The afternoon that everything changed began in a fairly ordinary way.
Escanor had spent the morning helping Bilbo in the garden, an activity he found surprisingly meditative. There was something about working with the soil, about watching things grow under patient care, that resonated with him in a way he couldn't quite explain.
"You know," said Bilbo, admiring the perfectly straight rows of carrots they had planted, "for a legendary warrior, you have remarkably gentle hands with plants."
Escanor smiled, wiping the dirt from his hands.
—Uncontrolled strength is destruction. True power comes from knowing when to be gentle and when to be fierce.
"Very philosophical for a Tuesday afternoon," Bilbo laughed. "Although I suppose that's what happens when you spend a year wandering around Middle-earth defeating orcs and drinking with dwarves."
—Among other things—Escanor looked up at the sky, where the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon—.
Bilbo, have you ever felt that something big is about to happen? Like the calm before a storm.
"Oh, all the time since I met Gandalf," sighed Bilbo. "That wizard has a knack for appearing just before my life gets complicated. For example, right now I feel like…"
A loud knock on the door interrupted his words.
Bilbo and Escanor exchanged glances.
"I wasn't expecting any visitors," Bilbo said slowly.
"Me neither," Escanor replied, but there was a gleam in his eyes. "Although something tells me this won't be an ordinary visit."
Bilbo headed for the door with Escanor following behind. When he opened it, he found a dwarf standing on the threshold. He wasn't particularly tall (for a dwarf), with a long, meticulously braided white beard, and he wore clothes that had seen better days but had once been fine.
—Dwalin, at your service—said the dwarf with a formal bow.
"Bilbo Baggins, to yours," Bilbo replied automatically, though he looked confused. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here for the meeting, of course," Dwalin said, entering without waiting for an invitation. His eyes immediately fell on Escanor, and he stopped dead in his tracks. "And who the hell are you?"
"Escanor," he replied simply, studying the dwarf with interest. "A guest of Bilbo's."
Dwalin assessed it with the critical eye of a seasoned warrior. What he saw clearly impressed him, though his expression remained cautious.
— Escanor? The Lion of the Sun?
—Some people call me that.
"My cousin Glóin keeps talking about you," Dwalin said, visibly relaxing. "He says you drink like a fish and fight like... well, like nothing he's ever seen before."
—Your cousin is generous with his praise.
Before they could continue, there was another knock on the door. And then another. And another.
For the next half hour, Bag End filled with dwarves. Balin, Dwalin's brother, arrived with his kind smile and polite manners. Then came Fíli and Kíli, young and boisterous. Dori, Nori, and Ori arrived together. Óin and Glóin (who greeted Escanor like an old friend). Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. And finally, Gandalf, so tall he had to stoop considerably to get in.
" Gandalf!" exclaimed Bilbo, somewhat hysterical now. "What's going on? Why are there thirteen dwarves in my house?"
"Fourteen, if you count the one who's coming," Gandalf said mysteriously, his eyes gleaming when he noticed Escanor.
Ah, Escanor. How convenient that you're here. Rumors of your exploits have even reached my ears.
Impressive, I must say.
—I do what I can.
"Modest, too. How refreshing." Gandalf turned to the dwarves. "Everyone, this is Escanor, the Lion of the Sun. I believe several of you have heard of him."
" The Lion of the Sun!" Glóin punched Escanor in the arm, comrade. "I knew we'd meet again! Guys, this man can outdrink any human I've ever met."
"And fighting, I hear," added Balin, observing Escanor with appreciation. "The Rohirrim sing songs about your battle in the Eastern Ruins."
"They're exaggerated, I'm sure of it," Escanor said.
"Oh, I doubt it," murmured Gandalf.
Another knock on the door, this one louder and more authoritative than the previous ones, cut short the conversation. All the dwarves visibly straightened up, and Gandalf smiled.
—Ah. That would be him.
Bilbo opened the door to reveal a dwarf who was distinctly different from the others. His bearing was regal, his dark beard was magnificently braided, and his blue eyes were sharp as swords. He wore fine furs and carried a sword at his hip that practically sang with power.
"Gandalf," his voice was deep and resonant. "I see everyone has arrived. Good. We can begin..."
He stopped when his eyes fell on Escanor. For a moment, the two stared at each other, each sizing the other up with the eyes of born warriors.
—And you are... —the dwarf began.
—Escanor. A friend of Bilbo.
"Thorin Oakenshield," replied the dwarf, advancing with outstretched hand. "King under the Mountain. Or I shall be, once we reclaim Erebor."
Escanor shook his hand, noticing the dwarf's firm grip. Thorin, for his part, noticed that his grip was matched without apparent effort.
"I have heard of you," said Thorin slowly. "The Lion of the Sun. The Rangers of the North speak of you with respect, and they do not give their respect easily."
"Just as dwarves don't, I've learned," Escanor replied. "It's an honor to meet you, Thorin Oakenshield."
