LITTLE PREAMBLE: this fanfic was written after seeing the last edition on the screen of "the Hobbit" edited by Peter Jackson; the script starts just at the end of the movie (the first of the three chapter) and I'd like, from now, to go on mixing the original story from the book with a pinch of my ideas, so, if you read this fanfiction in the future, after seeing the others movie from the saga, understand please that this is inspired from the book of "The Hobbit" (J.R.R. Tolkien), and not to the further films! Thank you!

NB I have to warn you that this fic was translated from the original one (mine), from italian to english. I have to thank a lot a friend, here's the link to his deviantart gallery (it is worth giving a look if you love the couple Thorin/Bilbo!) . So if you find many grammar error, pls contact me so I can correct it :D Thank you!

Warnings:
-I do not own these char;
-the char in this fanfiction are all 18+;
-this fanfiction involves relationships between men, incest and mature content! (MA)

UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, UNEXPECTED FEELINGS

CHAPTER 1 Eagle's wings and fire mountains
The sun was launching hot fire rays on the polished rocks of the mountains, It made them shine of a glorious and fiery light, that gives them a threatening and imposing look…stone giants, ready to go and sleep for the night, and welcome between their peaks for the nightfall the weakened and tired limbs of the Thorin's company.
The King of the Eagles stood majestic, launching threatening shadows on the rocks, while he was thanked by Gandalf.

The company was safe, escaped from the ambush of the brutal strength of orcs and warg together, which haunted them; Bilbo was just posed near there from an eagle, on the highest peak of the mountains chain, he was terrified and confused, he understood barely what happened, and what would be their destiny.
The eagles, in fact, while their lord was negotiating with Gandalf to help out the company, were whispering between them, and they were calling them "prisoners", they watched them in a awry way, they seemed as insecure as them, at the thought of having to deal with those creatures…till one of those enormous beasts planed down on them, ordering to take the "prisoner" to their king, to decide about their destiny.

As Bilbo stood on his strong feet, fell that his legs were not helpful as those: immediately he fell on the floor, weaker than ever; it was days that he wasn't eating anything; this of course was the same for the rest of the dwarves, but they were accustomed to the poor and wild life of the hopeless travels, remembering well how much, after the battle where they lose glorious Erebor, they traveled seeking a comfortable home…and that happened just after years and years of sacrifices.
Bilbo felt immediately Fili and Kili's grasp on him, and with a tired and gentle smile, they watched him with a sympathetic look and they helped him to stand, supporting him, so that he could assist to the scene that was going on in front of them with the same dignity of their companion: Gandalf was bowing, thanking the great Lord of the Eagles, that dismissed himself launching high screeches, calling to him his subjects, which were sent out hunting some rabbits and rams for the company.

The wizard turned around and watched them with a smile, focusing a bit on Bilbo, that returned him with a struggled smile…he was feeling tired, even if they gained a victory; he just wanted to lay on the floor, there, no need for a pallet, just sleeping for hours till the down and more…and maybe, waking up in his couch, in front of the Baggins' house fireplace, with a good book in his hands.
Gandalf talked to them about the deal with the King of the Eagles: explained them that they were going to pass the night on the hills, they could not be doing anything else, too hungry and shaken; they had to light a campfire, cooked what their hosts will take them, and, in the morning, they would be transported down to the valley.

The smile came back to everyone one hearing those words: however they didn't have the time to celebrates, cause the eagles returned to them with branches and straw, and, obviously, their dinner: some rabbits and a sheep.

They immediately started to get busy, refreshed at the idea of putting something in their empty stomach, and they lighted up a little fire, where they cooked as well as they could the given meat; in fact, from now on would be a difficult matter cooking: in the orcs caverns they lost anything, even the pots, e they should have fend the best they could.
Bilbo couldn't be of much help, in the dwarves frenzy in preparing the fast campsite where they will be sleeping, but none showed displeasure to him: he already did enough few hours ago, saving Thorin's life, killing the orcs who was going to behead him, and doing so he gave time to the company to regain strength and their lost spirits, and to repulse the orcs attack till the eagles' arrival.

He was exactly thinking about all this things, the little hobbit, while young King's body figure, leaning on the floor, dying,, flashed into his mind. In a moment, he woke up from his thoughts, flashing his eyes throughout the camp, searching the one who was injured…forgetting of anything has happened; then he saw him: he was standing silently near Gandalf, who was whispering some quick advices, barely wagging his hands in front of him, thoughtful.

