Beta: none
Pairings in this chapter: Smaug/Belladonna Took, one-sided Sigurd/Belladonna Took, Bard/Margareta, mention of Bilbo/Thorin
Warnings in this chapter: Torture
Nr words in this chapter: 2,679
"Talking Common"
'Thinking'
{Talking Quenya}
[Talking Sindarin]
«Talking Khuzdul»
Dream/Memory/Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper
Time change/Date of time
Change of POV
Chapter III
–Return to the Nest–
23rd September, TA 2923
Bilbo's POV
Bilbo moved away from the party, pulling the jacket that Bard had offered him over his shoulders tighter. He shivered at the cold night of the Men Town. The only problem of being away from home was the lack of heat. Bilbo glanced up to the mountain with a sigh as he hugged his arms around his chest, hugging himself while trying to keep the heat inside.
"Home sick?"
Bilbo jumped surprised, only to see a Dwarf at his side, looking away into the mountain as well.
"My home was hot… even during winter I didn't need a jacket." He answered.
The Dwarf looked down at the garment that Bard had given Bilbo.
"That Man-thing won't help you either." The Dwarf argued. "Not to mention that said Man-child-cloth on such an important Dwarf-cloth is an insult."
Bilbo smiled amused.
"I'll remember that next time I run away from home." He agreed.
"If you miss it, why did you?"
"I'm off age. I can't live forever under my father's possessive wing. I want to live."
The Dwarf smiled and took his fur-jacket out, putting it over Bilbo's shoulders.
"You remind me of someone I once knew. Always willing to know the world. Adventures. Fights…"
"What happened to him?" Bilbo wondered, pulling the Dwarf's jacket close. It was so warm.
The Dwarf glanced down at Bilbo with a sad look and Bilbo regretted asking it.
"The world is a dangerous place. There is more than Men and Dwarrow out there." The Dwarf bowed his head and turned around, starting to leave.
"Wait! Your jacket…"
"I'll return one day for it, Master Halfling." The Dwarf said over his shoulder.
Bilbo watched him disappear, surprised. Father would so have a fit if he found out that Bilbo was wearing a Dwarrow jacket without washing it first… then again, Bilbo had no intention of returning home.
"He's handsome." Bilbo glanced up at Bard who was also looking at the way the Dwarrow disappeared. "For a Dwarf, that is."
Bilbo snorted and followed his friend back inside. For the rest of the night he found himself unable to take the fur jacket off.
–A–
October, TA 2923
Bilbo glanced back inside as Bard's mother, Berengaria, argued about Bilbo's presence. It looked like she didn't approve of him too much.
"Sorry you had to hear that." Bard groaned, sitting by Bilbo's side outside and smoking a pipe alongside him. "Mother blames you for her inability to have a happy wedding."
"It's normal, don't worry. If it helps, my father doesn't like you or your father very much, either."
Bard snorted.
"Don't let my folks hear you say that." He argued. "Where are you going now?"
Bilbo returned to the map, he had brought with him outside, and pointed to the Sire.
"My mother's hometown. Hobbiton."
"That's quite the ride. The most dangerous ride, may I add."
Bilbo nodded, but didn't reply. He had to go. To meet half of his kind. Maybe find a Hobbitlass willing enough to wed a Halfbreed.
–A–
February, TA 2925
Smaug's POV
Smaug opened his eyes with strength and stood.
"It's late, Sire." Donna Belle whispered from her nest by his gold.
Smaug glanced at her and then left the gold room, walking all the way to the watchtowers over the front gates to look outside. Even in the dark of the night he could see for miles and saw it. A light as thousand stars from miles away. Jawn!
Smaug huffed, went down to the doors, opened them and, after walking outside, he flew away. Even with his huge wings it took him most of the night to get to the trembling light of his son.
'Orcs!' his mind snarled.
One by one, he smashed and incinerated each and every single one of them. None surviving. Finally, he turned towards his child who looked back with tears in his eyes. Smaug's eyes saw red at what these Orcs dared to do to his Jem. The sun started to rise, making him sneer. After some inner debating, he did something he knew he's regret later. His body started to shrink as he approached the small Hobbit and, when his body finally stopped shifting, he could very well pass by as a tall Man. He picked up his son, pulling his Hobbit clothes and fur clothes around his body.
"Fa…?"
"You shouldn't have left the nest. This is what happens when they see your heart!"
"I'm sorry."
Smaug smiled and nodded, knowing his son had learnt his lesson. He looked around until he found his son's bag, then he started walking back towards Erebor.
"You stink, Jawn."
"I'll take a bath when we arrive home." The boy whispered into Smaug's neck.
In his position, Jawn was unable to see the smirk that displayed on the Man form of his Dragon father.
Smaug walked for hours, only stopping couple times to get his son a fruit from trees when the boy's belly so required. Besides that, he travelled non-stop. A journey of a week was quickly made in three days and nights. And, in no time, they were in Lake-town. It didn't take him long to smell his son's Man-friend's house.
