Bilbo was delayed by his own Orc problem. He had been trying to get some supplies gathered when he was interrupted by a trio of orcs bursting into the cabin that he had been sharing with Asphodel, and Brenna.
It was fortunate that Sting was nearby and he was able to get to it quickly. It was also fortunate that he had developed some sword skill after having spent so much time around Dwarves. He quickly dispatched the three orcs that attacked him, then hurried back to Thorin's cabin.
His stomach jumped a bit when he found the front door hanging on its hinges and a large number of orc bodies littering the ground. Thorin left me to care for everyone and look what happened! the hobbit thought as he rushed into the cabin.
His little heart skipped a beat when he found Brenna laying on the bench with Fili knelt over, tending to her. She was muttering something Bilbo couldn't hear while Fili put a small cloth on her forehead.
"Welcome back, Mister Boggins," Fili greeted, turning to face the hobbit.
"Oh, you're hurt!" Bilbo exclaimed, rushing over when he saw the dried blood on Fili's neck and face, "Thorin is going to kill me!"
"I'm fine," Fili assured him, swatting him away as he tended to Brenna, "We were able to handle the Orcs just fine, but they've made a mess of the place."
"Brenna?" Bilbo peered down at the Gnome laying on the bench. There was a nasty welt on her forehead, but she managed a smile.
"I've had a bump on the head before, I'm fine," Brenna assured him. Fili helped her sit up slowly and she groaned a little in pain, "You fight well," Fili said, "Where did you learn your skill, Milady?"
"My father," Brenna answered, "The Forodwaiths are not for the weak. If you cannot defend yourself, you will not live long in my homeland."
Bilbo glanced around to see Kili sitting at the table, his leg propped up on a chair, while Ori sat opposite him and Asphodel was busy stoking the fire. He then noticed they had one extra dwarf. The young looking red bearded dwarf was busy gathering all the orc bodies and trying to drag them outside.
"And uh, who are you supposed to be?" Bilbo wanted to know when the dwarf came back into the cabin after piling the orcs out front.
"This is our cousin, Bilbo," Kili explained, "Gimli. He's Gloin's son and he's come all the way from the Blue Mountains."
"Ah. Well why are you here all of a sudden?" Bilbo felt a bit confused by Gimli's sudden appearance.
"That is something I would rather discuss when everyone returns," Gimli said, then glancing at Fili and Kili, "I'm afraid I have some news that concerns us all."
Fili and Kili glanced at one another from across the room while Bilbo turned his attention to Asphodel, "So glad you are up and about," he said, helping her with the fire, "Did you make it out here on your own?"
"Yes, I feel much better now," she said, "I'm still a little wobbly but I'm alright, Uncle."
"I suppose we can return to our own cabins tonight," Ori said, "With Nori gone, and Dori in town all the time, I'll have extra chores."
Bilbo shook his head as he began to pace back and forth. He was feeling the stress, as if he hadn't been already. He was sorely missing the shire and he had more than enough of adventures for one lifetime. "Chores?!" he exclaimed, "You got poisoned by some mutant creature, you nearly got killed by orcs and you're concerned about chores? You Dwarves take everything so lightly. Look at everything that has happened to us! I knew I should have never left Bag end! I knew it was a mistake!"
This adventure had definitely changed Bilbo Baggins. He wasn't the same hobbit that stepped out of his door on a Dwarfish adventure. He sighed as he began to wonder if his agitation was less aimed at the dwarves and more at himself. He had begun to wonder if he even belonged in the shire anymore. What would all those entirely respectable, proper, well mannered Bagginses think of him now after all he had seen and done?
"If you hadn't gone with the dwarves, you may not have caught up to me in orc captivity," Asphodel spoke up as she sat down at the table with some tea, "Oh I know we were captured after you had already come but at least you found us."
"I suppose that's true then, Asphodel," Bilbo conceded with a sigh, smiling warmly at his niece. He resigned himself a bit before continuing, a bit calmer, "Where did those Orcs come from? What if they come back?"
"If they return we'll kill them," Kili said with a shrug as if the answer should have been obvious. Bilbo sighed and didn't feel too encouraged by that response. The room grew quiet as everyone became lost in thought.
Thorin nearly fell over when he saw the sight as he and the other Dwarves were returning from Lake-town. The snow in front of his cabin was littered with the bodies of orcs and the door was hanging slightly ajar.
