Bombur was a dwarf of few words, mostly answering a question with a nod or shake of his head. He liked to elaborate his opinion on a matter by using his hands in gesture.

At Bilbos question, the plump dwarf simply took his hands together, placed his head along them, and made snoring sounds.

"So you're saying you didn't wake up and see anything suspicious going on along the hall where all our rooms are?" Bilbo questioned, his eyes searching for any falsehood within the dwarf.

Bombur shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, 'no'. His hands reaching out and picking up a wheel of cheese, his mouth began to loudly munch as Bilbo sighed in frustration.

Bombur watched as he munched, the hobbit was turning to Fili and Kili for advice on who to question next.

-0-0-

Ori entered the kitchen, smiling at the sight of Bilbo.

"Hello master Baggins!" Ori hailed his hobbit friend.

"Ori!" Bilbo called, gesturing for the dwarf to sit next to him. "I need to ask you a few questions."

"Of course! But would you mind me asking one first? Why were you outside on the veranda so late last night?"

"Veranda? What was I doing there?"

"I imagine freezing your butt off, it was a bit nippy last night. But there you were, sitting in a chair with the goofiest grin! You were leaning kind of funny on this little table in front of you. I think you had some sort of drink in one hand, I thought it very strange!" Ori explained, watching Bilbos eyes go glassy, as if trying to remember.

"If you thought it strange, why not go check on him?" Fili asked.

"Well, I would have, but Dwalin showed up and told me to get back to bed! I did just that and figured he would notice Bilbo and check up on him." Ori finished his tale, watching the three friends give out a frustrated sigh.

"Did Dwalin give you that shiner for being up so late?" Ori asked Bilbo of his new black eye.

"That's his problem, Ori! Bilbo doesn't remember anything from last night. We're trying to figure out what happened." Kili explained to the other dwarf.

"It's only a black eye, master Baggins could have had much worse done to him." Ori stated his opinion, getting a strange look from the hobbit and fellow dwarfs.

"He also has a very nasty bruise, Ori. On his bum..." Fili confided, watching Oris eyes widen in shock.

"Oh my! Who would treat poor mister Bilbos rump so roughly!" Ori hugged the hobbit, feeling bad for his friends situation.

"I guess we should start looking for Dwalin, maybe he can explain what happened." Bilbo stood, Fili and Kili following his movements.

"I think Dwalin likes to eat his breakfast outside." Ori gave his advice to the trio. "Good luck Bilbo, I hope you find the answers you seek!"

"Thank you Ori, alright. Lets go see if we can find Dwalin." Bilbo led the way, the companions leaving the kitchens and headed north towards the mountains exit.

-0-0-

Dwalin liked the fresh air and quietness of eating his breakfast outside. He wasn't always the quiet type, he enjoyed loud get togethers as much as the next dwarf! Yet it seemed to start his day out right when he'd eat alone outside the Lonely Mountain.

He was eating seasoned pork meat with cooked potatoes and onions all wrapped in a large, warm slice of white bread. Pieces if pork fell out and landed on his beard and chest while he ate greedily.

"Dwalin!" The dwarf heard his name called, his face frowning while he chewed his meal.

Who would be dumb enough to bother a hungry dwarf while he was eating? Dwalins head turned slightly to take in the form if Bilbo Baggins walking over to him.

"Hobbits!" He grunted to himself, annoyed at being disturbed. What did the hairy foot whiner want anyway? Hadn't he been rude enough last night? Dwalin didn't care to deal with any more of Bilbos ass hattery right at this moment.

The dwarf would continue to eat his meal no matter what the ex burglar had to say. Food would be coming first before Bilbo!

"Dwalin!" Bilbo plastered a grin on his face. "Good morning!" He greeted the chewing dwarf.

Dwalin merely grunted a reply. Wishing that the hobbit would say his peace and be gone.

Bilbo noticed the dwarfs apparent mood, and his grin fell off his face. He gave a scowl towards the grump of a dwarf.

"Alright, down to business then. When you saw me last night, what was I doing?"

Dwalin laughed bitterly, his speech muffled by his mouth being full, "As if you don't remember! I'm in no mood, Bilbo. Leave."

Bilbo stomped his big hairy feet in annoyance. "Damn it Dwalin, I don't remember a thing! So instead of being pissy and a grump, how about you tell me what I did to get your knickers in a bunch!"

That did it! Dwalin very carefully set down his food, then turned all his angry attention on Bilbo. "Ya don't remember you say? Well, how about I give your memory a little tap?" The provoked dwarf held up his fists to the shocked hobbit.

