The night felt like it could go on forever, and Frodo would have been okay with it if it did. But slowly weariness began to over take him. And the only thing keeping him awake at this point was going from chair to chair, talking about something different with each Dwarf.
"Frodo?" Bilbo called to him. Frodo walked over to his uncle's chair. "Why don't you get ready for bed. Okay?"
"Bed?!" Frodo said, as if it was a foreign concept to him. "Why would I go to bed now?"
Bilbo laughed at Frodo's reaction, "Because, my dear Frodo, it is long past your bed time. In fact, four hours past your bed time." Frodo looked at the clock to find it was going on one a.m. now. Way past his bed time! "You'll have to go to bed some time you know."
"But the whole Company is here!" Frodo replied. "I can't just go to bed!"
"Frodo, they'll be here when you wake tomorrow. They are staying till tomorrow, I made them promise me that much." Said Bilbo.
"But I'm fine! I don't need to go to bed! I still have another half an hour left in me!" Frodo stood up strait and smiled, trying to look as awake as possible, whilst also stifling a yawn.
"Frodo Baggins you-"
"Please Uncle! Pretty please! Just another half an hour, then I'll go to bed."
Bilbo looked at his nephew. He normally didn't fight bed time. Even when his friends were over, so this behavior was totally new to Bilbo. Bilbo smiled at his little nephew and said, "All right. But no more than a half an hour. You understand?"
"Oh yes, Uncle. Thank you!" Frodo said as he ran back to the conversation he was having with Bofur about his hat.
Bilbo smiled fondly at his nephew. Balin's words echoed through his head just watching Frodo's curiosity of everything and anything a Dwarf was talking about. He wanted full details of everything. 'Not failed, Bilbo. I think influenced is the better word for it.' Bilbo thought to himself. 'Besides, I doubt the lad can last anywhere close to a half an hour.'
Well, he wasn't wrong. Frodo didn't last the whole half an hour, but he fought through most of it. Bilbo had forgotten about the time limit actually. Once Bilbo remembered, an hour later, he went looking for his nephew, only to find he had fallen asleep in Fili's arms about forty-five minutes ago. Then they all realized that bed sounded nice.
When Bilbo went to retrieve his nephew from Fili, he stirred awake. Frodo realized he was being lifted he got very embarrassed and insisted on walking to his room himself. Well that lasted about ten seconds, till he fell over in exhaustion. Thankfully Dori was there to ketch him.
Bilbo took Frodo back and went to his room to get him ready for bed, "Seems like you hit your limit Frodo." Bilbo said.
"Can you read me a story?" Frodo slurred out.
"A story? Why? You don't think you have heard enough to fill your head yet?" Bilbo laughed. "I don't know Frodo. To be honest, I can hardly see straight I'm so tired."
Just then there came a voice from the door, "I'll read him a story." Bilbo and Frodo turned to see Ori standing in the door way. "That is, if you don't mind."
Bilbo stood and walked over to Ori, "No no. If you can still see straight then be my guest. My old eyes just don't like to work at the late hours of the night like this." Then Bilbo turned to Frodo who was sitting on his bed now, "Is it okay with you, Frodo?" Frodo smiled and hopped under the covers. Ori smiled and pulled out his journal, pulling up the chair next to Frodo's bed.
"Today," Ori began reading, "was the thirtieth day since we set out from Mr. Baggins home. The events that occurred were minimal and not important. Dwalin stubbed his toe when he took off his boot, I thought he was going to hit the person closest to him, which was Kili. But Balin was quick and pulled Kili away from Dwalin in time for him to swing. Dori always said Dwalin was really sensitive inside, I guess he was right." Frodo laughed as Ori flipped a few pages and continued.
"Today was the thirty-ninth day since we set out from Mr. Baggins home. We nearly had a catastrophe today. As night was drawing near, we stopped. But when Gloin and Oin were told to make a fire, they could not seem to locate their tinder boxes. After a while, Gloin got very upset and began to think that me, Fili, and Kili had taken them as jokes. But whilst he was trying to get us to confess to something we did not do, Thorin found the boxes a little ways back on the trail we were riding. But Kili thinks that Thorin took it just to watch Gloin get mad at them. I doubt it though…but Thorin was smiling when he Gloin got very frustrated at us…." Ori looked up to see if Frodo was awake still, only to find the little Hobbit starring right at him, waiting for the next story. So Ori went on.
"Today was the fifty-first day since we set out from Mr. Baggins home. There was a point in the day where the roads got rough and bumpy, and for the sake of the horses ankles, we were forced to dismount and lead them. All was going fine till Mr. Baggins slipped and fell. The sound his ankle made was one I am now unable to describe. The closest I can get to describing it though, was possibly the sound of a large branch being snapped in two very quickly. But Bilbo was much stronger than we all expected him to be, he did not yelled out and hardly letting a tear fall from his eyes, even though the pain was obvious."
"Uncle never told me this story!" Frodo cried out. He was very worried for his uncle.
"Well I do not think he enjoyed it." Ori replied then continued his story. "Oin looked over it and said it was broken, but not badly. As long as he avoided using it, it should heal in three weeks tops. We were worried for the ponies still, but Thorin thought that Bilbo was light enough, and the pony should be fine. Mr. Baggins says he is feeling better now that Oin gave him an elixir for the pain, but I'm not sure if I believe him. He seems to be in much more pain than he is letting on. It turns out that Hobbits are much stronger than we all had previously thought. He has certainly gained my respect. I was of no use when I broke my arm once as a dwarfling."
"So he got better?" Frodo asked.
"Yes, Frodo. Bilbo got better much faster than we all thought he would." Ori said.
"Ori…will you read me one more…?" Frodo asked from underneath the covers. His eye lids were only half open now, and struggling for that much. So Ori flipped the pages again, figuring that one more story should do it.
"Today was the eighty-fourth day since we set out from Mr. Baggins home. I do believe that Fili and Kili got restless tonight, and I should count it lucky that I still have this book in my possession. They started shoving each other about here and there, when Dwalin said that he thought Fili could take Kili if they were in a fight. Kili, feeling obligated to show his strength, shoved Fili hard and pushed him to the ground. They then 'messed' about like this for a good twenty minutes till they got to close to the fire. Fili tried to move away from it, but Kili shoved him backwards into it, setting the fur on his cuffs a blaze. They were quickly put out, but not before an ember from the fire was kicked onto the bag I carry this book in. That fire was also quickly put out. The scolding Kili got from Throin was-"
Ori was cut off by the sound of little snores. He looked up to find that Frodo gave into his weariness, and was now sound asleep. Ori smiled at the sleeping Hobbit and quietly stood and left the sleeping boy to his dreams of adventures and heroism.
…
Hullo. I thought I owned it to you to try and write the rest of this story faster than before. Ya know, with the whole "not writing for three weeks" thing…yeah…sorry about that again. Just a small side note, the reason I wrote this little Ori feel, is cause I didn't feel like I gave him enough time before, and I love Ori. I mean his whole "Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt. But what do I do with my plate?" was adorable! All of the stories came out of me own head too.
Anyways. Why don't ya be a dear and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I would love to hear what ya liked and/or what you thought I could have done better. Thanks.
BIYE!