Chapter 7

Thorin could honestly say that flying on the backs of giant Eagles was not his favorite thing to do, though he became worried as he eventually lost sight of the little black eagle that had eventually fallen behind the others. As they came to a large establishment, which looked a bit like a strange mountain in the shape of a bear, he was rather glad as they were let off at the head of the mountain. He watched as the Eagles let off each of his companions, including Gandalf, he was still worried over how their little (OK, maybe not so little, little compared to these Eagles) eagle was still nowhere to be seen.

"Thorin, is everyone alright?" Gandalf asked as he landed and slid off his Eagle mount.

"Everyone that I can see is; some bruising and such, but nothing that rest won't heal. However, I do not see our black eagle of a burglar anywhere, and he was undoubtedly badly injured." Thorin said, and he noticed Gandalf suddenly become very still just before Fili said

"After how many times he has saved our skins, is it really that difficult to call him Bilbo? I don't think you've referred to him by his name once since he agreed to come and risk his neck on this quest; always referring to him as 'burglar' or 'Hobbit' or, on the rare occasion, 'Master Baggins', which is probably the most respectful thing you've called him." Before Thorin could make any sort of comment, Gandalf came forward and asked

"What did you mean when you called Bilbo a 'black eagle'?"

"Just that; as the Eagles picked each of us up, Bilbo shifted into a large black eagle before flying off." Dori explained and Gandalf had a strange look on his face before one of the Eagles screeched down at them.

"The Eagles are returning to their eyrie, but one will aid in bringing Bilbo here; apparently one of his wings is damaged and it would be easiest if we met Bilbo at the foot of the Carrock." Gandalf explained and they all started moving downwards before Ori said

"I'm surprised he could fly at all after what happened on the Misty Mountain." That was when it occurred to everyone that they had no clue how Bilbo had managed to save Ori from dying after they fell.

"Ori, just how did Bilbo save you after you both fell?" Dori asked and Ori had a strange look cross his face before he explained

"Well, after his wings gave out we fell and as he slammed himself into the side of the mountain, I finally managed to shift into my pika shift. We continued to fall until one of his feet managed to latch onto a protruding rock, and we landed upside down. We kind of hung there for a few minutes as Bilbo caught his breath and I heard him whisper 'please let this work'. Next thing I know his body shook, I fell, only to be caught in his mouth as he shifted from owl to weasel directly. He then proceeded to carefully climb up the side of the mountain and that's all I remember before passing out." Ori said and they were all stunned.

"I thought he couldn't do direct shift-to-shift?" Nori asked and it was Balin who replied

"Necessity breeds ability." Gandalf looked very worried about all this so he asked

"Just what all has happened in my absence that has made it so we are well over five days ahead of schedule?" Each of the Dwarves looked at each other nervously before Bofur decides to be the one to explain.

"Well, after we left Rivendell, Thorin asked Bilbo to be our scout since a flyer would be a good scout, and he was, so much so that we gained a few days. Then, as we reached the path that would lead us over the Misty Mountain, well, Thorin found Bifur teaching Bilbo Iglishmêk, and it came out that Bilbo has an eating disorder-" Here Gandalf interrupted with

"Eating disorder?!"

"Long story short on that one; Bilbo has trouble keeping food down and eating out here because of the memory of his parents." Nori explained before Bofur continued.

"Well Bilbo was mad because he thought Bombur, who had figured it out first and asked some of us to keep a watch on him, had full on told us what was wrong with him, which he didn't, he just gave us clues to figure it out to help him. Well, he spent the night away from us, then the next day he didn't want to eat breakfast with us and…" Bofur continued his recollection of everything that had happened and Gandalf could truly say he was shocked by the time he was done.

"What I don't understand is why Bilbo lied to me about the reptilian shift; the chances of us being less likely to accept a snake than a Warg are slim at best." Thorin commented and the Dwarves all agreed; amongst Dwarves, reptilian shifts were one of those things that didn't pop up every other birth, but it appeared more often than every fiftieth birth or something, and was therefore fairly accepted. Case in point being, of course, Balin with his turtle shift.

"On the contrary Thorin, Bilbo wasn't lying; his reptilian shift was unknown to even him until last night, when the danger and his anger overwhelmed him, and finally broke the spell Belladonna had put on Bilbo to protect him." Gandalf replied and many were surprised and confused.

"Belladonna?" Thorin asked and Gandalf nodded.

"Bilbo's mother; you see, she and Bungo were both worried as, just after Bilbo was born, and amongst all the fur and feathers during his birth cycle, they were almost positive that they saw a flash of scales. She was so worried about what others might do to her only child, as well as her precious baby boy, that she asked a witch near Bree to put a sort of block on the shift, she then asked me to keep my eyes open for any signs. What no one thought of, of course, is that just as water eventually wears down the mountains, so too would extreme fear and anger chip away at the block."

"I don't think I understand." Balin said and many agreed.

