Banes, Bears, and Scares

This is an AU/Slash story. Eventual Bofur and Nori. I hope you like and tell me your opinions either good or bad.

I own nothing.

Chapter One

It was such a simple movement. Nothing special. Bofur's hand had merely slipped to his side as he leaned against a boulder that lined their camp that night. No one noticed, but one dwarf. The dwarf had seen right away that Bofur's head was tilted forward as his hat obscured his face into shadows by the firelight as the hand that had been holding his pipe fell limply to the ground. Nori yelled angrily as the dwarf nearly trampled over Ori and Bilbo to reach Bofur's side. The pipe was still lit and was beginning to heat the grass.

"Bifur, what's the big idea?" Nori demanded as the other dwarf reached his cousin's side and snatched up the pipe, stomping on the small bit of flame that had flared for a moment, "Bifur? Bifur, what's wrong?"

The company grew quiet as they watched Bifur hand Dwalin his cousin's pipe, since the warrior was the closest, before reaching out and lifting his cousin's face towards the light. Bofur was still with his eyes closed. The toymaker was still with his eyes closed and awfully pale.

"He asleep?" Bombur questioned, rising in alarm when Bifur shook the cook's brother and Bofur didn't react, "What's happened?"

Bifur shrugged looking concerned as he continued to shake Bofur and try to get some response out of the other dwarf.

"Bofur? Bofur, wake up," Bombur tried as he kneeled next to Bifur, "If this is one of your pranks, Brother, it isn't funny. Wake up! Open your eyes."

Bofur remained still and limp in Bifur's arms as the two cousins looked frantically at one another. Thorin gave a look at Oin, but it was unnecessary since the healer was already on the move.

"Move aside," Oin ordered as he hurried forward and together he and Bifur eased Bofur flat, "Bombur, you checked his injuries after that warg attack, was there anything serious?"

"Not at all," Bombur denied looking panicked at the unnatural stillness of his older brother, "Bofur, had a bruise or two from being shoved into a tree. That was all."

"Could he have hit his head?" Thorin asked as he moved forward to watch the proceedings while Oin began to check Bofur for any other injuries that could have caused the state he was in.

"I see no head injury," Oin declared after pulling off the toymaker's hat and sifting through Bofur's hair, "Back out of my light. I need to examine him fully."

Bifur backed away as the healer worked and watched as Oin fanned his cousin's hair out of his braids to check completely for head injuries. Bofur hated anyone, but family to touch his hair so the lack of response against Oin's intrusion was alarming to Bifur. He looked about and saw all eyes watching as Oin tried to figure out what was causing Bofur's stillness. Ori huddled closer to Nori and even fearless Kili had moved to be nearer his brother. What had caused this? Bofur had been joking and smiling all evening. There hadn't seemed to be anything wrong then.

"I don't know," Oin bit out as Bifur gestured to him savagely, "I cannot find anything that would cause this. Perhaps Bofur is worn out completely. We are all reaching our limits and need rest. Maybe he merely fell asleep."

"I've seen Bofur work days and nights in the mines and on toy orders and still have energy for grabbing an ale," Bombur disagreed as Bifur nodded, "This doesn't seem right. Are you sure that there is nothing causing this?"

"Nothing physical that I can see," Oin sighed looking unsure, "Still, Bofur would have stirred a little at the shaking that Bifur was giving him. I'm at a loss."

"Let me look," Gandalf called out as he pushed forward, "Maybe this is not a natural sleep."

Bifur hissed in anger as he regarded the wizard. What did he mean by that? Had some sorcery befallen his cousin?

"What are you saying?" Bilbo gasped echoing Bifur's thoughts.

"I won't know anything until I look," Gandalf huffed stooping and hovered his hand over Bofur's face and grew silent as he closed his eyes while everyone watched.

"If it isn't a natural sleep will others be affected?" Dori whispered as he stood protectively in front of his own brothers, "Maybe we shouldn't be too close until we know what's wrong with Bofur. Maybe he's contagious."

"Shut up," Nori bit out as he stood and slapped the back of his brother's head as Dori winced and scowled angrily at him, "Something ain't right here. Bofur was fine all evening."

"He's been poisoned," Gandalf barked making everyone jump, "However, I can't tell from what at the moment, but it is leaking through his system quickly."

"There are no cuts, injuries, or scrapes for poison to enter," Oin denied looking flustered, "We all ate the same stew and none of us are having a reaction like this. Did Bofur eat something the rest of us didn't today?"

"I don't think it was food that did this," Dwalin snarled as he held out the still smoking pipe, "This doesn't smell right."

Thorin strode forward and snatched the pipe. Bifur stood and looked fierce as Thorin gave a quick, cautious sniff before tossing the whole pipe into the fire with a livid curse. Bombur stared and snapped his gaze back to his cousin in horror.

"Dwarf's bane," Thorin growled as everyone looked alarmed with the exception of Bilbo who just looked terribly confused, "Where is his pipe-weed stored?"

