The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 16

As we left the goblin tunnels, we were greeted by the sight of the setting sun.  We ran a good distance from the tunnel before coming to a stop.  Gandalf took a head count and to his surprise, (and mine too), Bilbo was missing.

"Where is our hobbit?" He wanted to know.

"Curse that halfling!" Dwalin spat, "Now he's lost?"

"I thought he was with Dori!" Someone shouted.

"Don't blame me!"

"Well where did you last see him?" Even Gandalf was starting to sound annoyed now.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first caught us." Nori admitted.

"What happened, exactly?"

"I'll tell you what happened.  Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it!"

"Thorin, he would never do something like that!"

"Look around, Mereniver, and tell me where you see him.  No, he's not here, he has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since the first he stepped out of his door!"

"Thorin!" I balled my fist to keep myself from punching him.

"Mereniver?  Where are you?" He looked around, as if searching for me.

"I'm right here."  He looked in my direction but our eyes didn't meet, he seemed to be looking right through me.

"Where?"  Now I was downright confused, he certainly wasn't faking it because I looked around to see all of the dwarves looking near me, a couple of them were reaching for weapons.  I looked down and realized that I couldn't see myself either!  I shrieked and jumped back, dropping my closed fist in the process.  All of the dwarves ran towards where I was sprawled on the forest floor but they all backed up to let Thorin through.  He picked me up and set me back on my feet.

"You just appeared out of nowhere!  What did you do?"

"I don't know, I was getting frustrated with your lack of faith in Bilbo and I balled my fist to stop myself from slapping you."

"Do it again."

"What?"

"Ball your fist.  I don't think you've ever done that since..." He trailed off but I knew what he was talking about.  I hesitantly balled my fist, and sure enough, my body vanished from even my own eyes.  I didn't stay like that long, it was creepy.

"You disappeared again!" Fili exclaimed.

"Indeed, it seems you have uncovered yet another new power, but I hate to disappoint you when I say we won't be seeing our hobbit again, he is long gone."

"Nope!"  Bilbo walked up behind our cluster, "He isn't."

"Bilbo Baggins!  I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"

"Bilbo!  How on earth did you get past the goblins?"

"How indeed." Dwalin echoed, his voice barely hid his suspicion.  Bilbo suddenly looked very uncomfortable but he tried to cover it by putting his hands on his hips and grinning.  I did not miss the flash of something gold slip from his right hand into his pocket.  By the look on Gandalf's face, he had seen it too but decided not to mention it.

"Well, what does it matter?  He's back."

"What matters, is I want to know.  Why did you come back?" Thorin stated.

"Look, I know you doubt me and I know you always have.  And you're right, I often think of Bag End.  I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden.  You see that's where I belong, that's home.  And that's why I came back, because you don't have one, a home.  It was taken from you but I will help you take it back if I can."  A howl filled the air.  I recognized it as a warg.