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Thorin Oakenshield had been the last to notice. Gandalf would probably say pointed words like ‘pride’ and too quick to judge’ and ‘stubbornness’ and, Thorin for once concedes, he’d probably be right.
Bilbo Baggins, gentlehobbit of The Shire, was not. At least, he hadn’t always been. He had learnt to love his luxuries and so he loved them with a fierce possessiveness.
Although Bilbo had obviously been uncomfortable, he was adept at finding spots on the ground to sleep. He looked at everyone with veiled suspicion that could easily pass as simple nervousness and always stood where it would take longest to draw a sword and stab him. He was useless with the letter opener he had been given, but was skilled with the small knife no one had seen on him at first.
He had told them he would be useless at attempting to steal from a dragon. He hadn’t told them what he was good at stealing. The elves had found their pantries a little emptier than they planned. The markets of men that they passed through found the materials for mending clothes missing. When they asked he had told them that they had employed a burglar and so a burglar he would be.
He never stole from the dwarves.
He was loyal to the exact terms of his contract and nothing more.
He seemed unguarded, giving everything away in idle chatter. It was only later that you realised he had given nothing at all and that you, in turn, had opened to a ghost. Bilbo was good with words, after all.
There was a tale of loss in his eyes and Thorin found himself wondering just how hard he had fought for Bag End, and more importantly, why he was risking it to help them now.
They’d only seen the truth because Bilbo had let them, because Bilbo had needed to prove himself, just a little.
Bilbo was easy to like, even as you wondered how much of what you liked was real.
One night when it was silent and neither of them could sleep, Thorin had once asked Bilbo why he had decided to come. Bilbo had answered, “Because I heard you sing.” It wasn’t really an answer, and it didn’t really mean anything, but Thorin thought that he was telling the truth.