Author's note:
Hello Everyone!
I hope you guys like this short-story. I am sorry for the angst that will be in this first chapter, however it is needed. I mean, it's nearly every parent's worst nightmare come true when it comes to their child or children.
Thi is pronounced: Th-ee.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit and I do not make any kind of money from these writings.
Please read, review and enjoy!
Alonia143.
Chapter 1.
The wind blew a bit more than normal, but that didn't stop the young hobbit woman from spending some time out with her family. She smiled as her only child ran excitedly a head of her and her husband.
"Bilbo, don't go too far," her husband worried.
"Bungo, he'll be fine. Remember, he's a Took," the wife said fondly.
"Yes Bella but, he's also a Baggins. Already getting nasty looks from my side of the family," Bungo huffed out.
"Oh they just don't know what to do with me is all. Besides, who are they to tell me how to live?" Bella answered back, walking faster to keep Bilbo in her line of sight.
Bungo just grumbled low to himself, on that last part, but kept pace with his wife.
The birds were singing their lovely songs, the air was crisp and cold but, Belladonna didn't care. She could go outside again! It just turned into spring and Bungo was thankful that it was, since his wife was going stir crazy in their smial. Let alone an infant turning into a toddler and the new profound discovery of using one's legs for the first time.
"Bilbo? Where are you honey?" Bella said loudly.
Bilbo Baggins, the young fauntling, was picking the random yellow dandle lions and the seeds.
Bella spotted him way up a head of them and maybe it wasn't such a good thing to let Bilbo wander so far ahead.
Big white fluffy and gray clouds passed over head of them.
"Dear? I do believe we should head back to Bag-End. The clouds over there don't look too friendly," Bungo stated worriedly, looking far across the lands.
"Oh please, Bungo. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of rain," Bella argued back to him.
And just like the sun agreed with her, came shining out, smiling with its rays.
Bungo huffed and shook his head.
For the longest time, they wandered the woods that were close to their smial. Hours were spent as Bilbo was running around with his mother chasing after him in a game called tag. Bungo had to admit, in these woods, no one judge them at all. The woods didn't care if they were a Took or Baggins.
It was really nice.
Very quickly, the branches of the trees started to bend and sway as the wind picked up. Over head, the clouds turned a dark nasty gray color.
"Come on Bilbo, let's go home," Bella said loudly, but she couldn't see her son anywhere.
"Bilbo?" Bungo shouted his name too.
Fear gripped the new parents as they began shouting for their son.
Bilbo however, was following a beaten worn plain tan dirt trail. He giggled as he continued to follow it. Just the further he wandered down it, the further away he was from his parents, who raced up the opposite direction.
It started with just one drop of rain. Then another fell from the skies. And another and another, until it was coming down in a rain storm.
Bilbo stopped and looked around. He was in area where there were trees but also grass.
"Mama?" he said.
No one answered.
"Mama?" He said louder as he was getting soaked.
He started to walk hurriedly down the trail, going in the wrong direction.
.
On the other side of the woods, his parents were frantic to find their boy.
"Bilbo! Bilbo!"
"Where are you? Bilbo come on out honey!" were their cries.
"Bungo, where did he go?" Belladonna asked out in fear.
"I….I don't know," he replied, fear gripping his poor heart.
.
Bilbo ran and ran but, he stumbled and went down. He cried and cried because he wanted to be in his mother's arms and to be dry again.
"Oy, what is that sound?" he heard up a head.
Bilbo then called out "Mama?"
Oh poor little Bilbo, it wasn't his mama.
Who stepped through the bushes and trees were very tall men. They were vagabonds in dark filthy clothes and they didn't look friendly.
"What are you?" one of them said confused on the pointy ears.
Bilbo whimpered and backed away from them with "Mama?"
"Oh we're not your mama, but we can find you one," another man smiled with missing teeth.
Bilbo then ran for it. It was really his fight or flight instinct kicking in.
"Come back here!" another man yelled, but only prompted Bilbo to run faster.
"Mama!" He yelled out of fright.
.
Belladonna wasn't going to give up on not looking for her only child. However, Bungo had to drag them back to Bag-End.
The storm was getting worse and worse. The wind howled angrily and the rain came down in buckets now.
