A/N I was having a lot of trouble with this so it's been revised and now I'm happy with it.
Also a note to my other stories, my laptop died so I've borrowed one but all the ideas and chapter work has been lost to with many I am having to start again from scratch.
Prologue
Kíli and Fíli grabbed a protesting Bilbo by the shoulders, quickly depositing the stunned hobbit on his pony. Bilbo sat awkwardly on Myrtle holding her rains higher than necessary. A few of the dwarves chuckled at the sight; Gandalf rode up beside him trying to get the hobbit to relax. "How long do you think he'll last?" Nori asked Bofur, Bofur just rolled his eyes holding out his hand,
"Pay up Nori" he sang catching the small bag of coins flying at his face, soon bags where flying around the company, Bofur chuckled again turning to Nori "I bet you, there and back again" The sly dwarf met Bofurs cheeky grin with a smirk
"I'll take that bet" he said "double or nothing," not noticing two more had joined them.
"May we get in on that?" Kíli, the youngest of the Durin line asked, the princes had urged their ponies forward, now riding either side of Bofur and Nori, Nori bit his lip glancing back to the hobbit, Bilbo was soft, both physically and spiritually, why else would he have let a group of burly dwarves in his home. Nori nodded before leaving the trio, seeking the company of his brother, Ori.
Bilbo's loud sneezed caught Bofur and the prince's attention
"Wait stop. Stop!" the hobbit shouted, the company halted all eyes turning to the hobbit "we have to turn around"
"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked
"I've forgotten my handkerchief" Bilbo said Thorin rolled his eyes, regretting listening to Gandalf, 13 maybe bad luck but this hobbit was more trouble than he was worth.
"Here" Bofur said ripping a piece of his shirt "Use this" he tossed it back the hobbits face earned a few chuckles.
"Move on" Thorin ordered pulling his pony on
Hours passed slowly, the company passed the time by sharing stories and the occasional song. Reaching the edge of the Shire Gandalf rode away from Bilbo, Bofur quickly took his place
"So" he said cheerily "You've hear most of our tales, tell us one of yours"
"Oh no no no..." Bilbo shook his head "I'm not a good story teller"
"I'm sure you must know one" Bofur encouraged flashing Bilbo a winning smile, Bilbo looked down slightly embarrassed.
"Please Mister Bilbo" Ori said. Bilbo, like many people, had a hard time saying no to Ori. He was so young and innocent, his big eyes could not be refused not matter how one tried, Bilbo sighed
"Alright then" He thought for a moment looking over to the hills which bordered the Shire. "I'll tell you the story of Brandy and Brine Took"
"Who where they?" Bofur asked
"They where the twin children of Beatrix Took, Brandy was the girl and Brine was the boy they lived not too far from here" he pointed over to the hills "see over there those are the Border hills, dotted around them are the cursed caves"
"Cursed caves?" Bofur asked Bilbo annoyed at the interruption ignored him
"Called so because, hobbits that enter are never seen again, except for the Took Twins. Against their mothers wishes the twins spent their days exploring those hills and the caves in them, often looking for dwarves" Bofur smiled sharing a look with his brother "there are many deep, dark, and damp tunnels in those hills, twisting this way and that, going up and down. Taking you to dead ends or simply in a circle" Bilbo gestured with his hands "it's a labyrinth really" he said "the twins spent days on end exploring and mapping the caves, coming home muddy with scratches and bruises but they were happy there. It was their own little adventure. Until one day they came home with stories of the Below People." Pausing for effect "People who lived beyond the caves"
"There are Dwarves?" Bombur asked "in these parts?"
