141.) Starved—
None of the dwarves are acquainted with Bilbo well enough to notice when his clothes start hanging loose on his body, when his face grows pale and gaunt, when he begins looking sickly and starved despite the fact that they all eat two hearty meals a day; nobody notices anything at all until he collapses quite suddenly, and it's only when Dwalin picks him up, cradling him like a babe, does he realize that the hobbit was definitely not this thin when they left the Shire.
142.) Horror—
Bofur feels nothing but icy horror rush through his veins when he and the rest of the Company look out from the cover of the trees, see three enormous mountain trolls in the clearing...and realize that Bilbo is held in the crushing grasp of the largest.
143.) Concussion—
When Fíli and Kíli are dragged from the river after they tried to chase after the spooked pony, none of the dwarves understand why Bilbo is fretting near-obsessively over their heads, checking their vision and balance and memory—after all, dwarven bones (especially their skulls) are exceptionally tough, and it's not as if a few knocks on the head would cause any lasting damage.
144.) Coma—
Bofur finds his cousin in the medical tents after the horrific battle at Azanulbizar, and his heart nearly gives out when he sees the bloody mess that is Bifur's forehead; the healers promise that he is still alive, but they also warn that there is no knowing when (or even if) he will ever wake again.
145.) Myths—
Stone Giants have always been the stuff of nightmares, the tales dwarrowdams tell their children to keep them from running off into the mountains...but Glóin never expected the legends to be true.
146.) Bloodlust—
Azog the Defiler has sworn to wipe out the line of Durin—the stench of dwarf-scum has ever haunted him, since long before he slaughtered the eldest king—and now that there are three here, weary and injured and desperately alone on the battlefield, his face splits into a wide, cruel smile...for he knows he will claim his prize at last.
147.) Touching—
Dwarves are much more physically affectionate than hobbits with those who are not their kin; Bilbo got plenty of hugs and kisses from his parents growing up, of course, but he nearly jumps right out of his skin that first night when Balin claps him on the shoulder like they've known each other all their lives.
148.) Wizard—
Fíli and Kíli have heard vague tales of the Wandering Wizard, who very occasionally visited Erebor in its prime to counsel King Thrór...but they have never seen him in person, even when Thorin makes plans with him to travel to Erebor; and when they finally meet Gandalf in the Shire, they're rather underwhelmed—after all, how helpful could an old man (who even needs a walking stick!) be to their quest?
149.) Paint—
The horrific battle and its aftermath have damaged them all, deeper than any let on...but Nori thinks his little brother is handling himself remarkably well; that is irrevocably shattered when he hears Ori's bloodcurdling scream a few weeks later, when they're safely within the mountain—and when he and Dori rush into his quarters, weapons at the ready, they see that Ori has his parchment and quills and paints laid out on the floor, halfway finished with a portrait of Thorin...and an inkwell of scarlet paint has shattered all over his shaking hands.
150.) Barrel—
Fíli does not understand how in Mahal's name Kíli seems to find this fun; they're near-flying down a river rapids, have only narrowly escaped from Thranduil's stronghold...but his brother is laughing, a wide smile on his face as he holds tight to his barrel like this is some sort of game.
151.) Supernova—
Many of the larger races disregard hobbits as weak and soft and useless, but Gandalf knows better; he can see the plain happiness in the adults' bearing, the utter innocence in the children's faces, and knows such things (vital as they are to life) are absent in the races of dwarves and elves and men; hobbits may be nothing but specks in the universe of every other creature on earth, but to the Grey Wizard, they shine as bright as the sun.
152.) Tear—
Thorin is completely perplexed when, a week or so east of Bree, he catches Bilbo sitting by himself on the edges of camp; it's not his position that is so confusing—for the hobbit seems to prefer his own company—but instead the fact that he has retrieved a needle and thread from his pack, and is determinedly mending a small tear in his jacket as if it's the most important thing in the world.
153.) Wedding—
Dwalin almost feels like it's a betrayal when he weds his beautiful wife, seven decades after the reclamation of Erebor; his brother should be here, his King should be here—the Company should be here, more than the sorry half-dozen who are still alive and living in the mountain...but he knows that Balin would be here if he could, were he not so busy restoring Khazad-dûm...and this is what Thorin would have wanted for him, some happiness in the midst of the loneliness and grief that linger even so long after they are gone.
154.) Fall—
Bilbo clings to the fallen tree with everything he has, determinedly not looking at the vast empty space beneath his feet...but when he hears Dwalin roar in desperation, hears Balin and the others screaming for Thorin, he swallows every ounce of that terror that he can, grits his teeth, and swings his legs enough to stand on the teetering branch; and all he can think is that he has to protect the King as he charges forward, his sword glowing brightly in the firelight.
155.) Buttons—
Óin nearly has a heart attack when he gets a good look at Bilbo, once they've had a chance to settle down at the base of the Carrock; the buttons on his coat have clearly been torn off, and he's limping something terrible; that, combined with the terrible rumors of goblins and their sport, have him spluttering in the hobbit's direction...and it's only after he realizes Bilbo has no idea what he's talking about—is explaining that he fell from the scaffolding, had to squeeze through some tight spaces to make his escape—that he realizes that their burglar may be all right after all.
156.) Full moon—
It is a clear, well-lit night, for the moon is full and they have found an excellent campsite that is near-impossible for enemies to sneak up to; so Thorin, on watch, allows his gaze to wander toward the members of his Company as they slumber...Gandalf is sitting up against the sheer rock wall, and it is impossible to tell whether he is awake or asleep; Bilbo Baggins is curled near the fire in his bedroll, only the very top of his head visible from under the blanket; and the rest of them—his friends, his kin—are sprawled in various strange positions in their slumber...and he is suddenly struck with the fact that he—he, and he alone—is responsible for their well-being, for the lives of every member of this small, loyal group...and if he is to fail, any (or all) of these slumbering faces may not ever live to see their home reclaimed.
157.) Tired—
Dís wonders what on earth could have possessed her to bear two hellions such as these so close together; Fíli, seven years old, is running around the house, screaming at the top of his lungs, and little Kíli is toddling after him, laughing hysterically; she has no idea what kind of game they could possibly be playing, but she is tired, and Mahal save her, all she wants is half an hour of quiet, uninterrupted slumber.
158.) Consecrated—
Khazad-dûm is one of their most hallowed halls, forged millenia ago by the greatest of their ancestors...and as Balin steps foot into it for the first time in nearly two centuries, he feels the weight of such a history fall upon his shoulders—and he knows he must restore it to its former glory, no matter the cost.
159.) Deaf—
Óin may not have perfect hearing...but he can hear well enough to realize when his little brother is making fun of him, and he has no problems with clocking him over the head with his poor abused ear-horn, ruined and "useless" as it is after their escape from the goblin tunnels.
160.) Magnet—
Bilbo doesn't know why he feels so drawn to this ragtag troupe of dwarves; they are loud and rude so un-hobbitish that his father might have cried; but, he realizes quickly, they are also passionate and loyal and overwhelmingly similar, so like him at their basest form that he can't help but enjoy their company.
