Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit!
A/N: Here we go! Another chapter!
I don't know if I'll be able to post another chapter tonight. My mom is getting suspicious about all the typing I'm doing . . . yeah, no. She doesn't know about what I do. I'll try, though! I'm on a roll!
Enjoy! Please review!
Yacking and Yawning
Whoever said there was no sound in space was a downright liar. And maybe a thief. And probably a vagabond of some sort who needed to be incarcerated for both the safety of himself and those around. Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. But they were still a downright, filthy liar, liar pants on fire.
Bilbo gritted his teeth and the whistling sound of air rushing past the metal casing. The barrel buffeted back and forth, knocking him to and fro. He'd made the wise decision moments before the shaking started to wrap his arms around his head. The choice saved him from a painful head bashing and years of therapy. Hopefully. The barrel jerked to the right and Bilbo connected painfully with the side. His shoulder screamed in protest at the beating.
"Blast it," he said through gritted teeth. One near-biting-tongue-off moment was enough for him not to attempt speaking again. "Blast that Elves." The barrel rolled over and he found himself flying along with it. This time both his elbow and adjacent hip moaned at the abuse. He would be bruised by the time his was over.
Bilbo didn't know how long he remained in that twirling barrel. But by the end of it his teeth ached from remaining clenched for too long, his whole body twinged at the slightest movement, and he just wanted it to be over and done with. It was during a full corkscrew that the barrel came to a complete stop. Bilbo laid against the back of the barrel, his chest heaving with his pants. Ever so slowly the barrel inched downward until at last it suddenly dropped and clattered against a steel floor. Bilbo moaned at the jarring movement. It sent fresh waves of pain through his already bruised body.
A screeching sound filled the barrel and Bilbo tensed. The curved door slid open to reveal bright light. Bilbo squinted in the rays, trying to discern the shadow hovering over him. It appeared to be tall and rather furry. Not like any Elf, though. This one didn't have their slinky and thin appearance.
"They didn't tell me there would be a child," a curious voice said. Bilbo flinched when hands reached into the barrel. They wrapped around his upper arms, irritating the bruised flesh there. "Easy, lad, I won't hurt you." The stranger dragged Bilbo upright and lifted him easily from the barrel. When set to stand on his own two feet, the Hobbit collapsed sideways onto the cold, steel floor. A chuckle resonated above him.
"That'll happen when you ride barrels through space." His eyes adjusted to the light, Bilbo could finally make out his savior. He was a tall man with both unruly dark hair and a dark mustache. His coat was lined with fur as well as his shirt. A longbow hung from around his chest, his quiver buckled tightly there.
"Bard," the Man said, smiling at Bilbo's bewilderment. "Bard the Bowman."
"Martin," Bilbo managed to squeak out. "Martin Freeman."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young master," the Bowman said with a bow. "If you'll excuse me, I need to free the rest of your friends from their barrels." Bilbo managed a small nod while he trembled where he sat. Aside from the Dunedain and the Spiders he had never really seen a Man up close before. They scared him. This Man, this Bard, could easily carry him without a second thought.
The sound of Fili retching caught Bilbo's pointy ears. He peeked over his shoulder to see Bard supporting the vomiting Dwarf. Fili fell to the floor moaning about the stench of apples while Bard moved onto the next barrel. This one brought a furious Bifur swearing in Khuzdul. Bard had to leap back before the Dwarf tackled him in fear of his own life. Bofur was next, the engineer laughing like a maniac in stress-induced adrenaline. One by one the Dwarves were extracted from their barrels until they sat around moaning. Bard checked each Dwarf repeatedly, giving Bifur a wide berth, before he seemed to nod to himself and disappeared up a set of stairs.
"Who's the bastard with two heads?" Dwalin asked, earning himself a cuff on the head from his older brother. "What?"
"Haven't I taught you anything about the treatment of other races?" Balin asked before standing uneasily on his feet. Bilbo remained where he sat, trying to ease his pounding heart. Thorin stood from beside his barrel. He clutched one arm uneasily, as though it pained him.