"Well, let's start at the beginning, where it all started; when his parents were attacked and killed, there was great rage and fear pumping through him, that is when the first chipping started and it kept going for days, till Rivendell. Then, it calmed down for a few hours when Arwen let him out of that room after we had saved him, only for it to come back full force when the Orcs attacked and almost killed Arwen, as well as almost paralyzing the other boy, more chipping. I imagine there was another incident after that, which has something to do with the Goblins, otherwise they would not have called him a 'Goblin-slayer' when they saw him. Then, things were quiet in the Shire, apart from being a pariah in his community, until we came along. Then there were the Trolls, the Great East Road, and then Rivendell with Saruman, the Stone Giants, and finally, the Goblins threatening to kill all of you. When you take into account all that, it's little wonder he shifted when he did, though when he lands, I would like to talk to him about his black eagle shift."

"Gandalf, why did Ms. Belladonna hide one of Bilbo's shifts? He often told me she was one of the few who fully accepted his shifts?" Ori asked as they reached the bottom and started to set up camp, and a sad, dark look came over the old wizards face as he replied.

"I dearly love Hobbits, and Belladonna was without a doubt, my favorite, and the friendship we shared allowed her to confide in me a secret from childhood, and one that she had only ever shared with Bungo, and even then, it was not until Bilbo was born. She had been one of the last born to her family, with her mother going through the pregnancy process one last time after her. Now, she and her mother had gone to Bree, when her mother suddenly went into labor, requiring the assistance of a healer from Bree, as the Hobbits there did not have a trained midwife to assist in birthing. Belladonna wanted to stay with her mother, but the healer had her placed outside of the room. Belladonna, however, was never one to be pushed around (something I'm happy to note her son inherited), so she climbed up the side of the house where they had been taken, to the window of the room her mother resided. And so, she watched as her mother went through the great pains of birthing, and watched as her mother gave birth to a little boy. However, her mother passed out, so the only ones to witness the lad's birth cycle, were the healer and Belladonna, and Belladonna saw that her little brother would have a reptilian shift of a snake; the healer was a fool that believed since Sauron could shift into a giant basilisk, that all snakes were signs of evil, and took the child away from his mother, sister, and this world before anyone could object. Belladonna was the only one who saw this, the healer saying the child had been stillborn, and she never told anyone what really happened, until her own darling boy came to this world, and, as if history had repeated itself, he too had a snake shift. Bungo could have cared less if his son was a snake or a mongoose or a dragon, so long as he had a child to love and care for with his beloved wife. But when Belladonna told him of what had happened to her brother, he agreed that, in order to protect what may be their only child, it would be best to hide Bilbo's shift until he was able to protect himself from such close minded fools." As Gandalf finished, many were sickened that someone could actually do that an innocent baby. If Belladonna had not seen it, would she have allowed someone from the world of Men near her baby, their burglar and friend, and would they have killed him, before he had had a chance to live?

"I must ask you, not to bring this up with Bilbo; he knew about some things concerning his would-be uncle, but did not know about the block or the specifics. Though Bilbo, being the bright lad that he is, has probably put it all together by now." Then, as if his praise were words of summoning, the last Eagle of Manwë appeared in the sky; he looked much older than the others had, but he flew no less gracefully, and he landed no less gracefully. He straightened his back and a small (compared to him) eagle slid off his back.

"I must caution everyone; Bilbo is five times more dangerous in this shift than he is in any other, even the wolf hybrid, tiger or the snake." Gandalf cautioned slowly as Oin had started to move over and check on the badly bleeding eagle, only to be snapped at by the little eagle and the other Eagle to look menacingly at him.

"Why?" Kili asked as he looked at Bilbo, though he had to admit the blood-red eyes did unnerve him a bit.

"For several reasons, if Bilbo is what I think he is. For one, he is as aggressive as a Martial Eagle, a bird of prey that feeds on whatever it can catch, from Guinea fowl and other birds, to baboons, lion cubs, and even antelopes! For another, he has the talons of a Harpy Eagle, which are longer than a bears claws and it has such a powerful grasp, that it could break a man's arm or even pierce through his skull if it wanted to. Thirdly, he has the strong, sharp, and powerful beak of the Steller's Sea Eagle, which is one of the strongest beaks for eagles in all of Middle Earth. Finally, it is rumoured to be a larger cousin to the dangerous Crowned Eagle; a bird so powerful and aggressive that it had been known as 'the leopard of the air', as well as being the only bird to actually kill and eat the children of Men. Not to mention his wings can whip up hurricanes Smaug would be proud of, and his screech is said to be able to turn a man's brains into pudding if he's exposed to it long enough." They all looked nervously at the wounded eagle with new respect.

"How can we help him if he won't let us near him?" Thorin asked and Gandalf could only sigh

"I wish I knew; from the look of him, he's in so much pain, he can't recognize friend from foe, though I doubt he will attack Fili, Kili or Ori as they are quite young, though I wouldn't be sending them near Bilbo until he's calmed down some."

"If we wait for him to calm down and let his Hobbit mind take over again, he may bleed to death!" Bofur replied angrily and the others nodded.

"If any of you would wish to try and get near him, be my guest, though do not forget he is flanked by another Eagle that does not appear to be in any hurry to leave, and a wounded animal is at least twice as dangerous as a healthy one." Each of the Dwarves tried to get close enough but they were snapped at, gently pushed away, or, in Dwalin's case when he tried a second, more robust, time, screamed at, until Thorin was the only one left who had not tried.

