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.

"What about him?" Frodo asked suspiciously.

"Don't take this personal lad, but he's a danger to us."

"Seeing as he is my uncle, it feels personal." (lol) Frodo said with an edge.

"Gimli is right Frodo, uncle or not, it is not safe to travel with him." Aragorn said firmly.

Before Frodo could reply, Legolas announced, "We have company."  

We looked to Legolas who was staring off into the distance.

"Friend or foe?" Asked Gandalf.

"It looks to be a large party of dwarfs on ponies."

"Friends then" Gimli said happily.

Legolas shook his head, "They don't look too friendly, seeing as they look ready for a fight."

As if on cue, The dwarfs began to ride quickly toward us and we could see them clearly.  Aragorn and Boromir unsheathed their swords.

"They will not harm us after I speak to them." Gimli said.

"If you can get a word in before they do." Legolas replied.

The angry mob came and stopped within five feet of us. They formed a circle around us, their ponies snorting angrily as if we had mistreated them.

"Friends huh?" Boromir whispered.

"Must be having a bad day." Gimli said back.

The circle broke in front of us and in rode a highly decorated young dwarf in purple robes. He wore a bulky crown and an attitude of arrogance.

"I am Fundin, Son of Thorin Stonehelm. Prince of the Iron Hills." He announced.  

Gimli stood forward and bowed low before the prince. "I am Gimli, son of Gloin."

The prince took little notice of Gimli. Looking at the company he noticed Legolas, "Your choosing of friends surprises me, were there so few that an elf , is one of them?"

'Thranduil all over again' I thought to me self.

"I did not think dwarfs rode ponies, due to fear or, their lack of height." Legolas said to the prince.

The prince opened his mouth to reply when Gandalf stepped in, "How may we be of service to the great prince Fundin?"

Fundin frowned, then said, "There is nothing you can do, unless you have the three dwarf rings."

Gandalf held out the small box that held the rings. To describe to facial expressions of the dwarf, first was joy of having found the missing rings. Next was suspicion of how we came to have the rings and finally as he took another look at each of us, his eyes landed on Bilbo, eyes full of hate and contempt.

He took the box, glanced inside it then snapped it shut. "Gloin, your father was in the company of Thorin Oakensheild." He said to Gimli, who nodded.

"So I see you still keep the burglar in your midst."

"His burglary days are long gone." Gandalf spoke loudly.

"And you are?" Fundin asked in annoyance.

"Gandalf the Grey, one of the fourteen who traveled far to reclaim Erebor, when those from the Iron Hills refused." 

"If his thieving past is over, how came you by this?" The prince shouted, becoming angrier by the minuet.

"We found it." Merry said weakly.

Fundin glanced at the hobbit and said, "You train them at a young age I see."

Gandalf, who was quite tired of this foolish prince, said "If that is all we shall be on our way."

"That is not all!" He bellowed. "Word has come from Rivendell. There is to be a council when you return. A council to decide the Halfling's fate. You can be sure I and my father will be in attendance."

We all exchanged looks, fearful of what may become of poor Bilbo.

"If that is the case, to ensure a quick journey, might we borrow some ponies." Gandalf inquired.

The prince's face turned red and he was about to really let us have it, when Aragorn stepped in.

"If I may say so you royal highness, enemies who want to destroy Middle Earth shall be after us. And Bilbo can not receive a fair punishment if he does not arrive back alive."

The Prince grumbled a bit and said, "Fine!" Then turning to his men he ordered, "Give them some ponies."

We were given six ponies. Merry and Pippin shared one, Legolas and Gimli another, Frodo and I had one, Bilbo rode with Gandalf and Aragorn and Boromir rode alone.

"I will have those back after the council." The Prince growled.

"Of course." Gandalf assured.

With that the angry group of dwarfs left us and we hurried on to begin our journey back to Rivendell.

A/N

Super long chapter!! What did you guys think of Fundin?