Chapter 7: New Home
"How are you enjoying Erebor?" Fili asked around a mouth full of mutton.
"It's very lovely." Bilbo replied giving Sam a little bit of meat, and checking to make sure Kili gave some to Frodo as well
"I'm glad you like it here." Thorin smiled, watching Bilbo mother-hen over Frodo and Sam. "Fili and Kili will show you around more tomorrow.
Again Bilbo felt someone's glare on him, he looked around. And again he only saw merry making dwarrows; so he shoved it off as anxiety from being in a new place.
After dinner Thorin asked to speak with Bilbo alone, so they left the little hobbits in the care of Gandalf and Balin. They both knew Kili and Fili would somehow sneak off the hobbits.
Thorin led Bilbo through the halls. Eventually they arrived at a large and tall door, with what Bilbo recognized as Khuzdul carved into it.
"Kili told me you wished to see the library." Thorin said opening the door to reveal a large hall filled with books shelves as far as the eye could see. Bilbo guessed that Ori had taken the job of restoring the library. He had every right to flaunt his hard work proudly.
"This is amazing." Bilbo said walking through.
"Yes, Ori did a fine job." Thorin said watching Bilbo run his fingers along the books, tapping titles he wanted to read later.
Bilbo held up an elvish book to Thorin with a raised eyebrow. The king took it with a grimace, flipping it over.
"I may dislike-"
"Loath with a burning passion." Bilbo corrected, earning a small glare from Thorin.
"I may dislike them; however their history and skills are very necessary, valuable, and useful. That's all they're good for, Tree-lovers." He said (mumbling the last bit), handing the book back to Bilbo. Bilbo chuckled a little bit before continuing to explore the library, Thorin follow him.
They had lapsed into a comfortable silence. Bilbo had found some books he wanted to read, so Thorin lead him to a small corner between a few shelves with pillows and such for them to sit on comfortably.
Thorin was content with watching Bilbo dive deeper and deeper into the books when, someone cleared their throat, disturbing to peace between the friends; making both the king and Bilbo look up.
"Azelon." Thorin acknowledged, he didn't want to talk to the advisor.
"My king, I have been looking for you everywhere."
"Strange, I told my nephews and the others that I was going to show our burglar the library." Thorin knew that none of others would've told Azelon where Thorin had gone. "Forgive me," he said to Bilbo, "You two have yet to meet. Bilbo this is Azelon, son of Acera. Azelon, this is Bilbo Baggins." Bilbo tipped his head politely, as did Azelon (only not so politely).
"We need to talk continue our discussion from earlier, my majesty." He sighed. He'd rather be here with Bilbo than talking to Azelon about marrying his daughter, Tazla. Azleon and the stupid coucil were relentless on pushing him into marriage. He would sooner give the Arkenstone to the elves then marry that woman (or any woman for that matter.)
"Yes." Thorin stood, turning to Bilbo. "Excuse me my friend, I have some duties to attended too. If you want I can show back to the others."
"No thank you, I'm going to stay here and read a bit more."
"As you wish, I will tell Fili and Kili that you're in here." Thorin left with Azelon.
After Thorin left, Bilbo felt oddly lonely. He gather a small pile of books and returned to reading.
"Bilbo!" he hobbit jumped when suddenly two hands were on his shoulder from out of nowhere.
Bilbo followed the hands to find the two princes grinning at him.
"Bilbo!" Sam and Frodo called in unison, appearing in front of Bilbo crawling into his lap.
"Hello boys." He said putting down his book. "Where are Gandalf and Balin?"
"Um… you see…" Fili started rubbing the back of his neck.
"Doing a bit of light reading I see." Kili distracted Bilbo, saving his brother, by leaning on the tower of books Bilbo had gathered. When did it get that big?
"There's nothing wrong with reading. It's good for you even."
"The world is not here in your books Bilbo Baggins." Sam said in a surprisingly good impression of the wizard.
Everyone burst out laughing, after a surprised pause. Sam was very pleased with himself.
"I like reading!" Frodo said looking up and down the pile Bilbo had gathered. Kili made a face.
"Alright, it's time for little hobbits to go to bed." Bilbo said realizing how late it was.
"Aww" Bilbo's boys (Fili and Kili included) groaned.
"No. I'll have none of that," he scolded, picking up Frodo and Sam from the where they were playing with Fili and Kili. "Sleep is good for hobbits. In fact Old Took slept half of his life away and he lived to be 120."
"Just a little longer please?" Frodo begged, as he walked to the door.
"How can you boys grow taller if you don't sleep? Hobbits grow the most in their sleep you know." He remembered how Thorin had showed him from the dining hall to the library, so he started walking in the direction of the hall. he was going to get back to their rooms without any help from the princes.
