The Hobbit Prince

Goblin Town

Hello my little friends! It has been a long time, how have you lot been? Causing mischief I imagine, hahaha! No, you say, the twinkle in your eyes says otherwise. Tell me more later though, I believe you are all eager for more of our story. Now, where did we leave off? Oh yes, afternoon tea with Lord Elrond and our dear Bilbo, which had been interrupted by the Company. After which Bilbo soon found himself once more constantly shadowed by a Dwarf, this time instead of one he had to deal with two or more.

"Don't you lot think you're being a bit ridiculous, taking turns to follow me around all day?"

Expect when Thorin is following, it's just Thorin, and though Bilbo found it quiet odd, he found he liked it.

Thorin ignores the Hobbit's question as he follows the other down to the kitchen, he hovers as he listens to Bilbo ask if he could have use of the kitchen (glaring when he notices meat being roasted, he knew something had been off during the dinners, damn that Elf!), his eye twitches as he watches the cooking elves coo over his Burglar. Luckily for everyone who were tall and had pointed ears, the Elves soon turned their attention back to the food, Thorin had started to move when an Elf offered his help with gathering ingredients the Hobbit needed, but a look from Bilbo had him staying put.

After the scolding he and the others got for spying, he rather not get another one thank you very much.

After he was given all the ingredients he needed, along with a stepping stool, Bilbo set to work.

"If insist on following and watching me, you can help" the Hobbit suddenly said after moments of silence between them.

Thorin raises a brow but moves from the corner he had settled himself into and over towards the Hobbit, blinking when a knife is handed to him.

"Wash your hands, then skin, seed, and slice those apples"

Thorin looks over at the good size basket of apples, he does as he's told, a familiarity coming over him, familiarity that remained him of dark hair, mischievous eyes, and a fierce soul. He pushes back the feeling and concentrates on the apples, after a while the Elves started to leave until they were the only two in the kitchen by the time Thorin had finished the apples and presented them to Bilbo.

"Thank you" Bilbo says taking them.

Thorin nods, eyes focusing on the flour dusted on the Hobbit's nose, for some reason or another he wanted to lick it off then continue on licking though not at just the nose.

"Something wrong?" Bilbo asks, cheeks a slight red.

Realizing he had been staring and not saying a word, Thorin mumbles "nothing" and moves back to his corner, away from temptation.

As you can see, feelings are beginning to grow, the apple pies that Bilbo had created was greatly enjoyed by the Dwarves, and wonderful distracting them…just as Bilbo planned.

Humming to himself, Bilbo walked down the aisles of the library, while he was flattered by the Dwarves sudden….attentiveness, he was beginning to feel suffocated. He had tried to be subtle about telling them, but subtlety was loss to Dwarves, which is how he came up with the apple pie. Dwarves loved food as much the next Hobbit, and was easily enough distracted by said food, granted he was a bit worried it wouldn't work with Thorin, turns out he had nothing to worry about.

Now here he was, in the library alone for the first time since he and Company arrived.

"This looks interesting" Bilbo mutters to himself as he takes a small a book.

It was in the language of the Elves, but Bilbo understood it well enough thanks to his mother, finding a cozy spot, the Hobbit opens the book and begins to read. He finds it to be a children's tale, and quickly became lost in the story of the Elven warrior battling villains to save his love, so lost in book he doesn't' notice the large shadow hovering over him.

"Thorin is not happy with you"

Bilbo gives a startled squeak, and nearly drops his book.

"Mister Dwalin! You startled me!" the Hobbit exclaimed.

"My apology" Dwalin said.

"Thorin is upset with me?" Bilbo then said when he went over what the Dwarf said earlier.

"Aye, he and the rest of Company are, sneaking off the way you did"

Bilbo's cheek colored a bit as he ducks his head, jumping when the mountain of a Dwarf flops down next to him.

