Chapter 7 - Kíli
Chapter summary: Keeping Bilbo occupied for a few hours was certainly no hardship for Kíli.
By the time they reached their designated house in Lake-town, Bilbo had trouble keeping his eyes open. The moment they stepped over the threshold the hobbit turned to their guide.
"Where are the bedrooms?"
The man looked a little bewildered by the abrupt request, but answered promptly.
"If you go down the corridor on the right, the bedrooms should be on your left."
Bilbo nodded his thanks and started walking off.
"Where are you going, Bilbo?" Kíli called after him. The hobbit turned back with a long-suffering sigh.
"While all of you were holed up in your comfortable cells, I haven't slept in ages and I feel like I'm about to fall over, so if you'll excuse me, I'll go lay down. Goodnight."
He gave them a curt nod and shuffled off, disappearing into the first available door. The dwarves stood in the hallway, gaping after him.
"I think we broke him," Ori said quietly and the others shifted in discomfort, sensing that the thought had far too much truth to it. Thorin ended the uncomfortable silence.
"Our burglar can join us for a meal tomorrow. For now, let us go to the dining hall and celebrate our escape from the prison. I want to hear what happened to you after I was captured."
Once they were settled comfortably, with plenty of food and drink to brighten their mood, they were more than happy to tell him all about Bilbo's battle with the spiders and his spying mission in the elven dungeon. Thorin listened silently for the most part, letting them take turns telling the story. When they finished, he sat for a moment in a thoughtful silence, pondering everything he had just learned.
"How big were the spiders?" he asked finally.
"Big enough to carry Dwalin without much trouble," Balin told him. "I would say they were at least the size of a well-fed pony, if not bigger."
"And the hobbit killed them?" Thorin raised a sceptical eyebrow.
Dwalin nodded.
"At least ten, from what I saw." When Thorin's expression remained doubting, he scowled. "I can count, you know."
"He came back for us," Fíli said. "I have no idea how he did it, because he had been left behind in a different part of the forest, but he somehow managed to find us and save us all from being eaten by the spiders."
"It was very impressive," Ori chimed in, eyes shining in excitement. "We couldn't even lift our arms, because the poison had made us so weak and the spiders started to close in on us, trying to cut off our retreat, but he just went and planted himself between us and the spiders, giving us time to run away while he hacked away at them. He refused to let us help him and fought the spiders all by himself."
"No wonder nobody has ever tried to invade the Shire," quipped Bofur, "if this is what an untrained hobbit can do."
"Don't forget angry," muttered Fíli. "He looked mad as hell when he cut us out of those spider webs. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side." Several of the dwarves nodded in agreement.
"You know, I didn't quite believe his story about the wolves when he first told it," Óin said. "I thought he was just making it up, but I definitely believe him now. I know what I saw in that forest. Wolves had been a child's play compared to those spiders."
"I think we may have greatly underestimated him," Balin said. "I have to say that I didn't think much of Gandalf's initial claims of Bilbo's usefulness, but now I have to admit that he has chosen well. Mr Baggins has proven himself several times over."
"If it weren't for him, we'd be dead," Glóin said.
"Or still in prison." Thorin sighed. "It seems that we owe Master Baggins a great deal."
Balin nodded.
"That we do. Almost more than we can ever hope to repay."
"We should do something for him while we're here," Dori said, drawing their attention. "Give him a gift, or do something to show him that we appreciate what he has done for us."
"Yes, but what?" Kíli asked. "We have no money and we have lost most of our tools."
Balin gave him a look.
"I'm sure you'll be able to think of something."
"You can always just ask him," pointed out Bofur. "You two talk to him all the time, so you should be able to find out what else he likes besides flowers and food. I'm sure he'll be happy to tell you."
Kíli exchanged a look with Fíli before he gave Bofur a nod.
"We'll see what we can do."
