Chapter 20

"Wolves have started coming down into the lowlands."

Thorin looked up from the mound of paperwork on his desk. Dwalin leaned casually against his door, both displaying his inability to show respect for Thorin's office ut also effectively guarding the only obvious entrance to the room. Only a select few knew of the secret passages that ran through the mountain and Nori worked hard to keep it that way.

"Oh?" Thorin asked and went back to the document in front of him, already planning on setting it aside as absurd. Really, did the Iron Hills dwarrow think he was some lackwit that didn't read the proposals placed before him by his council?

"Aye. They've attacked Dale."

That caught Thorin's attention. He froze and then set the paper down, leaning back in his chair, resisting to grimace when his spine cracked in protest when it was straightened. "Any casualties?"

"Just the wolves," Dwalin said. "Apparently the Dragonslayer's daughter was involved in the attack."

"Sigrid? Did anything happen to her?"

Dwalin shook his head. "As I said, didn't hear anything about anyone getting hurt other than the wolves."

Thorin nodded, scowling down at his desk again without taking in any of the work before him. Finally, he looked back up at Dwalin. "Send a contingent of our soldiers to Dale to help bolster their guards and to help finish repairs to their walls and gates."

"You expect that stubborn Man to accept our charity?" Dwalin snorted. "He'll take one look at our soldiers and send them back."

Thorin rotated one of his rings around his finger a few times, thinking. "Send Fili," he finally decided. "He could use the diplomacy practice and Bard's daughter likes him well enough. Maybe he can smooth things over."

"And he'll have a chance to see the lass and get that much closer to winning the bet you have with Bilbo."

"I did not participate in any bet concerning Fili's future spouse. I learned my lesson with making wagers when Bilbo scolded me for winning the bet concerning our sex life," Thorin said. "I'm just concerned about the safety of our allies and Fili has the best chance of smoothing over our attempts at assisting them."

"Keep telling yourself that," Dwalin scoffed. "I'll see it done today." He opened the door and waved another guard into the room to take his place but this time on the outside of the room.

Thorin didn't bother to reply but went back to his piles of paperwork.

"Time to go!"

Thorin jerked, his hand hitting his ink well and sending a splattering of drops across one of the documents and onto his sleeve. "Nori!" he admonished.

"Yeah, I know, now move!" Nori hissed and dragged Thorin from his chair and into the secret passage. "Head back to your rooms. Bilbo's already there. I'll let you know when the coast is clear."

Anger flared in Thorin. "Another attack?" he asked.

"That's what the patterns say," Nori said and continued nudging Thorin along into the meter squared hole in the wall behind the stone panel. Thorin didn't resist and climbed into the hole, feeling a bit like a dwarfling as he slid down the smooth stone that dropped him down three levels of the mountain and into the main hidden tunnels in the royal wing, tripping over Nori's boots at the bottom and almost falling flat on his face at the bottom.

"Keep going," Nori ordered, sliding down behind him and grabbing his boots off the floor. Their laces were already tied together so he was able to sling them over one shoulder and ignore them. He had a set of his throwing knives in his palms. Thorin didn't argue and went to his rooms, coming out of the secret passage just inside the receiving room for the royal family, the closest the tunnels went to their private quarters.

"Thorin!" Bilbo threw crashed into him when he walked through their doors. "Are you all right? Nori said you were about to be attacked."

"I'm fine. He must have made it to me before it could happen." Thorin pulled Bilbo close, reassuring them both with the close contact. After a moment, he released Bilbo and turned back to the door, sliding the bolt into place, locking the door to any who would enter. They rarely used the bolt, for other security reasons. Dwalin and the other guards always hated it when they couldn't enter the room, just in case.

They took their places by the fireplace. Thorin pulled his boots off, letting the fire warm his aching foot. The winter promised to be a bad one if his foot already ached this early in the season. Minutes passed in silence as they waited for Nori's return or word from anyone really.

"This needs to stop," Bilbo said after about thirty minutes when Thorin was contemplating getting some other paperwork done, writing a few letters that needed to be written.

"Hmm?" he asked, mind already drafting a letter to Bard about the contingent of dwarrow soldiers that would arrive in Dale that afternoon. "The attacks?"

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, and also Nori's false alarms too. They're starting to outnumber the actual attempts on my life."

Thorin nodded, his lips thinning into a grim line. "His paranoia is starting to be detrimental to our work." He thought of the pile of papers waiting on his desk a few floors above them.

