Chapter 10 – Small victories
"There you go, you can have this back," Kíli said, dropping the necktie into Bilbo's lap. Bilbo threw it back at him.
"I'm not your mother to wash your dirty clothes. Wash it yourself and then you can return it to me. What has you in such a cranky mood?"
"He came third in the archery contest," Fíli informed him. "Legolas won the whole thing and Bard was second, so my brother is sulking."
"I think it's an amazing success, considering the competition you had," Bilbo said. "I guess if you had a few thousand years to practice, you would shoot like that as well."
"Bard is half my age," Kíli grumbled, plopping himself into the seat next to Bilbo while Fíli sat down on Kíli's other side. "He made me look like an idiot."
"Well, he did shoot down the dragon," Bilbo pointed out. "He had to defend his status as the resident master archer."
Legolas chose that moment to stop by, towering over their sitting forms.
"You did well in the competition," he told Kíli. "I have never seen a dwarf shoot like that."
"Well, now you have," Kíli said, sulking. Bilbo nudged him with his elbow.
"Be nice."
Kíli straightened and put a smile on his face with great effort.
"Congratulations on your victory." He looked like he had just been force fed a whole basket of lemons. Legolas gave him a smile, which made him scowl even harder.
"It was well deserved," Bilbo said, drawing the elf's attention away from Kíli. "Would you like to sit with us?"
"No, thank you," Legolas said, obviously amused by the dwarves' disgust at the thought. "I think I'd better go find my father, before he manages to exchange our entire treasury for Shire wine." He and Bilbo shared a knowing grin and the elf departed, weaving through the crowd with enviable ease.
"What about you, Fíli?" Bilbo asked the blond dwarf. "Have you won anything yet?"
"I applied for the knife-throwing competition and passed the qualification rounds. Since I'm the heir to the throne, it would look strange if I didn't compete in anything. I think I may sign up for the sword-fighting as well," he said, looking towards the stands.
"What about my cousins? How did they do?"
"Surprisingly well," Kíli seemed to have recovered from his slump. "Fortinbras missed a few targets, because he was scowling at the sun, but Isembold has passed into the finals with flying colours." He gave Bilbo a look. "Can you throw like that?"
"I suppose I could, with some practice," Bilbo admitted. "I did win this, after all." He pointed to the scarf around his neck. "But I have never thrown knives, only rocks. I guess I could apply the next time a tournament like this is held and see what happens."
An hour passed with leisurely chatter and the occasional applause. Fíli left after a while to participate in his tournament and they watched him destroy his opposition with deadly precision. The biggest surprise of the tournament however turned out to be Isembold, who quickly shut down the whispers and snickers that had started in the audience at his entrance and managed to secure himself a second place.
Fíli and the Isembold came over some time later and joined their slowly growing group at the stands.
"Excellent work, both of you," Balin told them. They both grinned, faces flushed with happiness at their success.
"Too bad Fortinbras didn't pass the first round," Isembold said as he sat down. "He's normally as good as me, but I think he's still hung-over from yesterday."
"That's what he gets for trying to out-drink dwarves," Glóin said from behind Bilbo.
"He did out-drink a dwarf," Isembold pointed out gleefully. Before Glóin could reply, the hobbit in question wandered over to them, looking utterly bewildered.
"I think I just sold a hundred bottles of Shire wine to the Elvenking," he said. "What did you do, Bilbo?"
Bilbo gave him an innocent look.
"Why do you think I had anything to do with it?"
"You are thick as thieves with those elves, always plotting something at the Head Table," Fortinbras said. "Of course it was your work."
"I may have mentioned to Thranduil that you have recently become the owner of a certain wine yard," Bilbo admitted.
Fortinbras shook his head in disbelief.
"I think he would have offered me a part of his kingdom if Legolas hadn't stopped him. As it is, I might just be the richest hobbit in the Shire." He reached in his pocket and drew out a long golden chain set with a line of small finely cut diamonds. "Here, take this. It's the least I can give you in return for the wine-yard."