°O°O°O°
They didn't see Bilbo until the noon of the next day, when he emerged from his room looking sleepy and still a bit tired, but otherwise much more cheerful than he had in weeks. The dwarves burst out into a spontaneous round of applause when he entered and then started laughing when he blushed to the roots of his hair. He sank down into the chair between Kíli and Ori, looking pleased but a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Kíli used the proximity to pat him on the back, proclaiming:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our hero and saviour, the amazing Mr Baggins."
Bilbo ducked his head, blushing even harder.
"Oh, please," he cried, "just let me have my breakfast! There's no need for all this fanfare."
"It's lunchtime already, but you can have your breakfast, if you prefer," Dori said. "We saved you some food. Or, you could just eat lunch with the rest of us."
Bilbo smiled.
"I think that at my present state I'll be able to do both," he said, reaching for the nearest scone. "I feel like I haven't eaten for a year."
And wasn't that the truth, Kíli thought as he watched the hobbit make his way through enough food to feed four dwarves. In the full light of the day Bilbo looked rather pale – a far cry from the sun-loving creature he had been at Beorn's - and there was a hunted look around his eyes that didn't use to be there before. His previously well-fitted clothes now hang loosely around his middle, suggesting that he had lost quite a bit of weight. Kíli hoped that they would stay in Lake-town at least for a week, to give Bilbo some time to recover before they went on the final stage of their journey.
"Did you sleep well?" Balin asked the hobbit. Bilbo gave him a small nod, pausing between bites of bread to answer.
"Yes. As well as can be expected, I suppose. I still can't quite believe that we really got out. It feels like we spent a small eternity in that dungeon."
"About three weeks," Nori said. "I kept a tally, but it started to get a bit muddled towards the end. If you want to know what the exact day is, you should probably ask our hosts."
Bilbo suddenly gave a thunderous sneeze and started patting his pockets, looking for a handkerchief. Bofur reached over the table, handing him a square of cloth.
"I found this in the drawer in one of the rooms, thought it might come in handy."
Bilbo gave him a grateful look and took the handkerchief, blowing his nose loudly.
"Thank you, Bofur," he told the dwarf before he turned to answer Nori. "Yes, I will certainly do that. I was planning to go into the town and take a look around, but I need to get rid of this blasted cold first." He grimaced. "I suppose that's what I get for soaking in icy water for two days. Still, it could be much worse. I should be grateful that I didn't drown or catch pneumonia." When he saw their worried looks, he gave them a small smile. "Don't worry about me too much. The cold should be gone in a day or two, if I drink enough tea."
"So, did you find out anything interesting when you were snooping around?" Nori asked. When the others turned to look at him, he sighed. "Before we left the dungeon, Bilbo mentioned that he has some information that could be useful." He gave the hobbit an apologetic look. "Of course you don't have to tell us now if you would rather rest."
"No, it's fine," Bilbo replied. "I found out plenty, but I don't think any of it will be much use for you. It's more of a gossip than any actual information."
That didn't make their interest vane in the slightest.
"Tell us everything," Thorin said. Bilbo refilled his teacup, gripping it in both hands to warm himself.
"As you all probably know now, time doesn't pass very quickly when you're bored and miserable," he began. "I had to fill the time somehow."
"So you spied on the elves?" Glóin asked with disbelief. Bilbo gave him a look.
"What else was I supposed to do? I spent a few hours standing behind Thranduil's chair in the throne room, but that got boring very fast, so I started exploring the living quarters as well. I must say, being able to see the elves when they are not trying to impress anyone really changes your opinion of them."
"How?" Bofur leaned forward a bit. "Are they all secretly terrible people?" Bilbo frowned.
"No, not terrible, just very...normal. Every time when I saw elves before this, they had always been all about beauty and nobility and ancient wisdom, but these Mirkwood elves not very different from us. They bicker and sulk and get horribly drunk and play pranks on each other." He took a sip of his tea.
"The elvenking himself is the most self-absorbed person I have ever seen. He spends most of his time sitting on his throne, looking important, while his son does most of the actual work that goes into running a kingdom. I think Thranduil would have given up his throne to him long ago, if he didn't like the title so much. When he's not haunting the throne room, he's usually drinking." Bilbo shook his head. "Honestly, I've seen a lot of drinking contests in the Shire, but I have never seen anyone drink so much in one sitting. It's a wonder he could even stand after that, much less..."
