Two: Hide and Seek

The company had been traveling for little over a week. Though it was considered early to retire by dwarven standards (stories were still flying back and forth across the campfire), Ori ducked inside the cave with his bedroll, due to a lingering headache and both his brothers' orders for sleep. It had taken quite a few minutes for him to persuade Dori he need not call it an early night, too, and in the end this only happened because Ori allowed himself to be steered over to Oin who had made a tea in short order that would "help with the aching."

So, now peacefully free of being coddled, Ori moved into the cave, and was met with both an expected and unexpected sight. The expected sight was Master Baggins already having his bedroll laid out. (The fellow did not interact very much with any of the company except Balin and Gandalf, and often would sit a bit away from the others when camp was set up; usually the hobbit was among the first to go to sleep.) What was unexpected was the way their burglar was currently dancing on the balls of his feet around his bedroll, wringing his hands like some sort of bird.

"Are you alright, Bi—Master Baggins?" Ori inquired, concerned, stepping further into the cave.

"Oh!" the hobbit gasped, spinning to face him and stilling, his surprise melting into embarrassment. He opened and closed his mouth soundlessly a number of times before his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"There are, were – spiders on my bedroll and—" he broke off, dropping his head.

"Oh! No, it is alright!" Ori blurted. When Bilbo raised his eyebrows at him, he clarified himself. "I mean, I understand. Spiders make me nervous as well."

This time the look Bilbo sent him was of relief and shyness. "I would like to find a different place to sleep, but I'm not sure if they are gone or not." He looked suspiciously at his bedroll.

Swallowing hard, his heart pounding loud in his throat, Ori nervously walked towards Master Baggins.

"Perhaps if we shook it out, that would be a way to check that they're gone," he suggested hesitantly.

"That would work, I think," the hobbit agreed, looking as uneasy as Ori felt.

Slowly, they moved to stand at opposite ends of the bedroll. For a moment they stared at it, then at each other.

"They are just little spiders," Bilbo reasoned with a weak smile.

"Nothing compared to orcs," the dwarf tried to be encouraging. Or dragons…, he silently added

"Right," the hobbit huffed, frowning. "On three, then? One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" they said in unison, reaching down and lifting the bedroll up in a series of quick jerks. No creepy crawlies fell from the garment.

"It seems okay," Bilbo whispered cautiously, holding one end with two fingers.

"I think so."

They both sighed, the tension easing from their shoulders.

"Well, thank you, Master Ori. I'm not sure if I could have done this alone." Bilbo's eyes darted over the floor, on the lookout.

The dwarf smiled shyly. "I'm glad I could help, Master Baggins. And…please, I would prefer just being called Ori."

The hobbit tilted his head. "Simply Bilbo will do," he requested in turn.

Ori's smile widened to a grin. "Very well, Bilbo."

"Ori."