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Title: The Bond
Rating: All Audiences
Genre: Alternative Universe horror/romance, 'The Hobbit' ficlet
Starring: Bilbo Baggins
Plot: Bilbo wasn't the only one with the strength to give up the ring.
“What have we here?” said a voice from the darkness. Bilbo gasped and twisted around to face this new nightmare. First the orcs and then Gollum and now he’s waking up to THIS! Where was Gandalf? Where were the dwarves? He was answered. “They are not here. Of course.” There was a low breath of laughter and Bilbo felt his skin crawl. He had not realized he had spoken out loud. Had he? He pulled Sting from its scabbard but there was no gleam from the blade. This was no orc. “You’re lost, yes?”
“Yes. I…I was trying to follow that dratted Gollum to the back door of these caverns but he got away from me and I fell.” Bilbo felt his fingers and juggled his sword from one hand to another as he searched his pockets. His new, magic Ring was gone. Blast. He must have dropped it and there was no finding it in this dark. “Who are you, please?”
“Who are you?” the voice was definitely feminine and cultured. Bilbo was horrified. What was a Lady doing in the Goblin Caves?
“I’m Bilbo Baggins, from the Shire, at your service, m’lady.” Bilbo bowed, though he was sure she couldn’t see his courtesy in the impenetrable dark.
“Thuringwethil, at yours and your family’s, Master Baggins,” she replied politely and Bilbo felt a cool hand fall on his shoulder. He touched it with his own. Yes, a lady’s hand and now he could hear the swish of robes as Thuringwethil kneeled before him to bring herself to an even height with the small Hobbit. Where had he heard that name before? He couldn't remember. “Are you an elf? Are you a prisoner here?” Bilbo stammered.
“No. I am no elf. And I am no one’s prisoner.” The hand began to stroke Bilbo’s shoulder and Sting clattered to the stone floor. “Not any more. It begins now, what I have waited for these many long centuries. It begins with you, Bilbo Baggins. At last, at last…” her voice was exultant and Bilbo was dazed by it. He felt as if the very Shadows were speaking to him and they were cool and endless and safe…Bilbo closed his eyes and leaned forward. “Did you lose something? Besides yourself?” she suddenly teased as her arms went around him.
“I lost my ring. Well, Gollum’s ring but he lost it first so it's MINE and…” he ran his fingers over her robes and up to the silk of her hair and the smooth perfection of her skin. He could see, with his hands, that she was beautiful.
“I found it,” she whispered into his ear and Bilbo felt cool metal sliding down his cheek “I will return it to you. And I will show you the way out if you make a Blood Vow to me.”
“Yes. Anything.” Bilbo wasn’t thinking at all now. He was safe in the arms of Darkness and nothing else mattered.
“You will bind yourself to me, Bilbo Baggins. I shall be your wife and you shall remain faithful to me ‘til the end of your days. Promise me this.”
“I promise.”
“You shall beget no children but you will take an heir. He shall be born, on your birthday, between the Old Forest and the River of your land and you will pass on all your wisdom to him. You will have the strength to pass on this Ring to him also.”
“Yes.”
“And then you shall leave him and return to me. Swear this. Swear this and all will be well in the end. I will have won, at last. Swear.”
“Yes. I swear. Anything.”
“It is done...” Bilbo felt the Ring being slipped around his finger and Thuringwethil became fully visible to him at last. She was beautiful. She was terrifying. She was everything, everything he had ever wanted but never dared admit to during the light of day. “…and bound by Blood.” Bilbo slowly tilted his head back and bared his neck. Her mouth locked on his throat and the pain was all, it was glorious, it filled him and bound him and freed him forevermore and the caverns echoed with his scream until the end of Time.
Frodo and Bilbo sat side by side and they talked together in soft voices, oblivious to the mirth and music in the hall about them. Bilbo had not much to say of himself. When he had left Hobbiton he had wandered off…aimlessly…he said.
