A Heart of Gold

Chapter 1

It wasn't normal for Helga to be sitting in the corner of an inn. Usually, if she was staying in one, she would just retire to her room and drop dead on the bed or just stay there, mulling over her life as the loud laughter of both drunk men and tavern wenches came out as soft sounds through the walls of her room. To be near the sources of those sounds were foreign to Helga. Up in the safety of her rooms, she just assumed that the image of the inn downstairs would be less wild than what she is seeing at the moment; the tavern wenches were, expectedly, sitting down on the men's lap. The side of their skirt having a slit on from their hip to the end, showing a generous amount of skin from their thighs and the rest of their legs. Their arms either wrapped around the neck of the men or guiding the men's hands into the forbidden places of their bodies.

The men, however, were more disgusting. They rested their heads at the collarbones of the wenches, smothering them with ale reeked lips as they rested a hand on the hips or thighs while they nursed a tankard on the other. Their loud laughter suddenly becoming deafening and Helga contemplated whether or not she should leave and give up on her friend, who was late.

And as if on cue, from the crowded area of The Prancing Pony, she saw a grey point of a hat entering a door and making its way through the crowd, not to her, but towards a more calmer part of the inn. She saw her old friend sit on one of the benches across a black-bearded dwarf who was peacefully (as much peace that you can get) eating his meal. Helga watched them exchange a few words and suddenly, turned around and as if they were becoming aware of something. Then, as the old man nodded and stood, he looked around the inn until his eyes landed on hers, a small smile on his lips and made his way towards her.

"You're late, old man." She jested and the man just huffed in disbelief as he sat on the corner booth with her.

"You're the one to talk." He said as he took out his pipe and placed it on the tip of his mouth, looking for his pouch of Old Toby.

"I've been here for hours. Why did you call for me, Gandalf?" She asked. "You do know I do not like time to be-"

"Yes, yes, you have the impatience of an old man," He said, puffing a out a cloud of smoke. "But I think what I am about to say will be of your interest." He said, leaning on the table as he stared across her.

"Oh?" She said, raising an eyebrow. "Go on." She said.

"It is not safe to say all the details here, and it is not safe to say it through letter, so I will just tell you now that in a few month's time, a gathering will occur in The Shire in Hobbiton, to be exact." He said.

"What kind of gathering?" She asked, a bit annoyed that she went all the way from Rohan to Bree only to be told to go to another place to discuss the matter that they were supposed to discuss today.

"A gathering about a quest to reclaim a homeland." He said, and whatever spark of interest that was on Helga's eyes vanished.

"Gandalf, this is the last time I'm saying this. I don't waste my time-"

"Did I mention that to reclaim this homeland, a dragon must be slain?" Gandalf asked and Helga fell silent. A dragon? Of course, Helga knew this all too well... Every dragon in existence were wiped off from the face of Middle Earth and she had been a witness to it.

All except one.

"Wait, Gandalf, are you talking about-" She was cut off when she saw Gandalf's raised brow and a smirk on his lips. For a second, a heavy weight was lifted from her heart. But as she recalled what happened that faithful day, what that worm did, she felt her heart harden with a feeling that started to slip from her before Gandalf talked to her; hope. "When will this gathering happen?" She asked, determination suddenly set in her eyes.

"In three month's time, go to Hobbiton and look for Bilbo Baggins in Bag End. This mark will be on his door. I must warn you, though. Do not expect a warm welcome. The group that will be gathering for this quest is a group of dwarves. Their leader wouldn't take it well once he finds out that I invited you." He said, handing her a piece of paper which she examined. She let out a laugh, not really believing that this was happening.

"Gandalf, thank you. You have no idea what this means to me! I've heard of a dragon attack there, but I didn't expect it to be Smaug. I assumed that there were a few stray dragons that escaped after Thranduil's raid, but I didn't expect it to be Smaug! Of course! I should've thought to look in Erebor!" She said, laughing at herself and Gandalf smiled. He hadn't seen her this happy in centuries.

"Helga, remember, in three month's time, be in Hobbiton. Look for Bilbo Baggins." He reminded her again and before she could shower him with thanks once again, Gandalf was gone.