Chapter Eleven

At first Bilbo heard a single heart beating, he was trapped deeply in the rock. No that wasn't right, he was the rock, then with a blow the rock shattered leaving him to stare at a golden hammer. The hammer had freed him from the rock and he looked up and up, til he saw the face of a golden skinned man, twenty feet taller then any normal man. The man smiled at Bilbo, before taking his hand. "You are to help my people. While not born from rock, as my first sons and daughter were, you are the match to one of my decendents. Like two precious gems, that were meant to be set together, so you and Thorin are meant to be together. You are one, destined to link together and make a perfect whole. That is why when a dwarf wishes to court the one that is destined for him, he takes the most perfect necklace he can find and gives it to the one that is most precious. By giving that one person this necklace, they say that the one they love is more precious to them then anything they might ever find or make. Now I will leave you, you are not my creation and because of that I have spent too long in your company already. You belong to the Green Mother, but you do not believe in her as you do with me. That is something that irks her to no end, as you are vital to the future of all our children. You will dream now and remember very little of what occurs, but I shall give you a gift, the gift of the speech and understand a little of what I gave my first sons.

Bilbo drifted then, for a while in darkness. He then came to a cave and listened to thousands of voices singing to him. The voices Bilbo soon realized were gems as they were exposed to his eyes, each had its own song and each was different and beautiful. He touched one and then another, feeling the subtile strength that dwelt between their fingers. "As gems are to my children, they were to me. Something beautiful to be created, to be shaped, to be made whole and shared with others." The voice said, before Bilbo was left in darkness once more.

He fell next into some sort of whirling dance, which looked like a battle, but wasn't. He stared as dwarves whirled and turned, striking out with hands and feet, but never actually touching. They were joyful and happy in a way that Bilbo hadn't seen before in the dwarves of Erebor. These people were meant to be just as joyful as hobbits, but in their own way. The vision changed and he fell into the blackness once more.

He stood as a dwarf carefully took a chisel and applied it to a gem, gently chipping at it and shaping it. He suddenly was the dwarf and saw what the gem was meant to be, in its most perfect form. Then when the shaping was done, the gem sang to him in a way Bilbo couldn't explain and he suddenly understood the fascination with gems dwarves had. He returned to the blackness once more, as the dream changed around him.

A different dwarf looked up and up into a cave wall, feeling the stone, knowing it. He saw it suddenly in a way that Bilbo knew that he would never be able to. Saw it carved and formed into beautiful pillars, rising high and spiraling up and outward. He stared at knowing it, he had walked past it, on the few times he had left his hobbit hole and not given it a passing thought. Suddenly he realized with awe the sheer amount of time it took to make Erebor what it had been before the dragon came. Erebor was more then just a kingdom, more then just a home, to the dwarves it was a work of art shaped by their own hands, as their children and grandchildren would shape it after it. It tied them to the stone, which called to them, for they had came from it, as surely as the first Hobbit was born from the earth. That was why they shaped the stone and things that came from stone, because they felt as connected to it as Bilbo did to the earth. They could learn how to garden, but they didn't see the need for it, much as Bilbo could learn to form a block of stone into something more. Still it would not mean the same to them, as it did to Bilbo. Just as shaping stone and creating something beautiful from it, would not mean the same thing to Bilbo as it did to a dwarf. Just as gardening wouldn't hold the same value to him, as it did to the dwarves.

He was plunged into darkness and this time he remained in the darkness, as words came to him. Long words, short words, all had meaning and as he heard them he knew the meaning of the words. He listened to them, hearing the gutteral language, that was somehow also beautiful. It was like stone, Bilbo realized after a time. He hung inside the blackness, listening to the words for a countless time, until finally they ultimately slowed and then stopped completely.

This time the shifting was different, as Bilbo slowly became aware of his own breathing, of Thorin's snoring and the bed he laid on. The softness of the mattress and the pain in his own body. He hovered between dreaming and waking for a moment, before he fully became alert once more. He blinked open his eyes and smiled, Thorin had him tightly wrapped in his arms. He was clearly exhausted, but even deeply asleep he held fast to Bilbo. Bilbo tried to gently extricate himself from Thorin's arms, but Thorin would moan in his sleep and his grip would tighten. Even in sleep the terror of the last night, would not completely leave him. However Bilbo needed to get up, he needed to check on the babies and he needed to eat something. Still Thorin deserved to sleep like this and Bilbo worried that if he moved from the bed, his...What was Thorin to him? Bilbo knew that he loved Thorin, but so much had happened and with everything going on, there was so little time to define their relationship. The babies took up their time, as did Thorin's people and his duties as a king. Still that was no excuse not to begin to court the man he had loved, that was what Thorin was doing by trying to give Bilbo that necklace, that he in his ignorance had rejected. His dreams had been confusing and he didn't remember much of the night before, but he clearly remembered when Thorin had tried to give him a gift to start their courting and Bilbo hadn't known what it had meant.