"Bungo I worry for him," she muttered low, near to tears.
"I know, but I can't do anything with this storm," Bungo replied back, hurrying them inside Bag-End.
"What if…what if..."
"Bella, don't start with the 'what if's' or else you will go into a panic attack. Now, when this storm clears up, I will go out and find him," Bungo interrupted her before she could finish that sentence.
Walking over to the fireplace in the front parlor, Belladonna sat down in her armchair, finally letting herself cry.
Bungo hated that he was right in this case and also, he hated to see his wife so upset.
He made them both some soup but, they only nibbled on it. Worry churning their stomachs and fear settling nicely in their hearts.
.
Bilbo had scratches and scrape marks on his forearms and legs.
He ran and ran until finally he tripped over a rock and landed hard on the ground. His tears mixed with that of the harsh rain.
"Mama!" he cried out.
All around him the wind howled; the rain lashed against him as the storm continued rage on.
Minutes passed.
"What is that sound?" he heard deep voices.
He kept quiet.
"I thought I heard them coming from this way," another spoke up.
These voices were different from the ones he heard from the men.
"Oy! Have you dwarves seen a babe run through here?" Bilbo heard one of the men's voices again.
He got up and crawled near to the closest bushes and shivered.
The movement caught one of the dwarves and growled out "Why would we know where your babies are? Accusing us of stealing one of them again?"
"Now, easy there dwarf, we were just asking," another joined in too.
"No we haven't and if we did, why would we keep the baby?" another dwarf snarled low, threatening.
"Alright, alright. We're leaving. But if you do see a babe, it belongs to us," another man huffed and the group left.
The dwarf that spotted Bilbo, waited until the men were gone and softly approached the bushes.
"They are gone now. You are safe little one," the dwarf softly muttered.
"Mama?" Bilbo said, not coming out of the bushes.
"We don't know where your mother is, but we can get you out of this weather," the dwarf reassured Bilbo, gently holding out his large worn hand.
Bilbo slowly placed his hand into the dwarf's and walked out. He was purely soaked through.
The dwarf gently picked Bilbo up and shields him against the rain with his cloak.
"Come on, camp isn't that far away and I bet he would like to get warmed up," Another dwarf said, smiling at Bilbo.
The Dwarves took Bilbo to their camp. The tents that were around them were big and blocking out the wind and rain.
Sniffling and snuggling more into the warmth from the dwarf that held him, Bilbo wanted to go home.
"Aye, Durel! What you got there? A furry rabbit!" a dwarf chuckled at him.
"No, Bral. I saved this little babe from Vagabonds who wanted him because he's just a baby," Durel snarled back.
Bral held up his hands and said softly "Didn't mean to offend. Just saw some fur,"
"He's not that old to be away from his mother, but he is. Got any broth for him to eat?" Durel asked, gently sitting down next to the fire.
The dwarves that were in camp were curious as to what kind of baby that Durel rescued.
"Let me see him, Laddie," a soothing voice greeted Bilbo as he looked up.
Whoever this dwarf was, suddenly gasped as he gently took Bilbo into his arms.
"By Durin's star," the dwarf said softly, his long white beard tickled Bilbo.
He giggled and smiled up at the dwarf.
"Balin, what is it?" Durel asked him curiously.
"This laddie, is a Hobbit. But with how his eyes are, I would almost bet my shoes that Mahal himself had craved him," Balin said, sitting down as everyone was silent at this.
"But, hobbits aren't made from Mahal. Aren't they from the race of Man?" another dwarf uttered.
"We do not know where their race came from, but back in the old days, they did live near Erebor," Balin replied as a bowl of soup was presented to him.
"I don't care what you did Thorin!" a loud female voice's echoed across the camp.
Bilbo hugged Balin closer from the angry voice.
Heavily sighing, Balin watched the hunting party come back with a few stags and several rabbits.
"How could you not know that your own trap was there Thorin?" the angry woman said, stepping into the light.
It was odd for Bilbo to see woman with fur on their faces, but he didn't want to be near them.
"Uh, Lady Dis, could you please keep your temper in check? We got a wee one here that is lost, soaked and terrified as it is," Balin daringly spoke up calmly.
Lady Dis looked at Balin ready to rip him a new one but, when she saw those big deep blue terrified eyes of Bilbo, she swallowed her words.
