Gandalf asked him for some light and the tale began, the kind he liked the most, about lost kingdoms. In this case mountain kingdom, it was expected, these were dwarves after all.
But then a beast was mentioned. Bilbo asked what beast, there was more than one beast in Middle Earth, and dwarves thought he was so ignorant that he doesn't know what a dragon is.
Dwarves got loud and feisty turning on Gandalf to tell them how many dragons have he killed. As they got too loud Bilbo tried to calm them with his weak please but then Thorin got up on his feet and silenced them all in instance with might of his voice. The strength that was felt in his voice since he came in rolled out in full strength filling the room with his presence. Bilbo watched loud dwarves as they listened to Thorin's words submissively.
"Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or we size this chance to take back Erebor?" he said and got a roar in reply. Bilbo himself could feel the calling in his gut to follow them through, their will was strong, and their story had captured his imagination.
After Gandalf took out the key to the mountain like a magic trick there was hope around the table and Bilbo wished them luck.
Bilbo looked at the map over Thorin's shoulder trying to picture the road that was represented by a simple line. In the world nothing was simple.
"An expert, I'd imagine" said Bilbo absently about their needed burglar.
"And are you?" question is thrown back at him and he was startled.
"Who, me? No, no, no" he defended himself. "I never stole a thing in my life."
Dwarves started to rally again and Bilbo agreed with them wholeheartedly. He was a gentle folk, no one who could do such preposterous thing like going away to meet the dragon. But then Gandalf stood growing tall, darkening the room and all got silenced, even Bilbo.
"If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is" he said with such surety that Bilbo himself fell into doubt. Gandalf continued to explain his advantages as a burglar sounding like he's saying something wise and truthful "he has a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself" he concluded and Bilbo was taken aback by that token of trust. Could he do such grand thing?
"No, no, no" he remembered what was normal and continued to defend himself as Thorin agreed with what Gandalf was suggesting.
"Please" he pleaded from them to be sane, didn't just Thorin called him a grocer a moment ago, they should go back to that. But as the rest of this crazy evening things rolled out their way and Thorin practically hit him with their contract. As contract fell into his hands Bilbo started to read it. He was a skilled reader so he quickly got to small letters. He wouldn't sign anything he didn't read through, although he won't be signing this.
Contract seemed to be written fair enough until Bilbo reached disclaimers. They rejected any responsibility for possible injuries. The words were long, those were the words that were rarely heard even in stories.
"Lacerations… eviscerations… incineration" it went one after another and with each word Bilbo could picture his body covered in blood, wounds, burns and fire. He felt like all air had left the room.
Picture of the furnace with wings that's coming on him didn't help. He tried to fight the faint that was coming but last words he had heard was a pile of ash.
Next thing he was waking up in his chair with Gandalf hovering over him. Cup of tea was handed to him and he felt so small and weak. They all saw that and none of dwarves was in sight, at least they knew now where his place was. Only Gandalf remained persistent trying to make his life seem small and unworthy.
"The world is not in your books and maps" he said thing Bilbo knew. "It's out there" so was death and pain.
He tried to play on Bilbo's Took side.
"All good stories deserve embellishment" Bilbo agreed with that but beyond all embellishment there was a real danger out there where end is not certain nor guarantied.
"Can you promise I will come back" Bilbo cut through the story to the essential thing that all books had in them, a hero that would live to tell the story, without him the story is like it never was.
Of course he couldn't, nobody could offer that kind of promise and stay truthful.
"You've got the wrong Hobbit" he said calmly and with determination. He's been saying it the whole evening but now he was serious and unfaltering. With that he withdrew to his room waiting for dwarves to be on their way going in their adventure that leads them into the dragon lair.
His house cracked with activity and Bilbo sat on his bed listening feeling utterly small and unprotected. It was like walls of Bag End had disappeared and he was left standing on the open lain exposed for any dragon that will come by.
Like that he was ambushed by a low murmur of dwarfish singing. It was different than a mocking song they made for him earlier. It had sadness hidden within, loss and beauty. Bilbo's heart ached from their pain but he just wasn't strong enough, brave enough, tall enough, and fierce enough. He just wished they would leave soon. They had ruined his confidence, hopefully he will regain it in time. With that he fell asleep. In his dreams he was running, the wings were spread but he wasn't afraid because Thorin's voice echoed around covering dragon's roar.
Bilbo wake up suddenly as Thorin face turned to him in his dream looking enraged.
The sun was in his eyes and for a moment he couldn't remember why had he fell asleep in his clothes without a blanket. A smell of smoke was in the air and a thin line of smoke was lifting from his pipe. He remembered and got up quickly and quietly moving around his house like a stranger searching for intruders.
Soon it was evident that he was alone once again and for a brief moment he was satisfied with that but in a moment after that he felt a silence of his home as heavy coat on his shoulders. Was it always this quiet? Nothing moved. His gaze fell upon the contract. There, on the paper stood his name signed as an invitation.
"Thorin, son of Thrain" it said like it was said out lout and he could picture his face as he examined Bilbo.
Bilbo looked up suddenly feeling the strike of madness, of pure spite and determination.
Could he? Could he be that crazy Hobbit? More so could he be the burglar? Could he travel with Thorin Oakenshield like he's a brave man, worthy one?
He threw one look at his quiet and still home before he took the pen to sign his name after Thorin's. When that was done there was no doubt left in Bilbo. It was official, their names were on the same piece of paper and with that Bilbo pledged to partake in their adventure with all he had to offer. He'll see was the wizard correct to take him for a burglar. For now there was a pressing need to pack before they all got too far ahead to catch up with them.
Luckily as the dwarves packed someone left a gear by the door. Bilbo just put everything in his bag and with running pace went out of his safe home. He was running breathlessly not caring about neighbours, politeness, or tardiness, he got to make it on time. He didn't even noticed when he jumped over the last hedge that separated Shire from the world, there were dwarves ahead that he needed to catch.
"Wait, wait" he yelled as he caught up with them. "I signed it" he waved the contract like that little signature erases all inadequacies there were on him for this quest. Balin inspected it with his looking glass like he's trying to find a mistake in Bilbo's spelling his name.
Bilbo looked at Gandalf and Thorin as he waited. Gandalf looked comfortingly pleased. Thorin looked less comforting, but here he was, contract was signed and accepted.
"Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield" said Balin kindly.
"Give him a pony" yelled Thorin without ceremony with his raw voice.
Bilbo tried to fight against it but like all his protests so far it was met by crude efficiency as he was lifted and seated on a pony.
It was an uncomfortable way to travel. But he was preoccupied by current discomforts to think of a bigger picture. Even worse, he forgot his handkerchief. What he was offered instead could be insight in what discomforts were ahead, but he was a determined Hobbit. He may not be as strong as a dwarf, or tall, nor he's skilled fighter, but he was a determined man, once he made a decision he would follow it through no matter the cost.
With that he lifted his gaze looking ahead. Thorin sat in his saddle like he did everything else so far, with dignity and grace. Bilbo looked at his back and didn't look behind.
Do share your opinion. Buttons for review are down there :)