Gandalf glanced at Thorin, who glanced at Balin who nodded and Thorin pulled out an old looking piece of paper from a pocket and held it out to Bilbo. The hobbit frowned before taking it and carefully smelling it. His frown deepened and he quickly unfolded it. His hands hovered over the paper as he scanned the map before him, not touching it, "Where did this come from?"

"It was given to me by my father, many years ago," Thorin said as he leaned back, watching the hobbit through half lidded eyes. Bilbo glanced up at him, frowning, then turned to Gandalf.

"No."

"But you haven't even heard our proposal or read the contract," Gandalf huffed, crossing his arms. "It's not as bad as you think."

"A dragon is not something to be trifled with. I know, Gandalf, and if it's the dragon I think you are wanting to go chase, then I say no twice over," Bilbo growled.

"And how would you know of our dragon?" Dwalin leaned forward, looking interested.

"I myself have entered Erebor since your home was taken from you," Bilbo sat back, crossing his arms. "And have talked with the fire breather. I have dealt with many dragons in my time and this one by far is the most well mannered and the most cruel. You might as well accept that the Blue Mountains are your home now, dwarves, for the dragon will not leave Erebor alive."

"You are either the bravest creature I know or the stupidest for entering the home of a dragon," Gandalf pulled out his pipe, shooting Bilbo a dark look. "After everything that happened the last time."

"The last time I was nothing but a pup. I have matured since then," Bilbo huffed.

"You have laid eyes on the dragon? When?" Fili looked at his uncle, nervous.

"Coming on twenty odd years now. Healthy and whole and looking to continue his sleep. He'll wake soon enough, though, if you dwarves go traversing that way. His nose isn't as good as mine, but he'll pick out a dwarf from miles away," Bilbo tapped the map. "Forget your quest and return home."

"That we cannot do, Master Bilbo," Nori spoke solemnly. "We all swore an oath and we can't break our oaths. Tis disrespectful to our families and our clans."

"He is not going to help us, Gandalf," Thorin huffed. "We might as well go and see how far we can get today."

"Be off with you, then," Bilbo stood, eyes flashing a little. "You may restock if you must, but I expect you to be gone by the time I return."

With that he stormed out and they all heard the front door slam. They looked to Gandalf for answers. He sighed as he put out his pipe, "He was always one with a temper. You insulted him, Thorin, when you spoke of leaving. Even if he was not willing to join us on our quest, he does not deny guests."

"I don't think Uncle would want to stay a night here," Kili chuckled as he stood. "After the hobbit offered to eat him."

"Maybe Uncle wants to eat the hobbit?" Fili laughed before both boys ran out of the room. Thorin sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. It was not uncommon among dwarves to wed or be with another of their gender, since there were so few women among them. And those two (sadly) were heirs by their own right. So yes, Thorin may have been interested in some men, but this creature? Unlikely.

"Gandalf, if you could help Bombur and Bofur add some food to our supplies. The rest of you, clean up and head out," Thorin stood, picking up and folding the map. "We leave in an hour."

The boys only made a few more jokes and those only ended because they ended up in a duck pond, Thorin sitting by their ponies smugly. They rode for a few more hours before setting up camp just off the road. The sun was well under the horizon and supper had just been finished when a howl cut through the dwarves' conversations. All looked up towards the sound. It had come from back the way they had come, back in the Shire. They were well out of there now, had been out of the Shire since about mid-afternoon. Thorin looked at Gandalf, who looked thoughtful, "What is that, wizard?"

"That would be our skinchanger," Gandalf breathed out a smoke ring. "And he seems to be up to something."

A few more minutes of silence fell between them when the air was once again broken by a howl, but this was familiar to the dwarves and came from the other way down the road, where they wanted to go. Thorin stood, drawing his sword, "Wargs."

"Wargs mean orcs. Did the skinchanger call them?" Dwalin pulled out his axes, glancing at Gandalf.

"No, I think he was warning us," Gandalf continued to smoke his pipe. "Sit down and put those away."

"And why should we?" Balin grunted. In answer, a howl ripped through the air, right by them. This was the wolf again and as they all turned to look, it stepped out into the clearing. Its sandy brown fur allowed it to blend in a bit, but in the fire light its blue eyes looked darker, colder. It stalked around the dwarves, nose up as it smelled before stopping nearest the road, ears perking up. Another warg howl rent the air, closer, just the down the road. The wolf answered, ears going back as it lifted its large majestic head high. An orc cry was heard and the wolf disappeared once more into the wood. Cries of pain and terror soon reached the ears of the company and before Gandalf could stop them, Thorin was leading a charge to the road. They got there just in time to see the great wolf grab the neck of a fleeing warg and jerk his head. The warg went limp and the wolf dropped the body, glancing back at them, snarling a little as blood dripped from his fangs, "You should have stayed back at your fire, Dwarf King."

This voice was colder than the hobbit's, older even. It chilled Thorin to the bone, but he did not back down, "My company and I can take care of ourselves, thank you very much."

The wolf stalked over, stepping down and snapping the back of an orc trying to crawl away, "I should hope we can, Master Dwarf, or else this entire quest will be for naught."

"We?" Gloin scoffed. "Since when did you and us become a we?"

"Since now. Gandalf said something about a contract. I will sign it once I am clean," the wolf, no Bilbo, came to stand right in front of Thorin, lowering his head so he was looking right at Thorin. "The world is changing far too quickly, Dwarf King. Evil is arising from the dark places of the world and soon it won't just be your home you are trying to regain. I suggest you make sure you are this quest for the right reasons or you will perish the same way your father and grandfather did."

Bilbo then stalked off into the night, as quiet as a shadow.

"Back to camp, all of you," Gandalf called from his seat by the fire. The dwarves trudged back, grumbling as they sat back down. Thorin stayed standing, glaring back at the road.

"Keep your face like that for long and it won't change back," a voice spoke up from his side and Thorin just managed not to jump before looking down at the hobbit by his side, carrying a pack on his back. He smiled up at Thorin, "Hello again."

"I see you've cleaned yourself," Thorin growled.

"That I did. Orc blood tastes nasty, but what had to be done had to be done," Bilbo sighed, looking out at the road sadly. "War is the only constant in this world. Someone is always fighting someone else."

"Quite the optimist you are," Thorin raised an eyebrow.

"I like to think of it as I've been blessed with too long a life. But enough of this, where is this contract. I wish to know properly what you think we're getting into."