XII. Defiler

                                    

                                          
"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin exclaimed as they all searched for the Hobbit, Athena spun her head in every direction while she desperately hoped that he would walk out of the bushes unscathed.
                          
"I thought he was with Dori!" She distantly heard Glóin remark throughout her panic. 
                          
When they were in Goblin Town she had herself and the others to worry about, but now they were safe she felt guilt rise inside her at not trying to find the Hobbit as soon as she had realised he was not with them.
                          
"Don't blame me!" The accused retaliated.
                          
"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked Dori, but it was Nori who answered his question.
                          
"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us."
                          
"What happened exactly? Tell me!" 
                          
Nori did not have a chance to respond with an explanation, Thorin interrupting with his own theory on what had happened, "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of the door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."
                          
Silence fell as the Dwarves looked at one another. Athena crossed her arms over her chest as her panic dwindled and was replaced with dejection. She did not want to believe that it was true, but after she overheard his conversation with Bofur only hours ago she knew that it was plausible. The Hobbit had carried a refreshing warmth with him during their journey, but now that warmth had disappeared as they pondered the weight behind Thorin's words.
                          
"No, he isn't," a small yet courageous voice stated. 
                          
She whipped her head over to lay eyes on Bilbo, the warmth that was lost returning as she couldn't stop the corners of her lips lifting up into a smile while relief flooded her. Not only had he not left them, but he was also unharmed aside from the dirt that dusted his face.
                          
"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf proclaimed as Bilbo strode further into the group, sending an affectionate pat to Balin's shoulder.
                          
"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili remarked breathlessly, a bright smile on his face as he spoke.
                          
"How on earth did you get past the goblins?!" Fili asked him.
                          
"How indeed," added Dwalin, an apprehensive yet admiring expression being sent towards Bilbo.
                          
Her smile faltered as she watched the Hobbit place something in the pocket of his waistcoat, the gold reflecting the sunlight before it was fully concealed by the fabric. Her forehead crinkled together out of concern, why was he so keen to hide a ring from everyone?
                          
"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf deflected the question, Athena was not the only one who had noticed Bilbo's peculiar actions.
                          
"It matters! I want to know," Thorin countered, "why did you come back?"
                          
"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."
                          
His speech caused silence to once again fall on the company, but the silence itself said all the things that words could not. Tears welled in Athena's eyes as she recounted the words that he had spoken, there was only sincerity in his tone and a new resolve that she had not heard before from him. Her faith in the Hobbit had been restored and she vowed to never let it dwindle again. She was beginning to see why Gandalf had pushed them to bring Bilbo on their quest, it didn't matter how small he was, how inexperienced with a sword he was, or how little he knew of the world outside Bag End — his courage was larger than that which she had seen in the eyes of no other. He truly was a remarkable Hobbit.