Absence of Fili and Kili made Bilbo shiver. He grow fond of young brothers. Although they had more years than Bilbo they were still children among dwarves.
"Fools" exclaimed Gandalf "where have they gone?"
"Still wizard" Thorin warned him "they are grown warriors, they can manage themselves" his words were strong but Bilbo could see the concern in his eyes as they darted their surroundings.
"I'll go and make lookout" said Bilbo already moving. This day was too much about Thorin, he needed to make some space between them, nothing is better for that than an engaging task.
"Wait" Thorin grabbed him by his forearm and Bilbo's throat got tight.
There was a pause in which Thorin looked at him wildly. Bilbo frowned and then he smiled.
"Don't worry, I am small, but I can manage myself" he mimicked Thorin's words. "I'll run back if there is any trouble."
Bofur was calling Thorin, dwarves were setting up camp, and Thorin let go without a word and walked away.
"Bilbo my boy" Gandalf put a hand on his shoulder "although you are brave beyond measure, I think I should accompany you on this. White Deer" he whispered "isn't something to be careless about."
Bilbo almost said that he works better alone thinking of his ring, but then he decided against it, who knows maybe a magical creature could see through its spell.
As they walked Bilbo had to notice that the wizard isn't making any noise as he moved through the forest. Soon the forest ended and Bilbo hesitated to step into an open plain.
"Come along my dear boy" said Gandalf. "Don't get discouraged now on me. It's just a bit of open grass, the kind deer like. If our dear Kili and Fili are reckless as I think they are, they are hunting our white deer. We must stop them, it's a bad luck to kill a white deer at any time, let alone a quest like this one.
"So you can kill it? Isn't it magical?" Bilbo frowned as he followed tall wizard into the plain. He didn't liked how visible Gandalf was.
"Magical doesn't mean you can't die, you just die more horribly and slowly. Sometimes you even survive through death itself" he said absently.
"How do you mean survive through death…" he asked but was shushed by his thin finger.
"We're near" he whispered and crouched down leading them to a heap of rocks.
Behind them they found Kili and Fili sleeping with their bows and daggers around them. Bilbo smiled and hurried by their side.
"You silly boys" he said but Gandalf pulled him back.
"Not so fast my dear Bilbo" he said with his wizardy voice. Then he stepped forward and kneeled beside them listening to their breaths.
"What?" Bilbo was disconcerted.
"They are hunting the beast in their sleep" Gandalf murmured. "That is foolish as much as dangerous."
"But you can bring them back, right?" Bilbo stepped closer thinking how he can't carry two of them, he couldn't carry one of them. Could wizard pull any weight? He looked so fragile and old. Should he head back to get Thorin? He could carry both of them with ease. He should have accepted his company better.
Gandalf started to murmur chants putting his hands on their foreheads but nothing happened.
"They are too far in" he said with worry in his voice. "They think they are on the right trail, they just won't listen, stubborn boys."
"Just order them to come back" Bilbo was upset now, how will he tell Thorin that his nephews just fell asleep and died that way? "They will respond to authority!"
"Of course they will, authority" Gandalf smiled and put a hand to his shoulder. "Excellent my dear Bilbo. That's why you'll go asleep track them in your dream and call them back."
"Me?" Bilbo was appalled. "No, not me, I have no authority, why would they listen to me? They don't even listen to Thorin most of the time, why would they listen to me? You should go, you are much more authority figure than I am. I'm just a Hobbit, they would just laugh at me."
"No, Bilbo my boy, I doubt they would laugh at you, maybe with you but that's different, and you do have authority, especially for them, they admire you. Besides I can't go" he said sadly. "We're dealing with a magical creature, one older than all the wizards in the world. If it senses me, or worse captures me, it would become immensely strong, and although his power is ambivalent, nor god nor bad, it could be used badly if it grows too big."
"I think we should go back for Thorin, they'll listen to him!" Bilbo said firmly. "He'll know how to handle this."
"Maybe" Gandalf leaned on his staff tiredly. "But they are far gone, maybe they'll be beyond reach until he's here, and how will he react then? I fear Thorin wouldn't be able to just move on from this, perils did came his way, but there is just so much even dwarf can handle and get over in one life time."
Bilbo shuddered envisioning Thorin faced with dead bodies of Fili and Kili.
"What should I do?" he said determinant to prevent that from happening.
"I knew I could count on you my dear Hobbit, just lie down beside them. Be careful, lie so your head touches theirs. Now remember I'll put you to a magical dream, you'll be partly aware that you're dreaming. Find them and bring them back to your entry point, it will be shown as a gray veil of smoke and light that is swirling."
"Ok" Bilbo repeated to himself as he lied down. "Swirl of smoke and light, get back, pick up Fili and Kili, bring them back to Thorin."
"But beware" said Gandalf before he put a hand at his forehead "the beast looks like a dear, but it is a hunter, not hunted, it'll try to lure you in with your heart's desires, with what you love the most, you must resist or you'll stay there too."
"What it'll do?" Bilbo smirked at Gandalf. "Make Bag End for me? I know to know when my home is real or not, even in an ordinary dream. I always try to read, and fail."
"Smart, but don't be too confident" said Gandalf darkly "there are always things we can't foresee" with that he threw him down into darkness."
I wonder what could be Bilbo's heart desire ;)