"He was close to accusing the Elves of kidnapping and declaring war, if Gandalf hadn't calmed him down and suggest we go looking for you"

Bilbo wasn't sure if he should be horrified, embarrassed, or flattered, perhaps all three, "Why?" Bilbo finally squeaks out.

Dwalin gives him a mischievous smile before saying that they should headed back to the Company, gaining a groan. It's only when their burglar pouted did he pick up Bilbo and carried him out the library, ignoring the protesting, when they got the hall the Company had been using to camp out, the other Dwarves were there, regrouping after not finding they're Hobbit. Dwalin dumped the Hobbit in the middle of the pack of Dwarves and left him to his fate.

Bilbo didn't try to run away again.

More days passed by until finally the Company was sneaking out of Rivendell in the dead of night while leaving behind Gandalf to distract Lord Elrond. Deep into the Misty Mountains they went, the further they went, the colder it got. Everyone was sure it couldn't get any worse, then the Haven opens up and a storm descends upon them. Cold winds howled and wiped at them as they clung to the mountain's edge, suddenly before the Company's very eyes a battle between stone giants.

A thunder battle!

Poor Bilbo, wishing for a moment that he had never left his hobbit hole, wishing even more when he soon finds himself dangling off the edge. He is saved thankfully by Thorin, unfortunately he scared Thorin (who was still sorting out his feelings for the Hobbit that made him feel so many confusing things), he scared the King so much that what came out of the Dwarf's mouth was not words of comfort.

"He's been lost ever since he left home, He should never have come. He has no place amongst us!"

Yes, it was a cruel thing to say, but remember what Dwalin said, Thorin can speak his mind well enough (and often loudly as all Dwarves do), but his feelings? You have better chances of marrying an Orc.

The Company found shelter in a cave, and after a quick check settles in, it takes a while but gradually the Company starts to drift off to sleep…well almost everyone.

"Can't sleep?"

Bilbo looks up from where he was making patterns in the sand with his finger, unknown to him that Bofur had come over to sit next to him during his musing, the Dwarf gives a small smile, Bilbo smiles back.

"No" the Hobbit then answers the earlier question, "I can't seem to keep my eyes closed"

"Lost in thought I imagine"

Bofur frowns at the shrug, even more at how quiet the Hobbit was, granted he had to be so not to wake they're companions, but it was the air around him. Quiet and sad.

"It's about what Thorin said isn't it" Bofur then said, "that's got you so quiet"

Bilbo winces.

"Don't take it to heart Bilbo" Bofur reassures, "he didn't mean it"

"It's the truth though" Bilbo says softly.

"Bilbo—"

"I have been lost, long before you and the others came, to be honest"

"What do you mean?"

Bilbo sighs, "I'm different from the other Hobbits, part of it was because of my mother, the other part is because of me. I've always felt different, but ignored it in favor of being a more 'respectable' Hobbit"

"Why would you do that? Being different isn't a bad thing, just look at Bofir"

Bilbo glances at the toymaker who was working on what looked like a wooden bird, giving a soft smile the Hobbit looks back at the Dwarf's cousin.

"Yes, but he has you and Bombur, after my mother, I had no one"

Bofur wraps an arm around Bilbo, saying nothing when the Hobbit presses close against him.

Unaware to the both of them Thorin had been awake.

"What's that?"

Both Dwarf and Hobbit look down at Bilbo's sword, a bright blue glow was shining out of the sheath.

Suddenly the cave floor opens and they're all falling! Down, down, down, they fall into tumbling dark until they land hard on top of each other. Then out jumped the goblins! Big goblins, great ugly-looking goblins, lots of goblins, before you could say rock and blocks. They seize Bilbo and the Dwarves and hurried them along, deep, deep, into the dark. Through crosses and tangles, until they go through a large opening and entering a cavern, it was full of goblins.

