Bryn had been an outcast for years, but the looks she got as she walked through the Shire still shocked her. Surely the Took's reputation wasn't all that bad. Her brother, Bilbo Baggins, was respectable in all ways, and never got treated differently. His father had been a Baggins and Bilbo insisted on acting like a Baggins.
With short, curly, reddish blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she was fairly pretty, but her Tookish nature kept any possible suitors away.
Bryn was different. She had always loved a good adventure, and the tales Old Took had told all the young hobbits fascinated her. At first, Bilbo and her could go deep into the woods near the Shire, and search freely for elves and trolls. No one thought much of it. But then Bilbo had changed. He didn't want adventures anymore, and surely didn't want to bring the family name any more dishonor.
Bryn snorted, and stuck her tongue out at the Sacksville Bagginsess home. She had no love left in her for those poor hobbits. They had been so cruel to her brother and her when they were children. They had done things any Took relative would have loved. They had crawled into the flowerbed and pretended to fight trolls with flower swords.
Let's just say the Sacksvilles didn't find joy in the destruction of their flower bed.
Bryn opened the front gate to her brother's dwelling, cringing as the gate squeaked. Tiptoeing past his bench and mailbox, she slowly opened the round green door. The familiar smell of fresh-baked bread and grilled fish greeted her. She could hear Bilbo humming in the kitchen, a sound that she had sorely missed during her visit in Bree.
She had been in Bree for a year, working in the Prancing Pony Inn. She had met travelers from near and far, and was regaled with tales that only drunken men would share. And she had had the pleasure of kicking out the drunken men after they refused to pay for room and board.
''Bilbo!'' She called, putting her walking stick in the corner and hanging up her brown jacket.
The humming stopped, and she heard a pan rattle into the sink. ''Bryn! I'm so glad you're here.'' Her brother walked into the parlor, pulling her into one of his rare hugs. He had grown an inch since she was gone, and his curly ginger hair was a little longer.
''I missed you so much.'' She squeezed him tighter, letting herself relax in her brother's arms. ''You've done so much to the place.'' She forced herself out of his grasp, and looked around at the hobbit-hole. It had several new additions to the parlor, and there was an old rocker of aunt Sofie's in the corner.
''Not that much really, just the things our relatives give me when they pass away.'' Bilbo smiled at her warmly, and after a few more shared words he led her into the dining room.
''This is a lot of room for one hobbit. Do you have parties here often?'' Bryn sat down at the end of the table, watching as her older brother brought his breakfast over.
''No, not really. I yearn for peace and quiet more than parties. Have you eaten second breakfast?''
Bryn froze up for a moment. Second breakfast? Then all of it returned to her. She had gotten accustomed to three meals a day instead of eight. Not wanting to cause him trouble she just nodded and smiled.
Bilbo sighed and took a bite of cod and eggs, an unusual but delicious meal. Bryn studied her brother's face. He had changed. He looked peaceful and content with his life in the Shire, the desire for adventure had left him, and she was not going to be able to get him back to action.
''How was, Bree?'' Bilbo asked tentatively, not looking at her as he spoke. He had a look of discomfort on his face, and it was clear that the thought of adventure did not appeal to him anymore.
''It was amazing! I met so many new people, I even saw a small group of elves heading to the gray havens.'' Bryn watched his face, delight filling her at the excited look on his face.
''That sounds really, fun, Bryn. I'm happy for you.'' He smiled warmly, but the look of discomfort never left his face. He truly was a different hobbit.
"You really don't want to come with me? It could be an, adventure.'' Bilbo looked at her sadly, his walking stick and pack on hand.
"A wedding is not an adventure Bilbo. An adventure is filled with trolls and elves. And amazingly, I think I've had my fill of adventures for a lifetime." Bryn replied, crossing her arms across her chest. He was leaving again. This had been why she had gone to Bree. Every time they wanted to be brother and sister together, Bagginses called upon him to come to a wedding, or to see a new baby boy. No more adventures were going to separate her from him again.
''If you look at it like it's an adventure, it will be better. I want you to come with me. They won't ignore you.'' Her brother took her hand, his eyes pleading with her.
She frowned, and put her hands behind her back, balancing on her toes. "No, you're right. I won't be ignored, I'll be treated differently. Ever since last year.."
Bilbo sighed, and turned away from her, looking out the window. It was a bright sunny day, and Bryn was eager for Bilbo to be off so that she could relax with a little tobi in the sun. ''I'll be off then. Bye Bryn.''
