/ / / Information Gathering \ \ \

Bilbo continued to leaf through the book until Thorin started to nod off in his chair. Then he put the book down onto the seat and stood. Thorin opened his eyes and looked at Bilbo when the hobbit was standing in front of him.

"What?"

"Bed." Bilbo said, ignoring the slightly gruff tone to Thorin's voice, and what it did to him.

"Why?"

Bilbo reached out to wrap his hand around Thorin's wrist. "Because," he pulled until Thorin stood. "You are still healing and have spent today riding up a mountain." Bilbo started leading the dwarf towards the bed. "Then you met with almost all the dwarves that are currently in Erebor," Bilbo let go for long enough to pull down the soft, cream covers. "It has been a big day and tomorrow will be even bigger," Bilbo pushed Thorin down onto the bed. "So, you should rest, in your nice bed instead of the chair before the fire and allow your body to get ready for the stress you are going to be under tomorrow," Bilbo pulled the sheets and covers up over Thorin and tucked him in. "That is why."

Thorin smiled at him sleepily. "Lovely little hobbit, tucking me in…"

Thorin was asleep.

Bilbo smiled down at him for a moment before he turned and sat before the fire. He looked at the book again but he could read nothing in it and the pictures were no longer interesting enough. Bilbo stood up and went into his room to change back into some other clothes. When he opened the door of Thorin's rooms Gani was standing on the other side leaning against the wall.

"Master Baggins," he said, standing to attention.

"Gani, you are here already."

"I shall be here during the hours that dwarves normally toil to help you in any way I can."

"I need to speak to Bofur," Bilbo said.

"I can take you to him," Gani said.

"Do you know where I could get some parchment to leave a note for Thorin?" Bilbo asked.

"I will get some and bring it back, Master Baggins," Gani said, "as soon as I can." Then he rushed away leaving Bilbo standing alone.

Bilbo turned back around and went into the sitting room but he left the door open a crack so that Gani knew he could come in. Bilbo spent the time putting the few clean clothes he had away in the closet before he heard Gani's cough and quiet call. Bilbo rushed back into the other room and smiled at Gani who was looking around unsure. Gani handed him the parchment and quill before ducking out the door again.

Bilbo dipped the quill into ink and wrote a short message to Thorin in case the King woke before he returned.

Bilbo left the room and followed Gani down a number of long, winding corridors. Bilbo felt lost moments after they had started but he trusted Gani to get him where he needed to be. Finally, they stopped before a door and Gani knocked, three short raps, before the door swung open to find Bofur standing on the other side without his hat but with the large smile Bilbo knew.

"Master Baggins," Bofur said, with a wide smile. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a favour to ask," Bilbo said, with a smile.

Bofur winked at him and opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Bilbo looked at Gani who stepped to the side of the door.

"I will wait for you here," Gani said.

Bilbo nodded and walked into Bofur's room. The door swung closed behind him.

"So," Bofur said, letting the last sound stretch. "What in all of Middle Earth do you need from me?"

Bilbo looked around the room, the same fireplace, archway leading into the bedroom. Two doors leading off the bedroom instead of three though there was no archway in this room and the whole chamber was smaller.

"They gave me a very nice room," Bofur said, puffing out his chest, "since I was part of the group that came to reclaim the mountain."

"It is very nice," Bilbo said.

"The dragon destroyed most of the furniture in the mountain though many of the upper levels were spared and they have been sharing the furniture out among the dwarves returning. When the large caravans from the Blue Mountains arrive we will have much more, furniture and belongings. The first of the dwarves came with only what they would need for the trip and to help here. The caravans have the old and the young and everything else our dwarves have to their names but they will not be here for weeks."

"When they come," Bilbo said. "Will there be a lady dwarf looking for you?"

Bofur scratched at his moustache. "No, though there might be someone I was courting before everything started. One of the other dwarves who was also courting her may have won her affection by the time she arrives though."

Bilbo frowned. "If she has not chosen someone then what will you do?"

Bofur smiled widely at him. "Well, well, why might you be interested in that little titbit?"

Bilbo moved away from Bofur and took one of the two stools before the fire. "I was just curious, do not worry about it, I came with an actual question."

Bofur took the other stool and poured Bilbo a glass of water. "What can I do for you, Bilbo?"

"I have given half my share in the treasure to Thorin but I was wondering how I might go about getting some so that I can buy a few things."

"You gave half of your share to Thorin?" Bofur asked, surprised.

Bilbo waved his hand. "It does not matter. I need some information about getting items from Lake-town."

"Why not ask our King?" Bofur asked, with wide eyes. "He would be more than happy to assist you."

Bilbo sighed. "I do not want him to know yet."

Bofur smiled, and muttered something about needing another month, before he stood up. "Dwalin has been placed in charge of the wealth of the mountain. He is much too honest for his own good and has divided the treasure for each of us. If you ask him he will supply you with as much of it as you need."

"Where can I find him?" Bilbo asked, thinking of the tall, quiet, blue-bearded dwarf.

