"Look we've no time for-" Thorin's sword blocked my path. "Thorin?" As i backed away slowly, his sword followed as it slowly came closer and closer to my throat. "T-thorin?"
"Where...is...the...Arkenstone?" He pushed the blade up against my skin.
"T-thorin, I-"
"Where is it?" As I looked into his eyes, lost was the will to fight for his honor and his friends. They were replaced by want and greed. The sword moved from my neck to my left side.
"Thorin... Please..." I tried not to, but a small whimper left my lips as I called out to him.
"Tell me you have it..." I felt my heart begin to race...
"The Gold-Sickness..." I covered my mouth with both my hands in vain attempt to silence myself.
"What?" I felt the blade push slightly into my side. "What was that?" I backed away.
"Thorin, we have no time for this. Smaug-" Suddenly, I felt a hand slap itself across my mouth, and the cold steel of his sword again against my side. This time, I could feel the hot air radiating through the castle through the hole made by Thorin's sword. "T-thorin, please no." I could feel my voice hitch.
"Did you, or did you not get the Arkenstone?"
"N-no." I said quietly. My eyes closed,as I shook my head slowly.
"What?!"
"No! No I didn't get it Thorin!" I felt my knees begin to weaken beneath me.
"Listen close burglar." He hissed into my ear. "Take this as a warning..." I felt the sword begin to pierce my skin. "I need that Arkenstone. And I will do anything and everything it takes in order to get it..." He thrust the blade deeper into me and dragged it upwards.
"Acckk... Ahhh..." I bit my lip, hoping not to let on the amount of pain I felt to Thorin.
"Do you understand?" He removed his hand from my mouth and let me fall to the ground.
"...Hmmm..." Still biting my lip, I could provide no answer.
"I said..." He pulled my back up by my hair to look at him in the eyes. "Do you understand me? Answer me bulgar."
"Y-yes Thorin."
"Thorin, what?" I gasped... No longer was he the dwarf I met at the beginning of our adventure. This was Son of Thror, Son of Thrain, King under the Mountain. And he was sick.
"Thorin... King Under-" The movement of something large caught my eye. "Smaug." The name caught the attention of Thorin who backed away as the other dwarfs came running in. Quickly I wrapped my coat around me tightly as I stood up and quickly followed them out of the hall. To no extent should anyone but myself and Thorin know of what happened in that room... Ever... And as we continued to run through the long forgotten halls od the kingdom of the dwarfs... I could only think of one thing to myself...
...He's sick...
