AN: I apologise now my brain is warped. I don't own any of the characters I am just corrupting them. Thank you to those of you are still following me and welcome to those have just joined me. Please let me know what you think of the story, I do enjoy getting your reviews. A big hug to those who favourited or followed my story, I would love to know what you think.
FanFiction Queen: I hope this is soon enough. I know, but I've started the story like that so they will continue to be so, I hope it doesn't put you off enjoying the rest. I also hope you will accept the one shot as an apology for my doing so. It should be up by Saturday.
Chapter 37-Stone Giants.
Bilbo couldn't hear what Thorin was yelling as his heart was pounding in his ears and the wind wiping around him. He did however hear Balin and Bofur. He stared at them in complete bemusement, failing to understand just how they could be so fascinated by the things. He was horrified, not only was he far too high up on a ridiculously narrow ledge in sideways sleet and high winds, there were things throwing boulders around. He risked a glance at Dwalin standing next to him and was relieved to see that the warrior was as non-pulsed by the situation as him. He felt a tremor and prayed it was merely the impact of a boulder. Then the ledge he was standing on got narrower as stone rained down from above, he backed against the sheer rock behind him, one hand grasping Bofur's elbow the other gripping Dwalin's hand in sheer terror. He heard Kili's anguish yell from up front and watched in horror as the ground separated. He could hear Fili's desperate gasps as his younger brother was separated from him, he leant forward heedless of his own fate and his heart broke as he took in Kili's horror stricken face. Suddenly they were all moving and Bilbo realised they were on the knees of their own giant. He reached around Bofur to grab Fili's elbow, his left elbow pressing the be-hatted dwarf flat against the rock behind as he did. Reaching for Ori, Bilbo ended up standing legs akimbo, a dwarf held in both hands and arms forming a barrio to stop two more falling off. Beside him he could hear Bofur swearing in a high pitched voice, Fili was sobbing, but he focused solely on keeping his dwarfs on the knee of the giant. The giant who was rather pathetic at this fighting malarkey, having just being head-butted into the side of the cliff by one of it's fellows. Bilbo's eyes fluttered shut for a second as he saw the rest of the company make it to safety, just in time. The stone giant was moving again and Bilbo cursed fluently himself as he felt Fili sag in relief at seeing Kili safe, he tightened his grip on the blond dwarf's elbow and pushed Bofur back harder against the giant's thigh. Ori had twisted slightly to cling to Dwalin, placing himself slightly in front of the warrior and Bilbo relaxed that elbow slightly to shift his grip on the scribe.
Their giant seemed to be getting into the fight, and if Bilbo wasn't now feeling sick he would have cheered the uppercut it dealt in return for the head-butt. Praying they wouldn't move to far from the rest of the company Bilbo let himself believe that they might survive if their giant may actually know how to fight. His belief was short lived as he watched a boulder speeding through the air and smash into their giant's head, decapitating it easily. He heard Kili's scream echo across the storm and Nori's cry of rage bounced around them, but their giant was falling and all Bilbo could do was press his dwarfs (and he didn't even ponder when Dwalin had been included in that list) further into the giant's thigh as the hurtled towards the cliff face. He squeezed his eyes shut, hearing Ori and Dwalin exchanging soft vows of love as their lives seemed about to be ended. Bilbo swore loudly, cursing fluently in Westron, Sindarin and Shire as Bofur sobbed quietly next to him and Fili's voice offered a prayer of crossing. There was a certain amount of pain and complete darkness, before Bilbo heard Fili's cry of shock and lunged blindly, flinging the blonde dwarf back against the cliff face as the rock beneath them crumbled away with the falling giant. Bilbo hadn't had a chance to realise they had survived the crush of rock on rock before the ground beneath him disappeared and he yelped, twisting his body to find a grip.
Bofur was the first to come to his senses and realised they were alive, he was lying across a curled up Dwalin and sobbing Ori. He heard a faint rumbling, and a crash next to him as Fili was flung away from the edge of the path. A sharp yelp drew his attention and he dived for the edge, Dwalin's grip on his boot the only thing stopping him from going over, "Bilbo!" he bellowed fear for his smaller friend over taking him, "Grab my hand," he almost screamed, feeling Ori flattening himself to the rock next to him. They both screamed as Bilbo slipped down, before finding another grip. "No, No, No, No, No…" whispered Ori next to him, Bofur forced himself to slide further forward his friend's hand just out of reach. Dwalin's grip on his ankle was painful and the rocks were biting through his leathers, but Ori had a grip on his shoulder and Bofur was leaning over further than he had thought he would ever have done, all his training fleeing his head as he saw the sheer terror in his friends eyes. Fili had come round behind them, and he was screaming for help, warning Bofur of the approach of the rest of the company, "hold on Bilbo," he hissed, "just hold on." He watched as Bilbo closed his eyes, nodded and somehow managed to swing his other hand over to grab another small piece of jutting rock. Bofur was surprised the smaller man had been able to hold on as long as he had. The packs were heavy, all of their hands were numb from the sleet and the wind, the rocks were slick beneath his own grasp and Bilbo was a creature of rolling green hills, and corn fields not of mountains and stone.
