Raised by Hobbits

Chapter Eight~Creatures And Riddles

The Company is resting in the cave in the middle of the night; all the dwarves are asleep. Bilbo, only pretending to be asleep, stealthily opens his eyes and looks around. Seeing that no one is watching, he quietly rolls up his blankets and packs his things. Grabbing his walking stick, he starts to leave the cave, tiptoeing over the sleeping dwarves. 

"Bilbo?" Whisper ask Ash he looks back and gets her up "Come on we're going home." He says Bofur, who is standing watch, sees Bilbo trying to leave. He jumps up and tries to stop him. They whisper so as not to wake the others. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Ask Bofur "Back to Rivendell." Says Bilbo "But we can't." Says Ash "No, no, you can't turn back now, you're part of the Company. You're one of us." Says Bofur "We are not though, are we? Thorin said we should never have come, and he was right. We're not Tooks, we are Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. We should never have run out my door." Says Bilbo. 

Thorin, who is awake, stares thoughtfully at the wall as he listens. "You're homesick; I understand." Says Bofur. Grabbing Ash's hand Bilbo tries to pull her along "No, you don't, you don't understand! 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." Says Bilbo, Ash pulls back a face of guilt and shock Bofur looks offended, and Bilbo is repentant. 

"I am sorry, I didn't..." starts Bilbo Thorin listens on. "No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere. I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do." Says Bofur "Bofur." Says Ash sadly "I thank you my lady for your kindness towards us." He says Bofur smiles and places his hand on Bilbo's shoulder; Bilbo soon turns and begins to walk away. 

"What's that?" Ask Bofur. Something is glowing; Bilbo pull his sword part way out of its sheath and sees that it is growing bright blue, meaning Orcs are nearby. Thorin raises his head as he hears strange machinery noises and sees cracks form in the sand on the floor of the cave. "Wake up. Wake up!" Shouts Thorin. 

Before anyone can react, the floor of the cave collapses downwards; the floor is really a giant trap door. The entire Company falls down a chute, slides through a tunnel, and lands in a giant wooden cage. As they struggle to get up, a horde of goblins attacks them, takes away their weapons, and drags them all away. 

As the dwarves are lead away kicking and yelling, Bilbo and Ash somehow get missed by the goblins; not seeing them they leave them behind. Nori, looking over his shoulder, sees this happen. Bilbo pulls Ash and scampers behind some railing to hide as they watch the goblins proceed through the tunnels. 

Bats fly in the darkness. Bilbo draws his sword, which his glowing bright blue, Ash draws hers as well and slowly follows the goblins. Suddenly, one goblin jumps out in front of them and rushes at them with his sword. After a brief fight in which Bilbo and Ash  barely manage to keep themselves alive, the goblin, Ash, and Bilbo all fall over the edge of a platform and fall through the darkness.

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Ash and Bilbo regains consciousness and finds themselves in a dark cavern, lying behind a clump of mushrooms. They see the goblin who attacked them lying nearby, nearly dead. "Are you ok?" ask Ash, Bilbo nods "You?" He ask "Ya." Says Ash. 

Suddenly, Bilbo sees a strange figure approaching the goblin.  

"Yes. Yes. Yes! Yes! Gollum. Gollum." he says Bilbo and Ash, out of sight behind the mushrooms, watch as this creature circles around the goblin then begins pulling the goblin away by the feet.

 Suddenly, the goblin wakes up and begins flailing around. In a fit of rage, the creature grabs a rock and pounds the goblin on the head with it, knocking it unconscious again. They watch in horror, a golden ring falls out of the creature's loincloth and falls on the floor. He resumes pulling the unconscious goblin away. "Nasty goblinses. Better than old bones, Precious; better than nothing."