Aside from the stray animal attack, the company was met with few challenges not inherent to travelling on the road. Of course it was just when the hobbit had begun to gain some semblance of confidence in his ability to keep himself not only alive on the road, but also useful to the others, he found himself cursing any thought of leaving the Shire.
That particular day had started out as most had for the past few weeks. Thorin roused them at dawn, Bombur fixed them a hearty breakfast, and company had packed up their bags onto their ponies and off they went with the usual amount of grumbles and sleepy sighs. This day, like the few before it, bore wind and rain without a glimpse of sunlight to be found.
The company had rather miserably bundled themselves up in their cloaks against the horrid weather but otherwise carried on as they normally would. Bilbo found himself at the front of the group, which was a very rare occurrence in itself as he often favored the back to chat with Gandalf or Bofur, or even to share the notes he had been keeping in his journal with Balin. Fili and Kili had taken the front of the group as well, their keen eyesight used to guide the rest of the dwarves on the narrow path through the lower mountains.
The narrow strand of flat dirt wound through trees against a small mountain. To their left was a thick brush of trees that rose up steeply with the side of the mountain. To their right was a sparse area of trees followed by about a twenty-foot steep incline that led into the next steppe of the mountain.
The path, Thorin had told their group as they set out, was notorious for robbers and raids given that once on it, a traveler would have only two options: to go forward or to turn back until they reached the lower ground of the forest that lay on the edge of the mountain pass. Bilbo should have known, should have known, that just when Thorin opened his big mouth about attacks, fate would consider herself sorely tempted.
They had gotten about a few hours into their day's ride along the trail when Thorin shouted for a halt, having heard the shrill and blood-curdling cry of an orc. However, given the rain and the wind was so strong, and their position as the official, un-official scouts, Fili and Kili trailed closely behind by Bilbo, who had chosen that day of all the blasted days to ride a bit ahead of the group with them, heard absolutely nothing.
Unaware of the ambush that had taken place behind them, Fili, Kili, and Bilbo continued to ride for another few minutes before chance decided that one, Bilbo Baggins, needed just a bit more excitement in his life.
An orc jumped out of from what seemed like the mist itself and knocked Kili off of his pony in a flurry of teeth and claws. Shouting in surprise, Kili reached for his sword but it was swiftly knocked from his grasp as the orc launched itself on top of the struggling dwarf. Hearing his brother's shout, Fili forced his pony around and yelled with fury as he saw Kili fighting tooth and nail with the larger orc.
Fili didn't have much time to react, however, as another orc jumped out from the trees. A bit quicker than his brother, Fili leapt off his own pony to the ground in order to gain better footing.
Myrtle, it seemed, had just about enough of this frightening business and chose that moment to rear up as Bilbo scrambled fruitlessly to maintain his grip and ended up falling back over the saddle onto the muddy ground.
Dazed for a few moments, Bilbo missed the next minute of action but from what he could tell through the confusion and rain, Fili had taken out his two short swords and was making quick work of his assailant.
Bilbo sat up just in time to see the orc that had Kili underneath him was raising his own curved, wicked blade to bury it deep into the dwarf's chest before Fili gave a wild yell, beheading his orc and barreling into the one on top of his brother. The main problem with this, Bilbo mind supplied rather unhelpfully as time seemed to slow down – seconds feeling like an entire age passing by – was that there was quite a decent drop a scant few feet from where the brothers were fighting.
Bilbo let out a loud gasp, still dazed but attempting to scramble up as he saw Fili tackle the orc just as its armor-clad hand tightened on the neck of Kili's coat and all three tumbled out of view. Bilbo sat there in the rain and mud, shocked for a good few moments before he shook himself. He had to do something! The hobbit barely had time to think as yet another orc screeched and launched itself down the steep drop after its fellow.
Bilbo was very, very worried now. As far as he could tell, the two dwarves had dropped down with an orc, a bloodthirsty, cruel orc and another one had followed it down to which Fili and Kili were currently unawares. A flash of silver caught Bilbo's eye, it was Kili's sword!
