Category: The Hobbit

The Dwarves are trapped. There is no exit strategy that they can see. The Orcs have surrounded them in spite of Radagast’s semi-successful attempt at drawing them off. They followed him long enough for the Dwarves to escape an immediate onslaught. However, what they are left is cornered. Now, there is no escape possible. It seems the Dwarves will have to face their fate alone.

Bilbo arms himself, but the mere concept of having a weapon close to him fills him with fear. He has never held one, much less used one, and now on top of that he has to think about the image of himself he leaves on the company. As much as he wants them to think of him as fearless and able to fend for himself, he cannot own the craft of wielding a sword just by wishing it. He will have to give himself some time to become adjusted to the idea of having to defend himself with a weapon rather than words. The time required to do so, is sadly non existent. 

The first obstacle passed. And not a small obstacle either. The mere fact of their possible death by Trolls’ digestive tract would send chills down the spine of anyone who can even imagine such an end. What saved them, in the end, was Bilbo’s quick thinking and diversion tactic, as well as Gandalf arriving precisely when he meant to.

Bilbo is wrought with panic. Although he may be small and inconsequential in the Trolls’ eyes, his ability to escape them serves him well. However, this is not the first time their food played hide-and-seek with them. The three Trolls are more than accustomed to having to work for their meal. And anyway, at the end of the runaround, he cannot escape them. 

The light of a burning fire shines in the distance. Bilbo is alone, left alone actually by two cohorts of his company. He has to find a way to enter this gold shining clearing and help retrieve the company’s kidnapped horses. Having knowledge of the Troll does not help Bilbo in his rescue mission. Fili and Kili have made it sound easy in a sense, the Trolls are slow and stupid, therefore, a Halfling would be able to infiltrate their camp without any problems. The Trolls, however, are also very big, which in itself is not an ability but it instills fear nevertheless. Bilbo, not having had any contact with these creatures cannot but feel fear of their presence.

The company, with Gandalf in the front, come to a clearing. After having been drenched with rain, riding horses all day, what they need is a place to rest, and by the looks of it, they have found it.

One of the uncomfortable aspects of a journey of this kind is being at the mercy of the weather conditions. It is all nice and beautiful when the weather is dry and warm but when it rains, it makes the journey miserable. Whatever joyful spirit accompanied the company when it rains on them for a good amount of time and water, it certainly dampens the atmosphere. Although it technically provides them with a shower on the spot, the lowered temperature of the air after the rain assures their bodies with cold. To warm themselves they need to rest and eat something cooked. 

After their first day’s journey, the company seek a well-protected and somewhat comfortable place to rest their weary bones. Since this is Bilbo’s first night sleeping somewhere outside his bedroom, the inability to find any rest is understandable. However, that is not the only reason for his lack of rest. Bombur is another.

The song had been sung, the food eaten and rest had been had. The Dwarves’ only chance for a burglar has been lost. They can now only rely on each other. The burglar fell asleep some time after the song had been heard. He has stayed in his room ever since he rejected Gandalf’s proposition. And now he wakes in his bed, slowly opening both of his eyes to his new reality. The day before may have only been a dream, a bad dream but still something he might have only imagined. As his mind catches up to the new day and the guests of the day before, he rises from his bed to establish the parameters of his new reality. 

With a little help from not his friends, Bilbo fell onto the floor of his very own Hobbit hole. The possibility of a quest that ends with a dragon, a dragon he has to face himself, is more than he can take. The panic of the mere thought of being killed by a dragon leaves him short of breath and falling to the floor. Bofur in his infinite wisdom has opted to describe to him exactly what kind of death awaits him, without holding anything back. Oddly enough, no one suggested for Bofur to stop. They all probably wanted to see what kind of reaction this information would trigger in Bilbo.