CHAPTER 2

Bryn was dressed in a pair of pants and an old shirt of hers. She had grown very tired of the dresses she had to wear as a barmaid, and decided to relax in her time off. Maybe it was a good thing she had refused Gandalf's offer. She was squeezing some lemon juice onto her smoked cod, when the doorbell rang.

She froze, and slowly got to her feet, quickly getting a robe of Bilbo's to wrap around herself. Upon opening the door, she was shocked to find a bald, bearded, dwarf, on her brother's doorstep. He turned, and she was even more shocked at his face. He had tattoos on his smooth skull, and was wrapped in a warm ensemble that screamed of wear and tear.

He did a little bow, and looked her up and down, as if eyeing a soldier. ''Dwalin, at your service. And you are Mr. Baggins I assume.'' He said, then straightened up.

Bryn froze. Mr. Baggins? He thought she was her brother. Was this who Gandalf was talking about when he said others? She looked behind him and then hastily tied the robe up. ''Biblo Baggins… At yours.'' The dwarf strode into the house, shrugging off his cloak and hanging up on a hook, where he set his weapons down as well. She eyed his axes as she spoke.

''Does Bil… Do I, know you?'' She asked, closing the door and following him as he traveled through the house.

He looked at her for a second before replying. ''No. Which way? Is it in here?'' The Dwalin asked, heading toward the dining room.

''Which way… Is what? She asked, sounding much like her brother at that moment.

''Supper. He said there would be food, and lot's of it.'' The dwarf replied, entering the kitchen without her.

''He said. Who, said?''

Only a few minutes later Bryn was forced to watch her lovely cod be eaten by the most disgusting person she had ever met. Be burped and slurped, and did things no sober hobbit would. Bryn sighed, knowing that the only reason she let him do what he was doing to her supper, was because of her manners. Heer was a self-invited guest true, but he was still, a guest.

''Good this. Any more?'' Dwalin asked around a mouthful of cod head, gesturing at the food as he spoke.

''Ah, yes.'' She walked over to the window sill, and took down a bowl of fresh made rolls. They were delicious, and she did not want to miss out on their goodness. Much to her horror, she snatched one right before she handed him the bowl, though she did not feel sorry once she saw him stuff a whole roll in his full mouth. She leaned in, and stood on her toes, feeling very uncomfortable. ''Well you see, I don't mean to be rude, but wasn't expecting company.'' The second the last word left her mouth the doorbell rang once more.

Dwalin looked at her with a frown, ''That would be the door.''

Bryn opened the door, and her mouth dropped open, there was another dwarf, this one had a long curled white beard, and had a kind, wrinkled face.

''Balin, at your service.'' He did a little bow, and smiled at her.

Having no idea what to say left her feeling dumbfounded, and she struggled to break the silence. ''Good, evening.''

Balin smiled warmly and looked around. ''Yes, yes it is. So I think it might rain later.'' He stepped into the doorway, ''Am I late?''

Bryn felt frustration rising up, how could she just let dwarves, eat her food, and muddy her brother's carpets? ''Late? Late for what?'' She asked, feeling dumbfounded once again.

Balin looked past her and he started to smile even wider than before. ''Ohh, brother.'' He called, walking past her and going into the dining room.

''Ahhh, by my beard.'' Dwalin put down one of her uncle's cookie jar, and walked over to his 'brother.'' ''You're shorter and wider than last we met.'' He voiced his thoughts, smiling at Balin. The expression looked quite odd on his rough face, and it almost made her want to smile.

Balin shook a finger at him and squinted up at him. ''Wider, not shorter. Smart enough for the two of us.'' They chuckled for a minute more before slamming their heads together. The two dwarves chuckled for a while longe before going into the larger dining room, where Bilbo had his long table.

Bryn was about to tell them that they had the wrong hobbit-hole, when the doorbell rang 'twice'.

She opened the door, and nearly wanted to slam the door.

''Fili.'' A blonde dwarf said, smiling at her warmly. He had a relatively short beard, and his mustache was braided and had had a silver clasp at each end. It wasn't a bad look for the dwarf though, she had to admit.

''And Kili. At your service. '' His brother, she was assuming, was very attractive, but looked younger than her. He had almost no beard, and was trying to keep a serious look on his face while he bowed with his brother. But he broke into a grin as he stood. ''You must be Master Baggins?'' He said brightly.

Bryn had had enough. She started to close the door, calling that they had the wrong house and should look elsewhere for dinner. Kili pushed the door back open though, and obviously still had questions to ask.

''Why? Has it been cancelled?'' Kili asked, a confused look on his face.

''No one told us.'' Fili added, looking at his brother.

She frowned and let out an exasperated sigh. ''No, nothing's been cancelled.'' She replied, eager to shut the door so that she could get the other two dwarves out of her home.

''Well that's a relief.'' Kili said, mischief in his eyes as he forced his way into the house. Fili followed him, walking in a manner that looked like he owned the place. Bryn growled, and was suddenly handed five daggers, a sword, and a small axe.

''Careful with these. I just had 'em sharpened.'' Fili said, handing her the last of his weapons before hanging up his cloak. His brother's things lay haphazardly on the floor. Bryn groaned, and followed them into the larger dining room, where Balin and Dwalin were trying to set the table.

''Kili, come on, give us a hand.'' Dwalin pulled Kili along, not even noticing the look of awe on the young dwarf's face.

''Master Dwalin.'' He said with a smile, immediately helping the older dwarf.

''We'll need more chairs if we're gonna get everyone in.'' Balin said, the other's nodding in agreement. Dwalin headed into the parlor and Bryn felt herself start to panic.

''Everyone?'' She exclaimed, hearing the dreaded sound of the doorbell ringing over and over again. She had lost her temper. She sped towards the door, shrugging off all the weapons by Kili's stuff. ''I'm sorry. You have the wrong house. If this is some blockhead's idea of a joke,'' She paused to give a fake laugh, ''It is in very, poor taste.''

As she wrenched open the door, nine dwarves spilled into her home, an all to familiar wizard standing behind them. She sighed, and looked from the pile of dwarves at her feet, to the wizard's wrinkled face. ''Gandalf.''