-General-
"Bwahahaha!" Kíli could not contain his laughter and, with great glee, pointed at Sackville-Baggins's husband. "In all my years, I have never seen someone literally crap themselves from fear."
He clutched his stomach and doubled over.
Of course, if one brother broke, the other followed. Fíli, like Kíli, could not contain his mockery, as tears of laughter streamed down his face. His voice gave out for a few moments, only to resume his roaring laughter as he pointed at the poor Hobbit, who, red with shame, covered his face with his hands and ran away from the crowd.
"Tch, useless," whispered Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Nevertheless, she kept her head high with unyielding dignity, completely ignoring her husband's ridiculous display.
Aldril, for his part, smiled wryly. At no point was it his intention to cause such an embarrassing accident. But who would imagine that his mere natural presence would cause such a reaction in the Hobbit? And he hadn't even released his draconic instinct; had he done so, more than half the guests would have fainted dead away right then and there, or in the worst case, died from the pressure.
...
Shaking his head, Bilbo turned his gaze back to the guests.
"It seems many got a bit too excited," he said with sarcasm.
That comment made the crowd laugh, though some others frowned, thinking it discourteous. They were Hobbits who preferred the refined and polite, but it was all a facade. In reality, they were the greediest in all of Hobbiton, and above all, they had their eyes set on Mr. Baggins's fortune. Although they tried countless things, nothing had worked for them.
That was enough for them to brand everything Bilbo did as vulgar. They had a special grudge against the little Hobbit, though they did not dare to criticize him to his face. Otherwise, they would have a furious Dwarf-woman beating them senseless.
They had the example of that Hobbit, Beler. In his bravery, he criticized Bilbo in the middle of a celebration, branding him as greedy (ironically) and saying he should share his wealth with the rest.
This provoked Helga's anger. Let's just say that now that old Beler cannot get out of bed without help, and even going to the bathroom is an agonizing torment.
Clearing his throat, Bilbo gestured for the audience to calm down. But it didn't work; the guests kept laughing and drinking, completely forgetting the speech.
Mr. Baggins could accept being ignored once, but twice in a row? No way. Perhaps before he would have tried until they paid attention to him, but after his friendship with Aldril and his romance with Helga, his Baggins blood had diluted, giving way to the Took.
"Aldril, my good friend, could you help me a little?"
With a half-smile, Aldril ruffled his best friend's hair, who offered no resistance.
"Silence!" This time his voice rose a little, freezing the festivity completely. With rigid movements, the Hobbits turned their gaze once more toward that legendary man who provoked an immense terror in them, and even more so when those honey-colored eyes shone supernaturally.
With a smile from ear to ear, Bilbo cleared his throat once again, took a step forward, and placed his hands on his hips.
"How rude of you. I planned to give a speech, and the moment something else catches your attention, you ignore me," he said in an accusing tone. "I tolerated you because you were my neighbors and relatives, however distant. But I am fed up: you are a bunch of uneducated asses."
His words caused the guests' eyes to widen in surprise. That friendly and ever-tolerant Hobbit was insulting them? It was too much for their small and simple minds, but they could not reply or raise their voices.
Those shining eyes of that man silenced their complaints. They were not so stupid as to answer the Hobbit back when he had his good friend by his side.
"Originally, I planned to give a speech of thanks for your presence on my one hundred and ninth birthday. But I am already tired of this place, of its people."
Bilbo took a deep breath and continued:
"Your greed day after day, your gossip about me and about my wife, have filled my cup of patience drop by drop. It is the last straw that in every speech you ignore me even as you eat my food! Indecent freeloaders!"
Calming his breathing, Bilbo placed both hands behind his back, carefully taking the One Ring from his back pocket, which certainly was beginning to amplify his emotions, though not to the point of driving him mad.
With his anger sated, he smiled once more.
"That being said, today I bid you all farewell. It was not a pleasure to know you. I am leaving the Shire; I am going on an adventure with my wife, Helga Baggins. All my wealth and my lands I bequeath to my dear Frodo Baggins." With a mocking look, he glanced at Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. "I am sorry, cousin, but everything you desire goes to the one you love the least."
With a slow and deliberate movement, Bilbo slipped on the One Ring. Before disappearing, he smiled at the guests and gave a nod.
"So, goodbye. I hope never to see you again."
Bilbo's disappearance provoked a gasp from the guests; it was not only the surprise of the Hobbit's words, but that he had vanished out of thin air after all of that.
At that instant, the roar of thunder fully awakened everyone. With soured and somewhat melancholic moods, the guests departed one by one; besides, the dark clouds in the sky foretold a great storm.
And just like that, Bilbo Baggins's celebration came to an end.
Though for Aldril, it was the beginning of a new journey, but this time Bilbo would no longer be the protagonist. With a sigh, he followed the Hobbit's faint trail; although the Ring made him invisible, it did not free him of his scent nor the noise he made when walking. Let us remember that Smaug managed to smell Bilbo's scent when he wore the One Ring.
Aldril was pulled from his thoughts by the Dwarven brothers, who did not take long to react.
Fíli, with surprise on his face, looked from side to side, searching for traces of Bilbo. "By Durin's beard, that was..."
"Magnificent!" exclaimed Kíli. "I knew of his magic ring, but never what it did."
Shaking his head, Aldril smacked both brothers on the back of the head. "Come on, Bilbo is surely already at his house packing to leave."
**
Support me in "[email protected]/Mrnevercry"
I have a question for you guys, what do you think about the inclusion of Helga, Bilbo's dwarf wife? Even though it doesn't change the story, I personally liked it because in a way, Aldril needed a change, and what better way than giving our halfling a wife? Haha, looking forward to your replies.