A/N: Has anyone been to the theaters lately? I have, and I just finished watching DOS and it was great! There was some scenes that they cut out and I was disappointed of, but I hope they add those cut scenes in the extended edition once it's released on DVD, otherwise I'll be even more disappointed. Yeah, it's been awhile since I last updated this, but that movie seems to bring out another rise of wanting this fandom to grow by making more fanfiction and fanart stuff. Anyway, here's an update to this story.
Disclaimer: J.R.R. Tolkein is the master and Peter Jackson is the doer of The Hobbit, I simply own my oc!
There, in a great hill, lived many hobbits.
It wasn't some dirty, damp tunnel with worms seeping through the walls, nor was it a dry, drought place. There was painted walls, richly carved wood, lovely furniture, warmth hearth, book shelves, paintings, many windows, many rooms, a long hall, food, and most of all, hobbits.
Old hobbits, young hobbits, hobbit-children, just too many hobbits for the dwarf to keep count, and possibly too much for him to handle.
Soon as he stepped inside the round door, he was suddenly thrust into a circle of unwanted attention, and if he had thought the hobbits from outside were bad then this was just much worse.
"Look mama, a dwarf!"
"Well bless me...!"
"How bothersome."
"Where's he from?"
"What's a dwarf doing here?"
"Oh! Look at his children!"
Thorin instinctively held Fili closer to him, he wanted to have Kili back in his arms as well but the hobbit-lass was already halfway inside the hall. It was ridiculous for the dwarf prince to feel intimidated by a bunch of pointy-eared halflings, but many years of being out in the wilderness, fleeing from enemies that hunted him and his family, and protecting his kin from danger made him to who he was now; a distrusting, paranoid, penniless blacksmith.
"Please, stand aside!" said one voice that over came the noise of the crowd. "Will you Move away from my path, confound it!"
The hobbits opened a single path for one hobbit, mostly richly-looking with his clothes and most likely a very important person of the house. Trailing after him was Bilbo Baggins, looking a bit flustered with the crowd as well but remained silent. Thorin eyed the hobbit as he approached him and thankfully stopped a short distance away from him.
The dwarf almost drew his sword when a hand was thrust at his direction.
"Hello there, Master dwarf! Seradoc Brandybuck, Master of Buckland, I welcome you and your children to my home."
Thorin stared at the hand a little warily but reluctantly placed his thick hand on it, sharing a brief shake and curt nod with the hobbit before letting go.
"I thank you for taking my family and I..." Thorin trailed off when a hobbit-woman shook her head, offering a kind smile.
"No, Master dwarf. It would be wrong for any of us to turn away someone in dire, especially children."
Seradoc placed an arm around the woman, chancing a quick smile at her and turning back to Thorin. "My wife, Esmeralda."
"'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Master dwarf." the woman gave a small curtsey that Thorin gave another curt nod.
A few sharp raps at the door caused everyone to turn their direction. One hobbit opened the door to allow Carter, the lad from before, and an elderly hobbit with a leather satchel hanging off his shoulder.
"I brought the physician!" Carter announced loudly.
"Don't yell in my ear, I'm right next you." the physician complained as he whacked Carter upside the head.
"Alright, move along now! Out of the way, this is none of your business now." Seradoc shooed away the onlookers while Esmeralda lead Thorin and Fili to where the girl and Kili had disappeared to.
Behind him, Thorin knew the physician was following closely, ready to see to his patients. They were led into a quiet private bedroom, away from the bothersome hobbit crowd. Inside was the hobbit-lass that had challenged Thorin, and Kili, lying prone on a bed with a heavy quilt draped up to his chin. It made the dwarf wonder when was the last time Kili had actually laid himself on a proper bed.
"Sir," Thorin blinked when he heard the physician look at him from his place beside the girl kneeling by Kili. "If you do not mind, will you answer me some questions?"
Thorin gave a small nod. "I will."
"What are the living conditions of you and your family?"
Thorin's jaw drew tight, his hands became fists, and his face cold. It was obvious with the state of dress what their living conditions were but to say them was just putting salt on the open wound. With a heavy exhale of breath, Thorin replied.
