Chapter Text
Bilbo hurried inside his home, shivering and shaking water from his wings. Damn this sudden storm. It had come out of nowhere. Of course it would be on the one day he went out to the market. He mutters some impolite words as he tried to make himself as dry as possible before going further into BagEnd. He stretched out his wings, carefully and gently running his hands through his feathers to get the water out. Thunder rumbled through the smial and Bilbo shuddered, huffing as he walked into his kitchen. The hobbit hated nights like this. The wind and thunder.... It reminds him too much of the night he'd lost his parents... Bilbo shakes it off, fluffing up his wings. No no, none of that. He'd done enough crying, it would do him no good to spend the night sobbing. Though he wouldn't be able to sleep either.... He sighs as he starts to boil some water for tea. This should at the very least calm his nerves a little. The storm grew worse outside, wind howling like a beast and the thunder like its deep growls. It was probably the reason Bilbo didn't even hear the battle happening in the sky above his home....
*
Things were going very badly for Thorin Oakenshield. While this was nothing new, he was fairly sure he was cursed at this point, his young nephews being involved was something he could not stand. They shouldn't even be with him right now. But both hatchlings had the energy and hunger for adventure of warriors. Kili could barely even talk yet and already it was clear nothing would be able to contain him. Thorin should have just flown when he went hunting. But, ironically, he wanted to avoid any orcs spotting him. Instead, he'd walked, giving Fili and Kili the chance to sneak away from their mother and follow after him. (She would have his beard and his feathers once he got back... If he got back) The two adventurous boys had followed him right into a surprise ambush. The orcs must have been following their flock, just waiting for one the dwarves to wander off on their own. Thorin was already outnumbered ten to one, doubting he could fight them all off, before he heard a shout and the two ran to him. They'd been scared out of their hiding place by one of the orcs and hurried to him for safety, clinging to his legs fearfully.
Thorin had frozen up for just the smallest of seconds, panicked that the hatchlings, his sister's hatchlings, lives were in danger. It was a huge mistake, allowing one orc to get a blow on him before he could react. The blade bit into his right wing, blood and feathers spraying, scaring the young boys further. They'd seen their uncle as untouchable, it was terrifying to know anything could hurt him. Thorin quickly recovered at the sounds of their screams, lashing back and ripping into the orc's naked featherless wing in revenge. The orc howled and took a step back, but the others were quickly moving in. Thorin didn't wait for them. Ignoring the burning pain in his injured wing he grabbed his nephews, holding them tight as he took off into the sky. He wanted to take them back to the flock, but the orcs were following him. Thorin couldn't put the rest of his flock in danger. So he headed the opposite direction, leading the orcs away from the others. That's when things went from terrible to even worse.
Thorin had seen the dark storm clouds ahead of course, but he didn't really have any other options. His arms were full with Fili and Kili, so he couldn't turn and fight the orcs. He'd thought the clouds would just be rain, and maybe he could lose his pursuers. He did lose them... sort of. He lost sight of them and they him, but he could hear them shouting as they tried to find him in the clouds. But Thorin wasn't too focused on them now. He was occupied holding tight to his nephews as he struggled against the wind and how his injured wing was becoming increasingly weaker. Carrying the two for so long would have been a little rough on him in his top shape but like this... He couldn't do anything about it though, both hatchlings were much too young to fly yet. One of them whimpered and he squeezed the boys closer. They were both soaking wet from this storm, Thorin hoped they wouldn't get sick. It was especially dangerous for Kili, still having chick fluff on his wings, having not grown feathers yet-
Those worrying thoughts are what distracted Thorin so much he didn't notice the incoming orc until he slammed into the dwarf, snarling and clawing at Thorin's feathers. He snarled back and struggled, trying to keep the boys out of harms way while also trying to knock the orc off. He finally managed to twist and kick his attacker in the face, knocking him back and making the orc struggle to get his balance again and keep from dropping to the earth. But Thorin had worse luck, unable to right himself. The wind, the rain, and damage to his wings... It was too much and he was falling. He struggled to get his wings to work for another moment before realizing there was nothing he could do. All Thorin could do was clutch his terrified nephews close and try to land in a way that they wouldn't be hurt, even if it meant he didn't survive it...
