MMMG: Okay everyone, here is chapter 9! Thanks for the 19 reviews! I love it!
We have reached the warg chase. Hold onto your middle-earth version of seat belts, cause here we go!
FanFiction Queen (guest): You're welcome for the dedication. And poor, poor Gandalf. -laughs at the sight of the maroon robed wizard with rainbow colored hair- And Kíli had mild heat stroke because he was too close to the trolls fire and stuffed in a sack, twice. He simply spent too much time near a heat source and overheated.
Malo919: Would you like some popcorn while we watch Thorin in his puppy-love stage? And you're right, some of the dwarves have figured it out. Balin, Glóin, and surprisingly or unsurprisingly, Nori, who is trying to get a betting pool going.
StEmpois (guest): Glad you like my character depictions, and Rivendell will have to wait until next chapter. Thanks for pointing out that oops, I've gotten it corrected, (I think).
Azile (guest): No, I don't purposely listen to any music. Just the background music the movie plays while I watch it, but that's it.
Alaiana Potter: Must feed inner fangirl! Rivendell is next chapter, sorry to disappoint.
Nataly S. Potter: Glad you like Bilbo getting Deathless. Sad part is he won't get to use it for a while, (Goblin Town, if I do that). While it is hard to decide what to change, the results have been good so far.
Beloved Daughter: Re-watched the cave troll scene yet? Disturbing, right? Yep, Bilbo was given Deathless, Thorin has his reasons, but he's not sharing them.
MMMG: Okay, I don't own the Hobbit or anything else from any other Bagginshield writers that may have found its way into my story. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Bilbo sighed as the two wizards went off to talk. While he didn't want to linger, he also wanted to know what Radagast had told Gandalf. He had missed the conversation last time, and wanted to know what specifically had made the brown wizard panic enough to find his friend. Thorin, apparently had the same idea and was standing with his backs to the two Ishtari, but kept frowning as he tilted his head, straining to hear the conversation.
Bilbo walked over and stood next to Thorin, who greeted him with a nod before turning to try and hear the words of the two wizards before he growled at not being able to catch all of what was being said. Bilbo touched his arm, and once he had the dwarf's attention, raised a finger to his lips while he tilted his head to hear the conversation. Thorin raised an eyebrow before glancing at Bilbo's pointed ears and seemed to get that hobbits could probably hear near as well as an elf and thus could hear the words between the wizards better than he could.
"The Greenwood is sick Gandalf, a darkness has fallen over it." Radagast was saying. "Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs."
"Webs?" Gandalf questioned. "What do you mean?"
"Spiders, Gandalf." Radagast Replied. "Giant ones. Some spawn of Ungoliant, or I'm not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."
Bilbo barely bit back a growl. Gandalf knew that there were spiders in Mirkwood? And he didn't even warn them? Maybe he thought they were in the southern part of the forest and hadn't traveled all the way north to the elven path, but he still could have warned them.
"Dol Guldur?" Gandalf looked disturbed as he looked back. "But the old fortress is abandoned."
"No Gandalf." Radagast shook his head. "Tis not. A dark power dwells there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come."
Bilbo exhaled as he tuned out the rest of what would be said. He knew that the Necromancer in the ruins of Dol Guldur was really Sauron in disguise, but it wasn't like he had gone visiting and had tea with the fallen Maiar lately, so there was no way he could warn Gandalf.
"What is it?" Thorin asked, worry in his face.
"The Greenwood is sick and filled with giant spiders the size of a horse." Bilbo sighed and spoke quietly, not wanting Gandalf to know that he had been eavesdropping. "And the source of this evil is at the southern end of the Greenwood, in a ruined fortress called Dol Guldur."
Thorin took in all of the information Bilbo heard, and Bilbo could swear he saw the wheels turning in the dwarf's head. He original planned to go around Mirkwood, and this probably sealed it. As long as they had enough time, it was possible to go around the northern tip, but it took them dangerously close to Mount Gundabad.
