Author's Note: Well... I'm back. And never before have I ever been so happy to be writing this fic than I am now. I'm not... I am so not ok right now. I knew, I knew BOTFA would be bad, but Mahal... I just didn't realize, accept, acknowledge just how bad it was going to be until I sat down in my seat at the cinema and the music started playing. Then I realized there was no way in seven hells I was going to survive the movie in one piece. And I haven't, I've returned from it torn between feeling so heart-sick that I'm gonna cry any moment and so utterly furious that I want to scream. Just... argh, what hell! I mean, why? Just why PJ? Why did you do the things you did? Seriously...
'cough' On another note, I get acorn thing now. I love the acorn thing! I so have to work that in here somehow. As I said above, never before have I been so happy and grateful to be writing this thing. I predict that will be writing heaps for this as means of free therapy to help get over the heartache slash headache BOTFA is.
Do you want me to shut up now? I'll shut up now. Please enjoy this chapter while I go and sit in corner and contemplate the meaning of life and sob bitterly.
Chapter Sixty-One
Allies and Obstacles
Bilbo played nervously with ties of the lovely blue and silver over gown she wore over top of a soft, loose cream dress.
"What we doing Mama?" Frodo asked, tugging gently on her hand as they walked down an unfamiliar stone corridor, led by Fili with Nori walking behind them. As a rear guard, Bilbo thought grimly before turning her attention back on Frodo who was still tugging on her hand persistently.
"We're… we're meeting with some people, some very important people, so we must be on our best behaviour, yes?"
Frodo cocked his head to one side as he stared up at her.
"Will Thorin be there?" He asked, rubbing a hand against his nose as he sniffed.
"Aye, laddie." Nori said from behind them, "he'll be there. Along with Balin, Dwalin and I do believe Lady Dis."
"Yes," Fili said, looking back at them, "Mother will be there also." Bilbo felt her tense shoulders relax a little. Knowing that Dis would be present for whatever this meeting was calmed a good many of Bilbo nerves, if for no other reason that Bilbo knew or suspected that Dis was very good a keeping a large group of angry dwarves under control. And Bilbo suspected that, upon the meeting with Thorin's council, there would be a good many angry dwarves to contend with.
Fili knocked upon a large oak door which opened after the second knock and Bilbo walked in with Frodo, who was pressed against her side, sniffling against her skirt. After this meeting, she really would have to talk to Oin about acquiring the ingredients she needed for her cold medicine.
The chamber they had entered were very simple, a fireplace, a table and some chairs, another oak door stood closed on her right. A very simple chamber indeed but it was the characters standing around it that made it interesting.
Thorin and Balin immediately looked up from the papers they had been pouring over on the table as they entered and Dis smiled welcoming at them both from where she stood by the fireplace, but Bilbo took little heed of them as she stared at the two dwarves standing at the table with Thorin, their heads still bent over the papers. The youngest dwarf, she did not know, but he looked quite a bit like a Kili, only with a much heavier build and fuller black beard. The older dwarf, while they had never been formally introduced, she knew perfectly well who he was even if Thorin hadn't told her earlier that morning that she would be meeting him.
He hadn't changed much from the last time she had seen him… well, except for the blood. There was of course no blood covering him this time round. But still, the same mass reddish grey locks covering every inch of his head were the same, as were the intelligent eyes staring back at her now under a heavy brow. He was a broad shouldered dwarf, broader of shoulder than Thorin and of a similar height to Dwalin. He looked to be just as menacing as Dwalin had the first time she had met him upon her doorstep all those years ago.
He didn't know her, didn't know that they had both, at different times during the Battle of Five Armies saved each other's lives, and yet, the way he was looking at her now, with those dark, intelligent eyes made her seriously start to wonder if he did, indeed, know of her part during the battle.
She swallowed nervously as Dwalin closed the door behind them with a sharp click. She stood as straight she possibly could with her child clinging to her for dear life. It was unusual for Frodo to be so shy around strangers, but given what he had had to deal with just yesterday and that he appeared to be coming down with a cold, Bilbo could not fault him for being more clinging that usual.
"So," Dain was moving around the table and walked towards her and Frodo with calculated steps, his brow forwarded as he stared them both down, "this is the hobbit."
Oh for the love of… They were all the same! The whole bloody line of Durin was the same!
