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Chapter Text

Bilbo sighed.

The plan had gone reasonably well, though Bilbo hadn’t taken into consideration Thorin .

Of course, he had realised that Thorin would eventually awaken from the gold-induced madness and he had assumed he’d join the battle alongside the Company. (This was based on the hope that the other dwarrows wouldn’t completely disregard him and would follow Bilbo’s lead despite Thorin’s condition.)

What he hadn’t accounted for was the fact that Thorin was a sacrificial idiot who spent half his time brooding over past mistakes and the other half worrying about mistakes he hadn’t yet made but could potentially commit in a thousand possible futures .

No, correction. Bilbo had known that—he’d figured it out within the first two days of their journey, and it had been consistently reaffirmed throughout their time together.

So, Bilbo really should have added to his letter a note that Thorin absolutely must, under penalty of facing a very angry hobbit , wear proper armour before heading into battle.

Bilbo had underestimated the importance of that detail, and now Thorin, Fili, and Kili were all unconscious.

“Lad, you should rest too,” Óin said, giving him a gentle tap on the arm, trying to coax him away from Kili’s side, where he was tending to his injuries.

“I’ll rest when they wake up,” Bilbo replied stubbornly.

“It’s not your fault they’re here,” Óin shook his head. “Punishing yourself for it doesn’t make any sense. If you hadn’t done what you did, none of us would still be here. Not a single one.”

“I have to do something , Óin,” Bilbo muttered. “Otherwise, I might as well just go back to the Shire and stop being a burden to all of you.”

“What was that, lad?” Óin feigned adjusting his hearing aid. “You know my ears aren’t what they used to be, Bilbo—you’ll need to speak up.”

Bilbo simply rolled his eyes. “You hear better than I do, Óin. That little act of yours doesn’t fool me anymore.” Then, shaking his head, he added, “I’m not planning to return to the Shire, Óin, calm down.”

“Good, because that would be downright absurd !” Óin nodded firmly.

“At least, not until Thorin, Fili, and Kili wake up,” Bilbo murmured. “Then we’ll see from there.”

Óin groaned under his breath before giving Bilbo a light shove. “If you wear yourself out with all this pressure, you’ll be of no use to me, Bilbo. Go and rest a bit. Come back refreshed.”

Bilbo rolled his eyes, already feeling weary of Óin’s mother-hen tendencies.

“Fine, but I’m doing this under protest, just so you know,” Bilbo huffed. “And don’t let the Iron Hills dwarves near Thorin or the lads! I’ve seen them confuse belladonna with mint!”

Óin snorted and gave Bilbo another push, sending him out of the medical tent.

***

After washing off the stale smell of medicine, Bilbo sat down to enjoy the meal Bombur had brought him.

“Ah, there you are, laddie.”

Bilbo narrowed his eyes, spotting Balin and Ori approaching. “Balin. I didn’t know you were looking for me.”

“I stopped by the medical tent, but Óin told me he’d finally convinced you to step away from Thorin’s side to freshen up a bit,” Balin said with a small cough. “No one expects much from you under the circumstances , but I thought you’d like to know Thorin’s out of danger now.”

“So are Fili and Kili,” Bilbo added. “I patched them up as best I could right after the battle, while we waited for the eagles, and now they’re well on the mend.”

Balin’s eyes widened, and he exchanged a look with Ori.

“What?” Bilbo asked.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Balin hesitated, his voice tinged with wonder. “Knowing that you’re willing to keep going , even after everything that’s happened with Thorin—it’s remarkable to see.”

“Everything that’s happened with Thorin?” Bilbo shook his head. “Whatever words or actions Thorin—” Bilbo hadn’t forgotten the dwarf’s attempt to trap him in the mountain during the battle, but he’d decided to let it slide until Thorin woke up to face a proper scolding, “—aren’t a reflection of who Thorin is. He was sick. I can’t blame someone for sneezing during a cold, so I certainly can’t fault him for acting differently under a far stronger illness of the mind.”

Balin and Ori both smiled.

“It’s a relief,” Balin sighed. “I was worried, given the circumstances… But, well, since you’re set on carrying on, it’ll make things easier for the rest of us.”

“What are you talking about?” Bilbo frowned.

“The peace negotiations,” Balin said. “Thranduil and Bard are eager to finalise the treaties as soon as possible.”

“ Thorin must decide on the treaties. No one else can presume to speak for his people,” Bilbo said firmly.

“Aye,” Balin agreed. “But Thorin trusts you, and Dain had nothing but praise for the decisions you made during the preparations for the battle against the orcs.”

Bilbo pressed his lips together.

Óin sending him out, only for Balin and Ori to find him? It was beginning to feel like a trap .

“Fine,” Bilbo sighed. “I suppose I can offer my input as a hobbit. But let me make one thing clear: I’ll still be spending plenty of time— a lot of time—with Thorin and the lads!”

“Of course, laddie,” Balin said with a smile and a nod. “No one would dream of keeping you away.”

