Chapter 5

For the Company

The next day, Bilbo stayed a low profile as he was not wanting the others to know what had happened. He was a burglar after all and stealth was his ultimate skill.

"Bilbo so what happened?!"

Except... these two will eventually will break his stealth, one way or another.

"So did you and Uncle Thorin did a little something, something?!" Kili started to kid as Fili punched him at his side. "Hey, that hurts!"

"Shush, we don't want the others to know!"

"What's with the shouting back there!" Thorin called back to the line of dwarves. Fili and Kili shushed up as Bilbo had to giggle. Gosh, he was going to miss these guys once they regain Erebor.

"Bilbo!" The leader called out as Bilbo obeyed.

"Yes, yes!" He followed as he ran passed at least five dwarves and a wizard that piped his pipe to catch up beside Thorin. "Yes, what is it?" He asked as he kept their relationship strictly business.

"Three days~" Dori teased Gloin but Thorin could hear.

With a quick, sharp glare behind him; both the dwarves shushed up.

"What do you need me for?" As Bilbo followed Thorin's steps.

"I want you to scout ahead with Ori."

"Alright, is it ok if Fili and Kili come along?" Bilbo thought he can ask as he always enjoyed the twins' company.

"Certainly not!" Thorin caught up with his shout of jealously.

Bilbo lowered his head and just nodded. "Ok; I thought I would ask.." As he was curious to why Thorin acted that way as he ran back to Ori's stead passing Gandalf. Quickly the old wizard had caught up to Thorin.

"Jealous much?" As he smoked a ring out of his pipe.

"Oh shush up, you old bag." Thorin sneered as he tired of putting up with the others' teasing.

They travelled far and further this time around, the sunset was still in a long way to come and Mirkwood was at least another five days to walk too.

Both, Bilbo and Ori got along quite quickly, unlike the twins constant jokes and hassle; Ori was quite shy, but pleasant, so it was a nice change of pace for Bilbo. Tonight, Thorin promised himself that he was going to win the hobbit's heart and Dori was counting on him when money is involved.

Thorin smiled as he leans on his one arm against the tree to where Bilbo was backed up too.

"Thorin.." Bilbo smiled as he did not have a hint of hate in his eyes.

"Shall we actual kiss this time?" Thorin asked him that surprised the halfling.

'A kiss?!' His mind blew as Bilbo started to regret the idea, but yet he had escaped from the tall and dark.

Bilbo gasped as there was no one else but Thorin that has him alone. "I told you." Bilbo tensed. "We can't."

"You still didn't say no."

"Why does that matter?" Bilbo started to pout.

"So did you like the rock more or the flower?" Thorin asked as he changed the topic.

"Of course the flower more!" The hobbit spat loudly, which made Thorin smile. "Wait; I mean..." Dying in his redden cheeks. Bilbo has begun to hate that feeling.

"I see, but you still toss it away did you? It's not in your hair anymore."

"Stop teasing me, Thorin. You're just like your nephews. Always picking on me."

"Well, you are the shortest one here."

"Shut up!" Bilbo shouted as he pushed against the dwarf's chest as the butterfly feeling fluttered in his stomach.

Still struggling to decline him, Thorin then decided to lift the hobbit's chin and with a slow pace, he pecks his lips on Bilbo's. Steady and still as he was almost swept away, Bilbo pushed back.

"Thorin, we can't... it just can't work."

"Why not? Tell me." Thorin tried to find a reason why Bilbo declined.

"I'm a hobbit, you're a king." He explained. "You are supposed to find a wife, a female wife to at least bear you children."

Thorin chuckled a little as it all made sense. "Don't you see? I don't need children. Bilbo. Fili will be the next King of the Mountain."

The halfling blinked as he looked carefully into his brown eyes. "Then what you said is true?"

"Bilbo..." Thorin grinned as Bilbo has been slowing letting down his defenses. "Please forgive me, because I doubt I can hold back anymore." As Thorin pulled him into an embrace.

"What do you mean?" Bilbo asked as he was naive due to the situation, but he remembered something in his pockets that he was dying to show to Thorin. "Hang on, I got something to show you." Bilbo broke the hold as he dug into his vest pocket.

Suddenly a loud howl alarmed them both; Thorin and Bilbo looked back to the camp as the battle cries of the Orcs had came to raid.

"The company!" Bilbo shouted his concern as he followed Thorin back to the main camp where everyone was.

The dwarves weren't helpless, they were raised to be tough warriors to a boot even Ori had a slingshot for his own protection. "Kili! Fili!" Thorin cried as he couldn't find the twins in the mist of the battling of Orcs and Wargs. Thorin then remembered about Bilbo; worried that he could get himself in trouble. Bilbo told him with a sting in his eyes.

"Don't worry! I got it!" Bilbo said to him that reassured the King.

With his own sword named 'Sting', Bilbo joined in the fight as if he had battled all his life. "Balin! Fetch!" Bilbo cried too, as he tosses a useful wooden staff to the elderly dwarf that was happy to retrieve help. All together the dwarves, the wizard and the hobbit went against the dangerous Wargs and Orcs.

Bilbo watched cautiously as Gandalf scared the surrounding Orcs around him with a flash of magic. Amazed that the Orcs had turned away, but the magic itself did not affect the Wargs. The dogs of this country are definitely the ones to look out for. "Gandalf!" Bilbo cried as Gandalf was overwhelmed by the four legged creatures. Coming across to his aid, he heard Gandalf scream at him.

"No, Bilbo! Stay away!" As a Warg had almost bitten into Bilbo's arm.

"I got it!" Kili came in time as he slashed the beast's head. "Bilbo! Get out of here!"

