2 Wake-up Call

[33 years later] Third Age 2747

I had grown complacent in these years with the hobbits, I suppose they have that effect on many a people. I was born in TA 2704 and had found the Shire to be difficult to leave. Though that didn't mean I let myself get rusty, I knew that in some future time there would be strife that my skills would be needed for. That however didn't make it anymore surprising when I happened upon goblin tracks on the outer edges of the Northfarthing.

At least 10 different sets of tracks were in the brush looking out over the scarcely populated Northfarthing. It seems a scouting party has come, I need to tell father about this, he's the Thain after all. Only I wanted to do more investigating. 10 scouts seemed like a lot especially for goblins.

So I followed their trails up the hills and through the brush of the trees. In these 43 years I had reached my full size. I was 4 feet 9 inches tall, 4 inches taller than Bando and considered to be the tallest hobbit ever recorded. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that since considering this height was still quite a bit shorter than the average man. My hair was a long and curly golden red color, though more red than gold I would say. My eyes were of a fierce bright green, that many said scared them the first time they looked in my eyes.

Which isn't too surprising since even after living here in peace longer than I had lived in my past life as an assassin I still have killed people. Not many hobbits can claim that I imagine. I wore a dark cloak that had a hood that hung low over my brows, shading my face. I wore dark brown leather tunic pants that came just below my knees, and a similarly dark brown leather shirt. Obviously I wore no shoes, but I did have something that most hobbits don't. I had a short sword strapped to my waist and a litany of knives secreted on my body.

As well as a bow and a quiver of arrows slung across my back. You see there's a road that passes through the Shire and the bigger folk such as Dwarves and Elves tend to pass through it. Me and Bando and a few of our Took cousins would venture out and watch the comings and going's of these people. Once I had worked up the nerve, as I had never been so extremely outnumbered or out armed, I approached a traveling Dwarf caravan and offered to trade pipe weed for weapons.

Pipe weed in the Shire was a very valuable thing and it seemed even the Dwarves had heard about it. I traded a small barrel that even I could fit underneath my arm for a fine dwarven forged short sword that was every bit as sharp and strong as a full sized long sword. They even threw in a good 20 daggers in good faith that I would bring more battles of pipe weed for them to either buy or trade for.

Throughout the years I did this and it's how I came to own this cloak as well as my leather armor. This dark brown leather wasn't only leather the dwarves had woven light bits of metal through the leather in a way I guess only dwarves can. They told me that the armor would resist most slashes and piercings, but was not invulnerable. "It was no mithril, after all" they would say in unison and nod as if it was obvious. And I suppose it was.

The bow and arrows were gifted to me by the Elves, they were enchanted in a way that they fired with the force of a heavy bow, yet the string pulled back as easily as loose string. The arrows flew unerringly straight and with a competent wielder it was a deadly weapon. The arrows even gave a off a faint hum to the owner after they were fired so that you could track them down and retrieve them. This was lucky for me as I didn't have to trade for more arrows every-time they crossed our path again.

Though I did occasionally trade for another quiver as you never know when you may not have the opportunity to retrieve your arrows. So I had 5 quivers worth of these elven arrows. And they even gave me daggers that were half the length of my short sword but still longer than the throwing daggers the dwarves had given me.

And this was my arsenal as trekked through the woods, the trail becoming easier to follow as the goblins no longer gave care to their evidence. Bones of small animals littered the road side and remnants of fires dotted the trail every couple miles until I reached a dense forest at the base of Mount Gram.

It had taken me a couple hours at the pace I had tracked them with and I came to see fire lights in the coming darkness. The sun falling ever closer to the horizon made the fire from the goblin camp become easier to see and subsequently made it harder to see me. Long shadows of trees covered my sneaking approach until I ascended a tree and gazed down at the company of goblins.

Two hundred, I counted once, twice and even thrice and I got the same number. 200 goblins and one slightly larger goblin who they called King Golfimbul. My ability to understand languages came to great use as well at what they said next.

"The short men are pathetic and ripe for your picking King, Golfimbul. They drink and eat and sleep and then do it all again, sometimes within the same day. I'm sure their meat will be juicy indeed." Hissed a grayish green goblin who licked his lips with a grin as he smiled up at King Golfimbul.

