Chapter 7

"No, no Fili absolutely not." Bilbo struggled against the prices hold on his arm that was slowly being dragged towards a fountain that the dwarves had deemed appropriate for bathing.

"Oh, come off it mister Boggins, we all could use a bath and it will be fun." the blonde pleaded but Bilbo was having none of it.

"I will not, it is most un-proper for a Hobbit to be seen bathing in public master Dwarf." Bilbo finally managed to take his hand from the princes' grip. Taking a moment to compose himself before addressing Fili ounce more.

"I appreciate the invitation but I'm afraid I must refuse. You go on ahead, I am going to my room." with that the Hobbit turned on his heel and marched resolutely back to his guest room.

Fili sighed as he watched Bilbo go. He was supposed to be watching him but if he really didn't want to come with him then was nothing he could do. Besides mister, Baggins deserved some time too himself and Fili deserved a bath.

"The absolute nerve of Dwarves will never seas to astound me," Bilbo muttered as he closed the door to his room. Bathing in public, of all the things!

The Hobbit wandered out to the balcony attached to his room. From there he could clearly see the Dwarves frolicking around in all there in decent glory. Seeming as though they didn't have a care in the world.

Bilbo chuckled as he watched Ori tackle Dwalin into the water, much to the other Dwarves' surprise. The Hobbits smile faltered a moment. As lovely as it was it wouldn't last, he knew that. there was to be no laughter at the end. Even if he should succeed what would it coast? Too much, the answer was always too much.

Bilbo walked back over to his bed, sitting down softly. Did he really have any chance of changing things? He was only one Hobbit after all and not a particularly remarkable one at that. What chance did he have against a dragon? Against the orcs? Even if he managed to save them and survive the battle what is he to do then?

He knew what he must do. Though he must admit the very thought of it terrified him to no length.

there was a sudden rapping at his door, startling the Hobbit from his existential musings. He opened the door only to find the hard eyes of Thorin Oakenshield staring back at him.

"Oh, Thorin. What can I do for you?" truth be told he really wasn't in the mood to be entertaining anyone right now, least of him.

"Pack your things we are to depart at dawn," he answered shortly.

"Right. Was there something else?" Bilbo added when he saw the king made no move to leave. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Earlier, why did you leave your guard." it wasn't so much a question as a demand. The Hobbit rolled his eyes, of course, he would bring that up.

"You must forgive me for not wanting to go prancing around nude in one of Lord Elrond's fountains. And whilst I am on the subject, I hardly find it necessary for me to have a guard in the first place." Bilbo was quite red in the face by the time he had finished his tirade. He looked at Thorin and noticed that his face was a lot harder than it was a second ago, the king was not pleased. Well serves him right.

"I assigned them to you because you are defenseless and we are in enemy lands. I did swear to protect you did I not?" Thorin asked rhetorically, taking a step closer to Bilbo. He was tempted to step back but held his ground.

"I am not a child Thorin Oakenshield." the Hobbit took a deep breath, really this couldn't be good for his health, any of it. "While I appreciate your consideration for my well being I do not need a guard. I am perfectly safe in Rivendell as are you." he finished softly, suddenly quite tired.

The king seemed to sense this for his face softened as well if only a bit.

"Get some rest master burglar. We take our leave in 10 hours' time." with that, he was gone, his cloak swaying behind him as he went.

Bilbo closed the door softly. This was to be a long journey indeed.

The party was gathered cold and tired atop their ponies at the base of the path that would take them up into the misty mountains.

Lord Elrond was stood in front of the party, a few of his sons standing just behind him. The air about them was tense but not quite uncomfortable.

"Thorin Oakenshield, I bid you fair tidings on your quest. The road you embark on is a most dangerous one and I can only hope that I might one day see you again." Lord Elrond said giving Thorin a slight bow of his head which the Dwarf returned.

"Same to you Lord Elron, I thank you for your aid and counsel. I bid you fair well." with that Thorin turned his pony and started the long track up the path of the misty mountains, the rest of the company following closely behind, leaving the last homely house for what may very well be the last time.

Nothing of note happened to them on the pass that day, or the next, or the next. Everything was going on well until the rain came on the fourth day and come it did. One could hardly call it a storm. It was a great battle of thunder and lighting, two storms charging at one another head on over their heads, joined by two mighty rock giants, hurling great boulders at one another, caring not for the party of thirteen currently clutching the side of the mountain for dear life.

The occasional flashes of lightning were the only light the company had to light their way across the steep ledge they found themselves on, only narrowly avoiding the boulders crashing all around them as the giants moved closer.