He trailed off, a sudden blush suffusing his cheeks. The dwarves sat in confusion for moment, before Fíli's eyes grew to an almost comical size.
"Bilbo!" he exclaimed, sounding amused and shocked at the same time. "Don't tell me you actually watched him..."
Bilbo's blush deepened.
"Well, I couldn't leave the room, because he locked it when he came in. He caught me by surprise."
"Bilbo, you dog!" Kíli exclaimed in admiration, finally catching on. The other dwarves were all wearing amused smirks with the exception of Ori, who just looked confused and Óin, who had fallen asleep.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Bilbo protested, but the dwarves had already started laughing. Several of them clapped him on the back. Poor hobbit looked like he would love to just crawl under the table and hide. "I can never look Thranduil in the eye again," he muttered, prompting another wave of snickering.
It was a while before the laughter died down.
"So, are there any other interesting bits you would like to share with us?" Bofur asked with a grin. Bilbo hesitated for a bit, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
"Well, there's also his son, Legolas, but I'm not sure if you want to hear anything about him..." His smile widened when the dwarves all leaned closer, looking ready to burst with curiosity. There was a strange predatory gleam in Dwalin's eyes and even Thorin looked interested despite his attempts to hide it behind a mask of aloofness.
"We do," Dwalin said. "Now spill."
°O°O°O°
For two days they had been trying to come up with things to do for Bilbo, but so far they hadn't been very successful. Now that he had a comfortable bed and plenty of food, the hobbit looked quite content and didn't seem to be wanting for anything.
Besides, none of them could ever hope to beat Ori.
The shy dwarf had approached Bilbo after their first breakfast in Lake-town and drew a small book from his jacket, offering it to Bilbo.
"I have kept this safe for you, as promised."
The look of wonder and delight on Bilbo's face could have lit a thousand suns.
"Thank you." He took the book with reverent hands, skimming briefly through the pages before he stepped forward and drew the startled dwarf into a hug. "Thank you."
Ori's expression quickly turned from surprised to pleased and he hugged the hobbit back with a small grin.
"You're welcome."
Since then they had spent most of their time in the house, eating and relaxing while Bilbo slowly recovered from his cold. It was on their fourth day in Lake-town that Bilbo wandered into the common room with a frown on his face.
"I wonder if they have a barber here," the hobbit said absent-mindedly, tugging at his hair with one hand. "My hair has gotten awfully long since we left Bag-End. I need a haircut."
Kíli, who had been trying to see how many sugar cubes he could stack on Bombur's head before the rotund dwarf woke up from his nap, quickly set down the rest of the sugar and rushed over, pulling Bilbo's hand away from his hair.
"No. No, absolutely not. You cannot get a haircut."
"Why not?" Bilbo frowned at him.
"Because it's terrible and you shouldn't even mention it out loud." He sighed when he saw Bilbo's confusion. "Dwarvish hair grows very slowly and we take a great deal of pride in it. It's a terrible thing for a dwarf to have his hair cut off. It's the worst insult you can do to them." He gave Bilbo a look. "I know you hobbits do it differently, but you're a member of the Company now and it would make everyone unhappy if you cut your hair short."
"What am I supposed to do, then?" Bilbo didn't look pleased. "In the Shire I go for a haircut every three months. My hair grows fast. I can't just prance around with my hair waving about like this, it gets in my eyes." He reached a hand behind his head, combing through the hair on his nape. "Oh, goodness. It has already grown past my shoulders. If I left it alone for two years, it would be as long as yours."
"That would be a sight to behold." Kíli felt his interest piqued, trying to imagine Bilbo with long hair. It wasn't a bad thought. He would bet his uncle would like it as well, as much as he refused to admit it. As he looked at the hobbit, an idea started to form in his head.