"What do you mean, wee one, Balin?" Thorin asked, walking over with a small limp.
"Durel found this little one while hunting. A group of vagabonds wanted him, because he's a baby and is lost. He only knows one word and that is 'Mama'. I suggest Thorin, that we keep him until sun rise tomorrow and go looking for his parents or guardian," Balin explained, gently putting Bilbo more clearly for everyone to see.
Lady Dis gasped as did the others when they saw how young Bilbo truly was.
Thorin sat down next to Balin. He wanted to see better of Bilbo, but with the darkening sky and night, it was truly hard to tell besides the color of his eyes.
"He cannot eat the stew. Dis, do you think you can …feed him?" Thorin asked, knowing that she can do much better than the dwarrows.
"I can try, but do we have any water skins left?" she asked, searching for one.
"Aye, saddle bag, left pocket," Thorin told her, gently taking Bilbo into his arms.
Bilbo was much smaller than the dwarflings that Thorin had seen. The small shivers from Bilbo didn't escape Thorin's notice.
"Also, he needs some new dry clothes. The ones that he has on are soaked through," Thorin called out to her.
Lady Dis came back with the stuff that she needed and sat on the other side of Thorin. Everyone watched them curiously because they never saw a hobbit until now. Let alone a fauntling.
"Mama?" Bilbo asked her softly.
"Oh sweetheart, we'll find your Mama. Do you mind if I take your clothes off first?" Lady Dis asked him gently.
Bilbo lifted his arms up as Lady Dis took that as a sign. She gently took off his very thin shirt, pants and under clothes. Dwalin came over and took them to get dried by the fire.
"He needs body heat for now," Lady Dis told Thorin as she wrapped Bilbo up in a blanket.
Bilbo then sneezed in the cutest way into the blanket. Thorin worried that this little baby will get a cold, so he held Bilbo a bit more firmly.
"So we can't keep him?" Durel asked Thorin with sad eyes.
"No. He has parents, Durel. If he didn't, it would be a completely different story. Don't give up on one day having children of your own," Thorin encourage him.
Durel nodded and dropped the topic. He knew that he had to return Bilbo to his parents, but he so badly wanted children of his own.
Thorin gently dried Bilbo up as Lady Dis got the water skin filled with the broth of the stew.
"Come here sweet heart. You hungry?" she asked Bilbo smiling.
Thorin gently transferred Bilbo to her as he was cradled in her arms. Lady Dis gently put the lip of the spout next to Bilbo's lips. He moved his head back and forth.
"It's food. See," Lady Dis said, gently putting her lips to the spout and pretended to suckle. "Mmm,"
Bilbo sniffed the air as the stew did smell good.
Gently taking the spout out of her mouth, she put it to Bilbo's lips once more. Hunger won over and he wrapped his lips around the spout and suckled on it.
Hot steamy delicious stew broth entered his mouth and hungrily suckled for more.
Thorin watched, just like everyone else.
"Thorin," Dwalin whispered, bringing over one of Bilbo's clothes.
He took it and spotted writing on it.
"Bilbo Baggins," Thorin said a loud, looking up as Bilbo looked at him curiously.
"Hello Bilbo," Lady Dis greeted him softly.
His eyes looked up at her.
"Balin, do you know anyone-?"
"Not until tomorrow morning, Thorin," Balin cut in.
Nodding, Thorin went to his sleep bag as Bilbo reached out to him. Lady Dis softly soothed his worries as his little eyelids were slowly closing.
"I made these for Little Bilbo," a dwarrow said to Lady Dis, stepping forward with a much thicker outfit.
She helped put the clothes onto Bilbo as he squirmed but let them put him in dry clothes.
"Let him sleep with you, Thorin," Lady Dis said to him.
Thorin held his sister's stare until finally replying "Fine, bring him here,"
Lady Dis got up and walked over to her older brother. Very carefully, Thorin took Bilbo into his arms and watched the little hobbit snuggle into his cloak made pillow.
"Keep him warm, Thorin," his sister warned him and left the two be.
Rolling his eyes at that, he lay down and covered Bilbo up with his blanket. Thorin looked over as someone approached them.
It was Durel who had a pallet from one of the stags. The pallet was made into a blanket.
