Chapter 2

Bilbo was not happy the next day when he found out that the way that they were travelling was by pony. The pony moved around so much, Bilbo thought he was either going to bolt or throw Bilbo right off the ponies back.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone so bad on a pony before." Thorin said to Dwalin, who chuckled, which Bilbo could hear quite well, even though he was near the end of their line.

"Could the pony fear your shift? Our mom's dominant shift is a mountain lion and she often has trouble with new ponies." Kili asked, for once not finding it funny that someone was worse off than him at something. Kili had no trouble admitting that he had felt a bit of pride that Bilbo's instincts said Kili was someone who could be trusted enough to help him explain why he wouldn't be shifting in front of the company, and he wanted to make sure that he did nothing to lose Bilbo's trust; one of the few people who trusted Kili with something bigger than looking after ponies. Bilbo only nodded before he put his hand on the pony's neck, sending a calming spell down his arm to the horse's nerves.

"What 'vicious' animal could a Hobbit be that would unnerve these ponies?" Thorin asked Dwalin, who shrugged and suggested

"Perhaps a rabid muskrat?" Gandalf, who could already feel another headache forming, intervened before Bilbo could do anything that they would all regret.

"For your information, Dwalin, son of Fundin, and Thorin, son of Thrain, muskrats often kill each other while fighting over mates and territories. Not to mention Bilbo's great-great-great-great uncle Bullroarer Took had the land shift of a large warthog, the sneaking shift of a wolverine, and a flying shift of a swan."

"What's so dangerous about swans? I've always thought of them as very beautiful birds." Ori asked and Bilbo reigned in his irritation at Thorin and Dwalin, before he answered the inquisitive, polite, if shy, young dwarf.

"Swans may be beautiful birds Ori, but like all parents get when their young are in danger, they can have rotten tempers. I know this from experience because my mother's flight form was that of a swan and if she thought you were threatening me, she would chase you until you either reached your home or you were out of the Shire, whichever came first. They are not only relatively gentle creatures in nature, but they are also terrific parents and would protect their young to the bitter end. And here lies the problem. Many birds have an instinct to protect their young when approached by a predator, but they will eventually give up if the predator is too strong or dangerous to deter. The swan however, does not give up. Not only do they attack by flying at perceived threats at full speed and biting them, they'll also try to drown you if given the chance: they are known to fly up over and try to keep something underwater if they perceive it as threat. Furthermore, their beaks have the power to rip flesh from your bones." Ori had a shocked look on his face, as did Fili and Kili, and all three made mental notes never to let a swan catch them.

"Master Baggins, Kili told me that he told you all of our shifts to put you at ease with telling us your shifts. He also informed me that you told him your shifts could quite easily kill ours, how would they fair against your uncles?" Fili asked as he directed his pony near Bilbo's.

"First, I said my shifts could tear yours apart with few problems, not no problems whatsoever; an Oliphant would certainly present some problems, but mine could take one down. Second, I would say that the shift of my great-great-great-great uncle that would give me some trouble is the wolverine; armed with powerful jaws, sharp claws and a thick hide, the wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size, though if ours ever met we could certainly make some fur fly."

"Gandalf, just what have you brought into this company?" Thorin asked as Gandalf came into view.

"Thorin, while Bilbo's shifts are neither the friendliest nor most social of animals, I was not aware that those were pre-requisites for being a part of this company, considering badgers, bears, and cheetahs are not known for their friendliness and sociability."

"So, Master Baggins, can we have a hint as to your shifts?" Fili asked, as his curiosity about what the shifts of a warrior Hobbit could be that they could take down an Oliphant was very over whelming.

"Fili, whenever someone has discovered any one of my shifts, that discovery has been accompanied with fear, distrust, and disgust. However, I have the distinct feeling that, unless you are given the opportunity to figure out any of my shifts, I will not have a moment's peace. So, I will allow you to ask three questions about one of my shifts, from there, it will be up to you to determine what the animal is. However, if you receive help from any MEDDLING WIZARDS, then I will not even ever contemplate revealing the other two shifts to you." Bilbo offered/threatened and the three dwarflings all nodded. They then thought about which shift they wanted to guess.