"Wait here," Kíli told Bilbo and ran off to look for his brother. He found him in the dining hall, chatting with Ori. He only needed to mention Bilbo for his brother to jump on the idea, an excited spring entering his step as they walked back. Fíli made a brief detour into their room to get a comb and soon they were back in the common room where Bilbo still stood in front of the mirror, frowning at his reflection.
"Come here, I'm going to try and do something about your hair." Kíli motioned for him to sit on one of the stools. Bilbo sat down slowly, looking dubious.
"You won't make me look foolish, will you?"
"Just wait and see. Fíli is here to tell me if it looks terrible. And if you don't like it, we can always change it. I am not doing anything permanent."
He started with the comb, but soon found himself running his hands through the hair, enjoying the feel of softness under his fingers.
"Your hair is so soft," he murmured. "And those curls are simply amazing. I have never met a dwarf with hair as fine as this."
Suddenly Fíli tugged at his shirt, bringing him out of his reverie.
"Uncle is here," he hissed. Leaning closer, he muttered into his ear: "You may want to stick to the comb, or you risk losing those fingers."
And really, when Kíli looked over, he saw Thorin standing at the door, watching them with narrowed eyes. It wasn't as if Kíli had been doing anything indecent – they were in a public hall and Fíli was there as a witness - but Thorin's gaze still made Kíli feel like he was ten years old again, stealing cookies from a kitchen jar. He quickly drew his fingers back and reached for the comb instead.
The combing itself didn't take long. Kíli opted for a simple hairstyle, similar to the one he himself wore. Bilbo's hair wasn't yet long enough for a braid, but when he straightened it a bit, Kíli was able to clasp the fringe together at the back of the head, letting the lower strands hang down over Bilbo's shoulders. He used one of his own silver clasps to tie it together, marvelling at the way the silver shone in the hobbit's golden curls. He stood back a bit to admire his work.
"What do you think, brother? I think it suits him well."
Fíli did a small circle around the stool.
"It looks nice. With the ears bared like that, he almost looks like an elf." He grinned. "You know, Bilbo, when your hair gets a bit longer, we will have to make you a braid. You are practically an honorary dwarf already, you should have a braid." He stepped back.
"Go and take a look and tell us what you think."
Bilbo slid from the stool and made his way over to the mirror. He stood in silence for a while, turning his head from side to side. Carefully, he raised a hand to touch the clasp in the back.
"Did you give me your clasp, Kíli?"
"I did." When he saw Bilbo open his mouth to protest, he hurried on. "I always carry several spare clasps with me, because I lose them a lot. You can have it, really, I have a few more. Besides, there are bound to be hundreds of pretty hair accessories in the dragon hoard. I can pick some new ones there."
Bilbo turned back to the mirror, this time in appraisal. Slowly, a smile started to form on his lips.
"You are right, it does look rather elvish. But I like it." He snorted. "If someone from the Shire saw me now, they would be positively scandalized."
He walked back to them and gave Kíli a warm smile.
"Thank you, Kíli. You have done a nice job with it. Now I just need to go and find a tailor to make me some new clothes. These look hardly presentable." He looked in regret at his attire, battered and worn from the months of travel.
He started towards the door.
"Wait!" Fíli cried. "You can't go outside, you will be ambushed by the townspeople. They are camped in droves on our front door. They won't let you take a step without bothering you."
"You mean they bother you," Bilbo retorted. "I know that they turn obnoxiously loud the very moment a dwarf as much as sticks his nose outside, but so far the lake-people have paid very little attention to me. If I walk carefully enough barely anyone will notice me. I thought about stretching my legs a bit, maybe gathering a bit of the local gossip. Don't worry about me," he added when he saw their worried faces, "they won't hurt me and I'm used to nosiness. I'll be back for dinner."
With that, he walked out of the room, paying no heed to their protests. They walked after him into the hall and waited for the roar of cheers that always rose whenever someone opened the front door, but no sound came. The faint thread of song continued uninterrupted under their windows and no voices rose in greeting. Puzzled, they returned to the common room.
