What if? Bilbo and the Ring (Completed)

Part XVI- The Dwarf Prince

It took but a second for the questions to fly:

"How did you find him?"

"Where was he?"

"Did you see the black riders?"

Gandalf held out a hand, telling us to wait. He set the sack, which contained the fireworks, on the ground and knelt beside Bilbo. With a careful hand and a scrap of cloth, he pulled the rings from out of the hobbit's pocket. Along with the Rings came a small but beautifully jeweled encrusted box.

Poor Bilbo took no notice. He just sat motionless on the hard ground. He didn't look like the same Bilbo we saw in Rivendell at all. His hair was tangled and dirty. His clothes had rips and tears in them and there was a wild look in his eye.

"What's in the box?" Merry asked.

"The dwarf rings." Gimli answered.

"So he did not get the rings from the black riders?" Questioned Pippin.

"Thankfully not."

"So then what happened?" I asked for the fellowship.

Gandalf began, "I was returning from where I had collected the fireworks and-"

"Where did you go to get them?" Boromir suddenly asked.

"A fellow wizard, one of the blue's.  Now as I was saying, I took the chance to get a bird's eye-view of the land and with a bit of luck, perhaps see where the black riders were. As I was looking I happened to notice Bilbo standing out in the open. He was switching between rings."

"Why would he switch rings?" Merry asked.

Gandalf sighed, "He was leaving the world of light to enter the world of shadow. My guess is that once the riders were in sight he would then enter the world of light and steal their rings."

Merry nodded slowly as if trying to grasp the answer.

"I watched as he stood there, plain as day. He was distracted, watching the eagle."

"Bilbo always loved the part of his adventure when he rode an eagle." Frodo said looking over at his uncle.

"May I finish with no more interruptions?" Gandalf said bluntly.

After a second of silence he continued. "As Bilbo stood, mesmerized by the eagle, I took the opportunity. I asked the eagle to pick him up and here we are."

"That all seemed rather easy." Boromir stated

"Too easy, if you ask me." Aragon replied.

"What about the fireworks?" Pippin asked sadly. It was obvious the hobbit had been looking forward to that part.

Gandalf laid a hand on Pippins head and kindly said, "It was because of the fireworks, Bilbo has been found."

Pippin, who wasn't satisfied with that answer, said nothing.

"We could always use them later, perhaps to celebrate." Aragorn said.

Merry and Pippin grinned at each other.

Gandalf glanced at Bilbo and said, "We have no more time to waste. With the one Ring in our presences, the black riders will be following us."

I noted a look of terror in Frodo's eyes. I didn't blame him in the slightest. None of us did.

"What do we do about Bilbo?" Gimli asked.

We glanced at Bilbo who continued to sit, staring off into space. If it weren't for his chest slighting moving, you would have thought him for dead.