A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 4

"You continue to surprise me, Bilbo Baggins," he commented, his eyes twinkling. "I think we are in for quite an adventure."

Oh, Gandalf, the real surprises have yet to occur.

~*~

When it came time to deliver the meals to Fili and Kili, Bilbo volunteered first.

"I don't mind taking it to them. It will give me a chance to check on Mrytle," he explained to Bombur as he took the bowls.

"Very well then. But hurry back before your food gets cold," the cook advised, already setting aside a bowl of stew for the Hobbit as the rest of the Dwarves descended upon the food.

He nodded and went on his way.

When he found the two brothers, they argued in lowered voices and took turns hitting each other in the shoulder. He waited for them to notice him, and when they failed to, he finally cleared his throat to catch their attention. His actions had them jumping and spinning around to face him with wide eyes.

"Gentlemen," he greeted, holding up their bowls of stew. "I have brought you dinner."

"Oh, would you look at that, Kili; our burglar has brought us dinner," Fili said in false cheer. "How nice of him!"

"Oh, yes, very nice of him," Kili agreed, eagerly nodding.

"We'll just take those off your hands then, and you can go on your way," Fili added in the same fake tone while reaching out to take the bowls.

Bilbo stepped back to avoid him and gave them both a deadpanned look. "What did you two do now?"

Fili pulled back with a scowl. "What? I resent that tone. Do not assume we've done something stupid every time we're left alone."

"Though we did lose some of the ponies," his younger brother admitted.

Fili immediately punched him in the arm. "Kili!"

"Well, we did!" defended Kili, rubbing his arm and scowling. "We might as well tell him since he's already here."

"You lost-? How many did you lose?" the Hobbit demanded, setting the bowls down on a nearby log.

"Two," Fili admitted with a frown. "We've been looking for them and think they got stolen."

"By who? There's no one else out here but us," he pointed out.

Kili pointed to the upturned trees and wreckage of nature close by. "We think by whatever did that."

Bilbo followed his finger and raised both brows. "Oh, dear."

~*~

He allowed the two brothers to drag him off in pursuit of the trolls, much like the first time. The only difference was when they arrived where the trolls were camped, he did not allow them to immediately push him into saving the ponies by himself.

"I'm not going in there alone and without a plan," he reasoned to the two Dwarves. "They are three trolls, and I am just a little Hobbit."

"You are also our burglar and known to be quiet. It would be a good chance to prove yourself to everyone," Kili argued.

"Or get myself eaten alive," the Hobbit retorted with false sweetness. "Look, I will attempt to free the ponies if one of you goes back to tell the others of this, and one of you stays here to help me."

Fili and Kili looked at one another. The blond raised one brow while the other shrugged and gestured to his clothes. Fili nodded in answer and patted one of his many blades. Bilbo watched the wordless exchange in interest. He recalled the two doing such things before but never thought about it. But now he realized how in tune they were if they could read each other's thoughts so easily through gestures alone.