Thorin had discovered few things about himself during their venture through unknown vast country. He climbed the hills and led his people further and further away from everything he knew.

He discovered that he was uncomfortable with all that open sky, space was too big, it made him uneasy. Caves and rocks were his preferable shelters. Anything thinner than that was as he was walking through the world naked. But his people needed him and he walked tall despite anxiety that far horizon provoked in him. He pressed on stubbornly believing that he'll adjust in time, or that they will find something suitable soon enough. Maybe there his father will find them.

Secondly he discovered that he wasn't easy in being in charge, making decisions, taking the weight of deciding what future they should choose. For him all choices were bad ones, it was just the matter of how bad, or how uncomfortable they would be. He would looked around but nothing was home and he was alone. But he pressed on relying on his stubbornness because he had nothing more to offer. He ruled without a crown or a throne simply because his people believed in him, believed that he is truly Durin's heir.

One more thing that he discovered was how to distinguish between true friends and false ones. When you had nothing to offer and had to ask for everything nothing would be hidden from you. People showed their true faces and true often was the same as the ugly and unkind. But it also draw out the best in those around him. Through their difficulties it soon was clear to whom he can trust completely. He had no court of his own but soon enough there were dwarfs around him doing what they could, giving their best to press on and find them suitable home.

Nothing was suitable but his sister went on with her plan to bring a child into this world no matter how strange and unhospitable it was.

"The more reason to do so" she said when he objected her. "There is great need for beauty in this world, for a reason to keep on living. If we give in to rudeness and cowardice nothing will be left of us."

That's how he settled for the Blue Mountains. Everyone said that it was a good home that he choose well but for him was just a place in exile.

Settling in showed him that one more new thing came his way and persisted. He wasn't only Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror anymore. Maybe it was too painful to say their names out loud, maybe it was an attempt to make new identity for themselves but he got his own name, like he was a start of something, not just an end. He was known and more and more introduced as Thorin Oakenshield. He gave those rumours a thrust with that damn oak branch that he carved in and made his shield but he couldn't let it go. It was last thing that connected him to his previous life. It was a bridge between there and here. Before he picked it up he was well rooted, he had his elders before him to lead on, he had faith that this world will yield before their will; that they will prevail. After he picked it up all he was left with was vengeance, rage and determination that he will stand tall in his defeat, that he will find a way to at least bring his people through to some other place they will call home.

And home it seemed to be after Fili was born. A golden ray of sunshine reflected in a sapphire eyes. Thorin looked at him and knew he will be a good heir and that's how he treated him. A bit rough, but it was needed. When Kili came Thorin was baffled by his light persona. He couldn't for the life of him determine where he got such faith in this world but nothing seemed to bother him. Thorin tried rough with him but nothing seemed to get through to him. He would just looked at him with those brown eyes and waited until everything blows away. It always did. That reminded Thorin of his younger brother who died young so he couldn't really persist in teaching him that world is harsh and unforgiving place.

He did what he could for them but the world was cold place still. Decades passed in between tasks, work that needed to be done. Thorin did all he could, nothing was beneath him and slowly they recovered, their numbers grew bigger and he could see his sister was right, they had to move forward, it was the only way. After she was gone, her time came too soon but she went as she did all other things, with dignity and determination to leave everything but sorrow behind her, that was more clear than ever, but there were some things he owed to the past before he gives up for good and settles for this new life they had. He did all that she asked him to do, she gave him quite enough of tasks trying, even in death, to stop him from venturing after their father. But after that he felt, after decades of serving as their lead, as a free dwarf, free enough to find some answers. His people were capable enough to manage without him, he wasn't a real king after all and they did as they did without reporting to him about every small decision of their lives.

When he went in search of his father he tried to leave alone But Fili and Kili weren't easily fooled. He thought about ordering them to stay, but besides the fact they wouldn't obey him, he hadn't had that kind of power over them, he thought it would be good for them to see the world, not to be like him totally unprepared for the danger that was outside safe sides of their caves.

He had sent out search parties before chasing rumours and seeing of him wandering the wilds but nothing ever came from them. He thought that was because most of his people believed that he died during the battle for Moria but he knew he didn't. He personally turned every last body before they put them into the flame. None of them were Thrain. Besides Thrain had his ring to keep him company and keep him alive. That damn thing maybe distorted his mind but it always kept his bearer alive. That was the main reason Thror gave it to Thrain.

"One thing Smaug got right son" said Thror "was that I am old, I can feel my bones dissolving. If I keep this curse that reminds us of our resilience it'll keep me around even as a bowl of soup too keep waiting for its master. Its master isn't coming for it but it'll keep you safe enough to see the end of this war with Orcs, you will know how to rule son, rule with certainty, and determination."

Thorin could clearly see how the ring got the hold of him the minute he put it on but he had faith in his elders. That faith had bitter aftertaste now when he thought about it, but although that cursed thing took his mind it surely would keep him alive.

That's why he ventured into wilds but following footsteps and whispers was a tricky thing. It always seemed to disappear in thin air.

He was on verge of giving up. He send out Fili and Kili to gather with Bifur, Bofur and Bombur it will be safer to travel back home if they were greater in numbers. He himself went into Bree in one last search of rumours. He hated the thought that his father is out there just around some bush and he gave up just like that.

Just as he prepared to eat he felt all familiar sense of danger. His sense of danger got sharpened by years. He was a dwarf surrounded by men and few Halflings but most of them were uninterested in him or his gold but there always has scums that would kill for few coins. Being a dwarf he was assumed to have more than one bag of gold hidden on him. And they weren't wrong, but they were wrong to think he would give anything to them except few wounds from his sword. He was just reaching for his trusted blade when a big shadow was casted upon him.

That's how the wizard found him.