The Strength of a King
Bilbo Baggins felt something the moment he first laid his eyes on Thorin Oakenshield. The Dwarf entered his home with such a strong demeanor, inlaid with incredible sorrow. Bilbo couldn't look away. None of the other Dwarves had such an effect on Bilbo. They were all unique in their own way, but certainly did not hold the same presence that Thorin Oakenshield possessed to his very bones. The presence of a king, and a great one at that.
Of course then the Dwarf opened his mouth and spoke,
"So this is the Hobbit," his deep melodic sound ghosted over Bilbo. And if he hadn't been caught by the Dwarf before, that had certainly set it in stone. Unfortunately Thorin didn't seem to have even a small amount of interest in the Hobbit. In fact he purely had feelings of disdain towards the company's burglar. It was true, of course, that Bilbo had absolutely no experience in adventuring, fighting, or even burgling for that matter. So it came as no surprise that Thorin held him in low regard at first. But as time passed, and the disregard seemed only to worsen, Bilbo became more and more distressed. He was a respectable Hobbit, and did not understand where such dislike came from. He'd almost left, almost abandoned the Dwarves to return home to his beautiful shire, but the urge to prove himself to the Dwarf king was so strong, he had to stay. He would help the Dwarves get their home back, and only then would he feel he deserved the right to return to his own home. Perhaps in the process he would manage to convince Thorin that Hobbits, at least this Hobbit, were worth looking twice at.
The arrival of the Pale Orc had terrified Bilbo. For a small moment he thought Thorin Oakenshield was going to die and he absolutely could not let that happen. Somewhere along the journey the Dwarf had become very important to him, very important indeed, and the Hobbit refused to allow the king to die. Not before he had claimed his throne in Erebor and placed the Arkenstone in the rightful place in his crown. Bilbo had charged, not caring about his own life. In that one moment, all that mattered was protecting Thorin. Protecting his...well he wasn't sure what exactly.
When Thorin had grasped him hard to his chest in thanks Bilbo knew. He cared for the Dwarf, very much so, and would have died happily in those arms. He'd smiled and barely let his eyes close in happiness when the Dwarf let him go all too soon. Bilbo spent the next few days in a blissful haze. The Dwarf would occasionally pass a grin in his direction, and his eyes would gleam just a little as well. As days passed Thorin spoke more with Bilbo and often sat next to him during mealtimes. Thorin would walk next to him, catching him when he tripped and inquiring about his wellbeing. The Dwarf king no longer hated the Hobbit; in fact, Bilbo thought he might actually be starting to like him, just a little.
One evening, the company rested just on the outskirts of Mirkwood Forest, preparing to enter its dark depths the following day. It was in this moment that Bilbo's bliss was interrupted. The Pale Orc had not given up on his revenge so easily. Wargs travelled fast and so the orcs travelled fast atop them. The Dwarves had been cornered and unprepared in the middle of sleep by Azog and his pack. They were stripped of their weapons, tied up and thrust down in the middle of the circling orcs.
Bilbo shook with fear. Gandalf was away again, their last remaining hope. He always had a knack for showing up when most needed, but this time he was blatantly absent. The odds of escaping the orcs seemed very slim.
Azog laughed heartily circling on his warg and spoke to the company,
"Thorin Oakenshield, you are a slippery little Dwarf, but this time, I do not think you will be getting away. Where are your eagles now?" Azog dismounted and walked in front of Thorin holding his missing arm in front of the Dwarf's face. Kili twitched slightly wanting to protect his uncle but a fierce look from his brother had him staying still in his place. The rest of the Dwarves knelt in a silent and very tense manner.
