The weather had just as severe as everyone expected. Snow fell in all directions, thanks to the bitter, harsh wind that seems to take an immediately dislike to the Dwarves and their ponies. So much snow fell that no one could see anything in front of them and it was only until the very last moment when a familiar tree or hill would reveal itself did Thorin know which direction they were heading. The Lhûn had froze solid, so they did not need to travel through the Grey Havens to cross it on this occasion. The sleigh glided across easily and the ponies were given a brief break from trudging through the snow. Despite the villainous weather, the ponies were just as stubborn as Dwarves and would not halt for even the strongest gust of snow in their poor faces. Fili and Kili, sitting on each side of the sleigh, talked to each other through the railings to pass the time. Both brothers hid from the snow by pulling their hoods far over their heads and facing away from the wind.
"Are you cold, Kili?" Fili asked.
Kili glared at his brother for asking such a question.
"Let's talk about warm things, that should help us!"
"Like what?"
Fili thought, then smiled, "A fire! A nice, warm campfire!"
Kili smiled back, "The Sun! Nothing is hotter than that!"
"Fresh biscuits!"
Both eyed a fur-covered basket they knew contained biscuits, but soon looked away from it in order to not give in to their desire. Fili joked that if either of them were Bombur, he would have taken the biscuits without a single thought. Kili looked down at a couple of soldiers walking close to his side of the sleigh, "Oi, you two! Name something warm!"
The first one thought for a long while, then responded in a chuckle, "My bed!"
The two soldiers laughed, Kili was quick to join them. The second soldier added, "I bet my beard is warmer than your bed!" The first soldier frowned, "I think not!"
"Go on, feel it!"
The first one felt his comrade's beard with one hand and scoffed, "It may be, but it is not warmer than mine!" The two laughed again, Kili could not join their laughter this time.
"Thank Durin for blessing us with beards to keep our faces warm!"
"Oh wait, you still don't have one, do you lad?"
Kili turned away, as he had only been able to grow stubble when other Dwarves his age already had full beards. Fili suddenly sat beside him and barked at the two laughing soldiers, "Keep moving before you both sink into the ground and we have to dig you up!"
Thorin and Dwalin travelled in front of the ponies to make sure that they continued to head in the right direction. Fortunately, they had not yet strayed from their intended path, giving Thorin much confidence that they would arrive before sun-up. The snow did not bother him, even when it tried to irritate him by blowing into his face and getting caught in his beard. As soon as Thorin saw what he believed to be the Tower Hills, he knew that they were very close to arriving in Hobbiton.
"Why are we doing this again?" Dwalin grumbled, pulling his dark green hood over his shaved head and brushing snow off his beard vigorously.
Thorin halted for a moment, as he sensed that the ponies were a bit too far behind for his liking, "I owe someone there a favour," he replied, "And because I would not like to have the reputation of those I despise so much."
"Aye to that," Dwalin answered, "Speaking of which, what did Elrond have to say about the Shire?"
"I do not know, but perhaps it would be wise to find out."
Dwalin sighed, "I heard from some Firebeards that this had happened before, and a lot of those poor Hobbits died during that time...cold, starvation. But they also told me that they had shown some great amount of bravery during their darkest hours, though I do not know whether to believe it myself. They seem to be too gentle and dainty to have that kind of courage." Thorin did not respond to his comment, though he was affected by what he had learned. A flame of determination sparked within him; he could not let any of those Hobbits die, particularly Belladonna and her husband, they were innocent after all.
The snow surprisingly gave way to give everyone a clear view of the snow-ridden Shire. Snow piled on the hills in which the Hobbits made their home, some doors were blocked by the snow and there was no sign of plant or leaf to be seen. The snow also covered the homes so much that one could not recognize one from the other; they all appeared to be snowy mounds with round brass doorknobs that stuck out of the snow. The Shire is completely empty, as everyone was inside, which gave an eerie, silent emptiness and lack of spirit that was unheard of in such a happy place. Without being told to, Fili and Kili sprang to their boots and began to grab as many provisions as they could carry so they could start distributing. Of course, no one could receive anything until the doors of the homes were uncovered. Luckily, this had been expected; some blacksmiths and miners had given up old shovels that they no longer needed as their portion of charity. Thorin ordered his soldiers to take up the shovels and begin to clear the snow as far as they could. A Hobbit emerged from a home near the sleigh just as Thorin went to grab a shovel. The poor fellow shivered, despite wearing layers of coats and blankets, "Hello, sir. If you all are looking to pass through here, I regret to inform you that there is no clear path through here."