"I suppose it's my turn to try." Thorin said but many looked highly uneasy.

"Uh Thorin, need I remind you that you and he aren't exactly the best of friends?" Balin asked as the little Eagle and his companion wearily eyed his king.

"That may be true, but I'm the only one he directly saved without being a hatchling, so he may listen. I believe that is why he nudged Fili, Kili, and Ori even more gently than the others; his animalistic mind said they were children and wounded birds do not allow young near them." Thorin said before taking the bandages and ointments from Bombur, who had been the last to try, and Thorin was immensely glad Nori had hung onto Bilbo's medic bag during the Goblin fiasco, and approached a bird with a beak that could cleave flesh from bone, talons that could crush bones and wings that could easily knock him over and out.

"Mast– Bilbo, if you can hear me, I would like to speak with you. I said at the beginning of this quest that you would be a burden; that you would not survive in the wild, and that you had no place amongst us. I have never been so wrong, in all my life. Not only do you have a place amongst us, but it is that of a protector; even when your body has been exhausted to a point where moving was agony, you have called on a strength that not many could even dream of and run to the aide of those who barely trusted you. And you have comforted those that needed it, such as Ori that first night when we first heard the Wargs; you are uncomfortable with physical contact, let alone physical signs of affection, and you still tried to comfort him when he was afraid. You have performed the role of protector admirably, and now I ask for the chance to return the favour and aid and protect you in your time of need." Thorin finished his little speech, and Bilbo looked at him for a long moment before reaching under one of his wings and pulling out… Thorin's shield? As he tossed the shield to his feet, Bilbo managed to garble out one word in question

"Oak?" Thorin could only nod, as he was surprised that Bilbo had his shield; he could not even remember dropping it.

"It would appear Bilbo does have some respect for you Thorin; while he and the other Eagles attacked the Orc pack, he must have swooped down and retrieved your shield for you. You wouldn't remember dropping it because of the adrenaline pumping through your veins at the time." Gandalf offered as Thorin gently made his way to Bilbo, who seemed to have finally calmed down upon recognizing someone. It was actually a large number of scratches and bruises, except for one wing that somehow had the targe on it, that looked quite possibly sprained.

"Gloin, just what happened after you and Bilbo fell off the bridge?" Thorin asked, being sure not to accidently pull any feathers out.

"Well, after we fell, Bilbo managed to slow our descent enough so that we didn't end up smashing our skulls in. Hoping that we were still close to the exit, we quickly got up and started moving."

Flashback to the Goblin Tunnels

"You sure you're alright Gloin?" Bilbo asked as they made their way down the passage.

"I'm fine lad; let's just get out of here before more Goblins find us. By the way, thank you, for saving Oin's trumpet; out here, it would be difficult to replace or fix, and his hearing really isn't the greatest." Bilbo only nodded, then made a motion for silence, just as a creature jumped down and was about to attack them, only for Bilbo to block with his targe and spear, which had fallen beside him after the fall.

"What is they Precious? Are they yummy? Are they crunchy? Gollum! Gollum!" The creature seemed insane as it talked to itself and Gloin and Bilbo could only look at the creature in bewilderment.

"I am Gloin, son of Groin, and this is Bilbo Baggins, son of Bungo, who and what are you, vile creature?" The creature seemed to ignore Gloin and was going on about killing them and eating them, but also about playing a game.

"I would like to play a game, I truly would. So how about you and I have a game of riddles?" Bilbo asked, and Gloin was looking at him as if he had lost his mind to which Bilbo replied

"Keeping his mind busy means he won't be using his mouth to eat us!" Gloin agreed as the creature asked

"What does it get if it wins, Precious?"

"You let Gloin and I leave with no problems."

"And if it loses what then? Well, if it loses, Precious, then we eat them! If Baggins loses, we eats it whole." Bilbo and Gloin were both nervous, but Bilbo said

"Fair enough, but you should really only eat me; Gloin is a Dwarf and they're made from rocks, so very difficult to eat, and very hard to digest. If you eat him, the indigestion alone will keep you laid up for days, meaning the Goblins could get you and kill you. Now, if you would kindly start us off?" The strange creature then asked its riddle

"What has roots as nobody sees, / Is taller than trees/ Up, up, up it goes, / And yet never grows?" Bilbo thought for a moment before he answered

"A mountain. Now my turn; Thirty white horses on a red hill/ First they champ/ Then they stamp/ Then they stand still." The creature thought for a long moment before saying

"Teeth? Teeth! We only have nine. Our turn; Voiceless it cries, / Wingless flutters, / Toothless bites, / Mouth less mutters." Bilbo seemed stumped, until a breeze wafted over the Hobbit and Dwarf and Bilbo said

"Wind! The answer is wind. Now it's my turn; A box without hinges, key or lid, / Yet golden treasure inside is hid." The creature thought for almost a full five minutes, and Gloin allowed himself to hope that Bilbo had come up with the right riddle, only for that hope to be dashed as the creature shouted

"Eggs! Our grandmother taught us to suck them when we was small! Last riddle; This thing all things devours: / Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; / Gnaws iron, bites steel; / Grinds hard stones to meal; / Slays king, ruins town,/ And beats high mountain down." Bilbo thought for a long while, and Gloin began to worry that Bilbo would be unable to beat the creature and so he readied his axes in case he needed to defend his wounded comrade.

