A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 7

Fili was a thinker.

When they were children, his mother used to say that Fili was the brains and Kili the heart. That if they were to fall in love, Kili would love unconditionally without question, while Fili would question the very meaning of love. As a child, he had not enjoyed being defined as the 'bookish one' by others, but he accepted it as he grew up.

There was no use in lying to yourself after all.

Fili was the 'bookish one' when it came down to it. He was the one that would obediently practice writing his letters while Kili fell asleep next to him. He was the one that bothered their uncle with a million questions about swordplay while Kili practiced with the swords. He was the one who sat with their mother and listened to her as she quietly explained how to wrap a wire properly.

He never considered himself very bright or exceptionally gifted but enjoyed using his mind. He loved to ponder why things happened the way they did or what made a person act the way they did. He enjoyed asking questions and learning the answers. Kili could be satisfied with life the way it was, but Fili constantly asked, why?

Why did people die?

Why was the sky blue?

What made his hair gold?

Why did the seasons change?

Why did his body need sleep?

Why did Bilbo Baggins look so sad sometimes?

The last question was his newest mystery.

Bilbo Baggins was interesting for a Hobbit. He loved to eat, knew the raunchiest drinking songs, and could hold his own against an angry Thorin. Kili adored him for those traits alone, but Fili liked him better for his dry humor, unnoticed thoughtfulness, and fierceness in battle.

But he didn't like the looks.

Sometimes, usually at night, when everyone was eating or chatting, Mister Baggins would get the saddest look on his face. It wasn't like the ingrained look of pain that Thorin would wear whenever he got reminded of Erebor or even the laughing flinches that Kili would put on whenever someone mocked him for his appearance. Instead, it resembled the quiet grief that his mother would wear whenever someone brought up the subject of his father.

He understood that it was a sadness that came from loss, not the loss of a home, possession, or legacy, but the loss of a person. It was the most profound type of loss that he knew of, and it was one he barely understood because his father died long before he could miss him.

Fili did not know what Mister Baggins could have lost in his life to invoke such a look. He did not even know what it was about their company that reminded him of his loss. But he knew their Hobbit was sometimes sad, and no one could say why. So like with most mysteries in his life, Fili would discover its reason.

He just hoped he didn't regret it.

~*~

They lingered in Rivendell for a week.

From his memory, Bilbo knew they were waiting for the moon so Lord Elrond could finish reading the map. He also knew that soon the White Council would gather to question Gandalf about their Company, and Saruman - the bloody traitor - would attempt to stop them. But what Bilbo needs to know is the outcome of the meeting. Without Radagast and the Morgul blade to distract them, he could not think of another way for them to leave without notice. He could only hope that Gandalf was tricky enough to stall for time as they escaped.

But Bilbo was not worried about the White Council and their meddling. No, what he was concerned about was Radagast.

The wizard had not shown up this time, and it alarmed him. He did not know how severe the consequences would be in the long run, but he understood the implications for the present. If Gandalf did not confront the Necromancer, then who would stop him? And more importantly, how would they learn of Sauron's future return?