Chapter 8 – Shire songs and dwarvish dances
As it turned out, Kíli hadn't been joking when he had offered Bilbo dancing lessons in his drunken stupor.
The dark-haired dwarf showed up at Bilbo's door the next morning, looking surprisingly cheerful and sober, considering how much he had had to drink the previous night.
"I'm here to teach you how to dance," Kíli informed the bewildered hobbit, inviting himself into Bilbo's sitting room.
"You remember telling me that?" Bilbo asked in disbelief.
"I remember everything from yesterday," Kíli said. "I always remember everything I do when I'm drunk, no matter how much I had to drink. It's both a blessing and a curse." He stopped, noticing Bilbo's fancy attire. "Were you planning to go somewhere?"
"I thought I might visit the elves," Bilbo said, "I do not have any fixed plans for today."
"Excellent," Kíli rubbed his hands. "Then you have plenty of time for dancing. Bofur promised to come later and play some music for us, but for the beginner steps you don't need any music. You do not need so many clothes, either," he added and stared at Bilbo until the hobbit sighed and unbuttoned his vest, draping it over the back of an armchair.
"Very well," Kíli said, coming to stand in the middle of the room. "Our dances are not overly complicated. Most of them are performed when everyone is half-drunk anyway, so there is not much need for formality."
"Is there any rule about who leads the dance?" Bilbo asked. "The more formal hobbit dances are usually danced in pairs with one male and one female, so the male leads by default."
"Since there are so few dwarf women, our dances have no assigned roles for genders," Kíli said. "You can dance with whomever you wish. The general rule is that the one who asks for the dance leads the dance but other than that, you can do pretty much anything you wish."
"That sounds reasonable," Bilbo said.
"It's a pretty good arrangement," Kíli agreed. "And it works in your favour when you don't feel sure about your dancing steps. You just need to wait for someone to ask you for a dance and let them do all the work."
Bilbo sighed.
"I wasn't planning to dance at all, if you must know, but since you lot seem determined to drag me to the dance floor, I suppose it's only reasonable if I learn at least the basics."
"Since you're going to be living here from now on, we'll need to give you lessons on proper dwarven etiquette, but there's plenty of time for that after the celebrations. For now you will have to make do with dancing."
"I suppose that's only fair," Bilbo said, taking the offered hand. "Go on, then. I place myself in your capable hands."
They spent the morning on the basic steps. To his relief Bilbo found that the dwarvish dances weren't that different from the ones he knew from the Shire, though Kíli's heavy iron boots still made him a bit nervous whenever they came a little too close to one of his feet. To his credit, Kíli managed to avoid stepping on Bilbo's toes entirely.
They paused for lunch and Bilbo made himself presentable enough to be able to go to the Great Hall. Kíli didn't bother much with his appearance and only borrowed Bilbo's comb to tame his hair a little.
"Where have you been?" Bilbo heard Fíli ask when they sat down at the table.
"Dancing," Kíli said, piling his plate full of food. Bilbo saw Fíli's gaze slide from his brother's mussed hair and sweaty appearance to Bilbo who knew he was still a little red in the face from exertion. Fíli raised his eyebrows in question, looking between Bilbo and Kíli. Bilbo shook his head resolutely. Fíli smiled, satisfied, and turned back to his food.
If only everyone else was as quick to accept Kíli's explanation as Fíli had been, Bilbo thought as he watched several others at the table shoot contemplative glances between him and Kíli. He had been able to get rid of one rumour with great difficulty only to have it replaced with another one due to his carelessness. He would have to warn Kíli before he heard it from a foreign source and they would have to decide what to do about it. Bilbo doubted that Kíli would appreciate having the whole Erebor think that he was having an affair with a hobbit.
It had been an amusing concept in the Shire - something to provoke the local matrons with, free of any real consequences - but here in Erebor, where Kíli had a place as the second in line for the throne, something like this could have far-reaching consequences for his reputation.
