A Hobbits Tale

Chapter 17

"Light!" Bofur yells excitedly. "I see light!"

"Quick, quick!" Gandalf tells us. "This way." We run out of the mountain and into the sunlight.

"Fresh air!" I say happily as I run out into the trees.

We run down a steep slope, down into a valley that is heavily wooded. One the ground levels out a bit more Gandalf counts us. "Five, six, seven, eight. Bifur, Bofur, Y/N. That's eleven. Fili, Kili! That's 13. Ah and Bombur. That makes 14. Where's Bilbo?" He asks.

I feel panic rise up in me as I realize we may have left my dear cousin in that horrid mountain with the goblins. "He gets lost more than us Tooks." I say trying to calm myself.

"Where is our Hobbit?" Gandalf asks. No one answers. "Where is our Hobbit?" He yells again.

"Curse that Halfling! Now he's lost?" Dwalin exclaims.

"Watch it!" I growl. "He may get into trouble a lot but he is my kin!"

"I meant no disrespect." Dwalin says, bowing his head a little. I nod to him.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin calls out.

"Don't blame me!" Dori says, getting defensive.

"Well where did you last see him?" Gandalf and I ask at the same time.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." Nori says, his face showing hints of worry.

"Well what happened exactly?" I ask.

"Tell!" Gandalf comands.

"I'll tell you what happened." Thorin says. I turn to face him, already feeling anger brewing towards him. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

I feel my anger boling, but I say nothing, afraid that I will punch Thorin. I stand there with my hands in fists and I try to simmer down.

"No. He isn't." I hear Bilbo's voice. I spin around to face him and forget my anger as a wide smile covers my face.

"Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf says laughing. "I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

"Bilbo!" Kili says happily. "We'd given you up."

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asks him.

"How indeed." Dwalin says with shock.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back." Gandalf says, trying to defuse the situation.

"It matters. I want to know." Thorin says as he looks between Bilbo and Gandalf. "Why did you come back?"

"Look, I know you doubt me. 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. See, that's where I belong." Bilbo tells Thorin. "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." Thorin looks down for a moment then back up to Bilbo and nods.

I walk over to Bilbo and hug him. "I'm glad you're safe, cousin." I whisper into his ear then I walk back over to Bofur.

"You gave me quite a fright in there......" Bofur says to me. "They would have done such awful things to you, Lassie....." His voice breaks and I pull him into a hug, which he returns fiercely.

"I'm alright, my love." I whisper to him.

He pulls away from the hug and kisses me with as much ferocity as the hug, but I can taste the fear. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him gently to reassure him that I am safe. We break apart as we hear Wargs howling.

"Out of the frying pan." Thorin says.

"And into the fire." Gandalf finishes for him. "Run. Run!"

"So much for safe." Bofur murmurs as we all start running down the hill again.

[A/N sorry for the semi shorter chapter but guys it's nearing the end of Hobbit the Unexpected Journey so there will only be a couple more chapters in the fic!!! I am going to make this into a three part book. I will tell y'all the title of the sequel at the end of the last chapter in this fic!!!!! Thank you all so much for reading so far!!! 225 reads!!!!]