Hello, hello, hello to all of you! Thank you so much for 1000 reviews, I am stunned and flattered and just generally overjoyed. I am so sorry for the wait - I am now free from exams, which is wonderful but I was struck by some awful writers block which I think I'm over now, so let's go.
I really hope that you'll enjoy this chapter, and forgive any mistakes that I may have made!
Read. Enjoy. Review.
Chapter Fifty Three # Travel On, Travel On #
There was something comforting about travelling on the frozen river for Bilbo Baggins.
It was odd, because as Kíli had so jovially pointed out on their first day of riding onto its frozen surface the idea of falling through the ice into the freezing water below had warned Bilbo away from frozen rivers since he was a little child himself. However, with Gandalf's firm affirmation that the ice was strong enough to hold them, Bilbo allowed himself to put his trust in the ice beneath his pony and revel in the joy of a road that he could see laid out before him.
There was no doubt in his mind that it was far better to follow a clear path that was laid out in front of you; it was far safer to remain on the road. That was especially true when you were trying to recover from the trauma of having the most precious person in the entire world torn from you in a truly horrific way. It was nice to be able to see where you were going and when you were to expect company along the road when your heart began to quicken with fear at the first glimpse of a stranger.
Like all good things, however, their time on the river came to an end after several weeks of travel, and Bilbo was disheartened when Gandalf declared that they were to be leaving the river.
"Must we? Surely we have a good deal further south to go?" the hobbit asked, letting disappointment colour his tone.
"While that that is true, I'm afraid that we must, Bilbo, for the weather is a little milder in the South and we cannot trust for the ice to hold safely much further after this point." The wizard looked amused at Bilbo's plight and the hobbit sighed.
There was still plenty of snow around and he could not see how the weather was at all 'milder' – he did not feel even a fraction warmer. The clothes that he found himself wrapped in by concerned dwarves and amused elves did keep him feeling rather comfortable, but the only time he felt truly warm was at night when they pushed aside areas of snow large enough for their bedrolls and Kíli curled up beside him. Somehow the young dwarf always managed to snuggle close enough to Bilbo to keep the hobbit warm with Kíli's considerably warmer body heat while keeping at least one of his limbs entwined with Fíli's. Unfortunately, night was also when the nightmares came and bombarded Bilbo's mind, torturing him with what had passed and what could have been.
Sighing, Bilbo turned his pony after the others to leave the river and glanced up at the rather beautiful forest that was so very close by. "Are we going in there, Gandalf?"
"No, we are not." Gandalf's voice was almost wistful and he smiled slightly as he looked at Bilbo. "Does your geographical knowledge extend to where we are, my dear Bilbo?"
"Well I have no idea where we are." Bilbo admitted, staring at the trees that were but yards away. "I must say it is a beautiful forest – much more inviting than Mirkwood."
"That is true, for we now stand outside the golden Kingdom of Lothlórien." Elrohir declared proudly, smiling happily at the trees and urging his pony towards them.
"Lothlórien?" Bilbo breathed in excitement – even his ears pricked up in interest.
"Ah, ah, ah, take that interested look of your face right now!" Bofur warned Bilbo almost paternally, glaring in the direction of the woods. "Those forests are dangerous - there are rumours of an elf witch that lives in those woods. Those that venture in are never seen again."
"An elf witch?" Elrohir yelped from where he was pressing his hand against one of the trees, looking highly offended.
Gandalf raised his eyebrows. "You would do well to watch your words, Master Bofur, when you know nothing about that which you speak of - Lady Galadriel is not a witch and if I were you I would not accuse her of such in the presence of her grandsons."
"Lady Galadriel?" Bilbo blinked as he remembered the elven woman he had met in Rivendell. "This is where she lives? Wait – grandsons?"