While Mount Gundabad was where Durin the Deathless had awoken in the First Age, it had fallen to the orcs in the Second Age, and despite multiple cleansings after many battles, it still remained an orc stronghold. In fact, it was probably where Azog was currently hanging out, or at the watch tower of Amon Súl aka Weathertop.
At that moment, a familiar and bone-chilling howl sounded.
"That was not a wolf." Bilbo snarled.
The hobbit drew his bow and notched an arrow, looking to where he knew the warg was going to leap from. And sure enough, the warg growled and jumped down from the crag it was atop of, fully intending to take down Dori for its next meal. A quiz twang from Bilbo's bow brought down the beast, where it was very quickly finished off by Dori, Nori, and Thorin. Bilbo drew back another arrow and fired over Thorin's shoulder, felling the second Warg that was going for their leader. Despite the arrow in its neck, the large canine tried to get back up, only to fall the final time to Dwalin's twin axes.
"Warg scouts!" Thorin grunted as he removed Orcrist from the warg's head. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."
"Oh joy." Bilbo mumbled sourly as he retrieved his arrows, earning sympathetic look from several members of the company who remembered what happened to his parents.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked, approaching Thorin.
"No one." Thorin replied.
"Who did you tell?" Gandalf demanded, a bit angry and loud.
"No one, I swear." Thorin shouted back before lowering his voice. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"We are being hunted, that's what." Bilbo said solemnly.
"We have to get out of here." Dwalin pointed out the obvious.
"We can't!" Ori called as he came back leading 3 ponies, Bifur leading another 4. "We only have 7 ponies. The rest bolted. We don't have enough to double up and be able to out run the wargs."
"Seven is better than none." Bilbo sighed. "We'll be able to take more supplies and have the ponies run alongside us."
"I'll draw them off." Radagast offered.
"These are Gundabad Wargs." Gandalf said as he turned to his friend. "They will outrun you."
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits." Radagast said as he pointed to his sled, earning odd looks from everyone there. "I'd like to see them try."
"Besides, what form of canine can refuse hunting rabbit?" Bilbo asked, and then looked to the brown wizard. "No offense meant, Radagast."
"None taken." Radagast shrugged in reply as he got back on his sled.
"Besides, Kíli won't be able to run for long anyway." Bilbo sighed as he gathered his pack up.
"What?" Kíli protested. "Yes I can!"
"Run from where you are to your uncle, and I'll concede." Bilbo replied.
The young dwarf looked the short distance from him to his uncle, believing that it was a pointless endeavor, but he was going to humor the hobbit anyway, and started running. But once he got halfway there, he stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face. And he would have if Bilbo hadn't caught him in time.
"You're still overheated." Bilbo sighed. "Stay on a pony and shoot any wargs that manage to find us. Hopefully, that won't happen."
Less than 10 minutes later, the remaining of the wargs and orcs had reached the forest. Taking a deep breath, Bilbo watched as Radagast and his rabbits shot out of the forest, the brown wizard laughing the bird poo right off of his face while the wargs and orc chased him. And while he was at it, Radagast was yelling some pretty good insults over his shoulders.
"Come on!" Gandalf whispered as Radagast led the wargs away, and the company rushed across a rocky plain.
Fíli had mounted up behind Kíli to help keep him steady, both of them on Myrtle. Bombur was also mounted on a pony since his weight would keep the equine more stable than the rest of them. Ori was mounted up with Nori behind him, at Dori's insistence, and Óin was on a fourth pony. Each dwarf had a lead rope that connected to their saddles leading the final three ponies so they didn't wander off.
Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Glóin, Dori, Bifur, Bofur, Bilbo, and Gandalf all had one of their weapons drawn ready to fight in case the wargs got to close. Ducking behind rocks and doing their best to keep the ponies from making noise, the company ran across the rocky plains. At one point, they stopped as Radagast and the wargs run not too far away in front of them.
"Stay together." Gandalf whispered as he gestured for them to move in a different direction.
"Move!" Thorin ordered as he gestured with Orcrist to follow Gandalf.
