Hello!

This is the third instalment of my 'Blades in the Dark' trilogy- but you don't need to have read the previous two parts to understand this :)

This will have lots of Durin Feels, some angst and comfort and above all brotherly feels, something that I thought was lacking in BOTFA.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Prologue

Fili kicked a stone down the passageway that led to the halls of gold, readjusting his grip on the small plate of food he'd gathered from the table. It was a modest meal of cheese, bread and some meat, but from what Bilbo had told them when they arrived, Thorin wasn't up to even eating this.

He'd left Kili with the others- his brother was loathe to visit Thorin since he'd shouted at him the previous day when he'd tried to chide him into coming to the food hall. Kili had stormed out of the gold room shaking his head with anger, but only Fili had seen the tears that he wiped away with his palm as he walked back to the others.

He stopped at the door, a sense of worry falling into his chest. The door led to the vast cavern of gold, and he could see it shining even now, and as he pushed the stone door open the blast of colour and shine was almost overpowering.

As he walked down the stone steps he heard the clinking of coins as Thorin counted them, and the occasional crash as he threw something aside.

'Uncle,' he called down, stopping on the last step. Thorin didn't even look up. 'Uncle!'

Thorin peered up from his investigation, before using his foot to sieve through another pile. 'It has to be here somewhere...' He muttered, making his way slowly to Fili, who was starting to feel uneasy.

'You need to eat, uncle,' he said as Thorin stopped beside him, eyes to the gold below them. 'You'll waste away if you don't.'

'It needs to be counted! And the Arkenstone-'

'- Has waited years and years...it can wait a while longer.' Fili interjected, pushing the plate into his uncle's palms. Thorin looked up with dark eyes, but nodded his acceptance, sitting down on the step and eating some bread.

'We need scales.' He said, mouth still full- the old Thorin would have been disgusted.

'We have none large enough,' Fili replied, sitting down on the step above, gazing at the vast wealth of their people. 'So much gold...' He muttered. He didn't know wealth had the power to change as much as it had. He tried to imagine Smaug lying in this room, revelling in the glory of such a horde-he didn't like to think of the dragon too much.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' The pride in Thorin's voice was almost sickening.

Fili frowned to himself, resisting an urge to shrug. 'Not quite the word I'd use….' He settled for saying.

'Oh?' Thorin barked, putting down the plate with a crash. 'What word would you use for it, then?'

'Well, it is nice- I just don't feel the same way you do, is all.' Fili said quickly. He knew it was unwise to argue with Thorin now- where once he could teasingly banter with his uncle, Thorin now took every remark as a personal attack, as an insult.

'You should covet it as much as I! You will rule under the mountain when I am gone- this will all be yours.' Thorin snapped, before turning away with a dark look. 'We didn't journey on this quest for you and your brother to be so ungrateful!'

'Ungrateful? Uncle, you have us wrong! We're just worried about you-you don't sleep, you hardly eat! When was the last time you felt fresh air?'

'Once I find the Arkenstone we can celebrate and I can return to normal- but for now I will not rest till I have found the King's Jewel!'

'Come with me to the others; come join your people now!' Fili pleaded, gesturing to the upper halls with a hand.

'I said no!' Thorin's voice was venom; Fili flinched with the force of it, but before he could answer Thorin had begun walking back into the middle of the gold, again lost to reason.

He breathed in deeply, to try and calm himself. He'd try again in the evening- he wouldn't give up that easily. 'Kili and I will be back later.' He called, not in the least surprised when Thorin didn't even look up.

He picked up the empty plate with a small feeling of satisfaction; at least he'd got him to eat something. It was more than the others had managed to do.

He started walking back up the steps when the clinking sounds stopped and he heard his name. Turning round he saw Thorin looking at him, the old smile back on his face- maybe the food had done him good? Maybe that was all he had needed?

'Once I find the Arkenstone, I shall teach you how to rule properly.' He called, looking at him as if Fili was supposed to be pleased.

He instead gave him a small smile back, and nodded. 'That sounds good. Thank you, Uncle.' He said, before turning back and continuing his slow walk back to the upper caverns.