Elladan grinned, looking over at his gaping, aghast twin. "Calm yourself, Elrohir, for we knew that rumours such as this existed. Personally, I believe that they amuse her – they certainly amuse me! Yes, Bilbo, the elf you met in Rivendell our mother's mother. In fact, many in your company have met her, and I can personally assure you, Bofur, that she is no witch – though she is the most powerful elf in all of Middle Earth."
"Really?" Kíli asked, his eyes alight with awe as he stared at the woods with a look of desire that surpassed that even of Bilbo's and the hobbit smiled. He had raised his son well.
"Yes…" Elrohir smiled, relaxing at the wonder on Kíli's face.
"Who else did she speak to?" Bilbo asked curiously, still staring at the gorgeous trees before him.
"I'm not sure…" Elladan frowned slightly. "I believe she spoke to Bifur and to Balin, though I am not sure. She did direct Fíli to a bathroom."
Bilbo looked over at the blonde dwarf who blushed slightly with what was apparently an embarrassing memory.
"Let us move on," Gandalf declared strongly. "For it is easy to stare at the golden trees of Lothlórien for hours on end, but we mean to reach home as soon as possible, do we not?"
"I suppose so," Bilbo sighed, his gaze lingering on the forest even as they rode away.
Riding south on land was not too different from riding on the river when it came down to it. Some days were filled with jovial, friendly conversations and passed quickly and happily, while others dragged slowly on due to tired or irritable companions.
Nevertheless the days bled into weeks, weeks that Bilbo did not care to count. They passed another large forest that Elrohir identified as Fangorn, or the Entwood, according to the local people of Rohan, but it seemed a dark and fearful place and Bilbo was not upset that they passed by its threatening boughs. However, the darkness seemed different from the evil infecting Mirkwood, and Bilbo wondered whether the obscurity was a by-product of the forest's isolation and lack of care for the rest of the world as opposed to malicious intent.
As they followed the edge of the forest in its south-western curve, the Misty Mountains became visible on the horizon and Bilbo's anticipation grew. They were making for the gap of Rohan due to the general consensus that travelling through the mountains themselves in the middle of winter was madness and merely asking for trouble, though the goblins of the Misty Mountains had been greatly diminished by the Battle of Five Armies.
Shortly before they reached the gap of Rohan, however, they were ambushed by a company of mounted men who surrounded them on horseback and demanded rather rudely to know what their business was in passing through the kingdom of Rohan.
To Bilbo's surprise it was Fíli, not Gandalf, who answered in a calm, regal voice.
"We are simply doing just that – passing through." Fíli replied to the man's aggressive demand with the cool dignity of a prince, but to Bilbo the aura of majesty of the heir to the throne of Erebor was incongruous to the goofy young dwarf that had run around with Kíli like a five year old in Beorn's home. The hobbit could not picture the stately prince before him sliding down mountains of gold the way Kíli had described or laughing in a river as he threw mud at his fellows and protected his giggling brother, and for some reason Fíli's perfected majesty upset Bilbo greatly. "Our business is our own but we have every right to travel through these lands."
"Says who?" The man demanded mockingly.
Fíli drew himself up to his full height on his pony and sent the man a glare that would have had Bilbo turning around and sneaking away until the prince was less angry. "Says the treaty drawn between Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain and of Durin's Folk and King Fengel of Rohan. Under the conditions of the agreement, dwarves travelling to or from Erebor are to be granted free and safe passage through the kingdom of Rohan unless significant proof can be found of criminal activity. Therefore I demand that you leave us be and go about your own business."
The man looked taken aback for a moment, but then he scowled. "I don't take orders from dwarves on my home soil, not even if they do know a bit of politics. I think we deserve some recompense for the inconvenience of your presence. You give us a bag of gold, sir¸ and we'll let you go on your way."
Though Bilbo expected Gandalf to intervene, the wizard remained silent as Fíli interrupted the man in a fierce tone.
