Fly To The Heavens Chapter 1
(Sequel to Fly Away Little Birds)
After the reclaiming of Erebor and the death of Kili, Fili had returned to the Shire to live with their friend and former master, Bilbo. All seemed well enough with Fili, but Bilbo knew that there was no small amount of guilt and a massive amount of self-loathing going on. Still, Fili tried to stay as light of heart as he could for Bilbo's sake. And when he could not, he found it was best to get away. Travel here and there. Wherever his miseries didn't seem to be. He never went back to Ered Luin, or as far as Erebor, but he traveled around the Shire, Evendim, Breeland and The North Downs. He avoided the East Chetwood, as it was the source of much past pain, but he had been all over the North lands, even skirting along the Southern edges of Angmar.
Along the way, he met many interesting people, having come into the contact with the Rangers of the North on more than one occasion. He had never met their leader, Aragorn, but they spoke so highly of him that he was sure that this man must surely be great. He never really told any who he truly was, or what he was doing, or what his true purpose might be. He was not sure that he even knew what his true purpose was at the moment. In all truth, it didn't really matter to him whether or not he had a purpose. Maybe he didn't...
One day, he returned to Bag End and found a young hobbit living there with Bilbo. At first Fili was not sure what to make of this. "Bilbo, you seem to have acquired something new while I was away." He said as he came into the parlor after having been gone for something like a year. The very sight of the travel worn dwarf seemed to frighten the young hobbit, but Bilbo came out of the kitchen to greet Fili with a great hug.
"Fili, my friend!" Said the hobbit. "It has been so long. I was beginning to worry."
"Sorry Bilbo." Fili said as they broke the hug. "So who is your young friend here?"
"Ah yes. Fili, this is Frodo, my young cousin, but he calls me uncle." Bilbo turned to Frodo, who rose and came over to them. "Frodo, this is my dear friend Fili. Fili lives here as well."
Frodo just stared at Fili for a moment. The dwarf was more than a little imposing, as he was taller, stouter, and looked as though he had not maintained his beard much in his recent travels. "So sorry." Fili said. "I must look terrible."
"Well you have been away for a long time. The road makes for very weary people." Bilbo said. "Anyway, Frodo will be living with us from now on. His parents have passed away, and I have taken him in as my heir."
"That's very good of you, Bilbo. I am sure he will fit in very well with us." Fili said. "Now I must be off to pretty myself up a bit so that I can be a little less scary."
"Of course." Bilbo said.
Fili never really got along with Frodo, or at least he never had the relationship with Frodo that he had with Bilbo. Also, Fili continues to travel and go places for weeks on end, which seemd to frustrate Frodo for some reason. But again, Fili found himself away when a momentous occasion was about to take place. Bilbo was about to celebrate his one hundred and eleventh birthday. Fili had no choice but to come home. When he did, he found Bilbo was greeting Gandalf. Fili hadn't seen Gandalf in many years, so he didn't know if he should interrupt.
The he saw something ever more terrifying. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins had come to harass Bilbo. Fili hid in the bushes, not wanting to meet her either. Crazy hobbit woman. Vile as ever. He thought he had avoided her completely, but he was wrong when she parted the bushes and found him hiding there.
"Well if it isn't the wayward dwarf." She said.
"Hello Lobelia."
"Don't hello me, you loathsome former slave dog!"
He so loved her insults. "What do you want, Lobelia?"
"You tell Bilbo that if he intends to leave, like everyone is hinting at, he should leave the house to us, his family. Not that little brat he's been harboring."
Bilbo was considering leaving? This was only marginally news. Fili had known that someday he had planned to go off. But why now? Something he should ask Bilbo himself. "Always lovely seeing you, Lobelia."
"Just know that when I get the house, you go out on the streets! Maybe I'll even have them run you out of the Shire. You don't belong here, you know."
"Goodbye Lobelia." He wanted to end on a more vicious note, but knew it was unwise, seeing that his position in the Shire was more than a little tenuous, even now. He walked past her and into the house. "Bilbo?" he whispered as he went into the kitchen. "She gone. There is speculation on whether or not you plan to leave. Care to elaborate?"