Fill: By the Stars 1/2 (hints of Bilbo/Bofur)
anonymous
January 24 2013, 04:33:04 UTC
Sorry this only fills half of your lovely prompt. Also, wow, such a creative title.
"We're lost."
"We're not lost."
"I've certainaly seen that tree before."
"You're just saying that. You couldn't tell the trees apart for all the gold in Erebor."
"And neither can anyone else. That's why we're lost. Not to mention Uncle-"
Fili jabbed his brother in the side as Thorin walked down the line towards them.
"Ow, Fili! What was that for?"
"Kili, Fili, stop arguing. Get to the top of that tree and see if you can spot the Mountain," Thorin ordered.
Kili waited until they were halfway up, and well out of hearing distance, to say, "I told you we were lost."
Fili rolled his eyes at his brother and saved his breath for the climb. When they did reach the highest branches they cautiously poked their heads above the canopy of Mirkwood, the slender top of the tree swaying under their combined weight and the strong breeze. The fading sunlight on Fili's face felt warm and comforting, like the heat of a well-used forge, after the dimness of Mirkwood. What he could not see was any end, in any direction, was end to the expanse of the forest.
"Let's get back down," he told his brother, who nodded solemnly.
If they kept wandering aimlessly through Mirkwood, sooner or later they'd be spotted by a patrol's of Thranduil's folk. Or worse, if the stories were true. Getting down from the top of the tree seemed much quicker than the ascent, but Fili did not look forward to telling their uncle, the great Thorin Oakenshield, he'd gotten them lost. Oh, he'd admit to having a less than perfect sense of direction every once in a great age, but point it out to him? Fili preferred keeping his head attached to his neck.
Thorin took the news with a scowl on his face, and turned to confer with Balin. With Gandalf still gone, there was little else to do but set up camp for the night. Dori and Dwalin arranged the camp and assigned watch turns while Bofur and Bombur started dinner. Their burglar was quiet and seemed to relish the early stop in their march towards Erebor, pulling out his pipe and blowing smoke rings.
Fili found himself sitting next to Bilbo, Bofur on the hobbit's other side.
"So how lost are we?" Bilbo asked quietly, eating a spoonful of stew.
Fili glanced at his uncle who was seated on the other side of the fire before answering. "Hard to tell. Couldn't see a damn thing in any direction other than trees. If we can't see the Mountain, well, who knows how long we'll be in this forsaken place."
"What about the Ploughman's Crown?" said Bilbo.
"The what?" Bofur asked.
"The Ploughman's Crown. The constellation," Bilbo said as if that explained everything. Fili and Bofur shared a confused glance. "The set of three stars in the West? Oh, really now, you must know about the stars," Bilbo said with that funny smile of his.
"Of course we know about stars. But what good are they?" Fili asked.
Bilbo laughed unexpectedly. "Well, maybe I'm more useful than you know, Mister Fili. Come on, get up. I'll show you what I mean." The hobbit placed his empty bowl down and walked determindly to the largest tree and began climbing. Fili and Bofur raced to join him, perplexing the rest of their company.
"What are you doing?" shouted Ori.
"Master Baggins reckons he can show us a way to get us un-lost," yelled a smiling Bofur.
Re: Fill: By the Stars 2/2 (hints of Bilbo/Bofur)
anonymous
January 24 2013, 04:34:10 UTC
With more speed than Fili thought possible, Bilbo scaled the tall tree, pulling himself up branch by branch. Breaching the canopy of Mirkwood for the second time that day, Fili marveled at the sight of the night sky above their heads and the innumerable stars that shone like pinpricks of mithril. Bilbo craned his neck and twisted right and left before letting out a trimphant shout.
"You see those four stars to your left? That make a rectangle? And there's a line of three more stars running from the star on the upper right?"
Fili and Bofure both squinted in the general direction of Bilbo's extended arm. It was hard to distinguish which exact stars he meant, but Bofur said excitedly, "Aye! It looks more like a gouge than a plough though."
"Well it's a plough because the Ploughman is right next to it. You see his shoulders and the two eyes?"
Fili wasn't certain Bofure really could make out any of this, but just wanted to impress their burglar.
"Up about a thumbs' length from the Ploughman's eyes, there are three stars in a line. The brightest in the middle?"
Bilbo was still using his arm to direct their gazes, and looking again Fili could indeed see a line of three bright stars high in the night sky.
"Well, I'll be," he whispered.
"That middle star is the West Mark. It always points West. So if that's west, and I reckon that we haven't made too much progress through the forest, we'll be wanting to head North-east," said Bilbo gesturing in the general direction to his right.
