Welcome back again. I love the amount of trust you guys have in Dain.

Bilbo stood, wide eyed, staring up at the empty balcony. Thorin declared war on Lake-Town, he ordered his warriors to kill the men of the lake, and he did it all for gold. Bilbo gripped a tight fist. He wished he never helped reclaim this mountain. He wished the gold stayed far beneath the rock where Thorin could never find it, where Thorin could never be driven mad by it.

"Are you alright, laddie?" Balin's voice pulled Bilbo from his thoughts.

The hobbit turned to see Balin, Dwalin and Bofur standing behind him as the other dwarves headed for the armory. "Why did he say those things?" Bilbo asked not expecting an answer.

"The dragon-sickness," Balin said sadly. "Thorin is consumed once more with his need for gold. The sickness is blinding him from seeing all ends. He only cares about getting his treasure back, no matter what the cost. Alas, it seems we have lost him again."

Bilbo kept staring up at the balcony playing over Thorin's words in his mind. He knew Thorin was struggling with the sickness again, yet he honestly believed Thorin would not fall again. Thorin was being a good king. He was being kind to the lakemen, even friendly with Bard. How could he snap so quickly? Thorin was fighting the curse of his grandfather with everything he had; Bilbo knew Thorin was doing everything he could to keep sane. Thorin was staying the madness; he would not succumb to it so easily, not after everything that happened. Thorin was stronger than it, Bilbo knew it. Then what changed making Thorin turn so quickly?

"Dain," Bilbo said under his breath. He turned seeing his friends walking towards the armory. "Wait, where are you going?" he ran after them.

"To the armory, our King has declared war and we must prepare," Dwalin told the hobbit.

Bilbo shook his head, "must prepare? Thorin wasn't in his right mind when he said those things. That was the sickness talking through him again. You can't honestly go to war knowing full well the real Thorin never would have said those things!" Bilbo argued.

"But he did Master Baggins," Dwalin said. "Thorin is our king and we must follow his orders, gold sickness or not. It is our duty as dwarves to follow our king."

Bilbo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What about when Dain ordered you to attack Lake-Town you were alright with going behind his back and warning Bard!"

Dwalin shook his head," no, you were. We would have marched to war by Dain's orders. Master Baggins, you may again try to warn Bard that we are coming, but we have an oath to our king." Dwalin stormed away to the armory.

"I am sorry, Bilbo," Balin said patting the hobbit on the shoulder.

"You don't understand! Thorin went to meet with Dain just before he announced the attack on Lake-Town!"

"What!?" both Bofur and Balin gasped.

"I don't know what happened, but a guard told Thorin that Dain wanted to meet with him and not an hour later Thorin declares war on Lake-Town, just like Dain wanted when he was king," Bilbo told them in hurried voice. "Just before Thorin went to meet with Dain he told me he was fighting the call of the gold with everything he had! Thorin was still Thorin before he met with Dain. I'm telling you something must have happened that made Thorin want the gold returned from Lake-Town!"

Bofur and Balin exchanged worried glances. "Are you saying Dain somehow caused Thorin to go mad again?" Bofur asked rubbing his hat. "Is that even possible?"

"The treasury," Balin spoke. "Thorin has often said it gets worse the closer he is to that place. If Dain met with Thorin in the treasure room…there is a chance Thorin fell back under the spell of the gold."

"Thorin would not have willing gone to the treasury," Bilbo interjected. "He knows it has power over him. The guard said Dain wanted to meet with Thorin in the throne room."

Bofur and Balin exchanged worried glances. "What is it?" Bilbo asked.

"The throne room is where the Arkenstone is," Balin told the hobbit. "Thorin has not once looked at it since his coronation. He fears what it will do to him if he does."

"The Arkenstone is doing this to him? I'll steal it again if you think it will help," Bilbo pleaded.

"Do you really think that is a good idea laddie, keeping in mind what happened last time?" Balin questioned. "Bilbo, I don't know what caused Thorin to lose his mind once more, if it was Dain or not, but I do think Dain is taking advantage of Thorin's madness for his own gain. Dain, may have, perverted Thorin's craving for gold into hate for the men of the lake and a desire to return the gold he gave them. Dain could be using Thorin's madness to service his own needs."

"Dain was smiling the whole time Thorin gave his speech," Bofur added in.

Balin nodded. "Bilbo, we must follow Thorin's orders and get ready for war whether he is being manipulated by Dain or not. We must go to the armory to prepare for battle or we will be imprisoned for treason. Bilbo, it is up to you to bring the real Thorin back. You must pull him from the madness and, if you are right, get Thorin as far away from Dain as possible." Balin paused for a moment thinking. "Fili and Kili must be distraught about this too. You may also want to find Dis, she has always been a strong voice of reason to Thorin and he loves her dearly. Find them and the four of you should be able to reach Thorin again."

"Be careful Bilbo," Bofur said. "You know how Thorin gets when he's…you know."

"Right," Bilbo said with a nod.

"And watch out for Dain," Balin added. "He has always disliked you, Bilbo and I fear what he may do if he finds you."

Bilbo smiled. "Don't worry, he'll never find me." Bilbo slid his hand in his pocket feeling the cool surface of the ring. "I'll find Thorin first; see if I can get him to come with his senses on my own. If it doesn't work I'll get Fili, Kili and Dis. I don't want them see Thorin like this if I can prevent it."

Balin smiled laughing a little. "You never cease to amaze me Master Baggins." The two dwarves dismissed themselves and left for the treasury putting all their hopes, like they had in the past, in Bilbo Baggins.

This chapter turned into more set up than I originally planned, but I liked how it came out.

Review and have a good day.