Bilbo knew it was a bloody miracle the wargs hadn't scented the ponies, so he thanks Eru for small mercies, knowing they wouldn't last long. Running to keep up with Ori and Nori mounted on pony back, Bilbo grabbed the bridle and pulled back to get their mount to stop so they wouldn't go out in the open where the wargs would see them. Radagast and the orc mounted wargs ran by, much closer than the last pass. That was too close.
"Come on!" Gandalf ordered and gestured in a new direction. "Quick!"
"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked as everyone ran passed him.
Bilbo paused near Thorin, who nodded for the hobbit to keep going. Gandalf didn't reply and started running again. Thorin rolled his eyes as he followed Bilbo, who had also rolled his eyes at Gandalf's actions. Bilbo had not ever been to Rivendell before, at least, not in this lifetime, so it wasn't as if he could tell Thorin what Gandalf's plans were.
As the wargs ran in front of them again, and Bilbo wondering if Radagast had any sense of direction while they pressed up against a large rock, he heard a familiar growl. Bilbo looked up to see an orc mounted warg. The warg was growling and the orc had its weapon drawn. Taking his gaze away, Bilbo realized that Thorin was looking at him, and then to his bow. Nodding once, Bilbo notched an arrow and glanced at Kíli, who also had his bow drawn. Bilbo arched his fingers to make a claw shape and Kíli bared his teeth briefly. Both understood that Bilbo would get the warg and Kíli would get the orc.
Bilbo took a deep breath and quickly stepped out from cover as Fíli guided Myrtle back to Kíli could get a clear shot as well. Both bows went twang and the warg fell dead, falling off the rock while the orc was stunned at the arrow in its shoulder. Dwalin, Bifur, and Thorin quickly leapt forward to finish the orc off, but it gave a screech as its life left its pathetic body. Bilbo knew that the sounds of their fight would carry quite far and alert the rest of the wargs and orcs to their location.
"Run!" Bilbo yelled as the wargs started howling, this time coming straight for them.
Bilbo ran as quick as he could, and yelped when someone picked him up by his jacket to set him on a pony. Glancing back once he was properly situated, Bilbo was surprised to see that it had been Thorin who had grabbed him and set him in front of him on Bungo. Balin and Dwalin had also paired up, Bifur had mounted up with Óin, Bofur with Bombur, and Dori teamed up with Glóin on the last pony. In an instant, Bilbo understood that since they were now 'found', they needed as much speed as possible. Gandalf had longer legs and could keep up running with them easier.
But all too soon, Thorin halted the pony as Wargs appeared in the distance in front of them.
"There they are!" Glóin yelled as he pointed.
"This way!" Gandalf called as he led them towards the secret entrance that would only fit people, not animals. "Quickly!"
Thorin made move to follow, but Bilbo put his hands over the dwarf's to stop him. Thorin frowned as Bilbo took the reins and turned the pony in the opposite direction that Gandalf was going.
"What are you doing?" Thorin demanded.
"I remembered something my mother told me from her travels." Bilbo said as he spurred Bungo into a trot. "Those rocks over there, she has them drawn in her journal. There's a hidden tunnel that's large enough for a horse with its rider to travel through."
"This way!" Thorin called over his shoulder, making Gandalf protest as the dwarves all followed their leader's orders.
"There's more coming!" Kíli yelled.
"Take the reins." Bilbo ordered Thorin.
Taking a deep breath, Bilbo swung his right leg over Bungo's withers, wrapped his left arm around Thorin's chest and back, and swung himself around so he was now seated behind the dwarf. Drawing his bow, Bilbo fired arrows, hearing Kíli do the same, and killing as many orcs and wargs as possible, the ones that were in range of their weapons.
"We're surrounded!" Fíli yelled as he looked in another direction.
"This way!" Bilbo called and waved his arm before firing another arrow.
"Where are you leading us?" Gandalf demanded, nearly out of breath as he caught up.
"To safety." Bilbo replied. "More specifically, to Rivendell."
"What?" Thorin growled and tried to stop Bungo.
"Look at it this way…" Bilbo huffed as he slapped the hands away. "You can hide with the elves for a couple of days while keeping your mouth shut about the quest before continuing on, or get killed here and now by wargs and never reach Erebor. Your choice."
