AN: This chapter is where things really pick up. I hope you like it, if you do, don't forget to leave a review ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the poem used in this chapter, all rights go to their respective owners.


Dear Thorin,

I know that I am breaking several hobbit traditions by doing this but I couldn't help myself. Most of my relatives probably wouldn't consider me respectable now anyway, not after I left the Shire to join in your crazy adventure. So, I thought, why not give you a little sneak peek into what I've been planning for the wedding. As you know, flowers play a rather large part in my culture just as gems do in yours. Since we agreed that our wedding would reflect both of our heritages, here is a small glimpse into what I've been working on. You should know by now what this one means. I hope you find it to your liking, my love.

Yours eternally, Bilbo

As he finished reading the letter the dwarven king reached for the small package that had come with it, carefully opening the paper to reveal a tiny sprig of blue flowers. A Forget-Me-Not his mind supplied. Given their small size, the blooms were no less stunning than any other flower he'd seen, in fact, he thought they may even be more exquisite.

'Just like Bilbo...' He avowed, sorrow filling his heart at the thought of his One.

This flower had been among one of the first his love had taught him of and now the meaning 'always remember me' caused a pang of loss to course through his heart. Pushing the pain aside for the moment, Thorin noticed a small poem tied to the stem and he swiftly read what was written.

There is a language, little known,
Lovers claim it as their own.
It's symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature's wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For love divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers.

The beautiful words brought renewed tears to the dwarf's eyes as he contemplated everything that he'd lost. He refused to let it remain that way! No matter what the cost, Thorin swore he would find his lost treasure and bring him home. Bilbo couldn't be dead! He knew that if he let himself think that then he would lose the will to live for life was worthless without his One. No, he had to believe that Bilbo was alive, he couldn't afford to give up just yet. They merely had to find him and he was certain that the answers lie with the missing Nori. He had assigned their friend to watch over the burglar from afar on the day that he'd been taken, having had a bad feeling that something would go amiss. He was thankful that he'd trusted his instincts and yet, so far, no one had been able to locate the spymaster. The king could only assume that he'd followed the kidnappers in an attempt to figure out where the men were taking their hobbit.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

He didn't know how long he'd been walking, it seemed like forever. The men who'd taken him didn't seem to care what shape he was in for even when he was exhausted they refused to slow their pace. Bilbo was blindfolded, gagged, and bound... forced to walk behind a horse as his captors rode. He tripped so often that his knees were left leaking blood as he walked. How was he expected to keep upright when he couldn't see what lay before him?

In the few minutes he was allowed to rest, someone would splash cold water over him and he'd try desperately to catch some in his mouth, wanting nothing more than to alleviate the thirst that constantly plagued him, though rarely did it manage to get past the gag. Then they were off again, traveling to Yavanna knows where. There were several moments where the hobbit was certain he would die. His legs refused to work as he tried to push himself up after tripping, causing him to collapse back onto the hard ground and yet the men who took him just kept their horses moving, dragging him behind in the dirt. It tore his clothes and skin alike and his head would bounce painfully against any stones littered upon the ground.

'Why is this happening to me?' He thought at one point as he was being hauled along. 'What did I do to deserve this fate?'

His questions were left unanswered. There was no one here to answer him, no one to help. The group must have taken paths that were not often traveled as Bilbo had heard no people other than his captors for the whole while he'd been their prisoner. No, he was truly alone, the only thing Bilbo hoped was that Thorin would eventually figure out what had happened and come for him. Until then, he'd just have to do his best to keep living.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Nori gritted his teeth, having to physically force himself not to charge forward and attack the beastly group of men as he noticed Bilbo fall for the third time that morning. It was clear that the halfling was growing weaker and would most likely not survive more than another day or so of this abuse, but there was nothing he could do to help. It would be suicidal to try and take on that many armed men on his own and as of yet, there hadn't been any openings where he could sneak in and free Bilbo without being caught. They'd been on the move for nearly a week, making their way up towards Rohan and all the while Nori had watched as Bilbo was constantly mistreated by these scoundrels. Once he was able to free the hobbit, either alone or by sending for his allies, the red-haired dwarf was going to make sure each and every one of them suffered dearly for what they've done to his friend.