Tolkien - The Return of the King
End
Rating: All Audiences
Genre: Alternative Universe horror/romance, 'The Hobbit' ficlet
Starring: Bilbo Baggins
Plot: Bilbo wasn't the only one with the strength to give up the ring.
“What have we here?” said a voice from the darkness. Bilbo gasped and twisted around to face this new nightmare. First the orcs and then Gollum and now he’s waking up to THIS! Where was Gandalf? Where were the dwarves? He was answered. “They are not here. Of course.” There was a low breath of laughter and Bilbo felt his skin crawl. He had not realized he had spoken out loud. Had he? He pulled Sting from its scabbard but there was no gleam from the blade. This was no orc. “You’re lost, yes?”
“Yes. I…I was trying to follow that dratted Gollum to the back door of these caverns but he got away from me and I fell.” Bilbo felt his fingers and juggled his sword from one hand to another as he searched his pockets. His new, magic Ring was gone. Blast. He must have dropped it and there was no finding it in this dark. “Who are you, please?”
“Who are you?” the voice was definitely feminine and cultured. Bilbo was horrified. What was a Lady doing in the Goblin Caves?
“I’m Bilbo Baggins, from the Shire, at your service, m’lady.” Bilbo bowed, though he was sure she couldn’t see his courtesy in the impenetrable dark.
“Thuringwethil, at yours and your family’s, Master Baggins,” she replied politely and Bilbo felt a cool hand fall on his shoulder. He touched it with his own. Yes, a lady’s hand and now he could hear the swish of robes as Thuringwethil kneeled before him to bring herself to an even height with the small Hobbit. Where had he heard that name before? He couldn't remember. “Are you an elf? Are you a prisoner here?” Bilbo stammered.
“No. I am no elf. And I am no one’s prisoner.” The hand began to stroke Bilbo’s shoulder and Sting clattered to the stone floor. “Not any more. It begins now, what I have waited for these many long centuries. It begins with you, Bilbo Baggins. At last, at last…” her voice was exultant and Bilbo was dazed by it. He felt as if the very Shadows were speaking to him and they were cool and endless and safe…Bilbo closed his eyes and leaned forward. “Did you lose something? Besides yourself?” she suddenly teased as her arms went around him.
“I lost my ring. Well, Gollum’s ring but he lost it first so it's MINE and…” he ran his fingers over her robes and up to the silk of her hair and the smooth perfection of her skin. He could see, with his hands, that she was beautiful.
“I found it,” she whispered into his ear and Bilbo felt cool metal sliding down his cheek “I will return it to you. And I will show you the way out if you make a Blood Vow to me.”
“Yes. Anything.” Bilbo wasn’t thinking at all now. He was safe in the arms of Darkness and nothing else mattered.
“You will bind yourself to me, Bilbo Baggins. I shall be your wife and you shall remain faithful to me ‘til the end of your days. Promise me this.”
“I promise.”
“You shall beget no children but you will take an heir. He shall be born, on your birthday, between the Old Forest and the River of your land and you will pass on all your wisdom to him. You will have the strength to pass on this Ring to him also.”
“Yes.”
“And then you shall leave him and return to me. Swear this. Swear this and all will be well in the end. I will have won, at last. Swear.”
“Yes. I swear. Anything.”
“It is done...” Bilbo felt the Ring being slipped around his finger and Thuringwethil became fully visible to him at last. She was beautiful. She was terrifying. She was everything, everything he had ever wanted but never dared admit to during the light of day. “…and bound by Blood.” Bilbo slowly tilted his head back and bared his neck. Her mouth locked on his throat and the pain was all, it was glorious, it filled him and bound him and freed him forevermore and the caverns echoed with his scream until the end of Time.
Frodo and Bilbo sat side by side and they talked together in soft voices, oblivious to the mirth and music in the hall about them. Bilbo had not much to say of himself. When he had left Hobbiton he had wandered off…aimlessly…he said.
Tolkien - The Return of the King
End
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