"You taught," Dwalin told his brother. "I just didn't listen."
"My time was wasted on you, then."
"Ori, are you alright?" Dori asked as he moved in wobbly steps. His youngest brother raised a hand from behind his own barrel before the sound retching reached Bilbo's ears.
"Is everyone alright?" Thorin asked in his deep voice. Bilbo stood on his own wobbly legs then promptly fell over once more. Nori chuckled, the only Dwarf apparently capable of standing on his own two feet. Even Thorin moved back and forth like a drunk.
"Ori's just feeling a bit sick," Dori said, having checked on his brother. "Motion sickness."
"Apples," Fili moaned. Kili howled with laughter, slapping his knees at his brother's situation. "Apples. I can't get the smell of apples out of my nose." Bifur growled something and stormed around, checking each Dwarf over for himself. Bombur earned himself a right kicking until he managed to drag himself upright. Bifur patted Bilbo on the head and then moved on, apparently excusing him from the rough treatment.
"Feelin' alright, Bilbo?" Bofur wheezed out.
"Just a bit sore," Bilbo admitted. His friend gave him a worried look and he tried to smile reassuringly. "Not a Dwarf, remember? I got all bruised in there."
"Poor buddy," Bofur said, knocking Bilbo gently on the shoulder. Even that movement made Bilbo winced. Already the black and blue bruises were blossoming across his skin. Nori wandered past on his way to check on his brothers. He gave Bofur a fond kick in the thigh that Bofur returned to his ankle.
While he recovered, Bilbo took the chance to take in his surroundings. They were on the open deck of a spaceship. The walled railing that ran all the way around the curved point stood taller than Bilbo, perhaps at four feet. A cabin stood at the other end of the ship. Altogether it resembled a fishing ship of the twenty-first century. Although Bilbo was certain the bottom would not be as curved as they once were. There was probably an engine down there.
"Magnetic force-field," Bofur commented. Bilbo gave him a questioning sound and the Dwarf motioned to the bubble-like shininess of the area above them. "They've used a magnetic force-field to protect the open deck. That way we don't get sucked out into space." Thorin stalked past, checking on each Dwarf in question. At the sound of Dori yelling at Bifur, Bofur hauled himself up to drag his cousin away. Bilbo was left on his own until Kili fell down beside him. The young Dwarf nursed a headache from Fili punching him between the eyes.
"Never," Kili panted, slinging an arm around Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo winced at his aggravated skin. "Make fun of your brother when he's throwing up."
"I don't have a brother," Bilbo reminded the junior pilot.
"Right, I forgot," Kili laughed before he fell backward. Bilbo found himself dragged back until they laid on their backs staring at the great expanse of sky. "What's it like in the Shire System at night?" the Dwarf suddenly asked. Bilbo gave him a quizzical look to find Kili watching him curiously. "I mean, does it get dark there? You've got all those stars, right?"
"It's not like you think," Bilbo said slowly. Kili's curious look turned eager and he sighed. "We have all the stars just like these." Bilbo motioned to the sea of stars around them. "Small pinpoints of light that fall into constellations when we want to see them. But in the center of our System is a mass of stars, thousands of stars all grouped together to form one blazing light. I suppose they would look like a smaller sun to you. But to us we see a minute galaxy of beauty and wonder."
"Amazing," Kili whispered. "Did you know the Blue Mountains are so polluted with industrial gases that we can't see the stars?"
"I didn't," Bilbo said.
"That's right," Kili said. He turned his gaze back to the stars. "Only the four suns are bright enough to shine through the smog. When Thorin asked if Fili and I wanted to fly the ship I was so excited. I finally got to see the stars."
"Well I finally got to see the sun," Bilbo sighed. He watched a particular constellation float past. "And what a beauty she was."
"You know, I still remember when you tricked those trolls into thinking you were a child of the sun."
"I convinced Gollum too, don't forget about that."