"Bless me," said Fíli, "I think he really has managed to sneak out. Did you think he used the ring again?"
"No," Nori spoke up from the corner. "I think he just walked out. He doesn't need the ring to pass around unnoticed. How do you think he managed to survive for two weeks under the elves' noses? Those pointy eared buggers have awfully sharp hearing and yet I never heard any of them being suspicious of his presence. In the goblin cave I saw him slip away from the goblins that took us and not a single one of them noticed him get away. He will be fine."
That calmed them both down. Nori usually had a very good estimate about everyone's abilities and if he felt confident about Bilbo's safety, there wasn't much cause to worry.
Indeed, a few hours later Bilbo slipped back into the house, completely unharmed, but wearing a peculiar expression on his face.
"I'm fine," was the first thing he said when he walked into the dining hall and saw that the companions had been waiting for his return. "I didn't have any trouble with the locals. Everyone was very nice to me and I found out many interesting things."
He sat down to the dining table and started piling food on his plate.
"And yet you look a bit disturbed, laddie." Balin said, perceptive as ever.
Bilbo laughed nervously.
"It's nothing, really." He started eating, but it didn't take long before the story came pouring out.
"Apparently, since nobody knows who I am supposed to be, the local folks have started to make up all sorts of tales about me. Some are quite entertaining, some downright ridiculous and some rather embarrassing." He grimaced. "The most popular theory is that I am some member of hobbit royalty. What purpose I am supposed to serve in your quest, I have no idea, but the tale got very popular and people started to call me "Prince of the Halflings". It's ridiculous." He bit off a piece of ham. "Personally, I prefer the version that says that I am actually a powerful wizard, hired to slay the dragon. It's much more impressive."
"Tell us what you found," Thorin said, his eyes still scanning the hobbit's form for any hidden injuries. Kíli couldn't help but notice how Thorin's gaze lingered over Bilbo's hair, and hid his grin in his goblet.
"Nobody has seen the dragon for more than sixty years," Bilbo said. "There are many in the town who think that Smaug is dead, and even some who openly doubt that the dragon even exists. The dwarven kingdom is remembered mostly as a legend, but many were eager to dig up the old histories when they heard there may be gold involved.
"Most of the town's wealth comes from trade with the elves. There are no other settlements nearby – to the south lie only marshes and the mountains in the north are crawling with orcs. The dwarfs from the Iron Hills come here a few times a year and make good profit by selling various gems and tools. None of the two forest roads are passable and there are squabbles between the elves and lake-people about the upkeep of the river bank, but other than that, they live in peace. The Master of the Town in not very pleased with our presence, because it could put him on bad terms with Thranduil. However, his voice got outvoted by the majority, so he keeps quiet for now. I think he would like to see us leave as soon as possible."
He took a few sips of ale before he continued.
"While the Master may be a leader in title, the real power, it seems, lies with the Captain of the guard." He looked at Thorin. "If you need to conduct any business or strategy with Lake-town, I suggest you go to him. His name is Bard and apparently he comes from the line of Kings of Dale. He's a bit grim but very smart and the people look up to him."
"You got all that just in the few hours you've been away?" Glóin looked astonished.
Bilbo shrugged.
"People talk a lot when you ask the right questions. They think I'm harmless because I'm so small. Half of them treat me like a child, which is a bit annoying, I admit, but it makes them less careful about what they say. I used to hate it when the men I traded with didn't take me seriously, but now it comes in handy. I could go back tomorrow and find out more, if you want."
"That would be helpful," Balin said. "Did you learn anything else?"
"Hm," Bilbo's expression fell a little and he looked down at his plate, stabbing a potato with his fork. "I missed my birthday. And old man at the market keeps a calendar and was more than happy to tell me the date."
"When was it?" Fíli asked softly. There was a hint of interest in his voice that caught Kíli's attention and the two of them exchanged a look, a plan slowly starting to grow in their minds.
