Okay, this time the delay it's definitely not my fault.
I've had problem with my wi-fi and so I couldn't publish the chapter I wrote!
Even now I'm afraid the connection won't last and I will not be able to publish anything!
I was so desperate I thought about using the computers at my university to update!
On a brighter note, I've successfully got my AO3 invitation, so I'll start publish this story (and possibly others) also there (I have the same user name as this one).
Oh and also that famous story I told you about, I've written it several time and now it's ready! I'll publish it later tonight!
Enjoy!
"Don't shout, don't try and run away, stay still."
Thorin stared wide-eyed before himself, not seeing anything in the absolute darkness, but the voice he'd heard whispering that threat in his ear was not Dain's as he expected, but Bilbo's.
What was Bilbo doing in his room at this time of the night?
Had a knife not being pressed to his throat, he would have thought this was just one of the wild dreams that had jolted him awake in a quite hot and bothered state for the last few weeks.
But, alas, the knife was there and was digging quite uncomfortably in the skin of his throat.
"I'm sorry for the rude awakening, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid we have much to discuss." said the Hobbit removing carefully his hand from Thorin's mouth.
"And you think coming into my room in the middle of the night would have convinced me to do so?!" asked the King in disbelief, turning to face Bilbo, mindful of the weapon at his throat.
"I'm afraid it was the only way. Sit down."
Thorin did so, muttering all the while about bossy Hobbits and that being his room, while Bilbo lightened the candles.
"So, I'll be quick: I need your help. We need your help."
"And you came here demanding help while threatening me?! You think that just because you've been in my favours, you have the right to come here, in my rooms, at night like a thief?!"
The Hobbit did not avoid Thorin's glare, nor did he flinch at his harsh words.
"It was the only way, Dain has placed guards at every door, you're surrounded by his Dwarves, Thorin."
"How could he...why?!" asked the Dwarf bewildered, his eyes the size of plates.
"He obviously wants your Throne, for one, and also, he obviously wants to keep me as his pet, I think ha made this part very clear today." he said with a shrug, trying and failing to hide the tension of his shoulders.
"So what, you've come here to warn me?"
"No, as I said, I need your help. Not only has your palace been surrounded, but also our Camp is full of Dain's guards and we have to leave before winter comes, or we'll never survive long enough to reach Rivendell. You have to help us, please!" he begged.
Thorin stared at Bilbo, at the strong Hobbit begging him for help against his cousin's madness, and for a moment he saw the Dancer's strong façade falling into pieces, to return stronger than ever the next second.
"I cannot remove his guards from your Camp, I'm sorry"
"You won't help us?! You'll let him do what he wants?" the Hobbit looked completely shocked by Thorin's answer, but glancing up at him he saw his focused face and let the King finish what he'd started saying.
"I cannot remove them, but I could give you sanctuary in the mountains through the winter; Dain will stay until Durin's day, so he'll be here for another three weeks, in this time I could keep an eye on him.."
"...and have us spared by the harsh weather. This could actually work! But where could we stay? We can't just come into the Mountain and claim it for ourselves!"
Thorin refrained from telling Bilbo that sixty thin, raggedy Hobbits could hardly claim a land to call theirs, much less a Mountain well-protected by its inhabitants, but Bilbo had a point.
Where indeed could he hide a group of Hobbits?
They thought about it for a moment in silence, both of them lost in their thoughts.
"The Catacombs!" shouted Bilbo, making Thorin snap his head towards him.
"What?! That's a sacred place!" Thorin was scandalized.
"Oh, as if the people buried in there would care about us being there!" said Bilbo waving his hands dismissively.
"But it's a sin!"
"I'm sure between all us Hobbits, we've made far worse things than staying in Catacombs! It'll be perfect! We have to telle the Thains!" exclaimed Bilbo, grabbing Thorin's hand and leading him to an hidden passage in the wall, leaving the Dwarf speechless.
