Short, but hopefully sweet … well, after the slightly dark start, sorry about that. The original idea was Nori getting into trouble in the Shire, and having to pay back his 'debt', but I think I like this one better…
Quick Note: Hobbits are on average 3 ½ feet high- basically just above a grownup's human's knee. The movies have them a little bigger. Dwarves are also between 4 and 5 feet tall, depending on the dwarf.
Path 2: Sticky Fingers (and a Good Heart)
Nori left Bree at first light, hoping that fat tub of lard one could loosely term as a 'man' didn't notice his purse and a few bags were significantly lighter than they were when he entered. He'd sell them on the way to Ered Luin, check in with his brothers (not that he'd talk to them, oh no, he just wanted to make sure they were alright) and maybe pay off a debt or two.
There were more than a few dwarves with criminal leanings, a ring that was led by a former lord's son who hadn't taken life in exile nearly as well as the actual ruling line. Nori had of course gotten entangled with them once they'd heard of some of his exploits, and now he was finding it hard to get out, unless he killed the ring-leader, which would most likely end with him being exiled or killed as a traitor, and get his brothers in trouble.
Which was pretty much the one rule he steadfastly held to, his brothers weren't to get hurt (physically at the least, he couldn't protect their reputations completely after all) by what he did.
So the best he could do was pay the amount the son demanded, and hope they wouldn't go after his brothers.
Of course, his luck didn't hold much when the tub of lard's hired thugs attacked him, and he had to run.
He lost them eventually, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He should be crossing a river, because the east road went through the Shire which didn't really have his interest all that much, the men only had good things to say about the pipe-weed and ale, but that was about it as far as he could tell, He'd gone through several times without getting lost or speaking to the hobbits that lived there.
So how he'd managed 3 days later to get invited into a hobbit hole by a hobbit mother and her child (which was barely a over a foot tall, apparently, 3 and half feet was the maximum for an average hobbit) was a rather complicated and somewhat confusing affair.
"I'm terribly sorry, that side of the family has less sense than thimble." The Hobbit mother huffed, placing a plate of food right in front of him.
"That's, okay." Nori managed, terrified of the small female in front of him, while her son studied him with large eyes.
Belladonna Baggins gave him a look that told him he was being foolish, before giving him a pint of ale that was a bit large for a hobbit. "Bilbo, go out and play, I'll call you for lunch." Little Bilbo shot out of the hole, with a wave and a grin to Nori, leaving very little in the form of defense against his mother. "Really, Master Nori, you can be upset at their accusations you know."
"Except I am a thief, you know." Nori pointed out, and received yet another unimpressed look from Belladonna.
"A thief that rescued my son from that loathsome little Otho and his horde. Besides, it takes one to know one, everyone knows the Sacksville-Bagginses have a horrid habit of helping themselves to their relatives possessions if they feel they belong to them. Comes from Otho's father selling so much of it so he could appear wealthy, y'see."
"So, the fact they're a bunch of thieves means no one will believe them that I am a thief?"
"Especially after I told off that horrid woman." Belladonna nodded. "Of course, the sheriffs will be tougher, especially since you apparently had stolen items from Bree in your pack. But I wouldn't worry about it too much, but it's best if you stay with me and mine for a bit, let them see you're harmless and not about to attack us- most here don't care much for the Big People, and you're closer to our size than theirs."
"I don't want to put you out, any."
Belladonna huffed, and fixed him with a look far more effective than Dori's or that puffed-up Dwalin had ever given him. "You're not. How are your acting skills, by the way? I have a plan to get you out of this mess, if you don't mind pretending to owe a debt to my family- Dwarves are picky about their oaths and honor, aren't they?"
Nori decided he really liked one Mrs. Belladonna Baggins.
Her husband took one look at him as he entered, looked at his wife, and shook his head. "Dear, I thought you grew out of your adventuring." Was his only comment, before sitting down to read and fuss over the taste of his pipe-weed and drink. "Horrible year, this one was for growing, y'see, too bitter. Oh, here, have my spare pipe, never mind this stuff, here's the good proper leaf."
Nori was strongly reminded of Dori and his fussing over the taste of things. Although, Mr. Bungo Baggins was far more accepting of his wife and his son's wandering feet than Dori would ever be of his (or Ori, should the notion ever grip him). And as respectable as Mr. Baggins was, he still had time to play with his son.
Little Bilbo Baggins he had met while the little one was trying to escape a rather mean looking crowd of other fauntlings led by Otho Sacksville-Baggins and his attempt to help the little one (because he had seen the little one try to outwit his pursuers, which would have succeeded had one old hobbit not spotted and yelled at him for hiding on his property) had ended with the Sheriffs called and accusations of stealing and kidnapping, despite Bilbo's loud yells to the contrary. Nori only realized Bilbo had run off when he saw him running back, his mother in tow, who had taken everyone else to task, and somehow got Nori into her own custody.
Little Bilbo reminded him of Ori, the last time he had seen his little brother. Studious and quick-witted, in love with stories and playing at having adventures and quests, the little one had latched onto Nori demanding stories about the world outside the Shire, and even stolen him a meat pie from 'Old Bolger' (whoever that was) as a bribe.
A few days after his arrival in Bag End, an older hobbit, a younger one in tow, came in during elevensies.
"What brings the Thain out of the Took Smials?" Mr. Baggins asked as Belladonna served the two.
"Thain?" Nori asked Bilbo in a whisper.
"Grandda." Was Bilbo's response.