Bilbo took the chain with some reluctance, folding it carefully into his pocket.
"Do you have any idea how much that thing is worth?" Fíli asked Fortinbras in a strained voice. The hobbit shrugged.
"I guess a lot. To be honest, I don't really care. It's pretty, but much too ostentatious for the Shire. Bilbo can use it much better here."
The dwarves looked rather pained at his statement.
"Honestly, you hobbits," Balin shook his head with a fond smile. "One gives you a jewel that is worth more than half the Lake-town combined and you just throw it away because you have no use for it. I could live for a thousand years and still not understand you."
"So, Fortinbras is now richer than all the Shire combined. What about me?" Isembold asked with a mock-pout.
"Unless I am much mistaken, you have just won a great deal of glory for both yourself and the Shire," Bilbo told him. He leaned closer with a confidential smile. "But if that is not enough for you, I will let you know that dwarves are very fond of pipe-weed."
"Aah." Isembold's eyes lit up in recognition. Bilbo gave him a nod. "I wonder if I could find some dwarves in the Blue Mountains who would be willing to transport a few barrels of Old Toby to Erebor," Isembold said.
"Remember the bag of pipe-weed I brought you when I came here?" Bilbo asked the dwarves. Their heads turned to the young hobbit with renewed interest. Bilbo just smiled and turned his attention back to the arena.
°O°O°O°
The dinner was rather low key that evening, as everyone was tired from all the fresh air and exercise they had had in the afternoon. Bombur had prepared huge cauldrons of hot mulled wine that felt like blessing after so many hours spent in chilly November air. There was a small feast held in honour of the winners of that day's competitions, but the main feast where all the champions would be celebrated was planned for the next day.
Everyone was looking forward to the second day of the tournaments, where the best of the best would meet in the arena for sword-fighting and wrestling. The dwarves especially were excited about the discipline of fist fighting. Dwalin could be seen walking around, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.
The next day dawned cool and bright and when Bilbo came out to his balcony before breakfast to enjoy the view of the colourful field below, the clouds of mist coming out of his mouth made him look like the world's smallest dragon.
"I have finished the drawing of the tapestry," Bilbo told Thorin after breakfast. "Would you like to see it now, or should I bring it to you after the tournaments are over?"
"Bring it to the audience chamber, so we can all take a look at it," Thorin said. All the dwarves nodded in agreement, their faces full of curiosity.
"King Bard," Bilbo addressed the man, "if you are not otherwise occupied, would you be willing to come as well? I would like to know if the drawing is accurate, so that I can make changes, if need be."
He made a quick detour to his quarters and came back to the audience chamber with a tall roll of paper.
"I wanted to make the drawing big, so that any mistakes could be pointed out more easily."
Bilbo handed the roll to Thorin, who took it and spread it out on the table. A few gasps could be heard as the dwarves all huddled around the desk, looking at the picture of a dragon sleeping on his treasure hoard.
"Is this what the dragon really looked like?" Ori asked in awe. "We never got to see it properly."
Bilbo nodded.
"This is how I remember him, though I still think that no picture can do a creature like that full justice." His thoughts turned inwards, his eyes going a little unfocused as he concentrated on the memories of his encounter with Smaug. "I think magnificent would the best word to describe the dragon. He was huge and terrible and very, very deadly, but beautiful at the same time. When I first entered, there were mountains of gold in that enormous hall and yet the sleeping dragon still managed to be the most impressive thing in the room."
He noticed their frowns at his flowery description and smiled. "I think a dragon can be both beautiful and terrible at the same time. You can admire something for its beauty without forgetting how dangerous it is. Do you remember the storm in the mountains? Or the eagles? It's the same thing."
"You are the only living being who stole from a sleeping dragon and lived to tell the tale," Bard said. "I think that gives you the right to use whatever words you wish to describe the encounter." He leaned over the table to study the drawing with sharp eyes. "I would say this is as accurate as you can get. I only saw the dragon flying in the sky and then a corpse in the lake, but he looks as I remember him." He turned his gaze to Bilbo. "If I might recommend a small change – draw the dragon with his eyes open; it will make him look much more menacing."