*
Bilbo jumped as he heard a loud bang outside. The hobbit clicked his tongue as himself. He was being ridiculous, forcing his feathers to lay flat again. Jumping at sounds from the storm like he was a hatchling again... He was safe in BagEnd. Nothing would happen to him. Still... He wondered what that sound was. It wasn't the thunder and definitely not the wind. Oh dear, he sure hoped one of his little fruit trees hadn't been uprooted by the storm. He'd just planted those. Or worse, one of the larger trees had fallen. That would be a mess, his garden would be in shambles! Bilbo grumbled as he wrapped his wings around himself. He'd have to deal with it in the morning, but now he was going to be fretting over it all night. The hobbit is just trying to soothe his nerves again with a sip of his tea when suddenly there's another banging, making him jump again. But its different from before, and it takes Bilbo a moment to realize the sound is someone rather frantically knocking on his door.
He frowns as he glances at the old clock above the fireplace. Its very late for someone to come calling, especially on such a terribly stormy night. Bilbo rarely got visitors even on nice sunny days. The hobbit huffs as he grabs his night robe and gives his wings a quick preen to look presentable. This had better be important. The knocking didn't cease or even slow down, causing Bilbo even more irritation, not hesitating to yank the door open
"What in the shire is so important-"
Bilbo started to say in huff but the rant died in his throat as he saw his unexpected visitor. Or rather visitors. Two very young soaking wet dwarven hatchlings were in his doorway. One was a little older, blonde hair and yellow feathers with black stripes, a terrified but determined look on his face. The other was much younger, a toddler. He had black hair, and bless the poor thing still had his chick fluff, which made him look extra pitiful with his wings drenched. The younger was sobbing and shaking, clinging to the other hatchling. Before Bilbo could even begin to process this or decide what to do the blonde had grabbed his hand and was pulling him out into the stormy night.
"You have to help us! Our uncle is hurt really bad and he won't wake up!"
The child is saying as he drags Bilbo around his smial into his garden
"What? I- I don't-"
He splutters, still trying to understand where these hatchlings came from and what they want. But then he sees what has the young ones so worked up and gasps. There's a dwarf in Bilbo's garden. A full-grown dwarf with impressive black wings, sprawled on the ground. Despite the blood and poor weather Bilbo is struck for just a moment by how beautiful he is. He looks like a prince... He was snapped out of it as the two boys ran to their uncle's side, looking back at Bilbo tearfully
"H-he won't wake up..."
Whimpered the blonde and Bilbo was struck with dread. Quickly he hurried forward as well, kneeling next to the dwarf. He almost looked peaceful, like he was sleeping. Bilbo prayed to every god he could think of that the dwarf was only unconscious before going to check his pulse. He held his breath, the moment going on much longer then it should, before finally feeling a flutter of life and exhaling in relief.
"I think he'll be alright, I just need to get him inside"
Bilbo says before pausing. The dwarf is bigger them him, taller and wider. How is he going to... But he couldn't very well leave the dwarf outside in the storm to go get help. And the hatchlings were looking at him expectingly... Bilbo puffed up his chest and his wings before going around to wrap his arms around the dwarf's chest. He was quick to regret it, this guy was heavy. But he couldn't just give up. He was a respectable hobbit of the shire thank you very much and would never turn away anyone in need. He couldn't leave the dwarves when they need his help so badly. So Bilbo ignored how his arms protested the weight and started dragging him back around towards the door to his home, the hatchlings staying close, one clinging to their unconscious uncle. Moving him brought some conciseness to the dwarf, growling and struggling weakly. That only made things harder but eventually Bilbo managed to get him into his living room, laying the dwarf down on his stomach.
