As someone's who's recently come to appreciate Bofur a lot more (I think he may be my favourite dwarf now) partially due to reading fics where his love for someone is unrequited, I thought that I should write a fic in appreciation of Bofur, and give him a bit of happiness. However, prepare for angst before the happiness.

A lot of this fic is based around songs, since I know that Bofur has an appreciation and talent for music, and I will also make up some convenient things about dwarf culture. If neither of these are okay, then don't bother reading.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I'm sorry for the long waffle!

...

Bofur sat among the other members of the Company in the house belonging to the great skin changer, Beorn. Everything was so huge, and so beautifully carved; a few times Bofur had to catch himself from drifting into silence and staring around him in awe.

His companions were sitting round the table, exchanging jokes and stories, much more at ease now Beorn had left the room. However, they were clearly taking the opportunity to drink as much honeyed-mead as they could manage. As much as Bofur liked to drink, he would not drink to the point where he lost his senses, unlike some of the others.

After some time, the cry went up for some music.

"Bofur! Get your whistle out and give us a tune!" cried Fili.

Bofur did as requested, taking out his whistle and beginning to play a gentle melody with it. He smiled inwardly when Bifur took out his small harp and began to play along. Then the whistle stopped and the singing began.

"Blue mountain river, if only for a while,
Take me to the river, I lay down by your side,
The world is full of madness and I find it hard to smile,
I'll sleep within through winter and wait for summertime.

Blue mountain river, comfort me a while,
I'll follow down the river, follow you til night,
I listen to you whispers, you dance in time to mine,
We'll stay awake together watching silver in the sky.

Blue mountain river, I want to rest a while,
You're changing my reflection and the seasons in my mind,
Let these days go on forever, I'll leave in my own time,
Take me where you're going and I'll be right by your side.

Blue mountain river, I went there for a while,
I listened for an answer and I found it deep inside,
When I'm lost behind the shadows and I want to run and hide,
My blue mountain river is there right by my side."

There was a small amount of applause, but it was clearly not what they had been looking for.

"Give us a lively song, Bofur!" called Nori.

"Aye, one more suited to rough dwarves like us." Dwalin joked.

Bofur smiled and began to play again, Bifur soon recognising the tune and playing with him.

"I am a youth that's inclined to ramble,
To some foreign country I mean to steer,
I am loath to part from my friends and comrades,
And my dear sweetheart, whom I loved dear.
But there's one of those I do most admire,
One her I'll think when I 'm far away,
For since fates decreed I am resolved to part her,
And try my fortune in the Iron Hills

.So farewell darling I must leave you,
I place great dependence on your constancy,
That no other young dwarf may gain your favour,
Or change your mind when I am over the way.
For although the lands do separate us,
And in between us they do rise and fall,
If fortune favours me you'll find your laddie,
Returning homeward from the Iron Hills.

Oh darling dear do you remember,
When I sat with you for manys the hour,
And my young fancy away was carried,
And the bees hummed around on each opening flower,
But when you're crossing the eastern woodlands.
The maid that loved you, you'll never mind her,
And you'll scarce e'er think upon the maids of Blue Mountain,
For you'll find strange sweethearts in the Iron Hills.

Oh darling dear, I don't disemble,
For to all other fair maids I'll prove untrue,
And if you think that these are false promise,
I'll leave these vows as a pledge to you.
That what I have may prove unsuccessful,
And fortune prove to me a slippery ball,
That a favouring gale it may ne'er blow on me,
If forsake you in the Iron Hills.

And to conclude and to end these verses,
May Mahal protect this young female fair,
And keep her from every wild embarrassment,
And of my darling take the greatest care.
For she's slow to anger and of kind disposition,
And her cheeks like roses in June do bloom,
In my nightly slumbers when e'er I think on her,
I could court her vision in the Iron Hills."

More applause and a few cheers this time.

"That's a right song for us Bofur, well done!"

"You would say that Gloin – you think of your lass across in the Blue Mountains because she's your wife." Dori complained.

"Aye, and what of it? She's still as pretty a lass as ever I did see. And I seem to recall that none of you are married."

