The Journey Home

After the Battle of Five Armies Bilbo finally began his journey back to the Shire. He began by marching with the Elf-host who were heading back to Mirkwood. Along with the hobbit went Gandalf and Beorn. All were pleased that Smaug had been destroyed along with the goblin-host. Thranduil invited them to stay in his halls for a season but Gandalf and Bilbo refused to enter Mirkwood again. So they parted ways. I particularly liked how Thranduil sent Gandalf off: "'May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected!'" (p. 306, The Hobbit). That described Gandalf perfectly and fits with his mission upon Middle-earth. Bilbo gave Thranduil a necklace of silver and pearls as payment for his "hospitality" when the hobbit first stayed in his halls. Thranduil named Bilbo Elf-friend at their parting.

Going around Mirkwood Bilbo and Gandalf travelled to Beorn's house where they spent the remainder of the winter. There they rested well and Beorn, so pleased with the defeat of the Goblins, invited many to feast with them. "Beorn became a great chief there afterwards in those regions and ruled a wide land between the mountains and the wood; and it is said that for many generations the men of his line had the power of taking bear's shape, and some were grim men and bad but most were in heart like Beorn, if less in size and strength" (p. 307, The Hobbit). Eventually they parted from Beorn and journeyed on. Gandalf and Bilbo reached the Misty Mountains, the very spot where they were first captured by goblins now cleared of the enemy. And looking over the lands Bilbo, weary for home, said: "'So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending!'" (p. 307, The Hobbit).

The following excerpt from The Fellowship of the Ring seems to fit well here. For I'm sure when reminiscing about their adventure, and particularly in that spot when Bilbo was separated from Thorin's company, and found the Ring conversation about that incident came up. Bilbo had kept up his story about the Ring being a reward for winning the game. "Gandalf, however, disbelieved Bilbo's first story, as soon as he heard it, and he continued to be very curious about the ring. Eventually he got the true tale out of Bilbo after much questioning, which for a while strained their friendship; but the wizard seemed to think the truth important. Though he did not say so to Bilbo, he also thought it important, and disturbing, to find that the good hobbit had not told the truth from the first: quite contrary to his habit. The idea of a 'present' was not mere hobbit-like invention, all the same. It was suggested to Bilbo, as he confessed, by Gollum's talk that he overheard; for Gollum did, in fact, call the ring his 'birthday present', many times. That also Gandalf thought strange and suspicious; but he did not discover the truth in this point for many more years..." (p. 22, The Fellowship of the Ring).

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2942 (winter-spring)
Today's reading comes from: The Hobbit, pages 305-307; The Fellowship of the Ring, page 22