"Really?"
"Of course how do you think Sam got taller than Merry?"
"So…" you could hear the cogs in Frodo's head going, "If I go to bed right now… I'll be taller than Sam!"
"No! I'm going to sleep first! You're never going to outgrow me!"
The in the middle of their argument, both Frodo and Sam fell asleep. The city seemed to be settling down for sleep all around them. Everything was quiet.
When they arrived at the Royal Halls Fili held the door open for Bilbo as he walked into his room. Kili help Bilbo by retrieving the pillows for the bed that Frodo and Sam stole earlier.
"You're very good with children." Fili said to Bilbo, after he had left the sleeping hobbit's room.
"I do the best I can." He said with a small smile.
"Good night Bilbo." Kili said, waiting for his Brother at the door.
"Sleep well, for we have much to do tomorrow." Fili said before leaving with his brother to their own room.
Bilbo checked on the boys once more, before taking a bath of his own. And it felt wonderful.
The water warmed his body nicely, as he washed away many long days and nights of riding and adventuring.
Bilbo was not asleep for long when he woke to pairs of little footsteps entered his room. He waited for a moment thinking the boys were just going to crawl in bed with him.
"Uncle?" Bilbo sat up at Frodo's scarred voice. He saw in the dark, that both boys were on the verge of tears. He got out of the large bed and moved over to the boys.
"What's wrong boys?"
Frodo spoke for them both, "Sam had a nightmare."
Bilbo gathered the boys in his arms and held them close, when Sam spoke up quietly.
"I miss my Mommy." He had expected this.
Bilbo's heart broke as both boys burst into tears in his arms. He could feel himself on the verge of tears as well. He couldn't bring their parents back, there was nothing he could do but hold them and tell it was going to be okay.
Eventually, they cried themselves to sleep, still clinging to Bilbo. He picked them up and moved to his bed, climbing in with them. He softly rubbed their backs as they slept.
Bilbo didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He had to ward away the nightmares.
In the morning Bilbo woke the boys up and got them dressed, and dressed himself.
He was dead tired, but he tried not to show it. He knew he was failing miserably.
Sam was quiet this morning while he and Frodo where playing in the pillows. He also had a sort of sad, distant look in his eyes. Frodo kept trying to coax Sam out of his shell by asking Bilbo to tell them a story and trying to get Sam to do the sound effects with him.
Fili and Kili soon knocked on Bilbo's door, ready to take the hobbits to breakfast. If they noticed how tired he was, they didn't say anything.
Sam was a little more active in the presence the brothers.
The dining hall was almost entirely empty, alone a few dwarrows here or there. Fili explained that it was more active at night, and the large crowd was also for a feast to celebrate the return of the king.
Again they went to the table at the end of the hall. Gandalf was sitting in the same seat from last night, talking pleasantly with Balin, Bofur, and Ori. Bombur was stuffing his face next to Bofur. Thoirn was at the head of the table discussing something with Dwalin. The rest of the table was empty.
Fili sat on Thorin's left with Frodo in his lap, helping the little hobbit get some pastries. Kili sat next to the wizard, with Sam. Dwalin took his seat next to his brother.
Thorin watched Bilbo sit down with concern.
"You look like just treaded over the Misty Mountains in one day." The king said to the hobbit.
Bilbo gave a small chuckle.
"Well we did that, I can assure you I did not look like this. I didn't get any sleep. Sam had a nightmare." He explained looking over to Sam. "They both miss their parents." He said shifting his gaze over to Frodo. "I can't tell them what really happened; I can only hold them tight and try to ward way any nightmares." He said sadly looking back to Thorin.
"Go back and get some sleep, we will watch the boys." Thorin told Bilbo, the pure relief that passed over Bilbo's face made the king smile.
"Thank you so much Thorin." He said standing, after telling the boys he was going to get some sleep he left.
There was another woman(he was pretty sure because they had breasts, but the red beard threw him off a bit,) with bright red hair waiting for him.
"Hello," he said unsure of her business in the Royal halls.
"Hello." She had a much deeper voice than lady Ellena did.
"Um… can I help you?"
"No. I just wanted to meet the burglar everyone's talking about." She said with a smile, "My name is Tazla." She curtsied.
"Bilbo Baggins." He said with a small bow.
"It was nice to meet you." She said walking past him. Bilbo was watching her leave, when he heard a door close behind him.
Thorin's advisor walked past the hobbit with a scowl.
'He probably was in Thorin's room,' Bilbo thought to himself as he entered his own chambers.
He went straight to bed, his room was dark. He flopped down onto the bed, coughing slightly when some powder flew off his pillow, into his face.
"Frodo, Sam, what did I say about the talcum powder…" he said aloud to no one in particular, before letting the sleep take hold.