"Times up." The creature said with a self-satisfied smile on his face, only for Bilbo's face to suddenly light up as the answer came to him.

"Time! The answer is time." Bilbo then thought long and hard, trying to think of something that would truly stump the strange creature. Finally, he came up with one.

"What creature, am I and where is my home?" The creature then started going on about it not being a fair question but Bilbo argued that the creature had said *any* question, and conceded to three guesses.

"Dwarf from the mountains!" Bilbo shook his head and said

"Nope; my feet are too big and my ears are pointed. Try again."

"Elf from the forests!"

"Too short; one more guess." The creature became frantic as it tried to think of something.

"Goblin!"

"I take offence at that! Now, you were unable to guess correctly so-" The creature then lunged at Bilbo, only for Gloin's axe to block and Bilbo used his spear to knock him out.

"Come on; if we have any hope of finding Thorin and the company, we better get moving."

"But shouldn't we finish it off?"

"No; he's not worth it, now come on!"

End of Flashback

"And that's what happened." The others were all shocked and astounded as Gloin finished his story.

"Bilbo said you were made out of rocks in order to protect you?" Oin asked and Gloin nodded.

"Why didn't he say you were both made out of rocks? Then maybe the creature would have left both of you alone!" Kili stated but Nori shook his head

"Apart from a similar size, Bilbo doesn't really look like us, so it may not have bought it at all. What I want to know is why did he let the creature live? Any one of us would have killed it."

"That is another difference between you and Bilbo, Master Nori; he does not long for a bloodbath, nor does he excite at the idea of war, he simply fights so that when he dies, it will be on his terms, and not anyone else's. He learned to fight as a way to vent the anger and betrayal he felt as a child long ago, and he continued it because the Shire is a fertile and enviable land, and it needs a protector. In an essence; he learned to fight, so that he could keep the peace." As they thought over Gandalf's words, many realized that they were very hungry, and they had unfortunately lost most of their rations, when Bilbo made a chirping noise to the larger Eagle, who gently ran his beak over Bilbo's head (and nearly hit Thorin) before taking off.

"I believe Bilbo just asked the Eagle to hunt for you and him." Gandalf informed the Dwarves and they were greatly relieved.

"Oin, it looks like one of his wings is sprained, what should I do about it?"

"See if you can keep him calm while I look to see how severe it is." Oin said and Thorin really had to do very little, since Bilbo seemed to be able to at least realize that no one here was going to hurt him.

"Well, as usual, he was very bright about his injuries; looks like he used his targe as a splint to keep the wing immobile, which would explain why he lagged behind and eventually rode the other Eagle. He was more or less gliding than actually flying until his friend helped him. That has helped the healing process along, we'll compress it with a bandage and see to it he lets it rest for forty-eight hours, which means he'll be a downed bird until the day after tomorrow. I just wish we had some ice to help it along." Oin said and Bilbo suddenly chirped before picking up a rock with his beak, and the others watched as his breath seemed to freeze the rock.

"Bilbo seems more willing to use his elemental capabilities than before; very interesting." Gandalf said as Oin gently took the rock and gave it to Thorin before bandaging the wing. Thorin, who had had many sprains before, as well as looking after his nephews injuries, simply put the ice stone on the wing, and would keep an eye on things. The other Eagle then screeched its return, heralding a very large buck in its talons; as the Eagle dropped the buck near Bombur and Bifur, he also dropped some fish near Bilbo, who trilled at the sight.

"I do hope that Bilbo will shift back soon; I have a feeling that there is a very interesting story behind why this Eagle is staying so close to Bilbo, and so attentive. Something tells me also that it may just be linked to why the Goblins feared him so much." The others all nodded, and then proceeded to carve up the buck and cook it, while Bilbo happily enjoyed his fish. Thorin found Fili and Kili sneaking some of the raw bits of the buck to Bilbo, who ate them curiously, but wouldn't eat much of it.

"As a bird, his instincts tell him that fledglings should have lots to eat. His tiger instincts basically say the same thing; unlike lions, where the male eats first, tiger males allow the females and children to eat first, and then they eat." Balin explained as he looked at Bilbo, a strange look in his eyes as he took in the black eagle.

"What is it Balin?" Thorin asked as he was handed his portion of the stew.

"Old stories that my gran used to tell me as a boy, about Dwarves not being solely connected to the ground, having Arial protectors that would also act as mounts for the braver Dwarves who wished to see Middle Earth from above the mountains as well as below it."

"Indeed you are right Master Balin; if my hunch is correct, and knowing Bilbo's luck it probably is, Bilbo is a bird that was known as a Black Eagle; a bird that had many dangerous relations in its family tree, though it is now extinct, and has been for an age, thanks to the ignorance of Men." Gandalf said and many had a feeling they weren't going to like it but as Ori opened his mouth to ask, Gandalf simply said

"I shall wait until Bilbo is able to hear me a little more clearly to tell you why; he deserves to know some good about his shifts for a change instead of always hearing the worst about his shifts, particularly when I find the jaguar and leopard, where he gets his strong jaws and legs respectively, most beautiful."

