THE VOICES IN OUR HEADS

F•O•U•R - king under the mountain

Bilbo let a small huff out, shivering. He and Thorin had been riding all day, and now night had fallen. Winter was starting to creep up on Middle Earth, and Bilbo had taken this into consideration when packing. Thorin, of course, always wore his fur coats, and politely turned down all the layers Bilbo had offered him. Being the worried mother he always was, though, Bilbo packed some anyways.

Thorin was riding about two feet in front of Bilbo, silhouetted by the moon. He sawyed back and forth as his pony cantered along the path, and Bilbo tilted his head a bit. There was a slight clink of chains as Thorin swayed, and Bilbo couldn't help but let his thoughts stray. He thought back to Thorin's confession of love two days ago. Did Thorin really love him? They HAD grown close during their journey....

Bilbo sighed softly. He looked back up at the enchanting figure in front of him and smiled shyly. "Er...Thorin...?" he stammered.

The Dwarf looked back and slowed his pony, letting his partner catch up so they were riding side by side. "Master Hobbit?"

The Hobbit let out a soft laugh and directed his gaze to Thorin's warm eyes. "I was just wondering if we were going to stop for the night?" he asked, resisting the urge to lean against Thorin's side.

Thorin nodded, and gestured to a small clearing in the forest to the right of the path. "Of course. You did not think I would not let you rest?" he asked, a tone of amusement weaving through his words. The corners of his lips perked up in a slight smirk and he took the lead again, guiding his pony through the trees to the clearing.

Bilbo followed behind him, a red dust slowly spreading across his cheeks. Once he reached the clearing, he sat on an overturned log and watched Thorin unpack.

Without looking up, the Dwarf said in a dry tone, "Are you not going to help me?"

The Hobbit turned red again and swiftly started pulling food and blankets out of his bag. "I...I apologize," he said softly.

Thorin let out a laugh, and gripped Bilbo's shoulder reassuringly. "I was only joking, Master Baggins."

"Oh, please, call me Bilbo!" he laughed softly, his blush refusing to recede. "Master Baggins is way too formal."

Thorin smiled warmly at him, and Bilbo was hurtling back to that moment when Thorin hugged him after the Eagles saved them from the Orcs.

He came back to reality a few moments later, thanks to the concerned Dwarf shaking him gently. "Are you alright, Master Baggins?" he asked worriedly, completely disregarding the first name basis that Bilbo insisted they be on.

Bilbo quickly nodded, laughing it off. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine!" he replied, his cheeks burning.

Thorin frowned, but didn't question him any further. "I...I was just setting up camp..." he said slowly. "I was going to cook something, but I figured you know more about that than I do."

The Hobbit chuckled genuinely, and pulled out some cold chicken he'd packed. "Can you get a fire started?" he asked. "If you can do that, I can cook the food."

The Dwarf eagerly nodded, and the smell of chicken quickly filled the small clearing. As they ate, Bilbo watched Thorin eat. The Hobbit's companion ate slowly and thoughtfully. Their eyes met for a brief minute, and Bilbo quickly looked away. 

By the time they were done eating, dark had fallen upon the silent woods, and Thorin leaned against a tree, singing softly. 

"Far over the Misty Mountains rise-
Leave us standing upon the height-
The words unspoken, we'll be there soon-
For home a song that echoes on."

Bilbo was absolutely enchanted, and he watched Thorin, enamoured. The Dwarf seemed lost in the song, and his deep voice was velvet to the Hobbit's ears. He closed his eyes, and leaned against the tree opposite Thorin. He didn't even realize Thorin had stopped singing. The trees and wind seemed to carry the song throughout the forest. The Dwarf stayed silent after the song ended, the fire crackling and filling the hollow silence. Finally, Bilbo found his voice, whispering,

"That was beautiful." He didn't have any other words for it. He couldn't find them, not with the sound of Thorin's voice filling his ears still, and distracting all thought.

"...thank you, Master Baggins." They sat in silence for another few minutes until the sound of wolves startled them back to reality.

"I'll take first watch," Bilbo offered quickly, desperate for time to collect his thoughts and emotions. "If you don't mind," he added after a brief pause.

Thorin slowly nodded, closing his eyes and slowly falling asleep against the tree.

Bilbo sighed softly, extending his legs and trying not to fall asleep as well. 'What just happened to me?' he thought, mind whirling.

More howls emerged from the dark forest, and he glanced down at his bag, an intricately carved scabbard peeking out from behind the flap. Sting. The blade he'd defended Thorin with. Bilbo looked back at his sleeping companion and smiled faintly. He grabbed the last piece of chicken and nibbled on it while he hummed to himself.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, Thorin was yelling at him to put out the fire and take his bag. Orcs had emerged from the woods and were snarling and yelling. The noises filled Bilbo's ears as he looked around for his pony. She had bolted, however, and he yanked the sword out of its scabbard. The blue glow illuminated his determined face as he lunged at the Orcs, slashing wildly. Heads and limbs were detatched from bodies as Thorin hauled Bilbo on to the other pony, and urged it on. The poor creature ran as fast as it could, never faltering or slowing until the screeches and snarls of the Orcs faded. Even then, Thorin kept the pony going at a swift and steady pace.

"You were supposed to be on watch," Thorin said in quietly, levelly. He didn't sound upset, but there was a rumble under his words that Bilbo both felt and heard, and he pressed his face deeper into the Dwarf's fur coat.

"I- I must've fallen asleep, I'm sorry, Thorin," he stammered out an apology, guilt filling his body.

"You could've died if I hadn't woken up in time," Thorin continued smoothly over Bilbo's attempt at an apology. "You almost died. I cannot have that. I will take watch, next time."

He looked up, confusion flitting over his face, quickly followed with a red dust. "You...you were worried about me, Thorin? I just almost got YOU killed."

The pony stopped, and Thorin looked back at him. "You are my highest priority on this quest. Nothing can change that, and nothing will change that. Now, since you clearly are tired, get some sleep while I ride."

Bilbo took a moment to process this, but his brain WAS exhausted, and he was asleep in minutes.