A/N: Short as all hell again. Sorry. 

Murder me later, I've got a schedule to keep up for you guys :)

"And the King may have it - in our good will," Bard put it back inside his pocket, "But first he must honour his word."

"They are taking us for fools. This is a ruse, a filthy lie," Thorin muttered mainly to himself, but enough to where Kali could hear him as well. Suddenly he burst out, "THE ARKENSTONE IS IN THIS MOUNTAIN! IT IS A TRICK!"

"It-It's no trick," Bilbo whispered, detaching himself from the dwarves, "The stone is real. I gave it to them."

"You..." Thorin growled.

"I took it as my fourteenth share," Bilbo admitted sheepishly, recoiling slightly when Kali decided he was the target best suited for a newly sharpened arrow. There was a mad look in her eyes, telling him something was not right with her mind.

"You would steal from me?" Thorin snapped, his fingers clenching and unclenching, yearning to wrap around Bilbo's neck.

"Steal from you? No. No. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

Thorin began hyperventilating, "Against your claim?! Your claim! You have no claim over me you miserable rat!"

As Thorin began advancing, Bilbo backed up, "I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but..."

"But what, thief?!" Thorin stopped just short of the halfling.

"You are changed, Thorin! The dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word!" Bilbo's voice lowered a bit, "Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!"

"Do not speak to me... of loyalty..." Thorin shouted to the other dwarves, "Throw him from the rampart!" Kali lowered her bow, only a little bit, as she mulled over the idea of grabbing Bilbo, but something stopped her from doing so, "DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Thorin roared. He grabbed Fili's arm, to make him throw Bilbo, but Fili shook Thorin off and Thorin huffed, "I will do it myself!" Thorin lunged forward and grabbed Bilbo, "CURSE YOU!"

The others started reaching for Bilbo, trying to pull him and Thorin apart, get Bilbo to safety. Kali was doing the exact opposite, I'm sorry to say. She was working to keep the others away from Thorin, who was now hanging Bilbo off the side of the wall, "Cursed be the Wizard that forced you on this Company!" the others would have gladly helped Bilbo without a second thought, but Kali was armed and dangerous, acting in Dwalin's place of Thorin's guard, and would not hesitate to shoot them. She was the only thing keeping them all at bay.

From below, a loud and dark voice rang out, "IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BURGLAR," the empowered voice of Gandalf shoving his way to the front of the army made Kali jump, her bow flying once more to aim towards the ground-troops, "Then please don't damage him. Return him to me! You're not making a very splendid figure as King Under the Mountain, are you? Thorin son of Thrain!"

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards..." Thorin muttered, loudly enough for Gandalf to hear, as he released Bilbo."Or Shire-rats!"

As he said this, said 'Shire-rat' was clambering his way down to the ground by a rope that was secured to the wall, ushered along by Bofur.

"Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised," Bard asked. Thorin looked off into the distance where a large raven was flying back to him. It landed at his side, perched on the rampart wall, "Give us your answer! Will you have peace or war?"

  Thorin and the raven stared at each other, "I will have war!" 

A/N: *Sheepish smile* ... I swear I'm not trying to make these short. :/