"Like this?" Bilbo reached for a nearby inkwell and quill and copied the dragon's head into an empty bottom corner of the paper, drawing him with his eye half-open, watchful and waiting for his prey to come back.
"That is terrifying," Kíli said behind him. Bilbo shrugged.
"That's what he looked like when he talked to me." He turned to Thorin, who hadn't said a word the whole time. "Is this good enough? Should I make any further changes or can I start working on the tapestry?"
"The work is yours," Thorin told him. "You may decide to portray the dragon any way you wish. If you turn this into a tapestry, it will be displayed in this room for everyone to see. Take as much time as you need to create this."
Bilbo noticed that Ori was fidgeting a bit next to him, obviously wanting to say something, but feeling too shy to speak up. Bilbo gave him an encouraging smile.
"Is there something you would like to add, Ori? I know you can draw better than me, so any advice is welcome."
Ori blushed a bit, but reached for the quill nonetheless.
"It's just an idea," he muttered. "You have forgotten something important in the picture."
Bilbo raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Did I? Go ahead, then, draw it."
Ori gave the dwarves around them a shy glance, obviously feeling nervous about having to draw in front of so many people, but bent over the paper nonetheless, drawing a small curly headed figure on the bottom of the paper.
"You have forgotten the brave burglar," Ori told him with a small smile. Bilbo shook his head.
"It didn't even occur to me to include myself in the picture." He looked around at the other dwarves. "Which version of the tapestry should I make?"
"The burglar is part of the dragon's story, too," Balin said, the rest of the dwarves nodding in agreement. Bilbo gave a questioning look to Thorin, who nodded as well. Bilbo sighed.
"Very well, I will make this version, if you like it better. It still feels a bit self-serving, mind you."
"If you still have the drawing after you are finished with the tapestry, could I have it?" Balin said. "Or any other drawings or maps you may have? I think they would look nice hanging framed on the walls in my quarters. I am willing to pay you for them."
Bilbo gave him a smile.
"I have plenty of drawings. Ori has seen some of them - he can tell you what they are." He rolled up the drawing and picked it up. "I plan to start working on the tapestry as soon as possible," he told Thorin. "I still need to re-draw the dragon to make a few changes to his expression, but that won't take long. Should I put in a commission for a loom when I go to Dale tomorrow?"
"That will not be necessary," Thorin said. "I already ordered a loom for you. It should arrive within two days."
"Excellent," Bilbo said. "It will give me something to do when the tournaments are over." He cocked his head. "I suppose the loom is part of the payment for the tapestry?"
A shadow of frustration ran over Thorin's face before it smoothed out again.
"Consider it a gift to welcome you back in Erebor. I believe you will be able to use it to its fullest."
"I will do my best," Bilbo promised. "I think I should leave you all so you can prepare for the afternoon tournaments. If you'll excuse me?" He gave the assembled dwarves a small bow and walked out, a pleased smile on his face.
°O°O°O°
"I don't think I'm going to apply for the sword-fighting after all," Fíli said as they were walking down towards the tournament field after lunch. He looked over his shoulder to check, lowering his voice. "Mum has signed up for it. There's no chance of winning against her."
"Is she really that good?" Bilbo asked, bewildered. One could never be sure if those two weren't just playing a prank on him.
"Oh yes," Kíli nodded. "She's lethal with a sword. Even uncle backs off when she draws a weapon." A pleased smile appeared on his face. "Boy, are those elves in for a surprise. No dwarf would dare go against her, but they have no idea. Oh, this will be so much fun to watch."
And it was. Even Bilbo had to admit that there was something amusing about watching a pint-sized dwarf woman take down one hardy warrior after the other. At first most of her opponents had looked amused or irritated that they had to compete against a woman. After she had managed to take down one of Dale's resident champions, their eyes filled with reluctant respect for her skills and eventually dread when they had to come up against her themselves.
