The Northern Mountains

~Nighteen~

nineteen

Jon sucked in a slow, deep breath as he watched the dwarves settle down into their packs, ready to sleep then trek on in the morning. Forever on alert, the Northman snapped his eyes open at the sound of shuffling feet and crackling gravel.

He shifted his dark gaze towards the entrance of the small cave, the flashes of lightning illuminating the opening and revealing the figure of the halting, in his hand was his walking stick and on his back, his pack.

The former Night's Watchman met the grim glance of a still awake Bofur. Both then climbed to their feet to stop Bilbo's retreat.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jon folded his arms, scaring the crap out of the hobbit, him tensing up before turning around to look at the man and the dwarf with a defeated expression on his face.

"Back to Rivendell."

Unbeknownst to the three of them, a certain dwarf was still awake.

The King of the North narrowed his eyes slightly, "You can't turn back now, Mr Baggins, you're part of this Company."

Bofur nodded, "You're one of us."

But Bilbo shook his head with his jaw clenched, "I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

Thorin stared at the cave wall in front of him, the hobbit's words stirring something loose.

"You're homesick, dear Bilbo."

"I understand." Bofur tried to calm the halfling.

"No, you don't, you don't understand," the hobbit grumbled back, "None of you do; you're dwarves. You used to...to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."

The dwarf looked hurt and Bilbo was quick to apologise, "I am sorry, I didn't..."

But Bofur shrugged slightly, hiding that hurt with a small smile, "No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere," he put his hand on the hobbit's shoulder, "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do."

Jon suddenly frowned as Bilbo turned to walk away, and the Northerner then asked, "What's that?"

Something seemed to be glowing from the halfling's belt and gently, Mr Baggins pulled his sword upwards only scarcely from its sheath, to reveal a bright blue blade.

Suddenly, the mechanical sounds of turning cogs filled the cave and the ground split open, the sand slipping down through the crack. Jon and Thorin were quick to wake the rest of the Company, kicking them awake, but anything else could happen, cave floor collapsed, the ground actually being a trap door.

Instead of hitting a hard bottom, they all slid down a long chute, through a tunnel and into a huge cage made of twigs and twine.

At least, that's what Jon was hoping it was...

Trying to get to their feet in the small cage, a horde of goblins rushed towards them, their disgusting features twisted into horrid grins as they stripped them all of their weapons. Looking over the dwarves, Jon then realised they were missing a certain hobbit.