"It's not just that," Bilbo said and he stood up, starting to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. "He's got me paranoid too. Everywhere I turn I expect to see someone coming at me with a knife or poison darts or something. Every time I see Nori I find myself preparing to either drop to the floor to avoid an attack, draw String to counter an attack, or start running for the safety of the nearest cluster of guards that will whisk me away to our rooms."

"It's not paranoia if there's really someone out to get you," Thorin reminded Bilbo.

"I know, I know. It's just frustrating is all."

Thorin watched Bilbo pace back and forth for a time before finally standing and catching Bilbo around the waist. "We're safe here," he reminded Bilbo. "The rooms are heavily guarded by dwarrow that are loyal to me and the servant stairs are still impassible. No one is making it into these rooms without us having ample warning to retreat out the far end of the royal wing."

Bilbo nodded and leaned against Thorin. "I just don't understand why they're still attacking after all this time."

"We are dwarrow," Thorin said. "We weather storms and ages like the stone from which Mahal first formed us. As I know we will outlast those that wish you harm, they believe their cause will withstand the hammers of disappointment and failure. We just need to find the weakness in their plots and we will make them crumble."

"If you say so," Bilbo said. They stood before the fire until Bilbo drew in a deep breath before releasing it. "Well, that's enough self-pity for one afternoon, I think. We should find some way to occupy our time for the remainder of our suddenly free afternoon."

"Agreed," Thorin said. He swept Bilbo up into his arms, shamelessly taking advantage of his superior height and strength, and carried him to their bedroom to hopefully work off some of their frustrations and pent up energy in more enjoyable pursuits.

"Will Dale and Esgaroth be all right?" Bilbo asked a few days later after Nori gave the all clear from another false alarm. He stood on the battlements, watching the snow fall in thick, wet fluffy pieces the size of acorns. Mercifully, the wind had finally died down after two days of it driving against the mountain. The roads in and out of Erebor were closed. The tops of the battlements were only open for a short time as engineers inspected the wall for ice damage, hanging from ropes and tapping at the walls with small hammers and other tools. Bilbo could only see about five meters down the wall before the snowfall became too thick. He hoped Bofur was keeping warm.

"If they aren't, they know where to seek shelter," Thorin said as he searched the area as best he could.

"I suppose," Bilbo said and leaned against Thorin. "Perhaps we should send aid when the snow lets up a bit. It would be a gesture of good relations to act preemptively to aid our allies instead of waiting for them to come to us."

"Not that anyone can find their way to the mountain in this – GET DOWN!" Dwalin grabbed Bilbo and Thorin and yanked them behind a pillar and shoved them to the ground. An arrow ricocheted off the stone behind where Bilbo and Thorin stood. Dwalin jumped back to his feet and leaned over the battlement, staring down into the mountain. "Get him!" he roared, pointing to a dwarf swathed in a thick grey cloak and hood. They dropped their bow and took off running into the mountain.

"Are you all right?" Thorin asked, gripping Bilbo's arms from where they lay behind the stone parapet.

"Yes, I'm fine," Bilbo said as he looked at his husband before turning to Dwalin. "Thank you," he said when Dwalin glanced back at them to make sure they were uninjured. "You saved my life."

"Don't get all sappy and beholden on me," Dwalin growled. "Move! Off the battlements." He waved a few guards forward and soon Thorin and Bilbo were surrounded.

"You are wearing your mithril shirt every time you leave our rooms from now on," Thorin told Bilbo.

Bilbo opened his mouth to protest but Dwalin cut him off. "No more of your namby-pamby ways. You rule over dwarrow now. You should be dressing like the royal family anyway and that means armor every time you're out in public."

With a sigh, Bilbo nodded. "I suppose you're right," he said. "I'll grab it before we head off to that Challenge this afternoon."

Dwalin cursed. "You'll have to have someone else guarding you," he said as they started down the steps off the battlements. "Assuming we've caught the bastard that just took a shot at you, I'll be interrogating them. If we haven't, I'll be joining the hunt." His grin showed all his teeth.

They ducked down a passage that led through the mountain along lesser used avenues, avoiding the general public. While the route was less safe for Bilbo and Thorin, it put less of Erebor's common population in the line of fire. The last thing Thorin and Bilbo wanted was for an innocent to be hurt while Bilbo was being targeted.

Once in the royal wing, Nori met them. "Well?" he asked, looking at Dwalin.

"Half right," Dwalin said. "It was an archer, but their shot isn't near as good as the lad's."

"I wondered," Nori said. "Kili's probably the best in the mountain next to his One-elf."

"We are not calling her that," Thorin growled as he walked into his rooms. He ushered Bilbo into their bedroom with a small nod. Bilbo went willingly, presumably to get his mithril shirt and change into it.