Bombur snatched the pouch from his brother's coat pocket and handed it to Thorin. Bilbo heard Fili frantically asking his brother if he had been anywhere near Bofur that evening while he smoked, which Kili denied. Bilbo watched as Fili seemed panicked as he tilted his brother's head back to look at him closer. The hobbit didn't know what to make of this at all.

"Allow me," Gandalf urged as he took the pouch from Thorin, "I do not have the reaction dwarves have to dwarf's bane."

"Dwarf's what? What is that?" Bilbo asked looking unsure as Gandalf began to paw through the pouch.

"Dwarf's bane is a plant that is deadly to the lungs of a Dwarf," Oin described as he began mixing some of his healing plants with amazing speed, "I may have a chance to counteract the plant now that we know what has happened to Bofur, but we are not assured he will pull through. His lungs must be locking up which is why he fell unconscious. Someone heat some water now. Bofur's breathing is beginning to slow. We need to work fast or we will lose him."

Bifur whirled with a snarl and quickly set a pan of water over the fire. The older dwarf had seen dwarf's bane kill before and would do everything in his power to help his cousin survive.

"The whole of Bofur's supply of pipe-weed has been riddled with dwarf's bane," Gandalf grunted as the rest of the company murmured angrily, "Let me see your supplies. Hand them over quickly."

The wizard checked the rest of the pipe-weed as Oin and Bifur worked together to ease a medicinal tea down Bofur's throat. Oin cursed that Bofur's jaw seemed locked and Nori hurried over to assist the two dwarves in getting Bofur's mouth open enough to swallow the medicine bit by bit. Bombur stroked his brother's hand in hopes of offering some comfort.

"Well?" Thorin demanded as Gandalf finished checking the pipe-weed.

"These pouches are fine," Gandalf concluded looking troubled, "How did dwarf's bane get into Bofur's supply?"

Bifur looked up in time to see Bilbo swallow in discomfort as the older dwarf eased Bofur's head down gently. He was no fool and stood quickly. Bilbo gasped loudly as the silent dwarf jerked him forward and pointed angrily down at his ill cousin and then pointed his finger directly at Bilbo's chest.

"Are you asking if I know anything?" Bilbo questioned as Bifur frowned darkly, "I was just about to tell what I know. Bofur was complaining that he was running out of pipe-weed earlier so I gave him some of mine."

"I didn't check your supply," Gandalf pointed out as Bilbo rushed to hand his pouch to the wizard as the taller looked inside at the pipe weed, "This is not Old Toby."

"No. I ran out of that yesterday," Bilbo confessed, "There is a less expensive type of pipe-weed that we hobbits can get from Bree. I had plenty of that left and gave some to Bofur."

"This is also riddled with dwarf's bane," Gandalf sighed as Bilbo's eyes widened in horror.

"You poisoned my brother?" Bombur growled as he stepped forward angrily.

"Not on purpose," Bilbo denied still looking horrified, "I didn't even know that there was a plant that caused dwarves any problems. I would have never brought that brand of pipe-weed along with me if I knew."

"Look, Bilbo," Gandalf instructed as he held out a bit of leaf as all the dwarves pulled back with a hiss, "Does this look familiar?"

"Why that's meadow leaf," Bilbo whispered as he looked the leaf over, "The Shire doesn't have much of these plants, but there are a few and a ton near Bree."

"Get rid of that," Fili ordered as he jerked his brother further away while holding a hand over the younger's nose and lips, "Kili is allergic to that stuff worse than most."

"Get that poison out of here!" Thorin demanded stepping between his nephews and the wizard, "Don't touch any of us until you have washed your hands thoroughly, Gandalf."

"The people of Bree must use the plant as filler for this pipe-weed which is why the stuff cost less," Gandalf hummed to himself as he nodded quickly at Thorin, "I'll go dump this in the woods. At least it was discovered early before any more in the company was affected."

Bilbo looked remorseful as twelve sets of eyes stared at him while the wizard stalked away.

"What were you thinking?!" Bombur burst out as he glared angrily standing with Bifur in front of their still kin, "How could you give something like that to Bofur?"

"I didn't know," Bilbo moaned wringing his hands in distress, "To me that is just meadow leaf. I would never have harmed Bofur on purpose."

"Fat lot of good that does my brother now!" the rotund dwarf snapped before stilling and turning as Bofur began to wheeze with each breath he was drawing in, "No. Oh, no. It's beginning. Bifur, it's beginning."

"What's beginning?" Bilbo questioned as he watched both Bifur and Bombur rush to get to their kin's side, "What is happening?"

"The dwarf's bane is setting in," Thorin bit out as he watched Bofur having to use too much effort to breathe in, "Bofur's lungs are locking up and stiffening. I think Oin's medicine has helped because most would be dead by now."

"Dead?" Bilbo gasped looking wide eyed up at Thorin.

