Author's Note: Hopefully you all liked the last chapter, it seemed sort of rushed to me, but I hope that you liked it either way. I'm currently trying to write with a huge bandage on my right hand due to the fact that I'm rather stupid at times. I think that you'll enjoy this chapter, we haven't really had any action for our company, but it's one of many intense chapters to come. – Cas

Pressing Flowers

Chapter Seven: Escape from the Shire

Let it be said that Bilbo Baggins never has liked conflict.

Not even in his youth before his coming of age, not even when the other boys would rough house and play in the fields. He was much more content to sit underneath the large willow tree in Tuckborough just a few steps away from the main Took family Smial. He was content to watch, cringing at every hit the tiny Alphas got on each other, most of them protecting the "honor" of their future mates.

The one thing Bilbo Baggins liked even less was Breeders. He remembered many a day slinking past the main territory of their people, avoiding eye contact with any Breeder, or Breeder's chosen in sight. Even the children were aggressive; they would hiss and throw stones at anyone who made eye contact, even some people who didn't!

It was a well-known fact that no one ever crossed by their land in rut. While Alphas were aggressive toward females and other males to attract the attention of Omegas, Breeders were down right vicious. They would attack or claim anything that breathed, it didn't matter if they could reproduce or not, and it wasn't rare to hear snarls or animalistic calls from fights, and even less rare to see torn up young Alphas limping back after a nasty encounter.

Breeders were heartless, they were hopeless, and they were the last thing that Bilbo Baggins wanted to worry about before his journey to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim Erebor.

"No, no, no!" Bilbo said frantically. He found himself allowing his eyes brush over Hamfast's face as if he was expecting the Hobbit to suddenly shout that it was a joke. "I-i-it can't b-b-be true!" His voice broke, feeling more broken than he had it so long. He could hear the Breeders coming towards his smial. The horrible taunts could already be heard being shouted to intimidate him. He was far more than intimidated at this point.

He flew to the window peaking from behind the curtain that hung to block the shade only to move out of the way as a large rock came crashing through the window.

"We're here for you Baggins!" One of the breeders roared, causing Bilbo to tense. He knew that voice anywhere. That was the voice of the Breeder who was the first to take him on his coming of age. "Don't force me to come and get you. It's time for your calling." He snarled out as another rock was found sailing through another window.

"Come out you abomination!" The second Breeder ground out as he raised another stone to throw.

There were roars of distress and threats that seemed to be spewing from the Dwarrows in his entrance hall, and the threatening snarls that were escaping from Firik. Bilbo startled as he felt a pair of firm yet gentle hands pull him away from the windows and watched as the golden haired Dwarrow stood in front of him to offer protection. He heard movement as if someone was about to open the door and he scurried away from Fili, who followed right on his tail. Before he knew what he was doing he was throwing himself at the door and blocking the way of Bofur, Bifur, and Dwalin.

"N-no!" He hissed raising a hand to halt them. He was having a hard time ignoring the taunting coming through the now open windows. "W-w-we can't f-f-face them, I've seen them t-t-take down two times o-o-our amount in r-r-rutting season." He said as quietly as he could, which wasn't very quiet seeing as how horrified he was at the moment. "T-t-they c-c-cannot be stopped. W-w-we have to r-r-run!" He said quickly turning to lock and bar the door, hoping that it would be enough to stall the Breeders long enough to gather their things and sneak out the hidden door he had.

He ignored the stares and glances that he was receiving, and that were being exchanged over his head by and between the Dwarrows. The questions that were being spat in his direction he also chose to ignore. "What is going on?", "What do they mean "abomination"?" and the wise cracks that he knew were coming from Bofur. He moved silently as he could, very glad that he had thought to bring the mass of boots into the mudroom this morning during one of the hours that the others had been asleep.

He motioned for Firik to move off and ready himself for travel. He slipped into his room and grabbed his pack before rushing to collect his weapons. Strapping a small sword of Dwarven make, and three small knifes, one on his hip, one in his boot, and one resting under his arm. He slipped on a small woolen cloak that was lined with the finest of animal fur He then pattered off to collect a small bow that he had made with his mother when he was only a tween that he had grown into over the years. A quiver of arrows was strapped onto his back. When he returned to the entrance way the only Dwarrow that had apparently done the same as he had been Fili.

"W-w-what are you w-w-waiting for!" He squeaked as loudly as he could. "W-w-we need to leave!" he said, motioning with his hands what he wanted them to do. No one moved they all were just silently watching Bilbo, who was starting to get extremely nervous with the depth of some of the stares.

"We go nowhere until you tell us what is going on." Thorin Oakenshield finally spoke after a few moments of listening to the insults that had evolved to fists banging on his door. His voice was gruff and extremely thick though it didn't betray any form of emotion, or any feeling that he had toward the situation. "My men go nowhere-." He was cut off by an extremely emotional hobbit before he could even finish his statement.