"Goooood." Golfimbul rasped out in a low tone. "Good, we attack the half men tonight. This cursed sun will soon set and we will feast greatly! Goblins! Prepare for feast like you haven't eaten in ages! The half men will fill our stomachs tonight!" Golfimbul's voice grew in vigor and the surrounding goblins began to trill and cackle as their mouths water for the feast.

I quickly descended the tree and made all haste back to the Shire to alert my father. There aren't many warriors in the Shire, but we are made of hardy folk and a battering of goblins isn't going to do us in. I reached the Shire in half the time I left it and ran into the Thain's office, where I found my father and my 2 brothers pouring over some papers for a future coming of age party.

"Lord Thain." I said as I entered the room, the 3 of them looking at me before setting their paper down and giving me their full attention. They could tell by my expression what I was about to say next was severely important.

"What is it, Brother? What's got you all out of sorts and breathless, even racing the younger hobbits after a night of drinking and dancing doesn't leave you like this." Bando was the one who spoke first as he approached me and laid a hand on my shoulder, while also inspecting for any injuries.

We were close, as close as you can imagine twins being when they grow up together everyday for 43 years. He cares deeply for me and I would be lying if said I didn't care deeply as well. Though now was not about me as gently pulled his arm off my shoulder.

"Im afraid this is more grave than a few races with the young ones." I said and they grew even more serious than before and father sat straight in his chair.

"Speak plainly Buck, I would like to hear what you have learned." Father said and my older brother, Ferumbras II, nodded seriously as well. He had been studying under father ever since he came of age to one day take the seat of Thain.

"Goblins, a whole host of them north of Northfarthing at the base of Mount Gram. We need to evacuate anyone that can't fight and prepare…. They arrive tonight." When I finished all their eyes went wide, but Bandobras' quickly narrowed and he growled as he slammed his fist on a desk.

"Damn, goblins think they can invade the Shire! We'll show them we're of tougher stock than they believe!" He roared, and we let him as we knew this is how Bando was. He was fierce when something threatened his people and it was something everyone in the Shire loved about him.

"Calm, son. I feel your rage as well, but we must think this through. Buck. How many goblins were there?" Father raised a hand to calm Bando and while he quieted his fists were still clenched and teeth gritted as he looked for my reply.

"200." Once again their eyes went wide and father immediately stood up.

"Ferum! Gather the Shirrifs and take them with you to the Mayor's house. Explain the situation and begin evacuations. Make for Bree and seek refuge there, if you absolutely have to then stop in old Tom's forest on the way." Ferumbras nodded severely and swiftly left the room, giving me and Bando a quick nod as he passed by.

"Bando, gather the available fighters. I would normally not let you accept the elders who think they still know which way the arrows go on the bow, but we have no choice. However you cannot, and say this with the utmost finality, you cannot take any Hobbits under 40. They are too young to potentially get slain in this batte." Bandobras looked conflicted knowing that this would limit our already small force, but he nodded and ran out with even more speed than Ferumbras. Stopping briefly to give me a great hug and then shooting off, leaving only me and father.

"Buck, I'm sure you already have an idea of what to do?" He says hesitantly, but with conviction. I nod and pull my bow from my shoulder as I grab 2 more of my 5 extra quivers and cross sling them onto my back. I was more thankful by the minute that elven quivers made neither a sound nor would let an arrow slip from it without an outside force. Meaning I could be hanging upside and shaken like a dirty carpet and they wouldn't fall out or make a noise.

"I'll give you all as much time as possible, have my quivers ready and set aside several extra ones. Even if they aren't elven arrows, I'll hit my mark. I have 60 arrows on me right now, 20 to a quiver and that's 120 elven arrows. Even I'm not perfect though, but I'll make sure every arrow counts." He nods grimly and steps forward and wraps me in a hug. He was a bit shorter at only 4 feet 2 inches, so his head only came to my chin.

"Be safe, Buck. Come back to us alive, even with Bando we're going to need you." I nodded and pulled from the hug as I stared into my father's eyes.

"I will, Father." With that I was out the door and heading to the woods ahead of the goblins. I had the capacity for magic and I was going to use it. So far I had only learned minor illusions and tricky spells, but with my taps laying through their path and my arrows firing upon them it should cause enough havoc. Tripwires and sharp bits of twisted metal littered a wide swath of the forest. Minor illusions placed on them to hide them from the eyes of the goblins.