'Just hang in there for a little longer, Bilbo. Don't you give up on me now.' He silently encouraged the younger being as he watched him struggle to his feet once more.

It was the next day when Nori noticed a tall tower appear on the horizon. It was black, made of what appeared to be obsidian if the dwarf had to guess, though he couldn't be sure at this distance. The men seemed to adjust their course and head in its direction, their pace even more punishing than before as their captive was now forced to stumble along at a trot. Thankfully, they had thought to remove his blindfold so the hobbit was better able to keep up with the new pace. About halfway through the day, with the tower now looming in the distance, the group came upon a river and their dwarven shadow nearly blew his cover when he watched one of the men throw Bilbo into the freezing water without so much as a warning. A startled yelp escaped his lips at the same time as Bilbo cried out in fear. Luckily, the hobbit's shout was louder and had masked his own, though he still wished he could have leapt in after him. He knew Bilbo was frightened of deep water, they'd all heard the tales of how hobbits were prone to drowning, and he felt rage fill his heart when the men burst into laughter at the smaller male's obvious distress. Though that rage soon turned to horror as the kidnappers roughly stripped Bilbo of his clothes and proceeded to clean him with a rough rag that scrapped his skin raw until it was left bleeding in several places.

'I'm gonna kill them!' Nori screamed internally as his friend was dragged savagely from the water and given nothing more than a clock to hide his nudity.

Yet there was nothing he could do to help at the moment. If he revealed himself now it would risk Bilbo's life and he refused to allow that to happen. No, he'd continue to wait until he knew for certain where they were taking him, then he'd send a message back to the rest of the company as he'd originally planned. It was clear that he would need their help if he was to bring Bilbo home alive.

Glancing up from his brooding, the star-haired dwarf noticed that the group was once more setting off, the pace more relaxed than it had been in days. He was glad to see that the hobbit, though obviously exhausted and shaking with cold, was able to keep up without much trouble. They reached the tower a few hours later and were now stood outside its iron gates, seemingly waiting for someone, or something, to make an appearance. Nori, hidden behind a large boulder a little ways up the path, looked on anxiously as the door to the tower opened to reveal what appeared to be a decrepit old man but there was something unsettling about him that the dwarf wasn't able to put his finger on. Maybe it was his unnatural purple eyes or the way his mouth was constantly turned up in a sneer, whatever it was the thief didn't like it one bit.

"Have you brought me what I asked for?" The human spoke, commandingly, drawing the thief's attention back to focus on the scene before him.

"Yes sir, he's right here." The leader of the kidnappers said, sounding slightly nervous as he shoved the hobbit forward.

The elderly man pushed the sleeves of his robe up as he advanced on the frightened halfling, harshly grabbing the smaller male's chin in order to turn his head from side to side as he examined him. He then shoved his fingers into the captive's mouth, forcing his jaw apart so he could look inside before glancing over the rest of him. As he finished, a frown slowly crept onto his wrinkled features and he called the leader of the rogues forward once more.

"I specifically told you I wanted him alive and unharmed. Because of you, I'll have to wait until he's stronger before proceeding." He growled, backhanding the man across the face with a strength that belied his age. "Disobey me again and it will be you that I choose to test my elixir on, do you understand me?"

The man visibly gulped, backing off with his head bowed in submission.

"Yes sir, Mr. Ruvin, sir." He murmured, barely loud enough for the hidden dwarf to make out.

"Very well, then." The man, Ruvin, said as he took hold of the rope tied around Bilbo's wrists and led him through the doors of the tower.