Bofur went with them after lunch and was more than happy to play a few of the popular melodies for them while they tried to match the rhythm with their feet. It was well past teatime when Kíli finally proclaimed his satisfaction with Bilbo's dancing skills. Bilbo himself was tired and his head felt all jumbled from all the dance-steps, but Kíli looked incredibly proud of himself, so Bilbo just thanked him for his time and sent him on his way.
For want of anything better to do, he went in search of his intrepid cousins. He hadn't seen the boys for two days, busy as he had been with the cake and embroidery and the unfortunate banishment business, and he was half afraid of what he'd discover when he finally found them. He knew all too well what those two were capable of when one let them off the leash.
He didn't have to search long. Both hobbits were in the Company common room with Fíli, Óin and another unfamiliar dwarf with fiery red hair. They both jumped up in excitement when they saw him and started babbling about their latest adventure. Bilbo took the time to look at the new dwarf, noting that he bore a strong resemblance to Glóin. He appeared to be a little younger than Fíli and Kíli, though not by much.
When Fortinbras finally paused for breath, Fíli came forward with the young dwarf.
"Bilbo, allow me to introduce our cousin, Gimli."
The redheaded dwarf gave Bilbo a bow.
"Gimli son of Glóin at your service."
"Bilbo Baggins at yours." Bilbo returned the bow. "So you are Glóin's son," he said with a smile. "I thought you looked familiar. Glóin has been promising me to meet you for days, but never got around to it."
"I wanted to go on the quest with you," Gimli grumbled, "but father forbade it. Said that I'm too young. I can swing an axe better than half the King's Guard, you know."
"I can believe that," Bilbo told him, smiling at the lad's fervour.
The youngsters went back to the fireplace where they had been sitting before he had come. Bilbo nodded a greeting to Óin, who was sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner, alternatively dozing and supervising the younger dwarves. Bilbo took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire, reaching for the book he had put on the nearby low table a few days before. He had intended to read, but the conversation between the young hobbits and dwarves drew his attention instead.
"Do all hobbits have those hairy legs?" Gimli asked, eyeing the hobbit feet curiously.
"Yes," Isembold said. "It's our way to compensate for the lack of beard."
The dwarves started laughing, a new voice joining in from the doorway.
"I have always wondered what those were for," Kíli said, coming to sit down beside his brother.
"So you don't have beards at all?" Gimli was incredulous.
"Not as a rule, no," Isembold said.
"Now that you ask, I think there was a bearded hobbit once," Fortinbras told them.
"Really?"
"Ah, yes," Isembold's face lit up in recognition, "the mysterious case of aunt Dorabella."
"Aunt Dorabella was a cousin of our grandfather, the Old Took," Fortinbras explained. "She had a son who grew a rather spectacular beard when he turned twenty. She never quite managed to explain how he came by it."
Bilbo frowned.
"How come I never heard about that?"
"It's a family secret," Fortinbras told them with a grin that showed that he was quite pleased to divulge such a juicy piece of information to the dwarves. "The Tooks decided to keep quiet about it, because if the other hobbits learned that we had a dwarf in the family, nobody would speak to any of us again. The Took family already has an interesting reputation in the Shire. I guess they decided that there was no need to add to it any further."
"Is it so bad that you have a dwarf in the family?" Fíli asked, frowning.
"Well, I think the dwarf part wouldn't be so bad by itself, if it also wasn't for the fact that our dear aunt never married," Isembold said. "If the dwarf had married her, she would have been considered odd, but most of the family wouldn't care." He gave the dwarves a contemplative look. "I think the son went to live in the Blue Mountains soon after he came of age. I never met him personally, but an uncle who did says that he has curly chestnut hair and beard. Have any of you ever met him? I think he would be around a hundred years old now."
Fíli and Kíli both shook their heads, but Gimli looked thoughtful.
"I think I might have seen him," he said after a while. "There's a baker in the Craftsmen's District in the Blue Mountains who has curly hair. He makes great meat pies."
"That might be him," Fortinbras nodded. He exchanged a look with his cousin. "We should go and say hello to him when we come back to the Shire."
"How far are the dwarven halls from the Grey Havens?" Isembold asked Fíli.