"Well don't stop there." She retorted tartly, her tongue quite running away from her "I'm also the grocer's daughter, yes? By the name of Mistress Boggins? You know, not everyone is able to possess the talent for giving inspiring and brilliant first impressions like you Durin folk can! Not everyone can look majestic and battle-ready all the damn time!"
Behind her she could hear Fili choking on his laughter and Nori was sniggering outright while Balin looked at her with an expression torn between being horrified and completely exasperated. She didn't dare look at Thorin who was probably contemplating strangling her. Dwalin was shaking his head; Dis appeared amused while the young dwarf stared from her to the Dain, who was still staring down at her with intelligent, contemplative eyes.
"Got ya self quite a wicked tongue there." Dain rumbled in his heavily accent tone, "Mind it doesn't get you into trouble."
"Too late. It already has. How do you think I ended up here, in the middle of this mess?" What was she doing? Every word she spoke was causing her to wince and yet, still, she couldn't shut up. She bit down hard upon her tongue
Dain took a step towards her and without any warning, a squeal escaping her mouth as she was pulled bodily against a hard, muscular body, a heavy arm coming to rest upon her shoulders while all around her a loud and booming noise echoed. She peeked cautiously up at the dwarf she was currently being pressed against, her mouth dropping as she saw that his head was thrown back as he laughed a loud booming laugh that shook his whole body.
"Ah, Thorin." Dain chuckled grinning at the slightly frantic looking Thorin, "I like her. I like ya, lass." He added grinning almost manically down at her.
"Oh… wonderful." And before she could stop her tongue, the following words flowed from her lips, "I live and breathe to be liked by dwarves."
Again, Dain threw his head back, letting out a barking laugh. What… what was happening? She was feeling rather like she had taken a hit to the gut by a mace, the wind in her lungs having been completely knocked from her body.
"They said ya were a character, had to be, of course, to catch that one's eye." Dain jerked his head towards Thorin who was scowling once more, "but they made no mention of your clever tongue."
"My clever tongue that gets me, repeatedly, into disastrous situation? That tongue?"
"Aye."
"Well, I had rather been thinking of cutting it out if you must know, to save myself from further disastrous or embarrassing situations. Not having it would probably solve many of my current problems."
"Aye, that may be so. But without that clever tongue of yours I imagine things around 'ere being far less interesting and entertaining. Be a right bore, I should think. Best be keeping ya wicked tongue, there's nothing wrong with giving these lot a lashing when they're needing it." He winked down at her causing her to blush red.
"Dain." Thorin rumbled and Dain let out another barking laugh as he released her. She stumbled a little backwards, Frodo once more pressed firmly against her back.
She was still regaining her balance so she barely heard Dain rumple something to Thorin in Khuzdul, something that had Thorin glaring while several of the dwarves standing around the room sniggered. She was certain that at least three of the words Dain had spoken to Thorin were 'Let', 'Go' and 'Her' but she wasn't entirely certain, her Khuzdul was so rusty. She would have to talk to Bofur and Ori about them teaching her Khuzdul and then testing what she learnt from them with Bifur.
"Lass," Balin said his tone strained, "may I introduce Dain Ironfoot, Lord of the Ironhills and his son, Thorin Stonehelm. Dain, Thorin, our burglar, Bilbo Baggins and her son, Frodo Baggins."
It took a little coaxing for her to bring Frodo from where he was still pressed against her back, to get him to stand in front of her. She bit back a cry of protest when Dain bent and lifted Frodo right off the ground and up into the air so that he was eye level.
"He's tiny." Was Dain's first comment after a long moment of him looking Frodo up and down. Frodo let out little indigent cry.
"Am not!" Frodo protested grumpily, kicking his feet out in annoyance, "I'mma taller than all the other fauntlings my age!"
"Got ya temper," Dain snorted, ignoring Thorin disapproving looks being sent his way, "He look just like ya did when ya were a lad. Or Frerin, but then, yeh two did look remarkably alike as youngsters. Here ya go, laddie back to ya Mama." With a wide smile, Dain placed Frodo into Bilbo's waiting arms. She ran her hand through Frodo's curls as she stared up at Dain.
"Yer've raised a fine lad, Mistress Burglar. A fine lad. A special lad, I've heard." He didn't seem to be bothered by her hesitation or her questioning looks to Thorin.