"We will give you nothing - and I can personally assure you that should you make any further attempt to rob us you will be severely punished. I do not think your king would be pleased if you violated the treaty and lost him his next instalment of gold." Fíli insisted, his eyes flashing even as he shifted his pony in between Kíli and Bilbo and the man that spoke.
"And what makes you so special that your word means anything, dwarf?" the man scoffed. "Why would my king care about my actions towards a group of dwarves?"
"I am Fíli, son of Dís, daughter of Thráin, son of Thrór and the heir apparent to the throne of Erebor." The young lad declared fiercely and the man paled.
"Oh, are you?" the sarcasm in the man's voice wavered as he glanced at his companions.
"You are truly a stupid creature, aren't you?" Fíli commented, and Bilbo looked up in surprise. That was entirely unexpected. "You dare to attempt to rob the prince of Durin's line in while he is surrounded by a wizard, two warrior elves and several bodyguards, while having the sheer impudence to question my identity? We are who we say you are and we are protected by the law of the treaty signed between our kings. We are heavily armed and we will defend ourselves if needs be. If you truly believe your king will not care about your actions, I doubt he will care about your deaths! I highly suggest you leave us be, now."
"We'll just be on our way then, Master Prince." One of the others insisted with an odd little bow that seemed sincere enough – obviously the lad was not used to addressing royalty, though it was still uncomfortable for Bilbo to think of Fíli in such a manner.
"Yes, you shall." Fíli nodded with grim satisfaction. "But bear this in mind, friends – should I hear of any dwarves being harassed by thieves - including those who ask for extra 'recompense' – passing through Rohan while the treaty is still valid, I swear that your face will be the first in my mind and I will have you tracked down and brought to justice."
Whether it was the stony tone of Fíli's voice or the weight of promise held in his eyes, the man who had been so terribly rude nodded and swallowed.
"I understand. Farewell and safe travels." With that the man cried out a loud, snapping syllable and tugged on his horse's reigns, leading his company away.
"Well I must say, Master Fíli, that was handled rather well." Gandalf commented. "Your comment about the man's intelligence was an interesting touch, but it was effective, nevertheless. Though I hope you realise that the men we just met are not a fair representation of the people of Rohan – the Rohirrim may be formidable in battle but they are a relatively peaceful people and they have no more quarrel with dwarves than other men do."
"Thank you," Fíli smiled wryly, "I understand, Gandalf. Balin always spoke of Rohan as a valuable potential ally as opposed to a prospective foe, and he seemed very enthusiastic when Fengel and Thorin drew up the treaty."
"What are the details of the alliance, may I ask?" Gandalf looked curiously at Fíli.
"Dwarves travelling to and from Erebor through Rohan are to be left in peace and helped should they come to trouble. In return, Thorin is sending a decent payment to Fengel's court." Fíli explained.
Kíli glanced at the retreating horses. "Do you think they'll bother anyone else, Gandalf?"
"Oh, I have no doubt of it." Gandalf sniffed with distaste. "Scroungers disguised as patriots - that was what they were, though there is little we can do. It is not under our authority to deal with them besides the warnings our Fíli has already cast, for after all they did not hurt us, nor take any of our possessions."
"They would've, though." Bofur pointed out, looking most uncomfortable. "What if they came across a group with young'uns? Some of the smaller family groups could be seen as an easy target to take advantage of, or worse…"
"I do not think you need worry about that particular group of scoundrels – they hardly even deserve the title of ruffians, really." Gandalf assured the dwarf. "They looked like they wield words far better than they do weapons – you may well say that their bark is worse than their bite, and I doubt even the smallest family groups would travel unarmed. What is more, I doubt they will bother any more dwarves for a while, lest Fíli make good on his promise."
Bilbo looked at the prince who looked a little pleased with himself, though there was something akin to discomfort in his eyes.
Fíli noticed Bilbo staring and frowned curiously. "What, Bilbo?"
Bilbo grinned teasingly. "It's unnerving when you act so majestically, Fíli."
