Gandalf rode into the Shire peacefully. All was well, as it had always been for the peaceful Halflings of Hobbiton. Whenever there was trouble, the Halflings always seemed to be involved, yet their land always remained undisturbed. As he pulled up to the Green Dragon, he was greeted by two familiar faces.
"Gandalf!" Merry called out cheerfully.
"Wanna pint?" Pippin asked.
"Hello little Shirelings. Is all well?"
"Yes, it is quite boring here, to be honest. I miss risking my neck and killing orcs."
"Oooh! Let's have Elevenses together! We can have more beer. I have fresh mushrooms!"
"Squeeeeeeee!"
Gandalf lit his pipe and puffed on it a few times. It seemed unusually quiet. It was, in fact, eerily quiet. He frowned slightly, but did not speak up thinking that perhaps it just felt calm compared to the past year. Inside the Green Dragon, Merry and Pippin led a song.
"I feel pretty," Pippin belted.
"Oh, so pretty," Merry added happily.
"I feel pretty, and witty, and gay!"
"And I pitty"
"Any girl that isn't me today"
"Lalalalala lalalalala," others began to join in.
"See the pretty girl in the mirror there!"
"What mirror? Where?"
"Such a pretty face!"
"Such a pretty smile!"
"Such a pretty dress!"
"Such a pretty me!"
"Lalalalala lalalalala!"
"For I'm loved by a pretty wonderful boy!" a blonde man drinking a martini finished.
"O...k..." Pippin
said nervously. Merry dropped a pile of money on the counter and
they both left the Green Dragon. Gandalf stood outside and raised
his eyebrows as they emerged. Pippin motioned towards Bag End and
ran inside. Sam stood in the kitchen washing dishes and humming
along to a tune, "I see a little silhouetto
of a man,
Scaramouche, scaramouche will you do the fandango... Oh,
hi guys,"
Gandalf bowed his head underneath the ceiling and walked inside. He sat down in a turquoise lounge chair and once again began to smoke his pipe. Pippin and Merry ran into the kitchen and raided the cupboards for delicious food items. Inside were several cans full of fruits, as well as a bowl of mushrooms, tea bags and a jar of cookies. Pippin grabbed the cookies and shoved three into his mouth before settling down in a second lounge chair. Merry, however, peered into several other cupboards before finding a jar of pickled cucumbers. "So Gandalf, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I just wanted to come and see an old friend,"
"We just met like a year ago!"
"Okay then, a good friend,"
"Oh."
"Anyways, have any of you seen a dragon lately?"
"Nope,"
"I don't believe so, but I wish I did, I could have slit its throat."
"Not when I was sober."
"Too bad, I was hoping that I could find Eragon,"
"I thought you said there were no dragons left in Middle Earth,"
"There weren't... well, except Smaug, but he stays in his cave after the...incident. Anyway, there is a dragon from another continent on our planet called Algaesia. He is here to prove his worth to the world so that he may return home. I have not yet met him, but I look forward to it. He must be a very powerful sorcerer to have tamed a dragon."
Gandalf put his pipe in his coat and crouched towards the exit. He bid the three hobbits good day and left, as quietly as he had come. Where was this magical juggernaut, and was he going to harm Middle Earth? Did he have the skills to rule over the entire land mass? What type of quest was this mystery man on? All of these questions popped in and out of Gandalf's head, causing him much trouble. Finally, he came to a decision. He would pay a visit to the elves of the woodland realm.