'Oh no,' thought Bilbo 'oh no!' He had to get Kili his sword or else they would be in even more trouble.
Making a split second decision that Bilbo knew he would regret almost immediately, the hobbit ran as quick as he could, grabbing the sword by the hilt as he passed, and slid feet first down the almost vertical mud-slicked drop after the brothers.
As he slid, Bilbo felt the rocks and other nasty forest things ripping his favorite trousers and into his skin. The slide was controlled for the first few seconds, but as he picked up speed, one of Bilbo's rather large feet hit a protruding root, causing him to turn sideways and then start rolling.
Bilbo was sure if he was not the hobbit being bruised and cut as he unceremoniously fell down the very steep hill, he might have found the sight humorous, however as he finally slammed into the bottom of what appeared to be another path, Bilbo found exactly nothing funny about the pain shooting through every part of his body before he blacked out.
Head throbbing and vision swimming, Bilbo awoke to someone shaking him quite vigorously. "What're you… what—" Bilbo slurred before he felt a hand grip him in what was probably the fiercest and closest hug anyone had given him.
"You saved him Master Baggins, you saved him!" Fili cried into Bilbo's shoulder as the hobbit patted the dwarf gingerly, feeling increasingly confused.
"Thank Mahal you were here!" Fili continued to clutch the hobbit for another few moments before scrambling to his brother's unmoving side.
Bilbo blinked several times before noticing a sharp pain in his back. Looking down, the hobbit saw that what he had landed on was not, in fact, ground, but rather the orc that had followed Fili and Kili down the drop. While he tumbled down, clutching Kili's sword, Bilbo had apparently fallen right on the orc inadvertently stabbing it as he had been knocked out by the impact.
The hobbit shook his head in disbelief, not quite able to grasp what his life had become in the last few weeks, sleeping outside and falling on orcs! What his father would have said, Bilbo did not even want to begin contemplating.
Bilbo reluctantly removed the sword from the motionless orc before he made his way over the two brothers. Fili was holding Kili's head, examining the other dwarf for wounds.
"Is he… is he alive?" Bilbo asked nervously, dreading the opposite, but felt sweet relief flood through him as Fili turned, giving him strained smile.
"Yes, he'll be fine the great lump, the fall must have knocked him out cold." Fili patted his brother's cheek; "the fool lost his sword in the first few seconds. Uncle is going to be absolutely livid."
Fili shuddered, most likely at the thought of Thorin seeing Kili unconscious with a giant, red bump on his head. "Still," the dwarf muttered, "better than him being dead," and with that he swatted his brother's head affectionately before laying him back on the ground and joining Bilbo.
Fili narrowed his eyes against the rain as he gazed up at the ledge. "Well this is just perfect," the dwarf sighed before glancing sideways at Bilbo, "I think we're going to have to wait for Thorin and the others to get a rope and help us back up, this ledge is too long and too steep for us to manage. Especially with this unconscious oaf," he nudged Kili's limp form with his foot.
Bilbo frowned with worry, "I hope the rest of them are alright… I think there were more orcs than just these three…"
Fili patted Bilbo on the shoulder squeezing it gently, "they'll be fine Master Baggins, no orc would get the better of my uncle. Plus!" he added with somewhat forced bravado, "Gandalf is with them! Always good to have a wizard at one's back!"
Bilbo still felt the worry gnaw at his chest most uncomfortably. "Come on," he heard Fili mutter, turning to his brother, "let's get Kili out of the mud at least. He'd end me if I let his precious bow got too dirty."
Bilbo and Fili waited at the base of the ledge with an unconscious Kili for any shout from the rest of their company. They only had to wait about twenty minutes before they heard the frantic shouting of Thorin Oakenshield.
"Kili! Fili! Where are you two damned ingrates? I swear if you don't answer me, by Durin's beard I'll wring your necks myself!"
