Chapter Eight

Nearly a week after leaving the Shire Dwalin could see the Blue Mountain's up ahead of him, one more days walk and he would arrive back at their new home. Dwalin made camp on the tree line to use it for shelter for the night. Tomorrow would bring him doing his brothers bidding before he would have to catch up on his duties as head guardsman; he hoped that a certain known thief had kept himself out of trouble while he had been away. He hated having to leave those in his care behind but with Thorin away earning money for the people a lot of their kings duties had fallen to Balin who had decided that Dwalin was more suited for travelling than himself.

Thinking of Thorin reminded him of who their king was living with, he couldn't help but be both happy for Thorin for having his One and envious of him, Dwalin had long ago accepted that he had a long wait for his mate, what he hadn't been expecting was two older brothers who would never give him the chance to court him even with matching soul marks. Well the lad wasn't even of age yet so he would have time to figure out how to get close to him.

He still couldn't believe that Thorin had finally found his One, the King had long ago given up on finding him, he had known the lads name for years and searched for any years for the one called Bilbo Baggins but then he had been given his sisters children to look after and the boys had become his world and he had given up on searching. Never in his wildest dreams did Dwalin think that Thorin's One would be a hobbit, but seeing the lad take control of his King and those nephews of his he could understand why Mahl had gifted Thorin with such a being as his One, the young lad completed Thorin perfectly. This after all was the sole reason for having soul marks in the first place, so you could find the one you're meant to spend eternity with.

Dwalin decided it was time that her turned in for the night, no doubt tomorrow would be the busiest day for him in a long time, there was much to do to withstand the winter and the Thorin in the Shire Dwalin would have even more to do this year than he had the previous years. Thorin had left his most trusted behind him as a council to carry out the Kings justice in his absence and unfortunately for Dwalin who was a warrior at heart not a councilman Thorin had named him on his council, for staying loyal to him all these years, as if he would do any different.

Thorin had been busy practically none stop since braiding Bilbo's hair, he had been up before event he hobbit himself in the mornings and out the door after a quick breakfast, the boys following him after a bigger breakfast and more sleep. He often found himself sending them home before him in time for the supper Bilbo would have made and would return far after dark to a quiet hobbit hole and a sleepy hobbit sat up waiting for him. He found himself greatly looking forward to in two weeks tie when he would be shutting the forge down for the harshest of the winter, although he would miss having the income, with Bilbo's help in setting up other jobs while he won't be too busy during the winter he would be busy enough to not get under his hobbits feet every day.

Today was no exception, Thorin woke with the sun and had to drag himself out of bed and away from his hobbit Bilbo grumbled as Thorin tried to move out of his arms. As the weather had gotten colder the hobbit had taken to holding on to Thorin more. Not that the dwarf minded but it did make it more difficult for him to depart in the mornings not just because of the grip Bilbo had on him but because he didn't want to. He couldn't bear to remove himself from his One's arms. Bilbo grumbled as he rolled off Thorin and into the space that Thorin had been in. Smiling at the hobbit Thorin went about getting ready for the day he had been told by the boys that he wasn't allowed in the forge after lunch which they would be sharing at Bag End together the boys would be off to the forge and Thorin and Bilbo were going to spend the afternoon together.

Dropping a kiss on the hobbits head Thorin moved out of the bedroom, this morning he would be finishing his courting gift for Bilbo, it wasn't a very traditional hobbit gift as he couldn't cook something for Bilbo nor could he grow something for him but he had managed to create him a flower made with jewels instead of petals. He hoped that Bilbo would accept it instead of the normal courting gift the hobbit would probably be expecting.

After grabbing something to eat Thorin quietly left the hobbit hole and went down to the forge he still had plenty of work to do before the boys kicked him out of the forge, if he could get all of the work done for the next few days then he would be able to have tomorrow off to spend with Bilbo. He had plans for his hobbit that had been waiting long enough and hopefully he would be able to give his gift to Bilbo tonight or tomorrow.

Not for the first time since they began courting Bilbo woke up on his own just after the sun rose, he could vaguely remember Thorin getting out of the bed but hadn't been pulled enough from his sleep to be bothered to get out of bed. But he knew he had to get out of bed to make breakfast for the boys. He couldn't wait for them to start work on his courting gift for Thorin he had designed a blade for the dwarf, the handle was going to be engraved with both Bilbo's and Thorin's names both in standard and in dwarfish. Bilbo had drawn the designs for the knife that both Fili and Kili had said that they could manage to do them; he just hoped that Thorin would want to accept his courting gift.

He worried that the more Thorin learned about him then he would realise that he could do much better than Bilbo, the dwarf had done so much in his life and all Bilbo had done was stay in the shire hiding in his home since his parents passed. Surely Thorin would realise that he would never be worthy of ruling with him an Bilbo would never expect Thorin to give up his people for him, he knew that Thorin would be returning to the Blue Mountains soon and leave Bilbo behind. He may be the dwarfs soul mate but Bilbo doubted that Thorin would continue to the next stage of courting he just hoped that when Thorin left then Bilbo could keep his braid in his hair surely it couldn't hurt as there would be no dwarfs around to see it and Bilbo would be able to remember when he was wanted by his other half.

Sighing Bilbo walked out of the bedroom, he would miss the boys so much as well, and all three of his dwarfs had made his hobbit hole feel like a home again, he didn't want to go back to the silence again. Fili and Kili walked out of their room their hair sticking all over, the boys had given up on doing their hair before they came to breakfast since finding out that Bilbo and Thorin were courting. "Morning boys, I'm just going to start breakfast so you can wash up and it should be ready by the time you're done." They nodded and walked towards the bathroom to wash as Bilbo made his way to the kitchen.

After the boys had eaten their breakfast they got up to go to the forge, Bilbo sighed trying to keep positive but all he could think about was that he was on a timer and soon he would lose everything that mattered to him. "Uncle Bilbo? Are you alright? So seem sad." Looking up Bilbo say Kili stood in the door way of the kitchen. "Have we upset you?" Bilbo took notice of the tears starting to gather in the young dwarfs eyes.

"Oh Kili I'm fine, I just keep thinking of how empty this place felt without you in it and I'm worried that you, all of you will leave and I'll be left behind unwanted and unloved." Bilbo stood up from the table and looked down at the floor knowing that Kili would leave now and tell Fili and Thorin and they would be gone before he knew it. He was shocked to feel arms wrap around him, he saw the top of Kili's head as he hugged him.

"Why would we go anywhere Uncle Bilbo? We love you and want to stay with you, and Uncle Thorin loves you. You're courting each other and are each other's Ones." Bilbo wrapped his arms around the young dwarf, he needed this hug. Suddenly another set of arms wrapped around him, he saw a mop of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Smiling at the boys he withdrew his arms.

"Thank you, I guess I just needed to hear someone say it. Now off you go, you have a long day today. I'll come down and collect you this evening unless you get all you can do done." Smiling and hugging each boy one last time Bilbo saw them out. It hadn't fixed everything but it made him feel loved while they were living here.