Chapter Text

“Bilbo, there you are, lad!” Dain clapped Bilbo on the shoulder, pushing him forward with the force of the blow.

The dwarrows didn’t seem to realise that Bilbo wasn’t nearly as strong as they were, but nothing in Bilbo felt insulted by Dain’s gesture. He saw only affection in the dwarf.

“Dain.” Bilbo smiled. “I hope your dwarrows are well now.”

“Aye.” Dain nodded. “They’re resting a bit, and some are working on fixing up the mountain, you know, for Thorin.”

“He’ll wake soon.” Bilbo said. “His brow hasn’t been furrowed for too long —it’ll be too odd for him to ignore.”

Dain burst out laughing, the moment of melancholy passing.

Bard and Thranduil approached.

“Bilbo.” Bard smiled. “When Balin suggested having you here, I felt relieved. You offered some interesting insights earlier.”

“It’s called common sense .” Bilbo shrugged. “And I’ve found that, while dwarrows and elves have plenty of it when they’re among their own kind, the moment they interact with each other, it becomes a distant memory .”

Bard chuckled in amusement.

Thranduil raised an eyebrow. “I assume you’ll speak on behalf of the King Under the Mountain, then.”

“Yes, but any agreements regarding Erebor itself aren’t mine to make, though we can outline the terms and leave the final decision to Thorin to sign.” Bilbo nodded firmly.

“Very well.” Thranduil conceded. “Let’s begin.”

***

Bilbo shook his head. “I don’t know if you can enter the Mountain.”

Bard sighed, lowering his head. “Then my people are doomed.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Bilbo glanced at Dain. “Perhaps your dwarrows could assist them? Draft an agreement between the Iron Hills and Dale, alongside the provisional one between Erebor and Dale?”

“Aye, it’s not a bad idea.” Dain nodded. “I’ll send supplies for the winter as soon as I leave, and I can add something for Dale.”

“And in return, what can we offer?” Bard asked. “We have no food, no shelter, no riches.”

“We’ll see in the future.” Dain shrugged. “For now, just respect the treaty with Erebor until Thorin regains consciousness.”

“We can do that.” Bard nodded. “But we need funds, and you’ll have to wait for Thorin for that as well.”

“That’s not entirely true.” Bilbo cleared his throat. “By a contract signed between me and Thorin, witnessed by Balin, I’m entitled to a fourteenth of the treasure.”

“And you’d offer it to me ?” Bard asked. “You owe me no loyalty, Bilbo.”

“I vouched for Thorin, and I’m certain he’d offer what was promised without hesitation.” Bilbo said. “But I’m a hobbit, and gold doesn’t mean much to me. Friendships , however, do. I’d offer the amount Thorin promised.” Bilbo glanced at Balin and Ori. “I imagine that’s contained within my fourteenth share?”

“Even more than that, laddie.” Balin nodded, his eyes twinkling.

“And would it also cover the jewels of…” Bilbo frowned. “That unpronounceable name of the gems Thranduil desires so much?”

“They’re called the gems of Lasgaren.” Balin chuckled. “But yes, they’re included within your share and then some.”

“Do the elves of Mirkwood require anything else?” Bilbo asked, glancing at Thranduil.

“To be called the elves of Greenwood .” Thranduil growled. “Though I doubt the dwarves, especially those of Durin’s line, would appreciate the difference.”

“Now, all dwarrows, without exception , know the value of home !” Bilbo narrowed his eyes. “And I don’t appreciate your tone or insinuations.”

“I’m merely pointing out that Thorin Oakenshield barricaded himself in a fortified mountain, leaving his people to die .” Thranduil gave a lazy smile. “Not very kingly.”

“And it wasn’t very ally-like to leave people, including children and women , to starve, yet you did!” Bilbo narrowed his eyes. “And it isn’t worthy of a king to let his realm decay , but you’re doing that, enjoying the assistance of Gandalf, Lord Elrond, and Lady Galadriel, as Gandalf told me not two days ago! Don’t justify your poor attempts at being a king and ally to me, Thranduil, because you broke your previous agreement with Thorin the moment you imprisoned his Company in Greenwood.”

“I don’t know what…” Thranduil began, but the hobbit interrupted him.

“In the previous treaty between Erebor and Greenwood,” Bilbo began, “it was stipulated that Greenwood was obligated to assist the dwarrows of Erebor should they require aid, which you failed to do when you denied them help after Smaug’s arrival.”

“It wasn’t…” Thranduil opened his mouth.

“ Furthermore , the treaty states that as long as a dwarf of Durin’s direct line lives, such as Thorin and his nephews Fili and Kili, Greenwood shall never raise arms against them or imprison them without proper cause. This was ignored when the Company travelled the visitor’s path that Greenwood established long ago to avoid lengthening trade routes—a path for guests, invited or not, arriving with no harmful intent towards Greenwood, which was the case with the Company. Yet your elves imprisoned them, mistreated them, mocked them, and then locked them away. Meanwhile, you, from atop a throne maintained by the courage of Tauriel and Legolas, mocked a dwarf’s attempts to return home, proposing deals where you should have offered aid . Again, a point in the previous treaty.” Bilbo narrowed his eyes. “You’ll find that, under that treaty, the dwarrows of Erebor would be within their rights to refuse any payment towards Greenwood and demand reparations from the elves of Greenwood. But I trust Thorin’s character, as a king and ally , and I’m sure he’ll overlook the previous treaty that Greenwood’s elves failed to uphold.”