"Four days ago, at the 22nd of September – the day we arrived here," Bilbo answered, still staring at his plate. "This is the first year that I didn't have a birthday party." He shook his head. "I can't believe I spent my birthday soaking in icy water."
The hobbit's head was bowed, so he didn't see the looks that the companions exchanged over his head. Thorin gave a silent nod and they all grinned, glad that they had finally managed to find something they could do for Bilbo. Kíli had to sit on his hands to prevent himself from jumping up in excitement and ruining the surprise.
They were going to have a party.
°O°O°O°
When Bilbo announced that he was going out the next day, Fíli and Kíli were prepared for him. They jumped up from their armchairs in the common room, flanking him on either side.
"We're coming with you," Kíli announced cheerfully.
Bilbo startled a bit, but didn't look like he wanted to protest. He just gave them a resigned look and let them follow behind him as he walked out of the house. The dwarves had all agreed that someone should keep the hobbit away from the house while the others prepared the party, so this was the perfect opportunity to put their plan into action. Kíli saw Fíli exchange a nod with Balin as they passed and felt his excitement rise. Keeping Bilbo occupied for a few hours was certainly no hardship for him.
Trailing after Bilbo, Kíli finally had the chance to see the hobbit's own personal brand of magic at work. While the people started exclaiming over him and Fíli the moment they saw them, they usually didn't notice Bilbo's presence until the hobbit spoke to them. They followed him through the market and watched as he spoke to merchants and craftsmen, effortlessly charming them into parting with some of their wares in exchange for a few golden coins or a nicely cut gem.
"No wonder they call him a prince," Fíli remarked when Bilbo handed a small ruby to the baker's daughter, making her blush with delight. "They probably have to work for a month to get as much as he hands over for a single purchase."
They waited until they were out of the market place and far enough from any curious ears before Fíli turned to Bilbo.
"Where did you get all this?" He nodded towards the money pouch. "I had no idea that you have gems like that in the Shire."
"We don't," Bilbo said. "This came from Thranduil's treasury."
"You stole from the Elvenking?" Fíli's eyebrows shot up. Bilbo gave him a look.
"Did you really expect me to leave empty-handed? Thranduil loves hoarding treasure and has enough gold to rival the dragon. I simply decided to borrow a bit of it for the journey. I can always pay him back from the dragon hoard if he insists, but I doubt that he will notice that a few coins are missing. His treasury takes up several rooms."
He showed them his money pouch.
"I tried to choose the smaller pieces so that my pocket wouldn't be too heavy. I am no expert on jewels, but I think this should be more than enough to pay for our stay here and the supplies for the journey to the mountain."
Fíli and Kíli both leaned closer to take a look inside.
"Yes, that's more than enough," Fíli said with a nod.
"You don't have to pay them so much, you know," Kíli couldn't help but say. "Each one of those gems would be more than enough to pay for all our purchases."
Bilbo shrugged.
"These people have been most generous to us. It's only polite to repay them in kind. Since Thorin isn't going to do it and none of the rest of you have any money left, I'm the only one who can do anything about it. I would feel terrible if we just let them pamper us without giving anything back."
"Why not give the gold to the Master of the town, then?" Kíli asked. Bilbo took a careful look around to make sure nobody was listening to them.
"I don't like him," he said simply. "He has something insincere about his manner. He reminds me of my relatives, who always come for tea and then try to steal my silverware when I turn my back. I wouldn't trust him if I were you." They emerged from the small side street back to the market and started heading towards the tailor's shop. "Besides, he's not doing anything for us – it's the people who keep us supplied, not their Master. Thorin can give him something before we leave if he wants, but I'm certainly not going to."
They got Bilbo decked out in his new clothes and after a moment of persuasion he managed to talk them both into getting their measurements taken, too. They tried to make the journey back as long as they could, stalling at the marketplace, but Kíli could tell that Bilbo was getting impatient to return back to the rest of the Company and the relative privacy of their temporary housing. Finally they were unable to come up with a plausible excuse to stay in town any longer and there was nothing left for them to do but follow him meekly back, hoping that the others had managed to put everything together already.