"It won't hurt to have him under that," Thorin agreed as Durel walked over and gently put the pallet over them both.
Durel nodded and then walked hurriedly away.
Thorin sighed softly as Bilbo snuggled into him for more warmth. Bilbo was fast asleep after today's events. Thorin soon joined the little fauntling in slumber.
.
When the morning came, it was peaceful as any morning would after a heavy down pour of rain and wind. Thorin was already up and had left Bilbo alone to relieve his bladder.
Whimpering and softly crying sounds could be heard from Thorin's bedroll. Bilbo had woken up alone and after yesterday's events imprinted heavily upon the little fauntling, no one could blame him for not wanting to be alone.
Thorin walked over after he was finished and dried his hands on a towel as he gently laid back down in his bedroll.
"Hey there little Bilbo. I'm right here," Thorin whispered to him, gently pulling the crying faunt to his chest.
"Mama…" he uttered with big rain drop tears trickling down his face.
"Oh don't worry," Thorin whispered to him, holding him close to his shoulder.
Very low and soft to Bilbo's ear, Thorin hummed softly to him. Now whether or not Bilbo was just a good faunt, he fell back asleep as Thorin held him close.
Dis couldn't help the smile when she saw this interaction take place. It was so refreshing to see that her oldest brother still had emotions after what they had gone through of the Fall of Erebor.
Thorin stayed in his bedroll for some time. Nearly the last to leave it as his kin were busy about around camp as couple of hours have gone by.
Bilbo was up, walking close to Thorin and looking around at the weird dwarves.
"Good morning Bilbo," Lady Dis greeted him with a smile.
"Mama," He said to her confidently.
The others chuckled because it was the only word that he knew how to speak.
"You hungry?" Lady Dis asked him curiously.
He nodded with a smile.
"Alright, let's see what our cook has been making," Lady Dis said, gently taking his hand into hers and lead them away.
Thorin however, walked over to Balin muttering low "How far do we need to travel to get to his parents?"
"I don't know for sure, Thorin. But this trading trail here," Balin replied back, pointing to the map "should leads us close. He also might help us if we ask and be patient with him,"
Thorin nodded as he was handed some leftover stew and bread.
Bilbo had his fill of the stew broth once more and wiggled to get on his feet.
"Alright, alright. Here you go. But don't wander too far Bilbo," Lady Dis firmly told him.
Bilbo nodded as he trotted over to Thorin and smiled as he pulled on the long dark silk curly hair.
Thorin tried his hardest to not get upset with Bilbo. He was just a baby after all and truly didn't know any different on how important it was to touch another dwarf's hair.
The whole camp was in collective gasp. They watched on eager to know what their king would do next.
Chuckling low to himself, Thorin then said "Hmm. I wonder who that is?"
Bilbo giggled as he ran around to "hide" from Thorin "catching" him. Thorin hummed thoughtfully, smiling.
The others in camp also smiled and couldn't help not to watch this.
Thorin turned around and acted surprised as he then caught Bilbo in his arms. Giggling like mad, Bilbo snuggled into Thorin.
"Thi," Bilbo muttered happily.
"Thi?" Thorin asked him curiously.
It was the first word besides "Mama" that the fauntling had said. Feeling like it should be Bilbo's parents who needed to see this, Thorin swelled up with some pride for him.
"Mama," Bilbo said, pulling on Thorin's braids again.
"Alright, we'll leave soon," Thorin told him, chuckling.
Thorin gently made sure that Bilbo's hair was brushed and to keep his hair out of his face since the fauntling kept rubbing his face, Thorin had put a bead into his hair.
The others looked on. It was not unspoken but, it was a bit odd for their king to mark an outsider as under the protection of the Royal family.
Bilbo was full energy and was squirming in his saddle right in front of Thorin.
"It's alright, you will be able to run when we find your Mama," Thorin whispered to him.
Balin and Lady Dis also accompanied Thorin since they got so fond of the little fauntling.
Kicking his legs and waving his arms, Bilbo wanted to run.
The pony that was he was a top on didn't like the kicks and swung her head around with her ears back.
"Bilbo, stop," Thorin firmly but softly told him.
Bilbo halted and looked up at Thorin with wide eyes.
"She doesn't like being kicked," The king also said.