Bilbo hesitated a moment, before wriggling out of Thorin's arms, placing the pillow he had used in his stead. Bilbo smiled as Thorin's fingers curled around the pillow and he muttered softly in his sleep. "Love you..." The rest of what he would have said faded into unintelligibility and ultimately back to snoring.

"You impossible man, I love you too." Bilbo said and shook his head, before checking on the babies. He couldn't let the way things were to continue, he had to talk to Thorin about making time for themselves, as well as everyone around him. Thorin had been very all one way or the other, he had spent too much time beside Bilbo, laughing and talking, getting to know each other, while Bilbo had been pregnant. A balance would have to be struck, between Thorin's people, their sons and their relationship. They might have been meant for each other, meant to be set together in a long line of chain, as Thorin's people believed. Still they would have to work as any couple to make their relationship as whole and happy it could be. Bilbo saw his children sleeping peacefully, with several empty bottles, it was clear that someone had been looking after them while Bilbo and Thorin had slept. He felt grateful for their help and smiled softly, looking over his children. Their little mouths were hanging open and they were both deeply asleep. He smiled and gently stroked Kili's cheek, he pursed his mouth for a moment, before it relaxed. Bilbo then turned from the cradle and got out his clothes out, before going to the bathroom. He started the bath, without plugging it and stripped off his clothing, placing the gem he had found carefully on top of the rest of his clothes. He then shoved his head under the water and scrubbed as the rock dust washed down the drain. He then added soap to his hair and scrubbed again, until his hair was clean, he repeated the process with the rest of his body. Wincing slightly at the colors, that were developing on his skin.

He finished washing and pulled on clean clothing, holding the gem against his skin once more. He didn't know what he would do with it yet, if he would give it to Thorin, let his people have it as a symbol, or keep it for himself. It was a beautiful thing, he wondered if it was somehow tied to the dwarf's god, or the god had chosen to speak to him, without the stone and finding the stone was simply to help Thorin. What was clear however, for whatever reason was that the god had chosen to speak to him, that much wasn't a dream. He wished that he could remember it better, but he couldn't. Such was the way with dream visions, or so Bilbo had heard. Everyone could receive visions from the gods, but no one could be sure of the truth of those visions. Still they were troubling and he was unsure of what to do about them. He decided to do nothing for now, before putting both babies into the slings and go to the kitchen instead and begin on the courtship cakes, all hobbits made for their intended. They were sweet and made from honey mostly, the hope being that the courtship and life afterward would be as sweet as the cakes that began it. A male hobbit would offer the object of his affection and their closest friends and family the cakes and if they were accepted the courtship would continue.

He finished making the cakes and went out of his house and onto the top level. By the position of the sun, he could tell it was midmorning. "I would want to speak with Lady Dis, if she is in Erebor?"

"She is still in the Blue Mountains, she is still in mourning for her sons and finds herself unready to make the journey." The guard said and Bilbo nodded.

"Take me then to Bofur, if you can."

"At this time Bofur would be in the practice yards, he teaches classes up here as the practice yards are state of the art and he doesn't want to journey down each day to the guard halls."

"Very well, take me there then." Bilbo said and the guard nodded, it was not one that Bilbo knew, but still he felt that Thorin wouldn't station anyone outside their home, that he didn't trust. He followed the guard till they heard the sound of fighting. They continued to the practice yard and Bilbo smiled. He walked up to the practice yard and the training stopped around him. Several young dwarves stared at him and Bilbo smiled. "Hello friend of Thorin Oakenshield, I come bearing a gift of providing with an open mind and loving heart, will you accept the gift of honey cake and bless me in my love?"

"I will Bilbo Bagins." Bofur said and smiled. "Its about time lad."He added and smiled, taking one of the cakes. "I imagine you would be wanting to know our courtship rituals as well."

