Alysanne moved swiftly, aware of not wanting to leave Bilbo's visitor waiting in the chilly night for too long. As she pulled open the door, she was taken aback. Two young dwarves stood before her, their appearance diverging from what she had encountered before, leaving her thoroughly perplexed.
Her gaze fell upon the first dwarf, clad in a dark brown leather coat over a nearly black tunic. His shoulder-length dark hair and a preference for stubble rather than a beard struck Alysanne as peculiar. She knew dwarves cherished their hair and beards, holding them in high esteem and guarding them fiercely.
Turning her attention to the other dwarf, Alysanne drew in a sharp breath as their eyes met. Though not as tall as his companion, he exuded a distinct aura, both in appearance and demeanour. His hair resembled a flow of liquid gold, cascading into braids that framed his face and extended just past his chin. Draped in a dark brown coat trimmed with fur, he emanated an air of simplicity coupled with an unnerving confidence that put Alysanne on edge.
Her gaze swept over both dwarves once more, but it lingered on the blonde. He offered her a kind smile, his eyes glinting with an unknowable spark. The two dwarves exchanged smirks before the blonde spoke up, "Fili," introducing himself, and the other added, "and Kili," as they both dropped into a deep bow. "At your service," they declared in unison.
A smile graced Alysanne's lips as she was pulled from her thoughts, reciprocating the gesture by bowing before the dwarves. "Alysanne at yours also," she responded. With a graceful motion, she widened the door, inviting the two dwarves into the hobbit hole. Just as she did so, Bilbo abruptly appeared from around the corner, bewildered. "What on earth?" he interjected.
"Ah, you must be Mister Boggins," Kili exclaimed with a the exchange, Aly noticed Bilbo growing red with frustration. "Nope, you can't come in. You've got the wrong house," he protested, trying to usher the dwarves out as quickly as he could.
Stepping aside, Kili's expression turned worried. "Has it been cancelled?"
"No one told us," Fili frowned, glancing between Kili, Bilbo, and Alysanne, who returned Fili's gaze with a smile that seemed to intrigue him.
"Cancelled? No, nothing's been cancelled!" Bilbo shook his head, utterly confused. The arrival of four dwarves and a human at this hour was absurd to him.
"Well, that's a relief," sighed Kili. Alysanne stepped back as the two dwarves moved further into the hallway, removing the weapons from their persons. Noticing Kili hurriedly unloading his weapons into Bilbo's astonished arms, Alysanne observed Fili, the dwarf she had smiled at earlier, lingering behind. He took his time to survey his surroundings, wearing a thoughtful expression on his face.
Moving forward Aly spoke in a hushed tone, surprising Fili from his reverie. "Here, Master Dwarf, I can relieve you of your weapons, if you'd prefer?" She shook her head, chiding herself inwardly. She couldn't fathom how a handsome face could unsettle her, reminding herself firmly of her role as a ranger. 'Focus, Aly. You'll need your wits for what's to come,' she admonished silently.
Turning to regard the girl, no she was a woman, Fili found himself struck by her presence. Though taller than him by a mere half a foot, she was neither a Hobbit nor a Dwarf, and whilst beautiful, certainly not an Elf, as her ears indicated. With a kind face, adorned by a small nose and full lips, her slightly curly brown hair cascaded down her back in a dishevelled braid. His heart skipped a beat, prompting him to furrow his brows and glance away, perplexed by the sudden flutter within him. He wondered if this Alysanne, a human, could indeed be the Hobbit's wife, perplexed by his own reaction. He replied, "Aye, Mistress Baggins, I thank you," as he began unloading his multitude of weapons and handing them to the brown-haired woman.
Extending her arms to accept Fili's weapons, she responded with a touch of amusement, "You'd be the second dwarf tonight to make that assumption. However, I am neither Bilbo's wife nor anyone else's. Undoubtedly, I am here for the same reason as you and your companions." Fili halted in his task, glancing up at Alysanne, taking a moment before offering an apology for his assumption. "No need to apologise," Alysanne replied, flashing a content smile. "Now, let's secure these somewhere safe, shall we?" She moved to the other side of the walkway, carefully placing the weapons down, their clatter echoing in the hallway. Observing her careful handling, Fili nodded his thanks as she straightened up, silently grateful for her assistance.
Alysanne couldn't believe what was happening. Of course, Gandalf hadn't breathed a word about this," she thought, feeling a touch of annoyance at the wizard's secrecy. She had expected to meet the hobbit but hadn't anticipated an entire band of Dwarves joining them.
Dwalin emerged from the kitchen and directed the two dwarves further into the house. "Fili, Kili, come on, lend a hand!" he called out, leaving Bilbo and Alysanne standing alone at the doorway.
"Are you all right, Bilbo?" Alysanne inquired, a note of concern in her voice as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She understood this was an overwhelming moment for the Hobbit and hoped Gandalf's plan had merit. Bilbo didn't meet her gaze or reply verbally, merely shaking his head before following Dwalin, Fili, and Kili. Alysanne sighed softly and trailed after Bilbo.
Entering the dining hall was organised chaos here the dwarves were moving furniture, Balin saying something about needing everyone to fit just as Bilbo was about to open his mouth to respond there was a ringing from his doorbell, mouth still open he turned to look at Alysanne who again just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, indicating she wasn't sure on who would be at the door, although she assumed Gandalf would be arriving soon. Bilbo quickly moved back towards his front door in frustration mumbling to himself and then speaking loudly down the hall waving his arms as he went "No! There's nobody home! Go away and bother somebody else! There're far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If this is some clotterd's idea of a joke, I can only say that it is in very poor taste." Finishing his rant Bilbo opened the door and quickly stepped back as mass of dwarves fell forward landing in a heap at bilbos feet.
Alysanne had to hold a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing out loud, trying to keep it down into a giggle, Fili who was watching from the other side of the room couldn't help but smile as he watched the young lass. Kili noticed this and nudged his brother with a wink who just shoved him back shaking his head.
Gandalf bent forward and looked into the hobbit hold, spotting Bilbo first and then at Alysanne who smiled and waved excitedly at her friend.