Calming down, Bilbo leaned against Thorin's lower stomach and sighed.
The trail changed from clustered tight trees to slowly panning out to the flat valley. Bilbo looked around as he slowly felt that this place looked familiar to him.
The small group kept walking down the trail until Bilbo pressed fully into Thorin's stomach. Wrapping his arm around the fauntling, Thorin knew that they were going in the right direction.
It wasn't until Bilbo heard the bubbling of a stream or creek that he whimpered out.
"I'm right here, little Bilbo," Thorin said low.
"Thi," Bilbo uttered, gently clinging to the arm.
The landscape turned more lush and green. It was close to an hour of riding that the others wondered where Bilbo had actually come from.
"Bilbo!" they all heard in the forest.
"Mama?" Bilbo said back softly.
Thorin kept his arms around the fauntling as he urged his pony into a canter. The others soon followed their king's example.
"Bilbo!"
"Bilbo Baggins!" His parents yelled out.
They have been searching the forest before the sun rose up. It nearly drove both Bungo and Belladonna mad for waiting for the sun to shine.
As they stepped into a clearing, Belladonna felt the ground shake as she looked around. Bungo was right next to her when they both heard the branches breaking and snapping in protest.
"Mama! Mama!" they both heard their son's sweet voice.
"Bilbo?" Belladonna whispered with wide eyes.
One of the branches gave way and striding into the clearing, Thorin and Bilbo on their pony.
"MAMA!" Bilbo shouted when he saw her.
"Bilbo!" she shouted right back, running towards her baby boy.
"Bilbo, hold still!" Thorin hissed low since the fauntling was wiggling too much.
Bilbo stilled at once as he then felt being lifted up and down.
"Bilbo! Oh my boy!" his mother cried happily.
Bungo walked over to them, not wanting to spook the ponies and wrapped his arms around his small family. Happy tears trickled down their faces.
"Thank you so much for finding our son," Belladonna said, nearly weeping with joy.
"No trouble at all. I am Thorin Oakenshield. King of the Dwarves," Thorin said, swinging out of his saddle and put his hand out for them to shake.
Bungo took it and shook firmly with "Thank you,"
"King of the Dwarves? Gandalf said that he knew of your race, though you are very secretive," Belladonna stated, holding Bilbo close to her.
Bilbo had a frown on his face as he then said "Thi,"
His parents looked at him in shock, but when Thorin walked over and gently took Bilbo into his arms.
"Right here, little one," Thorin whispered low as Bilbo snuggled into him.
"Thi is you?" Belladonna asked him curiously.
Thorin looked up at her and blushed a bit "Yes Mrs. Baggins. He just learned it this morning,"
"Hello, I'm Lady Dis. Younger sister to Thorin here. I had these out to dry last night and that is how we learned your son's name," Lady Dis greeted the two hobbits, handing over to them of Bilbo's now dry clothes.
"Thank you, my lady," Bungo replied, gently taking them.
"It was no problem, really. After the quite little adventure that Bilbo had," Lady Dis told him.
Bungo nodded as Belladonna knew that from now on, there would be no more outings to the woods.
"What is this here?" Belladonna asked Thorin, holding out the bead.
"He doesn't like his hair getting in his face so I uh…braided it. I hope you don't mind it," Thorin replied honestly to her.
"I don't mind it, it's really cute on him," Bella said, smiling as Bilbo snuggled into Thorin's shoulder blushing.
"Well thank you so much for saving our son," Bungo said, wanting to go home now with his family back together.
"Of course and if there is anything that you need, my kin will be in Bree or Ered Luin," Thorin said, gently handing Bilbo back over to his mother.
Thorin, Lady Dis and Balin knew that they would never see Bilbo grow up. Maybe years later, they would meet again, but they would never get to see him.
Bilbo looked over at Thorin and reached out towards him.
"Thi! Thi!" he cried out which ripped Thorin's heart open.
Pretty soon, Thorin was in his saddle and urged his pony into a gallop with Lady Dis and Balin right behind him.
Bilbo wouldn't remember much of Thorin, Balin or Lady Dis as he grew up. With the dwarves however, they remembered Bilbo like the event happened yesterday.
It was just after his parents had passed away that Bilbo's life would change forever.