Nori and Bombur pulled a face at that, and Bofur decided it was the right time to play one of his favourite tunes. He gave a brief nod in Bifur's direction before beginning to play, and when the rest of the Company recognised the song, they began humming along, Dori tapping the table and Kili banging cutlery in time to the music.

"Oh rise up my darling and come with me
I want to go with you and leave this country
To leave my father's dwelling, this house and the land"
So away goes Jamie with his love in his arms.

They go over hills and the mountains and glens
Travelling all through the night in the mist in the rain
But her father has followed and has taken his men
And he captured poor Jamie with his love in his arm.

sNow home she was taken to her room she is bound
While poor Jamie lies on the cold stoney ground
And he knows all the while before the judge he will stand
For the stealing of nothing but his own true love's hand

Here, Bofur nodded in the direction of Dwalin, who happily took the lines of the gaoler.

In the cold hard iron his hands they are bound
Handcuffed like a murderer and tied to the ground
And the jailer tells Jamie "last night I did hear
That your Lady will hang you or else set you clear"

Fili was appointed the judge with a nod from Bofur.

The judge says "this young girl being tender in youth
If Jamie is guilty she will tell the truth"
Then the radiant beauty before him did stand
"Oh I'm happy to see you my bold Irish lad"

Bofur shot a questioning look towards Thorin, offering him the lines sung by the father, despite not expecting him to accept. To everyone's surprise, the dwarf king took the lines and sung them almost with a relish.

But the father cries out "Aüle have pity on me
For the man came to bring disgrace to my family
And he stole my only daughter, all part of his plan
And if you don't hang him I will quit the land"

But the daughter is crying and begging is she
"The fault isn't Jamie's the blame lies with me
I forced him to leave and run away with me
And I'll die if I can't save my bold Jamie"

"Good Aüle he has stole all her jewels and her rings
Gold watches and amber, all my precious things
And it's cost me a fortune in thousands of pounds
And I'll take the life of Jamie before I lie in the ground"

Good Aüle I gave them as a token of love
And when we are parted I'll have them removed
But a true lovers token wear on your right hand
And think of me darling when you're in a foreign land"

Bilbo was grinning stupidly from where he sat by the fire as the music faded.

"You sing very well."

"Thank you master burglar," smiled Bofur, taking a moment to clear his instrument.

"Who was Jamie?"

"Jamie?" Bofur frowned.

"He means Jamie from the song," explained Balin. "No-one really knows laddie. It's a traditional song, and one of Bofur's favourites, but we've no knowledge about the Jamie in the song or whether there even was one. That's why the ending is so unclear; lost throughout time I'd imagine."

Bilbo nodded. "And what's 'Irish'?"

Bofur shrugged. "We don't know that either, but it was probably a town or dwelling or something."

Bilbo smiled his thanks, then, with a quick good night to everyone, took himself off to bed.

Slowly, after more drinking and some crude drinking songs to go with it, the others took themselves to bed, glad of a warm and safe place to sleep.

Yet Bofur stayed by the fire, his feet dangling a little as he sat on one of the great chairs beside the fireplace. The toymaker and musician sat there thinking of his own fair lass back in the Blue Mountains, wondering if the Valar would be kind enough to let them meet again after this quest.

...

The songs are Blue Mountain River, I am a youth that's inclined to ramble, and Bold Jamie sung by Cara Dillon (I have amended some of them slightly to make them more fitting in Middle Earth).

For clarification: Aüle and Mahal are the same god, but Aüle is theeElvish name, and Mahal is the dwarven name.

Now, a bit of audience participation: I'm going to marry off either Fili or Kili to a character I'm going to make up, but I've not yet decided who. I'd like you to review and tell me who you'd prefer it to be (and yes, it can only be Fili or Kili, for various reasons that will come clear) – whichever gets the majority of reviews, I'll go with that one, and if I don't get any, then I'll simply get my dear friends BasementFullofBandMembers and The Auburn Time Lord to decide. If you want to know the personality of this dwarf lass, then you'll have to wait for her to turn up.

Also, any UK residents, please look at the Oliver King Foundation Petition; we're trying to get defibrillators in schools and public buildings in response to the sudden death of 12 year old Oliver King from SADS (sudden adult death syndrome), who was in my little sister's class.

Thank you for reading, and I'd be grateful if you have the time for a review and a vote, and to look at the petition.