Chapter Text
Fìli and Kìli are supposed to be in a lesson with Balin. In fact, they should have started about fifteen minutes ago. But alas, something about the spring day has them running out of the Blue Mountains.
Kìli lets out a whoop of excitement now they are out of the mountain and free.
"I can't wait to practice with my new bow!" the younger boy exclaims. He pulls out an arrow and after a few tries he notches it, waving it around to look for a good target to shoot at.
"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" Fìli yells. "Amad said that you'll shoot someone's eye out if you're not careful."
"I know what Amad says! She tells me all the time." Kìli lets the arrow fly. It goes a measly 7 feet before sinking into the ground unceremoniously.
"Haha, that was lame. Some archer you are."
Kìli turns to his brother, face red from embarrassment. "You're lame!"
"Not as lame as you!"
"Go suck granite!"
"Amad said we can't say that anymore!"
"Well it's true!"
"No it's not!"
"Is too!"
"IS NOT!"
"IS TO-" The sound of a growl stops the boys' fight. They turn their heads to where the sound came from. In the distance, a shadow breaks into smaller pieces. Wait. That's not a shadow. It's a pack of wolves headed straight for them.
The boys scream as they turn to run
---
Bilbo Baggins is making his trip back to the Blue Mountains. With his faithful companion, cart pony Minty, they are on their way to meet up with Bofur. A long time friend and the only person he'll sell his pipeweed to. Bilbo also slips some Shire vegetables for Bombur, knowing the chef will actually appreciate them. Unlike other dwarrow he knows (Bofur).
He is just cresting a small hill when he sees two faunts- no not faunts, dwarrow- running towards him. In the distance Bilbo spies a small pack of wolves chasing them.
Leaping off his pony, Bilbo starts making a run for the kids.
"Hide behind the cart, little pebbles! Stay out of sight," he calls as he runs past the boys. Once Bilbo's a good twenty feet from the cart he slows to a stop and pulls out one of his throwing daggers. He takes aim at the closest wolf and throws it, hitting the creature square in between the eyes. It goes down with a yelp.
The other wolves dodge their fallen brethren. As they get closer, Bilbo pulls out his slingshot and takes aim at the next wolf. It too hits the mark and the second wolf is felled. Two down, two to go. They're close enough now that Bilbo pulls out Sting and gets into his fighting stance. The next wolf lunges for him. Bilbo successfully dodges it as he cuts its underbelly.
What Bilbo didn't see as he was taking out wolf number three was that number four pounced as well, just behind the third one. In his distraction, Bilbo missed it until it was almost too late. He dodges out of the way, but his arm is scratched by the beast’s passing fangs. It's shallow. Not enough to kill, but definitely enough to slow him down.
Whirling around, Bilbo strikes the last wolf with a killing blow to the neck and chest. After double checking to see that the coast is clear, he wipes the blood off his short sword and puts it back in its sheath.
The boys come bolting to him, crying. Bilbo rushes to them and starts to comfort the boys.
"There, there, now. It's quite alright." Bilbo kneels as he starts to pat the boys' shoulders. They cling to him as they shake with fear, adrenaline, and from crying.
When the two little dwarrow have collected themselves, Bilbo starts to lead them back to his cart.
"What are two little pebbles doing out of the mountain?"
"We're not pebbles!" the blond dwarf cries, affronted to be referred to in such babyish terms.
"We're big," the brunet said in agreement.
"Well what do I call you very big dwarrow?" Bilbo pats himself on the back for not breaking out into giggles.
"I'm Fìli and this is Kìli."
"And what were you doing out here without your parents?"
"Well…." Fìli starts. "Kee wanted to practice with his new bow. And… I wanted… I wanted to get away from lessons." Fili lowers his head at this statement. Now at the cart, Bilbo lifts the two boys onto it. He rummages around in one of his packs and starts to dress his wound. It's not life threatening, but it will be annoying for at least a few weeks.
"It's such a beautiful day today, I can see why you'd want to skip out on lessons. When I was a wee faunt I used to sneak out of my lessons too. Of course, my pa was not happy and said, 'All good Baggins children need to learn so that they grow up with more than two copper pieces rattling around in their brain'." Bilbo urged Minty to go on ahead while he sat with the boys in the cart. They had made this trip enough times that Minty knew where she was going. He told them stories to pass the time and ease the stress they still carried. They smile, but Bilbo can still see their trembling forms.
It doesn’t take long for them to reach the Blue Mountains. Bilbo makes his way to Bofur's house. With the boys flanking either side of him, Bilbo knocks on the door. The hatted dwarf swings the door open with a smile.
"Bilbo! What a sight you are!" Bofur takes a moment to glance over his friend. "Get into some trouble on the way here?"
"Yes. And no. These boys," Bilbo gestures to the two dwarrow, "were in a tight spot and I lent them a hand." It is at that moment that Bofur sees the boys.
"Aye, I see. Come in and we'll sort this all out." Bofur ushers them inside. They make their way to a small table. Bofur gets the boys some water and then pulls Bilbo over to the cramped kitchen. The hobbit starts to recount the events from his perspective.
"This is more serious than I thought," Bofur says once Bilbo is done with his tale.
"What do you mean?" Bilbo asks uneasily.