Fíli raised an eyebrow in a lock of mock annoyance. "Are you saying I am not majestic all the time, Bilbo?"
"Of course I am," Bilbo scoffed, grinning at the young prince. "If you were majestic all the time it wouldn't make me feel like I should be bowing at your feet or some such nonsense when you do speak like that."
Fíli laughed brightly, the fake irritation in his eyes melting away. "Bilbo Baggins, if you ever find yourself bowing at my feet, let it be because I have done something worthy of such an honour – not because I am fully capable of adopting my tone to use my status to my advantage."
"Well, oh magnificent prince, you have already done many a worthy deed in my presence. What constitutes as 'worthy of such an honour' – should I be grovelling already?" Bilbo asked playfully, though he was only half joking.
"Oh, we all should!" Kíli cried with mock horror, turning to Nori and Bofur. "Surely you have never seen one so wonderfully majestic ever before?"
"Never!" Bofur cried vehemently, sweeping his hat off with a little bow as Nori rolled his eyes and put his pipe in his mouth.
"Alright, alright." Fíli grinned wryly. "That's enough mockery."
"Would you rather we grovelled?" Kíli asked, his voice completely serious though his eyes danced playfully.
"If we were not riding you would find yourself in a headlock right about now, brother. Does that answer your question?" Fíli raised his eyebrows and Kíli grinned the sheepish little grin he always used to show that he was sorry if the game had gone too far.
"Yes, Fíli. All joking aside, that was very impressive." Kíli noted.
"Thank you. I'd offer to teach you, but we'd never get anywhere without your running around and ordering people about." Fíli shook his head with fake solemnity.
"That's mean, Fee." Kíli pouted, though everyone knew that his jests were merely child's pay. "I don't order people around."
"Bilbo's practically your slave," Bofur pointed out. "You've said it before."
"I am not!" Bilbo protested even as Kíli smiled at him.
"Oh, I think you are."
"We've had this discussion before." Bilbo said firmly, though there was an amused smile on his face. "I am my own hobbit, I am slave to no one and that is the end of it!"
And it was, for that afternoon at least. Merely days later they passed through the Gap of Rohan and crossed the River Isen at the fords, passing through the shadow of the Misty Mountains without so much as a glimpse of a foe. Though Elladan and Elrohir had initially planned to leave the company after passing through the gap so they could ride north to Rivendell, they elected instead to join the others on the North-South Road towards the Shire.
While their presence did comfort Bilbo, the hobbit could not help the dread in his heart when he thought of why the brothers lingered. The threat of treachery still hung above their heads, though it no longer showed in their faces or haunted their footsteps, and the hobbit was almost certain that this new menace was far from over. Despite Kíli's incredible recovery, Bilbo still worried immensely about the possibility that another enemy could tear his son away from him again and he fretted constantly over the possibility that Kíli was far more afraid than he seemed. Furthermore, Bilbo was fearful that some of Kíli's attackers could have escaped and he was absolutely terrified that they would track them down and finish the assassination they had begun.
The hobbit was right to fear that some of his son's attackers had survived, for two of them had indeed escaped on their scattering ponies and followed their stolen backup plans to try and ambush their targets again. However, it would have pleased Bilbo to know that Dagr and Sindri, the twisted, psychopathic dwarves who had instigated Kíli's torture had been kidnapped themselves while attempting to cross the Misty Mountains.
As Bilbo and his friends rode homewards along the North-South Road, Dagr and Sindri were trapped in a poorly constructed goblin dungeon in the Misty Mountains, having had the misfortune of running into a group of goblins who had not participated in the battle. While the company walked on without incident, Dagr and Sindri were subjected to tortures far worse than those which they could have dreamed using on Kíli.
Bilbo would have been less pleased had he known that Dagr and Sindri escaped from their prison with a renewed determination to fulfil the task they had set out to accomplish – though it would be weeks before they could hope to catch up with their prey.
