The Hobbit, the Dragon and the Lonely Mountain.

Chapter 2: Unexpected company comes to the door!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit characters or plot of the story!

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Night fell over the Hobbiton, lamps flickering in the dark as many of the hobbits were trying to get back to their cosy little houses; a delicious supper waiting for them at their tables and a hot blaze from the fire place to keep their lovely homes warm this evening. Most hobbits spent their evenings roaring with laughter and singing their hearts out while having tankards of ale in The Green Dragon inn.

In Bag End, Belle was preparing dinner for her and Frodo. As she did this, she thought about Gandalf and shook her head. Adventure indeed!! Unknown to her, however, outside on the door the rune mark glowed in the moonlight.

Belle who was freshly washed, with her hair in lose plait and wearing her nightgown and a patchwork dressing gown, could hear the distant sounds of the hobbits having a great booze-up, cheerful laughter and the loud singing coming from The Green Dragon. The sound always made her smile amusingly as she's cooked fish for supper while Frodo finished his bath.

At last the fish were cooked, and, while very carefully holding the handle of the frying pan with one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, Belle placed the two fried fish on each plate with chopped carrots, roast potatoes and a small herb salad. The food was placed on the candle lit kitchen table.

"Frodo!" She called. "Supper's ready!"

An echo of tiny footsteps came running through the hallway and Frodo appeared through the doorway; clean, dry and in nightclothes. He headed straight to his chair. Belle helped tied a napkin around Frodo's neck, before she went to her chair and starts to add the seasonings to the fishes.

Just when Belle dripped the lemon juice all over the fish, the doorbell rang. Belle and Frodo stopped what they are doing and looked down the corridor to the front door.

"Who could that be?" Belle thought strangely, she wasn't expecting any visitors.

"Frodo, stay here." She advised him. "I'll go see who it is." Frodo did as he was told as Belle got up from the kitchen table and cautiously went to the front door.

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She hesitated before opening the door, and there, standing outside, was a fearsome looking dwarf dressed in fur and a travel cloak with with a bristly bushy beard and hair and rune tattoos on his hands and on the bald part of his head, battle scars on his right eyebrow and the bridge of his huge nose.

Belle's eye widened with surprise by this unexpected visitor.

"Dwalin, at your service!" the dwarf said in a deep gruff voice as he bowed to her.

Belle grew flustered and a bit embarrassed that her dressing gown was open and she quickly tied her dressing gown tightly to cover herself up. "Um... Belle Baggins at yours." She replied and curtsy.

Dwalin stepped halfway through the doorway, Belle wasn't sure of having this barbarian dwarf in her home and with Frodo in the kitchen. "Um excuse me, Sir ... do we know each other?" she asked him. He looked at her oddly and answered.

"No." he went into the house while taking off his worn travel cloak, Belle swallowed when she saw that he had two battle axes strapped on his back.

"Which way, Lassie?" He asked her as he searched down the hallway. "Is it down here?"

"Is what down where?"

Dwalin turned to her and simply replied "Supper." And threw his travel cloak to her to hang up, he walked passed her to find the kitchen himself. "He said there'll be food and lots of it." He continued.