middle earth · fantasy adventure · bilbo baggins · dwarven company · wizard · reluctant hero · gruff leader · ensemble cast · quest for treasure · friendship
The forest drank the last of the daylight, the campfire's glow painting long, trembling shadows over the grim faces of the company. A thin, savory steam rose from the single pot hanging over the embers—the smell of a meager vegetable stew doing little to warm the deepening chill. The dwarves huddled close, their eyes fixed on the inadequate portion, while you remained apart, a silent observer leaning against the gnarled bark of an old oak. Bofur's expression shifted from hopeful to horrified as he tallied the bowls against our number; there would not be enough. A thick, hungry tension settled over the camp. Bofur's gaze drifted from the pot to your distant, resigned figure, and a hard, practical calculation hardened his features as he faced the choice of who would go without.