He glanced back and bit off a curse as he saw the trail of mud, water, feathers, and blood dragging the dwarf had left behind. The hobbit couldn't stand seeing his home so dirty. But right now he had bigger problems, looking at the two hatchlings huddled up to the older dwarf, clinging to him desperately. And Bilbo had to do something about the deep gashes and, from the look of them, broken bones in the dwarf's wings. Ok Bilbo you can do this. Just remember everything mother taught you and take things one step at a time. First things first, they needed to get warm and dry. Especially the youngest one. He goes and grabs some towels, trying to ignore the pang that they're going to be stained with mud, before returning. He wrapped the hatchlings with the towels and then turning to the fireplace, stoking the embers to get it going again.
"... He will be ok, right?"
Bilbo turned as the older hatchling spoke, still clinging to his little brother and uncle
"Oh yes, he'll be fine. In the morning I'll get the healer just to be sure"
The hobbit answers, like a liar. He really didn't know if the dwarf would be ok, he just had to put on a brave face for the young ones. But despite the reassuring words the blonde hatchling started to cry
"I-Its our fault... We j-just wanted to help him hunt, w-we didn't mean to-"
The hatchling said, and his younger brother started to cry too. Bilbo had no idea what the child was going on about but the mother hen in him didn't take well to the boy so upset
"Now now, it's alright. Your uncle will be ok, it will all be ok"
Bilbo soothed as the boys looked up at him
"Heres what we're going to do. I'm going to patch up your uncle's wings while you two get dry and warmed up. Then I'll make you some late supper and get you some blankets and pillows. Alright?"
He says as he gives them a comforting smile. The hatchlings sniffled but nodded, calmed by Bilbo's (false) confidence. It worked to calm the hobbit himself too. He stood and got his old first aid kit. It had been a long time since it had any use, or maybe it was just because when Bilbo had been a hatchling he'd been much more adventurous and got into trouble often. On the bright side all the scraps, bruises, and rare broken bones had giving his mother plenty of instances to teach Bilbo about first aid. He was grateful for his recklessness as he knelt by the dwarf's side. Bilbo couldn't help but use this moment to examine more than just his wounds. His comparison to a prince really was fitting, the dwarf had a mane of black hair with silver streaks running through. Not from age, at least Bilbo doesn't think so as his face is still young. Long nose and short beard, his braids tangled. Undeniably handsome... And those wings. Hobbits had, well, plain wings. Shades of brown with spots of black or white, like Bilbo's own feathers. So while the dwarf's pure black wings aren't exactly what some parts of the world would consider flashy, to Bilbo they were breathtaking.
He blinks as he realizes he'd been staring for a while and quickly shook it off, getting to work on the dwarf's wounds. There are some cuts on his body but his wings got the worst. A quick check showed deep oozing gashes and few spots where his feathers had been broken or totally ripped out. Bilbo would have to remove those broken ones, but later. First, he wanted to clean the cuts and then check if the dwarf's wings were broken, because his right wing was laying at an awkward angle. As he started carefully tending to the cuts Bilbo made the mistake of glancing up for a moment. Both hatchlings were staring at him, silently watching every move he made. He swallowed a bit nervously. Bilbo knew they were just worried about their uncle but the pressure was unbearable. He needed to do something to break the heavy silence, clearing his throat
"So um... I didn't get your names boys"
The hobbit says as he continues to work
"I'm Fili, this is my little brother Kili"
The older said as he patted the head of the black haired one
"And that's our uncle Thorin. He's the leader of our flock"
Fili says, in that tone only a child boosting about something can have.
"Oh is he now? That's impressive. I'm Bilbo Baggins, but you can just call me Bilbo"
Bilbo says, really not know if that was impressive or not but just glad to break the silence. Hobbit's didn't live in flocks, they mostly kept to themselves or in small family groups.