"That's right! And we're your great big guards made of diamond sent by your mother." Kili laughed at the memory and Bilbo sighed again. So much for having an adult conversation with the Dwarf. The junior pilot eventually calmed down. "And to think it became true."
"Huh?" Bilbo asked, turning his head to frown at Kili. The pilot just winked at him.
"You're our child of the stars," Kili said. "We'll protect you at whatever cost. Even if that means fighting the Government." Bilbo made a noise in the back of his throat. A silence fell, broken only by the shouting of the other Dwarves. Balin and Dori had both wandered off to find Bard in order to learn what was happening. Oin was tending to an ill Fili while Ori sat nearby, a modified ice pack pressed against his forehead. All was well. They were alive. Bilbo sighed contentedly and settled down, preparing for a well-earned nap.
A strong hand grabbed Bilbo by the front of the short and he yelped. He found himself dragged upward to his feet. The hand moved to his shoulder while the other covered his eyes. Bilbo flailed blindly, trying to understand what was going on.
"Thorin!" he heard Kili exclaim. "What're you doing?"
"I want to show Bilbo something," Thorin's deep voice said from behind Bilbo.
"Can you do it without killin' him?" Bofur asked from somewhere far away. Thorin chuckled and urged Bilbo forward. Bilbo moved hesitantly at first, his steps growing bolder when he didn't immediately fall flat on his face. Thorin guided him along until at last he jerked Bilbo to a stop.
"Behold," Thorin's voice whispered in Bilbo's ear. It twitched at the hot breath and sheer nearness of the Dwarf. "The Crown of Durin." The blinding hand drew away from Bilbo's eyes. Bilbo blinked several times in the bright light. Several seconds passed before understanding dawned on him and his eyes widened.
A great mechanical contraption floated in the outer space. It was a Space Station of many levels. Lake-Town, Bilbo supposed. But that wasn't what caught his gaze. It was the six suns that burns behind the Station. Each burned brighter than the last. This close up, he could make out the whirling fires of the exploding stars. They ropes of magma reached out to one another as though calling out to old friends. The first in the line was clearly the largest, the second slightly smaller, the third even smaller, and on and on. The seventh sun Bilbo could see just poking her head around the edge of what must have been Erebor. The great planet stood alone in the center of the swirling suns, her face painted blue and green.
"They are sometimes called the Seven Jewels," Thorin said, smiling at Bilbo's astonishment. "Or even the Seven Sisters. When all seven arise in the sky together it is Durin's Day."
"That's amazing," Bilbo whispered. Thorin chuckled at that and he ignored the Dwarf. Never before had he seen such beauty. "How do you sleep at night?"
"With black-out curtains," Thorin said. "It is the same on the Blue Mountains with the suns in the summer."
"No, I mean, how can you sleep when there's such beauty out there to watch? I wouldn't want to miss a single moment of it."
"I suppose I just took it for granted," Thorin said. Bilbo peeled his eyes away from the suns to see his friend's soft smile. "In the center of those suns lies Erebor our planet. The Lonely Mountain was our home. At its base is the Men's colony of Dale. The colony flourished for as long as we survived before the coming of Smaug. I suppose the survivors fled out here and joined the colony of Lake-Town."
Bilbo looked back to the ever-nearing Space Station. Bits and parts of it seemed to hanging by the wires within. The metal paneling had rusted over. Several shattered windows had been replaced by black metal plates. It was perhaps four stories tall and in the shape of an eight-pronged wheel. Each spoke ran outward and connected with one of four geometric rings.
"That doesn't look very good," Bilbo commented. Thorin gave him a questioning look and he motioned toward the Station. "I mean, it's falling apart. Shouldn't the Government do something about it?"
"Lake-Town is considered an outer planet," Thorin said. "A surviving colony. Like many others they are left here with the bare essentials of farming to fend for themselves. Some do not make it past the first year due to either illness, starvation, uprisings, or Orc attacks. The Government worries more for their precious Gondor System and the Shire System."