Frodo had waved goodbye to his uncle as he left. Uncle looked very sleepy. Frodo could bet Sam was sleepy too. Sam was quiet today, and Frodo didn't like it. Sam was sad, and Frodo would do whatever he could to make Sam happy. They had to have fun today, like yesterday!
After Thorin and Uncle Bilbo left yesterday, Kili had distracted Gandalf and mister Balin, while Fili left with Sam and Frodo. Once Kili had lost the wizard and other dwarf, they had taken the hobbits down to the mines. They had taken the boys as close as they thought was safe (Much closer than others would deem safe), and had told them all about the different gems and rocks mined there.
After that, they went to find Bilbo and Thorin. Fili and Kili were carrying the little hobbits on their shoulders when they ran into Thorin and that grumpy dwarf from before.
Thorin told them Bilbo was still in the library, and asked what happened to Gandalf and Balin. They shrugged, Thorin sighed turning back to Azelon; the brothers and the hobbits made faces at the dwarf when Thorin wasn't facing them. After that, they headed the library to find Bilbo.
It was really fun. If they had fun today, then… Sam would forget about his bad dream and be happy again!
"Fili?" Frodo tugged in Fili's braids, causing the blonde dwarf to look down at him.
"Yes, Frodo?"
"Can we do something really fun today? Like yesterday!"
"Of course!"
After breakfast Kili, Fili, and Dwalin, suggested that the little hobbits see the armory. That idea was shot down very quickly by Gandalf, Balin, and Thorin.
Ori suggested they go to the craftsmen's quarter, they could buy some properly fitting clothes (cause the loose fitting clothes the hobbits had on weren't really working), and they could see Bofur's workshop. There might have been something about Ori getting some new ink and yarn while they were there as well.
This was almost shot down as well, when Sam said he wanted to see Bofur's workshop, and then Frodo rapidly agreed.
"Uncle Bilbo said we need some new clothes too. 'Said we look like we dressed up in orc armor." Frodo said with a giggle.
Ori led the way, holding the little hobbits hands, telling about knitting, books, and basic anything that came across his mind. Thorin, Gandalf, Balin, Bofur, and the princes followed behind.
Fili and Kili were spoiling that hobbits, buying anything the asked for (which wasn't much. Hobbits are simple folk after all.) They both were very polite.
Bofur was going to make them some toys to play with. The toy maker was pleased to impress the little hobbits with his skill.
Watching the little hobbits reminded Thorin of raising his own nephews back in the Ered Luin. Raising Fili and Kili with Dis was a handful. They were always running around, wreaking havoc. He smiled as Frodo pulled Sam around, pointing out anything he deemed interesting; just like Fili had done with Kili.
Frodo really cared for his friend.
Everyone who had met them loved them. Balin couldn't wait to teach them all he could, and Bofur was very excited to make toys for them as well. All of his men wanted to spoil the hobbits rotten.
The only one who wasn't enamored with the boys was Azelon. Speaking of his advisor, Thorin hadn't seen him all day. 'Odd...' he thought to himself, Azelon usual wouldn't leave him alone from dawn to night.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a tug on his hand. Frodo and Sam were looking up at him.
"Can we hold your hands?" Frodo asked nicely.
He smiled down at the boys, offering them each a hand, "Of course little ones."
Balin was the only one to notice at first, tapping the princes to get their attention. The brothers turn to see a rare sight. Their uncle with a real smile on his face, holding hands with two small hobbitlings.
"If only Bilbo could see this!" Fili wispered to his brother and Balin.
"They would make a lovely family." Kili said snikering with his brother.
"Aye." Balin agreed.
Kili and Fili entered one of the clothing shops, only to be chased out by Lady Ellena with a broom. When she saw the little hobbits she reluctantly let the princes back inside, provided they didn't touch anything, stayed five feet apart, and ten feet away from her.
She took some proper measurements before shooing them away while she worked.
Gandalf went to check on Bilbo, when the princes wanted take the hobbits to look out over the gates of Erebor.
Before Thorin agreed to let them show the hobbits he had to think it over. Could his nephews kill and/or maim the hobbits at the gates? Yes. He was about to say no, when the little hobbits gave him the most guilt inducing puppy eyes he had ever seen.
He folded, however the hobbits were allowed nowhere near the edge.
He watched his nephews and the little hobbits marvel at how far they could see, standing next to Dwalin and Balin. Fili and Kili kept pointing out things in the distance, so Frodo and Sam would ask more questions.
"HEALER! I NEED A HEALER"
"Keep them here." Thorin ordered Dwalin.
He went to healers ward, not far from the overlook. Oin and the other healers were rushing around somebody. As soon as he saw a glimpse of their hair, Thorin could feel his heart stopped.