As soon as the first squeal from an injured goblin came I knocked and arrow and whispered a spell.

"One becomes 2 and 2 becomes many, one arrow flies, but they see twenty."

As i finished I let loose the arrow and illusions of many more followed after it. When the first one hit I had already knocked and sent another 3.

"We're under attack! The filthy half men have come to greet us!" The same chief goblin that had talked to King Golfimbul cried out. The goblins cowered behind their tattered wooden shields that were no better than strips of bark and I got another idea.

"Tinder to the pyre, flare with fire." It was a smaller and weaker spell, but it covered the arrow in flames and while there was no heat it looked like a real fire that would continue to spread. Goblins weren't normally afraid of fire, but when it began to attach to your scraps of clothes and shield it would make anyone squeal.

"""Fire! Fire!"""

Screams engulfed the goblin force as they began tossing their weapons and meager clothing to the side and I kept firing arrows, taking down one goblin at a time. Though I got lucky and a couple died from being trampled by his brethren. As my last and final arrow flew I surveys the carnage. Some 70 goblins had died, 60 to arrows and 10 to tramplings. The fire illusion had went out and my fake arrows began to dissipate.

"There's a trickster in these woods! Find him and kill him!" King Golfimbul bellowed in anger as he realized what had happened. I took this as my signal to leave and retreated to the Shire. This whole affair had given my people 3 hours to prepare and the others to evacuate.

When I returned I was met with countless Hobbits of all ages and genders preparing fortifications and I was truly perplexed. I saw Bandobras and approached him, startling him in the process.

"Bando." He jumped and swung his club at the same time and I had to duck under it.

"By the Thain Buck, I thought the goblins had slipped passed you!" I chuckle softly as he lowers his club.

"Goblins know your name now ay Bando? Don't think anyone knows much about Hobbits, let alone some cave dwelling goblins. What's everyone still doing here? I gave y'all plenty of time." Bando smiled and gazed at the working Hobbits.

"They wouldn't leave, no matter how many times father and the mayor threatened and hollered, all of them stood firm and just began helping the people that were already setting things up. They said they wouldn't leave their fellow Hobbits to fight the nasty goblins alone." As he finished with a proud yet worried smile on his I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well then I guess it's up to us to make sure these great Hobbits live to see the next day." He turned to me with a fierce smile but it became a determined look and he nodded.

"Indeed, I won't let any harm come to them if I can help it." I clapped him on the shoulder and made off for the archer section and found my 3 remaining elven quivers and 3 more hunters quivers stood up and all the other archer hobbits looked to me. Most of them were hunters or former hunters and I gave them a nod as I pulled an arrow from the hunter quiver and turned to them.

"Test fire, copy me." They nodded and drew arrows of their own.

"Knock." We all knocked.

"Aim." They held their bow aloft as close like mine as they could. We aimed them high to the sky to where they would travel the furthest.

"Draw." Creaking of string and wood could be heard.

"Release." 20 different arrows went flying and landed in decent enough cluster about 30 yards away. These were only hobbits with hunters bows after all, they weren't made for war and distance.

"When the goblins come we will take up this and routine. As they continue to get closer just copy me until you run out of arrows. Once you do go and let the Mayor and the Thain guide you from there." They all nodded gravely and I gave them the best comforting smile I could.

"We'll make it through this night, my fellow Hobbits. Have faith."

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Author's Note

And the Battle of Greenfields begins. This is a canon battle that you can find in the wiki if you want. There's really nothing told about it aside from how it ends, so a lot of this is just what I think might have happened.

Hobbits strike me as a folk that wouldn't seek battles, but they also wouldn't just leave their fellow hobbits to fight while they were safe. So I had all the Hobbits remain and help with the preparations.

Hopefully none of you minded the time skip to here as I really didn't want to bore you with them running and playing in the fields for 40 years lol. Also I didn't want to make Buck too strong, but honestly most elven quivers are probably going to hold more than 20 arrows lol. His magic is pretty much just illusions at the moment though with enough time he could fix some very deadly spells together.

Hopefully the spells weren't to cringey, but the way I understand it words are powerful in this world when uttered with intent. So I figured that's how I would do my magic, sorry if the chants are lame lol. If enough people dislike them then I will just explain the spell and not have any chants.

Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter will be the Battle of Greenfields.