*Yip, you got it. I still own nada*
Chapter 4
Dwalin's Point of View
Dwalin glared at the circular green door. He was really starting to hate that door.
Dwalin and Balin watched the young princes with rising amusement as their gazes remained fixed on the perfectly round entry point to the Hobbit's home. Then without warning whatever spell they had fallen under broke as simultaneously and they turned to look at each other. Then they turned fully to face Dwalin and Balin who had both gone back to their drinks.
Dwalin thought that he could get used to tea – as far as teas went this had to be one of the best he had ever tried.
The boys stared wide eyed – and pink faced where Kili was concerned – at their elders.
"Mr Boggins?" Fili finally broke the silence, scoffing at his brother and shoving an elbow into his side. Dwalin rolled his eyes but made no move to stop the brothers as they began to swat at each other.
"At least I said something," Kili said as though it was an achievement.
"Poor defence that," Balin observed and Dwalin grunted in agreement. This seemed to remind the royal brothers that they had an audience and they immediately stopped batting at each other.
"That," Fili gasped, pointing behind him at the closed door – Dwalin really hated that door, "was a girl," Kili was nodding his head so hard in agreement that Dwalin was waiting for it to fly right off.
Dwalin glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye and caught him doing the same thing. They exchanged smirks and remained silent. The two younger dwarves didn't need to know how close their reactions were to what their own had been after all.
Fili and Kili exchanged glances again.
"No, you see that," again Fili pointed to the door at his back, "was a gi-rl," he enunciated carefully, eyes as wide as a dragon's dinner plate. Kili's head continued to go up and down.
"Aye, she is," Dwalin finally took pity on them.
"So the burglar is a…is a-" Kili stammered.
"Not-Mister," Fili finished.
Dwain sighed heavily. Thorin had better settle down soon because he shuddered to think of one of these idiots inheriting the crown.
"We wait for Gandalf," Balin announced, "He will sort this out,"
Dwalin didn't hold out much hope on the wizard sorting anything out – this was his plot after all.
Bilbo's Point of View
Bilbo reached to the back of one of the cupboards she was sure her mother had kept the 'big-folk tea-pot' in. She would be standing by the kettle all night boiling water if she used her own much smaller tea-pot. She would make up a big pot and drag a table into the hallway and leave the front door open. That way they could serve themselves at the table and march right back outside to the garden until Gandalf arrived.
"Haha," she crowed in victory as her hand closed on the handle of the tea-pot and she dragged it out. It was a hefty thing and it would be even heavier with the water in it but it would suit the purpose. Pot found she sat it in the sink to give it a quick wash out and set the kettle to boil again.
Bilbo wondered what the rest of this company would be like. The four outside were an interesting group all by themselves. She found herself thinking of Dwalin as she ran a damp cloth over the outside of the teapot. She had been frightened of the large dwarf when she had opened the door. Everything about him from the art upon his skin to the weapons on his back told her that he was dangerous – not to mention the scars - and yet everything that he had done had set her at ease and she hadn't had to think twice about going to him when the two strangers had approached her and introduced themselves.
With names like Fili and Kili and the way they had been so in sync with each other she guessed that they were brothers.
"Mr Boggins, indeed," she giggled.
And then a knock came at the door.
Dwalin's Point of View
Dwalin stood silently to the side, as was his habit, and watched as the wizard bent low to knock on the door and Balin filled in the company. Dwalin had already growled at them quickly about respect but had been forced to leave the rest to his brother when he had seen the wizard approach the door.
The door opened and Balin fell silent. Dwalin's gaze remained fixed on the wizard and the Hobbit, he didn't need to look to know every single one of the dwarves was doing the same thing.
The lass seemed startled to have the wizard in front of her but the frown that had creased her forehead faded from her face a moment later.
"Gandalf," she acknowledged the wizard.
"Bilbo," the wizard replied.
Dwalin felt more than a little disappointed as he had wanted her to send the wizard on his way.
The dissappiintment vanished in an instant though and was replaced with that glowing feeling again when the Hobbit sighed and peered around the wizard, looking for him. Her eyes met his for a moment and she gave him a small smile, he returned it and she quickly took in the rest of the company. She paled and sighed focusing once again on the wizard.
"You had best come in," she sounded like someone who had just accepted something they didn't like but knew that they couldn't do anything to change it.
"Thank you my dear," the wizard sounded far to cheerful and Dwalin glared at him harder – if that was possible.
Gandalf stepped aside and gestured for the dwarves to enter the house. They lingered for a moment or two but Fili and Kili – unsurprisingly – were the first to make for the door already unfastening their weapons.
"Behave," Dwalin growled at them.
The rest of the company followed suit jostling for entry through the door.
Dwalin was in no such hurry, instead he stalked to the wizards side and spoke low.