"I wonder why his tiger shift is actually a jumble of the strongest big cats." Dwalin wondered and Gandalf replied

"Bilbo had to learn to adapt if was going to survive; it only makes sense that his shifts would do the exact same thing, though it pains him to do it often, so he will only change when the occasion calls for it. He actually prefers his weasel and owl shifts." Thorin could well understand that, and wondered what Bilbo would look like as an ocelot, leopard or jaguar, as he had never seen those big cats before. They all then finally succumbed to two days of adrenaline coursing through their veins with very little rest. Before he fell asleep, he felt Fili curl in next to him, saw Kili curl up next to Bilbo, who placed his wing over him, and was almost certain he saw Gandalf smile at them. The next day, Thorin woke up to Fili asking

"Where's Bilbo?!" Thorin and the others quickly got up and looked around, only to suddenly hear a chirp from above, causing them to look up and see Bilbo hanging upside down from a branch high above their heads.

"Bilbo! How in blue blazes did you get up there?! And why didyou go up there?" Bofur called up and Bilbo tugged on a branch to connect it with others that had been pulled over and then they heard rain drops and realized it was raining and had been for a while. They then looked at a tree near the Durin's resting spot, and saw claw marks on the log, evenly spaced out.

"Did you climb all the way up there just to give us some protection from the rain?" Balin asked and Bilbo happily chirped and chirped happily again when the larger Eagle landed, the others all being so worried at Bilbo's disappearance they hadn't even noticed the Eagle had left to hunt for them again. As the large Eagle ducked his head under the shelter, he gently butted his beak against Bilbo, who let go of his branch and slid down the Eagle's back.

"Thank you indeed, my dear friend; both for hunting for us, and finding more fish for Bilbo." Gandalf said as Bombur cut into the carcass. The bird simply nodded before grooming Bilbo.

"Gandalf, is it just me, or does that Eagle act rather paternal towards Bilbo?" Thorin asked as Gloin and Ori went to gather some firewood.

"I have noticed it as well, although the word you are looking for is maternal; that's a female Eagle. But she is indeed very protective and very caring of Bilbo; making me ever more curious as to what happened to Bilbo whilst he was training with Radagast."

"You know nothing of his time with the other wizard?"

"Nothing; I had some business to tend to, so Radagast completely took over Bilbo's trouble with his new shifts, and he was with him for a year and a half, before Radagast moved closer to the Greenwood to better protect it. The next time I saw him, Bilbo's eyes had the same look they do now; a harshness that is released in battle, and hardness and coldness that not many would dare to breach. Unlike your nephews, who, while unnerved by his gaze, are still willing to be near him, as is Bofur. I am still surprised though that he was willing to fly as your scout."

"Why?"

"Bilbo is forbidden from flying in the Shire."

"Are they really that scared he'll eat them?" Dori asked as Bombur started dishing out the meal.

"Not only that, but owls are seen as omens of death in the Shire."

"WHAT?! But Dwarves see them as good omens! Whenever I've seen an owl during a heist, I've never been caught, not once! Just ask Dwalin! And many see them as signs of victory, of death to your enemies!" Nori exclaimed and many agreed, indeed, many had felt some elation when they found out Bilbo was an owl; an owl burglar could only be a sign of good fortune.

"Alas, all of Bilbo's shifts are seen as killers; owl, tiger, wolf, weasel, eagle and now snake, each an animal that could decimate the Shire's population."

"/That's ridiculous! Bilbo would never hurt someone unless he was attacked first!/" Bifur angrily said and took a protective stance around their downed Eagle, who was once again enjoying his fish, as if someone would suddenly pop out and hurt their wounded friend.

"Apparently most believe that what returned to the Shire seven years after his parents' deaths was not really Bilbo Baggins, but just a dark force using Bilbo as a shell." Many scoffed at the ridiculous idea that Bilbo would do such a thing; it appeared they knew him better after travelling with him for only a few months than his neighbors had living near him for years. For the rest of the day, they spent their time practicing with their weapons, going over their routes, being able to actually make some progress as Bilbo climbed trees and switched from branch to branch, and Gandalf going on ahead to ask for aid from a friend of his, saying he would be back tomorrow morning. That night, the Dwarves hunted for themselves, and were able to find some pheasants, as well as plenty of fish, which of course made Bilbo very happy, who was able to shake some apples from the tree he was hanging from. They had managed to ask the Eagle if she wanted anything, but she managed to convey her decline. They then settled in for sleep, until dawn broke, and found Bilbo gone again, along with the other Eagle, though this time his spear was leaning against the tree he had been laying against the night before. They also noticed three dead rabbits next to a fire that seemed to have been going for a little while.

"Alright Dori, one more good hit and they should start falling." They turned and were all relieved to see Bilbo carrying a load of fish over his shoulder and standing beside a mountain goat who was ramming a nearby tree that had more apples in it.

"Bilbo! You're awake and you shifted back!" Kili excitedly said and Bilbo dryly replied

"Astute observation. Now help me and Dori pick up these apples. Also, we will be hunting after breakfast to gather supplies for Mirkwood since the person that Gandalf is trying to persuade is a very strict vegetarian. He is a skin-changer that believes in professional courtesy when it comes to meals, and if one of you idiots should insult him and anger him to attack by even suggesting eating meat, I don't have the strength to protect you just now. Now, there is a spell I know that will keep any meat we catch fresh for a couple of months, just don't damage it too much when you bring it down." Bilbo explained as Kili came over and helped pick up the many apples that had fallen.

