Author's Note:
Hello everyone!
Whoa! Thank you so much for the reviews, kudos, follows and favorites. I didn't realize that you guys liked this fanfic so much.
Alright, let's hash out some ages for this story. Also, Thank you Ket for helping me with the math on their ages.
Thorin- 176 years old.
Balin- 180 years old.
Lady Dis- 146 years old.
Bilbo- 30 years old.
Fili- looks 10 but is actually 7 years old.
Kili- looks 5 but is actually 3 years old.
Khuzdul is in Italics.
From this chapter onwards, those are the ages for everyone. Also, Bilbo is more Took and his parents died very early than normal.
Please read, review and enjoy,
Alonia143.
Chapter 2.
The wind angrily howled with the rain stinging his eyes.
'I knew I should have left before this storm!' he scolded himself as he continued to walk down the road.
It was dark out, very late into the evening but, Bilbo waited until his sword and new cloak were finished in Bree.
A lot of things had changed since Bilbo was a curious wandering fauntling. His mother had taken him out on 1 her adventures to Rivendell, Bree, Far Downs and Mithland or the Gray Heavens.
His father's family tsked at this. It wasn't right in their eyes for a hobbit to wander so much. Belladonna defended her only son by "getting out".
Bilbo sighed heavily as he felt his heart pang a bit for missing his parents. It was close to 6 years since his parents had suddenly died and it was still the talk of Hobbiton.
It wasn't a real mystery on what they died from but, Bilbo had traveled to Rivendell to ask Lord Elrond on how to swim. Yeah, his parents had died from drowning and they weren't that far from shore.
Bilbo looked up as he heard a deep growling and snarling sound ahead of him. Swallowing, he pulled out his small elvin sword.
"Oh great," he muttered when he saw it glowing blue.
"AWAY FROM US!" he heard the scream of a child's voice.
Running now, up onto the higher path to get a good idea as to what was going on, Bilbo kept his sword hidden under his travel cloak.
Down below, Bilbo sucked in a gasp. A large wolf and an orc were trying to get at 2 kids. 1 of them was just a toddler and the other was close to being a true kid.
Snarling, hissing and whimpering could be heard as Bilbo brought out his knives and threw them.
Thunk! Thunk!
Screams could be heard from the orc and large wolf.
Thunk! Thunk!
The older kid ducked down towards his younger sibling, looking around terrified.
It was then that Bilbo slid down the hill, took out Sting and sliced through the Orc's side and the large wolf's skin.
"You leave these 2 children alone, you monsters!" Bilbo snarled forcefully.
The last blows from Sting made the blue glow die as the orc and wolf laid dead.
Huffing with the rush coursing through his body, Bilbo walked around and pulled his knives out of the bodies and wiped them on his cloak.
"Kids?" he softly called out to them.
There was silence.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you," Bilbo said gently, looking around.
There on the side of the road, Bilbo squinted when he saw the 2 children. The oldest one standing in front of his youngest sibling.
"It's okay," Bilbo said, not walking anywhere near him.
"Away from us!" the oldest snarled out of fright.
"I am, I am. Do you know the way to your home?" Bilbo said, holding out his hands.
The oldest was confused. Why wasn't this person taking them away. What did he want?
"I take that as a no. I'm Bilbo Baggins. I have a home that is some ways away from here, but I can-"
"Need help. Brother hurt," The oldest interrupted Bilbo.
This got his interest, as he blatantly showed the oldest child that he was just putting his sword away, after cleaning it once again on his cloak. It also didn't escape Bilbo's knowledge that the oldest couldn't learn to speak Western yet.
"Where?" Bilbo asked, walking slowly over to them.
"Side," the oldest said at once when he saw that the weapons were gone.
"Names?" Bilbo asked, gently kneeling down and seeing that the youngest was hurt.
"….not allowed," the oldest replied hesitantly.
"Alright. Its okay, son, its okay. Just may I see your side?" Bilbo said to the youngest softly.
He lifted his side with "Kili,"
The oldest snarled in disapproval and spoke in a language that made something "clicked" within Bilbo's memory. It sounded familiar from a dream somehow.
"It's okay, really it's alright. I won't tell anyone of your names," Bilbo said to them both, softly smiling.
The oldest looked at his youngest and only brother and said "Fili. Safe,"
"Of course, but may I carry your brother?" Bilbo asked him as the rain somehow came down harder.
Fili looked at him and whatever he found there, Bilbo was thankful for the nod.
Carefully, Bilbo scooped Kili into his arms and tucked him close. He shook his head of how familiar this was to him and started walking.
"We're just a mile or so from my home, Fili. Try to distract your brother," Bilbo said when Kili kept squirming.
