Hello, everyone, and thank you for coming back to read the last chapter of my story. Thanks double to all who have been reviewing. I hope you enjoy the conclusion:
xxxxxx
As soon as Thorin had finally overcome the heavy hold this newly reclaimed wealth had gripped him with, he immediately felt an extreme sense of guilt and regret. He had treated all of his kin and friends so rudely, ordering them around, threatening them, refusing to allow them to fight the battle they rightfully wanted to play a part in, and even purposefully hurting the smallest in their company. He owed apologies all around, and only hoped he might be given forgiveness for all his misdeeds.
The first order of business was to inform his kin that he would finally both allow them to leave Erebor and take their place on the battle field, as well as take his own place next to them. His nephews had seemed so relieved to finally have their uncle back. Seeing the tears in their eyes crippled Thorin with guilt. His nephews had deserved better than that. They all did. He had treated them all as a corrupted king would have treated servants. He hadn't trusted them, had accused them of theft and threatened them with violence. The fact that they all still stood by him after all that was miraculous.
While the other dwarves prepared themselves for battle, Thorin had one more person to offer a sincere apology to. He had a feeling he knew where Balin had stashed the burglar, and he didn't really want an audience when he spoke to the hobbit, so he went off to find him on his own, without outright asking Balin where he had stored him.
The way Thorin reasoned, if he were going to hide something vulnerable from someone dangerous, he would have hidden it in one of the back rooms. One which still had a door, of course, as many of the rooms' doors had been crumbled, burned by Smaug's fire-breath, or otherwise deteriorated over the years. This left the number of rooms to be searched actually relatively few.
It didn't take him long to reach a small room with a wooden door that didn't quite line up exactly where it should. He could see light coming from the cracks between the door and wall, and knew within an instant that the poor little hobbit was probably inside. He hoped he hadn't hurt Bilbo too badly, and while he knew the halfling certainly didn't owe him forgiveness, Thorin still hoped he could somehow earn it.
Putting his hand against the wooden door, Thorin pushed it slowly and quietly inward, taking in the sight of the hobbit before him as soon as the door was opened. Bilbo lay on a small bench against the wall, using it as a makeshift bed, which did not look at all comfortable. Nevertheless, the hobbit looked peaceful, and very small in his curled up position, with an old blanket draped over his small form and Balin's cloak wrapped up like a pillow and propped under his head.
Thorin couldn't help but smile a very small grin at the scene. The hobbit had likely felt terrified, and with good reason. Thorin could still hardly even believe himself what he had done to the poor little thing. Bilbo hadn't deserved that, not one bit. But Thorin felt comforted when he imagined that after Balin had sneaked the hobbit away, the two of them had probably had a chat, which would have reassured the lad that none of this was his fault, and that Thorin hadn't meant to hurt him. Balin was always one of the most gentle of his comrades, and would have certainly put the halfling's mind at ease after his undeserved, violent encounter with Thorin. The dwarf king was so glad Balin had been there to keep Bilbo safe from him, and to reassure the hobbit that everything would be alright.
"Bilbo," Thorin spoke in a hushed tone was he made his way toward the sleeping hobbit. When he received no reply, he took another step forward and placed his hand gently on Bilbo's arm, shaking him very slightly.
The hobbit awoke in more of a panic than Thorin would have hoped, immediately gasping and scurrying to his feet and then stumbling back over a wooden box and onto the floor with a whimper.
"Thorin," his voice sounded shocked, and his wide eyes were filled with fear, "I-" he stuttered, "I-uh... I'm sorry!" The little hobbit was on the floor, on his back, with one of his feet still up on top of the box that had tripped him. He seemed too scared to even move or try to stand.
Frowning, Thorin looked down at the trembling hobbit, who stared up with him with such fear evident in his features. His brows were furrowed and his eyes wide. It broke Thorin's heart when he noticed clean marks on the hobbit's otherwise dirt-smudged face, where wet tears had left their mark. Thorin remembered now, making the hobbit cry. When Bilbo had attempted to escape Thorin's angry grasp, the dwarf had struck him, and hadn't really held back. That must have hurt the poor fellow, and would have certainly felt like the most painful of betrayals.
