What if... (A Hobbit Fanfiction) (DISCONTINUED)

Leaving Them Behind

~Third Person Bofur POV~

Bofur overheard the fight. Luckily the rest of the company were too far inside the cave. He didn't want his friend to get turned into gossip in the coming days. Not that any of them would dare converse about it while Thorin was near enough to overhear and subsequently smack their head off with that shiny ancient blade of his. It was a shame they hadn't made it public.

Bofur would've liked to talk a bit of sense into his Hobbity friend. Balin probably would've wanted to scold the king like a toddler by this point. They had all watched the arguments grow fiercer in the last few days. They had known something was coming, and as most of them had money riding on it, no one had truely wanted to see it come to pass, well, except Bifur, who had a bet expiring within the week. But it wasn't public, so he couldn't comment.

Neither Thorin nor the Hobbit had a braid, or so much as a verbal understanding; there was nothing he could say, and, much as he wanted to drag his friend back to Thorin and whack their heads together until they saw the slightest sliver of sense, he had to keep his mouth shut. He would have. Bofur was noesy, but this was a question of privacy and decency. Except that he was on watch when Bilbo decided to depart. Broke his heart.

He knew the moment Bilbo stepped in front of him what was happening. He just couldn't stop it.
"Where do ya think yer going?"
"Back to Rivendell."

"No, no, you can't turn back now, eh? You're part of the company. You're one of us."
"I'm not, thought, am I? Thorin said I should never have come and he was right. I'm not wanted or needed here. That's been made clear."
"Ye are needed, You do plenty."
"I really don't."
"If this is about what Thorin said about--"

"No it's about --" Bilbo cut off with a frown, "You heard that...shit."
"Aye. Didn't mean to, but I was settin by the entrance here, and the two of you weren't what I'd call quiet as a mouse." Bilbo's face was flushed, even in the dim moonlight. He seemed smaller than he had since the first time they had met. Just a little broken thing, barely hanging on.

He fidgeted and tweaked his nose. His tone when he answered was missing his usual impudence, and sass.

"I just want to go back to where I'm supposed to be. And that's not here. Not with all of you. I'm just not made for this. He's right. You all will be much better off without me. I know that. Say goodbye to them all for me. If you survive all this, then, well, Tea is at four, I'd appreciate a letter ahead of time, but I'll forgive you just showing up outta the blue." There was such a vulnerability to him then, such a show of self-doubt and fear, that Bofur nearly woke up another to take the watch. He could see Bilbo back down the mountain and rejoin the others after. Bilbo wouldn't allow that. Bilbo wouldn't want them to be without one of their number, wouldn't want to impose.

"Don't suppose I can talk you round, can I?"
He shook his head, and he could see slight tears in the corner of his eyes.
"I should get on my way before the storm starts up again. There was a cave a few hours back, I'll stop there." Thorin was going to catch an earful over this. And not just from Bofur, though he planned to be first in line.

He held out a hand, and when Bilbo shook it, the dwarf pulled him into a tight hug.
"Good luck Bilbo. Mahazrali-me akyâl'ulkhad."
"Du astu-ya baha." He grinned, "Never tell him how I learned. It makes him crazy that he hasn't found out how I've done it."
"Oh, aye, I'll keep yer secret, even if ye won't listen to reason." And Bilbo turned to walk away.

Bofur watched until he vanished around a bend, pretending he didn't hear the echo of a strangled sob. When he was gone, truly gone, Bofur turned back to the cave's inside and his eyes scanned over his sleeping companions. Tucked into damp bedrolls and soggy cloaks, not a one of them looked comfortable, and his pity extended as far as eleven of them. The King looked to be well and truly miserable. Only fair. He was shifting and fidgeting, and Bofur watched his back for several minutes before he shook his head.

That Dwarf was not asleep. Which meant he had heard that. Heard it and said nothing. They'd all known the two of them were sneaking off togetherevery know and then; Bofur's purse was fatter for it. They'd all known they bickered as much as they vanished into the trees, even though the two things were almost one in the same.

Based on Bilbo's response, there had been a bit more between them than just a hand between friends. Though, maybe that had only been on the Hobbit's side of things since the king was still lying there instead of going off after their Hobbit. Thorin would definitely be hearing about it if that was the issue.
He made a face and gnawed on his pipe a bit. He was also the only one here, other than the arse of a king they were following, to know what had happened.

He decided to keep his mouth shut. If he told anyone, they'd want to know what he'd heard, and Bofur wasn't inclined to repeat what had been said. Wasn't polite the first time. Wouldn't be better the second time. Leaning his head against the rocky wall behind him, he settled in for the rest of his watch, trying to think of what to say when Nori woke for his shift, or when he talked to Thorin about the Hobbit in the morning. It was going to be a mite unpleasant in the Company for a while.

~Brandy's POV~

I wiped away the tears that were falling down my face as I made my way away from the cave. Running into Bofur hadn't made my departure any easier. I stopped, and let a sob wrack my spine.

"Stupid Wizard. Stupid Dwarves. Stupid lulkh uzbad undu id-abbad!" My cursing switched from Khuzdul to Sindarin as I kicked a rock off the ledge.

"He can go eca'mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova!" My head rested against the rough surface, and my eyes trailed down to my sword. My eyes widened, seeing the blue glow peek through the sheith. I drew out more of the blade, and saw that it was glowing handle to tip, a blue color. Part of me didn't want to go back to warn the Dwarves, but I only knew it was because of Thorin.

And if I didn't do it for him, I'd do it for the others, the ones I had sworn to myself I'd protect. I turned on my heel, and darted back to the cave as fast as I could. I slid as I turned into the cave, nearly scaring poor Bofur to death.

"Wake up!" I half shouted, half panting, "Wake up!" Apparently shrieking woke everyone up.

I held in a snicker at the explosion of flailing limbs that followed. Kíli got half to his feet before losing his balance and crashing back down onto Ori. Dwalin blindly reached for his axes before he noticed who it was and relaxed a bit in exasperation. Bombur made a sound that was half a yelp and half a groan that made Bofur chuckle. But then my mirth died out as I remembered what I came back to do.

I whipped out my sword and showed everyone the glowing blade.

"Goblins!" And with that the floor gave out beneath my feet, and we plummeted down into darkness.

Khuzdul and Sindarin in this chapter.

Khuzdul; Mahazrali-me akyâl'ulkhad : I wish you a bright life, Du astu-ya baha : To you as well friend, lulkh uzbad undu id-abbad: oaf king under the mountain.

Sindarin; Eca'mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova: Go french-kiss an orc.