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The night after Bilbo saved Thorin's life, and they had escaped Azog and his Orc pack on the back of the majestic eagles, Gandalf turned to the hobbit with a sly little smile on his face. "My dear Bilbo," He spoke, freely, as all the dwarves were asleep, dreaming of Erebor and defeating Smaug, no doubt. "Are you ever going to tell them?"
The Halfling frowned at the wizard. "There is no need to, Gandalf. Besides, I do not see what he could offer to the dwarves that I could not."
Gandalf puffed on his pipe, quite amused. "I do imagine, my dear Bilbo, that he would make an excellent scout. Probably pretty good at tearing out orc throats, as well. But, it is your choice," The wizard smiled at him in his mysterious way.
Bilbo scowled. "Goodnight, Gandalf," He said, ending the conversation and snuggling down into his bedroll.
"Dream well little hobbit," Gandalf said in response, and certainly did not smile mischeviously ten minutes hence when, with a barely audible pop, Bilbo's form transformed from that of a hobbit to a golden-brown wolf.
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"Gandalf," Thorin Oakenshield's deep voice said calmly the next morning. "Would you like to explain why there is a wolf lying on Bilbo's bedroll, with no sign of our burglar anywhere in sight?"
The wizard practically beamed at the dwarven prince and his companions, all of who were staring at the still-sleeping wolf. "Why, Thorin, you are looking at Mister Baggins!"
Bofur made a sort of strangled sound in the back of his throat. "Are you...are you saying, Master Gandalf, that...that that wolf is our burglar?"
"Indeed!" Gandalf looked amused.
"What, did some elven magic creep upon him during the night and turn him into a wolf?" Kíli was frowning.
"No elven magic touched the camp last night, Kíli," The wizard was almost smirking by now.
"Tell us what it is you keep from us, wizard!" Thorin demanded harshly, a worried look on his face as he glanced at the wo-Bilbo.
"Oh dear," A familiar soft voice murmured, and the dwarves watched as the wolf crept out of the bedroll, shaking his body in a very Bilbo-esque way.
The dwarves were still much too shocked to comment on the fact that Bilbo could talk while in wolf shape.
"Good morning, Mister Baggins!" Gandalf said with delight. "Master Thorin and I were just discussing your current state of being. Perhaps you would prefer to enlighten them?"
Bilbo sighed, crossing his paws before beginning to pace around. "I shall enlighten them, as you say, while we are on the road. It will not be safe here much longer. I can smell it."
Thorin, with an impossibly straight face, gave the order to pack up. They'd be having breakfast on the road, he said.
Bilbo huffed to himself and tried his damnedest not to wag his tail.
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"So what you're saying," Bofur questioned an hour later. "Is that hobbits have two forms, their hobbit-y form and...an animal form?"
Fifteen minutes earlier, the dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo had set off through the forest. Fíli, Kíli, and Bofur had all stuck to the wolf's side, although the whole company (including Thorin) had listened to his explanation.
"Yes," Bilbo agreed, though he frowned as he shook his foot. "I prefer my hobbit form, in all honesty."
"So, why don't you just change back?" Kíli asked, sounding confused.
Bilbo grumbled, ducking his head as his tail hung low. "I...I can't. Not at will. I never got a handle on switching between hobbit and wolf form."
It took a very long time for Kíli and Fíli to stop laughing.
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Eventually, as darkness grew near, the dwarves settled down and made camp. Bofur and Ori, who had carried Bilbo's belongings between the two of them, set his stuff down near a log by the fire. Bilbo wagged his tail in thankful acknowledgment before curling up into a ball, snout tucked under his paws and tail swept under his body.
Thorin, to no one's surprise, set his bedroll down next to their burglar, absentmindedly stroking Bilbo's fur.
By the light of the following morning, Bilbo had transformed back into his hobbit form and was snuggled in Thorin's arms.
Fíli and Kíli laughed at both of them all day long, and only stopped when Thorin, arm draped over the burglar's shoulders, threatened to shave their beards off and cut off all their hair.