On we go!
It's great really, how many people asked about Bolg so to answer your questions: he will definitely show up again. After all he is basically the cause for the Battle of the Five Armies so he needed to survive at this point. Sorry if this disappointed some people but hey, see it from the bright side: he will surely cause some more fear and terror and hurt in the future and we're all very much looking forward to that, aren't we? ;)
Also the story that Thorin tells, that was a story that I made up myself and not Tolkien based :)
Once again, thanks to everyone who fave'd and reviewed and enjoy the next chapter!
That night none of them found any sleep.
The ones that had been heavily wounded were tended to and healed by Óin and Gandalf, putting balms and ointments on scratches and wounds, fixing broken bones and washing the blood off many of them.
Dwalin was bedded by the fire. Óin prepared a herbal drink for him but the old warrior refused to take a single sip. Instead, he drank himself into oblivion on grog and quickly fell into a deep, refreshing sleep, snoring quietly. Balin did not leave his brother's side even once, staying up and smoking, remembering the years in Erebor and the many battles they had fought side by side.
Bilbo was sitting by the fire with Ori, sipping on tea. He watched Fíli and Kíli from a distance, saw them talking but didn't understand a word. A nauseous feeling crept upon him. A feeling that they might be talking about him and how they wouldn't want to speak to him ever again. Though Ori tried his best to cheer him up, the hobbit felt even smaller than he actually was.
After a while, the brothers were joined by Thorin, who had washed the blood off his skin. A stern, unpleasant look hung on his troubled features.
"Tend to that wound", he ordered. "We will set off in two days, you need to be better by then."
"It's all my fault", Fíli quietly admitted.
"What is?"
"That our quest is lost. I couldn't take the key back", the youngster stared at the ground, guilt eating him alive. "If I had been a better fighter, I could have snatched the key from him! I could have killed him and taken it and then we would-"
His words were cut off and every dwarf looked up when a loud slap echoed through the fortress.
Fíli blankly stared at Thorin, holding his cheek. Never before had Thorin slapped his nephews. Not once. But now he looked at Fíli, anger and hurt burning in his eyes and he pondered to raise his hand once more but resisted the urge.
"Be glad I don't beat you into a pulp like you would deserve!", he thundered at his nephew. "You're nothing but reckless and stupid and a burden on top of that! You nearly got yourself killed down there, do you even realize?! The key is not lost because you should have been a better fighter, the key is lost because you have acted on your own when you shouldn't have! I didn't bring you along so you could die a heroic death in some meaningless battle! In fact, I shouldn't have brought you two along at all!"
Fílis heart shattered in thousand pieces and Kíli had to fight the tears.
All they had wanted on this journey, was to prove themselves to their uncle. Their great idol, that they adored ever since they were children. They had wanted to show their skills and be helpful, see the world and be part of the adventure. Thorin's words cut deeper than knives and hurt more than the wound on Fíli's side.
"I'm sorry", he whispered, his voice shaking badly.
"You should be!", Thorin bellowed. "Now get that wound fixed and come back to your senses!"
"What about the key?"
"That's none of your worry anymore! You've had your chance and you failed! Live with that!"
Thorin turned on his heel and left his nephews behind. Kíli swallowed hard and glanced at his brother, whose face had gone blank. Not a single emotion showed on his features and for the first time in his life, Kíli didn't know how to deal with him.
"He didn't mean it", he muttered quietly. "He'll surely apologize in a bit and-"
"Don't", Fíli cut in and turned away towards the other side of the hall. He hobbled on and when Kíli began to follow, he glanced over his shoulder. "Just leave me alone."
Kíli froze on the spot and watched as his brother disappeared in the darkness of the fortress, leaning onto the wall. The youngster didn't understand the world anymore. Never before had his brother sent him away. Never before had his uncle slapped one of them or yelled so badly. And never before had he imagined that something so bad could happen to his family. In fact, he felt like his whole world was falling apart.
He sunk down to the ground by the wall and rested his chin on his knees but no tears fell that night. Kíli felt empty and hollow, not knowing what to think or to believe anymore. Were they no more than a burden to Thorin? Did they ruin everything? He buried his face in the fabric of his trousers, only looking up when he heard someone sitting down next to him.
To his surprise, it was Dáin who settled down, handing him a cup of grog. The great warrior had washed his face and cleaned the bruises and scratches and looked oddly old and tired, the tattoos looking like deep shadows underneath his eyes.
"Don't mind them, lad", he began with his deep, husky voice. "They will come by eventually."
"I've never seen them like this", Kíli admitted quietly.
"Battle changes people. For battle often means death and decay and nobody is safe. Your uncle is worried about you. About losing you. Believe me lad, it is not the key he is mad about, it is his own guilt eating him."
"Maybe he was right. Maybe we're no good at fighting and only a burden."
"You two are extraordinarily skilled fighters", Dáin smiled. "Wish I had more men like you in my troops. But it is hard for Thorin, to see you grow up in the safety of the Blue Mountains and suddenly you face the world. You're naïve and young. Your deaths would be a waste. And he is starting to realize that he is putting your lives on the line."
"But we wanted to come along!"