Thorin grew a polite smile, "We are here to help, sir."
The Hobbit perked up, his eyes widening, "Oh! You must be Gandalf the Grey!"
Thorin frowned at the name, it was odd and unfamiliar to him, "I beg your pardon?"
"He wrote to us, saying that he and a few others would come with food!"
Dwalin approached them, taking Thorin's side, snapping quite harshly, "Do you not know who you speak to? This is King Thorin of the Blue Mountains, son of Thráin, son of Thrór!" Thorin glanced at him in scorn, as his cousin had frightened the poor Hobbit so much that he shrank back further, "Thank you, Dwalin," he muttered, before stepping in front of his rude cousin and addressing the Hobbit politely as before, "No I am not who you were expecting, though I am sure he will arrive shortly. My people have offered you provisions; I am acquainted with one of your villagers, my nephews moreso." The Hobbit's fear washed away, "We are so grateful for your help, King Thorin! It is in good timing that you have come, Mr. Gandalf has not shown up for days and I am beginning to doubt his timing!"
"Is he known for being late?" Thorin asked, as the soldiers began to dig up snow and toss it over the homes. Fili and Kili went to the homes that were able to reach and gave the inhabitants their portions of food, most of the Hobbits recognized the brothers.
"Yes! Even though he makes some excuse about arriving just at the time he ought to be!" The Hobbit complained, then changed the subject, "Who is the one you are acquainted with? A Took? A Baggins? A Sackville-Baggins? Goodenough?" He continued to spew out numerous and odd names until Thorin finally cut him off, "Belladonna is her name, though I do not remember her family name," he said.
"Oh, you mean Belladonna Took! She lives at the top of the hill, at the Bag End manor!"
The two looked up to the hill, which was at the other side of the village and looked just as blocked by the snow as the other homes. Thorin took up a shovel and ordered his men to dig faster, "No one will rest until every home is cleared!"
As the homes were being freed by the Dwarves, another large wagon filled with provisions being pulled by a horse came in from the north-east part of the Shire. A few horsemen followed close behind them, but what gained Thorin's attention was the old man driving the wagon. He was dressed in grey robes, a large pointy hat upon is head, and his beard was long and as grey as the snow all around; there was something odd, ominous about the old man that Thorin was not overly fond of. Then again, he did not trust any stranger at first sight. There was no doubt that this was the man the Hobbits were waiting on. Some of the other Dwarves, particularly Dwalin, began to grow concerned as well but Thorin told them to continue their work. He would not waste any time conversing with the stranger, whether he was important or not; but the old man halted his caravan and dismounted from his wagon before approaching him. Now Thorin saw that he wielded a great long staff and soon wondered if this old man was actually one of the world's most powerful beings: a wizard.
"I did not expect Dwarves to come to the aid of Hobbits," the old man started, his tone ringing with genuine surprise.
Offended, Thorin turned to him fully and stuck his shovel down into a pile of snow that stood tall next to him. He held back the urge to make a remark about his tardiness. He glanced up at the wizard, "And why would we not? They are our neighbours and decent folk, they deserve our aid," he defended, "I sense that you are quite unfamiliar with my people, Mr. Gandalf." The wizard did not hesitate to nod, "Indeed, I have not yet made dealings with your kin to know that there is some goodness in them. You, Master Dwarf, have proven me wrong," he said with a smile. Thorin glanced over to the house of the Hobbit that he had spoken to earlier, "The Hobbits tell me you are late, Mr. Gandalf."
"Ah, yes, I tried my best to avoid it, but I needed the help of the Rangers to accompany me."
Thorin eyed the Men in large, dark green and grey hoods; to his knowledge, the Rangers were called upon to combat orcs and wolves in this region, "What for?" Gandalf turned south, just as the wind kicked up his beard, "There are wolves heading this way, they will arrive in less than a day to torment the Shire. I must admit, I am surprised that you have come at all, given these circumstances."
"I came because I owe someone a favour. I was not aware of the wolves," Thorin argued, "Nonetheless, I have with me my most able soldiers and warriors. We will help defend this place with you."