Thorin ran towards his nephew's voice, leaps ahead of the rest of the company. He'd been panicking quietly since the ground had separated, now he knew his nephew was at least alive, but he was screaming for help in such a way that Thorin's mouth was dry and his heart pounding. He had hear no sound from his oldest friend and no noise from their burglar. If either were hurt, if Fili was hurt. He stopped short at seeing Fili apparently unharmed, being pushed aside as Kili wrapped himself physically around his older brother, both his nephews shaking as they clung together. He suddenly realised Bofur was hanging nearly off the edge of a sheer drop with Dwalin grasping both his and Ori's ankles in a death hold. The warrior looked at Thorin in desperation, "get hobbit," he huffed, voice raw, "Bofur can't reach." Thorin's eyes widened in horror, and he rushed to the edge of the drop, staring in horror at the hobbit hanging on with his eyes shut, literally a hands breadth from Bofur's hands. Dwalin huffed and somehow managed to drag Bofur and Ori far enough back from the ledge that he could let go at the same second Thorin made his mind up and vaulted the edge of the cliff. His work worn fingers found a grip easily, and practice had his boots digging into the rock, yet he found even hanging how he was he had to lean back and down to reach Bilbo. His fingers closed on the strap of the hobbit's pack and he found himself suddenly looking into wide almost golden eyes. Bilbo seemed to realise what was happening as he managed to jamb his toes against the rock to push himself at the same time Thorin threw him upwards with all his strength. Bilbo released his death grip on the small ledge and reached his hands towards Bofur and Ori's outstretched arms. Thorin sighed in relief as they managed to grab and arm each and haul the hobbit up to safety. He steadfastly refused to look down as he set about pulling himself up, he was denying that he felt very height aware at that moment. He hollered as his boots lost their grip and like a miracle, Dwalin managed to grab his hand in both of his, the warrior obviously straining everything to pull his old friend to safety. Thorin lay on the ledge, gripping the rock underneath him in relief as Dwalin slumped next to him panting. The noise coming from the company drew Thorin's eyes across and he felt a spark of hurt that Dwalin had been the only one to notice he had nearly fallen. The company was surrounding the wide eyed hobbit, "I thought we'd lost our burglar," wheezed Dwalin next to him as Thorin pushed to his feet. That was all it took for Thorin to snap. "He's been lost ever since he left home." Thorin could feel his chest tighten as the beautiful eyes of the hobbit went flat, but he pushed on, he was their king and he'd almost died, the same as the hobbit, who had fallen off the blood cliff and needed rescuing. Thorin shuddered at the thought of the hobbit falling to his death, he gasped for breath at the thought of how badly he would have coped if he'd rounded the corner to find his oldest friend or his nephew dead on the ground. "He should never have come!" He turned his back on the betrayed eyes of Fili and Kili, on the disappointed look from Balin, from Nori, Bifur, Bombur and Bofur crowded around the hobbit as if they had almost lost a brother. "He has no place amongst us," he growled. Turning his back on the company and ducking into a conveniently situated cave, "Dwalin!" he snapped when the warrior went to turn towards the company rather than following him.
They were in the cave alone for a few moments and Dwalin shot his oldest friend a look of disgust, not able to speak before the rest of the company crowded in. Fili and Kili were still clinging to each other, although Kili had managed to pry one of his hands free to grasp Bilbo's hand. Ori untangled himself from Bilbo and started to walk towards Dwalin, yet stopped his hand still wrapped around the strap of Bilbo's pack, Thorin watched as Dwalin ignored his look and went towards the scribe. The warrior wrapped himself in Ori's spare arm, one hand grasping Bilbo's strap next to the scribes hand the other fisting in his brother's shirt. Balin was alternating between grabbing Dwalin's arm and Bilbo's shoulder with his left hand, he seemed unable to unwrap his right arm from around Oin's waist. Oin's had his Brother's beard in his grasp, his head buried in Balin's neck and his free hand, grabbing Bilbo's elbow. Bofur was still wrapped around the hobbit, in a mass that consisted of Bombur, Nori, Dori, and Bifur who were alternating between stroking a hand over the hair of a relative, holding onto each other and Bilbo. Thorin huffed and sulked against the wall waiting for someone to notice he was there. He wanted to check the hobbit was okay himself but he knew his words made it unlikely he would be allowed with in an arm's reach of their burglar let alone be allowed to squirrel him away and check him over for injuries. He shook his head unable to understand why he couldn't make his mind up whether he hated the hobbit or wanted to wrap him up in wool.
"Enough!" Thorin roared, "We will wait here for the night. Gloin," he glowered at the red haired dwarf, "Get a fire going!" he huffed as Gloin snuggled closer to his brother, his eyes trailing to the hobbit, before attempting to do as he was asked. Thorin closed his eyes for a second. "Dwalin, can you check around the edges of the cave? I don't want any surprises. Oin check everyone for injuries, treat what you can. Fili, Kili…" he trailed off when they clung closer to each other, "never mind, the rest of you find something useful to do and stop hugging the hobbit. Really one would think you all wanted to marry him." He ignored the incredulous looks sent his way and turned his back on them, "I will take first watch, Bombur when Gloin ever gets a fire going see to a meal."