The shouting stopped for a second before they heard crashing up above them, "Blast it! Hobbit! Where are you? Someone answer!"
Fili cupped his hands around his mouth before yelling back, "down here!"
Silence fell again before they heard Bofur's muffled voice, "I think I heard somethin', everyone quiet!" Fili shouted once again before they saw Thorin's face, a mixture of worry, anger, and the blackest orc blood peek over the side.
"What in the name of Thrór are you incompetent fools doing all the way down there?"
Fili let out an irritated sigh, "will you please get some rope and help us up, uncle? Kili's been knocked out and we could do with some rest." They saw Thorin slam his mouth shut and Bilbo swore he could hear their leader's teeth grinding from all the way down where he stood.
"Fine! But don't think I'm letting this go! Dís would have me skinned if she saw you two…" Thorin growled as he went out of sight again.
Bilbo glanced nervously at the blond dwarf, but he was met with the sight of Fili's almost constant smirk. "Don't worry Master Baggins, Thorin gets like that when he's worried, best to just let it wash over you," Fili made a motion with his hands as if there were waves going over his head. They stood there for another minute before the end of a rope swung down.
"Send Kili up," came Thorin's shout from above.
Fili let out a little sigh as he turned to Bilbo, "if you'd be so kind Master Baggins, could you hold him up while I tie the rope?"
Bilbo shuffled over and helped Fili lift his brother to where the rope was still swaying. Together they held Kili up as Fili tied a snug knot around the younger dwarf's middle.
"Okay! Drag him up!" Fili shouted as he gave two quick tugs to the rope.
They watched as Kili was swiftly brought up the steep drop until the rope came down once again. "Alright Master Baggins, your turn," Fili said with a grin as he fitted the rope under the hobbit's arms and tied a tight knot.
Bilbo gasped as Fili finished it with a yank, "was that really necessary?" The hobbit grumbled as he was pulled up rather ungraciously. "
"Sorry, didn't quite catch that!" He heard Fili call out with a laugh.
'Dwarves…' Bilbo thought indignantly as he shook his head before feeling a pair of large hands grip him around the waist and lift him up.
The hobbit was plopped down in front of a very angry looking Thorin Oakenshield who grabbed him by arms, quickly examining him for wounds. "Are you injured?" Thorin asked gruffly still holding him tightly.
"Uh… No?" Bilbo looked around at the rest of the group, no one appearing especially injured which relieved him immensely.
"Then move out of the way," Thorin didn't wait, but lifted Bilbo to stand beside where Kili was lying on the ground and being examined by Gandalf.
Fili came up a few minutes later, a bit dirty but otherwise fine. The young dwarf was swiftly grabbed by his uncle and the two shared tight embrace before Thorin pulled his nephew away at arm's length to examine him.
"I'm fine, uncle, it's Kili we should be looking at," Fili muttered with a small smile before glancing at his brother.
"He will be quite alright," said Gandalf calmly, "he'll be up when he's up, nothing to do for him now but make sure he's comfortable. Thorin, I suggest we make camp for the evening."
The company found a sheltered area after where the path curved downward and opened up into dense forest. There was a flurry of activity for another few hours as camp was set up, dinner made, and Kili tended to. The dwarf had yet to rise, but Gandalf said it was nothing to worry about, these things having a tendency to sort themselves with a bit of rest.
After dinner, when most of the dwarves had retired to their respective mats, Bilbo found himself watching over the still unconscious Kili with his ever-attentive brother. Fili had not left his brother's side and made sure Kili was wrapped in blankets, weapons and clothes cleaned as best he could, and that food and water were ready for when his brother awoke.
"He will be alright, won't he?" Bilbo was not completely convinced, but after Fili had allowed him to clean and wrap Kili's head, the hobbit was put at least a little at ease.
"He'll be just fine, Master Baggins, he's just milking this for all it's worth. Just loves the attention, this one," Fili shot Bilbo a warm grin.
