Chapter 14

The ragged troupe ran down the mountainside after exiting the goblin tunnels. Leila could feel the life saving sunlight on her face, and knew that the worst was behind them. Her survival instincts were in overdrive and running was all that was on her mind. Unfortunately for her, running as fast as she could, down hill, wasn't exactly a recipe for success. Since losing her composure in the tunnels, she was disoriented, and unfocused, so at full speed, she hit a rock and proceeded to, at full speed, tumble head over heel the rest of the way down.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, yet still not the worst pain she had endured. Leila laid on the ground, not being able, or wanting to, move. She had her eyes closed, not wishing to open them and feel the pain. She heard feet skid to a halt near her, and the crunching of branches and leaves, as the feet approached.

"Ye, alright lass?"

Leila opened her eyes, and Dwalin and Balin were leaning over her. Leila was sure they had seen her fall, she was sure the whole company had seen her, not so graceful tumble. She tried to put on an expression of carelessness.

" I'm fine." she managed to whisper, for that was as loud as she had the energy to speak.

Two more dwarfs appeared behind Dwalin and Balin. She could see their faces, but the hallmark black, and blonde hair, told her it was Kili…and Fili. They nudged the former two dwarrow out of the way enough for them to fully see if she was hurt or not. The normal humor in their eyes, and demeanor, was gone; in its place was concern and worry. Though she tried her hardest not to, Leila's sea green eyes met Fili's Durin blue ones. For a moment she allowed herself to get lost in them, she allowed herself to exist no where except in Fili's gaze, with him; but only for a moment.

"I'm fine." Leila repeated, this time barely louder than a whisper.

The younger two dwarfs each took one of her hands, and tried to pull her up. Leila let out an, involuntary, cry of pain. They immediately let go, concerned all over again. Pain filled Leila's entire body, her vision became blurry, and she lost her breath. She most definitely was not alright.

" Lassie," Dwalin's gruff voice broke through, " you are obviously not fine."

" My arm is broken," Leila finally got out, when she had caught her breath, " and I fear also my leg."

"We have to get her to Oin." Fili said, determination wrinkling his brow.

" Which leg is injured?" Inquired Balin.

" It feels like the left one, but I cannot be sure."

Between Kili, Fili, and Dwalin, they picked her up so delicately it surprised her, and they carried her to the rest of where the company was to find Oin. When they arrived they laid her on the ground, and Oin examined her arm and leg.

" Your arm is broken lassie," Oin confirmed, " However, your leg does not appear to be broken, merely your knee has been dislocated."

" Do you think you can re-locate my knee?"

"Aye, if you do not move a muscle as I do so. It will be quite painful." Oin's kind eyes met hers, questioningly.

"Give me something to bite down on." She said. Then she turned to Fili and Kili, " You two will need to hold me down."

" First, I will set and bandage your arm." Oin said, " I just need to pieces of flat wood about this big." He held up his hands at a distance, showing them to Dwalin, simultaneously assigning him the job of wood gatherer. Shortly, Dwalin found the wood pieces, and Oin quickly, but precisely set Leila's arm and braced it. Then it was time for her leg, she bit down on a stick, that had some fabric wrapped it, Kili lightly held down her legs while Fili held her shoulders. Fili's eyes looked intensely at her, they were the most entrancing eyes Leila had ever seen, and she knew that if she allowed herself, she would want to look at those eyes until the day she died, and in the afterlife.

Oin pushed her knee back into place, and Leila let out a muffled scream. Fili helped her sit up, and kept his arm around her. A gesture that was not unnoticed by Leila, or Kili, who raised an eyebrow at his brother. Which Fili blatantly and pointedly ignored.

" Where is Bilbo?" Dori suddenly asked.

Everyone began looking around, but there was no sign of the halfling.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Dwalin accused

"Don't blame me!" Dori shot back defensively.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked, exasperatedly.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us." Nori supplied.

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" said Gandalf, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it." Thorin spat bitterly, "He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."

Fili felt Leila's body tense, and saw her open her mouth to defend Bilbo, when a familiar voice rang out into the clearing.

"No, he isn't." Bilbo came walking into the clearing.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf exclaimed with relief.

"Bilbo! We'd given you up!"

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?"

"How, indeed." Dwalin said skeptically.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back." Gandalf interjected.

"It matters." Thorin said gruffly, "I want to know; why did you come back?"

Bilbo hesitated before saying, "Look, I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can. "

All of the dwarfs were taken aback. Gandalf looked pleased as could be, and Leila was quietly impressed. She didn't know what had happened with Bilbo in the goblin tunnels, but she suspected that it was in there that he had found his confidence.

Then the silence was cut by the piercing howl of a Warg.

A/N: Well it has been a few years. I think about this story often, and about all of you who have followed and favorited it. I can't promise that I will have the motivation or time to finish this story, but hopefully I can get 5 more chapters out before this is once again abandonded.