After a while, the company approached a massive rock shaped like a bear, where Shadow gracefully descended. Her claws gently carved into the rock as she settled, extending a wing to the side to allow the dwarves to alight one by one. Gandalf and Bilbo were the last to dismount, stepping down onto the stone with a sense of trepidation and awe.

"Thank you," Gandalf said, giving the great black wyrm a pat on the back as she nodded and flicked her tail, her eyes contemplating her blooming bond with the wizard. "I cannot transform back, Gandalf. It drains too much from me, and my Alpha form may fracture if I don't maintain my true shape," Shadow confided, the weight of her reality settling in her words.

Gandalf nodded in understanding, turning to look at the gathering of dwarves who were still fixed on the dragon and the wizard with a mix of wonder and apprehension.

"You'll just have to get them to accept you first," he advised.

Shadow nodded and then bowed gracefully to Thorin. "It is my honor to join you, Thorin Oakenshield. I am Shadow, the last Dragonborn, and I fear I can no longer take human form. When the time comes, I will rise, but for now, this dragon form is the only one you will see."

The company watched in silence, processing the gravity of her declaration. Thorin's eyes met Shadow's, the unspoken thoughts of a king weighing his next words as the last light of day danced off the dragon's scales.

"You are the only one we need to accept, Shadow," Thorin declared, his voice carrying a rarely heard warmth. With a respectful bow that mirrored hers, he added, "Welcome to our company."

The other dwarves, taking their cue from their leader, offered nods and murmurs of agreement. There in the cooling twilight, a bond was forged—not just of alliance but of a deep-seated respect. Shadow, the last Dragonborn, found her place among the company of Thorin Oakenshield.

Gandalf's smile broadened, a twinkle of mirth and pride shining in his eyes as they all turned towards the horizon. A patch of clouds veiled the lonely mountain in the distance, and an audible gasp rippled through the company.

"There it is," Thorin proclaimed, hope and unyielding resolve gleaming in his gaze. "Our home."

Shadow's own eyes gleamed with the reflection of their collective purpose, and she purred—a low, rumbling sound filled with promise. Her tail coiled around the company protectively. "I will do all that I can to aid you, my friends. Smaug won't know what hit him." With those words, a new chapter of their stalwart quest was set to begin – towards the heart of home under the mountain.