The path was really steep. Bilbo found himself more often hanging from cliffs than walking them. Thorin climbed before him leading the way. If it wasn't for him Bilbo wouldn't realise that there is a path before them.
Although he didn't look back, Thorin would pause from time to time to let Bilbo catch up with him. He rested on the rock always looking ahead, never at Bilbo.
They didn't talk and Bilbo found it best that way. He was afraid that he would only stutter undistinguishable sounds. While others were around them Bilbo could pretend that nothing happened between them but what's the point in pretence when there's no one watching.
At times, while he caught his breath, Bilbo considered that this is just an elaborate way Thorin is taking his revenge on Bilbo for daring to touch him. Maybe he tested Bilbo's endurance before he lets him in the caves before the dragon. Of Smaug Bilbo thought about rarely, he just paced one step at the time postponing the thought about the inevitable.
He shouldn't have thought about it this time either because his thought made him miss Thorin's last step and he couldn't fathom how did he climb this last cliff. Thorin was out of sight now and Bilbo's hands were too short to reach the wedge on the top of the cliff.
Bilbo tried to reach but there was a real danger of him falling off the rock he was holding on to. Now was the time to speak up and ask Thorin for help but his voice refused to cooperate. It was a mistake to look down. Climbing trees was an easy feat, he could go as high as it was needed, but bare rocks made him shiver.
"Come on Master Baggins," Thorin's face appeared on top smiling. "This is the last one, I promise," he offered his hand and Bilbo took it without a word.
Thorin lifted him up with ease and Bilbo found himself panting on top of a mountain. They could see two groups of dwarves in the distance, the Lonely Moutain, the lake in the distance was glistening.
"It's beautiful," Bilbo got his voice back.
"Yes, but it's dangerous as well, look down, you can see their camp on the other side of the passage," Thorin pointed down and Bilbo laid beside him to peek over.
"You were right, they are waiting," Bilbo whispered as they can hear him all the way down. "How did they know we're coming?"
"Many of them knew before I did," Thorin grumbled quietly. "There was a bounty on my head before we started to form our company, we're travelling for a long time, the messages are exchanged, and it's not so hard to make a stakeout just in case everything else fails. They are protecting their dragon, he is sacred to them."
"Is there a way around them?" Bilbo looked at dwarves progressing still unseen to ones in the camp.
"No, they would spot us uphill, we have to get rid of them. Luckily there is only twenty of them and they don't have Wargs," Thorin withdrew from the edge.
"Only twenty," murmured Bilbo and carefully withdrew from the edge.
"The sun will set soon," Thorin already put his legs over the edge. "We must hurry. It's too dangerous to climb these hills in the dark."
"It's dangerous to do it in daylight too," Bilbo murmured to himself and went after Thorin, there was no other way anyway.
Bilbo has long before crossed the point of no return. Now it seemed that there was no choice for him but to follow Thorin that the point of no return was that moment when the door opened and Thorin entered his home to look at him and assess him unworthy.