Fearing what he might find inside, Thorin tore into his cabin, mind racing. He prepared himself for the possible sight of everyone slain inside. He should have planned for this, he shouldn't have left them so vulnerable. He should have been there to protect them.
But Thorin let out a sigh of relief when he saw everyone inside. Everyone was alive. And what's more, they all looked much better than they had in a long time. But the cabin itself was in a state of disarray. The door was broken and doing little to shelter them from the cold, chairs had been broken, there was black orc blood everywhere, and cracks in the walls.
"What happened!" Thorin exclaimed as he looked around at the destruction.
"It's alright Uncle," Fili said as he and Brenna sat on the bench together, "We took care of them." The gnome was still nursing the lump on her head and Thorin noticed the cut on his nephew's throat and face.
"Gimli!" Thorin whirled at Gloin's shout from behind him. Sure enough, the red bearded Dwarf walked over to them. Thorin had to blink twice as Gimli and Gloin embraced tightly and the look of shock on Gloin's face was absolute.
"He saved us," Kili spoke up from the table, "We'd all be dead if he hadn't showed up when he did."
"How in the world did you get here, Boy!" Gloin exclaimed, "And where's yer Mum?"
Gimli sighed. Thorin frowned a bit when he looked at the young dwarf. He sensed something was amiss. Gazing around the room, he saw Ori walking around in circles, trying to get the strength back into their legs while Asphodel and Bilbo fussed over the fire. Dori rushed over to help his brother while Balin and Bofur came in and started trying to fix the broken door. The Elves had stayed in Lake-town with Bard, trying to fight Bard's eviction from town.
"I uh… I have something to tell you, Father…" Gimli said, a solemn look coming over his face as Gloin looked him over.
"Perhaps we should leave," Bilbo suggested, sensing the sudden awkwardness. "Come Brenna."
Thorin watched with some amusement, as the hobbits made a b-line for the door, bidding everyone else a hasty farewell. He didn't miss the exchange of glances between Fili and Brenna as the gnome got up and followed Bilbo out. He raised a brow at his nephew as he moved to sit beside him on the bench. Fili looked up at him and shrugged sheepishly.
Now, with only Dwarves in the room, Gimli sighed and looked around at all the faces in the room, "Mum is dead…" he said with a heavy sigh, "And so are many of our people."
"What!" Gloin exclaimed as everyone in the room went silent. Thorin swallowed hard when he saw the heartbreak on Gloin's face. As everyone else exchanged glances of horror and grief, Gimli continued;
"Not long after you left the Blue Mountains, there was a massive Orc attack. We tried to fight them off but their numbers were too great. They destroyed all of our villages in the Blue Mountains and left few survivors."
The news hit Thorin in the gut like a physical blow. He found himself gasping for breath while trying to compose himself, and looking around the room, he could tell the other Dwarves were having the same reaction. Ori leaned on Dori, weeping silently for their own parents and loved ones who had been in the Blue Mountains. Bofur and Balin dropped the door they were working on, letting it slam shut. Kili sat at the table by himself and put his head in his hands. Thorin felt Fili lean heavily against him and he held his nephew tight, resting his chin on the blonde's head. And Gloin just stared at his son, all color drained from his face.
"How…" Fili gasped, "How many survived?"
"Not many," Gimli said, "And they are all scattered. I set out to follow you after it happened. It didn't seem like there was much left for me in Ered Luin… I've been trailing you, but I lost you in Mirkwood."
"Who could have done this?" Kili mumbled, "How did it happen?"
"It was a message," Thorin replied, staring at the ground, "For me… from Azog."
"I am concerned about the shire," Balin's comment made Thorin glance up in his direction. He met eyes with his old friend, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"It's obvious that Azog and Bolg have been able to track our whereabouts from the beginning," Balin said carefully, "They massacred our people back home almost immediately after we left so that we could not return. Then in our next stop, the shire, slave mongers rolled through and captured the young lass and her parents. Who knows what else they did after that."
"We have left a trail of death in our wake," Bofur lamented sadly, shaking his head.
"What do we do now, Thorin?" Dori asked, "Where do we go?"
"We find that bloody orc and make him rue the day his eyes ever fell on a Dwarf!" Gloin shouted, voice wavering a bit as he grabbed his axe, "He ought to pay!"
Thorin would be more than happy to comply with that request, but Balin, the voice of wisdom in light of this tragedy, raised a hand to halt Gloin.
