Green Cloaks || Legolas

Two

Luin laughed as he nimbly avoided a line of dancing hobbits. He twirled around them in a flow of blue robes as the half-lings skipped past to rejoin to others before the band. Sounds of merriment were thick on the night air. The green field before the lake lit by colourful lanterns and dotted with tents filled with food and wine. Gandalf was seated on the outskirts of the party, pipe in his mouth as he smoked. The man waved as Luin swept past.

Tables littered with food and half pints of ale took up most of the grass. Luin stepped over a few, using his long legs to his advantage. A few hobbits shouted up at him in annoyance, but they meant no real harm. Gandalf may have been label a 'disturber of the peace' but Luin was much loved by the small race. They called him 'the night sky', which Luin found rather charming.

Luin laughed as a young hobbit, maybe no more than five, latched on to his leg and sat down on his foot. Her curly brown hair and big brown eyes making her adorably cute. She squealed with laughter as Luin lifted his leg and shook it slightly. "I'm sorry little one but I'm not a tree", he chuckled as he unhooked her grip. She pouted as he set her back on her feet.

"But you're so tall", she lisped. "So much taller than my pa".

"Am I?" Luin asked. He crouched down to the size of a regular hobbit. "Is this better?"

The little girl giggled. "No. I wanna be tall like you. As big as a tree". He held out her arms as wide as they could go, which wasn't very wide.

"Do you really?" Luin gasped. "Do you want to see what it's like?" The girl nodded enthusiastically. She lifted her arms out and Luin raised her up onto his shoulders. Her little curls bobbed as she surveyed the party from a different perspective, eyes wide as she took it all in.

"You can see so much from up here!" She exclaimed excitedly. Luin laughed at her enjoyment and began walking towards one of the gazebos. It was on the outside of the tents. Bilbo was seated inside surrounded by several hobbit children as he told one of his tales.

"Do you want to hear Bilbo tell you about trolls?" Luin asked. The girl, attention span short, cheered at the prospect. Luin set her down and she ran towards the gazebo.

Luin rejoined the party. He danced for a while. The music and laughter buzzing in his veins. At some point Gandalf began to set off several fireworks. The shire folk oooing and Aaahhhing at the brightly coloured explosions. The sparks lit up the dark of the night sky, twinkling in all the colours of the rainbow. Luin watched the show with fondness. After all, he had been the one to teach Gandalf the basics of fireworks. They made them together.

As the dancing returned to full swing, a sparking noise issued from one of the tents. Luin turned just in time to watch as the tent shot out of the ground and into the air. A firework, a huge red one that he recognised, tore through the material and soared over the lake. It burst in a shower of red-gold sparks that caught into a shape. A dragon turned in the sky. It's body made up of glittering sparks. It soared back over the party, Hobbits ducking and screaming.

"Bilbo!" Frodo called as he tried to hurry his uncle along. "Watch out for the dragon".

"Dragon? Nonsense. Thee hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years". His sentence was cut off as Frodo pushed them to the ground.

Luin watched the dragon fly by, sparks sweeping over his still standing figure. The heat and sparks not harming him. The hobbits all throwing themselves to the ground as the fire passed over head. The dragon glided out over the lake. The sparks condensing into one small ball before exploding in a series of bright gold explosions over the opposite bank. The hobbits started cheering and clapping at the wonderful display. Fear forgotten into awe and wonder at the magic.

Luin laughed and swept over the grass to where the firework originated from. Gandalf had already gotten there first. He was holding two squirming, soot faced young hobbits by the ears. Luin laughed at the familiar set of faces. The cousins a common sign of mischief.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck", Luin stated as he frowned at the two boys. "And Peregrin Took. I might have known". The two hobbits winced in pain as Gandalf tugged harder at their ears. Luin smiled slightly, amused by the pair. Gandalf was less so. He hauled the two off to dish dusty for the rest of the evening. Luin hoped that it would teach them the downsides of being caught.

As the night drew on towards witching hour, people began yelling for Bilbo to make a speech. Luin collapsed, energy spent, onto the grass as everyone settled down. Bilbo climbed up onto a barrel and held out his hands as the crowd quietened.

"My dear friends. My dear Bagginses and Boffins. Tooks and Brandybucks. Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bulgers, Bracarles, and Proudfoots". Each family clan gave a roaring cheer as Bilbo called out their name. Raising their cups and clapping their hands. Bilbo beamed and continued. "Today's my one hundred and eleventh birthday".

"Happy birthday!" The crowd of hobbits, and Luin chorused.

"Alas. One hundred and eleven long years is such a great time to live amongst such admirable and amazing hobbits. I don't know half of you as well as I'd like, and I like half of you less than what you deserve. I have things to do".

Bilbo's voice faded a bit and the mood of the speech took a downturn. Luin sat up slightly at the mood change, feeling tension rising in the air. Bilbo's hand strayed to his waistcoat pocket and he took something out, hands shielding it behind his back.

"I've put this off for far too long", Bilbo's voice was barely audible now. "I'm going now", he declared. "I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye". No sooner than the words were spoken, did Bilbo vanish. Simply pop out of sight like he had never been there at all. Luin left to his feet as cries of shock and surprise filled the air. He caught Gandalf's eye over the panicking hobbits. The older wizard began hurrying back to the village and Luin followed quickly, leaving the hobbits in the field.

The two wizards made their way swiftly to Bilbo's house. Ducking through the unlocked doorway and stopping in the study. The lights were out. Bilbo has not gotten there yet. Gandalf rested his back against the wall to wait, Luin following his actions. Seconds seemed to tick on as Luin searched his brain for answers. When Bilbo has vanished, for a brief moment, Luin had felt something evil. It was the barest second but it was there. The feeling had made him shudder.

After several minutes, Luin heard footsteps approaching. He watched as the door swung open seemingly of its own accord. Moonlight spilled into the hall as Bilbo stepped inside. The door swung shut and Luin heard the hobbit sigh. Bilbo popped back into visibility and tucked something into his pocket. Luin caught a flash of gold, a bitter taste in his mouth.

Just what was the hobbit caught up in?

Unedited