The Light that Wakes [Bagginshield]

Looking Ahead

Bilbo cried into Thorin's robes until he had no more tears to cry, and when he looked up again to Thorin's kind, gentle face, he was quite ashamed by it. He was sure that his eyes were swollen and red, and not nearly as clear as Thorin's were, like the sky over the Mountain on a cool spring morning. Thorin caressed his face, his rough fingers brushing reassuringly against Bilbo's tender skin, as if to tell him that there was no shame in it, and that things could be alright in the end.

"I have to go," said Thorin, "I'm needed at the Treasury again."

Bilbo could only whimper an "Mhm" in return.

"Will you come to the King's Dining Hall this evening and have supper with me and a few other key guests?"

Bilbo almost found himself smiling and was actually able to utter a word. "Who?"

"Dain, Balin, Fili and Kili," said Thorin.

"Oh," said Bilbo, especially at hearing Dain's name.

"Will you come?"

"Uh, yes, yes, of course. What time?"

"Oh, around 8."

"Right."

"Excellent."

Thorin took away his hand, but the look he gave Bilbo, full of fire and sunshine, made the hobbit think that he was about to gift him with a searing kiss. Instead, he simply lowered his forehead in conspiratorial fashion, then made his way out of the room, leaving Bilbo a little stunned, but at the same time more relieved than he had been in months.

***

At 8 o'clock in the evening, Bilbo walked into the private Dining Hall of the King of Erebor, wearing his best borrowed clothes. He had never been there before. He had dined with Thorin many times, but it had always been in his quarters. This was an entirely different business, and he would not have really called it private necessarily, at least not by Shire standards. It was a large room with high ceilings and tall, carved pillars, solemn statues of Dwarven warriors guarding the four corners of the room, and a magnificent chandelier made of gold and studded with precious gems lighting the table.

Bilbo was not exactly the first one to arrive, although he had hoped he would be. Dain, Balin, Fili and Kili were all sitting around the table with Thorin, sharing a few pints of ale.

"Good evening," said Bilbo, in a hurry, "I am sorry I'm late."

"No matter, Master Baggins," said Thorin, radiating a sort of prideful glee under the light of the great chandelier above the table. "We just sat down. Would you care for a pint?"

"Uh, yes, why not?" said Bilbo, smiling a tad uncomfortably as he sat down in the chair next to Thorin, which was the only one unoccupied.

He was getting slightly strange looks from everyone, which he was not surprised by since he had been late, and it seemed to him that Thorin was downplaying how late. Dain's gaze was particularly sour, which also didn't quite surprise him considering their earlier discussion in the Throne Room. Strangest yet was Thorin's demeanour. He looked positively delighted by Bilbo's lateness.

Bilbo did the only thing that seemed sensible. He picked up his pint of ale and said, "Well, to what are we drinking?"

"To the future," said Thorin, raising his own pint.

Bilbo devoted his ale to the future, wondering not without slight trepidation what the next few hours would bring him. There was something unusual about being invited there, in this very official setting, to share supper with the most important occupants of the Mountain, and some of the most powerful people in Middle Earth. He felt honoured, of course, but a part of him squirmed in anguish at the thought that they might ask him to do something dangerous again.