"Not so fast, Lad," Balin said, "I know we all had loved ones in the Blue Mountains, but we need to think clearly on this. We don't know where Azog or Bolg is and I don't know what kind of forces they have with them, but if they were able to fell an entire village of armed Dwarves, 14 of us plus a few Halflings won't be much of a challenge to them."
"Surely you aren't suggesting we just let them get away with this atrocity!" Dori exclaimed, shaking his fist angrily.
"I'm afraid that's exactly what I'm suggesting," Balin said firmly, "We have our own Orc problems right now."
Thorin wanted nothing more than to protest. To tell Balin he was mistaken, to rush out and find every last one of his now lost people and to kill Azog and Bolg and every last Orc on Middle Earth. But Balin was right, what could they do from here? And as indicated by the bodies outside, the destruction in the cabin, and Fili's wounds, the Orcs seemed to have them in their sights. They wouldn't get far, especially in winter.
"I can't let them get away with killing me wife!" Gloin roared as he paced back and forth like a caged animal, "They need to answer for what they did!"
"Balin's right, Gloin," Thorin said slowly, "It seems like that attack happened right after we departed, which was many months ago now. I want to help our people too, but as Gimli said, the survivors are scattered, they could be anywhere, we have no hope of finding them…"
Gloin growled and muttered curses under his breath, but finally calmed down enough to listen to reason, "Then what do we do?" He demanded, "Sit here and wait for them to come pick off the rest of us?"
"We need to fortify our defenses," Balin said, "Winter or no, we need to be doing some work to ensure we can defend ourselves from the Orcs. Now Dwalin has been doing nightly patrols, but seems this one slipped past him. Like it or not, Laddies, this settlement is our new home."
Gloin muttered some colorful Khuzdul curses under his breath then stormed out of the cabin, Gimli on his heels. Thorin sighed and hoped Gloin would listen to reason even though he was finding it very difficult to listen himself.
"Let him cool off, Lads," Balin said, "We need to talk about defenses but for now, I suggest we all get a good nights sleep. Dwalin is out on patrol now so I don't think the orcs will bother us again tonight."
Thorin nodded, "Good night then," he said as Dori ushered Ori, Bofur and Balin following behind.
Thorin was finally alone with his nephews after what seemed like a very long time. Looking at Fili, he felt a pang of guilt when he saw the bruises and gashes on Fili's face and neck. But the golden haired Dwarf gave him a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, Uncle," he said. Thorin looked at him quizzically,
"What have you got to be sorry about?" the king asked softly.
"We haven't been much help to you in this quest," he responded, "And maybe if we had stayed in Blue Mountains, we might have been able to defend them."
Thorin shuttered when he thought about how he had been opposed to them joining the quest. If they had stayed in the Blue Mountains, they may might be dead now. "You two have been more help to me than you can possibly know," Thorin said, glancing over at Kili who listened to their conversation intently from where he sat at the table, his big brown eyes full of sorrow and grief.
"You have both shown yourselves to be worthy of Durin," Thorin continued, "You're brave and honorable and I have never been more proud of you as I have been in this quest."
"Fili did kill most of those orcs by himself," Kili pointed out with a light hearted smile.
"We just want to contribute," Fili said, "We don't want to be burdens."
Thorin sighed and glanced back and forth between them. It was true he had been very overprotective of them ever since they arrived here. After all, they were both very close to death and the thought of losing them had struck Thorin to the core. But keeping them locked up in the cabin was only making them miserable, he could tell.
"Alright," He said, "You've both proven to be capable warriors and I could use your help anyway. For now, I want you two to be in charge of making repairs to these cabins. After Kili's leg heals, of course. Bard tells me no one has lived here for nearly a century and I think this place could definitely use some attention from a fine Dwarven craftsman. Are you up for it?"
"Yes!" Kili exclaimed so enthusiastically that Fili and Thorin couldn't help but chuckle. And with that, Thorin allowed himself to relax for the first time in a very long time. Seeing the youthful enthusiasm in both his nephew's eyes made him feel as though the weight he had been carrying on his shoulders had been temporarily lifted… he worried about the future. He worried about his people, vulnerable and weak once again after their home in exile had suddenly been taken from them. He worried that the orcs would return. He worried about the situation in Lake-town… but right now, in this moment, those worries could be put aside.