Author's Note: "So My eyes have seen the wonder of the Desolation of Smaug. It was three long hours of movie to destroy a single dragon. But my bladder would be gladder if they shot the bloody things and bring the credits on!"
Cough... sorry if any of you have heard of Martin Pearson and his Spelling Error's of Bolkien CD you will know what I'm on about. If you don't, you're missing a real treat and urge you to find this awesome CD and listen to it. Funniest thing ever and you will immediately forgive it for mocking LOTR because it is done with true love.
Anyway, as you've probably already guessed I have finally seen the Desolation of Smaug...
I liked it... alot... but it certainly has me tearing my hair out. There is just so many things that are just making me go "ARGH, how am I ever going to reference THAT in my fanfic! HOW?!" And THORIN! You bloody, stubborn... just ARGH!
Oh, the third movie is going to be so painful! I'm going to be an absolute wreck! Excuse me while I go and sit in a corner for the next 12 and a bit months and sob hysterically. This is even worse than last year! ;_; And I'm even more frustrated than I was last year for obvious reasons.
Ok, alright, I cease my whinge-fest even though I could probably go on for hours, instead I think I'll just go and write another chapter and emotionally torture Thorin in it. So while I go and do that please enjoy reading this chapter. It's short but it bears good news about a certain burglar :D

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Finally, the Arrival of Good News

Thorin let out a deep breath before striding back down the corridor with Balin and Dwalin a step or so behind. The boy was safe and back with those who could care for him properly until his mother was brought to him.

His mother… Thorin's stomach flipped and tightened at the thought of what might be happening to her.

Was she now in the hands of Bzog? Or was there still hope of finding her before she was destroyed by some horrific fate.

He clenched his trembling hands into fists, fearing that in their desperate search for the lad they had wasted too much time in the search for his mother.

"She'll be fine Thorin. The dwarves both you and Dain sent out in search of 'er and Bovin will find them 'fore they reach Azog's Spawn." Dwalin rumbled as they entered Thorin's study, the door of which Thorin slammed shut.

"We'll find her laddie." Balin reassured as he and Dwalin stood back and watched their King stomp around to his desk.

"But there is no 'we'll' is there?" Thorin snarled furiously, his eyes glowing into the two brothers "We're not the ones out there looking for her!"

"Thorin," Balin sighed, rubbing his temple wearily, "you know why we can not. As we discussed last night after finding the little one, it would simply be too dangerous for you to go charging off in vague hope of finding one hobbit."

Thorin shot his old friend a very hard look.

"Laddie, you're king." Balin continued gently, regret laced heavily into his tone, "Politically you can't go running off after a hobbit, for several reasons. First being she is a hobbit. Secondly we have no exact idea where she is. And thirdly" Balin gave him a look that made Thorin's heart turn to stone for a moment before it started beating madly within his ears. He knew what Balin was not saying, what the third reason as to why he couldn't just run off and hunt down their hobbit as much as he wished that he could. Because in the eyes of all the Dwarves in Erebor she was still considered a traitor, and the King of Erebor should not and could not go risking his life for a traitor, no matter how much his heart might wish. Nor could any of his known affiliates. Even now he was pushing his council's patience with his sending out scouts and squads of guard searching for her.

Oh yes, both he and Balin had spun the tale about searching Bovin and of course, Bzog, but he knew that they now, upon hearing that the hobbit was alive and captured by Bovin, knew their king's focus had immediately flipped to finding her, to saving her, the traitor.

The word, as always when he thought of it in regards to her, made his mouth taste bitter, caused his stomach to churn and his heart to clench. Now so, more than ever, the word, when thought within the same mind stream as her made his wish all the harder that things had been different, that he had been different.

Their lives would have been different, she would never have been banished and thought to be dead on a battlefield for years, one of the countless victims of a battle she should never have been allowed to be anywhere near, let alone participate in.

She would never have had to have returned to her homeland in fear, in shame, with a belly swollen with a babe that was now almost as precious as her within his heart even though he knew the child for such a short amount of time and not simply because the boy was Durin reborn. That precious child who had grown into a young boy who knew he was different but with no idea why, his mother unable to give him the answers his child's mind sort. A boy who had been forced to grow without a father by his side. Forced to grow without even knowing who his father even was.

All that pain, all that confusion, all from the rash, prideful and mad actions of a dwarf king who had all but lost his mind because of some shiny metal and a thrice damn stone.

Thorin swallowed thickly as he stared down at his worn, blacksmith hands. That would all change, he would fix this. The damaged he had done, the grief he has caused, he will fix it all.

But there was no point looking to past, thinking of the what-ifs or could have been, he must set his mind to the here and now. And maybe with time and things have become settled he can look to the future and pray that it may be a bright one indeed for the Royal line of Durin.

Thorin shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the present – and not breaking anything from the lack of rescuing on their part – and allowed himself to be drawn in the plans that Balin and Dwalin were making in regards to what they would do upon finding the Defiler's Spawn.

Thorin was all for Dwalin smash first; ask questions later approach but Balin spoke sense in his questioning to know the reasons behind Bzog's actions.

"He's an Orc, brother!" Dwalin growled, "They needn't a reason to go out and kill! It is simply what they do!"