Fili barked something at his youngest brother. Kili was still, but whimpered.
Bilbo kept his eyes on the road. There was no one around but, his worry for these 2 children. Where exactly were their parents? How did Kili get hurt? What extent was his injury?
"Alright, we're here," Bilbo announced to them, walking up to the wooden soaked gate.
Fili and Kili were silent but followed Bilbo into his front yard, up the stone grassed covered steps and waited until the round green door was unlocked.
Bilbo walked inside first, as it was nice and dry.
"Elf," Fili said warily, looking at the tree roots growing into the home.
"What? No. I'm a Hobbit. I'm not an elf. If I was, I would be a lot taller and I would wear a different braid for my hair here," Bilbo corrected him, showing Fili the braid that he had learned years ago with that bead.
A gasp escaped the oldest child when he saw the same symbols as his own bead had.
"Come on, the rooms are down this way," Bilbo told him, herding him lightly down the hallway.
Fili followed Bilbo with wide curious blue eyes now. How did this person (Hobbit) get the same bead as Fili and Kili?
Bilbo gently put Kili down on the bed and looked at Fili stating firmly "I'll be right back. I just have to go and close the door okay?"
Fili nodded, knowing that tone of voice very well.
Trotting out hurriedly, Bilbo made his way down the hallway. He gently swiped a couple of candle holders and matches. Until he got a fire going, it was going to get dark real quick.
"Hello Mister Bilbo," he heard Bell greet him.
"Oh…uh…Hello Bell," Bilbo replied, unsure if this was a good time to talk to his neighbor.
"I saw you come back with a couple of children and well, I made this stew tonight and had a lot left over with a couple of beard rolls," she told him smiling.
"T-thank you Bell. You truly didn't have to do this. But uh…possibly, tomorrow morning, could you get the medicine lady? I only have the basics for healing common colds and such," Bilbo said, looking down the hallway.
"Of course and don't worry about my family not eating all of that. We had our fill and now it's your turn. I hope those children will be alright and of course I will. Well, good night, Mister Bilbo," Bell said back, turning around and walking away after she handed him the large pot of stew.
Heavily sighing and making sure no one else came to his door after a quick glance to his left and right, Bilbo finally closed and locked his front door. And just like he expected, it was dark.
One of the little tricks that Bilbo's mother, Belladonna, taught him was just because one of your senses was gone, doesn't mean the others went with it. Feeling with his feet, Bilbo made his way down the hallway and into his kitchen.
He put the large pot on the counter and then dug into his pockets for the candles. He lit the match, then the candle wick itself and put the candle in the candle holder as he walked to the spare bedroom where the children were at.
He saw Fili hugging his brother close to him.
"Hello, it's just me," Bilbo said from the doorway.
Fili nodded and watched the strange little man. The light grew as Bilbo lit more candles around the room. Bilbo walked around and tried to look for Kili but he was half buried by his brother.
"I'm not going to do anything to hurt him further, Fili," Bilbo began slowly "I just want to see how bad his injury is,"
Fili thought on this and then nodded as he stepped away from the bed. A whimper could be heard as Bilbo walked up and sat down close to the shivering child.
"It's okay Kili. Shh. It's okay," Bilbo whispered soothingly to him.
Very carefully and just letting Kili unfold from his ball, Bilbo helped him lay properly on the bed.
"I'm going to lift your shirt up OK Kili?" Bilbo said, gently rubbing his hand.
Kili sniffled with a nod.
Bilbo lifted his shirt and swallowed thickly. His side was coloring into a nasty storm of purple and blue.
"My dear boy," Bilbo uttered in sadness.
Fili was there before Bilbo with a startled expression.
"It's okay. Just bruising, Fili. Though you two need a hot bath," Bilbo reassured him with a firm tone.
Fili huffed as Kili shook his head 'no' at the word of: bath.
"Yes you 2 do. If you want to stop shivering and being cold, you 2 will have a hot bath. Plus it will help with the pain," Bilbo told them both, seeing them act like this.
"Have to?" Fili asked him curiously.
Bilbo smiled at him trying to learn Western words.
"No Bath!" Kili demanded but sneezed.
"Yes, Bath. Now," Bilbo told them both as he gently scooped Kili back into his arms.
The young dwarf sighed in defeat, Fili walking behind them as Bilbo walked across to the door and into the darkness.
"Kili?" Fili said to nothing.
"Fili," Kili replied right beside him.
Bilbo couldn't have had a candle lit right now, he had his arms full. But it was also a good trick for them to learn anyway.
Across the hallway and into the clean bathroom, Bilbo gently put Kili on the toilet seat lid.
