Chapter Text
He wasn’t welcomed in Bree. Honestly, it wasn’t a surprise, because during his younger years, he and his brothers didn’t really make their own reputation good in the town, but he thought now, that he’s an adult, maybe the general opinion would change.
Well, it’s not like they had a reason to like him now. He was always an outsider here – not just here, everywhere he went really –, someone who brought all the bad news with him. He was followed by strange folks everywhere he went. Sometimes good, but strange for the people in Bree, occasionally bad, bizarre, and dangerous creatures for everyone.
Not to mention that his look wasn’t exactly … appealing either. After all, he was always in the wild, walking through forests, swamps, valleys, and the distant lands of dangerous countries. He didn’t have time to sleep or take a bath . Especially now, when the enemy is moving again, and trying to get into the Shire.
He doubled the protection around it, him and his rangers, but he wasn’t sure it worked – especially because he had to leave for quite a long time to find something for Mithrandir. Well, someone, exactly – but honestly, sometimes he felt like he should just call it something because the creature wasn’t exactly human – whatever human meant in this context.
He was just tired. Not from the judgemental stares from the people every time he went to the common room to drink a beer – he was used to that. It was more like the constant walking without break , the running up and down without any sleep or food. He could just barely find Gollum when he already got the news from Mithrandir that he might be needed in the Shire.
He barely had time to cross through Imladris, he had to continue the road. He sent messages to the Rangers and told them to double the protection around Hobbiton, and then he was on the road again, hurrying as much as he could. Bree and Rivendell were around 300 miles from each other, which meant that it was a little more than 90 hours of nonstop walking. That was almost four days without stopping for even a second, which he couldn’t do.
He arrived after five days since he had to stop a few times for a small break. That was still a record, even for him – he did this distance a lot of times, but it was never in this little of the time. Maybe that’s why he didn’t do anything when he reached Bree, just got a room from Butterbur and that was it.
He didn’t exactly sleep long , due to his blood and kin he needed little sleep, so after a few hours he was on his legs again. Still tired , still hungry, but at least he didn’t feel like he would fall asleep after a single blink.
„Excuse me,” said a voice, quiet, old, but kind.
He turned around, just to find a hobbit standing right next to him. He was surprised; folks in Bree rarely talked to him, not to mention that hobbits were never famous for talking with the Big Folks. But this hobbit seemed different, curious, and strangely familiar.
„Bilbo Baggins, at your service,” said the hobbit, smiling. His hair was curly on his head , gray , but he still looked energetic. He somehow looked so much younger from how he sounded, like his voice and body aged differently, which was a crazy thing to even think about.
But he didn’t really have time to analyze the hobbit, because the same rang familiar to him . Bilbo Baggins. The one from Thorin Oakenshilds company, the one who went to Erebor with the dwarves to kill the Dragon, accompanied by Mithrandir.
Bilbo Baggins, who he met before, a long time ago, so long he could barely remember it.
*
„Estel! Estel, where are you again?”
The young boy grinned as he heard his gwathel ’s voice looking for him again. He was actually proud of himself, as he always seemed to win any time they played Hide and Seek. Well, honestly maybe it was because his gwanunig , Elladan, and Elrohir never really knew when he played , they were always the last ones to know that in theory, they were participating in a game.
Estel just grinned from behind the huge plant where he was hiding behind. He was careful to not make any noise – he didn’t know that his gwanunig actually were aware of his whereabouts , they were just nice to him and enjoyed playing. It was long ago since Imladris was filled with children , their running, the laughter, and the happiness were long gone. It was, for a long time, painful, quiet, full of loss and grief.
Gilraen’s and her son’s arrival was like sunshine getting into the valley, and Imladris was suddenly a happier, more positive place. The broken family’s arrival gave them hope. Ónen i-Estel Edain, Ú-chebin estel anim.
„And who would you be” said a surprised voice, which made Estel jump. His hand reached towards his dagger – he didn’t throw it , he was clever enough to not do it, since the last time he got spooked Elladan got a nice scare on his arms.
The little, not even eleven-year-old was suddenly more aware of his surroundings than he was before. In from of him stood a child. Well, maybe not a child. It was certainly a strange folk, around the same height as Estel, but obviously older. He had curly, really curly brown hair and clever, shining eyes. His feet were huge, and very hairy, which made Estel frown. Elves didn’t have too much body hair, and they were certainly wearing shoes all the time – just like he was wearing shoes too , but this person in front of him didn’t.
„I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you, little one,” said the strange person, hands in the air, palms turned towards Estel, like he was protecting himself from something. „My name is Bilbo Baggins, at your service, and your family’s.”
Estel didn’t reply , just stared at the strange person in front of his eyes. His words were funny, a little strange for Estel’s ears who didn’t really speak the westron. He could perhaps understand it because his naneth would talk to him in it enough, but he didn’t even remember the last time he spoke it.