"I think that Thorin can tell me that himself, then again I think he was trying to start our courtship by giving me this really gaudy necklace." Bilbo said and Bofur laughed.

"I suppose you would see it that way, but to Thorin he was proving his wealth and comparing you to the gems in the necklace, by gifting it to you, it was meant to say that all gems pale in comparison to your beauty. Though I can't believe he didn't tell you what he was about."

"I just thought it was the dwarven love of gems, that prompted him to try to give it to me." Bilbo said and Bofur frowned.

"Thorin will be more cautious in his courting I think now, because of the different customs you might not always understand what each other is about." Bofur said. "Usually a courtship begins with the exchange of gifts and the agreement to get to know each other better. Most courting couples spend a lot of time together, getting to know one another. They make each other things and gift them to each other. They also work alongside one another, if they are from the same hall, as they need to work alongside each other when they become a family. They comb each other's hair and braid each other' hair and beards once someone asks or offers. To a dwarf braiding another's hair is the ultimate sign of love. Its hard to explain why, but dwarves believe that to take the time to add the maker's essance... Sorry it doesn't translate properly." Bofur looked frustrated, but Bilbo understood.

"This is important to Thorin right?" Bilbo asked and Bofur nodded. "Then I'll learn how to braid as you do and ask him to braid my hair in return. My hair is actually getting a bit long." Bilbo said and smiled shyly.

"I am a warrior, I would not the best person to teach you. You should go to Bomber, he's a maker, although his work focuses mainly on crafting food, he still also does gem laying and the like." He explained and Bilbo nodded. "You should find him in his quarters, he works on crafting metals and the like around this time." He said and Bilbo nodded, he followed another guard and knocked on the door to Bomber's rooms.

"I'm coming, just give me a moment." Bomber said and opened the door, he grinned at Bilbo, as he opened the door. "I'm not good with common I'm afraid, can you ask him why he has come to my home?" The guard explained and Bomber smiled at Bilbo, Bilbo understood now why Bomber was so quiet on his journey. Maybe it was because most of it was that Bomber was naturally quiet, but admittedly Bilbo had felt awkward around Bifur when on the quest. Bomber sat down and took one of the cakes, before eating it. He then gave Bilbo his blessing and taking some silver wire showed Bilbo the complicated braids that dwarves tended to make. These were even more complicated, because they were courtship braids and done properly took a great deal of time to finish. Bilbo finally understood how to do the braids properly and told the guard to thank Bomber, preferring to keep his abilities secret for now. He asked to keep a spool of wire and Bomber handed it to him, before he left.

Bilbo then went back to the hobbit hole, as it was getting later in the day. He found Thorin still asleep, but not as deeply or as peacefully as he had been before. It was clear that Thorin was exhausted, to sleep so long. He had never fully recovered from all those sleepless nights, he'd spent away from Bilbo. The babies started to cry, Bilbo groaned, of course they would pick now to wake, he let them suckle from him and watched Thorin sleep for a moment longer, before leaving the room. He went next to Oin's chambers and was relieved to find the healer with Ori, bottling some sort of tonic, that was cooking in two cauldrons.

"Hello Oin, is now a good time to talk?" Bilbo asked and Oin grinned.

"Hello Bilbo, now is as good a time as any, otherwise I wouldn't have opened my door."

"I intend to begin courting Thorin, I need your blessing."

"You have it of course and this is welcome news." Oin said and smiled at the hobbit. "Perhaps now he won't be so moody."

"And you Ori, are you alright with this as well?" Bilbo asked and Ori grinned.

"Of course Bilbo, you are precious to Thorin, I don't see how my approval would change anything."

"I was wondering if you had anything to help Thorin?" Bilbo said. "He hasn't been getting enough sleep, first I was pregnant and now his councilors and worries keep him up."

"I have some strengthening elixir and some of the same sleeping potion I gave you. Though I suggest he only uses the potion, when his worries are particularly bad." Oin said and Bilbo nodded, taking both of the potions. The rest of his visits progressed in much the same way, Thorin's friends were all happy for both of them and all gave their blessing, still it was past nightfall when Bilbo came back to Thorin and shook his shoulder gently.

"Bilbo?" Thorin murmured. "Why am I holding a pillow?"

"I had to go out, but will you share our first meal together?" Bilbo asked shyly and Thorin frowned.

