Nightmare

Gandalf rode straight toward the Hobbit smoking up ahead.

Morgan followed behind him. As the distance quickly closed, he finally got a clear look at the short Hobbit sitting on a bench by the roadside.

He was none other than the protagonist of The Hobbit film trilogy: Bilbo Baggins.

Morgan could finally be certain what point in Middle-earth's timeline he had arrived in.

His earlier guess had been right. This was just before the events of The Hobbit began.

It was also the beginning of every epic tale.

According to the plot,

Gandalf had come to find Bilbo Baggins and recruit him into Thorin Oakenshield's company of Dwarves, who were heading to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim the Arkenstone.

On Gandalf's recommendation, their company needed a burglar.

The Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield had an impressive pedigree.

They belonged to the Longbeard Clan, once the most powerful of the seven Dwarf clans in Middle-earth.

[Longbeard Clan: Considered by other Dwarf clans to possess a sacred lineage, they were the nobility among Dwarves. They had lived in Gundabad and Moria, possessed the bearing of kings, and were rich and traditional.]

The Longbeard Clan were the true descendants of Durin's Folk, also known as the Durin's Folk Dwarves.

Thorin Oakenshield, their leader, was the son of Thrain and grandson of Thror, King of the Kingdom Under the Mountain (the Kingdom of Erebor).

More than sixty years earlier, the Kingdom Under the Mountain had fallen after being attacked by the dragon Smaug, who had come from the north.

After their kingdom fell, Durin's Folk had no choice but to flee the Lonely Mountain and begin wandering.

During this time, Thror, King Under the Mountain, had set his sights on reclaiming Moria, their old kingdom, which was occupied by Orcs.

When no one could dissuade him, Thror led the survivors from the Lonely Mountain into battle against the Orcs.

In the final battle, the Battle of Moria, Thror, King Under the Mountain, was killed by the Orc chieftain Azog the Defiler.

It was also in that battle that Thror's grandson Thorin, after losing his shield, fought valiantly with a piece of oak and turned the tide of battle, earning the name "Oakenshield."

For his bravery in battle, Thorin Oakenshield also won the recognition of the other Dwarves.

After King Thror fell in battle, Thrain inherited the title of King Under the Mountain, but later disappeared for reasons unknown.

The title of King Under the Mountain then passed to the still-living Thorin Oakenshield.

This was the backstory to the events of The Hobbit films.

The plot of The Hobbit flashed through Morgan's mind. Following Gandalf, he soon reached the bench where Bilbo was sitting.

He dismounted and stood silently beside Gandalf outside the low fence, watching Bilbo Baggins sitting leisurely on the bench with his eyes closed, blowing smoke rings.

Awakened by the noise, Bilbo opened his eyes and saw two unfamiliar humans, one old and one young, standing outside his fence and staring at him curiously.

Their stares made Bilbo uncomfortable, so he instinctively said, "Good morning."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Are you wishing me a good morning?"

"Or do you mean that it's a good morning whether I like it or not?"

"Or that you feel good on this particular morning?"

"Or are you simply saying it's a morning worth being alive for?"

Gandalf leaned on his staff and rattled off the questions fluently. Bilbo Baggins, pipe in hand, was left a little bewildered and even more ill at ease.

But he soon remembered that he was in Hobbiton, right outside his own home, Bag End. This was his territory.

So he quickly pulled himself together, shrugged, and tried to look more at ease. "I suppose it's all of them."

When Bilbo finished speaking, Gandalf fell silent again, just as before, and stared at him without a word.

Morgan stood quietly to the side, saying nothing as he watched Gandalf perform—and watched Bilbo, too.

Under the gaze of the two of them, especially the tall old man in the gray robe, Bilbo began to feel uneasy. He shifted on the bench and asked hesitantly, "Do you need my help?"

Gandalf finally spoke again. "We'll see."

"I'm looking for someone to join me on an adventure."

Gandalf looked at Bilbo and spoke in a low, even voice.

Bilbo froze for a moment, then finally understood. He immediately shook his head. "An adventure?"

"No, I don't think anyone west of Bree would be interested in an adventure."

"They're nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things."

"And they make you late for dinner."

Realizing that the two uninvited guests meant trouble, Bilbo got up and began backing away as he spoke.

The round door of Bag End was firmly shut from the inside.

Morgan finally spoke, looking at Gandalf. "What now?"

Gandalf said nothing. He simply stepped over the low fence, went to the door of Bilbo's home, and began tracing something on the round wooden door with his staff.

The staff looked like nothing more than a dead branch, but as it touched the door, light kept spilling from it. Morgan's eyes widened.

It was the first time he had ever seen Gandalf cast a spell—and the first time in his life he had ever seen real magic.

Gandalf drew a mark on Bilbo's door that looked like a forked branch. A closer look revealed that light occasionally flickered across it.

The mark was drawn in the corner of the door, so it would be difficult to notice unless someone looked carefully.

Morgan stepped closer and asked, though he already knew the answer, "What are you doing?"

"Let's go. Someone will come along and persuade him for us."

"We'll come back later."

Gandalf smiled mysteriously, then turned and headed toward the horses by the road.

Morgan knew exactly what he meant, so he didn't ask any more questions.

Before long, Morgan followed Gandalf away on horseback.

When the noise outside faded, Bilbo, who had been pressed tightly against the round door, leaned toward the small window beside it and peered outside.

Once he realized the two men had left, Bilbo opened the door and came out again.

After looking around and finding nothing unusual, Bilbo muttered, "How very peculiar."

Then he went back inside, shut the door, and began humming as he prepared breakfast.

Even having been interrupted wouldn't spoil his appetite for a delicious breakfast.

The day passed quickly.

As the light faded and night fell,

inside the small, cozy home of Bag End, Bilbo was busy preparing dinner.

He fried smoked fish until it was golden on both sides, grilled sausages until they smelled delicious, and added two pieces of cheese and a glass of fruity red wine.

Bilbo gazed at the delicious dinner before him with great satisfaction, just as he was about to dig in.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Who would come calling this late?"

Bilbo paused in surprise, but soon got up and went to answer the door.

Hobbits were always very hospitable.

Bilbo Baggins was no exception, as long as the visitor wasn't like the one from that morning.

"Coming."

Bilbo called out, then briskly walked to the door, drew back the bolt, and opened it.

Standing outside was a tall Dwarf.

"Dwalin, at your service."

The Dwarf bowed. He seemed very courteous.

Bilbo was taken in by the Dwarf's professional manner and immediately returned the greeting. "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

And so Bilbo's nightmare began.

When Morgan followed Gandalf back to Bilbo's Bag End,

they could hear the commotion and racket from inside from a long way off, along with Bilbo's helpless shouting.