They sat in comfortable silence for a good few minutes before they heard the heavy footfalls of Thorin making his way over to them. Bilbo watched their leader warily as the dwarf prince knelt down next to his nephew with a look of deep concern on his face.
"Any changes?" Thorin questioned Fili with a frown.
"No, uncle. Though I think he should wake soon."
Thorin continued to look at his nephew as if he could force the dwarf into consciousness through sheer willpower. Fili gently grasped his uncle's forearm, "I'll let you know as soon as he wakes, go rest," he added quietly. Throin gave a stiff nod before walking away towards his bedroll.
Bilbo glanced a little wide-eyed between Kili and Thorin, not having seen the stoic prince express any emotion so intensely before. At least not, uh, positive ones.
"He loves him," Bilbo shot his gaze toward Fili who was watching him with a small smile, "more than anything else, Thorin cares for my brother."
Bilbo thought he saw a hint of sadness in Fili's eyes but whatever it was; the flicker disappeared as the dwarf looked at Kili's peaceful face and was instantly replaced by affection.
Bilbo felt a frown creep across his face, "surely he cares for you equally… I mean, he is to both of you an uncle."
Fili raised his eyebrows with a smile, " I do not mean that he does so consciously or with great disparity, but I am not blind nor am I naïve, Master Baggins. I know what I see."
For the first time since they had met, Bilbo saw in Fili something other than the easy grin that usually rested on the dwarf's face. Bilbo reached out and clasped Fili's arm, "I'm sure that's not true, I've seen how he cares for you both."
Fili let out a short laugh and put a gentle hand above Bilbo's, "I did not mean to imply that I feel somehow cheated by it. I also love my brother above all things, how could I fault someone for doing the same?" Fili's mouth quirked up into a grin.
Bilbo gave him a sad smile, "well, for what its worth, I think you are mistaken, Mister Fili."
They sat in silence for a few moments before Fili continued quietly, "Kili looks much more like our mother, Dís… Much more like a Durin for that matter, what with the dark hair and all."
Fili sat back against a large rock just behind him, "I've been told I look like my father."
Fili absentmindedly tugged at a blond braid that sat just by his ear, "Thorin didn't like him much, said he was never good enough for my mother."
Bilbo gazed at Fili, unused to the dwarf doing much more than laughing or pulling pranks, "is… is light hair uncommon amongst your people? I haven't seen any other dwarves who look like you…"
There was a moment of silence before Bilbo added quickly, "not that there's anything wrong with looking different! You'd, uh, you'd fit right in the Shire, with no doubt! Hobbits have all variety of coloring!" Bilbo felt his words spilling out, increasingly afraid he'd offended the dwarf.
Fili just laughed at his obviously discomfort as he laughed at most things that crossed his path, "not at all Master Hobbit, your words of inclusion are most kind and appreciated," Fili gave a mock bow with an exaggerated flourish.
"As to your question… No, I suppose there are not many dwarves with light hair. My father was from a unique sect of dwarves that does not… comply, I suppose, with the traditional dwarven desire for great halls and a golden hoard."
Fili started absently tracing unknown runes into dirt beside him as he spoke, "they are a nomadic bunch, mostly hunters and leather workers. They ride great mountain rams and are nearly as skilled with a bow as the fair folk. While most dwarves are… confused by their lifestyle, they do bring resources to the mountain dwellers that they would not be able to get as easily otherwise, for all their reluctance to leave their halls."
Bilbo was absently gazing at the growing number of runes but listened attentively, "So they… They are traders?"
Fili nodded, "of a sort, they work their leather and their cloth and travel from kingdom to kingdom, exchanging their wares for metal work and weapons that they cannot as easily make. Which is, in fact, how my mother met my father."