"Would you prefer we refer to her as Kili's fiancee? Your future niece? Or perhaps we could, I don't know, call her Tauriel? You know, her name?" Bilbo called from the bedroom. He walked back into the sitting room, buttoning up his shirt over the mithril. "Or is that just too radical for everyone?" he asked.

"You've made your point," Thorin said. "We'd best head to the throne room. Who will be taking your place?" he asked Dwalin.

Dwalin opened the door for them. "Keinget, daughter of Reinget. Fairly new to the guard but shows promise in combat and is loyal to you."

Thorin nodded. "Can she handle the Challenger?"

Dwalin shrugged. "No idea but Fili can always say he doesn't accept the gift."

"I don't imagine he'll enjoy doing that," Bilbo said. "He hates disappointing people."

"Better he learns how to turn people down now instead of waiting until after he's crowned king-"

"Which had better be in the distant future."

"Yes, Ghivashel. -otherewise, people will demand too much from him."

Dwalin turned away from them. "I'm off. Don't go anywhere besides the throne room and back to your rooms until I send word."

Bilbo and Thorin nodded as Dwalin headed off toward the Guardhouse. Nori tagged along behind them, eyes scanning their surroundings.

"So, you knew of the attack?" Thorin asked Nori quietly.

"I warned Dwalin, didn't I?" Nori asked. "Let him arrest me last night so I could pass on the information. Need to be careful of that or I'll be labeled a snitch."

"Did you discover how dwarrow are escaping the prison?" Bilbo asked.

Nori shrugged. "I couldn't find any secret passages but that doesn't mean much. Could be the door only opens from the other side. Could be they escape in ways similar to me. Hard to tell when the lights all get doused at the same time."

"Take a light with you next time," Thorin ordered.

"Already have one stashed on me," Nori said. "Cost me a pretty copper too."

Thorin snorted. "You'll be reimbursed," he promised, "not that you need it."

"I know," Nori said with a grin. "I just like pointing it out. Besides, I've got to figure out how that Lobelia Halfling figured out the secret passages in Erebor without ever setting foot outside the Shire." He ducked down a side hallway as Bilbo and Thorin approached the throne room.

"He's completely off his rocker, isn't he?" Bilbo asked.

"Entirely," Thorin agreed. "I'm tempted to send word to Lira to have her start her way her as soon as the snows start to let up in the slightest or see if she can convince the Eagles of Manwë to give her a lift here."

Bilbo nodded and they walked into the throne room, taking their places alongside Dis and Balin who already waited with a number of guards, including the one taking Dwalin's place as Thorin's personal guard, not moments before the rooms along the main catwalk to the throne opened.

"Where is Fili?" Dis hissed.

Thorin shook his head minutely and turned to greet the entourage approaching them. He was just about to make an excuse for Fili when he and Kili entered looking slightly disheveled like they'd just come from the training grounds and had done the bare minimum to make themselves presentable.

"Please excuse our tardiness, Your Majesty," Fili said. "We were asked to assist with the capture of a dangerous criminal."

Thorin nodded, wondering if they'd been in the assassin's path and had helped the guards. Seamlessly, Balin stepped forward to smooth ruffled egos with Bilbo's help.

Thorin waited for his part in the proceedings until the end of the Challenge was issued and he affirmed the Challenger's intent before letting the fight commence.

Keinget did show promise for all she was young for a guard but the Challenger was of noble birth and had trained with the sword since she was little more than a pebble. Keinget, who'd spent her youth in the slums of Ered Luin and had only recently started weapons training, did not stand a chance against a classically trained swordsdam with well over seventy years of experience. She lost the fight after a good twenty minutes, her sword knocked from her grasp and a blow slammed to the side of her head, knocking her unconscious.

"I have a gift for the crown prince," Yvoznre, daughter of Beiwilre said and retrieved a box from one of her staff. She handed it to Balin who opened it and searched its contents for anything nefarious before handing it off to Fili. The slight frown mostly hidden by his beard gave Thorin hope. Something was not right about the gift.

Fili opened the box and pulled out a golden crown studded with sapphires and diamonds. He turned it this way and that as Thorin watched. Finally, Fili set it back in the box and tossed it to the ground. "I don't accept," he said. "The workmanship is poor, the gems are low quality, the gold is impure, and the gift is thoughtless. What need have I of another crown and one created with such obvious little devotion?" He looked over at Thorin. "We're done here," he said and turned on his heal, leaving the throne room without another word.

The royal family followed the Crown Prince without further comment.