"Now Dwalin! No need to get physical!" Bilbo protested, backing off the ready to rumble dwarf.

"Oh, there's need lad, you insulted me greatly last night, and I was willing to let it go...Then you come over, interrupt my meal and get pushy with me? I think not!" He growled as he spoke, thoroughly mad. "I'm about to give you another sore eye!"

"Wait, does that mean you gave me this one last night?" Bilbo asked, still trying to stay a safe distance from Dwalin.

"I wish I had, but no, I let ya go without a scratch on ya! That's about to change." Dwalin roared and leaped for the hobbit.

Bilbo began to scream as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, away from the chasing Dwalin. Where were Fili and Kili?! They could surely talk some sense into the irate dwarf pursuing Bilbo.

Bilbo made his way hurriedly towards the mountains entrance, his eyes landing on Fili and Kili as they were leaving the mountain.

"Fili! Kili!" Bilbo called, seeing their heads turn, that's about the time Dwalin vaulted and grabbed the hobbits ankle, tripping him.

"You're mine hobbit!" Dwalin roared as he positioned himself atop Bilbo and raised his fist.

Bilbo closed his eyes, waiting to feel the pain of getting socked in the face by Dwalins mighty fist. Then suddenly, the weight the hobbit had felt on top of him vanished! He popped open his eyes and watched the young dwarf brothers rolling around with Dwalin, trying to pin his body down.

"Thank goodness!" Bilbo sighed, feeling relief at his friends coming to his rescue. He stood up and noticed that Fili had Dwalins arms pinned to the ground and Kili had the legs of the angry dwarf secured.

"What's the matter with you, Dwalin!?" Fili yelled down at the foaming at the mouth dwarf beneath him.

"Yeah! Beating on poor Bilbo, you know he'd crumble at one punch from someone as strong as you!" Kili chided, his words somewhat making Bilbo feel like a ninny.

"I tried telling him I couldn't remember what I did last night. Apparently it was very rude whatever I did, and Dwalin didn't believe I couldn't remember." Bilbo began explaining to Fili and Kili.

"It's true, Dwalin. Bilbo was passed out from drinking and he can't remember a thing!" Fili tried reasoning with the slowly calming down dwarf.

"He was still rude with me! Bothering me while I ate my meal, speaking ill of my nickers! The lines this hobbit crosses!" Dwalin barked out his complaints.

"Now Dwalin, who's the bigger dwarf?" Kili chided.

"Bombur?" Dwalin spoke, not understand Kili's meaning.

"No, I meant who should be big enough to walk away from Bilbos actions? He's just a wee hobbit, he doesn't understand all our odds and ends." Kili started to explain, getting a flabbergasted sigh from Dwalin.

"Fine! I'm the bigger dwarf." Dwalin murmured, still grumpy but less ready to throttle the hobbit.

"There! Now, if we let you up, do you promise not to hurt poor little Bilbo?" Fili questioned, receiving a simple nod from Dwalin.

The brothers helped up the calming down dwarf, watching for any sign of lingering rage.

"Now, could you tell us what Bilbo did last night to offend you?" Kili asked of the other dwarf, who was now stretching his muscles, a few joints popping loudly as he did so.

"It was after I sent Ori off to bed. Master Baggins here was on the veranda with the stupidest grin on his face! He was sitting at a little table, leaning a bit on it, when I asked why he was up so late." Dwalin paused, his eyes landing on Bilbo.

"You rudely threw a cup at me, whatever was in the damned thing went all over my boots! You then began to laugh and point. You then proceeded to call me a Thin Beard!" Dwalin glared daggers at the hobbit. "I held my temper, though I wanted to ring your neck for such a cruel insult, and left you there to freeze that cheeky ass of yours off. I don't know how Thorin puts up with you!" Dwalin ended his sentence, Bilbo shook his head from side to side.

"I don't remember any of it! And you're saying I laughed at you? Maybe I was sleepwalking! Perhaps that's how I got out there in the first place. Either way, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings Dwalin." Bilbo apologized, watching the dwarf cross his arms and turn his head away from the trio.

"Forget it, just let me eat the rest of my meal in peace." He harrumphed.

"What do we do now, Bilbo?" Fili asked as the three friends left Dwalin to himself.

"We find another dwarf and see if they noticed me doing anything out of the ordinary last night." The hobbit spoke, marching his way back into the Lonely Mountain. If he had truly been sleepwalking, who knew what the hobbit might have been up to!

-0-0-

The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.