Bilbo calmed down as he reached with the eyes his figure…remembering then the wizard who imposed his hands on Thorin, waking him from the long lasting sleep; he remembering the stumble of the dwarf towards him, when he was standing again, the reproaching thundering voice and then-

"Bilbo come on, eat something!"

Bofur's gentle voice woke him up from his thoughts; he always looked after him, that dwarf.

"You want be able to regain strength if you don't put something in your belly! Come…come on!" Bilbo smiled, and grasped the dwarf's hand that helped him standing, and then he followed him towards the fire, and they offered him a miserable share of rabbit, and however it was well accepted.

The dwarves sang a lot that night: their voices sounded high and joyful between peaks and pass, entertaining the austere eagles that slowly dangled at they chants, cheering up Bilbo's heart, who now was lunging for a peace which couldn't be really seen at the end of their travel.
Everyone sat around the campfire, laughing, joking and eating; everyone except Thorin and Gandalf: the two of them took long time to talk about what to do, from which pass and path they will be marching once arrived in the valley, with the wise advice of the king of the eagles, which was bent down on them, big and magnificent, as if he would like to protect and make that conversation a solemn one.

Thorin just escaped from a certain death; the jaws of the white warg were pitiless on his bones, and despite Gandalf healing magic, his body was still affected by it, and it would go on like that for hours, since that quick healing was over. He struggled to maintain his dignified and austere behavior, that alert look on his face always on. The last thing he desired for the night, was to add to the tired fellows (and parents, we like to remember this) further concerning about his health.
He nodded silently to Gandalf advices; time to time he bowed down his head to the mighty eagle, to respect and to thank him about saving them; Thorin spoke little; spoke little, but thought a lot. The next they, the threat of the orcs patrols would await them in the valley, he couldn't let himself go with the others, to sing glorious song or to sleep around the fire, not now: all should have been good planned, they were at the edge of the Wild Lands, dark and dangerous places, inhabited by creatures ready to anything to fulfill some atrocity, or simply to fulfill their stomach.

"As the Lord of the eagles says, Thorin, we have to walk hugging the Great River…" Spoke Gandalf with a serious and concerned look, as if he was nearly trying to understand the grievous condition of the dwarf, and trying to soothe with his sweet voice the wounds of the dwarf king.

Thorin spoke for the first time "Gandalf…to the other side of the river, Mirkwood awaits us…how can we reach that place?" Nothing had to be left randomly…the most meaningless detail, could lead them to death.

"The roads are patrolled north and south by the orcs, Gandalf. The dwarf is right, if he cares for your safety" The Lord of the Eagles spoke with a deep and majestic voice, breaking in the ears of the two fellows as if it was a tempest wind blowing, or a thunder in a storm, as implosive as it was.

Gandalf nodded to both of them, but he couldn't keep for himself a grin, like he has everything under control. "When we reach a determined point of the river, I know where and who to lead you all".
As he said this, Thorin look became curious and questioning, but he couldn't say anything else, since a low brighten of voice behind them distracted them: a little hobbit was standing shyly, bowing a little his head, embarrassed to have stopped a so solemn conversation.

"Please, excuse me…I thought you would like to eat something" He nervously handed over two slice of meat, trying comically to keep a not-so-confident look, typical of the young Bilbo, nearly as if he was ashamed to be offering that poor food to them. He thought (just in time) about Gandalf and Thorin, which they had not eat yet, and he barely could take two pieces of meat before greedy Bombur could ate even those.

Gandalf smiled, saying "Bilbo Baggins, your skills are still a news for me!", and he took from the hobbits hand his portion; then Thorin smiled too, hearing those words of Gandalf; he turned around to Bilbo, and the hobbit lowered his eyes feeling the deep look of the dwarf on him, fearing to have done something bad.

"No doubt, Gandalf is right when he speak that" And after saying that, he stood in front of Bilbo, he barely bowed down his head to thank him, and gave Bilbo a warm smile while he was taking his meat from his hand; then he went back to sit under the big wings of the big eagle; the big eagle, in fact, was looking Bilbo with a curious look in his yellow eyes: he saw many creatures, of all species, but that one was new to his eyes.

"Gandalf, who's this? What creature is it?" The enormous head of the Lord of the eagle lowered to Bilbo, that began to shiver, finding his face so close with the deep eye of the eagle, and stuttering he bowed down in a deep but clumsy curtsy, losing all his fake baldly look "B-Bilbo Baggins, his majesty!"

