A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 27

"No, Ori, that's not how the game works."

"Don't worry about it. I'll win your money back for you."

"Of course, you will because you're cheating."

"You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it does."

Bilbo bit his lower lip to keep his laughter from spilling out as he watched Ori, Nori, Glóin and Bofur play a game of cards before him. The four sat in a circle with a pile of coins and jewels in the middle. So far Nori was winning, which really was not a surprise to him. But what did surprise him was that Bofur and Ori were losing while Glóin was catching up to Nori. He assumed that being the younger brother and good friend of a thief, the two would be better at cards. Obviously though Nori failed to teach them anything useful.

Behind him, Dori sighed as he continued to re-braid the Hobbit's hair. His braids had become messy and unkempt after the battle, and the Dwarf had noticed and offered to fix them. He had accepted and then quickly rethought that decision when the older Dwarf broke out a box of combs and beads and other hair accessories that he had no way of identifying.

"You don't have to do this," Bilbo repeated again for the fourth time that night.

"I am aware of that," Dori replied without pausing in his task. "Lean back please."

The Hobbit sighed and did as asked. "I hope you're not weaving ribbons and lace into my hair."

"Of course not. I hardly have the proper materials for such work," the warrior scoffed. "No, I won't weave anything into your hair just yet. We'll wait for your hair to get longer before we do that."

"You sound confidant that I'm staying here," he mused, staring up at the dark ceiling.

Dori snorted and gently tugged on the curls in his hands. "We both know you're not leaving. You made that clear when you allowed Thorin to braid his beads into your hair."

Bilbo blinked. "What do his clasps have to do with me not leaving?"

The Dwarf finally paused in his braiding. "They... Did Thorin not tell you about the meaning behind his beads?"

He shook his head slowly in order not to ruin the unfinished braids. "Nope. All he said was that he didn't have anything to tie the ends with, so he had to use his clasps."

"Of course, he did," the Dwarf muttered before continuing his task. "Blasted fool. Bilbo, time for a lesson in Dwarven culture. When a Dwarf offers to braid their bead into another's hair then they are essentially asking that individual for their hand in marriage."

Bilbo froze. "Wait... Are you telling me that Thorin proposed to me? And he didn't say anything first?!"

Dori clucked his tongue and pushed the rising Hobbit back down with one hand. "Calm down. No point in yelling at him now. Wait until he's awake and better before you go off on him."

"I will," he seethed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He's going to wish he never met me—wait, did I unknowingly accept? Are we engaged?!"

"No," the Dwarf replied, and Bilbo sighed in relief. "To show that you accept you would have to give him back one of the beads he gave you. Wearing them simply shows that you're considering his proposal."

"What I'm considering is the best way to kick his kingly behind back to the Blue Mountains," the Hobbit growled. "How dare he pull such a sneaky tactic on me? If he wanted to marry me then he should have simply come out and asked!"

"If he did, would you have accepted him then?" Dori wondered as he tied off another braid.

"I don't know," he said honestly because the idea of Thorin even loving him was still hard to believe. "Can a king even marry a commoner? Or a Hobbit at that?"