"Your guide will be able to take you. As for getting items from Lake-town as it happens I will be leading a party of dwarves to that town the day after tomorrow for supplies and to organise some trade deals. If a small hobbit would like to join us he would be back before supper time."

Bilbo looked down at his hands for a moment. "Can I tell you of my decision after the meeting tomorrow?"

Bofur smirked. "Are you attending, Master Baggins?"

"Do not call me that!" Bilbo said, and stood. "Dwarves keep calling me that but I ran away during the fight."

Bofur dropped the smile and sat forward. "You saved our King, Bilbo Baggins, and you faced a dragon. The dwarves of Durin's Folk respect what you did do – including leaving your safe home to help us find ours."

"I am…worried that I will be of little use to the dwarves now and yet I do not want to go."

"Do you remember when you thought to leave us before because you missed your home but you changed your mind because you wanted us to have what you do in Bag End?"

Bilbo smiled. "I miss the Shire and I miss my things but I would miss you all, and this place, and…"

"Our King?" Bofur asked.

Bilbo nodded but did not say anything.

"Then we can use all the help we can get going forward with the reclamation of our mountain. We would not want to lose our burglar who was not a warrior when we started but who certainly saved us a number of times."

Bilbo was silent for a few minutes. "I did do that."

"See there is the hobbit I know," Bofur said. "Now, what will you be buying in Lake-town?"

"Books, some bits and pieces, and some material."

"Material?" Bofur said.

"I like to sew," Bilbo said, quickly.

"The dwarf I have been courting is known as Runbura. She is a short dwarf with very light hair and a loud laugh." Bofur said, several moments later.

"She sounds nice," Bilbo said. "I would like to meet her."

"She is a delightful dwarf. I hope she has not made a choice already and I can court her again."

"If she has not and you can court her," Bilbo said, smiling at Bofur gently, "what will you do?"

"I shall offer her something I have made; the greater the skill with metal and gems, the more it will show my affection. And it shall make my attentions stand out against her other suitors."

"Does it have to be something made with metal and gems," Bilbo asked with a little frown between his eyes.

"I suppose," Bofur said, "if I was not skilled in metalwork and cutting precious gems to make them shine I would do something else but it would have to be something I made myself."

Bilbo let out a puff of breath and relaxed. "Is that all that dwarves do when they are courting, provide things they have made to one another."

"No, we show that we can build a fortune, full of the things that are important to our beloved, we are hoarders by nature and do love to show our skill beneath the ground by displaying what we are able to collect for ourselves after we mine for our Kingdom."

"So, you have to prove that you can provide them with a comfortable life?"

"Dwarf lives are not comfortable in the same way as what I saw from the lives of hobbits but yes, we prove we can provide for any family we have. Then we show our intended the family line, how far back we can trace our father's father's fathers."

"I see," Bilbo said. "That would be hard once you were forced from the mountain."

"Dwarf memories are long," Bofur said. "We remember our line before we learn anything else."

"I see, hobbits remember their ancestors but we remember our families more. I am a Baggins and a Took, so I come from families that love adventuring and their own hearths."

"Those are very different things," Bofur said.

"Yes, my Took side loved the adventure and my Baggins side misses my little hobbit-hole."

Bofur smiled. "That explains a lot."

Bilbo yawned widely and then flushed. "I am sorry."

"You have been very busy, little hobbit, you should rest. After all, you have a very big meeting tomorrow."

Bilbo nodded. "I will come and see you tomorrow about the trip to Lake-town."

Bofur grinned at him widely. "I would love that and you can tell me about hobbit affection seeking, now that you know of dwarf habits."

Bilbo nodded happily. "I would love to, thank you for your help, Bofur."

"Anytime," Bofur said, as he walked Bilbo to the door.

/\/\/\

"And," Bofur said when Bilbo was headed back to his room with Gani. "If a dwarf wishes to make their intentions known to all they braid your hair and give you a bead of their own making to mark you as their intended, the beginning of the dwarfish claiming ceremonies." Bofur laughed to himself and wondered how he could keep Bilbo from noticing Thorin's intentions until he was in a better position to win the betting pool.

/\/\/\

Bilbo opened the King's door very slowly, making sure it did not make noise. "Thank you, Gani. I am not going anywhere else today so you can go and do what you want to."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Bilbo said.

Gani nodded, said his goodbyes, and walked away. Bilbo went into the bedroom and saw that Thorin was still deeply asleep, snoring softly. Bilbo changed back into his bedclothes but as he laid down to sleep his brain kept moving so instead of tossing and turning he got up again and started a list. He knew what he needed to do now, since Bofur had been so helpful, and Bilbo wanted to be prepared if he was able to go to Lake-town with Bofur. He sat writing until he started to drop off and then he tucked his list beneath his pillow and fell asleep listening to Thorin snoring.

/ / /

So, they both have a plan and I know what the next few chapters will be though RL is interferring again and there may not be an update for a couple of days. Enjoy : )