A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 39

Mordor was a black desert of ashes and sulfur. The air was thick with smoke and fire, and he doubted he would ever see a blue sky no matter what the season was. The rocks and dirt that made up the land was jagged enough that even his Hobbit feet began to hurt. But the most disturbing quality of Mordor was the unbearable heat.

"When do we reach the tunnels?" Bilbo asked his rescuers as he followed them along the edges of the steep mountain. His shirt clung to his sweaty skin in a sticky mess, and he could feel even more sweat beading down his neck and back. It was all very disgusting.

"Soon. It's only a little further," Fíli replied, glancing at him over his shoulder with a frown. "Are you feeling tired? We can stop and rest."

He shook his head slowly. "No. I can keep going."

Fíli didn't look convinced but he didn't push the Hobbit. The truth was Bilbo did want to stop and rest, but he wanted to get out of Mordor more. So even though his body hurt, and his vision was a bit blurry, he forced himself to keep walking. If he was lucky, they would get to the tunnels without him fainting and falling off the side of the mountain.

Behind him he could feel Nori hovering like he was channeling Dori. Part of him was touched by the usually aloof thief's concern, but a bigger part was annoyed that he was being treated like some invalid child. He had not survived a hundred (or was it fifty?) years out of sheer luck no matter what Gandalf claimed.

One foot in front of the other, he ordered his body sternly as they continued their climb.

When they finally reached the tunnels about a million years later, Bilbo immediately allowed himself to collapse against the nearest wall. He slid down until he hit the ground and then stretched out his legs before him. Every inch of his body hurt so much that he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and never wake up again. Sadly, he forgot who he was traveling with at the moment.

"Shit! Bilbo, what's wrong? Does something hurt? Do you need some water? Nori, pass me your water," Fíli ordered as he kneeled down next to the Hobbit.

Bilbo rolled his eyes as the thief passed his water-skin to the prince. "I'm fine, just tired. It was a difficult climb up the mountain."

Fíli didn't look convinced and shoved the water-skin into his hands. "Drink it slowly."

He rolled his eyes again but didn't refuse the water. Once he was done, he passed it back to the prince and closed his eyes. "Thank you. Fíli, you were hurt during the battle. How are you now? Are your wounds healed?"

"Yes, they healed some time ago," the prince replied. "Thorin and Bifur took a bit longer, but they're both fine now too."

He hummed as he took in that bit of information. "Good. What day is it? I lost track of time after the wraiths caught me."

"Winter is nearly over," Nori replied vaguely from somewhere to his right.

He opened his eyes in surprise. "Oh. I was out longer than I thought then."

His words made Fíli scowl and Nori tense. Legolas raised his brows but remained focused on standing watch near the entrance of the tunnels.

"What did they do to you, Bilbo? Earlier you could barely speak straight. Did they torture you?" Fíli probed, kneeling down in front of him. He had a severe look on his face that made him older than he actually was. "You can tell use the truth."

"They didn't torture me," he assured the blond, patting his shoulder. "I'm simply... Being around the wraiths made me sick is all."

"Sick?" Fíli repeated in the same tone he used when Kíli tried (and failed) to lie to him.