A Shot in the Dark (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Chapter 33

Bilbo closed his eyes and tried not to be sick. "Sauron."

~*~

"We need to tell the others of this," Tauriel declared after they had come to terms with the undeniable truth before them. "They need to know that he has such a big advantage on us."

"How? We're miles away from them and have no way to communicate," Bilbo pointed out as he rubbed his throbbing forehead.

The Elf gestured to the forest at their side with her chin. "I can find a scout in the woods and have him take a message back to the king."

"How long will that take?" Beorn asked as he tapped out a quick rhythm on his bent knee.

"I don't know," she admitted, biting her lower lip. "It could take a few hours or a few days; it depends on what rotation they're on now."

Bard snorted and shook his head. "Great. And what shall we do in the meantime? Sit around and knit?"

"How about you work on sewing your mouth shut? That would be a wonderful use of your time," Tauriel suggested with a sweet smile.

"Sure, and while I'm at it you can work on getting that stick out of your ass," the Man returned without blinking.

The Elf clapped her hands and cheered. "Great idea! Then I'll have something to hit you with!"

"Beorn, why did I think it was a good idea to invite any of you along?" Bilbo wondered as the arguing duo began another of their performances.

"You didn't. We invited ourselves," the bear replied as he watched the act with a smirk.

"A decision that I'm greatly regretting," he muttered before stepping forward until he was between the two. "That's enough you two. We don't have time to argue and bicker. Tauriel, you should leave now to find your scouts. We will wait here for you in the meantime."

Tauriel flashed Bard another glare before nodding to the Hobbit. "Agreed. I'll be back as quickly as possible. Stay alert and do not enter the forest under any circumstances. If you must venture within, I suggest sending Bard first as bait."

"Wow, thanks for the concern," the Man deadpanned.

"You're welcome," Tauriel replied with a smirk before disappearing into the forest without a sound.

Bard simply snorted. "Showoff."

~*~

With their guide gone for the moment, the three remaining males made camp for the night. Bilbo found himself secretly thankful for the delay. His ribs still ached and he found himself unusually fatigued and stiff. It annoyed him greatly that his body was being so weak. After all the training and walking, he thought he was getting healthier. Apparently his body had a different idea.

"Pup, you have a few spawn running around, right?" Beorn asked out of the blue as they sat together around a fire to keep warm.

Bard rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yes. I have three: two girls and a boy. Why?"

The shape-shifter shrugged his wide shoulders. "Just wondering. So is it hard being a father?"