"Around two days on ponies. We usually avoid the Havens and just go straight to the eastern road to make the journey shorter."
"That shouldn't be a problem for us," Fortinbras looked at his fellow Took. "We know the way to the Havens and time is not an issue. I think the dwarven halls in the Blue Mountains could be an interesting visit for us."
Bilbo managed to read another four pages before the Tooks interrupted him again, sitting down at his feet with identical expressions of curiosity.
"There's something we'd like to know," Isembold said. "Is it true that aunt Belladonna used to travel in her youth? We never heard a word about it until the Shirefolk started gossiping after you left. They said that it's no wonder that you would go away chasing after dwarves and elves when you mother was the same."
"Yes, my mother was quite the traveller," Bilbo said, putting away the book. "She used to tell me stories about her adventures when I was a little boy. Did you know that when she came of age, she packed a bag and travelled all the way to Rivendell by herself?"
The hobbits shook their heads, enraptured. The three dwarves sat a few feet behind them, listening to the story with interest. Bilbo continued.
"Nobody heard about her for a year. When she came back from her wandering, she brought with her various maps and books of elvish lore and poetry. Nobody wanted to marry her for years, because the men thought she was too headstrong and independent. I don't think she minded it that much, to be honest. She never cared much what the other hobbits thought about her." He ran a hand over the elvish tome on his lap. "Most of my knowledge of elvish comes from her."
"She sounds like an admirable woman," Fíli said. Bilbo nodded with a wistful smile.
"She was. If she had been born a man, she would have become a Tháin. As it was, the title passed to her brother Isengrim and she married my father and moved to Hobbiton." He gave Isembold a look. "You know, I think may be the next one in line for the title of Tháin."
Isembold's eyes widened.
"I believe you may be right. None of my older cousins want to be the Tháin and Uncle Isengar is getting on in years. Still, I hope he lasts at least for another decade before he steps down. I think I'd like to travel a bit more before I'm forced to settle down in Tuckborough."
"Did you know they considered you for the title, Bilbo?" Fortinbras asked with a grin. Bilbo shook his head, taken aback. "When they were choosing a new Tháin fifteen years ago, your name was mentioned, but everyone decided that you cannot be a Tháin, because you were too uptight and boring," He started laughing. "Oh, if they could see you now, they would eat their words."
"I wouldn't want the title anyway," Bilbo said. "It's too much responsibility and I wouldn't have any time for my hobbies. I am much more content in the kitchen or with my books." He looked at Fíli. "I hope your uncle doesn't get an idea to give me some fancy title like he did for the rest of the company."
"It is highly likely," Fíli warned him. "Since you're planning to live here, you can count on getting a title of some sort. My guess would be "Royal Weaver" of "Cake Artist"."
"That is utterly ridiculous," said Bilbo. "Why do I have to have a title at all?"
"So that you can fit in better with the rest of us titled lot," Kíli told him. "We didn't ask for the titles either, but got them nonetheless. You'll just have to grin and bear it."
"Will you sing for us tonight?" asked Fíli. "You spent all evening with the elves yesterday. It's only fair that we get to hear you, too."
"I can sing for you, if you wish," Bilbo nodded. "I suppose you're not interested in the fancy elvish stuff?"
"Do you have anything simpler? Shire songs of some kind?"
"We have plenty of songs in the Shire," Fortinbras answered in Bilbo's stead. "We can help you with those. We both know all the songs there are. If someone lends me a violin, I can even play."
"I can lend you my violin," Kíli offered. "It should be small enough for you."
"I have a flute you can borrow," Bilbo told Isembold.
"Since when do you play flute?" Fíli asked.
"Bofur taught me," Bilbo said. "I don't play it very often, or very well, but I still took it with me here."
"We can put the songs together on the spot," Fortinbras told Bilbo. "The two of us play in the pub all the time, so we can play anything you wish, as long as it's a song from the Shire."
"I will think about it," Bilbo promised. "I also know a few songs from the Rangers that you may like. If you wish, we can go to my quarters and I can teach you how to play them."
"That would be great," Fortinbras jumped to his feet. "I'll just go with Kíli to borrow the violin and come to your rooms right after."