"I don't know about the two of you, but my knowledge of birds is sadly quite lacking." Kili said and the other two nodded; all they knew about birds was that there were hundreds of different kinds of them, ranging from very small, to very big, and just because Bilbo had said his shifts were unwelcome in the Shire, did not mean that he was a bird of prey, there were plenty of birds that could not be welcome in the Shire for all they knew. So no, trying to guess the flying shift would be pointless and a big waste of time.

"Maybe we should try and figure out his land shift; something that could kill an Oliphant? Shouldn't be that hard to figure out." Fili suggested, but Ori shook his head in the negative,

"He didn't say how he could kill, just that he could; for all we know, he could be something that died out for unknown reasons but could spit poison strong enough to kill an Oliphant!" Bilbo looked on in bemusement, as they tried to figure out which shift to guess.

"Well, why don't we try and figure out what his sneaking shift is?" Kili suggested and the other two tried to think up questions to figure out what Bilbo's sneaking shift was.

"Ok, first question; are you a herbivore or an insectivore?" Kili asked and Bilbo had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the limited question range he was subjected to.

"I eat insects, but I like to mix it up now and then." Fili, Kili and Ori were all rather surprised at this revelation.

"Ok, are you smaller than a pika?" Ori asked and the other two rolled their eyes at the question; of course he had to be-

"I'm actually bigger than a pika." He was an insectivore, bigger than a pika, and still an animal that can sneak about?

"Final question, I guess; are you a mammal or a reptile?" Bilbo didn't bother to face-palm this time.

"For the record, that should have been your first question in order to reduce the possibilities of what I could be; there are hundreds of different species of animals that are bigger than pikas and still eat insects. There are plenty of animals that eat insects, that does not mean that that is all they eat, nor does it single them out as insectivores. The only one who asked his question at the right time is Ori; an idea of size can help determine it, however, I could tell by the looks on your face you were surprised I was bigger than a pika. For the record, there are plenty of animals that are much bigger than a pika and can still be stealthy; how do you think large felines and canines sneak up on their prey? True, most canines hunt in packs, but the only feline that hunts in a group is female lions, others hunt on their own. Now, to answer your final question, I am a mammal." Bilbo could tell the three dwarflings were all wishing they had taken more time to think over their questions.

"Don't have much patience for young ones do ya?" Bofur asked as he rode next to Bilbo.

"Oh, I have plenty of patience; case in point, I have yet to punch the lights out of our valiant leader." Bofur chuckled at that, not understanding why Thorin was being so rude to their burglar.

"However, if they want to know any one of my shifts, you would think they could come up with better questions than those that wouldn't even narrow down to the species, let alone the animal itself!" Bofur nodded, admitting that Bilbo had a valid point with his complaint. Bofur then got an idea for his own questions.

"Would ya mind if I asked ya two simple questions, not about your shifts, but about shifts from the Shire in general?" Bilbo thought for a moment then figured there was no harm in him asking.

"Well, some dwarf families share animal shifts, or at least same family. For example, Fili and Kili share an otter shift, and they share a family type animal with their mother as felines. Is it the same with Hobbits?"

"That can be seen with Hobbits, yes."

"Second question, I heard Gandalf say you were part Took and part Baggins, can you tell me what the common sneak forms of those families are?" Bilbo couldn't help but smirk; this one knew the right questions to ask.

"The Baggins clan usually consists of rabbits, hares and the occasional field mouse. Meanwhile, the Took clan usually has hares, shrews, and some have even had foxes in them, those that are quite a bit rarer." Bilbo explained with a smirk before he continued

"You are much better at this sort of thing than the dwarflings."

"So, are you any one of those five shifts your sneaking shift?" Ori asked and Bilbo just smirked again before shaking his head in the negative.

"Those were much better questions, but I'm afraid that they only help you determine what I'm not, not what I am."

"Well, that's one way to figure out what you are, to figure out what you're not." Bofur said with a grin that Bilbo couldn't help but copy. Gandalf was surprised when he happened to glance back and saw Bilbo, well not outright smiling, but still grinning; Bilbo had not smiled, or truly laughed since his parents had died. However, spirits soon lowered as the rain started. As everyone pulled up the hoods on their cloaks, Gandalf heard Bofur say to Bilbo

"Here now, that's a neat trick; with your hood up like that, it looks like nobody is riding the pony."