"A hobbit!" Said Gandalf, walking closely to Bilbo, laying a hand on his shoulder "From the Shire! But of this likely…you can find so few from where he comes from!" Gandalf spoke with a fierce and proud voice, and Bilbo regained vigor; he got himself up again, nearly jumping on his big foot "He surely took you by surprise, right? Well, your guardians skills are not weakened, Lord of the Eagles: in fact, this creature is one of the most stealthy, they move silently!"

While Gandalf covered with honor the little hobbit, Thorin smiled, looking at him with a rising proud. Just some hours ago, he was thinking that the hobbit left the travel, that he abandoned the company to slip back into his hobbit hole where they found him…in fact he did not only stay, but he even saved his life. He thought that he should have been the one right near Bilbo, to honor his acts…he owed him that, but Gandalf was surely doing a good work, in front of the unbelieving Lord of the eagles, who kept on moving his head right to left, watching down to the hobbit, and, sometimes, making him feel embarrassed.

After some time, the chant of the dwarves were slipping off: the fatigue went down on their eyes, and they quickly prepared their straw beddings; then they leaned on them and they fell in a deep sleep, one of those that was lacking from many Moons in the sky.

Bilbo stretched a bit, took some straw, less than the others, and piled it up in a corner, under a little cliff; he laid on it, and thought about how many honors he got that evening, at how many songs the dwarfs dedicated him…and thought even that he finally achieved the approval from Thorin, the head of the company. He saw that…in those blue eyes like the sea, he caught a glimpse of proudness for having the hobbit with them…and even gratitude.
He turned around some times in his bedding, and by doing that, when he turned to the fire, he could see the eagles undertaking the way to higher peaks to sleep, behind their Lord; they stood out to the sky and immediately they vanished in it.

Even Thorin, at last, took the remaining straw and he stock some to create a bedding; he was tired, despite his dwarf nature giving him an incredible stamina; that weariness started to make his head dangle on his chest, and that convinced Gandalf and the Lord of the Eagles to end up the conversation, to let him rest.
He sat down with a stomp on the straw, but that raised a painful stab in his abdomen, and he let that out with a grunt; after gnashing out his teeth, he deeply breathed, trying to thank the gods he was still alive, cursing the pale orc, which dealt on him a disgraceful defeat.
But again, his thoughts were interrupted by a little shape crouched near his bedding; flames at his back where launching shadows on the king.

"Thorin! Are you hurt? Well…! I mean…I know you've been hurt, what I wanted to sa-"

"I'm fine, young one" Thorin stopped him, settling down with a low mumbling, raising his hand to shut the other one up "It's over now".

Bilbo gasped all the time, a little shocked; he heard the painful grunt of the dwarf, so he stood reluctantly from his bedding, worried something was wrong, to ensure he was fine.
He tried to regain is usual and typical suspicious pout and frown, and that made him resemble a lot like a sulky rabbit, rather than a hobbit trying to be serious. He crouched better on his legs, like he wanted to become so little not to wake up anyone, as if his shape could disturb the sleep of the dwarfs; then he kept on going, curious.

"That…sorcery…that don't-know-what-was that Gandalf put on you…it doesn't seem to be so effective…"

Thorin sighed, shaking his head; not that he was annoyed from the presence of the hobbit or from his insistent questions (well, maybe a bit), but he was so tired, and his vision was beginning to blur out: it had been a not-so-easy day for him "Bilbo…go to sleep."
"But aren't you hurt? You maybe need some bandages? Well…we're on a mountain, not in a desert, there must be some healing herbs arou-"

"Shhh…" The annoying squeaks of the hobbit were interrupted from Thorin warning, and he lead a finger to his lips, while he was pointing at the sleeping dwarf "Tomorrow morning my wounds will be totally healed…Gandalf has assured me that" and he said those last words to shut an umpteenth "But-!" from Bilbo, to reassure him…so the hobbit gave up, sighing, shrugging and watching the dwarf with a weak, but sad smile.

"Understood…I go to sleep now"

Thorin smiled to, bowing down his head again, to thank him "I owe you my life, little hobbit"

Bilbo smiled, this time he was really embarrassed; he alluded a greeting with his head, and, stealthy as he came there, he slipped back into his bedding. With a heart full of proudness, he fell asleep, and Thorin di the same, looking at his tiny but brave shape, through the flames.

The night was calm, and they were all welcomed by it, lulled by the Moon and protected by the whipping wings of the eagles, which dominated the sky, swapping the guard between them to keep those little voyagers safe.