CHAPTER FOUR

Three days passed in this way. Bilbo would wake either alone or before the Defiler awoke. He kept his silence for he did not know what to say. He did take advantage of the warm springs, bathing each morning before eating his 6 meals a day. He'd washed his clothes to the best of his ability and dried them on the first day, but he no longer had his buttons.

In the in between times, Bilbo lay silently, staring into the fire. He cared not what the Defiler did for he knew that he wasn't likely to be harmed. His mind was numb, unwilling to confront the problem of his captivity. His only real hope was that he got lucky; incredibly lucky. Thinking of the dwarves brought sadness to his heart. He wanted them to continue the quest, to reclaim their home from the dragon. If they turned back for him… he feared that they would meet their end. It had only been luck and Gandalf's abilities that had saved them in the end. Their last stand had been nothing more than a fervent prayer that they would be lucky. Azog claim over him now, whatever it was, was dangerous to anyone who would threaten to take Bilbo from him. Bilbo wasn't foolish, he knew that there was little hope of rescue and if rescue did come, then it would come a great cost. Too great a cost for him to live with.

During the three days, Azog watched his mate and the growing cloud of sadness that he carried. His mate did not speak to him, even when he made overtures to learn more about his mate. He did not know what to do. To lay next to his one was difficult; his body and soul called out to his tiny mate and yet his mind and heart knew that he would be rejected. He often watched the tiny creature as he slept, memorizing his face, the way his golden curls tucked around his delicate ears, or the way the hobbit seemed to hum a little just before waking. But there was a frustration to his secretive watching. The stench of his mates upset put him on edge and he struggle to try and manage his own frustrations at the situation. They were so very different; how was it that She thought they would blend together when they were nothing alike? His mate needed to accept him and form the bond before they could leave the springs. Yet time was growing short.

On the fourth day he'd had enough of the silence and sat before the tiny hobbit who'd laid down again after the morning meal.

"Have you mourned enough Bilbo?" he demanded with a growl.

Bilbo's green eyes looked dully at the orc before looking away again.

The large orc hissed in frustration and partially to illicit any response from his mate.

Bilbo felt dull and grey. It had been coming on for days. He could only seem to go through the motions, eating only before the food was presented before him. He bathed because the warmth of the water seemed to help warm his chilled body. The hiss hardly registered; he had no reaction to the potential threat of the massive orc and violence. It was as though he was in a fog. Each day he'd been captive had seemed to make the fog thicken until he felt numb.

"Answer me!"

Bilbo looked at the pale orc again and he shivered. Something was wrong with him, he could sense that now. The scream of frustration seemed to jar him into a higher level of consciousness.

"Ohh Yavanna," he whispered a bit breathlessly, now recognizing what was wrong.

Azog froze, scenting something new in the air that he couldn't identify. "Bilbo?"

The fog settled back, pushing him back into the numbness. A rough hand crossed his check and blue eyes peered at him intently.

"Bilbo?" questioned the Defiler nervously. Something was wrong.

Rough hands touch his face and chest, pushing Bilbo back into a clearer mind.

Azog seemed to catch that his mate was pulling back to him. "What is wrong Bilbo?"

The tiny hobbit frowned, "Hobbits get winter sickness because the sun becomes hidden."

Bilbo had been in a dark cave too long. Between the days being chased and lost through the Misty Mountains to the frantic chase through the forest night and then the many days with Azog in the caves of the hot springs, his new captivity.

Azog felt foolish then, suddenly feeling guilty for keeping his mate from the warmth of the sun. Yet he could not comfortably be outside during the most part of the day, thus he could not protect his mate. Looking at his mates greying pallor told him that Bilbo would die if he did not see the sun. He cursed the fates that put them together. To watch his mate die, or to be unable to protect his mate should danger come. Both were impossible choices but he knew that he would rather try then watch Bilbo fade into nothingness.

Moonflower, he knew, could travel during the day comfortably.

"Will you promise to stay?" he asked anxiously.

Bilbo roused himself to the spoken words, his unconscious mind pulling him to answer, "Yes."

Moonflower rose from her resting place as she saw her Master father his mate into his arms, furs wrapped gently around the little creature to keep him warm.

"He needs to be in the sun," he spoke gently in orcish to his one companion over the years. "I cannot stay with him. You must protect him Moonflower." There was a desperation in the plea that they large warg had never heard before. She huffed in agreement, butting her head gently against her master's strong thigh. She would protect her master's mate.

The cave entrance came into view and the early morning sun was seen easily as they neared. He was grateful for the time of day, because his made would be able to be in the sun a full day.

He listened at the mouth of the cave for danger before he stepped out into the sun. It itched under his skin, but he cared not, readily finding an area that would sit in near full sun all day while still allowing Azog to watch him from the mouth. Moonflower scouted the area, running swiftly in all directions, circling about, checking for intruders.

Azog carefully laid his mate down, furs covering the lush grass, but Bilbo's hand reached out, fingers splaying to touch the grass and earth beneath. He felt the suns heat tickling his skin and sighed.

Moonflower returned for her scouting a short time later. She'd seen nothing that would threaten her masters mate. She settled down against the Hobbit, head resting near the golden curls.

The Defiler was reluctant to leave, fearing that his mate would somehow vanish or that he would be attacked. Either options unsettled him, but the itching sensation had begun to burn within his blood and he felt ill and it clawed at him.

Moonflower huffed at her Master, pushing him into action. He stood and walked to the caves mouth, feeling the burning vanish the moment he stepped back into the darkness. Never before had he longed to be in the sun; but watching his mate from the shadows made him feel weak and helpless, like the dirty creature the other races thought he was.

Another Chapter! What did you all think?

Thank you to everyone who has Favorited or is Following the story. I like getting the emails notifications.

Ainslily - Thank you for the critic. I want to hear about how I can improve my writing technique. What do you think of this chapter?

SlytherinBtch - Glad that you are enjoying this pairing. I've only read a small handful of these types of stories. They inspired me to try this pairing out.

Bleeding Blue Kunoichi - I want Azog to be an approachable character while maintaining his identity. Further on we will see his darker side.