"I could kiss you, Bilbo," Bofur said with a wide smile.
Fili was glad for the moonlight because even in the pale light he could see the color high in the hobbit's cheeks and his answering smile. Fili cleared his through loudly and was gratified by Bilbo's slight startle. "Yes," he said. "Let's thank the Maker for the cleverness of hobbits."
"We're lost."
"We're not lost."
"I've certainaly seen that tree before."
"You're just saying that. You couldn't tell the trees apart for all the gold in Erebor."
"And neither can anyone else. That's why we're lost. Not to mention Uncle-"
Fili jabbed his brother in the side as Thorin walked down the line towards them.
"Ow, Fili! What was that for?"
"Kili, Fili, stop arguing. Get to the top of that tree and see if you can spot the Mountain," Thorin ordered.
Kili waited until they were halfway up, and well out of hearing distance, to say, "I told you we were lost."
Fili rolled his eyes at his brother and saved his breath for the climb. When they did reach the highest branches they cautiously poked their heads above the canopy of Mirkwood, the slender top of the tree swaying under their combined weight and the strong breeze. The fading sunlight on Fili's face felt warm and comforting, like the heat of a well-used forge, after the dimness of Mirkwood. What he could not see was any end, in any direction, was end to the expanse of the forest.
"Let's get back down," he told his brother, who nodded solemnly.
If they kept wandering aimlessly through Mirkwood, sooner or later they'd be spotted by a patrol's of Thranduil's folk. Or worse, if the stories were true. Getting down from the top of the tree seemed much quicker than the ascent, but Fili did not look forward to telling their uncle, the great Thorin Oakenshield, he'd gotten them lost. Oh, he'd admit to having a less than perfect sense of direction every once in a great age, but point it out to him? Fili preferred keeping his head attached to his neck.
Thorin took the news with a scowl on his face, and turned to confer with Balin. With Gandalf still gone, there was little else to do but set up camp for the night. Dori and Dwalin arranged the camp and assigned watch turns while Bofur and Bombur started dinner. Their burglar was quiet and seemed to relish the early stop in their march towards Erebor, pulling out his pipe and blowing smoke rings.
Fili found himself sitting next to Bilbo, Bofur on the hobbit's other side.
"So how lost are we?" Bilbo asked quietly, eating a spoonful of stew.
Fili glanced at his uncle who was seated on the other side of the fire before answering. "Hard to tell. Couldn't see a damn thing in any direction other than trees. If we can't see the Mountain, well, who knows how long we'll be in this forsaken place."
"What about the Ploughman's Crown?" said Bilbo.
"The what?" Bofur asked.
"The Ploughman's Crown. The constellation," Bilbo said as if that explained everything. Fili and Bofur shared a confused glance. "The set of three stars in the West? Oh, really now, you must know about the stars," Bilbo said with that funny smile of his.
"Of course we know about stars. But what good are they?" Fili asked.
Bilbo laughed unexpectedly. "Well, maybe I'm more useful than you know, Mister Fili. Come on, get up. I'll show you what I mean." The hobbit placed his empty bowl down and walked determindly to the largest tree and began climbing. Fili and Bofur raced to join him, perplexing the rest of their company.
"What are you doing?" shouted Ori.
"Master Baggins reckons he can show us a way to get us un-lost," yelled a smiling Bofur.
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"You see those four stars to your left? That make a rectangle? And there's a line of three more stars running from the star on the upper right?"
Fili and Bofure both squinted in the general direction of Bilbo's extended arm. It was hard to distinguish which exact stars he meant, but Bofur said excitedly, "Aye! It looks more like a gouge than a plough though."
"Well it's a plough because the Ploughman is right next to it. You see his shoulders and the two eyes?"
Fili wasn't certain Bofure really could make out any of this, but just wanted to impress their burglar.
"Up about a thumbs' length from the Ploughman's eyes, there are three stars in a line. The brightest in the middle?"
Bilbo was still using his arm to direct their gazes, and looking again Fili could indeed see a line of three bright stars high in the night sky.
"Well, I'll be," he whispered.
"That middle star is the West Mark. It always points West. So if that's west, and I reckon that we haven't made too much progress through the forest, we'll be wanting to head North-east," said Bilbo gesturing in the general direction to his right.
"I could kiss you, Bilbo," Bofur said with a wide smile.
Fili was glad for the moonlight because even in the pale light he could see the color high in the hobbit's cheeks and his answering smile. Fili cleared his through loudly and was gratified by Bilbo's slight startle. "Yes," he said. "Let's thank the Maker for the cleverness of hobbits."
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