"But this is not what this orc has done," Balin replied patiently but Thorin could see that his old friend and adviser patience was growing thin. "He has planned, he has researched and I would like to know why…"

"Revenge! Simple!" Dwalin snapped and Thorin sighed as the two usually companionable and agreeable brothers glared at each other

"At the moment," He said raising his voice so as to remind the two that he is king and he really didn't have the time or patients to deal with them fighting as only brother's can, "I don't care about his reasons. What I care about is getting our burglar back, preferably alive and unharmed!"

The two brothers fell silent for a moment before nodding and murmuring their apologies and discussion once more turned back to strategies to deal with the orc spawn and his followers, in particular Bovin and his company and what was to be done with them.

"I think the lass should decide their fate." Dwalin offered, "When she's found and brought here, she can decide what is to be their fate. It's only fitting that she should as they are the ones who stole her from her home and separated her from her child."

Thorin snorted, trying to imagine their burglar handing out any type of punishment. Knowing her she would have them wash out every single pot and pan within Erebor, at the very worst.

"You underestimate her laddie." Balin said gently after Thorin spoke this thought, one that Dwalin had laughed heartily over in agreement. Thorin and Dwalin looked at him questioning and old dwarf smiled back at them wearily.

"That may have been true of the Bilbo we knew on our quest eleven years ago, but I would not go on to assume that this is still true of her now. She is a mother," he reminded them gently, "And mothers, regardless of what species they are, are the most dangerous of creatures to ever live upon Middle Earth. Especially a mother who has had her child threatened and stolen from her. If I were Bovin or any one of his company, I would be very afraid of her wrath."

Thorin nodded his head slowly.

Balin was right of course, and while Billanna had never shown any ability to stay angry for long nor hold a grudge during their quest, he was certain that would have all changed due to Bovin's and the Defiler's Spawns actions.

Thorin opened his mouth to say more when there was a polite knock upon his study's door.

Finally, Thorin thought idly as Dwalin moved to open it, someone knows how to knock.

A dwarf messenger walked cautiously into the Thorin's study, clutching a tightly bond scroll in his hand.

"Sire, a message arrived for you just this moment." The messenger held out the scroll for Thorin, bowing deeply once Thorin had relieved him of the message he bore.

"Thank you," Thorin replied, looking down at the scroll curiously, his eyes immediately recognising the scrawling writing of the second Ri brother from where his name had been written upon one side of the rolled scrolled. An intricate and impressive knotted cord bound the scroll close.

"You may leave." The messenger gave another bow and exited the study, closing its door quickly behind him.

"Thorin?" Dwalin questioned as he and Balin moved to his side.

"A message, from Nori it seems." Thorin replied lightly as his fingers struggled to with the intricate and complicated knots that bound the scroll closed. The knots prevented one from simply sliding the cord free or even cutting the cord as a means of opening the scroll. No, the only way for one to read on of Nori's messages was for one to have been taught by Nori himself as to how to undo his near impossible knots.

Thorin's fingers were not used to dealing with such a delicate and complicated task, but Nori had spent a great deal of time with him, teaching him the secrets behind the undoing of all his knots so after a few more moments of struggle the blue cord fell away and scroll rolled slightly open.

Thorin opened the scroll without hesitation though the moments he read the words his heart near stopped beating within his chest.

"Thorin?" Thorin found that words had deserted him and simply held out the scroll for Balin to read.

"Burgled myself a little bunny away from bad company. Little meat on bones but has strength in heart." Balin read before closing his eyes.

"The thief's finally lost it." Dwalin snorted snatching the scroll from Balin and reading the message himself, "what in Durin's name is he on about?"

"He's found our burglar." Balin responded rubbing his temple a small ghost of a smile gracing his lips, "And she is alive and strong for the most part. Thorin…" Balin was cut off by another knock on Thorin's study door.

His mind in a daze, Thorin opened it to reveal yet another messenger standing there holding out a scroll. This one did not possess the same complicated knotted cords as Nori's note but rather the knotting system of scouts.

With numb fingers he took this scroll from the puffing messenger before dismissing him with a quick wave of his hand.

This message was from one of his scouts possessed far more information than Nori's had but in saying that the information it possessed seemed to Thorin far less relevant. Bovin and his company had been found and apprehended and their prisoner was in the hands of wandering spymaster (Nori) and they would be arriving in Erebor in a week or so if the weather held out. It went on to speak more about Bovin and his company but did not speak much about Bovin's prisoner.

"This is good."" Balin said once Thorin had handed him the scroll to read, "This is very good." His old tired face was twisted into a wide smile.

"Good?" Dwalin snorted, his face breaking in to wide grin, "this is…" the large dwarf shook his head, words clearly failing him as his grin seemed to grow only wider.

"Thorin?" Both of Fundin's sons' suddenly turned their attention upon him and Thorin swallowed down the rock that was lodge in his throat.

"Yes," he head gave a jerky sort of nod, "this is good news. Very good news." He just wished his stomach would stop doing flips and that his heart would stop beating at the rate that an eagle flew.

She was safe. She would be within the safety and security of his mountain in all but a week or so. All of this was good news, the best of news in fact and yet he was completely and utterly terrified by it.

Author's Note: So good news about out burglar at last! Next chapter (and the beginning of the Third Arc) we'll be back with Bilbo and I should hopefully be posting that around New Years Eve... or before depends on my mood and how often I see DOS.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all again soon :D