On the evening that Dagr and Sindri escaped from the Misty Mountains, thick, heavy storm clouds threw ice and rain at the small company of travellers, and Elladan suggested that they made for a cluster of caves he knew to be nearby.
"I know it is already getting dark," he yelled over the incredibly loud wind, "But I think it would be wiser to rest out of the rain tonight!"
Bilbo nodded his agreement; his teeth chattering as he pulled his sodden cloak closer around him and kept his head tilted down to try and protect his face from the bitterly cold rain. The weather had not been too cruel to them up to this point, so it was only to be expected that it would turn on them sooner or later, he supposed wryly.
"How far are these caves from the road?" Gandalf called back to Elladan.
"They are less than two hours' from here, if we ride swiftly." The elf estimated as a crackle of lighting burst through the sky and illuminated their surroundings. Bilbo's pony whickered in discomfort and shook its head.
Deciding that Gandalf's deliberation was taking far too long, Bilbo cleared his throat and tried to speak loudly. "I s-s-say we go for the c-caves!"
Gandalf looked at Bilbo but his reply died on his lips when he looked at the freezing hobbit. "Very well! Lead on, Elladan!"
With a wordless nod, Elladan flicked his wrists and urged his horse on, and all of a sudden they began to move faster and faster and the pain of the wind biting into Bilbo's face grew harsher and harsher. The hobbit began to shiver as the sky darkened further and the rain, wind, thunder and lightning increased at a rather alarming rate.
While Bilbo's trust in his good, hardy, little pony had not been misplaced in all their months of travel, it appeared that a thunderstorm was more than enough to shake the poor creature. When a bolt of lightning burst from the pitch black sky and set fire to a tree not five feet away from them, the trusty pony skidded to a stop with a whinny of distress. A startled scream tore from Bilbo's throat as he was thrown through the air, crashing violently into the snowy ground.
Unfortunately for Bilbo, the snow was not as deep as it had been and his landing was incredibly painful and utterly freezing. Snow and ice forced itself down Bilbo's collar and soaked through his relatively dry coat, stealing his breath away with the immense cold alone. Pushing himself up off of the freezing ground with a pained moan, Bilbo shook his head, dismayed when the snow did not fall from his hair. Instead, the ice melted into his curly locks, soaking his head beneath his now redundant hood.
"Bilbo!"
The shivering hobbit turned as his son ran over as quickly as he could, his movements illuminated yet another crackle of lightning. "K-K-Kíli… my p-p-pony-"
"Elrohir's got her, he's calming her down." Kíli assured him absently, grabbing the hobbit's shoulder's with a voice brimming with concern. "By Durin, Bilbo, you're soaking! Are you alright, are you hurt?"
"N-no, I'm n-not h-hurt…" Bilbo nodded shakily, glancing over towards the sound of Elrohir's voice, but he could not see the elf through the inky darkness of the night until another flash of lightning lit the night sky again. "J-just a bit c-c-cold…"
"Come on," Kíli murmured, wrapping his arm around Bilbo's shoulders and drawing him close. "This way…"
Unable to argue, Bilbo simply allowed Kíli to lead him, offering no protest when Kíli lifted him up and all but threw him onto the young dwarf's own pony. Kíli then clambered up behind Bilbo, wrapping his arms around him as though the hobbit was only a child.
"K-K-Kíli, I'm n-not a ch-child…" Bilbo tried to protest through chattering teeth, but Kíli simply called over him to the others.
"We're ready, let's go!" Kíli flicked his pony's reigns and Fosco began to move once more.
"I'll g-get you all w-wet, don't ignore m-me, Kíli!" Bilbo scolded weakly and he felt Kíli's chest shake with a chuckle.
"I'm fine, Bilbo." Kíli promised, tightening an arm around Bilbo's chest. "You're a hobbit and you're freezing. The cold never bothered me anyway."