As he neared the door he heard the crashing and clinking start up again, coupled with the odd mutter from Thorin. He stood listening for a while, before he felt a presence behind him.

'Didn't think he'd eat it.' Kili muttered darkly, standing beside him.

'Must have been hungry today,' Fili shrugged, 'he seemed to be better today, more talkative.'

'Probably spotted a particularly good looking piece of treasure, no doubt.' Kili muttered tersely.

'Don't be like that; he needs help- not everyone turning against him!' Fili berated quietly as they made their way up towards the others.

The company used to be quiet even with Thorin with them, but now it was silent, brooding. They heard no noise as they continued up to the wall Thorin had forced them to build to cut them off from trouble.

'He's done this himself,' Kili replied as they stood looking across to the smouldering ruins of Laketown.

'Something has...changed him. The Thorin I know has gone, and in his place-' Fili began, sadness washing over him.

'It's the gold! Remember the stories Balin told us about great Grandfather? His Gold-sickness?' Kili butted in, eyes still dark, 'he's gone mad, Fili.'

'He- he's just overwhelmed. This is his life...our lives. This was all that he's ever wanted.' Fili reasoned. 'He just needs time to adjust, and then he'll be fine...' He finished, looking to his brother for support and finding an unconvinced look.

'I don't like the idea as much as you- but the Thorin we know has gone. So you think he'll change? Who are you trying to convince...me or you?' His brother muttered, before laying a gloved hand on his forearm. 'We've got bigger things to worry about than Uncle and his search for jewels.' He muttered, tossing his head in the direction of Dale. Fili looked across at the numerous small fires around the town, feeling his heart sink.

'If Thorin doesn't snap out of this soon, we'll be overrun- these people want what is theirs.' Kili muttered, panic in his own stomach.

'Kili, he'll be ok...' Fili replied, now with no faith in his own words. As Kili snorted and turned away, they heard their names being called from the food hall- Bofur's call for dinner.

'Come on, let's go and be with the others,' Fili said, smiling across at Kili, squeezing his shoulder as he passed. 'Let's not fight between each other; that's the last thing we need.'

Their talk returned to trivial matters as they walked the short distance to the food hall, where the talk was as warm as the fires.

A small figure in the shadows watched them go, eyebrows knitted together as he looked down to the cavern where Thorin still was. Bilbo felt worry knot in his chest, and slowly he pulled out the glowing stone, holding it in his palms. He saw himself reflected in its surface, saw the image of a scared hobbit who had no idea what to do staring back.

He jumped as he heard Bofur yell his name again, almost dropping the Arkenstone. 'Coming!' He called back, stowing the jewel safely back in his jacket before hurrying to join the others, minus their leader once more.

As darkness fell around the Lonely Mountain, a horde of Orcs fed the fires in their caves whilst others hunted for flesh. In the largest cave the white Warg lay at the entrance, red eyes transfixed on the walls of Erebor.

Inside the cave the orcs laid an elk at the feet of their leader. Azog dismissed them with a growl, standing up and making them scatter. Kicking the dead carcass away for later, he walked to the Warg, putting a hard hand on its head.

He called to the fighters below to get their attention, who stood up with malicious expressions, eager for their orders. 'I cannot wait until the war to watch the dwarf scum die!' He began, the Warg growling beside him.

'Take your best- I want the line of Durin destroyed before it begins!' He finished, the course language of the Orcs harsh against the wind. 'They will not be expecting it!'

The rest of the Orcs squealed and cried their agreement, slamming their blades and spears to the ground as the group was gathered.

'Bring them to me, alive or dead!' Was Azog's final order, before he looked across to Erebor, a wide smile spreading grotesquely across his face as the Orcs continued their cacophony.

As the fires of Dale petered out as night fully drew in, the shadows of the orcs reflected against the rocks towards Erebor, before they slowly faded away, as silent and deadly as death itself...

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

I've already written other chapters to this, so my updating will either be weekly or whenever I think is a good time, but hopefully no longer than a week!

Please review!