"Bofur must not have noticed the difference in the pipe-weed in the darkness and then he inhaled that directly into his lungs," Thorin sighed as he regarded the hobbit with hard eyes, "Oin wasn't kidding when he said that dwarf's bane is deadly to us, Bilbo. If Bifur hadn't seen his cousin's plight early enough to get Bofur aid then Bofur would probably have died."

Thorin stepped back in shock when Bilbo burst into tears. Dwarves did not show their emotions like this. What a strange creature this hobbit was.

"Oh, dear," Dori tutted as he came over and patted the Halfling's back soothingly, "There, there, Mr. Bilbo. You certainly didn't know about dwarf's bane. Us dwarves keep that plant's effects on us a guarded secret. Imagine how easily our race would be wiped out if other people knew to use dwarf's bane against us."

"I wouldn't…trying to help…Bofur," Bilbo babbled as he wailed, "Didn't mean…all my fault…so sorry."

Bifur exhaled loudly looking in irritation over his shoulder before rising and shoving a pot into Bilbo's arms.

"Um?" Bilbo whispered looking at the pot and back at the dwarf.

Bifur pointed to the pot and back towards their water supply and then gestured to his cousin. Bilbo gazed at him and then back to Bofur.

"Bofur's going to need more water?" Bilbo guessed as the dwarf nodded, "Okay. I'll go get more water."

"We've got plenty of water," Gloin said as he looked over the water skins once Bilbo had hurried away from the camp, "Bilbo didn't have to go fetch more."

"He did," Balin corrected giving an appraising look to Bifur as the dwarf snorted and returned to his cousin's side, "Bifur gave Bilbo something to do to feel like he is helping Bofur. The lad didn't mean for any of this to happen."

For a moment there was no sound besides Bofur's labored breathing.

"I'll go with him," Nori suddenly spoke up as he followed the hobbit, "Knowing our burglar he'll wind up in the river. How can one so small get into such that he does?"

Bifur grunted as he helped Bofur sit up some to try and alleviate his straining lungs. That was a very good question. How indeed?

Nori stomped towards the river and nearly missed the huddle of hobbit that sniffled into his knees upon the ground.

"What gives here?" Nori demanded as he regarded Bilbo, "Weren't you getting Bofur some more water?"

"There is plenty of water back at camp," Bilbo whispered as he pulled in on himself, "I guess Bifur needed to get rid of me. I wouldn't want to look upon someone who hurt my kin either. The whole company must hate me now."

"Now, now," Nori sighed as he stooped next to the hobbit, "The company doesn't hate you. We are all a bit irritated, but you meant no harm just like Dori said. Plus, that ain't why Bifur gave you something to do with yourself."

"Whatever do you mean?" Bilbo asked as he looked up at Nori in despair.

"Bifur was trying to help you feel useful," Nori admitted as the smallest froze, "He and Bombur are angry, yes, but they also realize that you didn't mean to cause any of this. Bofur is your friend."

"He was my first friend among you," Bilbo sniffled, "Bofur was the first to reach out to me and try to make sense of the difference between our races. He's a good dwarf."

"That he is," Nori agreed feeling a tugging at his heart over the plight of the toymaker, "Bofur will not blame you once he gets better."

"Will he get better?" Bilbo whined as Nori pulled him to his furry feet and handed him the pot back.

"Bofur is strong," Nori answered as the two walked to the river, "I've never seen him back down from nothing before. He'll pull through."

"You speak as if you know Bofur very well," Bilbo hummed not noticing as Nori stiffened a little.

"I do," Nori agreed, "We have a history together from childhood. Let's get that water."

Bilbo seemed not to notice the subject change. The trip back to camp was silent and Nori watched as the hobbit set the pot of water down before Gandalf moved in to pull Bilbo to his side. The thief looked over at Bofur and wanted to curse. The toymaker's harsh breathing could be heard all the way from where Nori stood.

"Mahal, keep him safe," Nori prayed as he sat next to Ori as the lad huddled against Dori looking scared, "Calm down, Ori, he's going to be fine."

"He sounds so bad. I've never seen the symptoms of dwarf's bane before," Ori whimpered as Dori grimaced, "I've read about it. I've heard about it, but this is awful. Bofur's so nice. He shouldn't be breathing like that."

"Oin is going to help him," Dori soothed, "Don't fret now. Bofur…Bofur will be fine."

"You don't have to lie to me," Ori whispered looking down as his two older brothers looked pained at one another, "I told you I've read about dwarf's bane. I know that he…that he might die. I'm not a child."

"He won't," Nori snapped before calming as Ori looked up at him, "Bofur won't die. He won't."

The thief pursed his lips and stood to lean against a nearby tree. The whole company watched and heard as Bofur struggled to breathe. He had been fine earlier and now he was not. Unfortunately, Bofur may never be fine again and that is what tore at everyone's hearts.

To be continued…