Chapter Fifteen
Previously:
"Why did you not mention this sooner?" Thorin asked with a look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
"It is forbidden to talk of such things with outsiders, but I have come to see you all as Teaghlaigh, Family. That means that you are no longer outsiders," Bilbo explained gently.
The three youngest members of the company mobbed him and said in unison, "Love you Aunty Bilbo."
Bilbo hugged them back as best he could, "Love you too boys."
"Now," Bilbo said with his arms still around Fili, Kili and Ori, "the second reason none of you should enter the mountain is because of the Arkenstone. I have seen it's like before."
"You must be mistaken Laddie, the King's Jewel is one of a kind." Balin said.
"I am sorry, Balin but you are wrong a few years ago, there was a bit of a disaster in the Shire, we discovered a whole cavern of these jewels many became sick, there were a range of symptoms in those who had contact with them: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, nerve pain, loss of reflexes, convulsions, muscle wasting, headaches, numbness, and in some of the more extreme cases dementia, psychosis, and even coma, also hair loss and heart rhythm disturbances. It is truly a horrifying thing to witness. While Dwarves are undisputedly sturdier than Hobbits it would affect you and in combination with the Dragon's Call, it may just be too much to come back from."*
Three days after the Thain had ordered help from the Shire, Bilbo's communicator buzzed, the Dwarves looked around in confusion (minus Bofur) as Bilbo dove for his pack, he fished out a small rectangular black thing he pressed his thumb to it and said, "Gandalf!"
To the Dwarves' utter confusion (minus Bofur) the Grey Wizard's voice came out of the box, "Bilbo, thank the stars, you are in danger. Look!"
Bilbo went pale and dropped to the ground, "How many?" he near whispered.
"Ten Thousand." Bilbo dropped the device, Thorin and Bofur ran forward, Bofur grabbed the device while Thorin supported Bilbo.
"What is that?" Thorin asked.
"Bofur?" Gandalf's voice asked.
"A moment Gandalf," Bofur replied. Turing to Thorin he said, "It allows long distance communication. Now, what's going on Gandalf?"
"Orcs, an army of Orcs with a few thousand Goblins to supplement them."
Bilbo stood and held his hand out for the communicator, "How long, Gandalf?"
"Two weeks," Bilbo frowned.
"That is not long enough for an army from the Iron Hills," Thorin said.
"I need to contact the Thain."
"I have already done that," Gandalf replied. "The Hobbits are on the way, about ten days away. Having Dain here would be an advantage as well, you should send for him Thorin."
Bilbo moved away from the camp and spoke in whispered Sindarin, "Gandalf I'm pregnant, I don't know if I should tell Thorin or not."
"Tell him when you are victorious I know that nothing can make a Hobbit miscarry save for the Miscarriage Illness."
Three days after Gandalf's news the communicator buzzed again, the Dwarves gathered around Bilbo as he answered.
"Fortinbras." Bilbo said nodding to the Thain.
"Uilliam, I have good news! The Tunnelers have hit a large deposit of sand stone, they estimate that it will run under Mirkwood completely before becoming granite again. It should be only three more days."
"That is wonderful news."
"And Bilbo, be careful."
"I will," Bilbo smiled as the Thain hung up.
Bilbo cleared his throat as the Company finished eating, "There are things you need to know before the other Hobbits get here," The rest of the Company turned to him, "I have shared with you my language, culture, history and medicine but now you need to know more, things that only the Trusted are allowed to know.
Now, all of you saw my Communicator the other day, which is just the beginning of the technology we have. We hide it underground in a city than only Hobbits and the Trusted are allowed to enter. For example we don't use horse and carts we have special carts called cars and trucks that operate under their own power.
When the Hobbits arrive they will be in these vehicles, with them they will bring medicine and weapons. You will not be familiar with most of the weapons, I know you have an understanding of explosives in regards to mining, but we can put make a truly devastating explosion and we can make projectiles that will tear a hole through the chest of an enemy. It is important that you do not play nor spar with these weapons."
The Communicator buzzed and Fortinbras groaned he couldn't have been asleep more than an hour.
"What!" He snapped once he managed to get the infernal device to his ear.
"Fortinbras."
"Uilliam."
"It turns out that the Dwarves never had a plan for killing the Dragon, they were just hoping it would be dead!"
"What of all the stupid thing they could have done they had to choose the deadly one!"
"My thoughts exactly. Bofur Banks has come up with an ingenious plan."