"Those are the princes of Erebor. And you just saved their lives." Bofur seems to think that this will make sense to Bilbo. It doesn't.
"And that's a bad thing? They are just children, I wasn't going to let them die."
"You mistake me. It's- there's an ancient custom and normally it most likely wouldn't affect you. But," Bofur pauses, looking for the right words. "they're royalty. So they usually follow this custom." Bilbo shakes his head in confusion.
"What custom? What are you talking about?" Bofur shakes his head.
"I ain't the right dwarf to explain this. But I think I know who can." Bofur goes back to the boys.
"This is really important, you two. I need you to take us to your amad, okay? We need to tell her about what happened today." The boys start protesting, but stop as Bofur raises his hands as if to show them he means no harm.
"This ain't about getting you into trouble now. Your amad needs to know about how Bilbo saved you. Alright?" The boys nod and with that they make their way to Fìli and Kili's mother.
Bilbo has never been this far into the mountain- or any mountain as a matter of fact. Bofur living by the front entrance of the first mountain meant Bilbo has never had a need before now.
They make their way through the busy streets, Bilbo holding Kìli's hand while Bofur holds Fìli's. As they near the center, Bilbo notices that things look nicer than the area by Bofur's.
A tall bald dwarf notices the boys and starts to make their way to them. Fìli and Kìli hide behind the older two, in hopes that they wouldn't be spotted. But it’s too late for that.
"Fìli. Kìli. Your amad is looking for you."
"Funnily enough, we were looking for her," Bofur says nervously. He starts to fidget with his surcoat as he looks down.
"What do you two want with Dis?"
"We just had to tell her of the fact that Bilbo here saved the boys' lives today."
The bald dwarf blinks for a second, shrugs, and then beckons the group to follow.
"Dwalin, have you found the b-" a dwarrowdam with raven hair and stunning eyes comes into view, and stops short when she sees the small party making their way towards her.
"I see my boys have gotten into a spot of trouble. What have they done now?" Bofur's face starts to turn a shade of pink that Bilbo has never seen on his friend before.
"Beggin' your pardon, Lady Dis," Bofur says as he starts to bow. "My friend here has saved the boys' lives today."
"Really?" The dwarf, who must be Dìs, raises an eyebrow at the pair. "Dwalin, fetch Balin."
Dìs shows the rest of the group into a room. She leaves and comes back bearing drinks. Not long after, Dwalin, and presumably Balin, make their way into the room and sit on either side of Dìs.
"Now. Tell me the whole story," Dìs commands. Together, Fìli, Kìli, and Bilbo piece out what happened.
"And then Bofur said something cryptic about us needing to find someone who can explain this… this custom?"
"Damum mahinsês," Balin says gravely. "It is an old tradition, but no less important. It's a rare occurrence nowadays."
"Yes but what is it?" Bilbo's patience with dwarrow nonsense is starting to wear thin.
"It's a custom that comes from a time when we dwarrow used to fight more often than we do now. It's…. how do you say… a blood rescue. We dwarrow are very protective of kin. And when someone comes along and saves a dwarf, they become part of the family. Usually there isn't anything that you would need to do, we would braid your hair to show who's family you belong to. But with royalty and even lords. Well. There are other expectations."
"What kind of expectations?" A pit of anxiety starts to build in Bilbo's stomach.
"Well, usually, it's expected that you marry into the family." Bilbo shakes his head as he gets up from his seat.
"I'm sorry. But I can't. I'm not the marrying type. Lifelong bachelor, me. I don't know anything about becoming royalty. I'm just a plain old hobbit," Bilbo babbles. He runs out of the room and tries to remember where the exit is.
"Bilbo. Wait!" Bofur calls after him. Bilbo reluctantly stops but doesn't turn around.
"What?"
"Bilbo, for as long as I've known you you've been lonely. Maybe this will be a good thing." Bofur puts a hand on Bilbo's shoulder and slowly turns the hobbit. Bilbo sighs.
"I really don't think this is a good idea," Bilbo says waspishly. Bofur shrugs.
"Won't know till you try, will you?" Bilbo sighs. After a moment he starts going back. The others choose not to comment on his departure.
“Can you explain this to me one more time? What is this… this dammiuom-”
“Damum mahinsês,” Balin corrects. “Like I said. With Lords and royalty, there’s a certain social expectation they’re supposed to perform. We will need someone from your family to come with us to Kheled-Zaram, what you would know as the Mirrormere, so we can perform the ceremony.” Bilbo stiffened at Balin's words.
“I don’t. There’s no one to come with me,” Bilbo says quietly. He does not want to think about it.
“Do you have anyone who could take you in as family? Master..?” Balin turns his attention to the hatted dwarf next to Bilbo.
“Bofur. Just Bofur.”
“Mas- Bofur, would you be able to represent him as family and all that entails?”
“We would be honored to have Bilbo be part of the Ur clan, as long as Bilbo agrees?”
“So, I join Bofur's family so that I can marry into another family. Have I got that right?”
“Yes. We know it’s sudden, but please consider it. It’s the least we can do since you saved Fili and Kili’s lives.” Bilbo hesitates for a moment.
“Give me some time to think. You’ll have your answer by the morning tomorrow.”