Sorry guys! It just occurred to me this weekend that it was August when I last updated! Did not mean to be on hiatus for that long, but work/school caught up to me. Please enjoy this long awaited chapter!

Chapter 5- The Troll's Dinner

"What did you do?" Bilbo hissed.

"I didn't do anything!" Siggy snapped back. "I left the ponies to graze, wandered off to clear my head, and I came back to find Bungo and Daisy missing."

"Well, they have to be around here somewhere!"

Siggy threw his hands up in the air. "Do you think I haven't been looking? You're the smart guy, you figure it out!"

Bilbo was just about done with Siggy's attitude, but as he spun around to give him a piece of his mind, he was interrupted by a large crack. He jumped out of the way just in time as an entire tree came crashing down. Bilbo and Siggy huddled behind it peeking over the top only for the color to drain from their faces. A massive fifteen-foot tall troll picked up Myrtle under one arm and Minty under the other before stomping back the way it came.

"Sweet Yavanna, plant these seeds that I may reap." Siggy murmured.

Bilbo was in complete agreement. It seemed like an entire age passed as Bilbo and Siggy just sat there in bone-numbing fear. Bilbo knew what they needed to do. They needed to go back and warn the dwarrows. Gather up the remainder of the ponies and leave while they still could. Siggy seemed to have other ideas.

"Where are you going?" Bilbo gaped as his cousin began to slink off in the direction of the troll.

"We can't just let them eat our ponies!" Siggy explained.

"We can't take on a troll, Sigismond!"

"I'm not talking about fighting it. Just sneak the ponies out while it's distracted."

Bilbo shook his head in frustration. Why did he seem to have the most bull-headed family members in existence? Sneaking ponies out past trolls. Did he think they were some kind of burglars?

"And what is your plan when it decides to come back to fetch the rest of them?" Bilbo asked.

Siggy remained silent, clearly indicating he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"So you take the rest back to the dwarrows, and I'll go…"

"No! No, no!" Bilbo interrupted him, shaking his head and his hands.

What a terrible suggestion! Siggy was still underage after all. Bilbo was not about to abandon his cousin at the hands of a monstrous troll. Bilbo knew his cousin well enough to know he wasn't about to leave this well enough alone though. Perhaps it was that determination that made Bilbo's decision for him. Or perhaps it was to keep from seeing what he was sure would be disappointment and exasperation on Thorin's face at failing yet another job. They were to look after the ponies, and by Eru, Bilbo was going to look after each and every one of the damn beasts.

"You go back to the dwarrows." He emphasized. "I'll get the other four."

Siggy's eyebrows pinched. "Now wait a minute…"

"I don't see what the problem is." Bilbo mocked, much too irritated with this situation to behave rationally. "I am after all the best at sneaking past Farmer Maggot. This should be no problem."

"If Farmer Maggot was built like a mountain, I would find that more reassuring." Siggy complained with his arms crossed.

"We don't have time to waste." Bilbo hissed. "Besides, I'll only show my belly to the dwarrows, yes?"

Bilbo was rather surprised himself with the way the hurtful words just spewed out of his mouth so he could only imagine how Siggy felt. The younger hobbit was completely frozen, the night hiding his expression well. His fists tightened for a moment before he was spinning on his heel.

"Fine! Go play hero! But by Yavanna, don't you dare die on me, Bilbo Baggins, because I am not through with this conversation!"

Bilbo supposed that was fair considering that was his opinion as well. Still he had to roll his eyes. Play hero. As if Bilbo were trying to improve his standing with the Company through an act of bravery. Siggy was such a little fool, and he was the fool's fool for going along with his pointless scheme.

Siggy hesitated for a moment more before silently slinking off back towards their camp. As soon as he was gone, dread's cold touch caressed Bilbo's skin to the point he was afraid he would be too frozen to take another step. He really, really didn't want to do this. Bilbo sucked in a sharp breath before putting one foot in front of the other. His mind drifted back to his contract, and he couldn't help the gruesome thought of which death the troll would decide to deal him. Did the contract even cover being squashed into the ground like a bug?

He kept to the shadows of the trees as the soft, warm glow of a campfire started to become visible. The troll he had been following set Myrtle and Minty in a makeshift pen along with the already captured Daisy and Bungo. It was of mild relief to find they had not already been eaten. Now, however, Bilbo had two more gargantuan problems to add to his list. It was not one, but three trolls gathered around the campfire.

