An Introduction - Thorin and Bilbo
While most folk might not have expected it, considering the parties in question were a dwarf and a hobbit, there were several things that Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins shared in common.
And of course, this was a good thing, considering that they were married now and Certain Nephews have expressed the opinion that they were well past the Honeymoon stage of their relationship and should really stop traumatizing impressionable Dwarflings (read: nephews). However, most folk agreed it was rather sweet to see the very evident love and affection between the King Under the Mountain and his Consort.
Now there were some rather obvious things - both Dwarf and Hobbit had stubborn wills, a natural ability to lead, decisiveness, formidable tempers, courage and all sorts of other traits that explained why they both had the love and loyalty of their people. And there were some things that might have surprised even those who knew them best. Bilbo might never be the swordsman Thorin was, but in time, he became very skilled at handling what the Company affectionately called his “Elven letter-opener.” And Hobbits were keen-eyed and Bilbo actually knew how to handle a bow quite well, much to Kili’s everlasting delight.
And Thorin was skilled in lore and history, not just of the Dwarves but of Elves and Men. While he would never have the same fondness for Elves that Bilbo did, he did share his husband’s love of knowledge, music and songs. Fili would never forget that one night when Thorin took out his harp and he and Bilbo sang the Lay of Luthien together. That Thorin could actually admit that there were some things Elves were good for was probably the best testament of how well his and Bilbo’s marriage was turning out to be.
And then, there were the children.
Fili
Fili is Crown Prince, heir to the throne of Erebor and Thorin’s sister-son. He loves his Amad dearly and what memories he has of his own Sire are treasured and cherished. And yet, Fili is a generous soul - he shares those memories freely with his younger brother, who had been but a babe when Nali, husband to Dis, had been killed.
And if he and Kili share memories of another Life, a Past where they have known Certain People in markedly different roles than the Life they lived in this Now, then that is simply Mahal’s blessing. It does not diminish the love he bears for the mother and father in his life now. He is content to call Thorin Uncle, rather than Father and Bilbo is now Uncle as well.
He is the eldest of their brood, because despite everything, despite the current state of their kin-bonds, Fili knows how Thorin and Bilbo feel about him. He is the eldest, therefore it is his responsibility to look out for the younger ones, to shield, to protect, to defend.
(And of course, if there are pranks and mischief to be done, then yes, he must make sure they can be carried out well. Not much point in a prank if it goes awry.)
It goes without saying that it is not easy to live up to an Uncle and a father figure who had, against all odds and the weight of awesome responsibility, had still managed to be both a good head of the family, loving and protective, as well as a great king of a scattered people. Thorin expects much of him and it is only natural that Fili fears disappointing his Uncle.
But a King or a King to be, cannot live in the shadow of the Kings that came before him. He must rule but it is far more important the King must rule well, with the welfare of his people above everything.
He has Thorin’s trust and he will not fail him.
And if Bilbo and Fili are in silent agreement that both of them will do their utmost to preserve and protect their family, then that is all well and good. Fili, it must be said, takes a great deal after his Little Father, their Adadith, after all… even after the passage of all the lives between them.
Kili
Kili, brother to Fili, second in line to the throne and Thorin’s sister-son, has enjoyed and hated being the youngest for the longest time. Sometimes the coddling is welcome, especially when Bilbo can be persuaded to give him an extra cookie or if Thorin simply sighs in exasperation and pulls Kili close to gently bump their heads together, more a nuzzle than anything else. And sometimes, the coddling can get too much, because, of course, Kili is a grown Dwarf, thank you very much - he is of age!
Mischief-maker and charmer they call him and yes, Kili is all of these things and then some. He gets whispers about his lack of beard and the truth is, despite the fact that the Line of Durin do grow their magnificent beards late in life, Kili is an archer and always will be. He makes do with stubble and puts up with the whispers that he is odd, for a Dwarf. Almost Elf-like.
Kili has sharp eyes and ears - being seen as the frivolous, reckless younger Prince tends to make people underestimate him. Those same disgruntled whispers sometimes lead to something more, usually something that would threaten Thorin and their family. Kili has heard it all - the King Under the Mountain taking a Hobbit for a Consort, of all things, no matter how brave and instrumental said Hobbit was in the taking of Erebor. The whispers of Fili being too untried in battle, that he has an unnatural relationship with his own brother - perhaps a sign of the madness manifesting in Durin’s line. Kili knows every disgusting rumor and lie and sometimes, he’ll let that fury fly free and openly, to keep them on their toes.
