It wasn't unusual to hear the happy shouts and screeches of children around the Shire. It was less uncommon, of course, for these noises to be heard after dark, but still one could explain away the noises if they wished. On this night though, Bilbo Baggins, couldn't find it within him to explain away the noise.
That's how the prim and proper Hobbit had found himself outside of his hobbit hole at such a late hour. The moon was already in the sky and the ground was cooling, Bilbo's feet made no noise as he quickly made his way toward the sounds of the distressed children.
You see the story actually started back in Bilbo's hobbit hole, Bag End, nearly an hour before. Bilbo had been sitting by the fire, warm and cozy when a draft of cool air blew through the hobbit's home making him shiver. It was with great reluctance that Bilbo pushed himself out of his chair and onto his feet. Hobbit feet were tough but after warming ever so nicely in from of the fire, Bilbo would admit that his toes ached from the cold.
Finding the open window was easy simply following the cold air he found it quickly and when it was nearly closed, Bilbo paused. Shouting? It was much too late for shouting, all respectable hobbits were in bed at this hour. In fact that is where Bilbo knew he should be so he put the shouting out of his mind and started closing the window again, when the shout was heard once more. This time, softer, but still able to be heard.
The hobbit frowned, it sounded almost like a child. Shaking his head he turned away from the window and walked back to his chair. No hobbit mother or father would let their children be out and about at this time of night. Especially not with the stories that were going around. Horrible stories of child-snatchers. Men had come into Bree telling tales of children been snatched from their beds and taken who knew where. The hobbits had taken these stories to heart when they reached the Shire, Bilbo frowned and shuddered not wanting to think on it any more.
Sitting in his chair, warm and comfy he couldn't forget the scream. He pictured a young hobbit, out after dark looking for adventures being snatched. The more he though about the more uneasy he got. It was rather sudden when he found himself on his feet. Better safe then sorry, he thought to himself. He grabbed his walking stick and a cloak before walking out of Bag End, not knowing what he would find.
As he walked the closer he got the shouts the more sure that he was that it was a child. He could no longer hope it was just an animal. He knew it was a child, because the closer he got the more distinct the sounds themselves got. In fact, the closer he got, Bilbo was sure that he started hearing two high childish voices and they sounded frightened. The hobbit gripped his walking stick tightly as he moved closer to the children. They had settled into a clearing and as he silent moved forward he could see now they were not hobbit children, young men, or even elven children, they both had long hair and shoe clad feet, one blond the other dark haired, they had to be the children of dwarves.
Bilbo set his walking stick down and moved closer, "Hello there," he called out when he broke the tree line. The blond child shoved the smaller dark headed one behind him and pulled out a small knife. The child bared his teeth like an animal and Bilbo stopped, his mind flashed back to the small hurt animals that he used to bring home to his mother to heal. It was an easy decision to treat them as such, he didn't want to frighten the children more then they already were.
"No need for that now." He said holding both hands up showing that he was unarmed. He kept his voice soft and calm as he spoke to them, "I'm not going to hurt you." He promised, his eyes meeting those of the defensive child. The blond growled, a seemed to reinforce his grip. The smaller child peeked carefully from behind the bigger making sure not to move away but also keeping from hindering the other.
"My name is Bilbo Baggins, I live in the Shire just over the hill, I'm here to help." Bilbo said with a slight smile hoping that he looked friendly to the frightened children. The dark headed child grinned from over his brother's shoulder, Bilbo noticed with a slightly larger smile. The blond, however, continued to scowl and refused to speak or move.
"I'm Kili!" The younger male said rather cheerfully, children were rather remarkable creatures no matter their species. So resilient. "This is Fili!" The one dubbed Fili whipped his head around to yell at Kili when Bilbo stopped him.
"Nice to meet you Kili, Fili." Bilbo said nodding to the children, seeing no other option he sat himself down on the grass and continued to speak. "As I said, my name is Bilbo Baggins and I heard you shouting. What seems to be the problem?"
Kili and Fili who were whispering harshly to each other keep sneaking looks at the hobbit as they argued. Bilbo for his part sat there looking as if it were his life's mission to wait for unruly dwarflings to speak to him. Finally as a moment Fili spoke up. "We're hiding." He said plainly obviously not wanting to speak to the stranger.
Bilbo raised an eyebrow, "Well you aren't doing very well, now where you? Sitting out in the open like this." Bilbo paused and wished for his pipe, these children were stressful. "What were you hiding from?" He hopped that they had just gotten upset with their mother and run off, but that didn't explain the knife Fili carried or the fear in the older dwarf's eyes. Someone else was wrong here, Bilbo was sure of it. He prayed that it wasn't the snatchers but he knew deep within him it was most likely.
"Snatchers." Fili spat. Bilbo frowned, snatchers in the Shire, this was just what he had hoped wasn't happening. Kili drooped and buried his head in Fili's side.
"Are you hurt?" Bilbo asked wanting to move forward to check but as long as Fili held the knife he wouldn' was now of the essence, if snatchers where chasing the children then they needed to move.
Fili frowned and looked Kili over before answering. "No, just bruised, why are you here? Are you with the snatchers?" Kili looked ready to argue with his brother but Bilbo spoke before he could.