They are dragged to the far end of the cavern, and there in the shadows on a large throne of wood and bone sat a tremendous goblin with a huge head, and armed goblins were standing round him carrying the axes and the bent swords that they use. The Company's weapons are thrown onto the ground.

"Who is so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" demands the Great Goblin, "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"

"Dwarves. Your Malevolence" says one of the Goblin.

Bilbo who had been pushed into the middle of the group and hidden behind Dori was happy not to correct him.

"Dwarves?"

"We found them on the front porch"

"Well, don't just stand there" the Great Goblin them orders, "search them! Every crack, every crevice!"

The goblins descend upon them, the Dwarves growled and cursed them as they were searched and weapons were taken, Bilbo squeaks when he's suddenly grabbed, unfortunately for him it drew him the attention of the Goblin King.

"Well, well, what have we here?"

Despite the Dwarves' best efforts, he is pulled to the front and presented to the Goblin King.

"What a surprise" the King purrs, "a Hobbit"

All around them the goblins murmured and muttered to each other, Bilbo shuffles nervously.

"I haven't seen a Hobbit in nearly an age"

Bilbo shivers at the leer directed at him, but stays his ground when the huge goblin moves closer, vaguely is he aware of the Dwarves struggling and cursing behind him.

"You look familiar, especially in the eyes, now where have I seen them before?"

Bilbo is surprised that he wasn't trembling or had passed by now under the King's gaze, the Goblin then leans back and smiles.

It wasn't a nice smile.

"Take the Hobbit to the Crucible!" the King announces.

Around the captives the cavern echoes with cheers, two Goblins come up to take hold of Bilbo and take him to whatever what the 'crucible" was.

"Wait!"

Thorin steps forward, moving until he was in front of Bilbo.

"Well, well, well," The Goblin King chuckles cruelly, "look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain"

The Great Goblin gives an exaggerated bow, Thorin glares at him, he stiffens when the Goblin then moves closer towards him.

"I know someone, who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached." The Great Goblin grins, he seems to like doing that a lot, "Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg"

Thorin's face twists in surprise and disbelief.

The Great Goblin smirks before turning to a smaller Goblin.

"Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize"

The Goblin crackles and leaves, the Great Goblin then turns back to his captive.

"To the Crucible!"

Bilbo and the Company are grabbed and taken further down into Goblin town, the Crucible my young friends, is a large round cage made of metal, the ring was covered in the blood and bones of Goblins, Elves, Men and Dwarves alike. It's here that the Goblins hold fights, either with themselves or they're captive, it is obvious what happens to the loser.

Bilbo is pushed inside the ring with a rusty and heavy sword in his hands, the door slamming shut behind him, all around him is a wall of goblins, shouting and screaming. His eyes lands on the Goblin King who had seated himself on his throne, next to him was the Company, they were struggling against they're guards, snarling and cursing at them. Turning away from them he looks at the ring he was pushed into, the ground was littered with blood and bones. In the corner was a fresh dead Goblin, paling he looks away, it was there that his eye was caught by something…odd.

The first thing he saw was a crater, it was medium in size, planted in the middle was a hammer. The square head was planted into the ground with the long handle sticking straight up, Bilbo found himself moving closer to the weapon. Memorized he reaches out, his fingers brushed against the handle.

Hm? Does this hammer belong to the goblins? Goodness no! Silly things, you know who this hammer belongs to, don't you? Ah, I see it on one of your faces that you've figured it out.

"Bring in our champion!"

Bilbo jumps at the sudden command, he whirls around just to see the door open, and a very large goblin enter the ring. Around him the goblins cheer, his eyes widen at the Goblin King's next words.

"A fight to the death!"

To the death!?

The Hobbit hears his companions' shouts, but has no time to look, for the Goblin was charging towards him weapon in hand. Bilbo lifts the sword in time to block; unfortunately the Goblin's attack was powerful. His sword broke and he thrown to the ground. He quickly rolls out of the descending weapon and scrambling to his feet, he cruses the goblins who took his firing pan and knife as he dodges another swing. With quick Hobbit feet he dodges the repeated attacks (with impressive flips and twirls his mother had taught him); he stumbles over a scatter of bones. The Goblin uses the opening, he brings his weapon down, he misses but does leave a cut.