Dís was small and lithe compared to most of her opponents, which allowed her to avoid their blows with ease. Since the rules prohibited killing, there were no serious injuries, but more than few men walked away with bloody noses and concussions. In the final round she met with Thorin, who conceded to her with a bow after she had managed to knock Orcrist straight out of his hand.
"I think he could hand over the kingdom to her right now and nobody would complain," Bilbo told Fíli, sitting in awe at the dwarf woman's skill.
"I think a few are wondering why he hasn't done so already," Fíli said. "Good thing there is still wrestling for Uncle to win."
"Do you want to bet how many suitors will mother have to fend off at dinner?" Kíli asked his brother. "I say ten."
"Make it fifteen."
"You're on."
They watched Dwalin demolish his opponents in the fist-fighting competition, looking like he was having the time of his life.
"Does he miss the orcs that much?" Bilbo asked after Dwalin had knocked out his sixth opponent. "He seems a little...too enthusiastic."
"He's always been like that," Balin said on his right, unperturbed. "If there had been a way to slay the dragon by hand, he would have done it himself, just for the thrill. This is just something he does for entertainment."
"And just when I thought he couldn't get any more intimidating," Bilbo mumbled. Balin gave his forearm a comforting pat, his eyes not leaving his brother for a moment.
"He likes you, even though it may not seem like it," he told Bilbo. "You should have heard how he ripped into Thorin after he had thrown you out. I have never seen Thorin look so small."
"Dwalin defended me? He knew about it?" Bilbo asked, baffled.
"Of course he knew about it. He's Thorin's closest friend." Balin leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Don't tell him that I told you this, but he was very impressed by the way you went to face the dragon. He holds you in pretty high esteem, but will probably never say it to your face."
"That is...unexpected to discover," Bilbo said, floored. "Thank you for telling me this. I was half convinced that he would carry me out of the mountain with his bare hands if I as much as looked at Thorin the wrong way."
Balin shook his head in amusement.
"I think he would sooner threaten Thorin than harm you. You have completely won him over to your side with those pumpkin pies you made the other day."
Bilbo smiled.
"I'm glad to hear it. Thorin did say that they were Dwalin's favourites, but I wasn't sure if I had the right recipe."
"Did he?" Balin's eyebrows climbed up. "You and Thorin get on surprisingly well, considering."
Bilbo shrugged.
"We are both trying hard to put the past behind us so that life in Erebor can be pleasant for everyone. If he is willing to be civil, then I would be a fool not to reply in kind."
Balin looked like he was fighting down a smile.
"I am glad you two have found a common ground after all."
Dwalin joined them a few moments later, looking battered and bruised but incredibly pleased with his first place.
"It's too bad none of the tree-shaggers signed up," he said as he sat down besides Balin. "I would have loved to rearrange those pretty faces of theirs."
They all turned to watch the wrestling matches that had just started.
"Look, Dáin has signed up for this one as well," Fíli pointed out when the brown-haired dwarf walked into the arena. "I wonder how his match with Uncle will go. They have a long-standing rivalry going on."
"Thorin is really trying," Kíli remarked a few matches later. "I think he is likely to win this competition. He looks awfully determined."
Bilbo felt a small flutter in his chest when Thorin walked into the arena dressed just in a simple shirt and trousers. Even without all his finery, he still looked kingly and imposing, and seemed to tower over his competitors, even the ones who were taller than him. He held himself proudly, his normally carefully braided hair now tied into a ponytail for convenience. Bilbo remembered Kíli's remark about Dís getting hoards of suitors and wondered how many admirers Thorin would have after the tournament was over. Probably a lot.
He wondered if anyone will be brave enough to try and court Thorin, or proposition him at the feast. Seeing the adoring faces of the dwarves around him as they watched Thorin compete, he wondered if Thorin ever took them up on that offer. He quickly realized that he preferred not to know.