"Kili!" It was chaotic and Bilbo couldn't tell what was happening anymore the next thing he knew a warg had jumped on Kili and an Orc that ride the beast had taken him from behind. "Kili!" Bilbo had chased them down on his two short legs.

Running across the battles, Bilbo was tired as he could not keep up with them but he tried it anyway. He could not let the Orcs get away with Kili. "Bring him back!" He shouted as he ended up in the dark woods. Then another Warg and its rider block his path. White as snow, the Warg growled at the guarded Bilbo, who held his sword.

"Give it up little one. It is you that I am after for." As the tone of the voice worried him.

"Azog..." He spurted his name as the white Orc stepped down, his Warg and harshly grabbed Bilbo's jacket and pulled him close. "Let me go!" He screamed as he whipped down his blade which it was quickly stopped by the Orc's other hand that was defected. With a large blade that replaced his removed hand, Azog teased the hobbit with his blacksmith's pride. "What do you want!?" Bilbo tried to reason as the Orc who didn't want to say anything but smile.

His teeth sharpen by blades, Azog carried Bilbo up to his white Warg. Saddled up and in front of the Orc. Azog felt up the hobbit's chest that beaten hard which made the hobbit extremely nervous. Azog then came close to his ear and whispered. "If you want to save the dwarf; we stole. You will come with me with obedience."

Bilbo shuddered, but he knew what he had to do.

"Where Kili?" Thorin asked Fili as the raid they fought against had been won. Oddly enough, it wasn't as difficult as it seems as Thorin had counted the rest of the dwarves in sight. "Where is Kili?!" He said it again as none of the dwarves or Gandalf were saying anything.

"Please tell me, where my brother?" Fili soon came to ask them with a sensitive approach.

Thorin wanted to break down as he thought of the worst then he spotted something from the hassled ground.

"No... Bilbo too.." He said in a stray as he picked up a dry pressed plant. It was the flower that Thorin had given to Bilbo and he had kept it all this time. Impressed that the hobbit did have feelings for him, Bilbo had kept at least one of his gifts, after all and now he was nowhere to be found.

"Hang on, I got something to show you."

"Bilbo..." Thorin started to tear as he remembered Bilbo sneezing in his sleep to naked into his arms and the eyes that looked hopeful to the King. Thorin shut his eyes tight as his immediate thought he would never see him again. "I shouldn't have let him go on his own.."

"Bilbo is not dead! I saw him! And I'm sure Kili isn't dead either!" Ori shouted out suddenly.

"Ori," Nori spoke up as he tried to stop him.

"No, let him speak!" Fili commanded as Thorin watch the older twin take action. "Where did you see them?"

The gnarls and the snuffling on the ground, grabbed their attention as the dwarves and the wizard looked. Azog; the one titled as the Defiler came forth riding his Warg along with his unexpected hostage. The nervous hobbit forces himself to look up and saw the breaking rage in Thorin's eyes.

"Bilbo is alive.." Fili said as Thorin was completely stunned.

"Thorin Oakenshield; King of the Mountain. So it is true that you have feelings for this one?" Azog spoke the English tongue so they can understand, but he felt disgusted as he spoke their language.

"Leave him alone! You are surrounded!" As Ori step up, but the Pale Orc ignored him.

"If you were ever wanting to see this creature again, you will come alone; to the caves of the south."

Fili hissed as he took matters in his own hands. "You have Kili too don't you!" As the Orc remain silent.

Bilbo couldn't take more about this secretive matter and spoke out to his friends. "He has Kili! And it's a trap! Don't you ever go alone, Thorin! He will kill you!"

As his outburst had earned him a whack in the face with the pale one's fist. Everyone was stuttered and was set off in rage as Azog had harmed his hostage especially Thorin who was extreme.

"Don't you dare touch him again!" As Thorin had let go his rage as he tried to show them up, but his kin and his remaining friends had prevented him so.

"I'm sorry... did I hurt you?" Azog said it sarcasm as he pulled on Bilbo's collar and set his head beside his. Turning into a swollen bruise, Bilbo shivered as he wondered what the Orc was aiming for. "Now, dirty dwarf. Do you understand now?"

"Yes." Thorin growled before he answered in a hush tone.

"Very good." Azog replied with a gnarl as he licked the side of Bilbo's face. Leaving a slick trail of saliva over his bruise, Bilbo shuddered patiently until he was done.

To only to annoy the dwarf king, Thorin knew he couldn't do anything as all it takes for Azog was to swipe his blade on his poor friend and has no choice but watch as Azog teased the little one.

"We will see you in the next nightfall." The Orc stated and took off kidnapping Bilbo with him.

Everyone was dumbfounded by what had happened, Gandalf too, but he was at most, concern as he himself the wizard had done nothing to help the poor hobbit from the danger.

"Why didn't Bilbo run away? He wasn't even tied up!" Bifur said; who rarely talk much had pointed out in anger as Bifur was usually the last one to think; he was a bit slow but again, he had an axe blade embedded in his forehead.

"Don't you understand? Bilbo did not escape because he did it for Kili's safely." Oin started to argue, but Dwalin split them up before it went any further.

Stunned to where he stands, Fili had let sadness befall him. "My brother and Bilbo too. Uncle, we need to save them." He begged his King as Thorin looked at him with worried stand.

Nodding as he agreed it very much, Azog is not going to get away with this. Revealing the pressed flower in his hand, Thorin smiled as Bilbo had started to fall for him. This time, he had to save the damsel in distress just like the children's' storybooks; he often read to his nephews when they were just toddlers.

"We will get them back, Fili. I promise you that."