"Bilbo? Oh, by Nienna, what happened?"
"Orcs." Smaug hissed, glaring directly towards his Jawn's friend as the Man approached to attempt and take Jawn away. "We require your boat."
A Man from inside, huffed.
"And take him back towards his domineering father? What Bilbo needs is a bed to sleep, a bath, food and a physician. Come in, Sire. Let us help with the Hobbitlad."
"What he needs is home." Smaug hissed, his patience going thin. Being in this humanoid body didn't help in one bit.
"Bilbo is a son to me. Here is home." The Man dared to say.
Smaug glared at him. He was so inviting this Man into his nest… how dare he insult him? Him, the Great Smaug? How dare he claim Smaug's most precious Jawnstone? How dare he…?
"Father?" Smaug looked down as Jawn woke up and moved on his arms, Smaug's growling in his chest calming down. "Are we home?"
"Not yet, my Jawn." Smaug argued, making all the Men's eyes grow. Good, they had at least half a brain of intelligence. "We're at your Man-friends."
"Oh?" Jawn raised his head and looked at them.
"They refused to give us a boat ride and insist on us stopping here."
Jawn looked at his friends and then at Smaug.
"Cat I eat something and have a bath before we go?"
"Maybe get watched by the physician as well?" the Young Man dared to add.
Smaug glared at him, but nodded at his Jawn. The lad smiled up at him and Smaug entered the small house. What a Dragon wouldn't do for his gold and gems…
–A–
Bilbo's POV
Bilbo leaned on the bed by the side room, as a bored Smaug sat on a couch facing Sigurd in the main room. Bard approached Bilbo, setting a food tray on his lap.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
"I… I was returned… when… Father must have left to go pick me up when he found me… us…"
Slowly Bard put a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo smiled thankful and Bard smiled back.
"I should've gone with you."
"If you did you would've…"
"Be there for you and would've helped you."
"You had just wed."
"You still needed me." Bard argue with a final tone.
Bilbo lowered his head, embarrassed.
–A–
Smaug's POV
Smaug looked as a physician Man looked over his son, behind a closed door.
"Is there any previous mark or scar that I should know?" the old man asked.
Smaug stood and went to the bedroom, his son looked at him afraid. Not afraid of Smaug but of what he'd might do.
"He has a scar over his heart from when he was little. All the others are new. And he has a heart condition." The Man turned towards Smaug. "Me and his mother had to use calming draughts on him as a fauntling to help him relax."
The man bowed his head and returned to Jawn. He had more scars than Smaug had realized days before. Finally, after a few balms, ligatures and a potion that put the Dragonlad to sleep, the physician turned again towards Smaug.
"He'll be fit to travel to your house if you so desire. But after that several weeks of complete rest." The Man finished as he washed his hands. "I will want to see him in a few weeks."
Smaug nodded and the Man left. Smaug turned towards the friend of his son, who put a hand on his pregnant Mate's shoulder – who was carrying a fauntling on her arms – before descending to go prepare the boat. The humanoid-Dragon glared at the sitting Man, who glared back.
"I'll tell Donna Belle of your hospitality." He said as nice as he managed. If it wasn't for this Men his son wouldn't be in this predicament.
–A–
Bard's POV
Bard picked Bilbo's bags – the extra one with the clothes he had been on him when he arrived – as they arrived on shore. Bilbo's father – Sherlock – was already standing and picking up the Hobbit into his arms. The man was tall, even for a Man, but – strangely enough – Bard could see the resemblance.
"Bilbo…" Bard glanced at hearing Bilbo's mother, only to see her running down the mountain.
"He'll live. No thanks to the Orcs. Oh yes, Donna Belle, adventures was just what he needed."
The female Hobbit's eyes grew, before she turned towards Bard as Sherlock walked away in long strides.
"He didn't… do anything, did he?"
"My father dared to do a paternal claim on Bilbo." Bard answered, making the Hobbitlass go pale. "No, nothing happened. The physician said complete rest for weeks." The female nodded, accepting the bags. "He wants to see Bilbo in a few weeks."
Belladonna glanced behind her to her disappearing husband.
"I'll find a way to bring him to Dale without making him move too much." She agreed.
Bard nodded.
"I'm sorry." Belladonna raised an eyebrow. "I should've gone with him to the Shire. Newly wed or not."
"Apologies accepted." The Hobbitlass smiled, bowed her head before turning and walking back towards the mountain.
Bard passed a hand through his hair, frustrated. He should've never had let Bilbo go alone.
–A–
Belladonna Took POV
Bella watched as Smaug entered the room Bilbo had claimed as his own years ago and put him down on the bed with more carefulness than he was capable. She approached and tucked her son in, knowing full well the side-effects of having her husband in this form.
"Donna Belle." Every word was said with barely controlled restrain.
Bella looked up and smiled, approached him and let him pick her up, hugging him with arms and legs. She could feel him, he was big and large in need. He'd been too long in this form. A form meant for mating, not for traveling.