"We have eaten many meals together Bilbo."

"Not really, not as we were courting." Bilbo blushed. "Honey cake is the first meal courting hobbits share, before the courting begins. I know we agreed to start courting properly at some point, so why not now?" He asked and Thorin grinned.

"I would be delighted to share in this first meal with you, but let me wash some first." He said and Bilbo laughed.

"You do need a bath." Bilbo said and Thorin smiled a wicked smile.

"Join me?" He asked and Bilbo shook his head.

"If we're to do this courting properly, we shouldn't be together when we are naked, until after the courting is finished. Though courting doesn't have to be that long." He said with a wink and Thorin groaned.

"That is good, because I don't think I could survive if it was." Thorin said and Bilbo laughed.

"Away with you." He said and patted Thorin's rump.

"Hey!" Thorin protested. "None of that."

"We might not be able to see each other naked, but that doesn't mean we can't do other things together." Bilbo said and Thorin groaned again.

"Keep this up and I'll have to take a much longer bath then I intended at first." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone, as long as you get to it." Bilbo said.

"You my beloved are a little tease."

"No fair using Khudzul when you know I can't understand what your saying and anything in that language of yours can sound dirty, with the right inflection." Bilbo said and Thorin looked suddenly very wicked indeed.

"I want to stay in bed forever, inside of you, until I am full of you. Though I never think I will be full." He said and Bilbo groaned, as he hardened.

"Away with you and don't think I don't know what you said was very dirty indeed." Bilbo said and Thorin smiled.

"I am glad that you can be effected by me, as you affect me." Thorin said, before getting out of bed and taking some of his sleeping clothes into the bathroom. Bilbo heard the water running and he stripped the covers off the bed, finding some spares in the box that rested at the end of the bed. He opened it and changed the bed coverings, before finding a shoot for the sheets and throwing the sheets down it. He then sat on the bed and undid his trousers, he took care of the problem Thorin had made rise, using one of the dirty pillow cases to collect his seed. He then threw it down the sheet, blushing at the thought of someone finding it, but knowing there was nothing else to do about it. He added new pillowcases to the bed covers, before changing out of his own clothing and into his nightgown, he hid the stone in a spare drawer, not ready yet to share it with Thorin. He then waited for Thorin to come back. He came back a moment later, his hair was still slightly damp from the bath. He smiled and sat across from Bilbo, taking a cake. "Is there any other tradition involved?"

"We feed each other the cake." Bilbo said and Thorin nodded. "I didn't know you were trying to give me a courtship gift earlier, I'm a practice person though Thorin. I would gladly accept any courting gifts you wish to give me, but I don't wish to wear that much jewelry."

"I understand, but to a dwarf the jewelry shows that I am proud to be with you and that I can support you, would you be willing to wear a few gemstones for me?"

"Alright, but I don't want something that costs more then a year's salary for a miner. I don't want to wear shiny baubles while our people suffer." Bilbo said and Thorin smiled.

"You called them our people." Thorin said.

"As husbands, I expect us to share our cares and joys together, as anyone should do in any proper match." Bilbo said and Thorin nodded.

"I would like that." Thorin said and picked up the cake, bringing it to Bilbo's mouth, Bilbo took a bite and fed Thorin some of the cake as well. He took a bite and chewed it slowly, not entirely able to hide the slight look of distaste that came over his features. "Its very sweet." He said diplomatically and Bilbo laughed.

"I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but honey cakes are too sweet for me too normally. However they are supposed to be sweet, to symbolize a sweet and joyful life together." Bilbo said.

"That sounds beautiful to me and very hobbit like." Thorin added and Bilbo laughed again.

"I suppose it is." Bilbo replied and gave him another bite of the cake, they continued to feed each other, until the cakes were gone. Bilbo then pressed his lips to Thorin's, Thorin opened his mouth and groaned as they kissed inside each other's mouths. The sweetness of the honey was on their tongues, as they held close to each other. Instictually Bilbo's hands latched onto Thorin's hair and part of his beard, as he held his head to him. Thorin went wild, deepening the kiss and clinging to Bilbo and Bilbo felt his hips thrust involuntarily. Instantly Bilbo let go, before things could go any farther then they had already. "I suppose I shouldn't clutch your head to mine, not if I don't want to start something that we can't finish yet that is." He added and Thorin laughed.