For the first time since Bilbo had met him, he was able to see Thorin the way the rest of the dwarfs saw him – a majestic king, proud and undefeated. They must admire him for his bravery and honour and decisiveness.
Bilbo snorted.
He wondered if any of Thorin's admirers knew about the epic sulks the dwarf would go into when something didn't go his way. Or his fear of snakes. Or his love for books and poppy seed cakes.
There was something very bittersweet about realizing that you want something long after you had already rejected it. They might have patched the relations between them for the sake of peace, but after the way Bilbo had rejected the dwarf's proposal the first time, there was no way Thorin would ever repeat his offer.
Besides, it had been five years, Bilbo told himself as he watched Thorin advance all the way into the final round - there was no way Thorin would feel that way still after so long. All the dwarfs had confirmed that Thorin had been mad at him for years after he had banished Bilbo. Thorin's pride wouldn't allow him to like someone who had humiliated him like that.
Thorin won the tournament by knocking the wind out of Dáin in the final round. All the dwarves flocked to the arena to congratulate their king on the victory, but Bilbo remained sitting, seeing no point in trying to intrude somewhere where he wasn't wanted.
Bilbo reminded himself not to be disappointed when Thorin didn't ask him for a dance that night.
°O°O°O°
Bilbo spent the morning in Thranduil's chambers, showing the elves all the translations of the Old Tales that he had done over the years. They all looked genuinely impressed with his work and he was more than happy to let him borrow some of his books and give him some feedback on his work. Thranduil gave him a beautiful emerald pendant on a chain that Bilbo didn't have the heart to refuse.
He walked to the dining hall with a smile on his face, wearing the new pendant around his neck to show the Elvenking that he appreciated his gift. Normally he wouldn't wear jewellery like that, but since the elves were scheduled to leave the next morning, he thought it wouldn't hurt to wear the gold for a few hours.
During the lunch he noticed Thorin looking at the pendant with a frown, but since the king never said a word, Bilbo decided not to ponder it too much, turning his attention to the elves instead. Before the dwarves could all scatter after the lunch, he managed to catch Bofur, greeting the dwarf with a smile.
"I thought about going shopping to Dale this afternoon. Would you be willing to come with me? I need to buy the materials for the tapestry, but I don't know where to find the right shop. I've only been to the Dale once, so I'm not familiar with the local markets yet."
Bofur looked a little taken aback by the request, but grinned nonetheless.
"I am certainly no expert on fabrics, but I know where to buy them. I don't have anything pressing to do this afternoon, so I will be happy to go with you. Besides, you will probably need someone to carry your shopping bags for you."
Bilbo felt his cheeks heat a bit.
"Yes, that too. I didn't know any polite way to ask."
Bofur laughed, giving him a good natured slap on his arm.
"I can carry your bags for you. See you at the gate in half an hour?"
Bilbo nodded and watched Bofur's ridiculous hat bob up and down as the dwarf walked away. He was so focused on his mental list of things he needed to buy that he almost missed Thorin's approach. The king walked over to him, still frowning at the jewel on Bilbo's chest.
"You spend a lot of time with the elves," Thorin remarked quietly.
"I talk to them so you don't have to," Bilbo told him. Thorin looked a little taken aback, so Bilbo softened his voice a bit. "The fact that I actually like their company helps a lot with that. And before you ask - yes, I can be friends with both elves and dwarves at the same time. I already had this conversation once with Legolas, and I'm not eager to repeat it."
"I...appreciate your willingness to spare me unnecessary interactions with Thranduil," Thorin said. "I never expressed my thanks properly, but I am glad for your presence here at the celebrations. If it were not for your interference, our two races would have almost inevitably come to blows already. Despite what some of my people might think, I do not wish to have a war with them."
"I know you don't," Bilbo reassured him. "Erebor has barely gotten back on her feet. It would be sheer madness to destroy the newly found peace by fighting with your allies. The celebrations were a good idea to promote unity."
"It was Bard who suggested it," Thorin said. "I offered to host them in Erebor, since Dale is still in a process of restoration and does not have the funds."