"That's kind of the idea behind it; when I wear it like this, I blend into foliage, when I wear it the other way, I blend into stone."

"That's a very inventive idea; may I inquire where you acquired it?" Bombur asked as he rode up next to his brother.

"I got the material from Bree, but for the actual design and everything, I did it myself; got some plain brown fabric, some light grey similar in color to stone and somewhat similar to snow, and some varying shades of green and red. From there, I sewed the green and red onto the brown, and then sewed the brown onto the grey."

"I see the green, but where's the red?" Nori asked as he rode next to his brother.

"If I should be travelling in autumn, I just remove the stitching at the edge, flip it, and then re-sew it. So you see, I have a cloak for all seasons." Bilbo said with a smirk. The others were quite impressed with his initiative and imagination.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Bilbo and his small group heard Dori, who was in the middle of their line, call up to Gandalf.

"It is raining Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world you should get yourself another wizard." Gandalf said in mild exasperation.

"Are there any?" Ori asked.

"What?"

"Other wizards." Ori elaborated and Bilbo hoped nobody noticed him stiffen slightly at the elaboration.

"There are six of us." Gandalf said and Bilbo was really hoping Gandalf didn't mention him or Gandalf just might be hit by a stray bolt of lightning.

"Really?" Kili asked.

"Yes, the greatest of our order is Saruman, the White; then there are the two Blue wizards, you know I've quite forgotten their names? Then there is Radagast the Brown, who prefers the company of animals to the company of people, and then there is a Green wizard, who has a knack for dealing with nature, though I doubt he would be willing to help; I've heard he rather likes it when it rains."

"What's his name?" Fili asked and Bilbo kept praying that Gandalf forgot his name like he forgot the Blue wizards' names.

"I'm afraid I never really learned his name, Radagast more or less trained him and then sent him on his way before I could officially meet him." Gandalf said, and Bilbo let out a quiet sigh of relief. Later that night, after Bilbo decided to ask the rain to stop so they wouldn't be sleeping in complete mud, Bilbo was just putting away everyone's dishes, including his own when he realized that he had indeed forgotten something.

"Oh bother."

"What's the matter?" Bofur asked as he and Gloin set down more firewood.

"Oh, nothing really, I just forgot my scarf is all. I guess I'll have to make a new one." Bilbo replied as he pulled out his knitting needles and some blue and grey wool.

"Are you sure you want to use some of your wool on something as trivial as a scarf?" Gloin asked as he sat next to the fire.

"Trivial to you, handy to me." Bilbo said as he started knitting.

"Probably afraid to catch a cold." Thorin said to Dwalin who responded with a chuckle.

"Actually I'm afraid to be without a deceptively innocent weapon; Bofur, would you mind if I used your scarf to demonstrate?" Bofur shook his head as he took his scarf off and passed it to their burglar.

"Thank you, now, with a simple tug and flick of the wrist, I am able to choke a person. Thank you in aiding this demonstration Bofur." Bilbo explained as he demonstrated on Bofur as he turned his back on the burglar, leaving the scarf where he had wrapped it around Bofur's neck before going back to his knitting. Bofur went over to his brother and cousin, firmly believing that he would never look at his scarf the same way ever again. Ori then went over to Bilbo with his own knitting bag, eager to talk to someone else who liked to knit.

"Do you enjoy knitting Master Hobbit, or is it just a necessity for you?" Ori asked as he pulled out his own knitting.

"For me, I see it as a necessary hobby; knitting is a good way to keep your fingers nimble, get warm sweaters and such, and for a bit of extra income, I knit socks and such for the people in Bree and sell them for a fair price. Not to mention, it allows me to keep another 'innocent' weapon on my person; you could easily jab these in a person's eyes, nose or neck, maybe even into the chest if you can get the right momentum which would kill a person almost instantly." Bilbo said without looking up from his knitting, therefore he did not see the look of awe on Ori's face as he looked at his own knitting needles with a new found reverence. That was when they heard the Wargs howl, causing Ori to shrink in fear and Bilbo to sit up sharply.