Bilbo is able to put some distant between him in the Goblin, who advances towards him, moving back the Hobbit tries to think of a way to get out of this. He freezes when his back hits something; he looks over his shoulder and sees the hammer's handle.

"Bilbo!" comes Fili's voice.

Bilbo turns back to the Goblin, and sees that the creature now in front with his weapon raised, instinctively Bilbo found his hands wrapping around the hammer, and when the Goblin lowers his weapon to deliver the final blow, Bilbo quickly tightens his hold…and swings. The hammer hits the Goblin in the side and sends him flying.

Panting and trembling with adrenaline, it takes Bilbo a moment to realize that everything had become silent and all eyes were focused on him.

There is a legend upon that hammer, a legend that told of the Hobbit Queen who along with a company of other Hobbits (it is believed that they were traveling to a neighboring Kingdom), found themselves accidently in Goblin Town. The Goblin King ordered them to be tortured and then put to death, to save not only herself but the others, the Hobbit lass challenged the King to a battle.

"Be it yourself or anyone you wish, and I will fight them, if I win you let us go. If I lose, then we are yours" she says, standing tall and fearless.

Amused by the small creature, the King accepts, and sends her to the Crucible, there she fights, goblin after goblin, defeating all with her mighty hammer. Finally, the Goblin King himself enters the ring, tired from her previous fights, the Hobbit Queen knows she would be unable to defeat him with little strength she had.

So she uses the hammer's.

Many say that the Hobbit Queen had magic, for that was the only explanation to what happened next.

As the Goblin King advances towards her, the Hobbit Queen raises her hammer high above her head then smashes it onto the ground, from it a wave of energy emerges cracking the ground and knocking the King and his Goblins off their feet.

After that the Hobbit Queen and her companions fled to freedom, leaving behind a carter and the hammer, a hammer that no matter how strong the person could not be moved; and so the hammer stayed in Goblin Town.

Whispers of the Hobbit Queen's story spread, traveling through Goblin Town then the rest of Middle-Earth, but like all stories, things twist. The story was told many times, in many ways, but the one thing remained the same. The hammer that remained in its crater, could only be lifted by the Hobbit Queen….or her child…..

The stun silence is suddenly broken by a sudden explosion of bright light, a wave of energy throws everyone off their feet and for a moment Bilbo feels himself go deaf, when the both light and wave ended Bilbo lifted his head up from the ground. Much of the light surrounding the area had gone out, and he could barely make out a shadowy figure with a familiar pointy hat in the background.

"Take up arms" Gandalf's mighty voice echoes, "fight. Fight!"

They're once captive weapons are thrown to them, and with them in hand, the Dwarves quickly get to their feet and fight. Cutting down goblin after goblin, the Goblin King joins in, attacking Thorin, who blocks and counters, knocking the Goblin onto his back and because of his large size the Goblin King is unable to get back up.

"Bilbo, look out!"

Goblins enter the ring and advance towards him, tightening the hold on the hammer, Bilbo charges into battle.

Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves make it up and out of the Crucible, then they are running through the suspended passageways of Goblin Town with hundreds upon hundreds of Goblins chasing them, killing any who get in their way. Through great skill they manage to get to a bridge, they barely make across when suddenly the Great Goblin breaks through from underneath and pulls himself onto the bridge blocking them. Behind them the other goblins block the other side.

They are trapped.

"You didn't really think you could escape, did you?" snarls the Goblin, "especially with him"

Bilbo gulps when the Goblin King looks in direction, suddenly Gandalf leaps forward and pokes the Goblin's eyes out with his staff, the Goblin gives out a cry of both surprise and pain as he clutches his face. Using the opening, Gandalf then slices the Goblin's belly, the cruel King falls to his knees clutching his wound, then the wizard slices the Great Goblin's neck. The large body falls.