"The fact my daughter has apparently gotten an accused thief living in her hobbit hole. Not very respectable of you, Mr. Baggins." The Thain chuckled. "Gerontius Took, my son, Isengrim Took, at your service, Master Nori." He said with a nod.
"Nori at your service …" Nori hoped someone would explain what was going on soon. Every time he stepped out of Bag End, there was one of those sheriffs watching him.
"He protected Bilbo, whatever else those Sacksville-Baginses said. And those trinkets he stole were from that Big Person that cheated Mirabella's husband on their trade, so I don't particularly care about that, either." Belladonna said pertly, crossing her arms and looking like she wasn't going to budge on the matter.
"Um, what's going on?" Hobbit laws seemed rather different from those of men or dwarves, and it was a little frustrating not knowing what they were arguing about. Nori knew it had to do with his fate, and whether or not he got handed over to the judgment of Men, but he really didn't know how dangerous the judgment of Hobbits was.
"The sheriffs want to hand you along with your stolen property over to Bree. We don't really have much crime here in the Shire, and the worst we've ever given is a day or two in lock up for drunk and disorderly conduct and community service for the rest." Gerontius explained, somewhat tiredly. "Bella here, however, has claimed you owe her a debt and you should be working for her. It's an old way of getting family friends out of trouble, or potential son-in-laws to prove their worth after a blunder, and it's been years since it was last used. However, Bagginses being well-to-do, there's some contention of that claim, and the Sacksville-Bagginses in particular are demanding you to be handed over to the Big People, debt be damned, or you pay that debt to them."
"Language!" Mr. Baggins covered Bilbo's ears, who just shot Nori a long suffering look.
"Do I get a choice?" Nori was all for not going to Bree- he could escape, of course, had done so plenty of times, but there was always a chance that some Man would have him executed, especially if the rest of his crimes were found out, or they decided they needed a scapegoat for their own corruption.
He'd prefer staying with the Baggins Family (without ever running for it, and it was telling that he didn't think of escaping the hobbits when he wouldn't have thought twice about escaping men) than that.
A small stack of papers was set in front of him with a smile from Isengrim. "We figured you'd prefer that. It's seven years of service, vacation time included, and they don't have to be one right after the other especially if you have to visit home due to a family emergency. You will of course be paid, room and board are included, as are any medical fees." He rattled off, before noting Nori's astonished look. "It's a standard service contract for the claim, and with the uproar the Sa-Sacksville-Bagginses will try to cause, seven is the minimum we can give and make it look like we're not bending the rules for Belladonna."
"You'll pay me?" Nori managed, because that was the only part that had stunned him- the rest he hadn't listened too.
"Of course! It's a service contract! Not Slavery!" Belladonna huffed.
"Could you send it to my family instead?"
"If you want." Isengrim agreed, passing over the pen. "You'll have to work that out with Bella."
Nori signed after glancing through it, a few papers seemed like duplicates, but he knew enough about bureaucracy to realize they had to be filed in different places.
Seven years wasn't much to a dwarf, they lived for up to 300 years, and Nori was usually gone for long periods anyways, so spending seven years in the Shire didn't seem like too much of a chore. He'd be busy, and like all dwarves he was adept at forging to the point his worst was an average big person's best.
Bilbo rather liked having Nori around, and often pulled him into playing (and Nori got a rather deflated ego realizing that as silent as he was for a dwarf or man, and had even sneaked up on elves, he was unable to sneak anywhere in the Shire. Of course, he took it as a challenge.) or telling stories, and though Bilbo became a little more bookish as he grew up, it wasn't to the detriment of their friendship, or trouble making. (In fact, Nori taught Bilbo all he knew about thieving, with a bit of a shock coming from Belladonna being able to out thieve the both of them.)
Then came the Fell Winter, it was a hard winter, it reminded him too much of the winters he'd faced as a child in Ered Luin, though the hobbits remained cheerful even as they rationed their food.
Nori watched over Bilbo and Belladonna as much as possible, getting fire wood to keep Bag End warm (which turned into giving it to several neighbors as well, he didn't mind) and keeping an ear out for trouble when the Brandywine froze.
The wolves were an unpleasant surprise, however, and Nori was relieved he had not gone soft (having forced himself to train every day) and so was able to help route the wolves.
At least, that was what he was told the day he woke up, he'd taken out the largest one but had gotten knocked out by a much smaller wolf that Belladonna had then shot.
Both were turned into very nice furs that became winter coats for the Bagginses and Nori.
By the time summer rolled around, Nori was getting bored, and while he could have taken a break to go visit his home, and check on his brothers, he didn't want to just up and leave the family he had become a part of. Especially as they accepted him despite knowing full well he was a thief.
He then got an idea, and spent a few hours with the forge and at the jewelers making a hair clasp for Belladonna, a neckerchief slide for Bungo, and a pair of arm guards for Bilbo, all with his family signs engraved on them. (The arm guards were part of a growing collection of armor and travel clothes that Belladonna and Nori were stockpiling for the day Bilbo had an adventure outside of the Shire, Nori hoped he was in Ered Luin when Bilbo came, it would help explain a lot.) Nori rarely used his family signs, preferring his own to keep himself separate from his brothers. Claiming the hobbits as family was slightly presumptuous, but Nori hadn't felt so, well, loved in years. Belladonna was like a sister to him, and Bilbo much like a nephew. (Not to leave out Bungo, but Nori felt they were at the area around 'slightly-distant-but-still-friendly-brother-in-laws', and adopted him into the family because he might as well get the set.)
Nori didn't know it, but he had started something that would have far reaching consequences into the future.
Am so tempted to write out this entire story someday. This one I liked the best of the ideas I came up with.