"Apart from you? No, not that I've seen" Bilbo said "and from what I heard the people they met where of the race of men. Tall and beardless" Bofur raised an eyebrow
"What where they doing in the caves?" Fíli asked
"No one knows, it was put down to the twins imagination" Bilbo explained "They said they wore bright colours and spent hours round camp fires, singing songs and smoking pipe weed. Normal things for young hobbits," Bilbo smiled glancing at Ori, who was giving Bilbo his undivided attention. "Things continued like that for a while -simple tales nothing more- until Brandy came home wearing a dress very different to the one she left in, she told her mother her dress was ruined and the Below People gave her a new one. Unlike ordinary dresses this one fanned out, it was a patchwork type dress, which stopped just below the knees, very brightly coloured. It fastened at the side, with ribbons that went around the neck, it had many petty coats but if a human woman wore it, it would have been indecently short. It wasn't the first thing the Below People gave them Brine came home one week with a large belt buckle, about the size of his fist of an odd design I think it was in the shape of a wolf paw print. Soon Beatrix began to notice other things about Brandy and Brine, they had began to age faster than usual when they first started exploring the caves they where 8 years old 2 years after exploring the caves they looked 13 maybe 14 years old." There was a murmur amongst the company Bilbo looked round to see almost all eyes on him flushing slightly he continued "they would come home singing songs in a peculiar language no hobbit had heard before, telling stories of the below people, the land they lived in had large loud horseless carts the women dressed like men and from what I heard a few of the men wore dresses" this was made up but it earned him a chuckled from a few of the dwarves "strange music boxes and boxes which either spoke to you or had moving pictures inside"
"Moving Pictures?" Fíli repeated looking between Bilbo and his brother "how is that possible"
Bilbo shrugged "There were also lights brighter than fire but which had no flame illuminating the night, hair colour ranging from green to purple styled in different ways. Woman with faces painted their skin ranging from snow white to orange"
Bofur laughed "You pulling our legs Mister Baggins"
"No it's a true story" Bilbo insisted "but we only have the twins' word for it"
"Tell us more of these below people" Balin said "do they live in the caves?"
"No according to the twins they live in houses, in difference to the name the below people didn't live in the ground but on land but the only way to find that land was though the tunnels" Bilbo explained Balin nodded not looking convinced, Bilbo continued "one day a group of adventurous hobbits entered the caves, they went missing for months, they were finally found dead in the cave entrance. Only thing was they were not the youths that entered, but old, very old hobbits. They were identified by birth marks. Fearing her children's safety Beatrix forbid them to enter the caves, the local people believing them to be cursed the entrances where collapsed, the twins themselves now looked like they had come of age even though they where only just entering their teens. Around here it is believed that a monster lurks in the dark offering knowledge and riches to those who enter, and then it sucks the life slowly out of its victim. Others believe sirens live there but whatever the creature is it steals the life from the unfortunate person who finds it. "
"And what of the twins?" Kíli asked
"They kicked up a storm, being banned from their playground. Beatrix locked them in the cellar for their own safety, yet by nightfall they had escaped. People searched everywhere for them, but they were never seen again." Bilbo finished
"No one knows what happened to them?" Bofur asked
Bilbo thought for a moment recalling the tale of an old hobbit "there was one hobbit who claimed to know, but he is old and his mind is not what it used to be" looking round he saw Fíli and Kíli leaning to hear better Bilbo was slightly concerned they would fall of their ponies "He said" Bilbo continued "the twins where happy, that they lived long and happy lives with the below people, he kept saying something in this strange language but don't ask me what I can't even pronounce it, but the curious thing is he claimed his name was Brine"
Kíli and Fíli straightened in their saddled their faces crossed between wonder and horror "How much of that story is true?" Glóin asked
"Don't take the magic away Glóin" Kíli complained kicking his pony and trotting over to his uncle Fíli not far behind
"Well the twins did explore the caves and did go missing a few years back, the rest is just rumours" Bilbo shrugged he jolted slightly and gripped the rains tighter and Myrtle nearly walked into Minty. Looking ahead he saw Thorin had halted the company his eyes scanning them and the road behind, he frowned
"Where's Nori?" he asked everyone looked around a few of them calling but they got no answer, Dori paled
"Ori's gone too!" he cried
"Dwalin, ride back see if their just lagging" Thorin ordered "Balin this road forked not to far back go see if they went that way" The brothers nodded kicking their ponies to gallop. The company waited silently Dwalin returned first shaking his head
"No sign of them" Thorin nodded waiting for Balin
Bilbo's' stomach dropped as Balin returned leading two frightened ponies "I found them not far from the other road but it looks like they were tied before they bolted, but the road kept dividing I can't tell which way they went"
"Alright everyone down that road we split up into pairs each takes a turning and stay together" Thorin ordered "we meet back at the fork before nightfall." The Dwarves turned round riding quickly back down the path "Find them!" Thorin shouted he would be dammed if he lost anyone this early!