The Goblin King is dead.

Victory, unfortunately, is short lived as suddenly the bridge starts to shaking and then, both them and the bridge are falling, sliding down the craven's wall at terrifying speed. Bilbo clings to the bridge and prays they live.

They do indeed live, buried underneath the wreckage and bruised but alive, a relief that soon takes place in horror as the goblins climb down the walls towards them, revenge in their eyes for killing they're King.

"There are too many" Dwalin says as he pulls himself out of the wreckage, "we can't fight them all!"

"Only one thing will save us, daylight! Come on, quickly on your feet!"

Everyone quickly get themselves out of the rumble and follow Gandalf towards the light.

They make their way out of the cavern, Bilbo who is bringing up the rear looks back to see if they are still being followed, he sees no Goblin, but large blue eyes. There is a flicker of gold and the eyes are gone. Believing it to be a trick of the mind, Bilbo lets it go.

Down the steep, tree-covered mountain they run, they keep running until they feel they are safe, and as he stood upon a rather large boulder trying to catch his breath Bilbo could distinctively hear Gandalf counting.

"Five, six, seven, eight….Bifur, Bofur….that's ten…Fili, Kili…that's twelve…Bombur, Bilbo—that makes fourteen, good we are all here"

Finally catching his breath, Bilbo looks at his new weapon, big, bigger than the him and the Dwarves, the square head is iron with runes circling each end, in the middle on both sides was the carving of an oak tree. The handle is silver embedded with green leaves that swirl around the handle; the weight was familiar and remained him of his own hammer.

"Bilbo"

Bilbo looks away from the hammer to Thorin; the King was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't read. In fact all of the Dwarves were looking at him in such a way, bewildered Bilbo looks over at Gandalf for answers. The wizard's eyes were twinkling brightly.

"Bilbo" Thorin says again gaining the Hobbit's attention, "that hammer…."

Bilbo looks back at the hammer, briefly he wonders if perhaps the Dwarf wanted the hammer, the thought of the Dwarf taking the hammer made something in the Hobbit's chest clench. He opens his mouth, though he wasn't sure what he was going to say, but closes it shut when he notices that Thorin was no longer looking at his face but his chest. More importantly, his necklace, the necklace that he was quite frankly surprised it hadn't gotten lost in the battle, was visible.

"Where…where did you get that?" Thorin asked, voice tight.

"My mother" Bilbo answered, curious as to why the Dwarf asked.

"And your mother…your mother, what was her name?"

Bilbo blinks, looking at the Dwarf he notices how…hopeful the other look, almost desperate. He doesn't know what he had done to get that look directed at him or why Thorin was asking him such a question, or why he feels that whatever answer he gives could break the King.

"Belladonna" Bilbo finally answers, "Belladonna Baggins"

Thorin pauses, blinks then sighs before looking away, his whole body language told of disappointment, then Gandalf speaks up.

"What was her maiden name?"

Bilbo freezes up even as Thorin looks back at him, even as all eyes focused on him. His mother maiden, a name that he was never supposed to speak off, that wasn't even whispered among the Shire, a name he knew nothing about but always felt that it was important. A name that Gandalf was now asking of him, even though he was sure the wizard knew better, a name Thorin and the others were waiting to hear. Finally Bilbo speaks the name.

"Took"

Though it was soft, the name seems to echo around the forest that surrounded them, there are sharp intakes of breaths from the Company. Bilbo pays them no mind, instead he looks at Thorin who stares with eyes that look wide and disbelieving, the Dwarf is as still as the stone his people were born from expect for his heaving chest. Then the King drops, Bilbo worries that the King had fainted, that worries turns to shock and surprise when he realizes that Thorin had not in fact fainted.

He was kneeling!

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