How the Hell Did This Happen?
Just for fun. I own nothing.
Chapter One
How the hell did this happen?" Thorin roared as Dwalin continued to throw himself against the bars of the cage most of the company was locked in, "Where was the watch?"
"Knocked out cold," Bofur spat holding Bilbo against him as the hobbit stayed unconscious, "They hit him one good."
"Lads, out for the count, Thorin," Oin sighed as he prodded the lump on the back of Bilbo's head, "Where is the dratted wizard that was supposed to be watching with the Halfling? Bilbo didn't see what hit him."
Thorin cursed angrily. The company had been besieged by bandits in the night and now most were chained in a cave or locked in the damn cage. Thorin himself was manacled near his two nephews who were also unconscious and still where they hung from their chains.
"This won't give," Dwalin snarled, "We are gloriously stuck because a wizard needed to water a tree."
"Dammit, what do we do now?" Thorin groaned.
"We wake a thief," Dori replied hovering anxiously near the bars as all eyes turned to look at Nori sprawled before the cage still and unmoving with manacles around his wrists, "Nori, can you hear me? Nori, I need you to wake up now. Wake up, Nori. Your skills are gravely needed."
"Of course," Dwalin snorted taking in the chains that connected Nori to the cave floor as the thief lay curled on his side, "Wake up, Nori. Get up. Get up! Open your eyes!"
"Ori, you try," Dori ordered as his younger brother looked up from the opposite side of the cage from Thorin where he was chained to the cave wall, "Nori has already responded to you without question. Get him up. Make him think he needs to get to you immediately…I guess that would be the truth of the matter anyway. Wake him up, Ori."
"Brother?" Ori called moving as far forward as his chains would allow, "Nori, please wake up. Wake up now. Nori, we need you. Get up. Get up, Nori."
"Get up, Thief, or I'll knock you one harder" Dwalin growled before grunting as Dori slapped him one.
"Don't threaten my brother," Dori gritted out, "He was knocked out right after Bilbo. It was Nori that sounded the alarm before we got completely besieged. Nori, wake up. Nori, we need to get Ori to safety. Wake up."
"Not just your brother," Thorin bit out as Dori glanced at him irritably, "Can't you see the state of my nephews and the hobbit? I also think that Nori might be injured judging by the fact that he hasn't budged an inch since he was dragged in here."
"Peace, Thorin," Dwalin sighed, "Nori's hurt, but he fights through anything to keep Ori safe. He always has even back at the Blue Mountains. Dori is correct. Nori will respond to Ori first."
A cry of pain from Ori made everyone start.
"That hurt, Master Gloin," Ori whimpered rubbing the side of his face against his shoulder, "Why'd you twist my ear?"
"If Nori will wake up faster due to hearing you, then it is for the best," Gloin said as he reached for Ori again, even as the other dwarf moved as far from the hands reaching through the bars as possible, "Stay still and take it like a dwarf."
"Touch my brother again and I'll break your fingers," Dori threatened as Gloin spluttered, "If Nori hears that you hurt Ori, your throat would be slit in the night without you being the wiser and I'd let him."
"Are you threatening my little brother?" Oin demanded as Dori drew himself up angrily.
"Is your little brother trying to hurt my little brother?" Dori questioned right back.
"Enough," Thorin instructed, "Nori, get up. Get up, Nori. We have need of you. Your brothers need you. Wake up! Wake up!"
Bifur hurried to the bars and reached for a pebble and threw it gently to bounce off of the still dwarf. He did so again a bit harder and was rewarded with a small grunt from the thief.
"Nori!" Ori tried again, "Nori, help me. Nori, I need your help. Wake up, Nori. Get up! Nori, please wake up."
The whole company continued calling out to the middle Ri until he shifted slightly letting out a groan. Nori trembled slightly as he raised enough for the company to see that one side of his hair had come undone and hung messily.