"I would be having a word with you wizard," he growled at the grey man.
"Indeed Master Dwarf," Gandalf replied unruffled, "I look forward to it," he bent to enter the house.
"You shouldn't," Dwalin shot back and the dwarves easily made way for the man. Dwalin wondered what Fili and Kili were doing to be stopping the others from entering and moved closer to the back of the company.
"Nice place this. Did you do it yourself?" he heard Kili's voice.
"No," came the faint reply, "My father built it for my – can you please not do that. That's my mother's glory box!"
"Let me pass," he snapped viciously and the company parted in much the same way as they had done for Gandalf.
He entered the softly glowing home – to say it was under a hill it was very cosy – and found Kili lowering his booted foot from the edge of a finely decorated wooden chest and Fili piling his many weapon upon its lid. His eyes travelled next to the little Hobbit who was standing by the entrance of what smelled like the kitchen. She was shifting from one foot to the other and wringing her hands together fretfully. Everything in the way she was holding her body screamed that she wanted to dash forward and put a stop to their actions but her eyes shone with fright.
That decided him.
He strode forward, cuffing both younger dwarves sharply about the head, grabbed both of them by the scruffs and dragged them away from the group. He released them as they spat out protests to their treatment. Well, they should have listened to him if they hadn't wanted to be treated like children.
"Has you uncle taught you nothing?" mention of Thorin silenced them both, "This is not your home.. You are guests. You will treat it and its owner with the respect deserved," he snarled and they had the decency to lower their eyes and nod their heads.
They were good lads really, Dwalin knew this. But they had spent the majority of their young lives traveling and he knew their education when it came to manners was not all it could be. They were also prone to jokes and purposefully testing the patience of those around them. Patience that he was lacking right now.
"Now get. And behave yourselves,"
They didn't need to be told twice and he followed them towards the noise where the rest of the company were wasting no time in ferrying food from the pantry to what appeared to be the dining room. He glanced to the glory box to find that the weapons had been removed and were now propped against the wall by the door in an orderly group.
"You did what?" he spun about looking for the owner of the voice and quickly spotted the too tall figure of Gandalf standing slightly stooped in the kitchen speaking with a very angry looking Hobbit.
"They have had a long journey here and they needed some…incentive,"
"And that incentive was my pantry!" the Hobbit hissed, the paleness in her cheeks gone and replaced with a bright flush. Dwalin was glad to see that she had some spirit after all and that currently it was being aimed at Gandalf.
In fact, she looked right bonnie with her cheeks all red and her hands on her hips instead of all wrapped around herself. Dwalin was glad he wasn't in Gandalf's place.
He shook his head and left them to their not so whispered argument. He weaved through the bustling dwarves and stepped out the door to recover the tray now balancing precariously on the edge of the step. No doubt kicked by the all too eager feet of hungry dwarves. He lifted it carefully – the delicate wood feeling as breakable as spun glass in his battle hardened hands. He quickly spotted the empty plate sitting half in and half on top of a hedge and placed it on the tray too. He hadn't even managed to get one of the scones before the rest had arrived and the plate was snatched from his hand and passed around – to obviously end up in a hedge. If the appreciative mumbles had been anything to go by the lass could bake.
Turning back to the hillside he pulled up short and swiftly raised the tray high as a small body barrelled into him. A gasp came from the person and they stepped back. They raised their head and he was looking into the still flushed face of Bilbo Baggins.
"Oh, Mr Dwalin, I am sorry. I was just coming out to fetch…" she looked up to where he still held the tray high above her head and giggled, "that actually," she pointed at the tray and covered her mouth to muffle her giggles. Her eyes were twinkling again above her hand and he couldn't find it in himself to care about the slight blush he could feel burning his cheeks when he lowered his arms.
He handed her the tray when she held out her hands for it and quickly made sure that the mugs and crockery wouldn't topple from it when she moved.
"Thank you Mr Dwalin," she smiled.
"I apologise for the way the company are," a raucous bought of laughter drifted from the house and she jumped slightly at the sudden noise.
"No need. Gandalf has told me that this will be the first proper meal many of you have had for a while. I can't be angry about that," she smiled at him and turned, tray in hand, to go back into the hill.
"It's just Dwalin, Miss Bilbo," he reminded her.
She paused before crossing the threshold and glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes twinkling brightly.
"And it's just Bilbo, Mr Dwalin," she smiled cheekily.
Hi
Thank you so much for the feedback – it is really encouraging guys you have no idea :-)
Thorin will be showing up in the next chapter. Whoop Whoop.
Don't you just love Fili and Kili (even if they are acting like idiots hehe).
What do you think of the Dwalin/Bilbo interactions? Does it seem real or forced...or...well anything?
Take care everyone. Next update will be Saturday :)
:)