They had.
The three of them walked into the dining hall to find a feast waiting for them, the whole Company gathered in welcome.
"Happy Birthday!" they all yelled when Bilbo walked into the room, stunning the hobbit speechless.
"What's all this?" he asked in amazement.
"That's your birthday party," Kíli told him with a smile. He threw an arm around his shoulders and led him closer to the table. "I'm afraid that we didn't manage to get a you proper cake, but there should be plenty of other food. Enough even for a hobbit." He gave Bilbo a playful grin.
"Well, I certainly hope so," said Bilbo haughtily. "You kept me in that marketplace for long enough." He didn't manage to keep up his expression for long and his face soon broke into a grin. "Thank you," he said and pulled Kíli into a hug. Kíli hugged him back, pleased that they had finally managed to find some way to make their friend happy.
"Do I get a hug, too?" Fíli asked behind his back.
"Of course," Bilbo said, smiling as he stepped towards the blond dwarf.
"You have new clothes!" Ori exclaimed suddenly, drawing their attention to his attire. Bilbo pulled back from Fíli to let them all take a look and Kíli didn't miss the double-take that Thorin did before he went back to pretending disinterest. He wasn't very good at it though – his eyes strayed back towards the hobbit every half a minute or so, ruining the pretence of nonchalance.
Kíli had to turn away to hide his grin, which only grew when he saw that Bilbo was completely oblivious to the gazes sent his way. He stood by the table, all his attention focused on something Balin was telling him. It was no wonder Thorin had trouble keeping his eyes to himself, Kíli thought – Bilbo really did look very handsome in his new clothes. The jacket was made of fine blue wool with a brown vest underneath and even though the colours weren't the usual hobbit fare, the tailor had done a pretty good job imitating the hobbit fashion otherwise. It didn't escape Kíli's notice that Bilbo had foregone buying new buttons, opting instead to re-sew the wooden buttons he had gotten from Bifur and Bofur.
Apparently Bofur noticed it too, because he walked over to the hobbit, inspecting the clothes with a smile.
"You kept the buttons."
"Of course I did," Bilbo said. "They are my favourite." His smile widened and he spread his arms to the sides, showing off the garments. "So, what do you think?"
Bofur pretended to consider the answer.
"Very nice," he said finally. "I think it was a good idea – this way if the dragon kills you, you will at least leave a very dashing corpse."
Everyone looked at him in horror, but to their surprise Bilbo only chuckled.
"That's what I though." He gave Bofur a pat on the shoulder and went to get some food.
"Come here, everyone!" he called after he had eaten four chicken legs. "It wouldn't be a proper birthday party if I didn't give out some presents. I'll have you know that I throw the best parties in the Shire, so I would be woefully remiss if I didn't give you anything."
"Why would you give us anything?" Fíli asked, puzzled.
"It's my birthday, so you should all get presents," Bilbo said like it was obvious.
"How come we get presents if it's your birthday? Shouldn't we be giving you something?" Fíli still wasn't convinced.
"It's a hobbit tradition," Bilbo explained. "I usually have plenty of trinkets laying around that I give out to all the neighbours, but this year is obviously a bit problematic, so you will have to make do with this." He drew out his pouch.
"When I was sneaking around the elvenking's palace, I happened to come across his treasury. I am afraid that I wasn't able to steal any of those great dwarven-made things that he had, as the transport would be rather complicated, but I think you'll appreciate these nonetheless." He turned the pouch upside down, spilling the gems gently on the table. "These may come from the elves, but I think they were mined in Erebor by some of your ancestors. Unless I lost something in the river, each of you should get at least one piece."
"Shouldn't we give you something, too?" Balin asked. Bilbo shrugged.
"You already threw this party for me, but I'm certainly not stopping you, should you wish to. Anyway, take as many of the stones as you wish. I have already bought everything that I wanted, so you can take these and buy something for yourselves. Clothes, weapons, books, whatever you wish. If something remains, it can go into the Company fund." He gave a look to Balin, who nodded in agreement.