"Yes, well, we've seen how that turned out," Bilbo said, earning himself a chuckle from Thorin. The Dwarf mussed his hair. Bilbo gave him a smile. "You think I'll ever be able to go back?" At this, Thorin's smile faded slightly. The Dwarf sighed and leaned against the railing, turning his gaze back to the Crown of Durin.
"I cannot say," he said. "I hope to gather the seven houses of the Dwarves and rescue the Shire System. That is a battle against the Government." Bilbo's face fell. He knew it would have been too much to hope. A hand clipped him on the chin. "But that does not mean we will not try." Bilbo couldn't help but smile sadly at that.
"Ahoy," a voice called. Both Thorin and Bilbo turned to see Bard leaning out the open window of a ship. "You'd better get back on the deck behind. We'll be landing soon and the Master doesn't take kindly to unwanted guests." Thorin gave the Man a small bow and the Bowman disappeared back through the window.
"Guess we better go back," Bilbo said. Thorin nodded to him and he smiled. "Thank you, Thorin, for showing me that. It's beautiful." The Dwarf smiled at him before gently urging Bilbo back the way they had come.
The crew of the Arkenstone gathered on the deck. Dwalin and Gloin had worked together push the barrels up against one wall where they were stacked neatly. Fili still had a green tinge to his face. He glared whenever his younger brother poked fun at him. Thorin left Bilbo's side to speak with Balin in low tones about something or another, Bilbo could not say. He didn't really care at the moment. All that mattered was they were once again on their way to Lake-Town.
Bard made them wait until nightfall before leaving the ship. Every question the Dwarves asked was countered with "the Master doesn't like guests". In exchange for his secrecy, Bard only asked after Bilbo once. Both Balin and Dori hurried to explain that "Martin" was a boy from Rohan they were taking to Lake-Town to find his family. Bard seemed to accept the answer readily enough, only giving Bilbo a testing look. Bilbo felt as though the Bowman was thinking through every Freeman he knew to find his family members. He prayed the Man wouldn't discover the truth.
The Seventh Jewel finally wormed her way entirely into the limelight, her sisters moving slowly around the edge of Erebor. Night fell. Bard motioned for the Dwarves and Bilbo to follow him off the ship. They made their way as quietly as they could through the halls. They were perfectly square structures with nearly a foot of diagonal metal connecting each side. The wallpaper peeled, the pain chipped, and the rust flaked off the walls. Bilbo thought he spotted a rat scurrying away down a hall. Wonderful, disease-infested rats lived on the ship. Many of the walls on connecting spokes were made of windows – most intact while others were completely shattered and replaced – and Bilbo could see the suns outside and the Woodland Realm on the other side.
They made their way down one spoke until Bard ushered them all into an elevator. Bilbo felt a nauseous feeling of claustrophobia fill him when they were all packed in like sardines. Bard pressed a button and the elevator screeched downward. The Man continued to shoot a yellow light nervous glances. At Bilbo's questioning look, he smiled.
"There's a curfew," he explained. "We're reaching the limit. Once that light turns red we'll be in real trouble."
"What sort of trouble?" Kili asked curiously.
"Arrested sort of trouble," Bard said before turning back to the elevator doors. "And I've got kids at home." None of the Dwarves said anything about that. Bilbo spotted Gloin and Bombur sharing nervous looks.
The elevator took them all the way to the bottom of the Station. The doors opened with a soft ding and Bard led them quietly down another series of halls. These halls were lined with sliding doors inscribed with words in Westron. Bilbo tried to read them but they were moving too quickly. Eventually they reached a particular door that Bard stopped at. The name had long since chipped off the door. Instead four pieces of paper had been taped to the surface.
Bard
Bain
Sigrid
Tilda
Bard swiped a card through a scanner that flashed green. The door slid open with a loud screech. Almost immediately a young girl through herself at the Man.
"Da!" she squealed happily. Bilbo blinked in surprise at the small size. Bard chuckled and patted the girl on the head while at the same time ushering her back into the room. He waved the Dwarves in quickly and the door slid shut behind them.
