Short Stories and Drabbles

What Fate Hath Wrought Part One

Belladonna Took met Thrain son of Thror in early summer, on one of the first warm afternoons they'd had after winter had finally loosened its grip.

Their romance over the course of that summer was fierce, and doomed to fail for Thrain had obligations that could not be laid aside while Belladonna loved the Shire and would not be parted from it.

And, so it was, that after the summer ended so too did their romance, though not their relationship as they exchanged letters between Ered Luin and the Shire, keeping in touch and establishing a strong friendship in place of where once had been love.

When it became apparent that Thrain had left her with more than just memories Belladonna wrote to him, believing he deserved to know of his child but expecting nothing in return.

Thrain, to her surprise, came at once and stayed through the course of her pregnancy and the subsequent birth. The child, a son, was larger and stockier than a usual hobbit, had only a light dusting of hair on his feet, and his hair tended to grow out of control no matter what his mother did to tame it. His aging seemed to follow closer to that of a Dwarf than a Hobbit, a fact Belladonna loved for it meant her son would have a long and, hopefully, happy life.

Thrain wished for his new child, a son, to be given a Dwarven name but Belladonna insisted on the name of her great-grandfather, Bilbo.

As with much in her life, Belladonna got her way.

Thrain returned to Ered Luin sometime after but the letters continued to flow between the two, as did the visits. On the next trip Thrain dragged along his own children, Dis and Thorin, wishing them to meet their newest half-brother. Dis stayed only a short while and then returned to Ered Luin and her own family.

Thorin stayed the summer, however, and, during its course, the two half-brothers grew incredibly close despite the differences in their ages.

After that it became a regular sight to see Thorin and Thrain, or even just Thorin alone, arrive in the Shire at the beginning of summer and stay till the very end. The two brothers could often be seen traipsing across the Shire on hikes, fishing from the river's edge or reading quietly beneath a tree.

The partings were always the worst, with Bilbo clinging to his brother's legs and begging him to stay even one day longer.

After Bilbo would stand quietly on a hill and watch until long after he could no longer see his brother. The letters would always continue, however, flying fast and sure between the Shire and Ered Luin. Bilbo looked forward to reaching an age where he could travel back with Thorin to visit the other's home and Thorin promised the trip would happen, once Bilbo was older and the journey safer.

Bilbo continued to grow, his long hair and braids and barely hairy feet marking him as an oddity in the Shire. He made few friends but didn't mind for he had his mother and father, and Thorin even if it was only for the summer and he had to settle for letters the rest of the time.

When Bilbo was just reaching his young adulthood his mother shocked the Shire a second time by marrying Bungo Baggins.

Thrain and Thorin both came to the wedding, along with Dis and her husband and sons. Bilbo bonded instantly with his two cousins and the three caused so much mischief it was decided, in the future, only one would be allowed to visit at a time with Bilbo, in hopes of mitigating the damage.

Bungo wanted to adopt Bilbo as his own and Thrain gave his permission with the understanding that Bilbo would be Bilbo Baggins in the Shire only and Bilbo, son of Thrain son of Thror anywhere else.

Bungo loved his new son and Bilbo returned the adoration.

And so life went on, perfect in every way Bilbo could have wished, and he was content.