Edge of Night (Thorin Oakenshield Love Story)

Preface

Hobbits were interesting creatures. Similar to dwarves, they live in underground homes, called hobbit holes; however, they are shorter, have pointy ears, and large, hairy feet. The typical hobbit lives to be 100 years old. The Tooks were some of the most famous hobbits in the Shire, known for their adventures. The Baggins were descendants of the Tooks, but were much more homely and preferred their armchairs to adventures.

Bungo Baggins and Belladona Took had two children, Bilbo and Dienna Baggins. Bilbo was the older of the two by thirty years, and he took care of Dienna after their parents died. Bilbo was 34 while Dienna was only four. He watched as his little sister would run around Bag-End and Hobbiton, creating made up adventures in far off lands. Bilbo would get dragged in to her stories and either was the villain or died, while Dienna was always the hero. Sometimes she would reenact old stories from ancient times, such as the story of Beren and Luthien and their quest for the Silmarils; this was always Bilbo's favorite when he watched as his little sister use her teddy bear as Beren and a rock as the Silmaril. It worried him though, since Dienna was more like a Took and Bilbo was more like a Baggins. He never wanted her to get hurt, for he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He loved his sister more dearly than anything. She was the only family he cared about. He would read to her until she fell asleep in his lap, then he would take the little hobbit to her room and tuck her in. But as she got older, her childish twinkle never dulled, and that was the scariest thing of all to Bilbo. Now in his forties, he constantly had to follow his sister to make sure she never passed over the borders of the Shire. She was sneakier and more cunning as she grew up, and sometimes she got passed Bilbo's ever-seeing eyes. She would get close to the borders, but he always caught up to her. She was smaller than most hobbits her age, so Bilbo would pick her up and walk a frustrated Dienna back to Bag-End. He would scold her, and after he would make her favorite treat, a chocolate muffin, before sending her to bed.

The two hobbits lived in peace for a few years until one fateful day in April of the Third Age, when Bilbo was 50 and Dienna was 20, when a man in a grey hat and cloak came to Bag-End. That was when both of their lives had changed.