin Oakenshield to hire me as a burglar to steal the Arkenstöne from Smaug. You want me to face the Dragon. Give me a damn good reason why I should risk my people for you!" The last word was almost spat out.
"I didn't realise-"
"No, Gandalf. You didn't think. And that's your problem. You don't think. You see a big picture, but you focus on it so much that you can't see the little things. What were you expecting me to do? Run out the door? What about harvest? Planting? Rents? Maintenance? Taxes? Wages? Did you think about any of these? Ever, Gandalf? Even once? No. No, you didn't."
"I-"
"Oh, don't stress on it, Gandalf. I'm going on their Quest, but no because of you. Oh, no, you?, sir, you are going to do as you're told. As you're told, when you're told. For the most part I don't care what you do, but when I tell you something, you will listen. Now, you will go speak to the dwarrow, they're staying at the Green Dragon and you will tell them to be here for dinner at 8. And Gandalf? Leave the map and key here. Your attendance will not be welcome tonight. We will leave from the Green Dragon at an hour after dawn tomorrow. Be there."
With that Bilbo stood and bustled the wizard out the door.
"Oh and no defacing my property. If you want a sign, I'll put one up, but you keep you staff away from my door."
"Of course, Bilbo." Gandalf felt adrift. This had not gone the way he planned, this was definitely not the hobbit he expected to find.
Sindarin = (S) Quenya = (Q) Khuzdul = (K)
Naná = sister
Nadad = brother
Nadadith = little brother