"To be honest, I'm rather surprised that there have been no fights between the elves and the dwarves," Bilbo said, looking around the hall. "The elves love to show off their superiority and you dwarves are a short-tempered lot. It is practically a recipe for disaster."
Thorin gave him a small smile.
"And yet you appear rather amused by the situation. Is it possible that you do not like the elves as much as you pretend to?"
Bilbo laughed a bit, shaking his head.
"Oh no, I like them fine. They are a pleasant lot when they want to be. I have admired elves my entire life, but recently realized that liking them doesn't have to prevent me from seeing their flaws at the same time." He checked their surroundings for eavesdroppers and lowered his voice to a whisper, leaning closer to the dwarf. "I am well aware that Thranduil is a self-important, pompous arse that loves to hear himself talk, but he can be a pleasant companion when he puts his mind to it."
Thorin choked on laughter, drawing several curious gazes to them.
"I never thought I would hear you of all people talk about an elf like that."
Bilbo gave him a level gaze.
"No matter what people might think of me, I am not blind, or stupid, or naive."
"I never thought you were," Thorin said.
"Of course you did," Bilbo told him. "When you met me in the Shire, you thought I was a bumbling simpleton who couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. I am well aware of what you thought about me." He took a moment to enjoy that fact that he had managed to drive Thorin speechless. "But you know what? You were at least partially right. I was pretty clueless back then. No one would be able to convince me today to go fight a dragon for them."
"I am beginning to see that."
"I don't think this is a suitable place for a conversation like this," Bilbo said, noticing the curious gazes sent their way. "It would not do for me to take so much effort to get on well with the elves only to have someone hear me badmouthing them."
"Did Thranduil give you that?" Thorin nodded towards Bilbo's pendant. "I thought you did not care much for jewellery."
"I don't," Bilbo confirmed. "I am willing to wear this while the Elvenking is here, to show my appreciation of his gift, but the moment he leaves, I am taking it off. I feel utterly ridiculous wearing so much gold."
Thorin seemed to relax a bit at that, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in amusement.
"I noticed that you have made some plans with Bofur for the afternoon. Do you need any funds for the tapestry materials?" He reached his hand towards his right side, where he had a decent-sized money purse tied to his belt. Bilbo shook his head.
"That will not be necessary." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the chain Fortinbras had given him at the tournaments. "Thranduil is financing my shopping."
"Where did you get this?" Thorin said, reaching for the chain. Bilbo let him take it and examine it.
"Thranduil gave it to Fortinbras as a part of payment for the Shire wine he bought from him yesterday," Bilbo said. "I was planning to exchange it for the threads for tapestry."
"This is far too valuable to use as a payment for few bits of cloth," Thorin said, raising the chain to his eyes to see it more closely. "These diamonds alone are each worth a fortune."
"You can keep it, if you wish," Bilbo told him with a shrug. "I have no use for it. Just give me a bit of gold in exchange, so I can pay for the tapestry materials."
Thorin tried to hand it back.
"It is not right for me to take this."
Bilbo pushed the hand back, feeling a small thrill at the short contact.
"Keep it. You are able to appreciate its value more that I would ever be."
They had a brief staring contest, trying to silently force the other to concede. Thorin finally lowered his eyes with a sigh, tucking the chain into his pocket with great care.
"Very well, I will keep this. Here, take this gold." He untied the money bag from his belt and handed it to Bilbo, whose hand dropped a bit under its weight. "It is nowhere near the value of what you have given me, but it should be more than enough to cover any expenses you might have."
"Thank you," Bilbo said, weighing the bag. "I think I should go. Bofur will be waiting for me."
"I will not keep you any longer, then," Thorin said. "Enjoy your trip to Dale."
"I will," Bilbo told him with a smile. He felt a little foolish for saying it, but he couldn't help but add: "I enjoyed talking to you like this." Before he could say anything else to embarrass himself, he gave the king a small nod and a shy smile and walked away swiftly, still reeling a bit from the conversation.