The two of them remained silent as Thorin looked over the hobbit laying on the floor in front of him. A bruise was forming on Bilbo's cheek where Thorin had hit him. His arms were most likely covered in bruises as well from having been grabbed harshly by Thorin's angry hands and pulled roughly back toward the wall. Thorin felt so guilty. On an ordinary day, he would have never been so violent with such a fragile creature, especially considering the hobbit was his friend. Bilbo trusted him... Maybe not anymore, but he had when the dwarf hit him and dragged him violently back toward the wall. The little halfling was so naive, and Throin had been so cruel.
He focused his attention back toward the hobbit, who still stared up at him with fear and dread in his eyes, but still did not move. The last time Bilbo had been in a position similar to this one, the dwarf had punched him. Thorin wanted to kick himself when he remembered that fact. How could he have looked down at this terrified, innocent little creature, and simply hit him? Thorin had to make this right. Bilbo might not be able to forgive the dwarf's actions, but that didn't mean Thorin couldn't apologize. In fact, even if Bilbo would never forgive him, Thorin had to apologize. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't.
The dwarf offered his hand down to the hobbit, who flinched away with a gasp as he brought his hands over his face, shielding himself from a potential strike from Thorin, "I knew you'd find me," he whimpered, "I told Balin not to go..."
"Bilbo!" Thorin interrupted him, "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to apologize."
The hobbit peaked out through the gaps between his fingers as he stared up into the dwarf's eyes.
"You owe me no forgiveness, Bilbo," Thorin reached down, gripped the hobbit's upper arms, and pulled him up to his feet, "I have no excuse for what I did to you. I was a fool, blinded by greed."
The hobbit still stared at him with large eyes as he failed to find words to speak back to the dwarf.
"My greed for this treasure, and more specifically for the Arkenstone clouded my mind, and my judgement. I could not see past it. I couldn't see anything but my treasures and gold, and was willing to hurt anyone who stood in my way of it. Even my friends," Thorin frowned, "I will forever regret my behavior toward my company, and specifically my violence and words directed toward you, Mr. Baggins."
"Did you get your Arkenstone back?" Bilbo asked tentatively as he took a small step backward, still seemingly reluctant to let his guard down around the dwarf.
Thorin sighed, "no," he answered, "but that's not important right now."
"Really?" Bilbo narrowed his eyes, "you don't even care about it anymore? Just like that?" he looked around himself, passed Thorin's shoulder and at the room's open door, "is this a trap? Are you trying to trick me into trusting you so you can take me back toward the wall? I'm not falling for it. You can't just throw me over the wall, Thorin. I didn't take the Arkenstone as any sign of betrayal. The people of Laketown are owed-"
"I know that, Bilbo," Thorin interrupted, "You don't need to explain that to me. They will get what they are owed, and I will hopefully be given back the Arkenstone, but there are more important matters to attend to now. Things outside have gotten worse. We must now defend Erebor not from elves or men, but from orcs, and even more sinister things. We must ally with our former enemies, which is what we should have done from the beginning. I only wish my mind would have allowed me to listen to you sooner, to listen to everyone who offered me advice. This is no trap. The Arkenstone matters a lot to me, but my company and honor matter more. I must deal with that first and foremost. Having wealth and riches means nothing if I lose the respect of those I care about."
"Oh," Bilbo seemed a bit taken aback.
"I would not ask you to fight along with us," Thorin spoke, "and I will not ask for your forgiveness. I simply hope for you to know, before I leave the mountain, that I regret the threats and pain I inflicted upon you. I don't deserve your forgiveness, for the way I treated you was worse than you could have ever deserved. I only wanted you to know that I'm sorry."
Thorin could see now that the hobbit's eyes were shining with unshed tears, "Of course I forgive you, Thorin," Bilbo's voice shook, "I knew it wasn't you. I knew you were under the gold's vile spell. I forgive you on the grounds that your actions weren't your own."
Thorin couldn't help but feel even more guilty now. Bilbo wasn't angry with him at all? Everything he had done was forgiven? Just like that? The dwarf frowned, "I hit you," Thorin reminded him, "I threatened to throw you from the wall."
"Yes, I remember that," Bilbo laughed.