He pressed his back against the tree as he listened to them complain about their dinner selection. He had to hope that 'hobbit' would be more disagreeable than mutton or old farmers. He took a large breath in, counted to three, and slunk towards the pony pen. Recognizing him as a friend, the ponies immediately began to neigh and stomp the ground. He put a finger to his lips to shush them hoping they would somehow understand.

One of the trolls, Tom, he had learned through his eavesdropping, turned around to see what had the ponies stirred up, and Bilbo ducked down as his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. However, the troll was quickly pulled back to the continued conversation over the camp pot. He certainly thought a debate about seasonings and flavors would have been well above such brutish creatures, but that was a thought for another day. He needed to focus on getting the ponies free and getting out, or he was almost certain hobbit would be on the menu. The problem was the knot to the pen was too tight and large for his deft little fingers.

That's when he spotted the large curved knife hanging from the troll's belt. Bilbo almost turned and left right there. The blade was nearly as long as his whole body after all! His nose twitched as he considered his options. He could leave right now. Siggy would still be in his disappointed tizzy and Thorin would certainly not be any more enjoyable to face, but he would be alive. He could continue this suicidal path and get skewered and roasted by trolls. Or he could nick the knife like he has Isengar's pipe throughout his entire tweenhood and walk back to camp with the ponies in triumph. None could argue he didn't belong on the quest if he managed to burgle four ponies from three trolls.

Siggy's 'play hero' reverberated through his being, but he ignored it as he steadily pushed forward towards the troll's side. His stealth worked in his favor as he was now close enough to the knife to touch it. He went to reach for it when the troll shifted, moving it out of reach. He wrung his hands together nervously. He could do this. He just needed to size up how to grab a handle as big around as his arm.

Before he could attempt it again, a loud screech went up in the clearing. The trolls froze cocking their heads at the noise causing Bilbo to look around nervously as well. There was another screech followed by a whooping noise.

"Damn owls." William, another of the trolls, scoffed.

Bilbo would have taken that as his cue to return back to his work if he hadn't caught sight of movement in the tree line he came from. His eyes moved from Tom's knife back to the trees just in time to see Thorin's head pop out from behind a trunk. The screeching noises and whooping noise started up again, and Bilbo realized it was the dwarf making the noise.

He gave him a bewildered look as he ducked for cover a little closer to where the ponies were corralled. His lack of understanding must have been communicated because Thorin then began to perform a series of hand signs. That he did understand vaguely. Bofur and Bifur had been showing him signs in iglishmêk so he could communicate easier with the older dwarf. Ironically, they had only managed to teach him "I don't speak iglishmêk" in iglishmêk.

Bilbo signed the necessary movements to Thorin, and he could see the dwarf rolling his eyes as the back of his head hit the tree in his annoyance. There was a hard look in his eyes as he mouthed his words quite clearly pointing to the spot before him in emphasize.

"Come here."

Bilbo was shaking his head as he mimed cutting on a dinner plate with a knife. Thorin raised an eyebrow mouthing his words again.

"What?"

Bilbo resisted the urge to groan as he mimed the sawing motion again, but this time he pointed to the rope on the crudely erected fence. He thought he had made his point quite clear, and that Thorin would be in favor of helping him. However, the dwarf glowered at him, his jaw clenched so tight, there was muscle jumping there.

"Come. Here." Thorin repeated.

The dwarf was so obstinate! Always had to be his way. Coupled with Tom standing up to scratch his bum, and Bilbo was nearly at his wit's end as he ran his hands through his mess of curls.

"Will you just leave me alone and let me work?!"

It took exactly two seconds of Bilbo and Thorin blinking at each other in shock for Bilbo to realize that he didn't mouth those words. They had been spoken aloud.

"What's this then?"

Bilbo gave a yelp as William grabbed him by the legs and lifted him up into the air upside down. He frantically looked over to Thorin for help, but the dwarf was no longer there. Ice traveled down his spine. He wouldn't have just left him...would he?

"What is it? An oversized squirrel?"

The trolls pressed in close as if to analyze what manner of creature Bilbo was before cooking him up.

"I'm a Took...a hobbit." Bilbo quickly corrected nervously.

"A tookahobbit?" Tom, quite easily the dumber of the three trolls, repeated.

"Can we eat him?" William pressed.

"He wouldn't make more than a mouthful." Bert argued staring into his pot mournfully.

"Maybe there are more tookahobbits hiding." Tom piped up.

Bilbo was shaking he was so frightened. Still he wasn't going to give up his cousin and the dwarrows. He knew better than that, and the trolls gave him the perfect out so he could protect them without lying.