While everyone was busy squabbling over the gems, Thorin drew Bilbo gently aside and was now speaking to him in a low voice. The hobbit looked a bit confused, but pleased at the same time. Kíli nudged Fíli and they both exchanged a knowing look, turning back to their companions to hide their grins. Thank Mahal, Kíli thought. Thorin was finally doing something about his "situation".
It was adorable, really, to watch those two dance around each other. Or - more precisely – to watch Thorin circle around the hobbit, who seemed to be completely oblivious of the dwarf's interest. It had become one of Kíli's favourite pastimes to watch his uncle's attempts at subtlety and then the subsequent frustration when his advances were completely ignored. Thorin in a courting mode was hilarious – despite being so fond of dramatic gestures and grand speeches, when it came to an expression of affection, he turned into a bumbling, blabbering wreck. It brought Kíli no end of amusement.
As he watched Bilbo blush and duck his head after a remark from Thorin, Kíli couldn't help but wonder what had happened between those two in the elvish dungeon. There was something different between them when they stood together now that hadn't been there in Mirkwood - a new sense of awareness. Bilbo was finally starting to respond to Thorin, though it was all still very cautious and tentative. Kíli couldn't wait to see where this was headed.
And so did the rest of the Company, he thought when he noticed them all watching Thorin and the hobbit surreptitiously while pretending to still argue over the gems. Since they were dwarves and subtlety was not their forte, they failed at the ruse completely, but luckily neither Bilbo nor Thorin had noticed anything amiss yet thanks to being absorbed in their conversation.
Bofur's gaze flew from the rowdy group around him to the pair in the corner before he rolled his eyes, obviously suppressing a grin.
"Let's roll out the barrel!" he exclaimed, which managed to effectively draw everyone's attention away from those two.
The dwarves set the table and finally sat down for a feast, putting Bilbo at the head of the table for once. They had managed to get plenty of roasted pork and chicken, several bowls of mashed potatoes and two large barrels of ale that was surprisingly good in quality, so everyone was more than pleased with the menu.
Before they could dig in and forget about propriety and table manners, Fíli rose from his seat, thumping his goblet on the table loudly.
"I'd like to propose a toast." He raised the goblet in Bilbo's direction. "To our wonderful Mr Baggins, our resident heroic burglar and the very best of hobbits. Truly, he is the Prince of the Halflings," he made a theatrical bow, drawing many laughs from their companions. "May his fortune multiply and his curls grow even longer. Happy Birthday." He sat back down to loud cheers.
Bilbo looked torn between exasperation and amusement.
"I will never live this down, will I?"
"No," Kíli said resolutely, putting and arm around Bilbo's shoulders. "You know, Bilbo, we should make you a crown, to go with the title. Gold, I think, would match your hair nicely."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Bilbo swatted at his arm, but couldn't suppress his smile. "Next you will be claiming that I am trying to usurp Thorin's throne.
"Well, now that you mention it, it's not such a bad idea..." Fíli started.
Bilbo buried his face in his hands.
"Why did I ever say anything?"
To be continued...
A/N: So I have just written Bilbo Baggins, the Accidental Voyeur. I swear I have no idea how it happened. Please forgive me :D
Bilbo's hair will play a role in the latter chapters and the decision to make it longer was completely deliberate. I always wondered at the characters in LOTR, who manage to spend a whole year without having their hair grow by so much as an inch (I know, I know, logistics of filmmaking, wigs etc., but it still bugged me a bit). Since Bilbo had been on the road for nearly half a year already, his hair could have grown by at least two inches (mine certainly does).
The blue clothes are the only thing that I borrow from the second movie. There should be (hopefully) very little intersection between this story and the movie, but I liked the idea of Bilbo dressed in blue (I know Thorin certainly does :) when I saw the trailer, so I decided to put it in.
Next chapter should be up on Thursday, December 12 (maybe earlier, if I write really fast). Stay tuned and thanks as always for the feedback!