"My hair and beard is sensitive you know that, when already locked in passion. I couldn't control myself, I am sorry." Thorin said and Bilbo gently caressed his cheek.

"I like that I can make you wild for me, its hard for me to do things as they should be done. We've already broke traditional courtship, by laying together before vows could be made to one another."

"You say vows to each other?" He asked.

"Yes, we do, the most common are loyalty and faithfulness." Bilbo replied.

"We say vows as well, it seems our vows are at least are similar. We also vow to honor and protect our beloved, or at least the males do. The females vow to care for and cherish their beloved." He said and Bilbo frowned.

"I'm not a female, but me protecting you is laughable. especially since I have no battle skills to speak of."

"I don't think of you as female, simply gentler then me. You are clearly male Bilbo, though you have certain abilities that our males do not." Thorin said. "I would not ask you to vow anything you didn't wish to, I was merely explaining our customs."

"I see, will you make hair beads for me and braid my hair?" Bilbo asked and Thorin stared at him shocked a moment, before he looked very joyfully at Bilbo.

"Do you mean it? You would allow me to fashion ornamental beads for you?"

"I will, more then allow it, if it is important to you. I would also wear your braids with pride, knowing that my future husband gave them to me." He said and Thorin grinned.

"I love to hear you call me husband, I think I will love it more when it is true." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled at Thorin.

"I could braid your hair now, if you allowed it?" Bilbo asked hesitantly and Thorin nodded.

"Let me get my beads and you can braid my hair for me." Thorin said eagerly and Bilbo held back his amusement. Thorin handed him a small box, filled with different colored beads, some had stones in them, while others had dwarven runes.

"What do the runes mean?"

"Different things, mostly they list my abilities and what titles I claim. Courtship beads are different, they can show what a dwarf hopes for from the courtship, or what they promise their intended."

"It sounds complicated."

"It is, the stones have different meanings as well. Why don't you use those because they are more straightforward then the rune signs. I can tell you what they mean, as you put them in my hair."

"That sounds good to me." Bilbo said.

"First there are diamonds, they symbolize strength and vitality. Then there are the emeralds, emeralds symbolize life. Rubies represent love and the opals are for healing. The onyx stone represents new life, I was surprised when you chose it."

"I chose it because it reminded me of your eyes and was plain enough that I wouldn't feel guilty, if one of the babies threw up on it." Bilbo said and Thorin laughed.

"The last stones I have are jade and amber. There are other stones, but these were always my favorite. Jade is for peace and amber for kindness." Thorin explained and Bilbo nodded. He took the box from Thorin and started to braid his hair. He smiled, occasionally adding a bead here, or there as Thorin relaxed against him. His smiled turned to laughter, as his small sounds of contentment turned to snoring. Bilbo pulled Thorin back against him and continued to work his fingers through his hair. It took a long time for Bilbo to braid Thorin's hair, as it was very complicated, but his eyes never left Thorin's sleeping face, until the babies started crying once more. He gently sat Thorin back against the pillows, before going over to the babies and picking them up. He fed them and changed them into new clothing. He then set them back in their cradle and gently wormed his way between Thorin and the pillows he leaned against. He finished the hair braiding and smiled at his finished work. He set aside the beads and tried to wake Thorin, who was deeply asleep. He finally managed it, Thorin his eyes and smiled at Bilbo.

"I want you to be more comfortable in the bed, but I'm tired and want to sleep myself."

"I want to see the braids you made first." Thorin said and Bilbo nodded.

"Alright, but I want to come with you, while you look at them." Bilbo said and they walked together to the bathroom, Thorin stared at his braids a moment, before taking Bilbo into his arms and spinning him around laughing.

"Thank you Bilbo, they are perfect." Thorin said and Bilbo laughed as well, throwing his arms around Thorin's neck and wrapping his legs around Thorin's hips. Thorin's arms reached up and supported him, his head coming down to rest against Bilbo's.

"I haven't been held like this, since I was a fauntling." Bilbo said. "No one was strong enough to, or inclined to."

"If you like me to hold you like this, I'll do so again and gladly, when we're alone." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled.

"I would like that." Bilbo said. "I like being held so close to you, I like hearing your heartbeat."

"And I yours." Thorin replied and carried him back to the bed, he parted the covers and covered them both in them, without letting go of Bilbo for a moment. Bilbo sighed and closed his eyes, lying on his side, curled against Thorin, he fell into sleep.