"N-No. No tookahobbits." He shook his head.

"He's lying!" Tom insisted.

"It just so happens that I don't lie." Bilbo shot back.

"Ah. A faery then." Bert hummed.

This could work out well for Bilbo. A lot of creatures chose to avoid faeries and risk their magic.

"I've had faery before. Not a bad flavor." The cook encouraged his companions.

Or maybe not. Bilbo closed his eyes anticipating impending doom and death at the hand of these trolls when William released a pained squeal. He looked back to see he had a hand over his nose, and all three were staring at the figure before them. His bow drawn taut, and his blue eyes promising pain.

"The next one goes through your eye if you don't drop him." Thorin growled.

"What?" The troll grunted, his grip tightening just slightly on Bilbo's legs making him hiss.

Vili popped up beside Thorin at that moment spinning his twin blades rather dramatically. His eyes were just as hard though.

"I believe he told you to DROP HIM!" He demanded.

Thorin released his hold on the string, his arrow finding its mark, and Bilbo was suddenly airborne as the troll screamed and clutched his eye. He winced at the idea of connecting with the hard ground when Thorin's shape came into view. He toppled the dwarf onto his back while clinging to him like a lifeline. Around them, the clearing erupted into battle cries and squeals of pain as all the dwarrows rushed to their aid against the trolls.

Bilbo stared down into Thorin's surprised blue eyes marveling at flecks of grey shining by the firelight. It was as if he had his very own constellations in his eyes. It was so mesmerizing that for a small moment, Bilbo forgot the chaos reigning around them. Forgot the contract, forgot his impending marriage. Then the eyebrows hooding them pinched, and a scowl overtook Thorin's face. Bilbo was caught off-guard as he was shoved off Thorin, the dwarf drawing his blade.

"Get to the trees, and stay out of the way." He ordered. "We will have words later."

Bilbo bristled at the warning, but was honestly more than happy to escape the skirmish happening around him. Everywhere he looked dwarves were chopping at whatever they could reach on the trolls, a couple of them coming close to being squashed themselves. The thick skin of the trolls kept the clearing from being a complete bloody mess, but Dwalin was certainly doing his best to change that. Frerin swung his war hammer in what looked to be a crippling blow to one of the troll's knees. Nori's knives were quick to penetrate the soft flesh around the trolls' neck and hands even if they didn't stick. Then there was Siggy, sneaking his way over to the ponies' pen with a rather large knife.

Bilbo swore his heart stopped. Siggy? The ponies were rearing up and kicking in fright of the commotion, but Siggy seemed to have taken up Bilbo's original plan to saw through the rope. The only problem was Bilbo didn't seem to be the only one who had noticed Siggy. William, who had been half-blinded by Thorin's arrow, looked over to the younger hobbit as well with a sneer. Bilbo's feet were moving even before his brain was able to catch up. It all happened so fast from there.

The rope broke. The ponies bolted. The giant hand was coming down towards Siggy. And Bilbo was able to shove the smaller body out of the way and to the ground right as a large hand wrapped around him for the second time that night.

"BILBO!" Siggy squealed in fright.

The battle paused as even the other trolls looked at what could give their opponents pause.

"Lay down your arms or I'll crush him." The troll warned tightening his grip on Bilbo's poor body.

All around, the clearing became silent as every dwarf looked to Thorin. Bilbo wriggled as much as he could, but if Thorin decided to continue fighting, he was very much a dead hobbit. He locked gazes with the blue-eyed dwarf, and resigned himself to this being it. There was no sympathy or horror to be found on Thorin's stern face. He was actually going to let the damn troll kill Bilbo. The moment seemed to go on forever before Thorin planted his sword into the ground.

"So be it." He growled as the rest of the company followed suit.

With so many options in the wake of their prospective culinary creation, the trolls didn't really know what to do with them other than tie them up. Sparing the limited amount of rope that was previously the ponies' pen, they were lashed back to back. In Siggy, Vili, and Bofur's case, a group of three. Bilbo had the grand misfortune of being tied to Thorin. Bilbo kept trying to turn to catch his eye and see if he had a plan, but he remained stiff and resolutely facing forward. So, he was going to die with the silent treatment being his final interaction with the dwarf of his dreams. There were worse ways, he supposed. Then Thorin had to open his mouth.

"I hope you're happy, Hobbit." Thorin hissed causing Bilbo to stiffen in shock.

"Are you trying to imply this is all my fault?" Bilbo snapped back.