"Two questions; one, how do you know that and two, where is your Eagle bodyguard?" Thorin asked as Bombur and Bofur started cooking the fish Bilbo had caught.

"Solareas, my 'Eagle bodyguard', flew back to the eyrie and was the one to tell me about the skin-changer, as well as warn me about our hosts temper when it comes to eating meat. Now, how are you feeling? Let's not forget you were the one to get a mace to the face, be bitten by a Warg and used as a chew toy." Thorin winced at the reminder to his wounded pride.

"A few injuries, the worst being a few fractured ribs, unlike you, who had a damaged wing from sliding down a mountain, a bad head wound from splitting it on a rock – yes I saw you land on the rock – when we fell into the Goblin caves, multiple bruises and scratches from getting a beating from the Goblins, as well as any injuries you gathered during your fall and the battle with Azog." Thorin said and Bilbo's cheeks turned a little pink before he said

"I'm sure you've seen worse."

"If I did not wish to be on the wrong end of your hooks, I would call you a danger-prone idiot."

"Well, as my father would say, takes one to know one- my hooks!" Bilbo said with a start as he darted over to his pack and came to a horrifying realization.

"What's wrong?" Dwalin asked as he quickly came over only for Bilbo to say

"I've not only lost one of my chakram, but I also lost my claymore!" Ori quickly came over and tried to see if he could find either, but they all knew the Bilbo had indeed lost one of his chakram when he sliced off Bolg's ugly head, and now that Gloin thought about it, Bilbo had used his spear and targe against the creature, when everyone knew he preferred his sword for close contact.

"Now I'm down to two chakram, and the damn letter-opener for a sword!" Bilbo said and they could tell he was taking the loss of the claymore particularly hard, not that they thought he was over-reacting of course; they would feel exactly the same if they had lost any of their own beloved weapons.

"Well, at least you still have your hooks as well as the letter-opener." Fili said, trying to cheer Bilbo up.

"That may be true, but I've had that claymore for thirty years, and I'm still rather new with the hooks. Not to mention that that chakram won't be easy to replace; most have never even heard of one, let alone made one, and these were made to specific modifications in accordance to my size." They were all sad to hear that, but Ori said

"When we get to Erebor, we'll make you a whole bunch of new chakram! And we'll replace your claymore too!" Many nodded in agreement but Bilbo only looked mildly better.

"I thank you for the offer but it does not do me much good now as I am still down to two chakram, as well as two swords I am either very new at or just can't get the hang of, so that leaves me with my bow, spear, targe that I know how to use, as well as my two knives and the war hammer. And Azog is still alive, and he'll probably be after my blood almost as much as yours, Thorin, seeing as how I decapitated his son and heir."

"Well then, there is only one thing for it; I will help you get used to your letter opener until we can replace your claymore." Balin said and Bilbo looked shocked at this offer.

"Also, some of us have extra axes and throwing knives; we can test you to see how well you work with them, which should be pretty easy once you get the hang of it." Fili suggested and Bilbo couldn't keep his mouth from dropping a bit in his shock.

"And I've got an extra slingshot; it may not be as impressive as your chakram or an axe, but it can get the job done." Ori said and Bilbo finally asked

"Why are you willing to do all this for me?"

"Giving you a few replacement weapons and helping you get the hang of them seems to be a small price to pay for all the times you've saved our asses." Nori said and the others nodded in agreement, which made Bilbo blush a bit but was saved from making any foolhardy comments as Gandalf returned.

"Ah, Bilbo! I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that you have shifted back! I have found someone who may be able to give us some proper time to rest, if we play our cards right. Now, do you think we could learn about your Black Eagle shift? I did not even know you had a secondary flying shift." Bilbo looked a tad uncomfortable but knew Gandalf and the others would not let up until they knew the story behind his Black Eagle, especially if they knew it was linked to why the Goblins feared him. As their breakfast was divvied up, Bilbo sat down and started his story

"Well, as you've probably guessed, it occurred not long after I was sent to live with Radagast in order to get more in touch with both my magic and my new shifts. I had been badly poisoned by some mushrooms he had given me, and the next thing I knew, my golden feathers had turned pitch black and I had grown from the size of a foot rest to being larger than a dining room table. He didn't understand it and neither did I, but we didn't dwell overly much on it; after all, I had just gone through two major transformations, what was one more? Radagast was very excited however, because the old stories often told about how long and far the Black Eagles could fly without food or rest. So, I set off to see just how long I could fly without food, water or rest and I ended up flying for three days and nights before I needed to rest. After I was done resting, I was just about to fly back and tell Radagast how long and far I had flown, when I heard a horrible screeching noise. I followed it and saw that some Goblins had managed to catch a fledgling of the Eagles and were getting ready to kill her, so, I swooped down and killed them, along with staying to protect the fledgling. When the older Eagles found us, it was determined that I learn some basic skills of what it meant to be a bird, as a thank you for protecting a dear friend of the High Lord's sons. These included how to catch a fish without landing, how to fly trusting your gizzard, and one of the most important skills of birds, being able to listen to the winds to see when it was safe to fly and when it wasn't. Solareas, my 'Eagle bodyguard' as Thorin put her, was my teacher because she hated Orcs as much as I did; she had lost her mate, sister, and both of her hatchlings in a war they had fought against Orcs and Wargs. After I left, I was told to consider myself kin of the Eagles, and before she left today, she said that if I wanted, when the quest was over, I could come live with her at the Eyrie." At the surprised and strange looks Bilbo elaborated with