"Yeah! Uncle 's real strong Mr. Boggins!"
Kili pipped up, the first thing the younger hatchling has said, too cute for Bilbo to correct. Fili grinned and hugged his little brother close
"Our flock is pretty big, so mom helps out a lot too. There's not a lot of other hatchlings around, just Ori. He's nice but we can't roughhouse with him or he cries"
Fili started to chatter on much to Bilbo's relief. A few nods and mmhmms as he went on about the other dwarves they lived with and Bilbo was able to focus on patching up Thorin. In that manner he quickly took care of all the visible wounds. The hobbit pauses and bites his lip before continuing. Broken bones are a lot more painful to treat. Just from looking Bilbo knows he's going to have to set the dwarf's wing, and he knows the dwarf is going to scream. Its impossible to be silent when getting a bone reset, as Bilbo knows from experience.
"I think you boys should go into the kitchen for a bit, alright?"
He suggested. He still didn't really know what happened but didn't want to scar the hatchlings further by them seeing this.
"Are you gonna set uncle's wing?"
Fili asks as he looks at Bilbo with big innocent eyes, startling the hobbit that a child young as he would know that
"I- yes. And it's going to hurt him, a lot but-"
Bilbo started to explain but Fili had already picked up Kili and stood
"I know. I broke my arm once 'n Oin had to set it. It hurt so bad... But It healed just fine"
The hatchling said as he held out his arm as if showing proof
"Its ok, I'll keep Kili calm"
Fili says with a determined look. Bilbo blinked, wondering just what kind of lifestyle were these dwarves living to turn this child so mature. Looking at the wounds on their uncles makes him think he doesn't want to know. Besides he has to focus right now, it would just make things worse if he set it wrong. Bilbo carefully takes Thorin's wing in his hands, feeling along to where the bone was broken and bent out of shape. The dwarf jerked and gasped in pain under his hands when he touched the area but still didn't wake. He'd be awake soon though. The hobbit tried not to think too much about how much this was going to hurt as he carefully stretched out and laid the broken wing as flat as possible. Bilbo put a knee on the dwarf's back, trying not to hurt him but knowing he should try to pin him down somewhat. Then he counted to three, and pushed.
There was a rather sicken pop that told him he'd hit his mark, but he felt it more than heard it as instantly all other sounds with deafened by a raw scream of pain. Just as Bilbo assumed he would the dwarf thrashed under him, but he'd underestimated his strength and was quickly thrown back. Before he could gather his wits his breath was knocked from him as Thorin leaped onto him and he was staring into wild blue eyes, everything else blocked out by black wings. The dwarf bared his teeth and snarled like an animal, but luckily there was a small hand tugging at him before he could do anything.
"Uncle its ok, Mr. Boggins is nice"
Fili said, causing Thorin to still as his eyes darted from his nephews to the hobbit he had pinned, still suspicious. Blibo swallowed nervously and licked his dry lips before speaking
"Its Baggins, but yes I mean you no harm"
Thorin didn't speak, just staring at him with those pricing blue eyes. But after an agonizing moment, he seemed to deem Bilbo wasn't a threat, letting him go and standing up. Not really a wise choice, as he swayed on his feet and his broken wing had yet to be banged
"Hey sit back down! You're going to hurt yourself even more"
Bilbo scolded as he jumped to his feet, only to be ignored totally. Thorin turned away from him, looking down at his nephews. Despite how scary he looked the dwarf was surprisingly gentle with the hatchlings as he looked them over for wounds. He muttered something to them in a language Bilbo didn't understand
"We're ok. B-But you're really hurt and it's our fault... We're sorry"
Fili started to tear up but Thorin wiped away his tears and spoke again in that strange tongue, voice low and comforting. Bilbo watched with fascination as the older dwarf gently bumped foreheads with both his nephews. And then, he turned around and promptly collapsed again. Well... As far as first impressions go that certainly was... Something.