"You were the one who had the bright idea to sneak into a camp of trolls." Thorin returned.

"If you would have just let me work, I would have had the ponies free. Long before you lot came in and mucked things up." He quipped.

Thorin snorted. "Well that is certainly one way you can call saving your life."

"Thanks. So kind of you to spare me being crushed to death only to join you in being eaten! What was your plan anyways? To hack the trolls down until you could finally reach their necks?"

"And did you think the trolls would not notice four ponies sprinting out of their camp?"

"Still seems more plausible than 'drop him'." Bilbo mocked, even has he felt the sting of embarrassment.

Thorin bristled on the verge of saying something else when Frerin kicked him in the shin. Incredulous anger pulled the usually easy-going brunette's eyebrows down. Coupled with Dwalin's murderous glare since the two of them were tied together, and Bilbo already felt properly chastised even before the prince opened his mouth.

"Are you serious right now?!" He snapped to the both of them. "I don't think this is really the time for a row!"

Thorin shifted uncomfortably, and Bilbo grunted as it pulled the ropes on his side tighter. However, the two of them got the hint. Thorin was back to facing forward, and Bilbo took to watching the trolls with a morbid fascination. He half-listened to them argue over whether tying them to a stake and spit-roasting them was a better method than boiling them in a stew. He was more partial to stew himself, but he didn't think the company of dwarves, hobbit, or trolls would value his input in the matter.

"I don't care what we do anymore!" William groaned, still smarting over the loss of his eye. "Let's just do it fast. Dawn can't be that far away."

Dawn? Bilbo's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion before it suddenly clicked. Trolls must be creatures of darkness! They wouldn't survive in the sunlight. Bilbo's eyes turned upward trying to gauge how long they had. The stars were just beginning to twinkle out. Thirty? Maybe forty minutes? He might be able to stall them for that long.

"Fine. We'll fillet and fry them. It'll be the quickest." Bert grumbled.

"Wait! You are making a huge mistake!" Bilbo called out suddenly.

Everyone turned to look at him curiously. Even Thorin looked to be trying to peek at him over his shoulder.

"What's that?" The cook asked.

"I'm talking about the fry-up. I am a hobbit of fine taste, and I refuse to go out this way." Bilbo demanded pulling as much courage as he could. "Which is why I would prefer to be braised with a nice red wine. Oh! Hobbit and dwarf-meat pie. Can't go wrong with a meat pie."

Loud complaints and exclaims went up around the camp, and even Thorin elbowed him in the side.

"You're just going to make this worse!" The leader hissed in his ear.

Bilbo ignored him while tempted to elbow him back for good measure.

"A meat pie will take forever! And we don't have any pastry dough." Tom complained.

"So braising it is!" Bilbo exclaimed with false enthusiasm. "Now what do we have to work with in terms of seasoning?"

Clearly pleased to be able to share his love for the culinary arts, the troll cook presented his herbs before Bilbo while the other two trolls groaned in the background. Bilbo hummed in disappointment at the options presented to him causing the troll to regard him in confusion.

"Sage?" Bilbo complained. "Have you smelt them? You're going to need something a lot stronger before you plate this lot up. What about thyme or rosemary?"

Cue another round of dwarven grumblings with some rather creative death threats by Dwalin. Bert began to rummage back through his stash when Bilbo heard a muffled yelp and a rustle in the brush. He turned his head slightly only to see Nori and Gloin were gone. His eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

"What about parsley?" The troll offered.

Bilbo cocked his head. That actually wasn't bad.

"Do you have any basil to go with it?" He asked hating how curious he truly was.

The cook pushed a few tins around before pulling it out in triumph. Bilbo blinked in surprise. Okay, what did he do from here? Bert was staring at him expectantly, and Bilbo was beginning to sweat.

"So the secret to a good braising is to…"

"Yes?" The troll prompted.

"Is to…"

"What's the secret?" He demanded with impatience.

"Yes! I'm telling you the secret! It's to...skin them first!"

Bilbo tried to remain confident in his words even as he became relatively sick at the prospect. Why did he just say that? The troll, however, was more than eager asking for the other two to bring a filleting knife and skillet. Bilbo looked around worriedly only to note that now Balin and Bifur were now missing. Just what was happening?

"Y-Yes, um, the juices of the m-meat mix with the wine for a nice burst of flavor." Bilbo continued to advise even as he swallowed down his own dinner threatening to push up.

Bert and Tom were hanging on Bilbo's every word looking close to drooling. However, it was the last troll that seemed fed up with Bilbo's tactics.