Bilbo looked up at Fili once again. "But…" the hobbit was hesitant to go on, not wishing to offend the dwarf but his Took curiosity was as irresistible as ever, "You're royalty are you not? Shouldn't she have married a prince of some sort…?" Bilbo trailed off quietly.
"Quite right, Master Baggins," Fili chuckled ruefully, "my mother had all of Erebor in a right tizzy when she announced her betrothal to some wandering, golden hued dwarf. See, you may not know this about us dwarves, but when we take a partner, we usually do so for the entirety of our lives. Dwarves take courting all very seriously because to express interest is not for a fleeting fancy, but an announcement that you are willing to dedicate your life to another."
Bilbo sat wide-eyed, gazing at Fili but also eager to absorb any new information he could about his mysterious companions. "So… your mother, she was not supposed to marry your father?"
Fili grinned yet again, his teeth flashing. "Not even for a moment! She told me they met at one of the markets. He was selling the finest leatherwork she had seen in her entire life: beautiful and intricate bracers, clothes, and even jewelry. Dwarves don't often take to wearing the leather except for its uses in the smithy and coats, but I think my mother has a taste for the exotic, hence the attraction to the uh, well…" He made a vague gesture at his hair, " anyway, they met and she says they continued to talk" Fili gave Bilbo a salacious wink, "and eventually fell in love."
"She announced her betrothal and naturally just about every family member threatened to disown her, but she just turned up her nose and told them to stuff it. Even Thorin wouldn't speak to her for a long time."
Fili glanced at his uncle with an unreadable look, "but in the end, I think when he saw that they were truly in love, Thorin stood beside her. My great-grandfather decided to, well, not condone it per say, but at least he didn't glare at her every time she walked into a room."
Bilbo smiled at this, the thought of the Durin glare being a family trait amused him for some reason. "Did Thorin and your father ever end up getting along?"
Fili let out an amused grunt. "No… I don't suppose they did. Just too different I suppose. My uncle is all about the ruling and the responsibility and getting upset at the very mention of the word 'fun' whereas my father was more of a… free spirit, I think."
Bilbo tried to imagine Thorin with a large smile on his face but thought made his brain feel like it might fracture at the strain if he continued. "What happened to him? If you don't mind me asking…"
Fili's smile grew somber though it never left his face. "Not at all. It was a few years after the attack on Erebor. I was very young at the time and my mother was pregnant with Kili when it happened. We were traveling to the Blue Mountains with my uncle and the rest of the dwarves when we were attacked by a group of bandits."
Bilbo looked at Fili closely, wondering how someone so cheerful could know such hardship.
"It was no ones fault really, but I think Thorin blames himself. You've seen him, Master Baggins, he needs to protect everyone and bear every burden. My mother is a uniquely hardy dwarf so she never lets it show, but I know she misses my father every day. Even so, Thorin has in many ways become the father Kili and I never really had."
Fili looked at his uncle, who was still sitting across the camp participating in a marathon brooding session the likes of which Bilbo had yet to witness.
"I'm supposed to be king. When Thorin is gone, and if we take back Erebor, I'm supposed to rule our people, but in some ways, I think… I think Thorin always wanted Kili to be his heir."
The dwarf prodded his brother with his foot. "My father died before Kili knew him, so Thorin has always been the one he's admired. Have you seen Kili look at him?"
Fili let out a bright laugh, "it's like the sun shine's out his arse, you couldn't tell him one thing against Thorin without incurring his righteous retribution."
Bilbo let out a small chuckle, it was true that the younger of the brothers did seem to try and emulate his uncle in every way he could.
"Kili is… Kili is quick to smile, quick to love, quick to anger but he just as soon forgives. It's impossible not to love someone so bright and full of life… Thorin is no exception."
Fili turned to Bilbo once more, "I think I remind him too much of what he's failed to do. Failed to protect. He couldn't save Erebor and in the end he couldn't save the thing his sister loved most."