"Stubborn dwarf…" Bilbo muttered, though he could not bring himself to protest further while Kíli's embrace warmed his freezing muscles a little. When Kíli's chin came down to rest on Bilbo's head the hobbit could only smile weakly and wonder what on earth he had ever done to deserve such a brilliant son.
Eventually they did reach the caves Elladan had spoken of, but they were far bigger than Bilbo had expected them to be.
"We should make sure that the back caves are unoccupied," Elrohir suggested as they all began to dismount. "They're the warmer ones in any case."
Without really thinking about anything other than their now fast approaching meal, Bilbo followed Kíli around between two of the lager caves, but the back caves were far from unoccupied and as Bilbo approached the first cave he found himself staring down the shaft of an arrow with no warning at all.
Before the hobbit could so much as squeak, Kíli had pulled him aside and stepped in front of him, drawing back an arrow of his own, speaking in a loud, clear and startlingly fierce voice. "I strongly suggest that you lower your bow!"
Bilbo's heart pounded quickly as he heard the others running towards them, but before even Fíli could reach them the owner of the other bow stepped out of the shadows with a look of dubious concentration. When his eyes fixed on Kíli, a look of revelation appeared on his face and he lowered his weapon. "Bless my beard... Stand down, everyone, stand down!"
Confused, Bilbo looked at Kíli who glanced back at him with a look of equal perplexity without lowering his own bow a fraction as the sound of confused mutters came from around a corner in the first cave. Fíli appeared before another word was spoken, though his drawn swords were instantly lowered to his sides as he saw the face of the stranger.
"Jari, is that you? By Durin, I nearly lopped your head off! Kíli, you can lower your bow, he's a friend."
"Jari?" Kíli repeated the name, looking to his brother with a frown of concentration.
"Yes..." Fíli nodded, before clearing his throat. "Uh Kíli, bow?"
"Oh!" Kíli grinned sheepishly, letting his weapon fall to his side before flashing one of his friendlier smiles at the stranger. "Sorry."
"Oh, don't apologise for something that could save your life." the blonde stranger grinned back, before grasping Fíli's arm fondly. "I must say, I did not expect to see your ugly mug for a good while longer!"
"Nor I you, you lumbering coward." Fíli grinned, putting a hand on Kíli's shoulder. "This-"
"Don't take me for a fool, Fíli, I recognised your brother the moment I saw him. It's good to meet you again, Kíli. My name is Jari." Jari held out his hand to Kíli and Bilbo's son shook the stranger's hand firmly.
"It's good to meet you, too." Kíli smiled warmly and Bilbo was surprised at the speed of his son's transition from suspicion to ease. "I confess I don't remember much, but I think I remember playing with you once."
Jari looked very pleased and he glanced at their gathering company, his eyes tightening slightly, though his voice remained rather light as he commented. "You travel with elves, Fíli?"
"With friends." Fíli's smiled seemed to hold more weight than usual and Jari nodded, smiling as his eyes locked with Fíli's.
"Very well then, you're more than welcome to come and share our fire, it's quite impressive even by Ari's standards." Jari offered, glancing out. "There's only seven of us, so there's plenty of room."
"Thank you." Fíli said gratefully, glancing at Gandalf who nodded slowly. "We'll have to find somewhere for our ponies-"
"There's a little cave next door where our ponies are tethered," Jari suggested. "Here, I'll show you."
Bilbo followed Kíli back out to the ponies and took hold of his own pony's bridle, scratching its nose with resigned fondness.
"You were rather cruel to me today, girl." He scolded lightly, before following Kíli into the next cave.
A young dwarf girl lying on the back of one of the ponies was the cave's only human occupant, and Bilbo would guess that she was in her late sixties or early seventies, roughly the equivalent of a sixteen or seventeen year old daughter of men, though he was not sure. She looked up in surprise as they walked in. "Jari, who – Oh, hello Master Fíli!"