"What a load of rubbish! I say we just eat them now, and be done with it. Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf."

His massive hand immediately picked up Thorin and Bilbo looking for immediate revenge. Thorin was cursing and kicking Bilbo in his squirming, and with a good shake Bilbo fell back to the ground free of his bonds.

"NOT HIM!" Bilbo shouted as he jumped back to his feet, hands held in a plea.

The troll was ignoring him, and Bilbo swore his heart stopped when Thorin gave him a half-hearted, resigned glare poised over the troll's open mouth. What could he do? What could he say that wasn't a lie that would free Thorin?

"HE'S CURSED!" He gave one last desperate plea.

"He's what?" The troll gasped pulling Thorin away.

"Yes, cursed." Bilbo repeated resisting the urge to sigh in relief as Thorin was dropped back onto the ground. "In fact, they all were. Real nasty business. I wouldn't risk it if I were you."

"Rubbish." William tried to recover.

"It's gotta be true though!" Tom argued. "He's a tookahobbit! They don't lie."

"What if it's poisoned their insides? Can't be good eating." Bert murmured in agreement.

Bilbo nodded his head with a wide smile as he brushed his hands together. Well, that was a job well done. Now, he just needed to get Thorin and the others and get out while they still could. He turned back to where the rest of the dwarrows and Siggy sat, only to find them gone. His eyes snapped over to where Thorin had landed, but he had also vanished. Well wasn't that nice after all he had done for the dwarf, and he just runs off and leaves him!

"Hey! Where did they go?" Tom complained.

The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention as he slowly turned back around only to see three angry trolls glaring right down at him.

"This little ferret has taken us for fools." William declared poking at him with his knife.

"Ferret?!" He repeated in offense.

Perhaps, not the stance to take when three trolls were glaring down at him with the desire to maim and potentially still eat him.

"Hey! If you're looking for a fine meal, you're not going to get it with that skinny little thing there."

Bilbo had to be hearing things. However, as he turned his head along with the trolls, he was shocked to see it was in fact his Uncle Hildifons in his old blue traveling coat. Bilbo thought he could physically melt in his relief. Never has he been more excited at seeing the older hobbit.

"More tookahobbits!" The first troll marveled.

"Yep, definitely more of us."

The trolls and Bilbo, once again, swung their heads around only for it to be Bilbo's Uncle Isengar.

"Certainly enough for three hungry trolls like yourselves."

Bilbo might actually cry. Uncle Isengrim was there too.

"Catch the tookahobbits!" Tom declared as they all chased after a different uncle of Bilbo's leaving him alone.

He was about to insert himself back into the dangerous game of hide and seek when Siggy put his hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go!" He murmured, pulling Bilbo back to the tree line where he was able to see the dwarrows free and waiting.

A grin split his face. He wasn't left behind after all. He had a small moment to revel in total relief, then he noticed the shadow above them. Turns out Bilbo wasn't as completely forgotten by the trolls as he thought. He and Siggy dived to opposite sides to avoid being squashed before quickly getting their feet back under them. Bilbo's uncles continue to taunt the trolls to get their attention back on them, and even the dwarrows joined in on the confusion. William just seemed to have it out for Bilbo. He was tripping over himself to get away, and yet he still felt the tight grip of the troll wrap around his body.

"NO!"

"BILBO!"

"Take your large grubby hands off my nephew!"

There was an old Fae superstition about events happening in three, and it was this thought that passed through Bilbo's head as he was held above the troll's mouth and dropped. It was of course the third time he was captured solely by the troll that he would be eaten.

"Let the dawn take you all!"

He barely heard the new voice over the pounding of his heart. He had just enough time to glimpse the beauty of the new day before the dark gullet of the troll became his only vision. His arms desperately wrapped around the slimy wet tongue of the troll as he tried to stop his descent while his feet scrambled against the walls of William's throat. The troll gave a weak cough, and Bilbo pleaded with every deity he could think of that the giant would just cough him back up when something odd happened.

The tongue he clung to hardened making it easier to grip, and Bilbo's foot nearly became trapped in the stone opening below him. The troll heaved a heavy sigh, and then the air flow stopped. Bilbo's pants and whines assaulted his ears as he leaned hard against the stone tongue. Stone, the trolls finally turned to stone.