"Oh no, no, I would never!" The hobbit protested, "I heard you shouting and thought to come check, we have been hearing tales of snatchers. I'm glad I came, come, we must get to two somewhere safe." Bilbo stood and looked at Fili praying that he would accept the help.
"But Mr. Boggins! You don't understand we have to find-" Young Kili was quieted by his brother when the trio heard the sounds of footsteps. Bilbo felt his heart pound within his chest, it was no hobbit that was coming up on them. He gestured for the young ones to hide. Fili looked desperately at the hobbit and Bilbo looked around there was no where for two young dwarflings to hide, seeing no other option he shoved them into a bush with a thud.
Swearing under his breath Bilbo threw himself to the ground hoping that it would look like he had made the noise. From the tree line to his left, two men entered the clearing. Both men appeared to be drunk, Bilbo could smell the stench from his spot on the ground. He pushed himself up with a slowly. These were the snatchers? Bilbo internally shuddered at the thought of why these men would be after the dwarflings.
"Good evening, my good fellows" He said as cheerfully as he could with frightened dwarflings hiding in the bushes. "What brings you to the Shire this late at night?" He pulled himself to his feet brushing off his trousers and shirt acting as normal as he could.
One man frowned at the hobbit, "Children, we have lost some." Bilbo couldn't help but mentally remark on the eloquence of the man, it was obvious why he could not find reputable work.
Bilbo frowned, acting concerned, all the while planning a way to get the young ones away safely. "All children around these parts are tucked into bed, at this hour." He lied meeting the eyes of the first man, "Why in fact it's time for me to be there myself." Bilbo gave a weak laugh. "In fact as soon as I find where my walking stick rolled, I'll be headed home. I do wish you luck, finding your children." Bilbo nodded waiting for the men to leave the clearing. An actor Bilbo Baggins was not, but he hoped and prayed it would be enough to drive the men away.
The one who had not spoken before coughed and tilted his head in Bilbo's direction, fear shot through his heart did he spot the children? Bilbo turned his head slightly and winced, blond hair was just barely visible through the leaves of the bush.
"Well, had you gentlemen not be off? You have children to find after all..." Bilbo trailed off, foot steps from behind him suddenly caught his attention. Another man, this one wasn't alone. Bilbo turned just enough to see a dwarf even younger then Kili twisting and fighting in the man's arms.
"Ori!" Kili shouted from the bush, completely blowing the two's cover. Bilbo's eyes widened and quickly he reached out and brought the children close to him. Fili had once again unsheathed his dagger, Kili ended up pressed between the older dwarf and the slightly shorter hobbit.
The first man step forward stumbling a bit as he went. "We have no quarrel with you hobbit, the dwarves and you shall go free."
The second smiled a slimy, greasy smile and said, "If you take the knife from the blond we might even give you a cut of the profit."
Bilbo could feel Fili and Kili tense beside them, the youngest dwarf, was sobbing in the arms of the man, and Bilbo knew what he was going to do.
It wasn't often that hobbits would endanger themselves for others, especially ones that weren't kin, but with two, no three young dwarves in need of his assistance all Bilbo could say was. "No, sorry, I'm afraid that's not going to happen."
Angry the first man stepped forward the second quickly following the hobbit stepped in front of the dwarflings. His mind was racing he had to get the baby dwarf from the arms of the man, and get the two behind him as far away from these creatures as possible. Suddenly the man holding Ori shouted and the thump of dwarfling hitting ground was heard. Small swift feet brought the smallest dwarf to the hobbit's side. Faintly Bilbo could hear the man shouting that the dwarf had bit him and Bilbo winced, he was going to have to clean the boy's mouth out now so the child didn't catch anything.
"Way to go Ori!" Kili said grinning, he obviously didn't grasp the situation at hand but Bilbo didn't have time to explain it to him. Fili hushed the smaller children easily. The men approached, now much angrier then before and a decision had to be made.
"Run!" Bilbo shouted giving the children a shove in the direction he wanted to run. Fili and Kili took off like rabbits running for all they were worth. Ori stumbled once before Bilbo somehow managed to swing the smallest dwarf onto his back, it wasn't easy as the child wasn't light but Bilbo did his best.
The men, while longer legged were hindered by their drunkenness, stumbled after the dwarves and hobbit. Bilbo huffed and puffed struggling to get the smallest dwarf and himself to safety. In his mind he promised himself to cut back on biscuits at second breakfast, just in case he found himself in this situation again.
"They're catching up," Ori said sharply into Bilbo's sensitive ear gritting his teeth the hobbit pushed forward. Ori screamed and Bilbo felt himself falling one of the men caught up enough to grab at the clothing on the dwarf, Bilbo fell forward Ori rolled a few feet away.
Dazed Bilbo waved the child forward. "Go! Find the others hide!" Bruised tired and confused Bilbo stood, wavering slightly as Ori ran. These men were not going to hurt the child, it didn't matter what else happened, Bilbo was sure of that. Weaponless, hurt it mattered not, Bilbo Baggins was a respectable hobbit and he wasn't going to allow the children to come to harm. No matter what.