"Hello, Miss Aria." Fíli nodded to the girl with a teasing grin. "Still spending more time with animals than dwarves, I see?"
"Yes, for they still have better manners and milder temperaments." She responded, sticking out her tongue in a manner that led Bilbo to assume that this was an argument the pair had had before. "Not to mention they smell better than some I could mention."
"Aria, you shouldn't be so cruel to yourself!" Jari gasped in mock horror, causing the girl to throw her hat at him without even sitting up. "Fíli and his friends will be leaving their ponies here tonight, alright?"
"The more the merrier." Aria smiled, her eyes widening when they set upon the shivering hobbit. "Oh! Are you Master Baggins, sir?"
A little surprised, but less so than he had been by Seren and Ren's initial recognition of him, Bilbo nodded with a short bow. "I am, Miss…"
She instantly sat up on the pony, swinging her legs around to slide off the pony and bow deeply. "I am honoured to make your acquaintance, Master Baggins. My name is Aria."
"It's l-lovely t-to m-meet you t-too." Bilbo nodded, cursing himself for his cold induced stutter.
"Are you Kíli? I was very young when I last saw you, sir." She raised her eyes shyly towards Kíli.
"I am." Kíli smiled.
"Come on; let's get back to the fire. Are you coming, my little misanthropist?" Jari asked the girl who shook her head and stuck her tongue out.
"No, and I'm not a misanthropist!"
"Of course not, dear sister, of course not." Jari shook his head with a grin and led the others back the other cave.
Soon enough, Bilbo was wrapped up in several layers of spare clothes sipping hot broth with a sense of great relief among a family of friendly dwarves who all seemed to know Fíli very well. However, very soon the conversation turned to Kíli.
"I can't believe - I almost forgot!" Jari cried, turning to the youngest prince of Erebor. "Your friend - Saradoc Brandybuck – he is not particularly happy with you."
"What?" Kíli's eyes widened in shock as Bilbo looked up from his soup in confusion.
"We met him in Bree," Jari began, but the young boy sitting in his lap who had been identified as Ari, Jari's littlest brother and an expert fire-starter despite his only being fifty six, interrupted him.
"Jari nearly sat on him. He was drunk as a skunk and he knocked him right off of his chair and tore his coat."
"Alright, thank you Ari." Jari swiped the boy across the back of the head, though the blonde child simply giggled. "It was an accident, so I bought him a drink to apologise since he insisted that shouldn't pay for the damage to his coat. We spoke a little and then he asked if I knew of you, Kíli, and if you were alright. When I became sure that he was really your friend, I told him what I knew and that I believed both you and Master Baggins were alive and well. He admitted that he had received no news from you for months and we began to talk, quite a lot, actually."
"They came over and joined us and we all talked and laughed all evening, it was brilliant!" Ari enthused, his eyes sparkling. "Saradoc seemed nice!"
"Was he alright?" Kíli asked with barely concealed desperation.
"He appeared to be well enough; he was looking for spices for his mother." Jari explained. "He was very relieved to discover that you were alright."
Soon after that, Bilbo stopped paying much attention to the conversation. He tried to listen to the happy conversation of the good company but the food in his belly and the warmth now enveloping him made him most sleepy.
Stifling a yawn, Bilbo subtly leant against Kíli while his son chattered away with the others. Safe and warm and completely unaware of the traitors travelling eastwards towards the Shire, Bilbo Baggins drifted off into a far from peaceful sleep
Well, there we go, I hope that was okay, we passed through so much time in this chapter so I really hope it all makes sense. It's not my best I know and I'm sorry, but the next chapter will be up ASAP and should make up for it. We will arrive back at Erebor to see just what is going on there ;)
Oh and also in an upcoming chapter I will put up a little bit about dwarven and hobbit ageing rates in accordance with this story since I've messed them up a bit!
The next chapter really should not take so long, I am sorry for the wait!
Thanks for reading, please review if you'd like, I really, really, really love receiving them!