Backing up into the nearby forest, Nori set out to the nearest town. It was time to send a raven to his king and inform him of all that had happened since the day their lucky number had been taken.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Thorin stood out on the battlements, gazing into the distance as his mind wandered to thoughts of his lost love. The sprig of forget-me-nots, having mostly dried out and turned brown, was clutched in his hand though he was careful not to crush the fragile flower. He was certain that if Bilbo had been there he would have taught him how to preserve it, but he hadn't been, so the lovely gift had withered and died. That was a near perfect example of what he felt was happening to his heart. With every moment that went by without word of his One, he felt a bit of his hope fade away. It was almost as if a little more of him died with each passing day.

Suddenly, a raven descended from the skies above him, landing a mere foot away on the wall. As Thorin's eyes fell upon the bird he immediately noticed the missive tied to its leg and swiftly undid the string holding it in place. As he read the words written upon the parchment, the king felt rage and relief war inside him. Bilbo was alive! Nori had followed after as he'd suspected and found the location where his hobbit had been taken, but his One had been forced to endure so much at the hands of those cursed men.

"I will make them rue the day they decided to mess with what is mine," Thorin growled dangerously as he made his way down to the courtyard where he saw Dwalin training with his nephews.

He hurried over to his oldest friend, hope shining in his eyes as the burly dwarf turned to him. Dwalin could instantly tell that something had changed and, judging by the relief he could see on his friend's face, it had something to do with their missing burglar.

"Nori sent us the location of where Bilbo is being kept," Thorin spoke at once without preamble. "Gather the company, we ride in half an hour."

"Who do ya plan on leavin' in charge? Dis?" The Captain of the Guard asked as Fili and Kili excitedly rushed off to inform the others of the good news.

"Yes, she'll be fine while we're gone." Thorin agreed, knowing his sister could easily rule the kingdom better than he could. "She's more than qualified."

"Aye, that lass is a force to be reckoned with." Dwalin nodded, suppressing a shiver as he remembered the numerous times he'd gotten on her bad side before growing serious once more. "Bofur and Bifur won't be happy about being left behind."

A sigh escaped the leader's mouth as he glanced up the mountain towards where he knew the infirmary to be located. When they'd found their friends both had suffered multiple injuries, a few more severe than the rest, though none were life-threatening. For the most part, they'd been knocked unconscious so that they wouldn't be able to follow the men. Why they hadn't been killed, Thorin will never know. The kidnappers had had the perfect opportunity to tie up loose ends but instead decided to leave them alive knowing they would inform others of what had occurred. It didn't make sense.

"I know," The dwarven king said at last as he rubbed his aching temple, he could already feel the headache he'd get when he informed them that they'd be staying behind while the rest of the company went off to rescue Bilbo.

With that, Thorin turned and headed into the great halls of Erebor, making his way towards his sister's chambers. When he knocked on the door it swiftly opened and Dis stepped out into the vacant corridor.

"My sons have already informed me of everything." She explained, adjusting the crown that now rested above her brow. "You'd best be getting out there and you'd better not return without my future brother-in-law."

His heart swelled with love for his sibling in that moment and he couldn't find the words to properly thank her.

"Take care of the mountain, Dis," The elder sibling declared, wrapping his arms around the female in a fierce hug. "I trust it will still be standing when we return."

"Of course it will, I'm not so lousy a leader as some in our family." She teased good-naturedly as her older brother headed towards the door, calling him back a moment later. "Oh, and Thorin?"

"Hmm," Said dwarf replied, glancing over his shoulder.

"Be sure to make those humans suffer, won't you?" The dwarrowdam spoke sweetly, though her eyes burned with the need for retribution.

"I will, you can count on it," Thorin said quietly, nodding slightly before exiting the room to make his way to the hospital wing.

Once he arrived, he found the two injured dwarrow attempting to climb out of bed and nearly groaned in exasperation. It appears his nephews were too excited to think clearly, otherwise, they would have realized how idiotic it was to tell their wounded companions about the imminent rescue mission.

"I expect you both to lay back down this instant." He growled, stepping into the room as they froze upon hearing their leader's voice. "It will not do Bilbo any good for either of you to come along and slow us down."

He knew it was harsh, he could tell by Bofur's wince and Bifur's narrowed eyes, but it had to be said. He wouldn't risk them getting themselves killed. They were friends, after all, and Bilbo would never forgive him if he let anything happen to any member of the company.