And sometimes, Kili can get rather inventive in his forms of payback, be a little more subtle. He learns quickly - Bilbo has taught him that. And he’ll use that effectively because he will sacrifice the last drop of his own blood to protect and defend his family.
Kili has the clearest memories of the Time Before, when Bilbo and Thorin were not just Uncles, when they all lived in a kingdom that had been far greater than Erebor. It confused him as a child, seeing Adad, but knowing that he was Uncle now, loving Amad, but aware that she was New to his Life and missing Adadith, who would later appear as Bilbo.
Kili still dreams of that Time Before with all its joys and good memories. And sometimes, he dreams of a Time That Never Was, of Fili falling in battle, of standing his ground to protect his brother and Thorin, and fiercely wishing, in that single moment if they could only have more time. That it should not end like this - that this so-called glorious death in battle was only blood, pain, fear and loss.
When he wakes from nights with those kinds of dreams, Kili will put on a smile, hug Fili first, then Thorin and then Bilbo. He will plan some mischief to make them all laugh. And Kili will swear to himself, quietly, that this vision he keeps seeing, that he believes could still happen, will never come to pass.
Belladonna
Belladonna is Thorin and Bilbo’s blessing and if both of them still mourn the child who had never been at times, then Bella being born has brought both comfort and peace to them. It had been a surprisingly easy birth and pregnancy and Bilbo is infinitely thankful for the legacy of his fairy ancestor.
Thorin looks at those dark curls, sapphire blue eyes and enchanting dimpled smile and is already preparing herself for the day when he must fight off the suitors who would wish to win her with both sword and axe. Orcrist might well be renamed “Suitor-Cleaver” Bilbo has jested while Thorin retorts that the same unholy gleam is in Bilbo’s eyes at the thought of anyone paying court to their little jewel.
Gandalf has already proclaimed them all utterly ridiculous while Lord Elrond has solemnly commended both Bilbo and Thorin on their caution and prudence, being of course, the father of the fairest Elf-maiden to walk Middle-earth since Luthien Tinuviel. Thus, the Wizard has included the Master of the Last Homely House on his Official List of Ridiculously Over-Protective Fathers.
Thorin has never expected that he would actually agree with an Elf, never mind a Half-Elf, on certain things!
Ah, well - they are her fathers and with two older brothers into the bargain, Bella is actually well prepared in managing the stubborn males of her family. Thorin claims she must have learned all this at her Auntie Dis’ knee, while Bilbo ruefully sees that Bella is much like her namesake and Nan, adventurous Took that she was. Bella will never idly sit back and simply be cosseted by her fathers and brothers and uncles.
While Bella delights in stories and tales, she is equally interested in the arts of war and statecraft. Fili is enormously proud of the day Bella felled him with her wooden sword while Kili is willing to play the Hero alongside Bella the Brave, when she makes up stories and adventures for them to play-act in. Thorin is still not sure why he got cast as the brooding warrior-knight, who may not be completely evil after all.
Bilbo assures him he is perfect for the role and makes sure to kiss away his husband’s disgruntlement. If Bilbo is usually roped into being the clever, impudent Prince secretly helping Bella’s band of heroic outlaws and loved by said Brooding Warrior-Knight, then he can only applaud his daughter’s cleverness.
When Bella is grown, she will be her brother Fili’s shield just as Kili would be his sword, in both politics and war, outwitting those who would usurp the power of the King for their own ends.
She is a Princess of the Line of Durin and a Baggins of Bag End - she would not be anything less.
Frerin (Aragorn)
Frerin was the name he would bear among the Dwarves, in memory of his adoptive father’s brother. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, will end up collecting many names in the span of his long life - long, because he is a Man of the Dunedain, remnant of lost Numenor. And his destiny awaits him, for he is the long-lost descendant of the line of Kings of Numenor, who trace their ancestry to Beren and Luthien Tinuviel. And Gondor and Arnor are his kingdoms in Middle-earth now.
Estel, the Elves will call him, for the hope that he represents. Elessar, the Elfstone and Renewer,when he becomes King. But that is far in the future and a great many things would happen before that time comes.
But for now, with his lineage hidden from those who would wish him harm, Aragorn is simply Frerin, a child of Man who was the sole survivor of an orc attack upon a group of wandering Dunedain and now adopted as a son by the King Under the Mountain and his Consort.
Dwobbit is the playful nickname Fili and Kili have come up for all of them - the children of a Dwarf and Hobbit. Frerin rather enjoys being a Dwobbit, with a love of growing things and good food, even as he toddles after his Dwarf father and brothers with a wooden sword and much later, a bow and arrows of his very own.