"We must seek shelter!" Gandalf shouted only bearly audible over the sound of the storm.

Before anyone had time to respond a great rock crashed into the face of the mountain right underneath them sending part of the ledge just behind Bilbo crumbling down with it and sending the Hobbit down the cliffside aswell.

Thorin lunged forward only barely managing to grasp Bilbo's wet hand in his own. With the help of the other dwarves, Thorin managed to safely pull the Hobbit back onto the ledge.

"You would do well to watch yourself Hobbit," Thorin said harshly before turning his back to Bilbo, shouting at the rest of the company to march on.

Bilbo sighed, walking slowly behind the rest of the party. Well, that's just grand.

The party was able to find a small outcropping in the mountain that they could take a rest under but they would need to find somewhere else more guarded against the rain to make camp in.

"Fili, Kili. go look ahead for shelter. there has to be somewhere in which we do not run the risk of getting crushed or drowned." the brothers ran off to follow their uncles' orders.

Bilbo uttered a slight sigh, unheard over the crashing of thunder and stone. The thought of what was to come next terrified him, having to fave Gullom again, having to face the ring again, the very thought of it caused him to shiver. He knew all along he would have to carry it again but he did not want it. Part of him thought to just avoid it, be rid of it forever but he knew he could not. Not if he wanted to save Frodo.

He looked up as Fili and Kili returned with news of a cave just around the next bend with enough room for the party and the ponies. While the rest of the part was beyond relief Gandalf was the only one wise enough to question the safety of caves in the misty mountains for they were very rarely truly unoccupied. Bilbo wished for nothing more than to call out that he was right and they should find somewhere else but he knew it was fally.

Bilbo contemplated whether or not he should even bother to lay out his bedroll like everyone else. It might look suspicious if he didn't but it would be handy to have his pack with him once they got out of the Goblin tunnels. Well, he supposed that even if he did manage to grab his pack when the Goblins come to take them, they'll just take it from him anyway.

Bilbo was lying in his bedroll, his back to the rest of the company. No one else was asleep, the rest of the party happily gathered around the fire they had somehow managed to build, all except Thorin and Gandalf who were at the mouth of the cave having a conversation the Hobbit wished he could not hear.

"I am not as certain as you that he has any place amongst us," Thorin muttered, shifting his eyes too, what he thought, was a sleeping Hobbit.

"Come now Thorin, we must keep faith in our burglar." the wizard countered, a tad desperately.

"Face it Gandalf ever since we left he has been behind."

"Master Baggins?"

Bilbo turned around at the sound of his name, finding Bofur stand a couple of meters from him.

"Can I help you master Dwarf?" he answered, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"You've been awful quiet for a while now. Is there something bothering you?" he questioned, sitting down when Bilbo motioned for him to do so.

"I am not certain I belong on this quest master Bofur," He sighed. He knew he couldn't abandon his Dwarves now but the incident today and Thorins words still felt discouraging.

"How do you mean?" The Dwarf asked.

"You know how I mean master Bofur," he replied, his voice hardly more than a whisper.

"I know Thorin can seem harsh but he will come 'round. You must give him time master Baggins." with those parting words Bofur rose to make his way to his own bedroll.

So the members of the party dropped off to sleep one by one, yet Bilbo could not manage to get to sleep for a long while. Haunted as he was by many nasty thoughts of mad kings and great big dragons; when he finally did sleep, his dreams were even nastier yet.

Somewhere deep in his memories, he could faintly recall these very same dreams but at that very moment in the darkness of the cave the sounds of the storm still raging strong outside, they were no less frightening then they had been the first time.

He dreamt of a crack in the wall at the back of the cave getting bigger and bigger, opening wider and wider still he was terrified but could not call out or do anything at all but lie still and look. Then the dreamed changed, suddenly the floor of the cave was giving way, and he was slipping-beginning to fall down, down, goodness knows how far or were too.

At that, he awoke with a horrible start and suddenly remembered where he was and what was going on. Looking to the back of the cave apart of his dream had, indeed, come true for a wide opening in the back of the cave had already formed, he was just in time to see the last of the ponies tails disappear he gave a great yell, as great yell as a Hobbit could give, for he knew that was their only chance of making it out of this.

Out jumped Goblins, great big Goblins and lots of them and before you could blink there were six to each Dwarf at least and even two for Bilbo himself and they were all grabbed and carried through the crack long before anyone had the mind to do anything. However, Gandalf was not amongst them Bilbo's yell had done precisely as intended it had awakened him wide in a splintered second and when the Goblins came to grab him there was a terrific flash like lightning in the cave, a smell of gunpowder and several of the Goblins fell dead.