"How did you know about this passage? And how did you know about the Catacombs?!"
"That's a secret, now, come along, Thorin, we need to be stealthy and quiet!"
They continued to move through the sleeping Mountain in silence, hiding when they heard the sound of footsteps around a corner and using secret passages Thorin didn't even thought existed.
Had he not been so focused on the feelings of his hand being held by Bilbo, he would have been complaining about him being a King moving like a thief in his own Palace, but, at the moment, his mind was only focusing on Bilbo and his so much smaller hand.
"Now you have to be even more quiet than you've been, we need to avoid the Guards and reach the Camp unseen, is that clear?"
"Right, okay."
"Good."
They settled again in a tense silence, barely daring to breath as they reached the Hobbit settlement, where most of the lights were off, save a few, one of which being in Bilbo's own tent, where Belladonna was waiting for them, still very awake and surrounded by sleepy Hobbitlings and a very much asleep babe.
"Bilbo! What happened, you've been away far longer than I would have thought!"
"Just difficult moving through Dain's guards, but I'm okay, Thorin will come and speak to the Thains."
"Your Majesty." greeted Belladonna with a stony expression on her pretty face.
She still hadn't forgiven him for the fire, apparently.
"Lady Belladonna, it' always a pleasure."
"Sure...now Bilbo, we have to wake everybody up and call the Council for giving them the last news!" ordered Belladonna, while pushing her son out of the tent alongside with the Dwarf King.
"Mum you don't even know what I'm going to say!"
"Well, I will ina few minutes if you just move!" with that se returned inside the tent, probably to change from her night gown into something more formal.
"We...have to wake everybody?"
"Don't be stupid, we'll just tell my neighbours and they'll do the same with theirs, and so on and so forth." stated Bilbo entering the tent next to his without as much as a knock on one of the wooden poles keeping it upright.
Thorin waited for him outside and, after a few second, the Hobbit came of the tent and, with long strides – as long as his short Hobbity legs permitted him-, re-entered in his, followed by the King.
"Ehm, now what?" asked Thorin, only to find himself with his face covered by a piece of cloth that revealed to be Bilbo's own shirt.
"Now I make myself presentable, while you stay there and look all majestic. And I mean it. Stay there."
Thorin watched Bilbo getting changed wondering all the while what idea of presentable the Hobbit had.
Because flimsy short-trousers covered by a much-too-revealing long blue tunic were not what he had in mind when thinking about being presentable.
But the cherry on top of all that had been the -obviously fake- gleaming jewels at his ankle and wrists.
At least Bilbo had the decency to look sheepish and explain that when the Council was called all Hobbits had to wear the symbols of their trade, and he, being a dancer, had to wear his fake jewellery.
That didn't mean he had to dress like that, anyway.
Just when Thorin was about to answer him, Belladonna came out from what he had assumed was her bedroom, like her son covered in jewels -Thorin noted how they were not as shiny as Bilb's were, probably due to disuse-, but decidedly better dressed, with a nice green dress reaching her shins.
He watched them move around the tent, waking the little boys, dressing them in battered but clean clothes and handing them each one of their scarce toys.
Then, Bilbo lifted Pippin from his basket and held him close to his chest, humming lowly to make him stop shuffling and fall again in a deep sleep.
Thorin found himself holding hands with Frodo and Sam, while a very grumpy-looking Merry was carried by his grandmother.
Taking a deep breath, Thorin went out of the tent and prepared himself for the Council.
The first Council in his life not held by Dwarves, but by Hobbits, creatures he'd never thought had even a vague form of government.
The Hobbits he had now the proof could hardly read and write enough to be understood.
The Hobbit who had no Land nor a place to call their own.
He was utterly terrified.
Notes:
No actual notes, more like thank you for reading, reviewing, favouring, following and for you support!
Also, I was thinking about writing some one-shots in this AU and I'd like to know what you think about it, would you like to read more? Let me know!
Erika