Even after the dinner ended, they all sat around the table, talking and talking. Some about the old times, others about recent adventures, and there was even talk of future travels in place. Many places in the adventures were offered to Bilbo again, but he would refuse them all, even when they offered to let Frodo come along.
"Oh no, no!" Bilbo said. "I've had my fair share of adventure for now. And I do not wish my nephew to ever feel the need to leave the borders."
"Why not?" Frodo whined from Bilbo's side. "Why can't we go on an adventure together?"
"Because Frodo, they are dangerous and not as fun as there cracked up to be. Trust me." Bilbo replied.
"I take offense to that!" Kili scoffed. Everyone laughed. Fili and Kili had always tried to make the adventure to the Lonely Mountain as fun for the Burglar as possible.
"Yes Kili. At times it was fun." Bilbo laughed, "But no amount of jokes could help the hunger and cold at times.
Frodo shrunk back at that comment. The thought of being cold, dirty, tired, and hungry was not appealing. 'I guess adventures are only fun with the comforts of home.' Frodo thought to himself, '…But I still want to go.' Frodo looked down the table at the great Thorin. He was laughing at the comments Kili was making about one of the more stupid mistakes the Hobbit made. His eyes were brighter than all the candles in the room, his smile was broad across his face, and the love for his Company was obvious. 'Maybe King Thorin will take me with him on his way back to Erebor….'
Just then Thorin turned his attention to the small Hobbit again, "So Master Bilbo, have you been teaching your nephew your burglar skills?" Thorin asked.
"I have no skill at being a burglar more than any other Hobbit would, I believe." Bilbo replied, "Walking silently and quickly is a Hobbit specialty. It is a huge difference from all your Dwarvish racket!"
"We can be sneaky when needed." Nori laughed, holding up the spoon that was previously in front of Bilbo, even though Nori was across the table.
"How-how did you…?" Bilbo tried to figure out how his spoon got across the table without him noticing. The whole table burst into laughter again watching the stumped Hobbit look back and forth between his plate and the missing spoon. But it didn't take to long for Bilbo to put it together. He turned his attention to his nephew, who had a wicked smile across his face.
Thorin laughed saying, "It seems you have taught him more than you knew, Master Burglar." Again, the table burst into laughter at the Hobbit.
Bilbo was about to say something in reply, when Frodo hopped out of his seat and scurried into the kitchen…taking Bilbo's fork with him. Bilbo didn't feel the need to go after the lad. Although, there was no doubt they would have a long conversation about stealing after the Dwarves left.
A little while later, Frodo reappeared behind Thorin, who was at the head of the table again. When he went to reach for a biscuits on the table, he found himself being lifted onto a lap, making it much easier to reach the plate of biscuits. When Frodo turned to see who had picked him up, he was more than a little surprised to find that it was Thorin.
At first, Frodo tried to show how he could be royal too, sitting up straight, along with not immediately shoving the whole biscuit into his mouth like he normally would. But that began to get tiring, so instead he just leaned into Thorin and finished his biscuit.
Frodo loved it when Thorin laughed. His chest would rumble, shaking Frodo too. Slowly, Frodo found himself being lulled to sleep by the beat of Thorin's heart. Before he could though, he heard his uncle calling out to Fili and Kili.
"Oh no! I don't need you two helping me put away me dishes again! Thank you very much." Bilbo said, taking the plates from their hands.
"Why? Afraid we'll throw them?" Kili questioned.
"You could have broken them!" Bilbo cried.
"Brother, do you remember a single plate being even a little chipped?" Fili asked Kili.
"Why no. I don't believe there was one." Kili replied, picking up another plate, throwing it over Bilbo to Gloin, who was on the other side of the door way.
Bilbo tried to stop him, "You know, I don't think your even fit for it anymore."
Kili and Fili dramatized being hurt by the remark, "Why?" Kili asked, "Cause I was stabbed in the heart?"
"Or cause I was stabbed in the back and dropped five stories?" Fili asked, like his brother. Before Bilbo could answer, another idea popped into Fili's head. "Well fine. If we're not fit for it, we'll get someone who is. Frodo!" he called out. Even though Bilbo tried to protest again, Frodo got off of Thorin's lap and went over to Fili, who quickly plucked him up. "Frodo, I think your uncle needs help putting away his dishes, what do you think?"
Frodo took the plate in Fili's hand. Bilbo was glaring furiously at his nephew, who would be so in for it if he threw that plate. "Don't you dare, Frodo Baggins." Bilbo said.
Frodo looked down at the plate then back to his uncle. Maybe it was the pressure of pleasing the Dwarves, or just the little rebel inside busting out, but Frodo looked directly at Bilbo and smiled that wicked little smile again, and tossed the plate across the table to Kili. The Dwarves cheered at his decision, and handed him more plates.
Thorin laughed and pulled a very shocked Bilbo into the corner as to avoid the rain of dishes flying from one room to another. "It seems he is a little more rebellious than you, my dear Hobbit." Thorin laughed.
"Yes," Bilbo responded, watching his nephew throw his plates, "I do believe I have failed him."
Balin laughed from behind them, "Not failed, Bilbo. I think influenced is the better word for it."
"This boy is nothing like me!" Bilbo scoffed.
"Maybe nothing like you are now, but I remember a very brave, and very bold Hobbit on the way to Erebor." Balin said.
Bilbo turned and looked at the little Hobbit in the golden Dwarf's arms, throwing his a hundred year old plates. He smiled and said, "Yes. I suppose your right."
Later that night, once all the dishes were picked up, and put away without a scratch, everyone moved into the sitting room again. Most of them had their pipes pulled out and were talking, and some were even humming the ancient songs of their people. Frodo wandered in after them, going from chair to chair, talking about adventures with the Dwarves.
"Frodo." Thorin called, "Come over here and sit." Frodo obeyed, and sat down next to Thorin. "What do you do for fun here?" he asked.
"Well," Frodo thought, "I usually play with my friends. We do lots of things together."
"Like?" Thorin asked.
"Well, we play with our toys on rainy days when we're not aloud to go outside. Or we go to Farmer Maggots fields and look for mushrooms…but not often." Frodo quickly filled in, "We play a game called King of the Mountain a lot too." Thorin looked puzzled at this, so Frodo explained, "There is a hill by the party tree, and we all try to climb to the top, and be the only one at the top. At first we would push each other down the hill again, but after Sam got hurt, Uncle said we couldn't do that anymore. So instead, we use sticks. If your touched with the stick, you have to go back down again."
"Are you any good at it?" Thorin smiled.
"Sometimes…it really depends on whether Pippin is playing. He is the smallest, so he is harder to touch with the stick. He wins a lot." Frodo relayed. After Frodo thought for a little while he asked, "What do you do for fun at the Lonely Mountain?"
Thorin was slightly caught off guard at this question. "Well, a game the dwarflings play a lot is Horde hunt." Frodo had never heard of this, so Thorin went on, "They get an Elder to hide certain items around a part of the mountain, and they have to see who can find more of the hidden treasure before everyone else."
"Really!" Frodo thought that was probably the greatest idea for a game ever. He could hardly wait to play it with his friends.
….
So you probably all hate me…yeah…let me explain myself! I went on a vacation to family's house. I thought it would just be a week, so I didn't think I would need my laptop. But slowly the time I spent there became longer and longer. And next thing I knew, I was there for three weeks. But I'm back. And I intended to write like crazy. I'm so full of ideas, because I wasn't able to write. So get ready for some deep stuff, and hopefully enough fluff to rot your teeth. See ya soon.
BIYE!