A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 22

"I gave it to him," he admitted, his voice ringing louder and clearer than he had expected.

The crowd turned on him in a blink.

"You? You gave the Arkenstone to him?" Balin gasped, looking as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

"Oh, Bilbo," Gandalf sighed, leaning against his staff. He closed his eyes and looked as old and tired as he really was.

The rest of the Dwarves looked no better. Dáin seemed unfazed, but some like Dwalin, Glóin, and Fíli looked torn between shock and outrage. Others like Kíli, Bofur, Bombur, and Ori looked stunned and hurt by the news. Only Bifur, Dori, Nori, and Óin looked afraid and uncertain. But the worst reaction of all was the one he valued most.

Slowly, so very slowly, Thorin turned to face him with a face as blank as a canvas. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper of a building storm. "What did you say?"

Bilbo swallowed and met the midnight eyes against his will. "I gave it to him. I stole the Arkenstone from you, and then gave it to Thranduil to bargain for his aid in the upcoming battle."

"You—? No. No, it can't be," muttered the Dwarf, shaking his head and making his braids whip around his face. "You wouldn't do that. You wouldn't..."

"Betray your trust?" he finished quietly, never looking away from the king. "I'm afraid I did, Thorin. I'm sorry."

Thorin kept shaking his head and looked to the Arkenstone in Legolas's hands and then back to Bilbo. His eyes began to grow wild, and his lips pulled back into a pained snarl. "No, no, no, no, not you, you could not have—"

The king cut himself off with a roar as he unsheathed his sword and began to stalk towards the Hobbit in one swift move. Bilbo did not move and watched the king rush towards him with his shadow eyes. But before Thorin could take even three steps, Dwalin, Dori and Glóin were there to hold him back.

"Thorin, what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!" Glóin yelled, holding onto one of the king's arms.

"Calm down, Thorin. Remember who he is," Dwalin rumbled, grasping Thorin's wrist that held Orcrist.

Dori didn't speak; simply slipped his arms under Thorin's armpits and held him back.

Thorin snarled and tried to shove the three off only to fail. "Let go of me! I will not stand for this! He will pay for stealing—!"

"Do you remember what I told you the night Azog attacked us?" Bilbo called, interrupting the king and slowly walking closer to the Dwarves. "Do you remember, Thorin? When you asked me what I wanted most in this world?"

Thorin stilled; shaking and breathing so hard the Hobbit could hear it. He didn't answer Bilbo's question and continued staring at the Hobbit with his dark eyes and clenched jaw.

"I said that I wanted you all to live," he continued, paying no mind to the danger he was approaching. "That is all I have ever wanted for this entire journey. To see you all live."

"And is that supposed to justify your theft? You stole the Arkenstone from me. YOU BETRAYED MY TRUST!" roared the king, shoving the three Dwarves off of him and dropping his sword to the ground. Before his cousins could stop him again, Thorin grabbed Bilbo's biceps and yanked him up until they were eye level.

"Why?" he growled, his black pupils completely overtaking the blue in his eyes. "WHY?!"

—Thorin grasps his hands with what little strength he has left—

"...I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate..."

—Thranduil places the Arkenstone on Thorin's chest and carefully wraps his hands around it —