Bilbo was worn out. He kept his distance from Thorin and everything was fine. Why wouldn't it be fine? Except for the rain, cold, uncomfortable ground and lack of books. He daydreamed of his books. What possessed him to go to this forsaken journey? Crossing through The White Deer's land made everyone moody. Sleep was scarce and shallow. They were all tired. But Bilbo felt something bigger. He felt hollow. He knew it shows on his face but he didn't care. That was the thing, he didn't care, for anyone anymore. Maybe he never cared at all. He felt hunted. Like the Deer will jump out of the forest and make him dream again. He wasn't sure was he afraid to see smiling Thorin again or he missed his smiling face.

Admission that he made in the dream, that he loves real life Thorin, didn't help either. This real Thorin was colder and more distant than ever. Why he had ever thought of him as inviting, or warm?

Bilbo sighed and looked at the flames.

"You look worried" Thorin said and sat across the fire.

Bilbo just looked at him over the flames thinking how the shadows on his face make him look mean, spiteful and resentful.

"I'm worried too" Thorin continued lowering his gaze at the fire. "We'll be crossing paths with Orcs soon, they ride wargs, we're on foot. Only hope we have is to hide as long as we can."

"I can help there" said Bilbo without further thought about it, he wanted a task for himself, to move away from ever talking dwarves, maybe it was worse that their talks were wining down as the path was coming to the higher ground and the plain was ending. "I'll spot them, they won't see me, and we can avoid them longer."

Thorin studied him through the flames and Bilbo looked back at him impassively.

"You sure have proven you can be stealthy when you want" Thorin said finally. "But no unnecessary risks, I've seen you leap forward to bravely, you're too small to jump before wargs like that."

Bilbo was surprised for a moment then he laughed, Thorin smiled and Bilbo felt better. Even this live version of Thorin knew how to smile.

"I'll keep that in mind" he said finally "but I won't have mercy if they get on my nerves" he said proudly and Thorin's smile reached his eyes, he didn't look menacing anymore and Bilbo though how he'll never be afraid of him again.

"I'm aware that you chose to stay awake with us" said Thorin after a pause and Bilbo felt his cheeks go warm, did he know? "I know how luring dreams can be, but even if they offer something that seems worth having they change on you the minute you try to hold them. I'm glad you chose this dreary reality you share with us, as dark it is, we take the light it gives us and run with it. It's all we can do to stay sane."

Bilbo kept his gaze and tried to think of something to say.

"Well, that's it, isn't it? In dreams light never changes, its steady colour in the background, it leaves out the movement that day and night exchange between them" he was rambling. "It's a profound though really, to have the change, how much it hurt as measure of reality, because when there is no pain, there is no reality really, doesn't it?"

Thorin snorted and shook his head.

"There are days I could do without pain" he said and leaned on the rock behind him leaning his head to sleep. Bilbo thought how can he sleep upright like that, but he was surely asleep in seconds. Bilbo waited for Dori to wake up and take his turn to watch.

In the morning they moved keeping cover, but they all knew the mountain pass that orcs were on will soon cross with their path. Bilbo went on lookouts as they went and soon they had to move in the dark too, using darkness as a shield.

Few days after paths crossed they've managed to stay before Orc pack but they were gaining at them. Bilbo couldn't see them, but he could hear the howls in the distance. When he finally saw them he also saw something much bigger than them, and much scarier.

He rushed to tell them, but as always they didn't listen. He got annoyed and said his piece despite their commotion only to find out that Gandalf knows of this beast and has led them here anyway.

They fell in despair and wizard only then said there is a house they can take refuge in.

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" asked Thorin by now accustomed that wizards didn't find necessary to share that kind of information on their own, or to tell that they are off towards enormous beast.

"Neither" said Gandalf with his wizard's ambiguity. "He will help us, or he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" said Thorin darkly and they fled through the darkness not looking back, knowing they are helplessly slow on their feet. Despite that they managed to reach the cottage and close the door in the nick of the time.

Bilbo was left without breath and with pumping heart, but they were safe for the night. Of course that was the moment Gandalf chose to share another piece of information with them. Again all too late for them to choose any other path.

"That is our host" he said of the beast. "His name is Beorn and he's a skin-changer."

Bilbo didn't believe his reassurance that they are safe inside of the house for the second, but that's what this journey was all about. Being thrown into situations only to find out too late what they were.

Dwarves spread out and threw themselves around the straw but Bilbo was restless he kept peeking through the crack on the door.

"Don't be afraid" Thorin said quietly, just barely loud enough to be heard over the snores of the dwarves and the wizard and put his hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "The Wizard keeps us in the dark but he more often saves the day. Hopefully this would be one of those days."

Bilbo turned towards him in the dark and felt the shiever. He was too close, it was dark.

"We'll yes" he stuttered. "There is nothing we can do now, is there? We better go to sleep. He'll show us how to tame a skin changer that can turn to a bear at will and eat us all."

Thorin chuckled in the dark.

"You always know how to make it sound like a joke, we have our axes still, we will fight if necessary, you just hide as well as you do and you're safe anyway" he said squezing Bilbo's shoulder.

"I wouldn't abandon you to fight alone" Bilbo was offended.

"I meant nothing ill" said Thorin and let go of his shoulder. "It's comforting that in any situation you could hide, survive and write tales of us. In a way that's an immortality better than the ones elves have. They don't change, their songs stay the same not changing, not reaching out, but stories live on and are read even when times change and tides turn."

With that he turned and lied down in the dark. Bilbo found a place for himself. He was exhausted but he couldn't sleep. Straw was too soft. There was no wind howling above him. It was warm and he was safe for the night but next night wasn't promised to them. He took out his ring thinking of what Thorin said. He could escape anything with this gift, but was that life worth living, to leave dwarves to their destiny. No, he has come too far for that, he knew he would fight, but also that he'll try to keep what Thorin had said, to make a story of them. Dwarves surely deserved their part on the paper. Skin changer startled him from his thoughts. It was hard to see him in the dark. He was watching him move, ready to take action if he turns on dwarves, but nothing happened. Beorn just moved around his house doing things Bilbo would do. That made Bilbo think of home and finally he slept. In the dream he sat in his chair at Bag End, in the chair opposite of him sat Thorin and laughed while his pipe glowed in the dark. Bilbo smiled in the dream.

So we reached The Desolation of Smaug. Now lets see how Thorin saw this piece of action ;)