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Chapter 2: The Journey Begins
Thorin and Hegda traveled towards the Shire for a few days. It was clear that they were getting close, hobbit homes appeared here and there. Thorin did not drop his guard for he did not fully trust Hegda. Something about her just didn't seem right but with her dragon slaying experience he choose to hide his distrust from her. He kept a close eye on her, never letting her out of his sight. She seemed to notice his glances. Every time their eyes met she flashed her creepy grin.
Hegda followed Thorin as they traveled. He never let her fall too far behind. If he couldn't see her out of the corner of his eye, he slowed down his pace and waited for her to catch up. Hegda watched the dwarf-king closely thinking to herself, "Thanks to my clever lies I am with this so called king on his quest to take what ultimately belongs to me. He thinks that he is so smart. He thinks he can guess what I am up to by never letting me out of his sight. What a fool! I will find out his plans but in the meantime my dragon spell shall be slowly seeping its way into his heart. By the time he reaches Erebor he will lust for the gold of above anything else. Then he will get sloppy and alienate everyone in his little party. That will be my opportunity to slay him and protect my fortune."
By nightfall they had finally entered the Shire. They were to meet Gandalf the Wizard at one of the Hobbit houses. They scouted around the little village looking for the correct house which wasn't easy since most of the well groomed houses looked the same. They were looking for a "thief's mark" on the burglar's door. Thorin was grateful for the full moon which make it easier to see in the dark.
Hegda seemed oddly amused that they could not find their destination. Thorin could see the slight grin on her face as though she thought of this as a game. He on the other hand was not amused. "Thorin, we've been going in circles for over an hour. This is getting ridiculous," Hegda complained, hoping to annoy him.
Becoming increasingly frustrated by her endless complaints Thorin said angrily, "Hegda if you complain one more time I will abandon you here to the mercy of the Hobbits. Now help me find this place!" He knew this would not scare her. No one could possibly be afraid of Hobbits. They were completely harmless and had the innocence of a child but with her constant annoying he could not think a better threat.
Hegda laughed, "The mighty King Thorin lost his way trying to find a simple Hobbit home! This is classic!"
When he turned around to yell she grinned her toothy grin and pointed to the hobbit home on her left, "We're here."
"What makes you think this is the right one?" he snarled, turning to look at it.
"Maybe it's just me but that seems to be the only door with strange markings on it."
Thorin read the markings. He recognized them immediately. They meant "burglar or expert treasure hunter wants a good job, plenty of excitement and a reasonable reward. Yes, this was the right place. He brushed passed her and knocked on the tiny door. It took a few minutes but soon Gandalf, an elderly, grey bearded wizard appeared at the door to greet them. Hegda let out a stifled laugh when she saw him. How utterly ridiculous he looked emerging from the small doorway.
"Gandalf" Thorin greeted the old wizard. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find," he continued as he stepped in and began to take off his cloak." I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."
"Which I spotted" Hegda chimed in, ducking as she walked through the door. The tiny occupant of the home, who Hegda guessed was a Hobbit, seemed frantic. She kept her attention on him for a minute. She was totally amused at his antics. She was even more amused that no one seemed to notice or care about what he was trying to say.
"Who might this be?" Gandalf asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"A dragon" Thorin started but Hegda cut in, "I'm Hegda Spearclaws, expert dragon slayer." Then looking at Thorin she said, "I can speak for myself dwarf."
"Expert dragon slayer?" Gandalf asked turning towards the dwarf, "Thorin you never said you would be hiring one. This is news to me."
"I did not hire her. She offered her services in return for adventure. She claims to have no desire for treasure. She seeks only the sport of killing a dragon." Thorin said only half believing it himself. "Don't worry Gandalf I have my eyes on her. If she tries to double cross us she will pay dearly."
Gandalf glanced sideways at Hegda but she just grinned, "Well then," he said walking off, "let's get to business shall we?"
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~JFDragonFire