–A–
Bilbo's POV
Bilbo leaned unto his side, looking towards his jacked hanging on a chair. Margareta had washed all his clothes and Mother had put them to dry on his bedroom.
Father was furious. After he returned to his Dragon form – and Bilbo didn't want to know what his mother had to do to make him return… considering she had some huge love marks down her neck and a very noticeable limp as she walked… yes, there were images he didn't need to picture, thank you very much – he'd gone to Bilbo's door and made him promise to never run and put himself in jeopardy again. Bilbo had willingly done so and, after that, his father had stopped attempting at turning the door into flames out of smoke alone.
"No…" Mother turned surprised towards Bilbo as she picked the jacket. "Don't put it on the cupboard."
"But it's dry. Besides you never wear jackets, not even in winter."
"I do when I leave the mountain." Bilbo argued. "It's not my fault Father's as hot as a furnace."
Bella smiled and looked at the jacket in her hands.
"This isn't Hobbit made." She stated, before hanging it on a coat hook behind the door. "It looks expensive."
"Probably it was."
Bella grinned back, before approaching and rearranged his blankets.
"It's beautiful."
"And big." Bilbo argued, making his mother laugh.
"Not big enough for your father, I'm afraid." She argued and Bilbo chocked back a laugh. "But then again… to which their own, isn't it sweetie?" Bilbo nodded. "How was he?"
"Using Bard's words… handsome." Bella smiled. "He had Bard, but it was small. Small enough that you couldn't make braids out of it."
Bella raised an eyebrow impressed.
"That is new. How about… as a person?"
"He called me Halfling."
Bella rolled her eyes.
"And he was going so well…" she sighed in a fake-sad tone.
"He also said that using Man jackets over Dwarrow clothing was an insult." Bilbo added, making his mother unable to hold back a laugh.
"I'll remember that."
–A–
March, TA 2925
Belladonna Took POV
Bella didn't like how thin her son looked as she helped him up and out of the room where Smaug immediately picked the two up unto his back and walked them to the entrance where she her son on the cart – she would usually use to transport the corpses of the Dwarrow – and started pulling her son down the road unto Dale.
"Mother, I can walk."
"Don't you dare." She argued.
"But…"
"I may not be as young as I used to be when we buried the Dwarrow, but let me tell that I can still pull you, thank you very much." Bella hissed at her son, who lowered his eyes embarrassed.
The two arrived Dale and Bella used the well to pump some water for her and her son.
"Let me help you with that." Bella turned to hiss at her son, only to see Bard instead with a bucket in hand. "Madam."
Bella sighed and sat on the cart as the Man pumped water unto the bucket, before giving it to the two of them. An old Man had come with him and was looking over Bilbo.
"All seems normal…"
"No, it isn't." Bella argued, making the physician turn towards her. "Hobbits need to eat at least 6 meals a day. Bilbo's too skinny."
The physician hummed and turned towards Bard.
"Did you bring oat in those bags?"
Bard shook his head, confused.
"She had greenhouses." He argued.
"But not with oat." Bilbo informed.
"When you'll return to Lake-town you will see the prices, get it and then bring it to them. If possible even today." The old Man informed and Bard nodded. He then turned towards Bella. "I suppose you know how to make oatmeal and broth?"
"My mother used to make them… but it's been decades."
"I'll ask Margareta to write the recipes for you." Bard offered.
"Thank you… how long more much my Bilbo stay bedridden?"
The physician glanced at Bard, who raised his hands in surrender and walked away.
"I'm afraid that until his body had fully healed. The wounds in his insides need time to heal without the fear of romping open again."
Bella nodded. When the time came for the Men to leave, Bard pushed the cart all the way to the entrance of Erebor. At Bella's question look, he shrugged.
"I've no idea what deal you have with the Dragon inside. But if he lets you live inside and even lend you money to live, I won't be the one to argue against it… just be careful."
"If Sherlock sees Sigurd again, he'll send our host after him." Bella put in and Bard bowed his head.
"I'll make sure he doesn't come, then."
Bella watched him leave as smoke started to come from the dorms of her home. Smaug was furious. Honestly, did he actually expect her to let him kill her only friend?
(TBC)
A/N: about the extent of what happened, I'll let it to your imaginations. Inside wounds can mean plenty of things… if you can't stomach one of them, pretend it's the other
To who doesn't know of Sindarin Deities: Nienna: Lady of Mercy. She was the tutor of Olórin, and weeps constantly. But she does not weep for herself; and those who hearken to her learn pity, and endurance in hope. Her tears and those of healing and pity, not of sadness, and often have potency; for example, she watered the Two Trees with her tears, and later washed the filth of Ungoliant away from them once they were destroyed. She was in favour of releasing Merkor after his sentence, not being able to see his evil nature. She has no spouse. (quotation from Wikipedia dot org(slash)wiki(slash)Vala_(Middle-earth))