Bilbo opened his mouth to object but Fili quickly cut in again. "Forgive me, Master Baggins, I phrased that poorly… I don't mean he does not love me, of course I don't think that, how could I given all he has done for me? But it is in Kili that his hope for the future of our people rests, and nothing, not even me, could possibly be more important to him than that."
There was a brief silence before Fili continued quietly. "I want to thank you Master Baggins. For saving my brother today."
Bilbo flushed at the sudden turn in the conversation. "It was nothing, really… I just sort of, uh… fell at the right moment." Fili scooted closer to him, looking at the hobbit deadly serious.
"You saved Kili's life, and thus you have also saved mine, for I could not be parted from him. I owe you a debt, Bilbo Baggins, one that will not go unpaid. Should you ever need me, at any time for any reason, I will come. You have earned a friend for life. I will not forget the courage and trueness of heart you have displayed."
Fili pulled Bilbo into a tight hug for the second time that day. Having heard the dwarf's story and knowing how deeply Fili felt for his family, Bilbo gripped back just as hard, hoping to convey some of the swelling affection he felt in his chest.
They heard a gurgling come from somewhere next to them and then a loud groan. Fili immediately dropped his arms and scrambled back to his brother's side. "Kili! Wake up, brother, you've rested long enough."
The younger dwarf made another pained noise before swatting at his brother's face, "why do I feel as if I've had a tankard of ale and gone a few rounds with Master Dwalin?"
Fili and Bilbo both laughed as Kili sat up slowly, eyes focusing on the two smiling faces, "well? Is anyone going to tell me what happened? It was noon a moment ago!"
"Kili!" Thorin came running over seeing his nephew getting up, gathering him into a fierce hug. "Do you feel alright?"
Kili winced and gasped for air. "Easy, uncle! Easy! I can hardly get a breath with you squeezing like that! I'm fine!"
Thorin sat back immediately, glancing at Bilbo as if challenging him to say something. Bilbo simply sighed and raised his hands in placation, too relieved that Kili was finally awake to be worried about Thorin and his moods.
"Fili, I would like to know what happened this morning," Thorin addressed his nephew.
"Me as well, brother! I'm all fuzzy after breakfast," Kili added with a whine.
"Nothing too exciting," Fili grinned, "an orc came out of the tree and jumped you on your pony, Kili. You lost your sword and were struggling with it when another one of those foul beasts appeared and attacked me. I believe then Master Baggins here fell off his horse," Fili winked at him as Thorin muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'of course' and Bilbo just treated them with a rather rude hand gesture. Fili and Kili laughed while Thorin continued to frown.
"I finished off my orc and tackled the other one and we all fell off the ledge."
Thorin crossed his arms looking far from pleased. "You should have known better than to do something so reckless near a drop like that, Fili."
Fili nodded with a small shrug. "Then another orc came down the ledge after us but I was occupied with the second orc and didn't have time to get between it and my unconscious prat of a brother. Which is when –" Fili made a mock bow towards him again, "Master Baggins was so gracious as to come to our rescue and stabbed the orc before it could touch Kili."
That wasn't… quite how Bilbo remembered it, what little he did remember.
"I mean, that's not really what—" Bilbo began but was interrupted by his third dwarf hug of the day. This was clearly becoming an issue.
Kili clutched him tightly and then held him at arms length. "I knew bringing you along was a wise choice, Master Boggins!"
Grinning in the way that only Kili could, Bilbo couldn't help but smile back at the dwarf's infectious enthusiasm. "You have my thanks, truly! My fine hobbit friend," Kili slung his arm around Bilbo's shoulder, "you have earned a friend for life! We Durins take these sorts of things seriously, don't we uncle?"
Thorin looked on in what Bilbo could only describe as disapproving in manner, but conceded a small nod.
"See! Even the great Thorin Oakenshield acknowledges this debt! You will forever be a friend of Durin, Bilbo Boggins!"
The hobbit flushed a deep shade of red at Kili's words, but smiled at the two brothers, feeling that he was finally earning his place in the company.