The baggins certainly looked like an interesting creature, so much like a human, but so much like something else. It was strange, as he never really met anyone in Imladris who wasn’t an elf. Well, maybe Mithrandir, but that was different because he was a istar . And his naneth , of course, who was just a woman, a human, as he heard them talking about it with his adar .
But then Estel suddenly remembered that he was raised in the House of Elrond after all, which meant that even if he was young, even if the stranger looked like a strange creature , he had manners . He didn’t even want to think about what would his adar say if he saw him like this, just staring at the stranger, not saying anything.
„ Mae govannen, Master Bilbo,” he said, bowling his head to the baggins. „I eneth nín Estel.”
The baggins looked a little confused, which made Estel even more confused. Did he really not understand what he said? He spoke elvish, his naneth spoke elvish, even Mithrandir, who was not an elf and wasn’t living with elves. For Estel, it was impossible to think that maybe there were people who didn’t understand Sindarin.
„I am afraid I don’t understand you, little one,” said the baggins, which made Estel hesitant. He did understand westron but wasn’t sure that the baggins would understand him if he spoke it. Maybe, after all, his naneth’s begging to talk to her in westron was understandable in some wa y…
„My name,” he said hesitantly. It’s okay, Estel, you can do it. „ Estel ” he added, hoping that the baggins would understand him.
It seemed like he did. The baggings – Bilbo, as he introduced himself – smiled at him and then bowed his head, just like the young boy did before.
Estel grinned at the other. Maybe … but just maybe , making new friends isn’t even that hard , after all .
*
Aragorn had to shake himself a little bit to get out of the memories he suddenly traveled back to. The hobbit – baggins, as he used to call them – probably didn’t even recognize him , he just wanted to talk to someone from the Big Folks. Or, at least, that’s what Mithrandir told him – that this hobbit wasn’t like the others , he was curious, and open to talk to anyone who could tell him news about the word.
„Can I help you, Master Baggins?” Aragorn asked politely.
Bilbo froze for a minute, and for a brief passing of the time it looked like he suddenly remembered back to almost sixty years ago, to their first meeting. But then the moment disappeared, and the hobbit just smiled.
„Tell me, my good ranger, what’s happening beyond the borders of the Shire?” he asked, but Aragorn just shook his head.
„I’m afraid, Master Baggins, that is not something like we should talk about in Bree of all places. Dark things, dark tales, and creatures, that’s I can tell.”
At first, he didn’t really want to say anything to the hobbit, but then, after some consideration, he smiled.
„Well, maybe you would find the answers to your questions in Imladris, my dear Bilbo,” he said, and that was the moment when Bilbo just surprisedly sat down next to him in a chair, looking at him with his big, curious eyes.
„And what would a ranger know about the whereabouts of Imladris?” he asked suspiciously. „Not to mention, why would a ranger in Bree even know about that valley?” he added another question, and Aragorn smiled.
„Maybe I am no more ranger, Bilbo Baggins, member of Thorin Oakenshield’s company,” he said.
This suddenly caught the old hobbit’s attention, even better than before. He stood up again, and his hand wandered towards his belt. Aragorn surpassed a smile. He never really believed Mithrandir when he told him that hobbits are brave creatures. This little fellow was ready to get his sword , after all, to protect himself from someone who was more than twice his height.
„I think,” he said Aragorn quietly, and glanced around the room before he continued, lowering his voice even more than before „that maybe, after all this time, I shall be the one calling you little one, and not the other way around.”
Aragorn almost started laughing watching Bilbo’s face. The old hobbit looked confused at first but then stared at the eyes of the ranger, and something, maybe recognition ran through his features. He didn’t say anything , he still looked concerned, maybe deep in his memories, just like Aragorn was before – thinking about that day, far from this place, in place and in time too. Bilbo looked like he was suddenly transported back in time, sixty years before , to that cold, but fresh day in Imladris.
„That cannot be…” said the hobbit, with wonder in his voice. „That would make you… that would make you at least seventy years old!” cried Bilbo, but then he lowered his voice when he noticed that people were beginning to look at them again, with fear and maybe annoyance in their eyes. „And let me tell you, little one, you do not look like more than thirty.”
„Maybe,” said Aragorn „We all have our little secrets, isn’t that right, Bilbo, the baggins ” he added, smiling, referring to the name he used to call the hobbit, not being familiar with the word hobbit back then.
„Estel,” said Bilbo, with awe in his voice. „Is it really you?” he asked, and Aragorn nodded , however , he felt like the hobbit wasn’t really listening nor looking at him anymore – he seemed to be lost in his thoughts again, back in Imladris, sixty years before.
*
Estel – hope
Mithrandir – Gandalf’s name in Elven language
Ónen i-Estel Edain, Ú-chebin estel anim - I gave Hope to the Dúnedain, I have kept none for myself
gwathel – brother
gwanunig – twins
istar – wizard
naneth – mother
adar – father
Mae govannen – Well met
I eneth nín – My name is…/I am…