Lolimouse

MASQUERADE Epilogue “For the love of Aulë will you stop fidgeting Kili!?” Fili snapped, his tone belied by his small smile. The heir to the throne was currently twisting his brother’s hair back into its customary braids. “Anyone would think that you were incapable of remaining seated in one place for an extended period of time” “Well I did drive the elven guard to distraction when we were imprisoned in Thranduil’s dungeons” Kili mused, wincing when Fili gave the braid a warning tug. He chuckled at his own joke and allowed his brother to finish his hair. “I do like that Bombur&rsquo

For Bilbo, the next few days passed in a happy blur. Though the forest was dark and nearly overwhelming, the joy of his newfound love kept the little Hobbit in a cheery mood. The Company looked on in amusement and fondness, as their leader and burglar quietly grew bolder, soon showing their affection for each other openly. They walked together each day, slept in each other's arms at night. It was common to see them sitting quietly together by the campfire, Bilbo resting his head on Thorin's chest or carefully braiding his hair and beard. The other Dwarves were most supportive of their companions' courtship, and were happy to give their blessi

As their journey through the dark forest stretched on, the entirety of Thorin's company noticed a certain closeness developing between their leader and one Bilbo Baggins. Indeed, several had already taken wagers on when the Thorin's affection for the burglar would blossom into open courtship. As such, it was no surprise when, in a moment of distress, the Dwarf King's feelings finally showed through his actions. The Wargs had attacked in the night, charging from the depths of Mirkwood and surrounding the camp in minutes. They were feral beasts, trained by Orc masters long ago to despise Dwarfs and Men, but acting under no order. They fought b

Life on the road was always hard. The Dwarves of Thorin's Company had reconciled themselves to this fact over years of travel; even Gandalf has done a great deal of wandering in his day, and was accustomed to the frugal lifestyle that the wilderness demanded. However, the fourteenth member of the band was entirely unused to going without the small comfort. For Bilbo Baggins, the greatest challenge of this adventure was not the Orcs or the Wargs; it was not the landslides and storms and giant men of stone, each seemingly set on wreaking havoc on the group of travelers. No, for Bilbo, the true struggle was the travel itself. The domestic little

The Dwarves quickly noticed that Bilbo was becoming their leader's favorite member of the Company. Thorin would walk with him as they trekked through the forest, helping his shorter companion over roots and rocks, catching him by the elbow when he stumbled. At night, the Dwarf Lord would be sure to save the Hobbit a spot by the fire, and assemble his bedroll in close proximity to the other's. In fact, since their run-in with the Pale Orc, Thorin was rarely seen apart from his burglar. And of course, there was the incident that a few of the Company had witnessed the morning they left the Great Shelf; as they packed their supplies and made rea

The first time Thorin saw the Hobbit, he knew he would be a liability. As much as the Dwarf trusted Gandalf, there was an innocence in the little creature's eyes that could not be ignored. It only took a glance for him to know that this Bilbo Baggins was no burglar. Most likely, the Hobbit had never lifted a weapon in his life; he was ill suited to the rough conditions that this quest would no doubt yield. As such, Thorin wasted no effort hiding his contempt at Gandalf's choice. There was no possible way this small, comfortable being could take his place as a member of the Dwarven Company. He was no warrior; it was obvious that he would be no