"You can come listen, if you wish," Bilbo told the dwarves. "There's nothing secret about our practice."
"Of course we'll come," Kíli said. "You can't be the only ones to have all the fun."
°O°O°O°
"Bilbo promised me that he will sing for us today," Kíli told the company at the dinner table. "You elves have monopolized him for the whole evening yesterday, so it's only fair that we get to hear him as well."
"Aye," several of the dwarves nodded.
"Sing something from the Shire," Glóin said. "We're not interested in that weepy elvish nonsense."
"I will do my best," Bilbo told him solemnly and managed to keep his face straight with a great deal of willpower. Legolas, who sat opposite him, started sputtering at Glóin's words. Before the two could start arguing, Bilbo stood up, addressing the dwarves.
"Very well, if you would just clear some space for me by the wall over there, I can begin at once. My cousins have their instruments ready, so I can entertain you until you get sick of my singing."
Most of the elves glided away to go back to their chamber from the previous evening, but the dwarves stood up eagerly, moving their chairs to the spot where Bilbo pointed. The rest of the guests went back to their own entertainment, drinking and dancing at the other side of the hall.
"What should I sing?" Bilbo asked the Tooks.
"How about the "Star of Hobbiton?" Fortinbras suggested. "It's pretty and tame enough for a start."
"Very well." Bilbo turned to address the audience. "This song was originally a courting song that my grandfather Took wrote for my grandmother, but it quickly became very popular and has been sung as a folk song in the Shire for the last hundred years. The folks have changed the words a bit, but the gist of it has stayed the same."
The Tooks began to play a merry tune and Bilbo started singing, telling the tale of two people meeting by the Brandywine River. The dwarves soon joined in for the catchy refrain, nodding to the beat.
His first song was met by a round of applause, so Bilbo sung a few other Shire songs, keeping the mood light and merry. When he ran out of the more popular songs, he switched to the ones he had learnt on his travels from the Dúnedain Rangers.
"You met the Rangers?" Nori asked him.
"A few times," Bilbo nodded. "They guard the Shire borders; protect it from wild beasts and unsavoury folk. I camped with them a few times when I travelled in the lands around Fornost. The Rangers are all that remains of the old Northern Kingdom. I suppose you dwarves don't deal with them much."
The dwarves shook their heads.
"They are wise folk who travel a lot," Bilbo said. "They seem a bit grim at the first sight, but are always willing to help other folk and know lots of songs from all over Middle-Earth. I learned a few songs from Rohan from them, if you want to hear them."
He sang for another hour before he bowed to a loud applause, going to sit with Ori. His throat was dry and he wanted to rest for a bit, so he was more than happy to clear the stage for his cousins, who began singing a round of popular drinking songs.
"Do you have any sad songs in the Shire?" Ori asked him as they watched the two hobbits prance around on a table.
"We do, but they are not very popular," Bilbo said. "Hobbits are not very fond of tales of woe and hardship, so everyone prefers the lighter stuff."
The Tooks sang for a good while, ending their performance with the third repeat of the Green Dragon song that had quickly become a favourite of the dwarves. Fortinbras then managed to get into an argument about the quality of Shire ale with Dori, who kept insisting that the ale from Erebor was far superior.
When the hobbit started boasting and dared declare that he was able to drink more than all the dwarves combined, Gimli challenged him to a drinking contest. That kept the company busy for a long time and they cheered on both contestants as they made their way through what looked like half of Erebor's entire supply of ale.
Bilbo wandered away in search of food and left them to their entertainment. All the singing had left him feeling famished, so he piled a plate full of food and sat down at the end of a table to eat. He was just winning the battle with his third meat pie when the chair next to his moved and Thorin sat down with two goblets of ale in his hands. He put one before Bilbo, who took it with a grateful nod.
"Why did you never sing for us before?" the dwarf asked him. Bilbo finished chewing his pie and washed it down with ale.