Thorin glared at Bilbo and had the hobbit seriously thinking that the dwarf would rather die by wargs then accept help from an elf. Not on his watch.
"Please." Bilbo pleaded, and saw a flicker of an emotion in Thorin's eyes.
"Fine." Thorin conceded, although it was very grumpily.
"Look at it this way, if anything gets ruined, you won't get charge for it since Glóin gave us all a full purse of money." Bilbo pointed out as they reached the rocks, quickly dismounted, and pulled a large pine tree branch back to reveal the tunnel.
"Come on, move!" Thorin yelled, backing Bungo away so everyone else could go in first. "Quickly, all of you!"
Balin and Dwalin were the first two in the tunnel, followed by Bifur and Óin, and Fíli and Kíli. A warg got too close to Bungo, making the pony rear as Bilbo fired an arrow to kill the beast while Thorin slammed Orcrist into its skull before getting the pony under control. While that happened, Bombur and Bofur slipped in, followed by Ori and Nori, and Dori and Glóin. Gandalf followed the ponies, counting the dwarves as they entered the cave.
Thorin reached down and grabbed Bilbo again, this time laying Bilbo across his lap instead of helping him mount before they entered the tunnel as well. At least it was dark inside so no one could see him blushing. Oh who was he kidding, several dwarves could probably see his red cheeks, and he wouldn't be surprised if Smaug came down for a landing.
Just as the orcs and wargs reach the crack, an elvish horn sounded. Bilbo sighed in relief, both at Lord Elrond's 'timely' arrival, and that Thorin finally allowed him to sit back up and spurred Bungo further into the tunnel, away from the fray.
"Elves." Thorin muttered sourly as the sounds of the conflict reached the companies ears.
"At least we know where Gandalf went last night." Bilbo sighed.
"What do you mean?" Thorin questioned.
"Rivendell's border is still a good 5 miles away, according to my mother's journal." Bilbo replied. "The wargs came from the west, like us, so they wouldn't have alerted the elves to our presence. There's no way they could have known we were coming unless someone told them."
"Meddlesome old coot." Thorin growled.
"Help me shave his beard in Rivendell?" Bilbo whispered.
Thorin's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but nodded his head in agreement after he quickly thought it over. Apparently, he had also had enough of Gandalf's actions and also wanted to see the wizard to suffer a bit. By dwarven standards, the Gandalf would be considered disgraced until his beard grew back out.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads." Dwalin called back. "Do we follow it or no?"
"Follow it, of course!" Bofur called back.
"I think that would be wise." Gandalf agreed, making Bilbo and Thorin shoot glares at the back of his gray head.
"Tonight?" Thorin whispered.
"If we're not too tired." Bilbo replied, and then found himself blushing again.
Thorin's arms were resting on Bilbo's, waist, hips, and thighs so he could hold onto Bungo's reins, and that position had Bilbo, well… sitting in Thorin's lap. Before Bilbo could contemplate this new fact too much, exhaustion from staying up all day yesterday, all night last night, and most of today caught up with him, and he slumped back into the solid body behind him, letting his head rest in the crook of Thorin's neck.
"Sorry." Bilbo mumbled as his eyes shut.
"It's alright." Thorin whispered back as he shifted the reins into one hand and wrapped one of his arm around completely Bilbo's waist. "Rest."
Before Bilbo could comprehend what was happening, he was out cold, breathing steadily and deeply. Thorin looked down at the hobbit's still and peaceful face as he rode, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. While he didn't like the idea of going to the… elves, of all people for any sort of aid, at least Bilbo had been honest with him, instead of keeping a secret like Gandalf had been doing as of late.
Thorin knew that Bilbo was not what he had first expected him to be, soft and unable to protect himself in the wild, but he had been proven wrong and that was okay. He was also dedicated to keeping Kíli and Fíli out of trouble and safe at all times as well.
And that made the tugging feeling coming from his heart and soul okay too.
MMMG: End of chapter 9! Next chapter is dinner at Rivendell!
Please review and let me know what you think!