"Stay here, I'm just going to find some light. Fili, keep your brother company OK?" Bilbo told them both, gently taking Fili's hand into his and guided him closer to his brother.
Bilbo got silence in return but, as he walked out of the bathroom his swore he head "Kili?" and "Fili". He got the candle holder with a lit candle from his bedroom, walked back across the hallway and into the bathroom.
He searched in the cabinet as he got more candle holders and candles. He cleared his throat to get the children's attention as he used the already lit one and lit the others. They looked at him confused; they already knew how to do this.
"I'll be right back, these will be put up here for you to see and undress. I would like Fili and Kili, for you to be inside the tub," Bilbo said, pointing to the empty bath tub.
Fili nodded as Bilbo helped Kili get undressed first and into the tub carefully and then Bilbo walked out of the bathroom once more.
Bilbo got the bath tub pot filled with water. He then worked on getting a fire going in the kitchen as that brought a lot of light and heat. While that was going on, he then went to the front parlor and got that fireplace going.
30 minutes had past as Bilbo had filled up 4 buckets of heated water. He walked carefully inside the bathroom and saw Fili and Kili huddled in the bath tub.
"Good. Good. Now, this will be hot at first, but I got another bucket of cold water just outside the door," Bilbo told them both, smiling.
Fili wanted to help the strange little man but, whenever he used that firm tone, it reminded him of his mother. So when Bilbo had walked over, tipped the hot bubbling water into the tub, he gasped.
"I know, it's hot. It's supposed to be. Otherwise you won't like it when it's cold," Bilbo said to them both when Kili tried to move away from it.
"Kili," Fili said to him, scooping up the hot soothing water and letting it run down his brother's back.
Kili sighed and sat still.
Bilbo continued to pour the 3 buckets into the bath tub until he walked outside and grabbed the cold one. Steam filtered upwards as Bilbo walked back in and slowly poured the water in. He watched the kid's faces until they were smiled at the temp and stopped.
"Here, Fili. Wash yourself, I'll wash Kili," Bilbo said, handing him a very creamy bar of soap.
Kili made a pouty face as he moved closer to the edge. Fili however started to get clean at once. True, he was a boy and yes he loved to get dirty as much as possible, but not to the point of being covered in blood and such.
Bilbo started to whistle as that got the kid's attention as it was a very happy, bouncy song.
Being very careful, Bilbo washed Kili's hair and let him dunk under the water to get the soap out. Fili did the same but came up smiling.
"Alright, come on out Fili since you're cleaned up now," Bilbo told him smiling.
Fili sighed but the water was getting cold. Bilbo had a very large towel in his hands and was waiting patiently. Fili took the one end of it and wrapped himself up.
"There you are," Bilbo said surprised, smiling.
Fili couldn't really help the giggle that escaped as Kili finally came up from the cooling water.
"Alright, Kili, wash your body once more and then dunk. I got your towel all ready for you when you're finished," Bilbo told him next.
Kili did what he was told since he was younger and didn't have his independence kick in like Fili's did. After he stepped out of the tub, Bilbo wrapped him up in his own dry towel too.
"Come on boys," Bilbo said to them, gently picking up Kili and walking down the hallway back towards their bedroom.
Even though it wasn't as dark as before, the shadows still jumped out at them as they passed different weird looking items in the hallway.
"Alright, Fili, I want you to stay here. I need to find some clothes for you 2," Bilbo told them both firmly as he gently put Kili on the bed.
Fili sighed and said "Yes,"
"Good. I'll be right back," Bilbo told him and left the room.
Fili looked over at his brother who was gingerly snuggling and rolling around in his towel happily.
"Kili," He whispered, looking at the door before crawling over.
Kili stopped and peaked out of the towel at his older brother curiously.
"Uncle's missing bead. Strange man has," He whispered low in Khuzdul.
Sitting up now, Kili gasped but thankfully didn't scream out.
"Uncle's bead. Uncle's love," Kili whispered back in Khuzdul.
Fili nodded to him as they heard Bilbo walk back into their bedroom with some weird looking clothes.
"I know that you are not hobbits, but these were always way too big for me. They might fit you 2," Bilbo explained, holding the clothes out.
Fili took his without complaint and put them on. Kili however, just out right refused to get dressed.
"No," Kili had told Bilbo.
"Oh? Want to go naked, huh?" Bilbo asked smiling.
Fili came around and looked down at his new clothes. They weren't like the ones he had worn but, they were nice to wear even if they were a lighter shade of blue.
"Kili. Clothes. Now," Fili had said firmly.
"No," Kili replied back nearly cutely.