With a sigh, he laid a hand on each of his companion's shoulders. "I know you feel guilty for not being able to stop the men from taking him but I swear to you, we will bring him back alive and deal justice to the ones who took him. We will not let this end in tragedy."

Thorin sounded a lot more confident than he felt. He wouldn't truly feel confident until he had Bilbo nestled in his arms once more. That was fine though, he could tell by the way the other two slowly climbed back onto their cots that they had believed his words. It was enough for now. When his One returned home safely, everything would fall back into place. With that thought in his head, Thorin reminded Bofur and Bifur to heed the healer's words before leaving once more for the courtyard. It was time to reclaim his hobbit.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

It was dark inside his room, no light shown from the minuscule window on the far wall so he assumed it must be nighttime. The collar around his neck itched something fierce and the weight made him ache from the effort of holding his head up. The steel was thick and heavy, unbreakable without the use of a tool or weapon, and Bilbo had given up trying to free himself long ago.

Several times a day someone would come in and toss food over, usually landing it near his water bowl. In the days he'd been imprisoned in this tower Bilbo had learned that if he wanted to eat he had to act fast for the rats would swarm from the cracks in the walls, devouring any food that was left lying on the floor. Yet even if he managed to get to it before they did he still couldn't let his guard down. Rats, as he well knew, could turn cannibalistic without much warning. During his third night in this forsaken place, he had awoken to several of the creatures sneaking up on him, ready to make a meal of his hobbit feet. He hadn't slept much since, just lightly dozed whenever he needed rest.

Bilbo hadn't seen the old man who'd locked him in this cell since that first day. He didn't know whether to be glad or apprehensive, but he erred on the side of caution. The halfling was regaining his strength, what with the regular food and no longer being forced to march to the point of exhaustion every day, yet what was the point? He couldn't free himself from this prison. All he could do was wait around hoping for a rescue that may never come.

Just as he was about to settle in for the night, the cell door opened to reveal the old man, Ruvin, the mastermind behind his capture and imprisonment. Bilbo warily pushed himself to his feet, pressing his back against the wall in an effort to get as far away from the man as possible.

"Well, I see you have recovered nicely." The taller male stated, walking forward until he was close enough to grab Bilbo's face in a manner similar to how he had on the first day he'd arrived. "Your injuries have mostly healed and the lack of nourishment is no longer an issue. I'm pleased to say that the test can now get underway without having to worry about it outright killing you."

The way he said that sent chills racing down Bilbo's spine and he ripped his face away from the undesired hand, not wanting the man to touch him as he glared defiantly up into his captor's eyes.

"What are you planning to do? Why me?" He asked, needing to know the answers even though he was frightened of what they may be. "What did I do to deserve this treatment?"

There was a short pause, then Ruvin burst into manic laughter. The sound was like that of a dying cat, eerie and jarring, and it stopped as quickly as it had begun.

"Oh, my dear boy," He drawled, reaching out to ruffle the hobbit's hair. "You haven't done a thing. No, you can thank your intended for what's about to happen to you."

With that, several guards entered the room and Bilbo found himself pinned even tighter against the wall as they took hold of his arms and legs, ensuring that he couldn't fight back against what was about to happen. Ruvin pressed closer, reaching into his robes in order to pull out a vial of oddly glowing liquid.

"What is that?" Bilbo couldn't help but ask as he struggled against the men's hold on him, though it was all in vain.

"Hmm, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you." The older male sneered, forcing the hobbit's mouth open, his nails digging into Bilbo's cheeks as he did so. "There are many ingredients; herbs, minerals, other such things, but the main component is wolf's blood."