"I never felt like singing when I travelled with you," Bilbo said, opting for honesty. "All the danger and excitement wasn't good for my nerves and none of you ever bothered to ask if I can sing. I thought it better to just keep to myself. You lot could entertain yourselves just fine without me."
"Did you dislike travelling with us?" Thorin gave him a searching look.
"I wouldn't be here if I did," Bilbo said. "No, I liked the travelling just fine, once I got used to it. It was the dragon and spiders and orcs that I could have done without."
"I think we all would have preferred to avoid those, if possible," Thorin grimaced. "Especially the dragon."
"Speaking of dragons - Bard has commissioned a tapestry from me," Bilbo told him. "Since he has chosen the dragon as his personal emblem, he wants me to make him a tapestry for his hall."
"I suppose you will be flooded with requests soon," Thorin said. "Nearly all the old tapestries that used to adorn the mountain have rotted and had to be torn down. It would be pleasing to have the mountain decorated with skill once more."
"I will do my best," Bilbo promised. "If nothing else, it will give me something to do here. There are only so many dragon cakes I can bake before the novelty wears off."
Before either of them could say anything more, Kíli walked over, giving Bilbo a theatrical bow.
"You promised me a dance yesterday," the young dwarf said. "I already taught you to dance, so you should fulfil your end of the bargain."
Bilbo stood up, unclasping his cloak and draping it over the back of his chair, and took Kíli's offered hand with a small sigh of resignation.
"I believe I did promise you a dance. Do your worst, then."
Kíli led him to the dance floor, where a small band of dwarves played a merry tune. They joined the crowd of dancers and Bilbo tried his best to remember all the steps. Luckily for him, the young dwarf remembered his promise to help him and held Bilbo's hands firmly, leading him through the steps. Two songs later Bilbo finally allowed himself to relax a little and enjoy the music, chuckling at Kíli's jokes.
Bofur tapped Kíli's shoulder after that and danced the next two numbers with Bilbo, keeping up a steady stream of amusing commentary about the other dancers. Fíli came over when the song ended and asked for a switch. Bofur stepped back with a grin and went to ask Ori for a dance, causing the young librarian to blush to the roots of his hair. Bilbo watched them in amusement before he turned his attention back to his dancing partner.
Fíli moved with a confident grace, weaving them through the crowd with ease. They danced two dances together and then a group circle dance which Bilbo didn't know, so he just relaxed and let the other dancers pull him the right direction, enjoying the music.
He had just decided that he would excuse himself and go sit down for a bit, when the dancers around them paused, staring somewhere behind his back.
Bilbo turned slowly to find Thorin standing there, a circle of space cleared around him as the other dancers stepped back. Fíli took a step back as well, leaving Bilbo on his own. Thorin extended his hand to Bilbo, palm up.
"May I have this dance?"
Bilbo reminded himself not to gawk. The dwarves around them started whispering, the hall quieting down as the ones in the back tried to find out what was going on. Bilbo looked from Thorin's offered hand to the dwarf's face, which was carefully blank. He realized that they were now the centre of attention - a good hundred dwarves stood around and gawked at them.
There was no way he could refuse Thorin's request without making them both look bad.
He slowly reached with his hand and laid it on Thorin's own. The dwarf's larger hand wrapped around his, squeezing his palm gently and Bilbo had to suppress a gasp when a small shock ran through his arm. This was the first time they had touched in public in any way since the incident at the wall. The weight of the moment hung in the air between them, the significance of the gesture not lost on either of them.
To his surprise, Bilbo realized that he didn't want to refuse Thorin's offer this time. The anger he had felt for so long was now gone, replaced with a vague feeling of hope and relief at the reconciliation. They stood like that for a moment, holding the gaze, until someone behind them cleared their throat. That broke them from their reverie.
"I think we will need some music, if we are to dance," Bilbo said loudly.
"Play the waltz," Thorin told the musicians who hurried to comply.
He pulled Bilbo closer by the hand he held and put his other hand on the hobbit's waist, keeping some distance between their bodies. Bilbo felt the warmth of the hand even through his clothes, burning like an iron brand. They started to move slowly to the music, turning in wide circles. Bilbo noticed that everyone had moved back, leaving a wide space in the middle of the floor. The dwarves all stood at the side lines, watching their dance with curious eyes.