Thorin nodded, something in his expression softening slightly.
—The honor is mine. Any enemy of the orcs is a friend of the dwarves.
"Charming," interrupted Bilbo, who had been watching this exchange with growing confusion.
Could someone please tell me what's happening at my house?
"Ah, yes," Gandalf cleared his throat. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce you to Thorin Oakenshield and his company. They are here to discuss a... business."
" A company?" Bilbo looked suspicious.
"A quest, to be more precise," said Thorin, his voice taking on a formal tone. "A quest to reclaim my ancestral home, the Lonely Mountain, from the dragon Smaug."
Silence fell over Bag End. Bilbo visibly paled.
— Dragon? Did you say... dragon?
"Oh, yes," Kili smiled. "Enormous, it breathes fire, it guards treasures! It will be glorious!"
"It will be dangerous," Balin corrected, though his eyes gleamed with anticipation. "But necessary. Smaug has held Erebor for far too long. It is time for the King under the Mountain to return to his throne."
Escanor had been listening in silence, but now he spoke:
—And they need a raider. Someone small, silent, capable of entering without waking the dragon.
All eyes turned towards him.
—Precisely —said Gandalf—. Someone like a hobbit, for example.
" Absolutely not!" Bilbo jumped up so fast he almost knocked his chair over. "I'm no hero! I'm a respectable hobbit from the Shire! I don't go on adventures, and I certainly won't be facing dragons!"
"Bilbo..." Escanor began gently.
—No ! Not even you can convince me of this, Escanor! It's madness. Utter madness!
Thorin stood up, his expression hardening.
"Then we've wasted our time here. Gandalf, you told me this hobbit had courage. I see nothing but a coward."
" Hey!" Bilbo said, offended. "I'm not a coward. I'm just... sensible."
"Sensibility and cowardice can look the same from certain angles," Thorin said coldly. "You come or you don't. It's your choice."
" Then I choose not to go!" Bilbo crossed his arms.
The tension in the room had grown thick. The dwarves murmured among themselves, some with disappointment, others with what might have been relief. Gandalf looked frustrated, though not surprised.
It was Escanor who broke the silence.
"Bilbo," she said, her voice calm but meaningful. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday? About having the heart of a hero?"
—You were being nice. That's not the same as being truthful.
"No. I was being honest." Escanor knelt down so he could look Bilbo in the eye. "I've walked Middle-earth for a year. I've met kings and warriors, elves and dwarves, rangers and wizards. And do you know what I've learned ?"
—What ? —Bilbo's voice was barely a whisper.
—That courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting despite it. And that true heroes are not those born for battle. They are those who choose to stand up for what is right, even when every fiber of their being tells them to run away.
—But I... I'm not as strong as you. I can't fight like you.
"No," Escanor agreed. "But you have something I could never have. You have the ability to move unseen. To think where others would only act. To find hope where others would only see despair." He placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "I'm not asking you to be me. I'm asking you to be you."
Because you are exactly what this search needs.
Bilbo stared at him for a long moment, his eyes shining with conflicting emotion.
— Will you... be coming too?
Escanor blinked in surprise, then looked at Gandalf. The wizard smiled, as if he had been expecting this question.
"Well, Escanor," said Gandalf. "What do you say? Will you join this company of dwarves in their quest to reclaim Erebor?"
All eyes were on him now. The dwarves looked hopeful, some even excited at the prospect of having the Lion of the Sun in their company. Thorin watched him with an inscrutable expression.
Escanor considered carefully. He had spent a year preparing, building strength, forging alliances. He had felt a greater purpose calling him. And now, here he was: a quest that would pit thirteen dwarves and a hobbit against a dragon.
Dangerous. Probably deadly. Exactly the kind of thing common sense would warn against.
And yet...
"Yes," he said simply. "I'll go."
A commotion of excitement erupted among the dwarves. Glóin slammed his fist on the table victoriously. Fíli and Kíli patted each other on the back. Even Thorin smiled, a small but genuine smile.
"Excellent," said Gandalf with satisfaction. "With the Lion of the Sun in our company, our chances have just improved considerably."
"Wait a minute," Bilbo raised his hands. "I never said I was going."
"But you will," Escanor said confidently. "Because I know that beneath that respectable exterior beats the heart of a true adventurer. You just need to remember it."
Bilbo opened his mouth to argue, closed it, opened it again, and finally sighed deeply.
"This is a terrible idea. We'll all probably die. And I'll definitely regret it."
"Probably," Escanor agreed.
"But..." Bilbo straightened up, squaring his small shoulders, "but if anyone has to make sure you don't do something completely stupid, I suppose it'll have to be me."
" Ha!" Bofur laughed. "I like you, hobbit! You've got guts!"
"Then it is decided," Thorin declared, and there was genuine respect in his voice now. "Bilbo Baggins shall be our burglar. And Escanor, the Lion of the Sun, shall be our keeper." He raised his glass. "To the company of Thorin Oakenshield!"