He felt like he could pass out from sheer relief. He took a deep breath and nearly gagged in the process. Turning to stone did not improve the stench inside the still wide-open troll mouth. He looked up towards the soft daylight streaming above and went about making the climb. The inside of the troll's mouth was almost too smooth to climb directly so Bilbo was forced to wrap his body around the troll's tongue to shimmy up like a tree trunk.

He got just high enough to reach out to the troll's teeth, but lacked the strength to go ahead and pull himself up and over the barrier. He poked his head up briefly to catch quick images of what appeared to be his family in mourning. Garry had a sobbing Siggy held to his chest. Isam seemed to be accepting pats of condolence from a tall man in grey, and while he couldn't see him, he could hear Hilde giving the oddly quiet dwarrows an earful. Bilbo grunted as he dropped a few inches back into the mouth.

"HELLO?! SOME HELP PLEASE!" He hollered lifting one of his hands to wave it down to the group below.

"Bilbo?!" Vili's exclaim of shock sounded.

"HE'S ALIVE!" Siggy's voice carried up next.

"Rope! Get the rope!" Thorin ordered much to Bilbo's surprise.

"Hang tight, Bilbo!" Isengrim called up. "We'll get you out."

"Not like I have much choice." Bilbo grumbled.

"Maybe he should just crawl down to the beast's stomach, and we'll carve him out." Gloin offered.

"I would prefer not to!" Bilbo shouted back causing a few chuckles amongst the dwarrows.

He didn't have to wait very long before a loop of rope was thrown up to him. Bilbo dropped a little further as he maneuvered the line around his upper torso.

"Have you got it, lad?" Bofur asked.

"Yeah! I got it!" He yelled.

At once Bilbo went sailing upward. He scrambled to keep from banging against the rocky corners, and as it was, winced when the troll's stupid fang caught on his jacket. Yet, the moment his head was free to breathe fresh air was almost rejuvenating. He didn't have long to enjoy his freedom though as a harsh yank had him flying down to the company below. He gave a yelp anticipating the harsh ground, but was pleasantly surprised to land in Vili and Nori's arms. He gave them both a grateful smile as he was set back on his feet when a body rammed into him hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Bilbo. I didn't mean any of it." Siggy cried clinging to him like he might disappear.

"It's okay, Siggy." Bilbo soothed. "I'm sorry too."

He stared over the younger hobbit's shoulder finally finding it in him to be perplexed at the appearance of his uncles. Not that he was complaining as Isengrim and Isengar immediately joined the family group hug. Hildifons stepped up after that, and Bilbo was a little wary, not in any mood to be lectured again. It was like a balm to his soul when Uncle Hilde took Siggy's place in their hug pressing tight into him with a desperation that made Bilbo feel years younger.

"Still sure you don't need someone to check and make sure you wiped?" He murmured in Bilbo's ear.

Bilbo huffed in amusement. "No need. I know for a fact I didn't."

Hildifons laughed wetly, his hand finding its way into Bilbo's hair as he pressed their foreheads together.

"I just know your mother would have found some way to haunt me if I had let you die by being eaten by a troll with my last words having been said in anger. I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." Bilbo whispered feeling his legs start to give out on him.

In fact, his vision was starting to go black when Hildifons caught him, slapping his cheeks lightly.

"None of that! Let's get out of here first before you try to pass out on me."

"I agree. My dear Bilbo! I must say, I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

Bilbo finally gave the taller man his attention. It had been many years since he had last seen him, but he would know those kind, mischievous eyes anywhere.

"Gandalf?" He questioned.

The wizard nodded his head.

"What are you doing here? What are any of you doing here actually?" He remarked looking over at his uncles with a questioning gaze.

"That is quite a tale, but perhaps best saved for the road." He offered with a look over at the dwarrows.

"Vili and Gloin, get the ponies." Bilbo heard Thorin order. "I want to be as far from here as we can before we set up camp once more."

"If you're not too opposed, Your Majesty, I know a reprieve nearby where we would certainly be welcome to warm food and soft beds. My companions and I were just on our way there, and would welcome the company." Gandalf stated waving an arm at Bilbo's hobbit uncles.

"And where is this reprieve of yours?" Thorin sighed, crossing his arms.

"Rivendell."

I didn't want this to be like the exact scene from the movie so I hope you enjoyed the Sunny-spin on this scene! I'm really excited for this upcoming chapter because we're going to finally get some real Thorin/Bilbo interactions in Rivendell and all from Thorin's POV. Thank you for the follow/favorites/reviews. I'm going to switch back to Guardian of Kings next, but hopefully will have the next chapter to this story up sooner than this last one.

-Sunny