"Nori? Are you hurt?" Dori hissed looking at his brother in concern, "Nori, answer me. Come on, Nori. Get up and answer me."
Ori cried out again making Nori flinch. Gloin's cry of pain followed after Dori decked him one.
"Ori?" Nori murmured shifting some more trying to push himself fully upright, "Ori?"
"I'm here," Ori called as the company watched Nori trying to get his bearings, "Nori, help me. I'm stuck."
"Stuck?" Nori panted trying to sit up, "Dori?"
"Here," Dori assured as he watched his brother in concern, "We were attacked do you remember?"
Nori looked up at Dori in confusion and the elder Ri hissed at the dried blood that was caked on the side of his head.
"Attacked?" Nori questioned swaying and then looked in confusion at the manacles on his wrist, "What? Ori?"
"I'm here," Ori said again as Nori looked up at him.
Dwalin frowned. The thief was slow moving and possible concussed judging by his behavior.
"Nori, can you get us out of here?" Dwalin questioned as Nori looked at him in confusion, "Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Hello, Dwalin," Nori murmured as the warrior blanched.
"Hello, Nori," Dwalin offered shaking his head.
"Tight," Nori blurted looking at the cuffs on his wrist, "Bad. Ori. Dori. Ori and Dori. Dori and Ori."
"Great," Gloin sighed, "They've knocked the wits right out of him. Now what do we do?"
A clink of metal was his answer as everyone looked and saw one of the manacles off of Nori's wrist.
"I'll be damned," Thorin breathed watching as Nori expertly picked the second manacle with a thin, metal pin and had it open and off of his wrist as well, "Where did he get that from?"
"Who knows," Dwalin drawled, "I've practically strip searched Nori in the past and he still is able to pick a lock and escape."
"You did what? Pervert," Dori huffed as the warrior growled.
"Ori," Nori murmured again as he tried to stand on his feet, "Ori."
"He should unlock the cage first," Balin stated watching as Nori pushed himself to his feet looking pale and ill.
"He's working on adrenaline to reach Ori," Dori explained, "If we distract him then he will pass out and be no help to any of us. Nori, get Ori. Get him, Brother."
Nori swayed on his feet and took a stumbling step forward only to tilt dangerously. He took another step before grabbing to the bars of the cage and leaned over to vomit all over the floor.
"Certainly a concussion," Oin hissed as Dori and he reached hands to try and steady Nori, "Easy there, Lad."
Nori straightened as best he could and staggered towards Ori as hands helped him along while the company worked together to get the dwarf to his brother. He nearly fell, but Dwalin held him up as he shuddered.
"Easy does it, Nori," Dwalin suggested as the dwarf tried to get his feet back underneath him.
"Whose?" Nori breathed patting the hands under his arms and looked up, "Hi."
"Hello, Nori," Dwalin greeted, "Get your brother. Go get Ori."
"Ori?" the thief asked before looking over and frowning, "Bad chains."
"That's right," Dwalin assured as Nori pulled from his grip, "Get the chains off of your brother. Go on."
The thief stumbled over to Ori and hissed at the manacles angrily.
"Off," Nori mumbled beginning to pick the locks, "Get off of him. Off. Bad."
Ori had to grab for his brother once the first manacle snapped apart as Nori swayed.
"Steady, Brother," Ori warned as Nori paled even further.
"Off," Nori bit out as he attacked the last manacle and it snapped apart due to his clever hands, "Ori, hurt?"
"No," Ori soothed as he pulled Nori's arm over his shoulder to bolster his brother up, "Let's get Dori now. Come on."
"Dori," Nori breathed looking up, "Where?"
"Here," Dori answered as Ori led their brother over as he stumbled, "You've done good, Nori, keep it up."
"Good. Done good," Nori echoed as Ori assisted him to kneel on the ground in front of the cage door, "Hello, Door."
Gloin face-palmed as Dori looked troubled at his brother's confusion.
To be continued…
