Thorin spread his arms and embraced Bilbo Baggins with a smile, then nodded in greeting to his other two friends, Allen and Gandalf.
Of the three, Thorin was closest to Bilbo Baggins in any case. Besides, the other two were far too tall. Thorin had little desire to make his friends crouch down just to accommodate him for a hug.
"Allen, I have to say, you've arrived rather late," he said warmly. "The ceremony starts in just a few days, you know. I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it."
Looking at the delighted Thorin, Allen wondered whether he should immediately tell his Dwarf friend, who would soon be crowned king, about the Easterlings.
In the end, Allen decided a tactful approach would be better. Smiling back, he said, "Thorin, you know it's quite a distance from Wilderness Town to here. If I hadn't made the journey once before, I might well have lost my way in those vast wilds."
At that, Thorin seemed to recall something, a hint of reminiscence appearing in his eyes.
Then Allen changed the subject. "Still, I met some of your Blackhair and Stonefoot kin on the road. Have you seen them yet?"
Thorin, who had returned to his throne, found this rather odd. He did not know why Allen had suddenly brought up his relatives from the far east, but he answered the question anyway.
"Oh? Dwalin reported their arrival earlier. I've already sent Kili and Fili to receive them. I'll formally meet them at the banquet later. Why? Would you like to get to know them? I can introduce you."
Thorin assumed his human friend wanted to establish more diplomatic ties, and he was more than happy to help Allen with that.
Allen shook his head, his expression growing somewhat grave. "Actually,