Tea with Kili a few days later took an interesting turn when Fili joined them, leaning his cane against his chair once Bilbo greeted him happily. They chatted about nothing in particular as they dined on small sandwiches, scones, and jaffa cakes and drank rooibos tea. When Kili dipped his jaffa cake in his tea, Bilbo scolded him, as only Brandybucks ever did something so tasteless. Fili laughed when Kili just dunked his cake in his tea the moment Bilbo wasn't looking.

"All right," Bilbo said once the majority of their tea was gone. "Not that I don't enjoy having you both here, but what is it?"

"We were wondering," Kili started and glanced at his brother.

"If you'd put a word in with Uncle Thorin," Fili finished.

Bilbo's eyebrow rose. "Regarding what, pray tell?"

"Letting us go to Dale for one day during Yule," Kili said as he eyed the last scone.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Bilbo set his teacup aside. "If I understand this right, Yule is a week-long celebration for families and friends, isn't it?"

"We'd be spending time with friends," Kili said and reached for the last scone only for Fili to snatch it up before him. "Lady Sigrid invited us to join them for the holiday."

"She actually invited the entire family," Fili put in and bit into the scone. He tucked the bite into his cheek and added, "We just know that Uncle Thorin will insist on there being some of the royal family here for all of Yule."

"It would help show solidarity between our kingdoms," Kili added and snatched up the last jaffa cake before Fili could steal it from the plate.

Claiming the last sandwich before his gluttonous nephews, Bilbo cast a skeptical eye at the two. "This is the first time Erebor will properly celebrate Yule," he reminded them.

"And it's the first time Dale will celebrate their Midwinter Festival," Fili countered.

"Be that as it may, I don't know as Thorin will be thrilled with the idea, especially sending the two of you to Dale on your own for one of their holidays."

"We'll ask Mum and Tauriel to go too," Kili offered and dodged the kick Fili tried to deliver under the table. "Make it a proper diplomatic effort. Please, Uncle Bilbo?"

"Please?" Fili added. The two princes leaned forward in their seats, giving Bilbo the most pitiful looks they could muster.

Sighing, Bilbo picked up his tea again. "Get your mother to agree first and then I'll talk to Thorin," he told them. "I can see you won't leave me alone until I at least make an attempt."

Fili and Kili exchanged huge grins before jumping to their feet and attaching themselves to either of Bilbo's sides, thanking him profusely.

"All right, all right. That's enough," Bilbo finally said after a moment and gave them each a gentle shove so he could get some personal space. They stepped back after planting a kiss to each of his cheeks. "Go and ask your mother," Bilbo ordered once he'd straightened his waistcoat with a harrumph.

"Thanks again, Uncle Bilbo," Fili said as they left the room, excitement in each of their motions.

Bilbo shook his head fondly as they left. He gathered up the remainders of the tea service and set it back on the trays before sending for someone to retrieve it and take it back to the kitchens.

Once alone again, he went out to the greenhouse to inspect his plants, taking time to enjoy the flowers and what little sunshine made it through the overcast skies beyond the glass. He settled himself on a bench near the glass walls and stared at the greenery around him, a feeling of contentment rising as he did. He couldn't imagine how he managed to survive the first winter with no greenery or sunlight. Hobbits were made to be in the sun, even in the dead of winter after all.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Bilbo jumped and looked towards the doorway. Thorin walked in, taking his furred surcoat off as he did. While the room wasn't sweltering the humidity tended to leave Thorin uncomfortable when wearing his heavier surcoats.

"I just thought I'd enjoy what sunlight I could before duties called me into the mountain again."

Thorin took the seat next to Bilbo. "You've done quite a lot in here," he remarked as he looked around. "Do you still enjoy it?"

Bilbo smiled. "Very much," he said and let his eyes follow the paths amongst the flowers again, taking in the alstroemeria, daisies, lilies, and many other plants. "This garden has been a welcome retreat on my more difficult days."

"Was today difficult?" Thorin asked with a frown. "Has someone said or done something to make you unhappy? Have I?"

"I still struggle with physical affection at times," Bilbo admitted, leaning forward so he could prop his elbow on his thigh and his chin in his hand. "Fili and Kili joined me for tea," he admitted when Thorin gave him a questioning look. "They asked me a favor which I'll need to talk to you about in a minute. I agreed to do it for them and they both decided that I deserved a hug. It made my skin crawl."

"I'll speak to them," Thorin promised.

"No," Bilbo said, catching Thorin's arm before he could make good on his words. Bilbo urged him to sit again. "I'm doing better, really I am and I want to be comfortable to let them hug me. But some days I still can't keep my initial instincts and reactions out of the Shire."