"Why are they all staring at us like that?" Bilbo asked Thorin in a whisper.
"I rarely dance." Thorin told him.
"You danced with your sister yesterday," Bilbo pointed out.
"It is unusual for them to see me dance with someone who is not my family." Thorin lowered his voice. "I believe this should be enough to disperse any remaining rumours about your banishment and subsequent return."
Oh, Bilbo thought, of course. That was why Thorin had asked him for a dance. He wanted to make a public statement about Bilbo's standing in Erebor. He wondered why that thought made him feel strangely disappointed.
"You are unhappy. Does my presence bother you that much?" Thorin asked with a frown, watching Bilbo's face closely.
"What? No, no, it's nothing like that," Bilbo hurried to reassure him. "I was just lost in thought for a bit."
They finished the rest of the dance in uncomfortable silence. Bilbo felt the stares of the guests follow his every move and turned all his attention to his steps to make sure he didn't trip and embarrass himself in front of the whole hall. He gave Thorin a polite smile and a bow when the dance ended and tried to make a dignified exit that wouldn't look like he was running away.
He managed to find his cousins in the crowd and made his way over to them, sitting down on the first available chair.
"How is the competition going?" he asked Isembold, eager to take his mind off the dance he had just run away from.
"It's a tie so far," Isembold said, following Bilbo's gaze to watch the contestants. "They're on their tenth tankard already and neither of them looks ready to give up. These dwarves sure can drink," he said in admiration, causing the nearby dwarves to raise their goblets in a cheer.
"Right you are, laddie," Glóin told him. "I won't have my son beaten by some curly haired pipsqueak from the Shire."
Isembold didn't say anything to that, just raised his own goblet to his mouth to hide his amused smile.
"Oh look," Fortinbras exclaimed suddenly, "the goblets are dancing!"
"What did I tell you," Gimli slurred, "you little folk can't hold your liquor." He then promptly collapsed face first on the table.
Fortinbras leaned over to check on him, bracing himself on the table to keep his balance.
"Hey, I think I won," he told the astonished dwarves. "I guess this needs another round."
The dwarves recovered from their shock quickly enough and started to thump him on the back in congratulations, pouring him another round.
"We may have forgotten to mention that Fortinbras is the local drinking champion," Isembold said with a sheepish grin.
"Gimli would have taken that as a challenge," Kíli told them. "He's stubborn like that."
"Well, that will teach him not to underestimate hobbits," Isembold said with satisfaction.
"What about you, Bilbo?" Bofur asked. "Can you drink like that?"
"Certainly not," Bilbo shook his head with a wry smile. "I have never been good at holding my liquor."
"Should I tell them about the time you got drunk at the pub and tried to take off your clothes on the table?" Isembold asked him with a mischievous grin.
"Please don't," Bilbo buried his face in his hands. The dwarves started snickering.
"Oh do tell," Bofur said.
Bilbo raised his head to glare at him.
"It was one time. And I only took off my shirt. Hardly scandalous."
"You would have taken off your trousers too, if we hadn't stopped you," Isembold told him.
"I was extremely drunk," Bilbo protested. "I tried to bake a new recipe with some elvish herbs that day and they didn't react well with the ale. I think that should be excuse enough for my behaviour."
"This is some quality blackmail material right here," Kíli rubbed his hands in glee. "The next time you refuse to dance with me or accept a well intentioned gift, I can just remind you of that one time you got drunk..."
"You do that and I will tell them about the day when you put on our mum's dress and pretended you were a princess," Fíli said from behind Bilbo. Kíli turned bright red.
"I never did that! You're making it up!" His denial didn't sound very convincing.
"Oh yes, you did," Fíli said with a wide grin. "You even put ribbons in your hair."
"I'm going to kill you for this." Kíli lunged at his brother, intent on wrestling him down to the floor. Bilbo stepped between them, putting his hand on Kíli's chest. That made the dark haired dwarf stop mid-lunge and stare at him in confusion.
