**WITH THE COMPANY**

As dawn began to break, the Eagles flew onwards, Bilbo looked over at Thorin who was motionless in his Eagles talons & feared the worst, Fili's agonized cry only solidified his fears, aside from Thorin the rest of the Company had escaped without injury, as Bilbo looked around (avoiding any temptation to look down for fear that he would be sick) he didn't see Lyanna among the Dwarves, Gandalf's figure was easy to spot atop his Eagle as was Bombur's vast figure, but he couldn't see Lyanna, biting down hard on his lower lip, Bilbo buried his face in the Eagle's feathers. The Eagles flew on, the sun was just peaking over the distant rises of mountains when the Eagles effortlessly swooped down into a valley, all of them gliding round a high stone peak, as Bilbo watched, the Eagle carrying Thorin gently deposited him on the top of the stone before rising back up into the air, Gandalf was next, sliding down from the back of his Eagle & hurrying to the motionless Dwarf King "Thorin!" Gandalf shouted, as Bilbo was gently let down onto the peak, he watched as Gandalf knelt down next to Thorin, closed his eyes & held his hand over Thorin's face as he muttered in a strange language.

As Gandalf moved his hand, Bilbo saw Thorin's eyes flutter open as the other members of the Company were set down, Bilbo let out a silent breath of relief as he heard Thorin whisper "The Halfling" "It's all right" Gandalf murmured "Bilbo is here, he's quite safe" as Thorin rolled onto his side, Kili & Dwalin appeared either side & helped Thorin to his feet, he shrugged them off, glaring at the Hobbit "You! What were you doing?" Thorin questioned "You nearly got yourself killed, did I not say that you would be a burden, that you would not survive in the Wild, that you had no place amongst us?" Thorin growled as he advanced toward Bilbo, Bilbo swallowed nervously as Thorin stopped right in front of him "I have never been so wrong in all my life" Thorin said as he wrapped his arms around Bilbo, almost crushing him in the process. As Bilbo looked over Thorin's shoulder he saw the rest of the Company celebrating, a cheer went up as Thorin released him & stepped back, as Thorin checked Bilbo over for any signs of injury he spoke "I am sorry I doubted you" Thorin said looking Bilbo in the eyes, blushing, Bilbo looked down, embarrassed before he responded "No, no I would have doubted me too" he replied "I'm not a hero or a warrior, I'm not even a burglar" Bilbo said as everyone chuckled, Thorin grinned at him, his blue eyes sparkling with humour.

As the Eagles circled the peak once more with a cry before flying off, Thorin's gaze landed on something in the distance, his eyes widening as he looked at it, "Is that….is that what I think it is?" Bilbo said as Thorin walked to the very edge of the peak, the Company trailing after him. "Erebor, The Lonely Mountain" Gandalf said "The las of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth"

"Our Home" Thorin said softly.

"A Raven" Oin cried as a bird flew over them "The birds are returning to the Mountain" "That my dear Oin, is a Thrush" Gandalf replied, "Well we'll take it as a sign, a good omen" Thorin said as he glanced down at Bilbo, "You're right, I do believe the worst is behind us" Bilbo said, Thorin then turned, clearly looking for someone & Bilbo didn't have to guess who it was Thorin was searching for, Bilbo shuffled his feet as Thorin shifted next to him, agitation rolling off of the Dwarf King in waves as he again looked at his Company "Where is Lyanna….Where is my Consort?!" Thorin bellowed, Bilbo jumped as the rest of the Company flinched back, when Kili made a noise of distress, Thorin turned to him. "Kili…tell me" Thorin said softly as he embraced his Nephew, Kili shook his head before burying his face in Thorin's shoulder, his heartbroken sobs muffled by Thorin's coat "Fili…?" Thorin rasped, Bilbo looked as Fili swallowed, the Prince stood ramrod straight although his hands shook violently as he spoke "The last time I saw Äzyungûn was when Dwalin was dragging my Brother & I back towards the tree just as the Eagles showed up…" Fili trailed off clearly not able to say what he was thinking. The rest of the Company was quiet, Bilbo saw Ori grasp Dori's sleeve, his expression saying what he couldn't put into words, Dori shook his head & Ori started crying, Thorin moaned suddenly an awful gut wrenching sound of agony, his legs giving out as he fell to the ground, Bilbo stood helpless as silent tears fell down Thorin's face, Bilbo had seen much on his journey with the Company, he had also seen the spark between Lyanna & Thorin grow into something beautiful, yes they had argued but the Bond between them was beyond anything he'd ever seen in his life.

Thorin suddenly raised his head & screamed before he slumped to the ground, the sound reverberating off the mountains, the echoes filled with that scream of pain, shivering Bilbo turned away from the scene in front of him to find Gandalf staring back the way the Eagles had brought them…

Far, far away in the distance, a Thrush flew over a ruined landscape, it flew up past a giant statue of a Dwarf, up to a small ledge where it landed on a small rock & started knocking a small pebble against the stone wall. Inside the Mountain, in a vast chamber filled with Gold, Gems & other shiny things, something moved…..