“How do you know all this?” Thranduil asked, glancing tensely at Bard, noticing the way the man’s jaw tightened.

“I was asked to help, and I decided to review the previous treaties between dwarrows and elves and between dwarrows and men.” Bilbo said. “And since we’re on the subject of fairness , I believe the documents your scribe is drafting, King Thranduil, should refer to dwarrows as ‘dwarrows’ and not ‘dwarves.’ You know, it’s the little details that show respect towards allies.”

Thranduil blushed slightly, nodding at the elven scribe to make the adjustments.

Bard grimaced. “I’m not sure what those old treaties contained.”

“I’m sure Ori and Balin would be happy to provide you with an overview and explanation.” Bilbo smiled. “Though neither you nor Thorin are your ancestors. Neither of you is bound to keep their agreements intact. Times change, and so do needs.”

“I’ll see if the previous agreement might satisfy the men, and find a compromise if it doesn’t.” Bard decided. “Thank you, Bilbo. That’s very helpful.”

“Of course.” Bilbo stood. “I’m not sure who will provide you with your share of the treasure.”

“Gloin.” Balin said. “He’s handling the cataloguing now. In two days, we’ll be ready to give everything to the elves and men.”

“Two days are acceptable.” Thranduil rose. “Good day, then.”

Bilbo watched him leave the tent before turning to Balin. “Right, my work here is done. I’m off to see the lads and Thorin.”

Chapter Text

"Impressive, the way you handled that elf!" Dáin grinned as he walked alongside Bilbo. "Well done."

"It's not too difficult," Bilbo shrugged. "My younger cousins have the same attitude when I stop them from eating more cakes than is sensible!"

"Did you just compare Thranduil to little hobbits ?" Dáin asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying?" Bilbo replied with a mischievous smile. " There’s nothing a hobbit wouldn’t do for good food !"

"Well, I wouldn’t have taken it literally, but I suppose it’s true," Dáin chuckled. "But, oh, Mahal!"

Bilbo glanced at Dáin, noticing the dwarf’s gaze fixed on his collar.

"Everything all right, Dáin?" Bilbo asked. "Are you tired?"

"I’m fine, of course," Dáin said, though his expression was oddly intense, as if seeing Bilbo for the first time. "It must have been difficult, you know, giving up all that gold."

"Of course it wasn’t ," Bilbo huffed, clearly offended. "Thorin and the future of his home are far more important than any amount of Erebor’s gold."

"Well said, Bilbo!" Dáin grinned approvingly.

"You mentioned you’d be heading home soon," Bilbo murmured. "My share is available for any of your needs."

"Truly?" Dáin sounded surprised. "You really mean it, then."

"You came all this way to help your cousin," Bilbo replied simply. " The least I can do is offer some help in return."

"You’re so lucky!" Dáin exclaimed. "And so is my cousin—ah, well done indeed!"

Bilbo frowned, wondering if all dwarrows were peculiar or if it was just this group.

Had Gandalf specifically chosen the most mentally eccentric dwarrows for this quest?

"Of course," Bilbo nodded, deciding that being indulgent with odd folk was the best approach. "Finding home isn’t an everyday occurrence."

"It certainly isn’t," Dáin agreed. "But I’m glad you and my cousin found it together!"

Bilbo frowned again. It wasn’t just the two of them, but perhaps it was a dwarf thing to always centre the king in their statements.

Hobbits didn’t have a king. Bilbo wasn’t sure if they should substitute the Thain into every conversation instead.

Old Took would probably have flattened anyone who made his ears burn with incessant mentions like that!

Well, dwarrows did seem to listen to Gandalf a lot, so perhaps it was just another oddity of theirs.

"Yes," Bilbo said anyway. "Extremely fortunate."

"Well, I won’t keep you from your king !" Dáin smiled—though Thorin was the king of everyone , wasn’t he? "I look forward to seeing you again!"

"The same goes for me," Bilbo replied, because he was still a respectable and polite hobbit, after all, and good manners persisted. "I’ll let you know if Thorin wakes in your absence."

"Excellent!" Dáin nodded firmly. "Welcome to the family, Bilbo!"

Bilbo stood there, thoroughly confused, watching Dáin walk away.

"That’s a strange way to welcome someone to a mountain," Bilbo muttered after a moment. "Good thing I didn’t have to greet the dwarrows like that! Imagine the gossip!"

With that, he entered the tent where the king had been brought, taking care of him.

Thorin’s brow furrowed faintly.

Bilbo smiled to himself. He knew Thorin would wake soon enough—if only to protest against the absence of his usual scowl .