"Since she lost her whole family to the Orcs, I think Solareas felt a bond with me and kind of, perhaps thought of me as a replacement hatchling. Anyways, when I returned to Radagast my beak and claws were still stained black, so Radagast gave me the name 'Black Claw' whilst the Eagles and Goblins named me Light-Bringer and Goblin-Slayer."

"Bilbo, I think I could know you for a thousand years, and you would still find ways to surprise me." Gandalf said as they finished their breakfast and Bilbo shrugged before asking

"Now that we're done with further probing into my past, Solareas told me that we could step into your skin changer's territory tomorrow and spend today hunting. However, I worry about the hunting capabilities of these Dwarves since the only ones I've seen the shifts of are Ori, Gloin, Fili, Kili to protect me and Thorin in anger whilst attacking me and I'm betting that Dwarves don't teach themselves how to fight, let alone hunt in their shifts."

"Well then, Bilbo, why don't you give the Dwarves some pointers on trusting their shifts today while stockpiling on hunts for when you enter Mirkwood." Gandalf suggested while the others looked confused and a little worried, as they knew Bilbo had a short fuse when it came to this sort of thing.

"Hey, why do I get the job of teaching something to a bunch of Dwarves something they should have been taught when they were Dwarflings? Furthermore, what makes you think they'd be willing to give up the ways of their forefathers?" Bilbo asked but it was Thorin who replied with

"Bilbo, if we had thought of attacking in our shifts instead of keeping to these forms, Azog and his Wargs would never have been able to pin us. I cannot promise you that we will listen with perfect hearing, but we will do our best to listen to you; Mirkwood is heavily infected and it does not seem wise for us to be fighting our 'instincts'. I bit Kili when I was a little frustrated; I don't want to think about what I might do if I was sufficiently frustrated with a dark, dank forest that we will be in for at least two weeks." Remarkably enough, Bilbo completely agreed with Thorin; with so many volatile shifts, the Dwarves needed to be in tune with their shifts to be able to sense danger or they would all get killed.

"Right then, when you take that way of thinking then there isn't a moment to lose in getting you to trust your instincts; we'll start with trusting your instincts to hunt today and work on the rest while we recuperate at Gandalf's friends place. Now, Kili is going to be a sort of assistant in this endeavor with Fili perhaps helping a bit as well."

"Why are Kili and I going to be helping you?" Fili asked and Bilbo looked at them before saying

"Because Kili can speak perfect Westron in his cheetah shift, and you have a good handle on it in your lion, but not the greatest, as I'm sure Thorin would be willing to attest to. Now, only those that can speak Westron in a shift are in tune with their shifts, such as the Elves, or at least partially. Now, Kili, Fili, I want the two of you to tell me why it is you think you can talk, why are you willing to trust them even a little so you can talk?"

"I suppose I was always in awe of the lion's strength and everything, and since it is considered a king in the animal world, I thought it might be something of an omen that I could be a good king towards my people." Bilbo nodded at Fili's explanation.

"That is highly intelligent of you; respect your shifts powers and what they can mean. However, you fear that your own qualities are somewhat lacking and undeserving of such a noble animal, correct?" Fili nodded, surprised that Bilbo knew that without asking, but then again, as Thorin said, Bilbo was an observer.

"I thought so, that's why to an outsider, your Westron is a little choppy; I can hear you perfectly because I am another feline, to Thorin, a canine, it probably sounded a little choppy, which brings us to rule number one; respect your shifts powers, but do not underestimate your own. Remember your maker gave you that particular animal for a reason. Also, rule number two, though it's more of something just to remember than an actual rule; animals in the same family can talk to each other, but to outsiders, if you are not in tune with your shift, it is broken Westron. Kili?" Kili then went on with his explanation,

"Ever since I was child, the other Dwarves always made fun of me for everything; I looked too Elvish to be a pure Dwarf, only Elves used bows, my father deliberately got himself killed so he wouldn't have to be burdened with a 'Dwelf' son." Bilbo listened, and saw the other Dwarves look ashamed they had let such behavior go on without their knowledge, before he said

"You felt that there was no one you could confide in?"

"There wasn't really; Fili always seemed busy with learning how to be a proper heir for when we reclaimed Erebor and when he had free time for me, I didn't want to burden him with what the others called me, Thorin was always busy and trying to make things a bit easier, and I know some said unsavory things about my mother on how her second child looked a lot like an Elf. So, I was often left to my own devices, until one day, my cheetah and otter began talking to me." Here, Bilbo interrupted

"Ah, so they initiated the contact did they? That is very interesting indeed."