"There will be no killing," Bilbo said firmly, drawing himself to his full height. He turned and pointed his other hand at Fíli. "And no blackmail, either. I won't have you making a spectacle of yourselves in front of all these guests. You are the heirs to the throne, so try to act like it. Your fighting like children won't make the best of impressions on the dwarfs from the Iron Hills, or the elves."
They both deflated in shame, staring at the ground. Bilbo thought they looked like a pair of kicked puppies.
"I forbid you to fight in front of the guests. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Bilbo," they said in unison. Bilbo thought they would start shuffling their feet any minute now.
"Good," Bilbo said. "Now make up and leave the quarrels for your private chambers. There you can fight as much as you wish, for all I care."
They both nodded and shuffled away to sit down at opposite sides of the table. Bilbo just sighed and went to get himself another drink.
"Well," a voice said next to him while he was pouring himself a goblet, making him jump a foot in the air, "I was all geared up to go and give my sons a lecture after they had made a spectacle of themselves in front of all the guests, but you have handled the situation surprisingly well." Bilbo turned to face Dís, who was looking at him with a mysterious half-smile. "Who would have guessed that my sons listen to you like that?"
"To be honest, I had no idea, either," Bilbo admitted. "I have never tried to speak to them like that before. I consider them my friends; I have never thought about ordering them."
"And yet when you did, they listened to you," Dís said with something like wonder in her voice. "They are rarely willing to listen to anyone once they get involved in one of their quarrels."
Bilbo shrugged.
"It didn't feel right to leave them to embarrass themselves in front of all those guests, especially since the quarrel started because of me in the first place." When Dís raised an eyebrow, he elaborated. "The dwarves were joking about a bit and Kíli said something to me, then Fíli jumped to my defence, putting his foot in his mouth in the process. You saw the result."
"I did," Dís said quietly, lost in thought. Her eyes focused back on Bilbo, sharp as razors. "There's more to you than I thought. I had doubted my sons' wisdom in associating with you at first, but now I see that they chose their friend well. Continue keeping them out of trouble and I may even start to like you."
She threw her hair over her shoulder and strode away, her splendid royal-blue dress swishing with every step. Bilbo stayed standing by the barrel, looking after her with an expression of bewilderment.
"What did mother want with you?" Fíli appeared at his elbow, following Bilbo's gaze. Bilbo tore his eyes from her retreating figure and turned to face the blond dwarf.
"She wanted to know what sort of spell I used on you to make you two stop fighting."
"Oh," Fíli looked at the floor, embarrassed.
"I have no idea what happened, but I think she might have told me that she approves of me," Bilbo told him.
"Mother? Approve of someone?" Fíli said in disbelief. "I think that would be a first. Just wait until uncle hears about it."
Bilbo looked at him in puzzlement.
"Thorin? What does he have to do with it?"
Fíli gave him a long, searching look.
"You really have no idea, do you?" He gave a short laugh of astonishment. "Well, if you don't know, I'm certainly not going to tell you."
He started walking away, ignoring Bilbo's question of "Tell me what?"
Before he disappeared in the crowd, Bilbo heard him mutter: "Oh, this will be so much fun to watch."
To be continued...
A.N. I got my inspiration for the drinking contest from the extended edition of the Return of the King movie. In that scene Gimli just bypassed the hobbits entirely and tried to compete with Legolas instead. I wondered what would happen if he drank with Merry or Pippin instead.
The song that Bilbo sings is a hobbit version of The Star of the County Down. I discovered that song a few months ago and thought that it sounded like something they would sing in the Shire. You can listen to it here: watch?v=TzN2g60BMA0
If anyone is curious about the Tooks and wants to know where they fit in the Took family tree – these two are not on the family tree, but they are not completely made up, either. In the Took family tree there are two children of the Old Took who have "many descendants" – Isembold and Mirabella. This story's Isembold is a younger son of that Isembold and Fortinbras is the son of Mirabella and brother of Primula, who later becomes Frodo's mother. I simply took an advantage of this lack of information to create a few extra Tooks :)
The next chapter will be posted on September 28.