Elven Beauty or Shire Roses

Chapter I

It was a bright morning in Hobbiton. Bilbo sat outside on a bench blowing on his smoke pipe while I cleaned about Bag End, the hobbit hole we live in. It had been passed down to us from our parents when they had died years ago. This is how every morning goes for us here in Hobbiton. It's the same every day with little variation. This way, there is nothing to ever happen that is unexpected. In a way it's comforting, but it can also be fairly boring. But that all changed for the two of us, starting with the visit of a certain wizard. 

I was cleaning the foyer when I looked through the window to see a tall, old looking man standing in front of Bilbo and talking to him. Stilling my arms from sweeping, I watched on with curiosity, not able to make out anything that was being said between the two. Had Bilbo invited this man over without informing me? No, Bilbo would never do such a thing. Maybe he might have done something like that when the two of us were younger.

"Who on earth is that?" I muttered to myself as I watched on. As the two talked on, Bilbo stood from the bench and check the mailbox. He looked through mail, and it seemed as if he were trying to make himself look busy. He then turned and walked towards the door of our house. Now that the two were closer, I could finally hear them.

"To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son as is I were selling buttons at the door," said the old man as Bilbo reached the door. How did this man know our mother? Bilbo turned sharply back to the man.

"Beg your pardon?" Bilbo asked.

"You've changed, and not entirely for the better Bilbo Baggins." He knew Bilbo's name as well? Who was this man?

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Well you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf and Gandalf means... me!" said the man. That named sounded oddly familiar.

"Gandalf? Not Gandalf, the wandering wizard, who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve!" Bilbo said, excitement in his voice. That was why the name sounded familiar. He was the wizard who brought amazing fireworks to Old Took's parties. "I had no idea you were still in business," Bilbo said after a pause. Gandalf gave him a scathing look in response.

"And where else should I be?" asked Gandalf.

"Well..." Bilbo's voice trailed off awkwardly. Bilbo then took another whiff of his pipe a little sheepishly.

"Well, I'm pleased to find you remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks," said Gandalf with a nod. "Well then, that's decided. It'll be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others," said Gandalf. What did he mean by that? What had he decided? And why would it be amusing to him? And who were the others that he would be informing? Bilbo took a step back towards the door of Bag End.

"Inform the who? What? No, no, no! Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thank you! Not today, not... I suggest you try somewhere over the hill or... across the water! Good morning!" Bilbo then hurried into the house, slammed the door shut and bolted it. 

"What on earth just happened dear brother?" I asked in shock. Suddenly, we heard an odd scraping noise on the door. We both rushed to the window and look outside but all we saw was the clear blue sky. Then, out of nowhere, Gandalf's eye was staring back at the two us us through the glass. We both jumped back and out of sight of the window. "I will ask once more, what just happened?!" Bilbo let out a sigh before he explained that Gandalf had said that he was looking for someone to go on an adventure with. 

"That sounds absolutely absurd!" I said, astonished.

"That it does."

"You would never go on an adventure, everyone knows that. I, on the other hand wouldn't mind a little adventure. But to think that Gandalf would assume you would go on an adventure? Absurd."