"I thought so as well, and asked my mother about it and she said that most ignored their shifts when they talked to them, but because I had unusual shifts, maybe I should listen to them."

"Your mother was very wise; I wish I could have met her." Bilbo said and the Dwarves could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"Yes, I think the two of you would have got on like two peas in a pod. Anyhow, as I listened to them, I found myself wishing that I could run as fast as the cheetah, and swim as stealthily as the otter could."

"Then their traits bled over into your body and one day as a cheetah or otter, you just started speaking Westron, right?" Bilbo deduced and Kili just nodded.

"Well then, Kili is more in touch than I gave him credit for, which brings us to rule three; the shifts are a part of us and, if we give them a chance, our friends. As my mother would say after the other grownups said they didn't want a weasel or an owl around their children, in a world so full of life, and with shifts a part of your very soul, you are only as alone as you wish to be. Now, Kili, if you would kindly shift so I can see just how good of a hunting partner you'll be today?" Kili was practically bouncing with pride as he shifted, though he squirmed in uneasiness when the others, even Gandalf a little, looked at him in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Kili asked and it was Ori who said

"Your coat is darker than it should be."

"Is that all? I'm a king cheetah, we're sort of a sub-species that has more splotches than actual spots, complete with three lines running down our back." Bilbo then knelt in front of him and gently lifted his front paws so Kili could see them and was shocked by what he saw; they were pure black!

"Balin, had you noticed Kili's fur becoming blacker before this shift? I ask because you were the one who was focused more on him during my fight with Thorin." Balin thought back and realized that Kili's fur had been getting darker, but it had been doing so gradually, so Balin never paid much attention to it. His recognition must have shown on his face, because Bilbo then asked

"When did his fur start turning? If you can't remember exactly, approximately the time in which you thought the fur looked even a touch off." Balin didn't need to think for long before he said

"Just after Dis died."

"Interesting. Well, I believe Kili is changing from a king cheetah to a black leopard, sometimes referred to as a black panther; however he is not to be confused with Lady Arwen, who is a black cougar. This could be rather fortuitous to you, as leopards have the strongest climbing capabilities of all the big cats. Now, I want the rest of you to shift into your preferred shift and then we'll go hunting remember though, I can talk to you, but you won't be able to talk to me." So all the Dwarves shifted into their dominant shifts, and Bilbo was suddenly surrounded by a menagerie of different animals and Bilbo admitted that he was very impressed with what he saw, though he could tell that the shift for many of them had been very painful, especially for Thorin and Bofur.

"Now we come to rule four; if you do not accept your shifts the transformation is very painful. Case in point, Thorin and Bofur; hyenas have a very bad reputation and therefore Bofur fights his instincts and experiences a painful transformation. First, I would like to say that this is a horrible thing to do, as hyenas are very talented hunters; they actually take down almost 90% of their own kills, they are also, you'll pardon the expression, nature's garbage disposals in that they eat everything of their kills including hair, bones and hooves. Then, we have someone who fights both wolf and badger, which again is a terrible idea because wolves are loyal animals that will not suffer a blight to their pack, and badgers are simply ferocious animals that will defend their family to the death. Now everyone, please trust me and just let a bit of your mind be taken over by your animal instincts." Bilbo watched as they all closed their eyes and seemed to be doing something. Gandalf explained,

"They are removing a few of their mental defences' dear boy; Dwarves, from a very young age are taught how to create blocks so their animal side cannot show themselves." Bilbo snorted at such a ridiculous thought, but then remembered that he himself had had such blocks before he went to live with Radagast, who was the one to show him that the only way to survive was to embrace your animal side. He then watched as their eyes open, and they seemed a bit different.

"The animal side is beginning to peak through for them; not much but it's a start." Fili explained as he came over to sit on the other side of Bilbo.

"Alright, now we are going to hunt some deer that are not too far from here. My one condition is that you try your best not to kill females or young; I will not abide that kind of hunting. Now, here is my plan; we shall form a circle around the herd, do your best not to make a sound or you shall give away our position. Fili, Kili and myself shall be directly facing the herd and when we coming storming out, that shall be everyone's cue to charge from the sides. Thorin and Dwalin shall come from the left whilst Bofur and Nori come from the right, meanwhile, Balin, Dori, Bifur, Bombur, Oin and Gloin shall head off the herd and try not to let too many escape." Bilbo then heard a small cry from below and saw a small pika looking up at him with the obvious question in his eyes 'What do I do?'

"Ori, you have an extremely important role; one of us is going to put you high enough in a tree so that you will be our eyes and ears. Meaning you'll be alerting us to when a fine buck is about to get away, or we're getting too close to a calf for your liking, but most importantly informing me if one of the others is in danger of being hurt by a frightened buck. Everyone understand? Remember now, you will only charge when you see Fili, Kili, and myself charging. Alright then, let's go." As the others all turned to leave, Bilbo was surprised when Nori rubbed up against Bilbo in a friendly way, and Dori gently nuzzled Bilbo before they too left.

"They are thanking you for giving Ori an important role, whilst also keeping him far from danger where a little pika could get hurt." Gandalf explained before Bilbo turned and left to rejoin the others. Perhaps there is still hope, not only for this quest, but also for the Dwarves and Bilbo.