The Consequence of Courage (And its Many Applications)
Bilbo was choking. His lungs burned with the acrid tang of smoke. Through his streaming eyes, the harsh light of enchanted fires and the glint of dirty orc steel blurred and swam in the darkness. The panicked yells of the dwarves, helplessly clinging to the falling pine tree, were a bold clash against the shrieking cacophony of snapping roots, fierce Warg howls, and the popping of the flames. Above all that, Bilbo heard the sound of Thorin’s skull crunching against stone, his body falling limp against the dry ground. A spike of sharp fear jolted through Bilbo’s chest, and his troubled breathing hitched. No.
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Bilbo takes a leap of faith during the pine tree altercation between the company and Azog, and the repercussions that follow force all the members of the company to re-evaluate the worth of their burglar.
One dwarven king included.