"Thank you, Master Ironfoot." She replied politely after a moment, giving a small tilt to her head in the dwarf's direction. He chuckled loudly at her words, giving her a wide wink.
"Anymore lasses like ya in those green lands of yours?" Dain asked and as Bilbo gapped up at him she could hear Thorin groaning. Actually, she was certain it was both Thorins' groaning.
"Um…"
"Dain!" Balin sighed.
"I'mma not asking for me self, but my lad could do to have a spirited lass for a wife and well, I have nothing against him taking a hobbit as a bride… or husband." Now she was certain that at least one of the Thorins' had smacked his head against the wooden table. Dain winked at her mischievously causing her smile a slow but true smile back.
"You might be hard pressed around Hobbiton, but I'm sure if your lad put a bit of effort into learning our ways of courting and our flower language, he could certainly charm a Took lass." She replied easily, grinning as Dain laughed.
"Da!" the younger Thorin cried, his eyes beseeching his father to stop.
"We'll talk on the matter later, Mistress Burglar." Dain said ruefully.
"Why, of course, Master Ironfoot." Bilbo replied dutifully back fighting to keep a grin off her face as several dwarves stared at them in complete disbelief.
"I knew I was gonna like ya, lass." Dain boomed, "We're gonna get along just fine." Bilbo couldn't help but let out a small relieved laugh.
"Wonderful," Nori said from where he leant by the side door, "now let's hope the council will have a similar reaction."
"Doubtful, but most of them 'ave sticks up their arses." Dain snorted before looking guiltily over to where Bilbo had franticly tried to clap her hands over Frodo's ears, "Ah, oops, sorry. Laddie, forget I said that… or at least, don't ya go repeating it." Frodo solemnly nodded his head between Bilbo's hands.
"Good lad. Right," Dain clapped his hands together as he looked around the room, "ready to meet with the wargs."
"No…" Bilbo said in a very small voice, as she wrapped her arms more closely around Frodo. She had been certain no one had heard her, except Thorin was looking at her with a pained expression. Unable to apologise with words, he was doing his best to convey his emotions with his eyes. She swallowed and nodded back, fighting back the waves of nausea currently assaulting her stomach.
TMPoT
Bilbo had seen dwarves before, of course she had, she had spent almost every moment of a whole year in the presences of thirteen very individual souls and the she had seen many dwarves during her return trip to Erebor and within the mountain itself. But even with her previous experiences, they did absolutely nothing to prepare her for meeting with Thorin's council, who appeared to be of a completely different race of dwarves.
Their beards, both male and female, were fuller and more elaborately braided (and honestly she had thought no one could surpass Dori and Nori when it came to hair styles and elaborated braiding… well, it was lucking she wasn't a betting woman) with gold and silver thread and beads weaved heavily into their hair. So much so, Bilbo could not understand how they were able to hold their heads straight under all that weight. Their clothes were just as elaborate, made with fur and velvet, and heavily embroidered with silver, gold and all different kinds of jewels.
She felt quite intimated as they stared back at her, taking in every inch of her, from her simple (compared to them) braided hair, to her blue and silver gown. Her bare, hairy feet got an extra amount of scrutiny, to the point where she was desperate to hide them in some way. It took all her self-control not to verbally express her thoughts on the whole matter.
Of course, once Frodo was introduced to the council, they all but forgot about her as they stared down at her son. Frodo did not take their scrutinizing looks well and was fidgeting badly beside her and Thorin. The dwarven council muttered away to each other, while Thorin gazed back at them impassively though there were multiple times Bilbo saw his hand, the one not resting upon Frodo's shoulder, twitch against the knife strapped to his belt. Around her, she saw several of her dwarves pulling discreet faces, obviously not liking whatever the council was saying. She made to open her mouth several time, only for Dis to gently (and at times, not so gently) nudge her in the ribs to keep quiet.
One of the council members finally spoke to Thorin, his gaze disapproving while at the same, curious and with the tiniest hint of awe.
"If you would not mind," Thorin said back the heavily braided black haired dwarf and to the rest of his council, "I ask that you speak in the common tongue, for the sake of my child and his mother, both of whom cannot speak Khuzdul." Several council members scowled in her direction and it took every bit of self-control she possessed not to start snapping obscenities back at them in Sindarin, just to see how they would like it. Her main reason for not doing just that was that Frodo might just copy her and that honestly wouldn't help anyone, least of all him.