"Bofur Banks? I remember him, he is a kind soul."
That Conversation was how the Thain came to be standing before a new tunnel sending off half of the stores of liquid nitrogen in the Shire, as well as eleven Regiments of his Armed Forces. On the last truck sat Bilbo's Helicopter painted black and yellow and nicknamed 'Wasp' it was covered with a sheet as a surprise for his cousin.
The Company had moved their camp down from the Hidden Door to the base of the Mountain, so that they would not wake the Dragon. It was early morning and the Company was eating a meagre breakfast when the first rumbles were heard from the direction of Mirkwood. Bilbo smiled as the Dwarves jumped up muttering about sneaky Elves, "That'd be our back up," Bilbo said, "give them a few more hours and they will be here."
Bilbo grabbed Thorin by the hand and dragged him away for a few hour alone before the chaos began. He saw Dwalin doing the same to Nori out of the corner of his eye.
The Company stood as the gigantic drill broke the ground, it was the size of three horse carts in diameter, it continued forward and the Dwarves could see some strange four wheeled cart attached to the drill, well the drill was attached to it. Soon the machine stopped making noise and four Hobbits climbed out and came towards them, they bowed first to Bilbo and then to Thorin.
"It is good to see you well, the rest of our party is not far away the last should arrive by the end of the day, the first in ten minutes," The one that seemed to be the leader said.
The four Hobbits then proceeded to sit and eat by their vehicle. The Company remained standing waiting for the first arrivals, the Driller's estimation was dead on and ten minutes later three dune buggies came roaring out of the tunnel they came to a stop in front of the Company the eleven Hobbits wearing uniforms stepped out of them and stood before the Company in a line, one by one from left to right each Hobbit stepped forward and said, "2nd Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"4th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"5th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"9th Regiment Second in Command Reporting for duty."
"14th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"15th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"18th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"19th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"20th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"21st Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
"25th Regiment Leader Reporting for duty."
The Ninth Regiment Hobbit then stepped forward with a package for Bilbo, "Your uniform, 9th Regimen Leader."
Bilbo stepped forward and took the package the solider saluted and Bilbo said, "At ease bounders," and all the Hobbits assumed a more relaxed position, "thank you Colonel for the uniform, I shall resume command when my bounders arrive."
"Yes, sir," the Hobbit replied and stepped back in to line.
The Second Regiment Leader then stepped forward, he was much more informal, "General," he greeted Bilbo.
"General," Bilbo replied. There was a silent moment before the two hugged, "I missed you Little Brother," Bilbo said.
"You too Big Brother," Sigismond Took replied.
The Hobbits then returned to the Dune Buggies and took them off behind the Company where there was a large plain, it was to be the battle field.
A few minutes later three large trucks came out of the tunnel and two of the Regiment Leaders went to meet them, suddenly a female Hobbit broke away from the group, she was heavily pregnant, she had long black hair tied up in a bun and bright blue eyes, Bofur whispered, "Sallgard," and ran to her. Bombur and Bifur followed after him.
Bilbo smiled, he would have to take the time to talk to Sallgard after the setting up was done. He took the package and left to change into his uniform, it was sky blue as were all the Air Force uniforms, and had a small star sewn on each shoulder he put his weapons in the holsters on his uniform and took the gun that was in the package and put it in his hip holster. He felt ready for anything when he put on his uniform, he returned to the Company and smiled at the loo in Thorin's eyes when he saw him, Bilbo knew he cut an impressive figure in his uniform but he look better in his dress uniform and planned to show Thorin it when they had finished with this fight.
Bofur reached Sallgard in a matter of moments, she was even more beautiful than he remembered her. Without words they embraced both crying into the other's shoulder they stood like that for only a moment before Sallgard pulled away and placed Bofur's hand on her round stomach. "You're going to be a Dhaidí," she said. Bofur laughed and felt tears in his eyes, "Oh, oh!" Sallgard exclaimed, "I need to talk to Bombur!" she rushed away to where the two other Dwarves were waiting, Bofur followed with a bright smile. "Bombur! Congratulations, you have a daughter," Bombur burst into tears and hugged her, Bifur stuck his fist in the air and whooped.
At the end of the day the last truck exited the tunnel, it had another helicopter on the back of it, like the other nine before it, but for some reason Bilbo got very excited upon seeing this particular one. He turned to the Dwarves and pointed to the yellow and black striped helicopter, "that one is mine," he said.
Once the last vehicle was out of the tunnel the Drill team headed off back home.
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