°O°O°O°
Bofur was already waiting for him when he arrived at the gate ten minutes later.
"Am I late?" Bilbo asked the dwarf. Bofur straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall and fell into step with him.
"Not at all. I just arrived myself, because I stopped by my quarters to pick up some money. I figured that I might as well buy a few things if I'm going to Dale." He gave Bilbo a sideways glance. "So, why did you want me to go shopping with you? Not that I'm complaining, but I know that Fíli and Kíli will be both awfully disappointed that you didn't ask them."
Bilbo decided that there was no point in tiptoeing around the issue.
"I wanted to talk to you in private without being too obvious about it."
"Oh?" Bofur's eyebrows shot up. "This should be interesting."
Bilbo took a deep breath for courage.
"Are you interested in anyone?" He looked Bofur straight in the eye. The dwarf let out a slow whistle.
"Mahal's beard, you really don't beat around the bush, do you? Are you asking for yourself...?" He trailed off, looking a bit embarrassed.
"No, no, don't worry, it's not me," Bilbo hastened to assure him. "You're a lovely dwarf, but I am not interested in you like that. "
Bofur let out a small sigh of relief.
"Thank Mahal." He seemed to realize how that had sounded and tried to explain himself. "Oh, boy, that came out all wrong. What I meant is – you're a good friend, one of the best that I have. I would hate it if things between us were awkward." He cocked his head to the side. "If you are not interested, then why are you asking?"
"I'm doing a favour for a friend," Bilbo said, "but I can't tell you which one until you answer my question."
"There might be someone," Bofur admitted slowly.
"Yes?"
"The only thing that prevents me from approaching him is the fact that he has two overprotective older brothers, one of whom may or may not be an assassin," Bofur said. "I would hate to get on their bad side, since they are my friends, too."
"Then you don't have to worry any longer," Bilbo smiled, "because the friend for whom I'm performing this favour just happens to be a certain young librarian we both know."
Bofur's eyes lit up.
"That is excellent news. Excellent news indeed. I think I might use this shopping trip after all."
"What are you going to do?" Bilbo asked.
"Buy him a gift, of course," Bofur said. "Do not tell me that you don't give out courting gifts in the Shire."
"We do," Bilbo said, "but it's usually small stuff, like flowers and baked goods. How does the dwarven courting even work? Nobody seems to be willing to talk much about it and I found very little in the books."
"You won't find much, because it's a private affair for the most part," Bofur said. "We grow up learning all the customs, so there is little need to write it down and what is written is usually in Khuzdul. A lot of our customs are usually kept a secret from outsiders, but since you're a good friend and practically an honorary dwarf already, I am willing to tell you about it. What do you wish to know?"
The opportunity to learn more about dwarvish customs proved too strong to resist.
"Are there any formalities? Restrictions? What are the steps? Can you just give any gift you wish, or are there rules for it?"
"Why are you so interested?" Bofur asked, looking at Bilbo curiously. "Never mind, of course you would be interested. You live here. Some of our customs must be baffling to you." He gave Bilbo a smile. "To start courting, there must be first some declaration of intent. It doesn't have to be public, but it's preferable, because it lets others know that the dwarves are no longer available. It can be any sort of gesture – a declaration, a gift or an invitation for a walk, as long as the intent to court is clear to everyone involved.
"There are usually a few gifts given on both sides. Hand-crafted gifts are preferable, because it shows that you took the effort to make something for them. Gifts are also usually given to the intended's families as well. Besides meetings between the two courting dwarves there are also the obligatory family dinners that nobody enjoys." He took a careful look around, lowering his voice.
"Kissing in public is usually frowned upon when you're not married and the traditions prohibit sharing a bed before the wedding, but in practice you can do pretty much anything you wish in the privacy of your rooms, as long as you're discreet about it and nobody gets pregnant." He gave Bilbo a look. "Does that answer your questions?"
Bilbo nodded.
