𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐒:𝑴𝑶𝑶𝑵 𝑺𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑺 | slow updates

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 2

♕ CHAPTER TWO ♕
THIS WILL BE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

"So, you mean to go through with your plan, then?" Tatsuo asks, and bilbo nods. "Yes, yes ... it's all in hand. All the arrangements are made." gandlaf then speaks up, glancing over at the lady in dragon scales. "Frodo suspects something." Bilbo looks up from pouring tee and snorts,"'course he does; he's a Baggins ... notsome blockheaded Bracegirdle fromHardbottle!" Tatsuo snorts in amusement. "You will tell him, won't you?" Gandalf asks, and bilbo nods but then frowns "wait about Tatsuo or my plans?" he asks. Tatsuo giggles "your plans, master Baggins," she says, and bilbo hums, "well, yes," the dragon lady glances at Gandalf and says, "He's very fond of you." Bilbo sighs. "I know. He'd probably come with me if Iasked him. In his heart,Frodo's still in love with the Shire,the woods and the fields ... littlerivers." the hobbit mumbled, and Tatsuo smiled. 

"he does. Indeed" she says; bilbo sighs. Bilbo stands gazing out of the kitchen window. "I am old, guys," he says and looks sadly at the grey wizard and the dragon øady. the two of them glance at each other as Bilbo continues. "I know I don't look it, but I'mbeginning to feel it in my heart." his fingers close around his waistcoat pocket ...gripping a small, unseen object. "I feel thin ... sort of stretched, likebutter scraped over too much bread. Ineed a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return ...in fact, I mean not to." he ends. 

♕

Gandalf and Bilbo, along with Tatsuo, sit on the bag end porch. Below them,final preparations are being made on the party field. bilbo strikes a match and lights his pipe. "Old Toby. The finest weed in the Southfarthing!"  he chuckles, and Tatsuo shakes her head, looking at the stars. Her thoughts drift to Smaug and hows he's doing. Bilbo then blows a perfect smoke ring and watches it rise into theair. A tiny sailing ship with masts and sails glides through the center of Bilbo's smoke ring. "Gandalf, Tatsuo, my old friends ... this will be a night to remember." he smiles. Later that night, a firework explodes into the night sky high above Hobbiton in the shape of a great green tree with unfolding branches. The trees are holding bright flowers as they rain down from theunits... evaporating just above the upturned faces of thedelighted party-goers. 144 HOBBITS, feasting and drinking carts of beer and wine arescattered, and the tables are piled high with steamingscones and savories.

Gandalf hurries about, lighting fireworks with a blue spark thatdances magically from his staff ... Bilbo is greeting visitors. "Hello, hello, Fatty Bolger, lovely to see you! Welcome, welcome!" he says, smiling. Frodo and Sam sit at a table drinking ale ... Frodo notices a young lady of his age standing a little away from the festivities smiling fondly. He nudges Sam "sam see. that must be Tatsuo," he calls, and Sam looks over the same way his friend does. Indeed it's the known dragon lady. Her clock of dragon scales is gone, and she bears a comfetrebale dress instead. in elven type. "Tatsu? you mean the lady that Mr. Bilbo was talking about all the time?" Sam asks, and Frodo nods "shall we go to her? she seems lonely," Frodo struggled. Sam shrugged, and the two of them made their way over to Tatsuo, who sensed their coming and smiled down at them. "hello, little masters," she beamed and bent down to their height. they lose almost their breath as they see her cobalt striking eyes. "I'm Tatsuo. Who may you be?" she asks and offers a hand. 

Frodo recovers first and smiles, taking her hand. "I'm Frodo Baggins, and this is my friend Samwise Gamgee" Sam offers his hand as he's out of his daze, and Tatsuo takes it "ah, you're bilbo's cousin. he's told me about you" she smiles and stands. "well it was an honor to meet you master fordo and Samwise, but I must go to mithrandir. Who knows what he's getting into?" she chuckles and dips her head, slipping away. 

♕

Gandalf sets a particularly spectacularfirework that draws gasps of admiration from the party guests. Bilbo relates stories of his adventure to a groupof young hobbit children. "So there I was ... at the mercy of threemonstrous trolls ... Have you ever heardof a Troll? Do you know what a Troll is? Big nasty twenty-foot-high smellythings ... and they're arguing about how they were going tocook us!" he says. A little hobbit girl looks at the older hobbit. her eyes were growing larger and larger. "Whether it be turned on a spit or mincedin a pie or whether they wouldsit on us one by one and squash us intojelly! They spent so long arguing thewhither-to's and why-for's that thesun's first light cracked over the topof the trees ... and turned them all tostone!" studded gasp from his young agencies greet his astonishingfeat! Merry and Pippin, two mischievous young hobbits in their late teens, sulk about by the fireworks and tents. Pippin, the youngest, scrambles onto the back of Gandalf's wagon, snatching up a small firework. 

They're both unawe3re of those eyes who watches them. Hmmm... interesting small hobbits. Tatsuo thinks. No, no ... the big one ... the big one!" Merry calls to his friend, who N grabs a massive rocket. E looks back at Merry, who smiles. The pair runs off withit. Meanwhile, Bilbao continues to greet his guests.  e shakes handswith a woman who is tailed by an overwhelming crowd of children. "Mrs. Bracegirdle, how nice to see you! Welcome, welcome. Re all these children yours?" he asks, and Mrs. Bracegirdle laughs with tired eyes and nods.  "Good gracious, you have been productive," bBilbomutters, and she laughs and nods.  gain. 

Suddenly! A familiar strident voice assails Ilbo's ears...

♕

cliff hanger

-saph