There was fire.
The clearing was ablaze, they saw the shadow of orcs around in a circle, surrounding them. They held torches in their hands, and it was all up in smoke, thankfully, the company had escaped in time.
Except for one.
Bilbo was caught, he couldn't see, the roaring of the flame and the cackles of the orcs filled his ears, and he was senseless. But he felt pain, slithering up his back like a serpent of razor blades. He did the only thing he could. He ran forward as fast as his feet could take him.
The hobbit knew he was out of the flame now, but he still felt the burn. He was on fire.
He knew there was a deep river a ways ahead of where he was going.
It was unbearable, his lungs stung, his legs hurt, he could see better now, but there was blur in the corners of his eyes. The halfling jumped into the lake, the last image in his head the reflection of flame, making him look as he had wings.
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Bilbo fought his way back to the cold surface of the lake, he felt levitated; floating.
He crawled out, collapsing on the grass with a scream of pain.
Bilbo's eyes were blurry, his mind was twisted with the pain, chained from thinking straight.
Bilbo saw figures running towards him, he didn't recognize the dwarves, in fact he thought they were orcs.
The halfling tried to move, tried to get away, but that tore the burnt tissue and seared in more pain.
Thorin ran up to the hobbit and saw the terror in Bilbo's eyes. "Bilbo-"
"DON'T! GET AWAY! AAAAGH!" the halfling's attempt to get up and get away resulted in him collapsing again, the pain was worse.
The sound that escaped his lips made the others cringe, it was a mix of a sob, a scream of terror, and a cry for help.
He then rolled on to his back and just lay there, still.
The remnants of Bilbo's coat and undershirt had washed down the river, and the severity of the burns was exposed.
Thorin had backed away, and his face was one of stone. He swiftly turned and growled something to Bofur, and walked away, god knows what reason.
Bofur quietly approached the hobbit and kneeled beside him.
"Bilbo, it's Bofur.." He whispered.
Bilbo reacted immediately and grabbed one of Bofur's wrists in his hand and stared at the dwarf intensely.
The dwarf, needless to say, was a little frightened.
"Help me.." The hobbit whispered. "It hurts…"
Bofur picked him up, trying to be gentle but muffled screams still escaped, Bilbo was trying his best to be quiet. Bofur waded into the deep stream and went to his knees, submerging the hobbit but holding his shoulders, the least burnt area, above the water so he could breathe.
Bilbo couldn't look at the dwarf. "I'm sorry."
"For wha'?"
"Slowing the group down.."
"It's alrigh' lad. Stuff 'appens!"
Bilbo sighed quietly and looked up. "Can I try to support myself?"
"Of course, lad." even Bofur's high spirits seemed to be dim.
Bofur let go of him slowly and Bilbo managed to hold himself up in the water, standing on the tips of his toes he was shoulder deep.
His knees buckled at first, but he was alright. Well, as alright as you can be when your covered in burns.
And that is where he dwelled until the others were going to bed, the others had sat on the rocks above the river, talking to him, but everyone needed to rest.
Once he got out of the water it hurt worse than before, he ignored it and hoped he could sleep, to escape it.
He lay out his bedroll and bit his lip as he set himself down to stare at the sky. Sure, the wind helped, but he was shivering within a matter of moments, he closed his eyes and stilled himself.
Within moments he was mentally begging for this night to be over.
Even if he shifted just an inch, pain shot up his torso.
He thought he would pass out, in fact, he hoped.
The hobbit stared up into the stars, a blank expression on his face.
Bilbo saw Thorin walking out of the forest out of the corner of his eye.
Thorin walked and sat next to Bilbo.
"Tough night?"
"That's an understatement."
The dwarf looked down at the hobbit's pained face.
"It must be."
The hobbit stayed silent, but stared up into Thorin's eyes.
and so they stayed in silence..a small smile weaved into their lips.
What broke the moment of peace was the scream of wargs in the distance.
Thorin was up and so were the others in a matter of moments.
Bilbo got up quickly as he could, though peeling himself from the bedroll sent flashes of white to his eyes and made him feel hollow, stretched like a pelt over a table and nailed down.
They all heard the howls leaving to the distance and huffed happily.
Bilbo, on the other hand, sulked and sat down. White flashes kept passing his eyes and it was really getting annoying.
"Could I keep watch?" The halfling knew he wouldn't sleep this night.
"You are wounded, halfling. I shall keep watch with you." Thorin growled.
Bilbo was surprised Thorin would do such a thing; He was cold, cruel, casting away those close to him. This was not him.
Bilbo went to a boulder's top, high above the river. and there he stayed, staring into the river that betraying the moon's clearness, and to the Forest across, bathing in the white light.
Thorin stayed on the sandy shore, hiding in the rock's shadow.
When the others had started to snore, Bilbo looked over his perch to Thorin.
"You can join me, you know."
The dwarf looked up.
"I know that."
He stood and climbed to the top, sitting beside the hobbit.
Bilbo seemed to have that glazed, faraway look on him, he was in deep thought, Thorin knew.
Bilbo leaned over and rested his head on Thorin's shoulder, expecting to be pushed away but all that happened was the prince flinching and a small noise escaping his lips.
Bilbo chuckled softly. "Are you alright?"
Thorin only mumbled in reply, and wrapped his arm as lightly around the hobbit as he could, trying not to set off the burns.
Bilbo, wondering what would happen, put his hand on top of Thorins and entwined his fingers into the prince's palm.
The prince said nothing, just letting the halfling hold his hand.
and that was how they stayed until morning, keeping the darkness at bay.
Little did they know of the horrors that awaited them.*