"I know. And it is right that you did for you probably need those lessons in your lives. Just like your brother needed that lesson today. One dwarf alone cannot accomplish much. And even though he had you, taking on an orc warlord on your own was an utterly stupid idea."
"Durin accomplished a lot alone."
"But when Durin awoke, he had no enemies, did he? Over the years, the dwarves have made many enemies but we have grown in number. We're fighters, all of us. But we fight together. And we grieve together. You better find your brother."
"He said he wanted me to leave him alone."
"He didn't mean it. He just realized that this task will demand him to grow up and that is a terrifying thought sometimes. A thought that he shouldn't have to deal with alone. Go on, find him."
Kíli clutched the cup of grog, giving Dáin a small smile of gratitude. He got up and hurried after his brother, the old warrior looking after him and shaking his head.
Bilbo had watched from a distance and his little heart ached as if someone had pierced it with a dagger. All of this was his fault. He had told the boys that he needed a diversion, he had let them go out there and face that terrible orc. He had said he could reclaim the key.
Bilbo's face suddenly lit up and he shoved his hand in the pocket of his coat to find the key still safely tugged away. He didn't hesitate for a second as he jumped up from his spot, startling poor little Ori and turned towards Thorin but before he could say a word, a thought crossed his mind. He had to make this right, thus there was only one thing to do.
The hobbit found the brothers on the same balcony that they had been sitting on the night before the battle. The sun had already begun to rise, drawing the sky in rose and orange. They sat on the broad balustrade, talking quietly and when they noticed Bilbo, Fíli's face turned cold again and he looked away into the sunrise.
Taking a deep breath, Bilbo stepped out on the balcony and towards the brothers.
"I-", he began but was cut off by Fíli again.
"I still have nothing to say to you."
"But I to you!", Bilbo insisted, causing Kíli to smile a little. "And you will listen to what I have to say because I- I", he stammered on for a while, not sure why a prince should listen to a hobbit. "Because I am your friend! And I am in fact older than you! Kind of!"
Fíli blinked surprised but didn't reply.
"I have messed this up. This is my fault, not yours. You did this to help me and I should have stood up for it and explained it to Thorin."
"Don't beat yourself over it", Fíli muttered. "It was a retarded plan anyways."
"But it wasn't!", the hobbit exclaimed and when he pulled the key from his pocket, the brothers nearly fell off the balustrade.
"You got it?!", Kíli bellowed, staring at the key with eyes as big as saucers.
"How- how did you do that?"
"I will explain one day, I promise", Bilbo replied sheepishly. "But you see? The plan wasn't retarded at all, it was brilliant and I couldn't have gotten the key without you. You two brought the key back. You saved this quest!"
He handed the key to Fíli, who took it carefully, not quite believing that this was happening.
"You really are a burglar, Master Baggins", Kíli muttered, mesmerized by the key. "We need to tell Thorin! I'll go and get him!"
"Kíli, don't-!"
But it was too late already. Kíli hopped off the balustrade and off he went, leaving Bilbo and Fíli alone. The dwarf turned the key in his hands, watching it deep in thoughts.
"I am sorry", he finally admitted quietly. "I should have never doubted you or your bravery. I was wrong to call you a traitor."
"Maybe", the hobbit replied, smiling a little. "Though I will not blame you for you didn't know that I had the key."
"So you accept my apology?"
"I do."
And for the first time since they left Mount Gundabad, Fíli smiled. Because of a little hobbit, that stood in the middle of the balcony, his hands tucked behind his braces, smiling happily.
When Kíli dragged his uncle to the balcony and Thorin's gaze fell on the key in Fíli's hand, he couldn't do much but stare for a few seconds. He had believed the quest to be lost, for they couldn't enter the mountain without the key. But there it was, firmly in his nephew's grip and hope sparked again in the scarred heart of the king.
"You did this? You brought it back?"
Fíli's gaze fell on Bilbo and the hobbit nodded, silently encouraging him to claim the approval he deserved. The youngster remained quiet for a while before a small smile spread on his lips as he handed the key to Thorin.
"No, I didn't", he said and neither Bilbo nor Kíli could believe what they heard.
"I don't understand", Thorin's voice sounded stern again.
"Bilbo snatched it from Bolg. Not us. Kíli and I distracted him while Bilbo stole the key and that's all we did. You have picked your burglar with better care than your fighters it seems."
Thorin watched Fíli for a while, then glanced at the hobbit who did not seem to happy about the truth being revealed, for he wished for Thorin to be proud of his nephews again. Kíli began to feel uneasy, shifting from one foot to the other, while Fíli expected the next wigging, when his uncle suddenly cupped his face in his hands and leaned his forehead against Fíli's.
"I couldn't have picked any better and more honest fighters than you."
Relief gushed over them like a wave as Thorin pulled his nephews into an embrace and Bilbo stood beside them, beaming like a child. All the anxiety fell off his shoulders and there could have been nothing in this world, that made him happier than seeing the family reunited with the key to their mission back in their hands.
He flinched a little though, when Thorin turned to him.
"You indeed are a brave and most talented burglar, Master Baggins. I am sorry that I doubted you."
"No, no not at all. I would have doubted me too", the hobbit smiled a little. "So the quest can continue then?"
"It can and it will. Not long until we will see the Halls of Erebor."