"Da!" another voice said. An older girl and a boy hurried from separate rooms to hug their father. Bilbo smiled at the joy on the children's faces. Even Thorin and Balin were chuckling, possibly at memories of Fili and Kili. Eventually the smallest girl turned to see the Dwarves.
"Dwarves!" she said, her tone rising in her excitement. "Will they bring us luck?"
"We're not those kind of Dwarves," Bofur said, and the girl's face fell. "Ya see, we brin' things like this." From within his jacket pocket he withdrew a small carved dog. The girl's face lit up as the Dwarf passed it to her. She caressed the toy reverently.
"What do you say, Tilda?" Bard said to his daughter.
"Thank you," Tilda said in a shy voice before hiding behind her father. Bofur chuckled and swept his hat from his head, falling into a low bow.
"Yer most welcome."
"This is Tilda," Bard said to the Dwarves and Bilbo, patting his youngest daughter on the head. "And Sigrid and Bain." The two elder siblings gave a bow and a curtsy, each of which the Dwarves returned. Bilbo himself felt too stiff to do any bowing anytime soon.
"Why'd you bring Dwarves home, Da?" Bain asked curiously. Bard shot his son a withering look, but Balin just chuckled. Clearly the child hadn't left his curious stage of questions.
"Your father was helping us," Balin said.
"That's right," Bard spoke before the Dwarf could go any further. "A few friends of mine asked if I could find their Dwarven friends a ride off the Station. They've lost their own ship."
"Lost it?" Tilda repeated. "How?"
"By a great, monstrous black-hole!" Bofur said, raising his hands and baring his teeth like a monster. Tilda squealed in delighted fear and behind her father. Her head poked out, though, a clear invitation for Bofur to continue. And continue he did. Even Sigrid and Bain were drawn in by the story.
"There we were, mindin' our own business," Bofur said, embellishing the story with a few hand gestures. "When the captain gave a great shout!" He wove a story of great magnificence that had even Bilbo listening intently. He missed the way Kili watched him sadly or how Balin spoke to Thorin in muted tones.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed before Bofur finished his story of them abandoning ship while the black-hole devoured it whole. By that time Tilda had to be carried away toward her bedroom in the corner with Sigrid following after. Bain disappeared into his own room that Bilbo supposed Bard shared with him. With less people in the room, it gave Bilbo a chance to really look around.
The room was large and square. Where they stood appeared to be the living room, curling carpeting beneath their feet. A battered old set of couch and armchair were pressed up against the wall. An equally beaten coffee table sat between them. A stack of books had been tucked away in the corner. On the other side of the room was the kitchen. A set of counters lined the wall, the refrigerator and stove standing alone on another wall. A table set for four had been positioned just before the two bedroom doors. It was small, Bilbo surmised, too small for growing children. They needed fresh air and the joy of running through land unburdened. These were no proper living conditions.
Bard returned from putting Tilda to bed. He handed out spare blankets to the Dwarves, apologizing for the lack of pillows. The Dwarves accepted them graciously. All apologies for the pillows were waved away and Bilbo even saw Balin pressing coins into Bard's hands. "For payment," the old Dwarf said. "Use it for your lad and lasses." The coin was tucked away before Balin could change his mind. Bard bid the crew goodnight and retired to his room with Bain for the night. The Dwarves situated themselves on the floor. Bilbo found himself tucked between Dwalin and Fili. The taller Dwarf wrapped him tightly in a blanket, claiming Bilbo would just steal them in the night.
"I resent that!" Bilbo hissed angrily. Dwalin just mumbled a Pundurith, finished wrapping him, and patted him on the head. Bilbo gave in with a glare, settling down for a good night's sleep. He was drifting before he'd even realized it.
A/N: What did you think?
Alright, to give you a bit of an idea. The last part of the story were in (An Unexpected Journey) was at the Goblin caves at this point. Now we've just got to get Bilbo out of Lake-Town and into Erebor to trade riddles with a dragon. That'll be fun! T.T What did I get myself into?
