From the beginning, I suppose

Chapter 7 (Split POV)

Bilbo continued to hum quietly to himself as he approached Bree through the light morning mist. There was one thing the hobbit had purchased that would have been inconvenient for him to bring back to Bag End.

"Master Baggins! I trust you are here to retrieve Maha. He is in the far box stall with the open window." The stablemaster greeted the hobbit cheerfully from where he was mixing grain feed.

"Thank you Alec. I promise to take good care of him." The hobbit smiled at the ranger and proceeded to the stable mentioned. A dainty black head adorned with a white star and pink snip peered over the stable door, pricking small erect ears and giving a quiet knicker at Bilbo's approach.

"Hello Maha. How are you, handsome? Are you up for an adventure?" The hobbit let himself into the stall and tacked the rohan pony quickly. He led the pony out into the aisle before he swung into the saddle with the help of the stablemaster/ranger Alec.

"Ride swift, master hobbit. Do not let any stand in your way, and Maha will guide you wherever you wish to go. Also, if you need him to come to you, simply whistle. He will come to your call." The ranger waved the hobbit off with a knowing smile.

Bilbo kept the rohan pony at an easy walk as he rode to his destination. He dropped the reins and slid off Maha's back as the gelding minced to a stop outside a round white door with brass hinges. It was late enough now that Bilbo could see and hear the activity within. Without hesitation, the hobbit steeled his nerves and rang the doorbell.

"Bilbo, my boy! What brings you here? And why do you have a pony?" The portly hobbit that answered the door was very similar to Bilbo in his features, but his hair was snowy white and there were pronounced smile wrinkles around his eyes.

"I came to leave you a notice of my departure from Hobbiton. I will write to you after a year or maybe a year and a half to let you know if I will be returning. These documents hold my directions for who to entrust my smial to in my absence and who to keep it from." Bilbo smiled at his uncle, and gave a grunt of surprise when he was pulled into a hug by the older hobbit.

"I knew you would take after your mother. Be careful with yourself, my boy, but follow your heart. It only ever did your mother good, and you are nothing if not dear Belladonna's son." The elderly hobbit smiled tearily at Bilbo and took the documents. "Be careful of the dwarrow-folk though. If your mother taught me anything, it is that the sons of Mahal are too charming to resist." He said in mock-seriousness, obviously trying to fight back a face-splitting smile.

Oh if only you knew how close to the truth you really are.

"Just be careful." The thain of hobbiton released his nephew with a smile and pointed to where Maha was waiting patiently. "And don't you waste that pretty pony." He chuckled and patted Bilbo's shoulder reassuringly, bidding him farewell.

Bilbo turned back to the rohan pony, a small smile gracing his features. "Come on then, Maha. We have a company of dwarrow to catch."

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"Uncle, we can't leave without our burglar! We don't know where he went!" Kíli protested indignantly as Thorin shut the round green door of Bilbo's smial with maybe a little more force than necessary.

"If master Baggins wishes to accompany us, he must not hinder us." Was Thorin's reply.

There was relative silence until the company was maybe an hour's ride out from Hobbiton.

"Thorin! Rider approaching at speed from the rear!" Dwalin called from the back of the company.

Thorin bared his teeth and wheeled Minty about, prepared to confront this mysterious rider. The snarl faded from his face, however, as the rider drew closer, pulling the pony down to an easy trot and mincing to a halt in front of Thorin.

"Leaving without me, were you?" Bilbo chirped, a cheeky smile on his face as the pony worried at his bit contentedly.

"Bilbo Baggins, where did you disappear to?" Gandalf had turned his horse and addressed the hobbit with a curious expression on his face.

"I had some documents to deliver to Old Took." Bilbo replied easily.

"Of course... The thain should know of his nephew's travels. I apologize for not having that prepared." Gandalf inclined his head at the hobbit. "Where did you get your hands on a rohan pony? I daresay they aren't easy to come by this far west." The wizard's eyes twinkled under the broad grey brim of his ridiculous pointy hat.

"I hav--" Bilbo started, but was cut off by Kíli, who had ridden up beside him and was trying to keep his roan mare from biting Bilbo's handsome pony.

"You're the nephew of the ruler of this area?" Kíli cocked his head at Bilbo, excitement evident in his expressive hazel eyes.

"Well, in all technicality, I suppose so. Hierarchy works very differently among hobbits--" He was cut off again, but this time by Balin.

"Gandalf. You failed to mention that we were riding with - in essence - a hobbit prince?" There was an upward tilt at the end of the sentence, but it was more an accusation than a question.

"Ah... As Bilbo was trying to explain, hobbits do not follow strict hierarchy like dwarves and men and elves. The thain is more a title than anything else." Gandalf said smoothly.

"You felt this was unimportant enough to merely overlook?" This time it was Thorin who silenced the low chattering that had spread through the company.

"I--" Gandalf made to defend himself, but Bilbo cut him off.

"Enough bickering. We have ground to cover, and I fear Balin may be correct about the approaching rain. We had best reach the plains before the Brandywine overwashes the crossing point. I would hate to be stuck here too much longer." Bilbo urged his pony forward with a cluck of his tongue. The leggy pony chewed on the bit some more and tried to get it between his teeth.

Thorin watched quietly as the hobbit laughed and assured his pony that he should save his speed until it was needed, soothing his prancing steed with low words and gentle strokes on the black pony's elegantly arched neck. He could have sworn he heard the hobbit call the pony Mahal. He needed to clear that up.

Thorin kissed at Minty, turning the mare to fall into step beside Bilbo's handsome black gelding.

"I heard you speaking to your pony. What is his name?" Thorin attempted for casual, but felt like it sounded choked. If Bilbo noticed, then he didn't mention it.

"His name is Maha. That is the name the ranger I purchased him from had given him when he was just a colt." Bilbo stroked the silky mane again. "It's the only name he answers to."

That piqued Thorin's interest. "Answers to? Does he come when you call?"

"He does. He will come to his name and he will come to a whistle. That's the reason I wanted a Rohan pony. They are trained to do so from the day they are weaned." Bilbo smiled as Maha snorted and nodded his head as if in agreement.

Thorin decided that perhaps this hobbit could be very very useful.