"We accept that the child has indeed been sired by yourself," The black haired councilman started, "But we confess, we do find it hard to believe that the child is indeed Durin reborn."
Thorin glanced from Frodo to her, nodding as she moved forward.
"Come here, sweetheart." She said softly as she started to undo the buttons of Frodo's vest.
"Mama," Frodo whined, albeit quietly, "I'm not a baby. I can undo them myself."
"I know." She smiled at him, "but just this once, can you let mama do it?" Frodo sighed softly, a small pout playing on his lips before he nodded.
"That's my big, strong boy." She whispered as she finished undoing the buttons of his vest, pulling it off and settling it in her lap before starting on the first couple of buttons of his shirt, undoing just enough for the sleeve to slip comfortably off Frodo's shoulder.
Once this was completed, Thorin slipped his hands underneath Frodo's armpits and lifted the little boy onto his hip, walking him over to where the council stood on the other side of the chamber. Bilbo's finger nails bit harshly into her palms as she watched silently as Thorin took great care in showing Frodo's mark to his council.
Frodo stared over Thorin's shoulder back at her, his young eyes filled with great unhappiness at being examined and whispered about in a language he did not quite fully understand.
"Just a bit longer," She mouthed at him before he buried his head into Thorin's hair, his tiny fist curling around one of Thorin's braids from where it had originally rested upon his shoulder. Her little one had never been one who enjoyed being the centre of attention and this was clearing becoming more than he could bear.
She could hear the mutterings of the council becoming more frantic and heated, their eyes once more burning towards where she stood.
Thorin growled something to them as he moved away, setting Frodo back down upon his feet upon reaching Bilbo's side, Frodo once more clutching himself to her side, her hands gently coming to rest within his curls.
Of course, the councillor's questions did not cease upon Frodo's return to her side, if anything they became even more heated and more demanding. Thorin, Balin, Fili and even Dain stepped forward to have their say, deflecting as many as the prying questions away from mother and child, mother who could not quite understand the rough, deep chested language being spoken and child… child whose brain was understanding enough to be left only feeling more confused and desperate.
He did not like how some of the council members looked at him, how they spoke towards him and his mother, asking him questions he had no answer to. Why had he chosen to be reborn as a dwobbit? How was he supposed to know? What did he remember of his last life? He couldn't even remember his time spent as a baby, how was he expected to remember a whole other life? What was his plan? Did he even have a plan? How…
"Stop it!"
"ENOUGH!"
Frodo buried his face into his mother skirts, sobbing quietly as his parents scowled furiously over his head. He made no protest as his mother lifted him into her arms, wrapping his arms securely around her neck as she staggered a little under his weight.
"Leave the child be." Dain rumpled, eyeing the council with narrowed eyes. "Or 'ave ya all forgot that he is but a child."
Bilbo shifted Frodo so that he sat more comfortably upon her hip, not caring in the slightest that he was too big for her to hold like this and her hip was protesting loudly to his weight. Instead she focused all her energy on glaring at the dwarves before her. Some, she was pleased to see, looked to be at least a little ashamed of themselves while others looked simply irritated.
"You asked to be introduced to my son," Thorin spoke in an even, controlled voice, "you have. You asked for proof that he is Durin, proof you have seen. I called this meeting to an end."
"Sire," Several members of the council protested, "the boy is Durin… he - we must…"
"I am well aware that he is Durin," Thorin retorted coolly, his ire starting to show through his cool facade, "But he also happens to my son, and as my son, I decided what he must and must not do. And at this current moment in time, he must go with his mother, and I will decide, at a later date, when he must meet and talk with you again. Until then, no one has permission to question him in any regards to any of his past lives as Durin." As he spoke, he was making tiny signals behind his back for Bilbo to take Frodo and leave the chambers with Nori (who had once more materialised out of thin air) to escort them out.
"Hush, sweetheart." Bilbo whispered to her son as she left the chamber, trying to walk as straight as possible, despite the significant weight upon her left hip. Frodo sniffed against her neck, before nodding, squirming to be let down now that they were away from the council.