" For the company!" roared the dwarves.
Escanor raised his glass along with them, feeling something stir in his chest. Purpose. Camaraderie. The beginning of something that would change everything.
He looked across the room and saw Bilbo being patted on the back by several dwarves, looking overwhelmed but also... excited, perhaps. As if something dormant inside him was finally awakening.
"Alright ," Escanor thought. " Let the adventure begin."
Later that night
After the dwarves had looted Bilbo's larder (much to the hobbit's horror) and settled down for the night all over Bag End, Escanor found himself standing in the garden under the stars. The night air was crisp, the Shire quiet except for the occasional snore from within.
—You couldn't sleep either, huh?
Escanor turned to see Balin approaching, wrapped in a blanket and smoking a pipe.
"I have a lot on my mind," Escanor admitted.
"Like all of us," Balin said, standing beside him and gazing at the stars. "It's a dangerous undertaking we've embarked upon. Many of us may not return."
-I know.
—And you still chose to come?
-I did it.
Balin studied it with his wise and ancient eyes.
" May I ask why? You have no part in this. Erebor is not your home. Thorin is not your king. You could live a peaceful life here in the Shire, or travel Middle-earth as you have been doing."
Why risk your life for our search?
Escanor considered the question carefully before answering.
"Because someone has to face the darkness. Because a dragon that has terrorized entire villages for decades needs to be defeated. Because you dwarves who lost your home deserve the chance to reclaim it." He paused. "And because I feel, deep in my bones, that I'm meant to be here. That this is my purpose, or at least part of it."
Balin nodded slowly, a smile touching his lips.
"You know, when Gandalf first mentioned the Lion of the Sun, I wasn't sure what to expect. Rumors paint him as a force of nature, unstoppable and invincible. But now that I've met you... you're more human than I expected. In the best possible way."
"Rumors always exaggerate," Escanor said. "I'm just a man with unusual abilities. And like any man, I can bleed. I can fail. I can die."
"But not easily, I'd wager," Balin said, taking a drag on his pipe. "And not without a fight like hell."
"Not without fighting like hell," Escanor agreed with a smile.
They remained in friendly silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Balin spoke again:
—Thorin can be difficult at times. Proud, stubborn, quick to judge. But he's a good dwarf, deep down. This journey... means everything to him. Reclaiming Erebor isn't just about reclaiming a kingdom. It's about restoring the honor of our line. About giving our people a home again.
"I understand," Escanor said. "And I will do everything in my power to ensure your success."
"That's all we can ask for," Balin said, patting him on the arm. "Good night, Escanor."
Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow our journey begins, and I have a feeling it will be memorable.
—Good evening, Balin.
As the dwarf went back inside, Escanor remained there a moment longer, gazing eastward where the Lonely Mountain awaited, invisible in the distance but nonetheless present in his mind.
A dragon. Smaug the Terrible. The creature had lived for over a hundred years, amassing wealth and sowing terror. He had destroyed entire kingdoms. He was considered almost invincible.
But Escanor felt no fear. Only... curiosity. And determination.
Can you withstand the heat of the sun, Smaug? he wondered. We shall soon find out.
A figure appeared beside him, so silently that even Escanor hadn't heard it approaching.
Gandalf, his face illuminated by starlight.
"I knew you'd be here," said the magician.
- Really?
—Great warriors always contemplate before battle. It's as if they sense the weight of what is to come.
" Is that what I am?" Escanor asked . "A great warrior?"
—Among other things—Gandalf looked at him sideways—. Tell me, Escanor. When you look into the future, what do you see?
"Fire," Escanor answered honestly. "Darkness. A battle that feels inevitable. And..." he hesitated, "something else. Something I can't name yet."
"Destiny, perhaps," Gandalf suggested. "Or purpose finally revealing itself."
—Do you think we will recover Erebor?
"I believe," Gandalf said slowly, "that with the right company, at the right time, even the most impossible tasks can be accomplished. And this company… has something special about it. Thorin and his unyielding courage. Bilbo and his unexpected heart. And you…" he smiled, "you are the factor that even Smaug could not have anticipated."
"Don't underestimate dragons," Escanor warned. "They are ancient, cunning, and powerful."
"Oh, I don't underestimate them," Gandalf chuckled softly. "But I don't underestimate you either. And I think, Escanor, that Smaug is about to learn that even dragons can get burned."
With that, the magician retreated inside, leaving Escanor alone under the stars once more.
Escanor raised his hand, and with a thought, a small golden flame danced in his palm. No larger than a candle, yet containing within it the power of the sun itself.
—Come, Smaug—he whispered to the wind—. I'll show you what real fire looks like.
And with that promise to the night air, Escanor finally entered, ready to rest before the journey that would change his life, and the lives of all those who traveled with him, forever.
The search for Erebor had begun.
And the Lion of the Sun would march with her.