The Temptations of Bilbo Baggins by ravenwendigo
Disclaimer: The following fan fiction is set in 'The Hobbit' universe and includes events and phrases from the actual book. The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R Tolkien.
Summary: The Necromancer is awakening; he is seeking his ring…
Word Count: 1,443 words
It seems like eons passed since he left his beloved Bag End. Tired and bruised he made his way into Erebor where he had to face Smaug the Magnificent, a fierce and terrible Dragon. Apparently the company he was travelling with thought he was some kind of elite thief, they called him 'the burglar'. All except one – for most of the journey, Thorin Oakenshield seemed to make it a point to constantly remind him about how useless he was. Strangely enough he made it out alive from the encounter with the dragon. Everyone was impressed and he couldn't help but feel his pride swelling … but deep down he knew that it was the ring's fault that he managed to come out unscathed. A cold chill went down his spine at the thought of the accursed thing. The ring had been tormenting him for awhile now.
It started when he was wearing it in Mirkwood forest, when his companions were trapped by the spiders. He had to wear the ring to become invisible and trick the spiders. Towards the end of the fight with the eight-legged creatures he felt his essence transported into another realm, some sort of spirit realm. Hideous beasts seemed to inhabit the area but what scared him most was the voice.
"Cooome to meee," it said in a low and sinister tone, "Come. Serve me – and you shall have anything your heart desires; power beyond measure, wealth, treasures, immortality… whatever you want. "
Being the humble, down-to-earth hobbit that he was, he didn't really care for power and wealth and he was certain that the cost for immortality would be too steep so he hastily removed the ring from his finger and put it back in his pocket. He ignored the compulsion to wear the ring again and promised himself he wouldn't mention what had happened to anyone. Days passed and his treacherous mind kept suggesting ways in which he could be rewarded by the mysterious voice. A sigh escaped his lips as he thought about the one thing he really wanted. An invisible cord tugged at his heart, and though it seemed that the seed of temptation had been planted into his mind, he tried to suffocate it.
But everything changed when the Battle of Five Armies started. Hoards of fiendish goblins fought their way past shield-walls with wicked wrath. Elves loosened arrows into the enemy and demon-eyed wargs leapt into the fray mangling dwarf, men or elf with vicious savagery. All the bloodshed made Bilbo panic and his hands trembling, he slid on the ring and vanished to the mortal eye. As soon as he put it on he felt his soul being yanked forcefully into the spirit realm. Shades of darkness darted past his vision – with ragged gray cloaks and vague distorted faces. But what suddenly appeared before him made his marrow turn to ice, shattering his world to pieces.
She was exactly as he remembered her, her long red curly hair tumbled down from her head in rivulets. Her green eyes shone with merriment as she hummed a lovely tune. Her dress danced around her as she moved, picking some invisible crops.
"Merilda!" he called out, but she did not hear him… she wasn't really there… it was just a vision. Bilbo felt his heart lurch with pain and desperation. Suddenly, an ethereal wind picked up and the image of Merilda started to blur until it morphed into a black cloud extruding a malicious aura.
"Come, little hobbit, come to Dol Guldur, pledge yourself to me and I shall restore your beloved's life."
The brown haired hobbit thought about what had been proposed and even if his whole essence screamed against him, he gave his answer,
"No one can bring the dead back to life, you're clearly trying to trick me. I have to admit, this time you really hit the nail by its head but something tells me that you're not trustworthy."
The presence was getting irritated, "And who do you deem trustworthy? Your precious companions who are more willing to die than to share their treasure? Thorin spurned you from the first moment that he saw you. The elves whoare willing to wait lifetimes for the perfect opportunity to seize power? Or your fireworks maker, Gandalf, who has sent you on a quest which, if it wasn't for my help, would have led you to your death? Think about it young hobbit, and you'll realize that I'm the only one who is worthy of your trust."
Shouting and the clang of metal reached Bilbo's ears as his soul was returned to the mortal realm. Something extremely heavy was lying on top of him – something which turned out to be a dead corpse. He pushed it off him. The scene that appeared before his eyes was one of destruction and death. A goblin cackled with laughter as he brought down his spiked mace onto a kneeling man's head, smashing skull and spilling brains. An elf spun past a warg and whirling two sleek sabres with tremendous skill, lopped off the beast's head. The smell of blood and guts filled the hobbit's nostrils and made his stomach churn. 'Is this what I have been looking forward to? What I have risked my life for?' he thought angrily to himself while recalling all the times in which Thorin had voiced his contempt towards him. The spirit did have a point. Fear clouded his mind and darkness preyed upon his soul. 'Maybe I should go to Dol Guldur after all…' As if sensing that the hobbit had made up his mind on serving his master, the ring pulsed in his pocket.
Knowing that he had to get away from the battlefield, Bilbo crawled on corpses, past broken spears and blood-stained mail, as he tried to find a way out of the chaos. All of a sudden, the skies darkened and looking up, Bilbo managed to make out the outline of an Eagle. It was the great Gwaihir, Windlord of the Skies of Middle-Earth and he was followed by many others of his kind. "The Eagles are coming!" Bilbo started shouting but then everything went dark as a rock hit him in the head and knocked him out.
When he came to, he found himself lying on the ground. At first he thought he was dead as there was a deafening silence, but it was quickly broken by a coarse cough. Turning his head Bilbo noticed Thorin lying on the ground, surrounded by those loyal to him. Seeing the defeated, proud dwarf mortally wounded made all thoughts of fleeing leave his mind.
Rubbing his head, the hobbit slowly staggered towards the dying dwarf. Thorin weakly turned his attention to the burglar of the company, and with the last traces of light dimming in his tired eyes he gave a sad smile and managed to utter, "there is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended into measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!"
A wave of shame flooded Bilbo as he saw his friend die and the grudge he held against him vanished. Death was his ultimate destination, and so was Merildas' and that of many others who lay scattered on Ravenhill. Even if the spirit could bring her back to life, it would be wrong and selfish. He had no right to choose who to bring back to life; Thorin deserves a second chance just like many others who departed for the Halls of Mandos.
His mind made up, the resolute hobbit crept away from the field of sorrow and when he was out of sight, he slipped on the ring. Something was amiss; he couldn't feel the spirit's presence. This time, a curious urge drove him to initiate contact with the spirit. "Where are you? I'm here to talk." But this time there was no reply. Peace reigned in his mind.
And months later, on quiet nights back in Bag End, as he lay reclined in his armchair, warm flames crackling in the fireplace and with a pipe at his lips Bilbo tried to contact the spirit once or twice, turning the ring between his fingers before he slid it on. But silence was his only greeting. Perhaps the spirit knew that Bilbo wasn't going to help it after all so it did not bother to contact him anymore… or perhaps something had happened to the lord of the ring…
The End…