Chapter Six

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The next day, the Dwarves, Gandalf, and Victoria, leave the Hobbit's house. They left without Bilbo, but a short while later he came running up calling, "Wait! Wait!" 

Victoria gave a small smile, but she was a little disappointed. When the Hobbit catches up, he holds up the contract Thorin left him, "I signed it." he says handing it over to Balin. Balin takes it, looks at it, "Everything seems to be in order. Welcome Master Baggins to the Company of Thorin Okinshild." says Balin. 

The Dwarves cheer, but Thorin doesn't look so impressed. 

"Give him a pony." says Thorin. "No, no, no, no, that­­that won't be necessary, thank you, but I­­I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I­­ I­­I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once ­­WAGH!" says Bilbo as his speech is cut off as two of the Dwarves ride alongside him and pick him up from behind to put him on a pony.

At that moment Victoria finds out what is wrong. She has no memory of anything past the time she arrived in Middle Earth. No memory of her house, her books, her friends, her sister, her parents, and how this adventure ends. Her last memory was arriving at Bilbo's house but before that it's blank. She's still excited to be in Middle Earth but she has turned from excited to a little bit nervous.

Bilbo is riding a pony and looking quite terrified. The pony neighs and tosses its head, making him quite uncomfortable. 

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on." says Oin. Nori tosses a sack of money to Oin; sacks of money begin passing between the Dwarves. "Hey, hey, hey!" says Oin. 

Some of the Dwarves laugh. "What's that about?" says Bilbo. "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. 

Most of them bet that you wouldn't." says Gandalf. "What did you think?" says Bilbo. "Hmmm." says Gandalf, as he catches a sack of money tossed to him and puts it in his bag. 

"My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." says Gandalf.

Bilbo sneezes loudly. "Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction." says Bilbo as he searches his pockets for a handkerchief. 

But he is unable to find one. "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around." says Bilbo. The entire Company comes to a halt, and the Dwarves start objecting and asking what the problem is. "What on earth is the matter?" says Gandalf. "I forgot my handkerchief." says Bilbo.

Bofur tears a strip of cloth from his clothing and tosses it to Bilbo. "Here! Use this." says Bofor. Bilbo catches the rag and looks at it in disgust. 

The dwarves laugh and begin to continue their journey. "Move on." says Thorin "You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead." Gandalf tells him. 

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