Bilbo nearly gagged as the vial's contents were then tipped into his mouth. He never got the chance to spit it out for as soon as it passed his teeth, the man slapped his hand over his mouth, using the other to plug the halfling's nose. With no other choice, Bilbo swallowed, immediately feeling a sense of dizziness creep into his brain. A stabbing pain followed though it took a while to realize that it originated from his right forearm. Groggily, the hobbit rolled his head to glance down, watching in dazed fascination as the evil man held a bowl under the deep slice to collect his spilt blood. The small male was too weak to fight when a foul-smelling poultice was produced and secured over his wound before the guards dropped him unceremoniously on the stone floor of his cell. He curled up in a tight ball, shivering violently, and clutching his injured arm.

"This should do nicely." The old man said, pouring some sort of powder into the bowl before reaching two fingers in to stir it.

When he pulled them out they were thickly coated in blood, Bilbo's blood, and the sight was enough to shock him back to awareness... even if only a little. His captor moved forward and the halfling could do nothing to stop him as the guards grabbed him once more. The man knelt down and swiftly painted horrifyingly grotesque symbols along the exposed skin of his chest, legs, and arms. Just as suddenly as it had started, the villain moved away, bringing the guards with him. It wasn't until he'd reached the door that he finally turned back to admire his work.

"I doubt you'll be getting much rest." Mr. Ruvin stated as he sneered down at the pitiful hobbit. "Be a good boy and don't try and fight it. You'll only prolong your suffering if you do."

With that said, the man turned and walked out of the cell, leaving Bilbo writhing on the floor as a sudden, intense pain coursed through his body, tearing an anguished scream from his clenched jaw.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

It was midnight when the first screams echoed down from a high room within the tower. Nori could tell straight away that the voice belonged to Bilbo, though it was twisted nearly beyond recognition due to the pain and suffering it held. He wanted nothing more than to break through the wooden doors and storm into that tower in order to locate his friend... but he couldn't. He had to wait and trust that Thorin would soon arrive with backup. The star-haired dwarf had sent the raven off nearly five days ago so, judging by his knowledge of how long it had taken for him to make the journey to this place while following the kidnappers, the others should be arriving within the next couple of days.

'Please hurry, my king.' He thought to himself as another harrowing scream ripped through the silence. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take before I do something foolish. Trying to sneak in and free Bilbo on my own is looking less and less like a death wish to me.'

As he sat there, listening in horror as the hobbit's screams continued into the early hours of morning, he couldn't deny that the odds of a solo rescue succeeding were slim to none. Even so, there was no doubt in his mind that the sound would haunt his dreams for many a night to come.

The next day passed in a similar manner with Nori hidden from view while his friend's voice echoed through the air. Even to him, it sounded painful. It was clear to anyone listening that Bilbo's throat was raw from the near constant abuse it was suffering. That night the cries ceased without warning and the con-dwarf felt dread settle in his heart. Had Bilbo succumbed to the torture he'd been facing? Were they too late to save him?

'Please be alive...' He thought as he crept closer to the guards stationed outside the tower's doors, wanting to see if he could learn anything from the quiet conversation they were engrossed in.

"Hey, here that?" One said, causing the other to glance up.

"No, what is it?" He asked, confusion clear on his scruffy face.

"Exactly! That halfling ain't screaming no more. We finally have some peace around here." Nori clenched his fists, nails nearly drawing blood from being pressed so tightly against his palms as he held himself back from attacking.

"Seems like he must have finally given up and submitted to the potion. Can't wait to see what old Ruvin will do with him once it's fully settled into his system." Nori blinked as he slowly began to comprehend what he'd just heard.

Bilbo was alive! There was still hope that they'd be able to get him out of there. Still, as he crept back to where he'd been hidden for the last week he couldn't help but be concerned over what else he'd heard. What was the potion the guard had been talking about? Was that the reason behind the hobbit's screams of agony? If so, what had it done to their lucky number? All these questions would have to wait for a later time, though, for now, he had to focus on formulating a plan. That way, once Thorin and the rest of the company arrived, they would be able to move immediately instead of being forced to wait around while they figure something out. Yes... the sooner they got Bilbo out of that horrid tower the better. Nori only hoped they'd be bringing their friend back to Erebor and not just a shell of the hobbit he'd once been.


AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think :)