"That was a Warg Ori, where they are, Orcs are sure to follow and where Orcs go, massacre is left behind." Fili said a smirk which promptly fell off when Kili snapped at him

"Knock it off Fili, that isn't funny." Kili then pointedly looked at their burglar, who was still on high alert, but upon noticing how frightened Ori was, he forcibly calmed down, awkwardly put his arm on Ori's shoulders and said

"Don't worry about it, Fili is only trying to scare you, besides, it only sounded like one or two, and they wouldn't dare attack such a large number when they're numbers are so much smaller."

"Shows what you know; Wargs often disguise their numbers to surprise their prey." Thorin said with a sneer, though many got worried when Bilbo jumped up and snarled

"In case you couldn't tell you minus minded moron, I was trying to put the young ones mind at ease, seeing as how your nephew was doing such a wonderful job of scaring him out of his wits. I know all too well what damage Orcs and Wargs can do to a group."

"I have had enough of this Halfling and his attitude!" Thorin growled as he went to grab Bilbo, and the others moved to pull them away from each other, only to pause the same time Thorin did; Bilbo had drawn his katar and had it aimed right at Thorin's stomach.

"Unless you want to see what your insides look like, mutt, I suggest you back off! I told you back in the Shire; I am half of nothing!" Thorin and Bilbo were glaring at each other with such an intensity the others were surprised they didn't burst into flames. Thorin then stalked off and Bilbo put away his katar. They all let out a collective sigh of relief as the two hotheads moved away from each other.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria... but our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs, led by the most vile of all their race, Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed; we did not know. We were leaderless; defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him; the young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield... Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back; our enemy had been defeated... but there was no feast or songs that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived and I thought to myself then 'There is one I could follow. There is one I could call King'." Balin told them and Bilbo resolved to be a little easier on Thorin. He then picked up his knitting and went to a different spot just as Thorin came back. Gandalf thought that Bilbo's actions required an explanation as well, so he said

"As for Bilbo's attitude Thorin, this is him actually being quite polite; he too hates Orcs with a passion, and actually it's for a similar reason to yours; when he was twelve years old, Bilbo had convinced his parents to go on a picnic, quite a ways away from the Shire and Bree, but still a bit away from Rivendell. Anyways, they had just set everything out, when they were set upon by five Orcs and seven Wargs. Bungo, his father, shifted into his sneaking shift of a rabbit and tried to lead them away from his wife and son, but to no avail; Bilbo has better eyesight than most Hobbits thanks to his shifts, and saw his father being skewered by an Orc's sword. His mother, Belladonna, then told Bilbo to fly away and she would deal with the Orcs, in his shock, he listened to her and started flying away. She shifted into her land shift of a badger and attacked; she killed two Orc archers before a Warg grabbed her in its mouth, hurled her, and an Orcs mace smashed her skull in. What's worse is Bilbo saw that as well; he had indeed started flying away, but when he heard his mother's pained scream when she was grabbed by the Warg, and arrived in time to see the Orcs take his mother away from him. Bilbo's shock wore off, and in its stead came seething hot rage; he flew right at the Orc with the mace and proceeded to peck its face off. From there, he attacked in any shift that he could switch to, to kill the remaining Orcs and he even managed to kill a Warg before another pinned him to the ground. Just as the Warg was about to eat him, the rangers finally came and killed them. However, that was only the beginning; Bilbo was an only child, and all his relations blamed his mother for what happened, so Bilbo had no one to tell that he blamed the rangers and Elves who eventually came to his aid for his mother's death. He figured if they had gotten there ten minutes earlier, they could have saved his mother. From there, Bilbo's hatred grew until a darkness took over his heart and mind, changing his land shift and touching his flying shift so that he sometimes has trouble; we believe those were the two shifts affected because they were the main ones he used to kill the Orcs. Thankfully, I managed to find Bilbo before the darkness consumed him completely and got him to Rivendell where the Elves healed him, but he is still a being filled with hatred towards all Men and most Elves. He does not mean to be this way; he just has trouble controlling his hate when Orcs and Wargs are mentioned. I am hoping that with him coming on this quest that, while he helps you reclaim your home, your company can help him deal with that hate before it kills him, as dwarves are better at dealing with hatred than any other race. I don't know how well it will work out; Bilbo has been living with that hatred for almost forty years. You see, the Bilbo lost his parents on the same day as his birthday; instead of a big party, as is tradition with Hobbits, he wanted to spend his special day with just the two of them."