Gandalf looked down at him, impressed immensely by what he had heard, "So, you are as great as they say, Thorin Oakenshield. I admire your initiative." Thorin gave the wizard a sharp, defensive glance, "You know of me, yet I know nothing of you," he muttered. "It is meant to be that way, is it not?" Gandalf asked, approaching some Hobbits who were struggling with carrying some provisions inside, "Have you also seen, Thorin, the incredible amount of courage these people have? Quite remarkable, I must say." Thorin frowned and retrieved his shovel, "Aye, but your definition of courage differs from mine. They would not last in the Wild, for instance, they can barely handle themselves in these circumstances. That is why we are here." Gandalf let out a great sigh, he was relieved that none of the Hobbits had heard Thorin's comment, "Must I remind you of the helplessness of your kin some time ago?" The shift in topic bothered Thorin so greatly that he refused to speak to the wizard any further.He began to help Dwalin dig out the common paths that went through Hobbiton that were now three feet high in snow. His cousin had overheard the heated discussion and paused his labour to check in.
"Who was that?" Dwalin asked.
"Gandalf the Grey," Thorin grumbled.
"A wizard? What brings him here?"
"He has a heart for the Hobbits," Thorin answered, shovelling snow aggressively.
"You do not like him?"
"I do not like anyone who thinks they know our kin better than we do, nor one who deals with elves."
"How do you know that?"
"I vaguely remember my grandfather speaking of the White Council, held by elves and wizards, to discuss the growth of evil in the West."
Dwalin continued to work, shaking his head. Thorin glanced at him, "When we are done, you must order the soldiers to bear their arms and stand guard with the Rangers."
"Why?"
Thorin then glanced southward, "Gandalf said there are wolves coming up from the South, I told him we would join him and his company to defend the village." Dwalin smirked, finally, another chance at bloodshed, "We're with you, cousin."
Fortunately, the day was not over when the Shire was cleared of most of the snow. The Hobbits were very grateful and many of them opened up their homes to both Dwarf, Man, and Wizard who had served them for shelter. Some stubborn Dwarves refused and kept watch at the borders of the Shire; some Men of similar nature joined them, but others happily accepted the hospitality. Thorin found Fili and Kili waiting for him outside of Belladonna's home at the top of the hill.
"Mrs. Boggins has offered us tea and biscuits!" Kili said excitedly, but he was really just asking Thorin for permission to enter the home.
Fili whispered to him, "It's Baggins! We've been through this!"
"I heard her say Boggins and I am sticking with it!"
Fili laughed and shook his head, "No she didn't! You just cannot pronounce it properly!"
Thorin sighed and rolled his eyes, "Stop bickering," he intervened, "We will not disrupt her privacy. We will go and keep watch with the others." Both brothers groaned in defeat, but all three flinched to the door opening. Belladonna, slightly older in appearance then when Thorin had seen her last, stepped outside slightly with a great smile and an infant in her arms. When she saw Thorin, her face lit up even more with happiness.
"Thorin! I have not seen you in years! You've changed so much!"
Kili grinned and stepped in front of his uncle's view, "He is getting older, isn't he?" His brother shoved him aside in his uncle's defense. Thorin stepped forward, ignoring the child, to address her properly and no from afar, "We came to—"
"I know, I've been watching from the window," she interrupted, bouncing the child in her arms because the cold was bothering him. Her youthful expression of alacrity diminished slightly to a mature one, "Your nephews tell me that you came because of me." Thorin grew a smirk, "A favour for a favour," he explained.
"But how? I do not think helping you search for your one nephew equals the lives of everyone here. You could have done something much less great and that would have sufficed."
Thorin held his smirk and gave each of his nephews a fair and sincere look, "My nephews are all I have, they mean more to me than my own pride. Nothing can compare to their safety, in my mind. In this way, I feel as though I still have not fully repaid my debt." Belladonna gaped, "Do not say such a thing! You have done quite enough!" She quickly glanced down at her child, then brought her eyes back up to Thorin, "Would you like to meet my son?" Thorin frowned submissively at the tiny infant and stepped back, "No, thank you...I must go and keep watch with my men," he answered in a low voice, before hastily descending the hill towards Dwalin and some soldiers. Fili and Kili watched their uncle in puzzlement, then returned their attention to their Hobbit friend.
"He's okay, he has a lot on his mind," Fili assured Belladonna, who appeared somewhat offended by Thorin's rejection.
Kili nodded in agreement, "Some of the Rangers are saying that there are wolves heading towards us," he said.
Belladonna's eyes widened with fright, "Wolves?!"
Fili turned to Kili, "You weren't supposed to tell anyone," he said quietly through bared teeth.
Kili crossed his arms, "I don't see why we need to hide anything from anyone!"
Suddenly, a great, dark shadow loomed over the brothers. They both turned around to see a tall old Man standing with a staff in-hand and froze at the stranger. Before Fili was about to question him, Belladonna exclaimed, "Mr. Gandalf! How wonderful it is to see you again!" Fili and Kili took this opportunity to slip around the old man and hurry after their uncle.