Fili huffed, grabbed the clothes for his brother, jumped onto the bed and then kneeled as there were shrieks and hollering from the youngest brother. Bilbo didn't know what to think of this method but watched carefully as Fili kept well away from the bruise.
"Clothes, now," Fili said once more to him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kili howled in laughter.
That just pushed Fili over the top of his patients and forced the clothes onto his brother. Kili slowly stood up and looked down at him.
"Strange," was all he said as Bilbo looked a bit taken back.
"Fili," He said looking at the huffing older brother.
Fili looked at him.
"Nice try on getting him to wear some clothes, but let me handle it," Bilbo explained carefully to him.
Fili looked down and nodded.
"Alright, now that you 2 are dressed, time for some food," Bilbo stated when they all heard a low grumbling sound from Kili's stomach.
Both kids waited for Bilbo near the doorway as he led them back into the kitchen. The smell of stewed potatoes, carrots, 3 different kinds of meat, onions and peas clung in the air. It also made 2 young little dwarflings mouth's water and their stomachs protesting in "Feed me" growls.
Bilbo had two bowls already filled with some bread cut up. He took them and nodded to the dining room.
"Come on, in here," he said when the boys didn't move.
Fili and Kili took their seats and left the head of the table to Bilbo to sit at. Bilbo had his own bowl filled and brought the bread over with something beside water or tea for them to drink.
"What I'm about to give to you, is something that I don't normal make. Old family recipe, mind you. It's apple-pumpkin cinnamon cider. Eat up now," Bilbo told them both.
Fili and Kili started to eat their stew. They didn't care if there was "green food" in it. They were hungry.
Bilbo filled their bowls up to 5 times until they were full. They left their ciders alone for last. They never had this much food before and it was a treat for them to dine on.
Bilbo smiled when their eyes bugged in shock surprised as to how delicious the cider was.
"Bead," Fili said, pointing to the bead in Bilbo's hair.
Looking down at it, Bilbo replied "I had it since I was a baby. Mother always told me how I was adventurous as a child and that I had wandered off. Some dwarves, from what she had told me, found me and took care of me. 1 of them was named Thorin Oakenshield. I am guessing you have heard of him since you and your brother are dwarves?"
Fili looked over at Kili as he gasped.
They spoke low in their own language and both nodded to whatever they agreed upon.
Bilbo didn't find this offensive. In fact he found it very adorable.
"Yes," Fili said but yawned.
"Time for bed. Come on," Bilbo told them both, gently picking up Kili.
Kili rested his head on Bilbo's shoulder as Bilbo took hold of Fili's hand. Walking to their bedroom, he halted in the hallway.
"Fili? Would you and your brother be OK to sleep on your own or would you feel safer if you slept in my bed?" Bilbo asked him curiously.
"Your…b-b-b-b… bed," Fili struggled to say in western.
Bilbo nodded and walked further down the hallway. It was still very much darker in this end of the home, but Bilbo knew his way.
Gently putting a very much sleeping Kili on his large bed, Fili hopped up onto it as Bilbo got the covers up.
"I will be back with light. Stay here," he told Fili and walked out of his room.
Fili hugged his brother as he heard Bilbo get some more candle holders and candles. Bilbo walked back with 1 in hand and put it in the wall holder.
It lit the room up and Fili looked around. It was very cozy as Bilbo started up another fire in the fireplace. Soon enough heat was flooding the room.
"I will be right back. I have to do some stuff before I come to bed okay?" Bilbo told Fili who lay down in the bed.
"Okay," Fili said, yawning.
Nodding, Bilbo got to it.
He first walked into the bathroom and pulled the plug on the tub. He didn't want to know what color it was as he took the candle holder and walked to the kitchen. He put the stew on the counter under a heat rock and slowly put the fire out with a fire lid and opened the small hatch to let the smoke out after 10 minutes.
He then went around and blew out the candles around the front parlor and dining room. Making sure, in the front parlor that the fire would die out on its own, Bilbo walked back down the hallway towards his bedroom.
Feel the day's events, Bilbo hid his yawn behind his hand. Tomorrow would be an even bigger hurtled to do.
He walked into his bedroom and stopped.
What greeted him was Fili sound asleep with his younger brother cuddled up against him, sleeping away too.
Bilbo didn't know what had happened to them, to be so far away from their parents, but he knew that it wasn't going to be a pleasant story whenever he heard it from them. And he was still curious on how he could still meet up with this Thorin Oakenshield from his youth.
Keeping quiet, Bilbo got out of his clothes and into his long PJ and blew out the candle. He climbed into his bed, carefully molding his body around the 2 children and fell asleep at once.