"Don't like them." He grumbled, rubbing his nose against the sleeve of his shirt. Bilbo found she could only nod in response, trying not to think too hard that they would be playing a major part in her trial.
"Aye, laddie," Nori responded to her son words with a snort, "not many do. But what can ya do?"
"Not have them as part of the council?" Bilbo muttered harshly under her breath as she helped Frodo back into his vest.
"Ah, but that would upset a good many folk. Most of those council members were part of the council when Thror still reigned. Things will be different when Fili comes to be King. The council will be filled with new, fresh blood with no bad feelings to be felt among the older generation."
"Because most will be dead?" Bilbo asked dryly.
"Aye, that." Bilbo rolled her eyes to the ceiling of the chamber they had stood in earlier that morning, her hands twisting within her blue gown. She frowned when her finger brushed against something hard and metal in one of the hidden pockets of her gown. What… did she have in her pocket?
She pulled the object out, still frowning.
"Nori!" She held the tiny, sheathed knife out to the spy master, who stared back at her with wide, innocent brown eyes.
"Wha?"
"Why?" She asked as she waved the tiny knife at him.
"Ya never know." He shrugged refusing to take the knife from her, "could be useful."
"Nori!"
"Just saying." The former thief said, turning away from her and the knife. Bilbo opened her mouth to protest further but was stopped by Fili slipping into the side chamber with them, shaking his head slightly.
"Uncle and Ma and the others might be awhile." Fili said, gesturing for Bilbo and Frodo to follow him out of the chamber.
"Am I in trouble?" Frodo asked in a small voice.
"No," Fili said beating Bilbo to it, "not in trouble at all. But you know how adults are, always making a bigger fuss over things than they need to." Thorin's golden haired heir winked at Frodo who giggled. His giggle was quick to turn into a sneeze.
"Oh dear…" Bilbo said, resting a hand upon Frodo's forehead, noting it felt warmer than it had earlier that morning. "Nori?" The spy master was at her side almost immediately, Fili watching on silently. "Would you mind terribly and going and fetching Oin for me? Frodo," she stared down at her son, who was pouting up at her, "is, I'm fairly certain, coming down with a cold."
"Am not!" the little boy protested as he rubbed his sniffling nose once more upon his shirt sleeve.
"Uh huh." Bilbo looked away from her son, unconvinced, turning her attention back on to Nori. "As soon as you are able, of course."
"Don't be silly lass," Nori snorted, "I'll go get him now." He knocked his head gently against hers and ruffled Frodo's hair before striding a swift as any alley cat down the corridor. Bilbo had been all for smiling after him if not for finding three more bloody knives stuck in her other gown pocket.
"NORI!"
"He's meant to steal things, not irritate people half to death by shoving dangerous weapons into their pockets." Bilbo muttered under her breath as she, Fili and Frodo made their way back up the winding corridors back to, Bilbo was certain, hers and Frodo's chambers.
Fili chuckled softly.
"He's just looking out for you."
"By stashing knives all over my person? At this rate, I'll have as many hidden knives on me as a certain heir."
Fili let out a small laugh before his face, quite suddenly, became very uncomfortable.
"Fili?" Bilbo cocked her head to one side looking up at young dwarf in concern.
"I…" It was strange to see Fili so lost for words, so utterly uncomfortable and it disturbed her greatly. She was used to seeing him confident. Yes, he did not possess the same level of self-confidence as Dwalin or even Thorin, he was still very young after all and still learning the ways of the world but still he had always displayed a quiet confidence in almost everything he did. So to see him looking so completely unsure of himself was quite strange and upsetting.
"I… I just wanted to ask you…" He stuttered, not quite meeting her eyes.
"Yes?" She prompted him gently, "What is it Fili?"
The young golden haired dwarf shifted from one foot to the other before finally shaking his head, directing a bright and entirely fake smile back at her and Frodo.
"It is nothing. Please forget it." He wasn't so much as asking as begging. She stared up at him for a long moment before sighing heavily threw her nose.
"If that is what you wish?" She replied and watched as his bright blue eyes, so like his uncle cleared with relief to completely different shade of blue.
"Yes… thank you." He nodded vigorously.
"But you know…" She continued softly, "you can always talk to me Fili. I will never betray your confidence nor will I pass any judgement upon you. You know that yes?"