"Explain," Thorin said, settling into his seat.

Bilbo stood, nervous energy propelling him into pacing, his hands at his waistcoat pockets, fingers tucked inside and fiddling with the contents. He didn't speak for some time, gathering his thoughts and trying to decide how to word what he wanted to say so he didn't cause a misunderstanding due to the differences in their cultures. "Hobbits don't show affection," he finally settled on. "Not outside of close family and even then it's rare, especially after a hobbit reaches their tweens."

"So it bothers you when the boys hug you?"

"Not just the boys," Bilbo admitted. "Anyone."

"I've made you uncomfortable?"

"Please don't take it personally," Bilbo pleaded, coming over to Thorin and carefully taking his hands. "It's not every time I'm touched either, not anymore. Some days are just harder than others."

Thorin held still, carefully not exerting pressure on Bilbo's hands so he could pull away at any moment he chose. "What makes a day difficult?"

Bilbo shrugged and let go of Thorin's hands, returning to his pacing once again. "The phase of the moon? The direction of the wind? The number of blueberries in my scone in the morning? I really have no clue. Some days I just can't seem to escape the Shire." He took his place back on the bench and gingerly leaned against Thorin for a moment before straightening again. "I'm trying," he said sadly.

Thorin turned towards Bilbo. "May I?" he asked, lifting an arm to wrap around Bilbo's shoulders. "I won't be offended if you say 'no' Ghivashel." After a moment of hesitation, Bilbo shook his head and Thorin let the arm fall back to his side. "I can't say that I completely understand. Dwarrow are tactile, as you know. We sleep in large groups as dwarflings. Some continue even into adulthood. You've seen the Company pile together."

"I thought it was for warmth, not out of any desire for closeness," Bilbo admitted, thinking back to the groupings he'd seen as they'd traveled, how Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur practically slept on top of each other, how Ori was always draped across Dori and Nori always had his legs thrown over the both of them, how Fili and Kili clung to each other and occasionally Thorin, Dwalin, or Balin. Even Oin and Gloin had often slept back to back. When the weather was really bad, the entire group had seemed to not care about personal space.

Thorin nodded. "That was part of it, but the act of sleeping in groups is natural. Touching is natural, especially amongst those we trust."

"I had my own bed from the day I was born," Bilbo said. "Couples share beds in the Shire but it's also not uncommon for them not too, especially as they get to the point where they don't want more fauntlings."

"How different," Thorin murmured, trying to wrap his head around the idea of not sleeping with Bilbo at his side every night. His life as a prince had meant he'd had his own room and his own bed before Erebor fell but Frerin and Dis often climbed in with him or he with them.

"Hobbits just don't touch if they can help it," Bilbo said. "Anything more than a handshake in public is considered a scandal amongst acquaintances and only new couples hold hands."

"That sounds so very lonely," Thorin said as he fished out his pipe, looking for something to occupy his hands so they wouldn't feel the need to stray to Bilbo.

"It is what it is," Bilbo said and pulled his own pipe out as well. Soon they had smoke trailing up toward the glass in little puffs and smoke rings.

"You must tell me when you are uncomfortable with touch," Thorin said. "I do not wish to cause you any distress."

"How?" he asked. "It seems odd to tell you not to hug me."

"Just say that you are having a Shire day. I'll understand and inform the others so they know to leave you alone as well."

"Thank you Thorin," Bilbo said and settled more comfortably on the bench.

"You said Fili and Kili asked you for a favor?" Thorin prompted sometime later once their nerves had settled sufficiently from the tense topic.

"It's about Yule," Bilbo said and told him about Sigrid's invitation.

Thorin smiled. "Here I thought you wouldn't allow it."

"And why wouldn't I?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin tapped his pipe out onto the stone beneath the bench. "Yule is often a time for lovers," he said. "I would think you would want to keep Fili away from Sigrid so you don't lose your bet with Nori."

Bilbo sighed. "I've given up," he admitted. "Even if I did say they couldn't go, Nori would find some way for them to communicate or be together at some point. I'll just have to put up with his cheating. Besides, if Sigrid is who Fili wants, who am I to say no?"

Resisting the urge to lean over and kiss Bilbo, Thorin tucked his pipe away after making sure there were no more embers inside the bowl. "Rightly so," he said. "Sigrid may be a kindred spirit for you though. I know Daughters of Men have certain rules they must follow in order to preserve some sort of reputation. Perhaps some of those rules are similar to those of hobbits."

"Perhaps," Bilbo said. "I'll keep that in mind."