''Farewell Master Baggins.'' Bryn called after him as he left, watching his receding form fade into nothingness. The wedding was across the water, and she knew that only a wedding or a Baggins thing would get him to leave his hobbit hole. "Unless he died.'' She said aloud, feeling as free as a bird as she sped through the house, remembering how her and Bilbo had played among their parents chairs. She weaved through the quiet house, wanting to burst with new found happiness as she opened up her brother's tobacco pouch.
She smiled and took his pipe and some of the longbottom leaf, lighting the pipe before she headed out the front door, closing the green round door as she left. Humming to herself she walked along the stone pathway, the stones barely bothering her bare feet. She had often found it odd how other folk had narrow slim feet. Not the useful wide durable feet of hobbits. She vaguely heard a staff smack on the stone path, but didn't have the mind to care. She took a deep breath and immediately started coughing, smoke had floated right into her face and now that she thought about it, the tobacco did smell rather awful when burned.
Opening her eyes she saw a very odd person. He had on gray robes, and held a long wooden staff in his weathered hands. She waited for him to continue on his way, but as he seemed reluctant to leave, she figured she should at least try to act like a normal hobbit.
''Good morning.'' She said, looking at the pipe before frowning and sticking it back in her mouth.
''What do you mean good 'morning'?'' The old man replied, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, and she pursed her lips, wanting more than anything to remember the old man's name. ''Do you mean to say that it is a good morning, or that it is good whether I like it or not, or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on? Hmmm?'' The old man raised an eyebrow at her, and Bryn's jaw dropped open in shock. Who was this man?
''All of them at once, I suppose.'' She replied, looking down the path to see if he could possibly be waiting for someone.
''Hmmm. I was hoping Bilbo would be here but I suppose you will do.'' He voiced, his words starting to sound very ominous and intriguing.
''I will do for what?'' She asked, standing up so she could see him better.
''I'm looking for someone to share on an, adventure.'' He raised his other eyebrow, obviously seeing the way he perked up at her expression.
''An adventure?'' Bryn wanted to know what the adventure was about, but honestly wanted nothing more than time with her brother. He had left her in charge of Bagg End, and she intended on staying where he had left her. Maybe then he'd see that adventures were not all she wanted. '''No. Adventures? Here?'' Bryn faked a look of disbelief, she may be a Took, but she was also a Baggins. She walked over to Bilbo's mailbox, taking out the mail and seeing with a smile that it all was for her brother. ''Nasty, dirty things. They'll make you late for dinner."
Bryn chuckled, and flipped through the mail once again, mumbling to herself as she did.
The old man mumbled to himself, eyeing the door oddly.
Bryn glanced up at him and put the mail in the crook of her arm, taking the pipe out of her mouth. ''Well, good morning.'' She quickly rushed up the steps to the door, stopping as the man spoke again.
''To think that I lived long enough to be good morninged by Belladonna Took's daughter, as if I was selling buttons at the door. My goodness you have changed Bryn Baggins, and not entirely for the better.'' He frowned, and nodded his head as if making a serious decision.
''I'm sorry, but do I know you?'' Bryn had a feeling she knew this man, and it was killing her not to know who he was.
''Well you know my name, but you may not remember that I belong to it. I'm Gandalf, and Gandalf means...?'' Gandalf paused, waiting for some sign of recognition from her. ''Me.''
Bryn racked her mind, and it clicked. ''Not Gandalf the Gray, the wizard who makes such incredible fireworks? Old Took used to have them on midsummer eve.'' Bryn put the pipe back in her mouth, mumbling around it, ''I had no idea you were still in business.'' She snorted, and put the pipe in the crook of her arm, watching as Gandalf's face turned from happy to frustrated.
''And where else should I be?"
Bryn snorted and gestured around with her brother's pipe, thinking that he should probably be somewhere far away from here.
Gandalf nodded again, and looked down at his staff before looking at her again. ''Well then. It is decided. It will be very good for you, and most entertaining for me.'' Bryn opened her mouth but the wizard continued, looking at the house with confidence. ''I will inform the others.''
Bryn balked, and pointed around her with the pipe, feeling like a deer surrounded by hunters. ''No… No, we don't want any adventures here. Not now, not ever. I suggest you try, under the hill, or over the water.'' Bryn gestured around her once more, then ran into the hobbit-hole, calling another rushed good morning before she closed the door.
As she leaned against the door, mulling over the last five minutes, she heard a scratching on her brother's newly painted, green, round door. She rushed over to the window, finding it quite hard to see out of the stained glass. Then, to her surprise, the wizard simply walked away, humming a tune she did not recognize. She was such a fool. Why hadn't she accepted Gandalf's offer? It was a once in a lifetime thing. And why couldn't she go? Being a female hobbit had caused her major problems concerning her adventures. No one in their right mind wanted to travel with a woman. But, Gandalf had said he was informing, 'others'. Did that mean she could still go?