"You're not angry?" Thorin narrowed his eyes, "I hit you... hard. I was close to breaking your arms, and I didn't ease up. I didn't care," he remembered. Bilbo had every right to be angry. In fact, Thorin couldn't understand why he wasn't.
Bilbo forced a smile, "When you yelled at me and hurt me, I felt more betrayed than I'd ever felt at any other point in my life, Thorin," he explained, "For the first time ever, I feared you. I feared that you were lost to the gold, and that the dwarf I had grown to respect and admire was gone. But you're back now, Thorin. The cruel person who said those things to me, and who pushed me around and threatened to throw me to the rocks is gone. My friend is back. I can see your remorse now, Thorin. That's what matters, and I understand what was happening to you when you did those things. You couldn't control it any more than I could control you."
Thorin exhaled a deep sigh, "Well..." he wasn't sure what to say. He simply shook his head and stared down at the little hobbit in front of him.
"You don't need to apologize any more," Bilbo insisted, "you are forgiven. One-hundred percent. I always knew this wasn't you. If I really thought the real you would care more for gold than your kin, I wouldn't have stayed with you this long. I knew you were better than that. There's no need for apologies. I'm just glad you're back."
The dwarf smiled, "you truly are remarkable little hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and the best burglar I've ever employed... though perhaps the only burglar I've ever employed..."
Bilbo laughed, "and this is the greatest job as a burglar I've ever held... and the only burgling job I'm likely to ever hold."
Thorin laughed as well.
"Do you forgive me for keeping the Arkenstone hidden from you?" Bilbo immediately looked serious again, "I knew how much it means to you. I wanted so badly to hand it to you, so many times. I was scared it would make you worse."
"You were right to make any attempt to bring me out of my haze," Thorin spoke, putting his hands on the hobbit's shoulders, "the move you made was bold, and may have very well aided in me coming to my senses. I harbor no resentment toward you."
"Thank you, Thorin," Bilbo smiled again.
"This quest has depended upon you so heavily," the dwarf spoke, "we, my kin and I, will each forever be in your debt."
"Well, thank you for inviting me along," Bilbo laughed, "though I suppose I shouldn't cherish this eventful adventure so fondly just yet, considering we're about to go to war... I may not ever go home."
"You will return home, Bilbo," Thorin promised, "but try not to speak too harshly of me when you tell your stories to the other hobbits," he added with a small laugh.
Bilbo simply smiled, "all of the Shire will know you as the admirable dwarf you truly are," the hobbit assured him and wrapped his arms around the dwarf.
For a moment, Thorin wasn't sure what to do. How long was this embrace meant to last? Thorin wasn't exactly the hugging-type, except on very rare occasions, and certainly didn't feel like he deserved such affection from the little hobbit he had treated with such cruelty only hours before... After a few awkward seconds, Thorin finally hugged the hobbit back. He was so grateful that Bilbo was so willing to put the past behind him.
Thorin had certainly been skeptical of the little hobbit when they had first met, but he was now confident Gandalf had chosen the precise person their company needed. Bilbo was stronger than he seemed, brave when he needed to be, and more resilient than anyone could have ever expected him to be. The hobbit was kind, gentle, and generous. He sought not riches or glory, but adventures, friendships, and good food.
Hobbits in general were quite a foreign people to Thorin, and Bilbo in particular was not always easy for Thorin to understand, but if there ever were a person Thorin would aspire to be more like, it may just be the kindhearted little fellow.
He was glad to have helped give Bilbo this chance at adventure, and even more glad that the hobbit understood and forgave him for his actions. Now if only they could all make it out of this battle alive...
xxxxxx
The End.
I hope everyone has enjoyed this short little story. I certainly had fun writing it. I've come up with an idea for another Hobbit story and have been working on writing it. It centers around Bilbo and Thorin and the mini-adventures they encounter when they get lost from everyone else in Mirkwood Forest. It's mostly Bilbo getting himself into trouble and Thorin being protective over him. I don't know how many of you would be interested in reading it, but I should start posting chapters relatively soon if you want to be on the look out for it. I don't know the title yet. It's going to be much longer than this story.
At any rate, please review this last chapter if you will, and thank you again for reading. :)