Like his Adadith, he loves ancient histories and tales and like his Adad, he loves music, his high piping childish treble blending in with Adad’s resonant baritone. He will learn about healing plants and herbs from his Adadith while Adad will teach him weaponry and statecraft. And he is a quiet presence in the Crown Prince’s arms, as Thorin prepares them both for leadership and the responsibilities of kings.
Bilbo will fuss and gently tease this adopted son of his, who, though they may not be related by blood, is so much like Thorin that it makes Bilbo’s heart ache. He’ll do it to see Frerin smile, for his smile, like Thorin’s, is a jewel well worth the getting. And his brothers and sister often delight in making him laugh.
Later, young Frerin will be invited to stay in Rivendell for a time, so that he may learn about his kin by blood. It will be his first adventure. And though he is not a Took by blood, he will, eventually wander far and wide over the length and breadth of Middle-earth, getting into all sorts of adventures that only a true Dwobbit could get out of again.
Though, when he goes East, it is always to the Lonely Mountain he goes to. For Man though he may be, Erebor will always be home.
Frodo
If Fate had taken a different turn, Frodo might well have grown up in Bag End, with his birth parents, Drogo and Primula. Bilbo preferred that his beloved childhood home be in the hands of his favorite cousins, instead of the greedy Sackville-Bagginses. And Frodo might have grown up hearing about his famous cousin, whisked away by a band of 13 Dwarves and now Consort to the Dwarf King Under the Mountain.
But he’d been just a fauntling, barely walking, when his parents had died in an unfortunate accident on the Brandywine River. And with the Sackville-Bagginses insisting that they take Frodo into their care, wanting to steal away the orphan’s inheritance, his life might well have taken a miserable turn indeed.
But Thorin and Bilbo, together with the rest of the Dwobbit Brood, had come to visit the Shire at that time. And Bilbo would not hear of his tiny cousin-nephew in the hands of the Sackville-Bagginses. Fili and Kili would regale him for years with all the details of how Bilbo Baggins and his Dwarf Family effectively routed the Sackville-Bagginses from Bag End, to the eternal glee of Hobbiton and the rest of the Shire.
Of course, all Frodo would remember of that day was being taken up into Uncle Bilbo’s arms for a cuddle, away from mean old Lobelia who pinched and shouted. He’d also remember staring up at the Dwarf King in awe and being won over by that gentle smile and the comforting rumble of his voice.
And much later, Frodo would enjoy his adventure with his new family, though he missed Mama and Da so very, very much. Kili would let him ride on his shoulders and Cousin Bella would kiss and hug him much like Mama had before. Frerin has sworn to protect him and pledged his wooden sword in allegiance. Fili would tickle his feet to make him laugh and Uncle Thorin was the best deterrent against nightmares even as Uncle Bilbo would lull him to sleep with stories and silly songs.
Frodo would be surrounded by ten other Dwarves as honorary Uncles, the Dwarves of Uncle Bilbo’s stories come to life, laughing and teaching him all the best pranks. Though, perhaps it should not have been unexpected when the little fauntling that the Dwarves of Erebor affectionately called “His Little Highness” would be somewhat adopted by the haughty King of Mirkwood.
Thranduil was quite taken with the little hobbit child and Legolas would laughingly call him “my new little brother” for Thranduil would happily spend hours talking to Frodo and answering his seemingly endless questions.
“What is it about you Bagginses and Elves?” Thorin would grumble, for Bilbo, of course, was himself an Elf-friend. Bilbo would only laugh and kiss the silly out of his husband, reassuring him that it was well and good that he had some help now in dealing with the Elves of Mirkwood, aside from Frerin.
An Epilogue
There are still many stories to tell about Thorin and Bilbo. There are also many stories and adventures lying in wait for their children.
But for now, let us picture Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, quite busy with plans to improve the playhouse he has built for their children. Let us picture Bilbo with Frodo in tow, fussing over his littlest one’s unruly curls, before he lets him join the older children in their play.
Let us picture Bella the Brave and Kili, the Dashing Outlaw, leading their merry men, Fili, Frerin and now Frodo, against the evil Shirrif of the Northfarthing. And perhaps they might yet convince his brooding Warrior Knight to break fealty with his unworthy lord and join them at last.
For the moment, this sort of adventure won’t make them all late for supper.
And if Bilbo has been feeling a mite ill in the mornings again and feels like having food at the oddest of times, then, that is news he’ll wait to give to Thorin much, much later.
- end -