Things had been very quiet of late for Gormbard, he had not found any real work as such but he got by. He had earned a little bit of money here and there for food and by selling any interesting items that he could find. He had managed to find an abandoned burrow in which to live, it was by no means a comfortable burrow but at least it kept out the wind and rain. He had found an old bench in the overgrown garden and dragged it in so at least he had somewhere to sit. Apart from the old bench and a small cupboard, which currently contained one apple and a slightly mouldy piece of cheese, the only other piece of furniture was a very badly stuffed animal of unidentified origin which the previous owners must have left behind.
There were a large number of abandoned burrows in the village and Gormbard would often spend the day searching these for anything he could either sell or drag over to his own burrow. One night Gormbard decided to head over the hill to one of the larger burrows but as he approached he noticed that the old boards that had covered the front door were missing. Gormbard crept up to the door and eased it open just enough to poke his head through and take a look inside. To his surprise he saw a pair of Hobbits in there. Hastily Gormbard ducked back hoping he had not been seen, he made his way back up the hill and looked back over his shoulder. To his horror the two Hobbits were now standing outside the burrow and were shouting and pointing. Gormbard started to run; he did not want a confrontation with two angry Hobbits. As his burrow came into sight Gormbard looked back over his shoulder and saw the two Hobbits still chasing him. The door of his burrow was within his reach and he threw himself over the doorstep and bolted the door behind him.
Gormbard hid behind the badly stuffed, unidentified animal in his hallway and listened. After what seemed like hours he slowly emerged and unbolted his door. He peered out and saw the two Hobbits waiting for him in his garden. Bolting the door again Gormbard retreated to his parlour. Opening up his cupboard he took out his last apple and sat down on the rickety bench in the hope that by the morning the two Hobbits would be gone.
Gormbard warily opened his door the next morning; mercifully the two angry Hobbits were gone. Gormbard had no idea why the silly Hobbits had been so angry, that burrow had been vacant for months, and how was he supposed to know they would be there. If folk were moving into the abandoned burrows then he would be running out of places to scavenge. Gormbard would have to start thinking of another scheme to make some money.
Gormbard reached under his shirt and pulled out a cord, tied to the end was a small unassuming key. He had been given it when he first started working at the Mathom House and as they had not asked for it back Gormbard saw no reason to hand it back following his unfair dismissal. Although the Mathom House stood at the summit of a large hill there was more than one entrance. Dug into the hill there were numerous burrows, mostly belonging to Mathom House employees and their families. But there was one burrow, or what looked like a burrow, that was in fact a secret entrance to the cellar of the Mathom House.
Gormbard had spent a good deal of time in the Mathom House cellar and knew there were countless mathoms hidden away, either because they were of too little value or they were too valuable to put on show. There was also a room beyond the cellar that held Master Foxtail’s private collection of Mathoms. Gormbard was sure if he could get into the cellar he could find a few good mathoms that would fetch a handsome price, far more than he could earn in a year of petty scavenging in derelict burrows.
Gormbard decided that he would go into Michel Delving and check the place over before he attempted to enter the Mathom House. His first job however would be to disguise himself so that he could pass unnoticed.