Fili stared at her before nodding
"Of course Bilbo." His smile was still very bright but there was a hint of truth behind it now. "Now," he added as they reached her chamber door, "I must leave you both. I need to make sure that Kili and Helm aren't trying to kill each other. Helm is known to, ah, wind Kili up a bit about, ah…"
"The volume of his beard?" Bilbo asked a tiny smile playing on her lips.
"Yes, that. Or, you know, the lack thereof."
"Poor Kili."
"You think he has it bad with Helm, wait until Gimli comes." Fili shook his head in disgust, "Lad's almost a decade younger and already has a beard that rivals his father." Bilbo laughed.
"Go on then, save your brother… or Helm… Both?"
"More like saving them from tumbling off the side of a ledge than from anything else." Fili snorted before bowing to both her and Frodo.
"Oh Fili." She said feeling quite flustered, "Don't do that!"
The golden prince simply wiggled his eyebrows at her before leaving back down the corridor, Bilbo shaking her head after him.
"A-CHOOOO."
"Alright young man, in you go." Bilbo said waving her son into their chambers.
"I'm not sick!" Frodo grumbled, as he continued to sniffle miserably.
"Uh huh and I'm not a burglar, now go, in you get. Nice hot bath, some food and then to bed with you."
"Medicine?"
"Oh yes… that too." Bilbo laughed at Frodo comically horrified face before closing the door to their chambers.
Author's Note (AKA where I'm going to bitch and moan over BOTFA, so if you haven't seen it, SPOILERS! Though, I'll try to keep them to a minimum and be extremely vague about it): So right now, as I said above, I'm so torn between loving BOTFA and absolutely wanting to scream at Peter Jackson over all the things he's done in the movie.
(SPOILERS: Seriously if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read)
First off, why does bloody Alfred have more screen time than most of the dwarves? Why do no-name elves have more screen time than the dwarves! I mean, I love elves as much as the next hobbit but C'MON! This is a movie, a trilogy about dwarves! Dwarves on a quest, dwarves reclaiming their homeland and gold, dwarves fighting to defend their reclaimed homeland to their last breaths! It's not about elves! Bard (and don't get me wrong, I love Bard and his little Bardlings) has more screen time than most of the dwarves and he was pretty much a walk on character in the book! I just... I don't understand.
And when dwarves are on screen it our main guys (Thorin, Kili, Dwalin & Balin) and again I don't mind, I know we do have thirteen dwarves but couldn't some of Alfred and Bards and Thrandy and whatever random elf pops up been cut to make room for I don't know... FILI!
Yeah, I have so totally jumped on the Fili bandwagon. I mean, I was on it before, but more like sitting on the edge, but now I'm jumping up and down on it. My parents had to literally hold me to my seat because I kept sobbing and asking 'what about Fili?! Kili, this isn't about her, its about FILI! Remember Fili. They were suppose to die together, all of them!' and so on. I was a complete mess by the credits (which we had to sit threw all of because I out rightly refused to go back into society sobbing like a two year old as I clutched my POP Vinyl invisible Bilbo to my chest). I just... I don't know.
BOTFA was all I hoped and wanted in some respect and yet, so utterly didn't live up so many of my expectations or hopes. I understand some deviations from the books but most I'm like 'why? why do that that why? It worked fine in the book, and it would have worked perfectly onscreen, so why do it differently? Just... why? Me don't understand 'shakes head sadly.'
I could probably go on with all the things I have issues with in the film but I will end this ramble with the things I did like;
BAGGINSHIELD! Oh my gods, how well was the relationship/friendship between those two done (for those of you who have seen the movie)! I mean, just... aw! They made me smile, they made me cry, they made me pull my hair and cover my eyes and ears, they made cry and sob some more, it was just... Richard and Martin, they just did their characters so much justice, just their looks and... aw, my heart. And the acorn scene. You can see... and it was just... a little bit more and he would have come back... Yeah, I need to work that in here somehow. And Thorin's death... Oh my god, it hurts but damn
I feel so empty now... Yeah, I'm going to go and write another chapter with lots and lots of Thorin/Bilbo fluff.
Bye. Oh, I'm going down to my Dad's tomorrow and my dongle is broken, so updates might be a little eh... yeah, if you don't hear from me for awhile it because I have no internet. Sorry. I will try and update tomorrow morning before I leave.