"We lived in what shelter we could find; unkempt taverns, workshops, shacks, caves " he shot a look at Bilbo, who had come last into the room. "and abandoned barns."
They gawked at him and Thorin was sorely tempted to hit them.
"What of their mother?" the girl asked.
Thorin tossed her another glare. "Their mother, my sister, is dead."
The physician gave an awkward cough, trying and failing to change the tense atmosphere. He turned to Kili and looked over the boy, feeling his forehead and observing the toddler's wheezing before coming to conclusion. He turned to Esmeralda and the girl.
"I think we best bathe him first, I don't want him to get anymore infected from the dirt and grime." he looked at Thorin.
Sensing that he was being quietly asked for permission, Thorin nodded and watched as Esmeralda went on ahead to draw the bath and the other girl was taking Kili away once again. He wanted to follow them, make sure they didn't handle him to roughly or drown him, but the physician was moving towards Fili.
"Alright laddie, let's have a look at that arm of yours."
Fili turned away from the doctor, holding onto his uncle for dear life. Before Thorin could open his mouth, even as he was hesitant on their help and pondering on the hobbit's qualifications of his work, the hobbit girl returned. Seeing that Fili was scared to go near strangers, she crouched down to his eye level.
"It's alright, little one," she spoke gently to the young dwarrow. "I imagine your arm hurts very badly, but don't be frightened Mr. Bunce knows how to fix it."
Fili looked from her to the physician that waited patiently from where he sat then back to the gentle hobbit-lass. Fili pulled away from his uncle's side and walked to the girl, she pulled him closer to Mr. Bunce and they proceeded to diagnose his arm.
"Tell me to stop if it's too much for you, yes?" Mr. Bunce said to Fili. The boy only nodded once.
~x0x~
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.
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After having wrapped and put a splint on the dwarfling's arm, Fili was led away to have a bath. This time, his uncle followed him. Carefully, he was stripped of his dirty rag of clothes and a towel was gently wrapped around his arm, a warning given to the elder dwarf and Dahlia; don't get his arm wet until after the boy's arm was completely healed.
Esmeralda was kneeling by a tub, her hand splayed out on the toddler's chest to keep him upright as he was cleaned thoroughly from all the dirt and grime. Honestly, Dahlia would have prattled on about how the dwarf was abusing his nephews by spending outside in harsh elements but the man looked like he had been through enough, and he was trying his best to keep his boys safe and unharmed. She kept quiet and drew a bath for Fili.
"What are their names, Master dwarf?" Esmeralda asked as she lifted the little dwarf out of the tub and wrapped a large towel around him. The woman sat next to the fireplace to hasten the drying of the toddler.
"The little on in your arms, that's Kili." he answered slowly as he combed his thick fingers through the younger dwarrow's long golden locks. "And this is his brother, Fili."
"They have beautiful names." Esmeralda said with a smile as she looked down at Kili, wiping away the drops from his forehead and rubbing his little feet.
The dwarf said no more.
Fili's arm was held out from the bath while his entire body was rubbed with soap and his hair foaming with hair oil, soon his tiny frame was clean until the water turned a murky brown. Dahlia just felt her heart hurt from seeing the boy's ribcage protruding in his skin, the poor thing barely went by without a healthy full meal and it just made her sick to the stomach.
"Let me see if I can find any clothes they could barrow."
The elder dwarf watched Esmeralda walk away with his nephew, his weary blue eyes intense and trained on the retreating back of the hobbit woman. Dahlia nearly huffed in irritation of the dwarf's mistrust, but she still remained silent and focused on carefully washing the tiny fingers of Fili's splinted arm.
Done with washing away the filth from him, the large dwarf pulled him easily out while Dahlia wrapped a towel around his sickly thin frame.
"I'll ask them if they can brew you and the boys some supper. You've had a hard day, no doubt."
She left the dwarf alone with his nephew, stepping out of the way to let the lady of her husband's home step back into the room with a pile of clothes. No doubt, it belonged to one of the many children that resided in Brandy Hall. Very convenient if she may say so herself.