"W-we don't h-have time!" Bilbo exclaimed! "D-d-d-don't you see?!" He spat, wiping furiously at his cheeks, the terror in his eyes was very much real. That amount of horror and fear couldn't be a jest.

"What will happen if they get in?" Kili asked with a very innocent expression on his face.

"T-t-t-they will take me!" Bilbo sniffled out, "I-I-I've been c-c-called." He said, continuing his futile attempt to stop the now profuse flow of tears cascading down his flushed cheeks the only think he heard was a harsh gasp from the tall Wizard, who had finally seemed to understand the horror that was rushing through the Hobbit. Firik was obviously upset with not being able to comfort his master; he circled Bilbo's legs much like a cat, whining as if to grab the poor Hobbit's attention.

"Oh Bilbo," Gandalf sighed out, finally understanding what the entire fuss was about. He had watched in confusion the entire time and now it was finally clear to him what was going on, "Oh my poor, poor Hobbit." He said, slowly kneeling down and wrapping the hobbit in a warm embrace. He was silently comforting the Hobbit for a moment before he turned Thorin with conviction in his eyes. "To put it in humane terms, a calling is a ceremony where the called is typically an innocent who is… Well to put it bluntly, tortured until death, or maddness." He informed, his eyes spelling out murder. "If they aren't killed during the ceremony, most take their lives within days." He growled out. Bilbo had forgotten just how well Gandalf had known his mother.

Belladonna took had taken it upon herself to educate the Wizard of the true nature of Hobbits, though obviously the memories of those long lessons had only just returned to the Grey man. Bilbo was happy none the less that perhaps they could get out with little to no struggle!

The next thing Bilbo knew is that he heard his front door being thrown open. He looked up long enough to see Fili charging into the front garden sword drawn. Bifur, who had charged after Fili, on the other hand was completely weaponless, choosing to pounce on the hobbit that had been pounding on the circular front door with an animalistic roar that had escaped him as he made contact.

Bilbo could hear the shriek of the Hobbit who had been hurling curses through the window before he heard the dull thud of a body hitting the ground. He tried not to imagine what had happened, but he knew that Fili had likely run the Breeder through with little thought. He could hear distinctly non-human noises coming from Bifur and he harsh sound of a painful beating happening on the front step. Only when he heard Fili cursing the speed of Hobbits did he know it was time to move.

"Hurry, Fili." Could be heard from Thorin around the same time that Bofur stated, "No Bifur! You haven't a clue where that filth has been, don't bite it!" Then suddenly in a bustle of movement, everyone was rushing to gather their packs and bursting out of his front door. At some point Fili had rushed back into the smial only to grab Bilbo and his pack before rushing off down the street of Hobbiton. If Bilbo still hadn't been in shock still, he likely would have giggled at the fact that Fili had covered his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the two mutilated bodies on the front stoop.

There were a few moments of panic, a few moments that Bilbo was sure that he heard the hurled insults of more breeders, but as they charged towards a small pack of ponies roughly 200 yards from his house he couldn't help but laugh silently. His cloak was barely on, he was running the fastest he had ran since his coming of age (that thought made him blanch slightly), and he was with a pack of the oddest creatures he had ever met.

If asked later he would tell you he didn't remember much, just his pack being taken from him by Bofur, and his cloak being straightened by Bifur. He remembered Ori and Dori carefully wiping the now dried tears off of his cheeks, while Nori, Bomber, Oin and Dwalin each patted on him on the back once before rushing off to do their duties. He remembered watching Fili mount a pony who he would later find out was named Daisy, before feeling himself being lifted up. He was protesting the entire way much to the amusement of the Durin brothers, on to the same equine by Kili, who simply gave him a cheeky grin before trouncing off at his Uncle's call. The only thing he got from Thorin was a cool glare, and a slight snarl, but he honestly could say he didn't mind much, he was overwhelmed already that the Dwarrows had taken him under their wings, and were now helping him do the one thing he never thought would be done.

They were helping him escape from the shire.

To some that would seem like a small task, if one compared the land of Hobbits to any other land they would say the escape was small, but it was a fantastic. These people who he hardly knew had adopted him; they were fleeing as fast as the ponies could carry them, just for him. They were caring for him; Fili had him cradled gently, protecting him from falling off of the galloping pony. He felt safe in the arms of the Dwarrow, it was a feeling he hadn't felt in such a long time. Just like the warmth that was flowing through him, that unnamed emotion that he had never felt before in his entire life.

If anyone asked him once they reached the outskirts of the shire why he had his face buried into the crook of the flaxen haired Dwarrow's neck, he would say that he was protecting it from the wind. Even if deep down inside he knew that it was so he would feel that warm feeling deep in his chest again.

And Fili, well Fili couldn't really bring himself to mind all that much.

TBC