"A bit. There are still a few things that I would like to know, though." Bofur gave him an encouraging nod, so Bilbo asked about the things that he had been wondering about for some time now. "Are all the steps of the courting mandatory? Can the couple decide that they are not compatible after all and break it off? Does there need to be another formal declaration of the intent to marry, or is it implied in the first declaration?"
Bofur scratched his head under his hat.
"The intent to marry is usually included in the first declaration, though the couple can decide to take it slow and just try to court without obligations for a while and have a marriage proposal later. The courting can be broken off, but it's usually considered in very bad taste if there has already been a family dinner. The steps are always adhered to." He gave Bilbo a look. "It would be extremely strange if someone just proposed marriage out of the blue without the other side having any clue about their intention."
"Yes, very strange indeed," Bilbo said, the wheels in his head turning. "Thank you for the explanation, Bofur. A lot of things make more sense now."
He got lost in thoughts and Bofur let him, the dwarf's own head probably full of planning his courtship of Ori. Thorin's words about propriety finally made sense. Now that Bilbo had all the information, he realized that Thorin's proposal had been highly scandalous by dwarven standards. It made Bilbo wonder whether Thorin would have made the offer at all, had he been in his right mind at the time. Probably not, since reason would have prevented him from committing such an act of madness.
They arrived to Dale a few moments later and mingled with the crowds on the streets. Bofur led him through the streets with confidence born from familiarity and they soon reached the craftsman's market, where the stalls sold both the craftsmen's own artefacts and various materials for crafting. Bofur threw the carver's stall a covetous glance.
"Do you mind if I leave you for a bit? There are a few things I need to buy."
"Not at all," Bilbo assured him. "I will be somewhere around here if you need me."
It didn't take long for Bilbo to find the weaver's stall and he was very pleased to find that they even had the gold threads that were so rare in the Shire. He gave the selection an assessing gaze and handed the lady behind the stall a long list of the things he would need.
"You're that halfling, aren't you?" she asked as she was measuring the threads for him. "The one people talk about."
"I may be," Bilbo said. "What are they saying about me?"
"They say that you gave your share of the gold to Bard to rebuild this city. The dwarves say that King Thorin banished you from Erebor for that." She leaned closer, peeking at him in curiosity. "Is it true?"
"Most of it is true, yes," Bilbo said. "I have come back for the celebrations and have made peace with the king."
The lady gave him an assessing gaze.
"That was a lot of gold you gave us. You know what? You can have whatever you wish from the stall for half the price."
Bilbo raised his hands in protest.
"You're very kind, but that would feel like I'm stealing from you. I am here today to make a purchase with the king's own money, so you may keep the price as it is." He leaned a little closer. "However, I might take you up on that offer for my own personal purchase. Do you have any rich dark blue fabric? Ten feet should be enough."
Two hours later he was climbing the stairs back to Erebor with two bulky bags in his hands. Bofur walked by his side, carrying a bag of his own and a large flat parcel wrapped in brown paper for Bilbo.
"What is this?" he said, trying to peek under the wrappers.
"That is a surprise," Bilbo told him, giving the dwarf a stern look when he tried to lift the paper. "It will take a few weeks to finish and I don't want anyone to see it while it's being made."
"Ooh, it's a secret," Bofur said, excited. Bilbo gave him a smile.
"Yes, a secret."
To be continued...
I am well aware that Bilbo has been handed the infamous Idiot Ball of Obliviousness (for explanation of what an Idiot Ball is, visit the TvTropes). It was done intentionally because I want his feelings to be a natural process – I want them to develop on their own, without any outside influence, because I don't think that ten dwarves going "He likes you, you should really like him back, hurry up" two weeks after he arrived to Erebor would help him much.
There are still nearly about 40 000 words of the story left, because I wanted to take my time with the romance and not rush them into anything. When I mentioned at the beginning that it will be a slow burn, I really meant it. There is plenty for them to do yet before they can get together. I hope you will enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
Next chapter will be posted on October 1.