Memories
Ori was curious about Bilbo Baggings. He wanted to know everything about hobbits, their customs and their habits. The lad was a source of information, he told the scribe all about his people. The things were often confusing Ori, but Bilbo never once showed he was annoyed or frustrated. He was really patient, and the young dwarf was really thankful for that, because all but Balin were very easily annoyed by his web of never stopping questions. Ori knew it, but he never could control his curiosity. Balin always said that it was good for him as a scribe and scholar, but it made him have very few friends. Plus, his shyness didn't really help things. So, when Bilbo answered all his questions without getting mad or anything else, it made the dwarf really happy. From that, they built a friendship, one that truly mattered to the youngest of the Ri's. And to prove it to his friend, Ori decided to draw the hobbit. It took him 2 weeks to do the drawing perfectly like he wanted it to be. And it took 2 more weeks to muster to courage to gift it to Bilbo.
It was at Laketown that he finally did it. Blushing to the root of his hair, he shyly approached the sick and bed-ridden hobbit. "Umm B-Bilbo?" He really looked ill. His hair, usually light and bright brown, was dull, his nose red and his eyes bloodshot. "Yes Ori?" He asked, with a small smile. "I wanted to give you this. I made it for you." The dwarf blurted out before he could stop himself, putting the drawing in the lad's frozen hands. Bilbo was watching it intently, tears welling up in his eyes. "Why did you do this for me?" His rough voice asked, and Ori felt tears of his own in his eyes. "Y-you don't like it? You don't l-like it. I can take it back. You don't like it and you don't want it. I'm stupid. It was so stupid…" Ori was cut in his rambling by Bilbo's frown and shake of head. He was holding the drawing tighter to his chest. "No Ori! I love it, it's just that no one has ever done something like this for me. I just wondered why you would do this for me. You're taking this back over my dead body." The hobbit denied, while the dwarf tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean by no one ever did this for you? It's normal for family."
His friend snorted before shivering and coughing harshly. "Yeah right. You see Ori, my family is not the typic loving family. I mean, my parents were but after when they died, life was different. I was lonely and my family wasn't really by my side." Bilbo confessed in a small voice. "You don't need them! You are our family! You're part of the Ur family now! You have the rest of us by your side too. You will never be alone anymore!" Ori declared hotly. "I know Ori. I know you will not let me go. You'll be by my side and I'll be by yours, because that's what family does. Thank you, Ori. Thank you very much." The sentence was finished in a whisper as Bilbo fell asleep. The young shy dwarf smiled softly before getting out, letting the hobbit rest for a while.
Next: Dori
