Rewritten Chapter from 'The Hobbit'
Chapter 12 - Inside Information
The door had been opened and I was now carefully tip-toeing down the passage. Precious was placed on my finger and the cool, golden band enhanced my confidence.
'I can't believe those awful dwarves sent me down here by myself,' I thought as I came to the opening of Smaug's lair. The stench of rotting corpses and mouldy rats manoeuvred through the air.
One step into the arena and I felt a blade against the warmth of my neck.
"Who are you?" commanded my unknown predator.
Not moving a single muscle, I froze. 'How did they know I was there if I was invisible? Did the ring slip off?' my brain was processing while my fingers reassured me that the band was still present on my finger.
"Answer me," coolness becoming more valid on my throat. It didn't sound like a man's voice, which puzzled me more than I can say.
"My name is Bilbo Baggins," confidence booming from my mouth. This was more confidence then I felt.
"What are you doing here?"
Not answering there question, I asked who they were.
"That does not concern you," I was really starting to question the persons gender. They acted like a brave warrior however, their voice sounded so feminine. The fact that this man, woman whoever they were was threatening my life, I replied with a dignified answer, "I am here to confront Smaug and I can only gather that you are not here for such matters – despite the fact that you are armed – and seen as I respectfully replied to your questions I believe that I deserve an explanation."
"And why do you deserve such answers, Mr Bilbo Baggins?" they replied wickedly as they placed another blade against my back.
"Because you know that I am present in The Lonely Mountain, where as I cannot be seen," really hoping she would reply to this instead of slicing my flesh.
"I have abilities of which you could never comprehend," she slithered.
"If you are the last living soul I will speak to, at least allow me to try to comprehend your abilities," my voice broke as warm blood began to pour over the silver blade.
"You wear, my father's Precious Mr Bilbo Baggins," with eyelids starting to stretch and eyebrows rising to my hairline my heart skipped a beat.
"Don't look so surprised. Everyone has a father and you know that what you wear is his," there was no denying it now, this person was a she.
"What is your name?" I blurted suddenly.
"Give me the ring," she replied sternly.
"Fine, have it your way then," I stayed stubbornly put, not moving a single feature.
I heard a roar from outside and I looked up cowardly. It was Smaug! He was back!
"The dragon is returnin! Give me the ring and you can leave unharmed," she frantically said.
"No, we need to get out of here."
Another roar soared through the caves and the woman rapidly allowed her hands to fall to her sides. She started to run through the caves right to where Smaug was entering.
"What are you doing?" cupping my hands to my mouth. Even though this woman had planned to kill me she was still a woman none the less and as a male species it is my duty to help a damsel in distress. Scampering after the flowing creature I heard the dwarves shouts and cries for my safety.
I quickly caught up with her and swiftly threw her over my shoulder.
"What are you doing? Put me down Mr Baggins!" she started to beat at my back, "I will kill you!"
"You can do that once we are safely away from the dragon," I strongly agreed.
"I am Abira Gem, daughter of Abira and Smeagol Gem better known as… Gollummmm," she hissed in a threatening tone, "I will tell my father he can find you!" she started to scream and her voice sounded panicky.
Walking back through the arena I caught sight of a two-handled cup. Quickly scooping it up with Abira still in my arms I scurried back through the passageway only to be greeted by the cool nights air and the chattering of dwarves.
There was a lot of explaining to the dwarves about who Abira was and once Thorin caught sight of what she had done to my neck he quickly tied her up and sat her against the stone wall.
While everyone was preoccupied with the cup, I took it upon myself to talk to the chained woman. She looked nothing like Gollum. Gracing her back were elegant chocolate locks and sapphire eyes lit up her face. 'I guess she looks more like her mother,' I thought surprised and dazed by her appearance.
"What do you want?" she asked curtly as I drew farther away from the dwarves and closer to the beauty in front of me.
"I wanted to ask why you tried to harm me," I crouched next to her.
"You took what did not belong to you," her gaze immediately landing on my pocket which contained the ring. Subconciously I reached inside my pocket and was braced with the cool metal between my fingers.
"How did you know it was in my pocket?" I was startled by my own curiosity.
"I told you, I have abilities you couldn't comprehend. Like when I could see you while you wore it, why I knew it was in your pocket, how I knew it was you who had the ring, how I knew where to find you," she spoke while my curiosity only grew.
"Will you explain your abilities to me?"
"No!" I jumped at her response.
Once I'd regained my composure I asked, "Why not?"
"I have my reasons," she whispered and lowered her head.
"You can trust me," I bargained fully aware that the dwarves were now watching our communication.
"I believe not," she scoffed. "You have chained me with ropes, stolen my father's ring and I have now witnessed you taking another object which is not yours," her eyes drifted to the cup in Bailn's hands.
"This is not that dragon's either," Thorin boomed, snatching the cup out of Balin's hands.
"Well who does it belong to?" Abira replied smartly.
"Us," Thorin then went on for ages about how the dragon stole all of the dwarves' treasure and why we were on our quest.
"Well, I'll only slow you down so –"
The dragon's roar filled the atmosphere and we heard it curse and stomp its feet then hear it slither out of its den. It was looking for us! Smaug started to bash the other side of the mountain with his tail and it was only a matter of time before it found our hiding place. We scampered into the opening in the wall just in time to hear the dragon come soaring around the corner of the mountain.
It wasn't until we heard a girly-pitched scream that I realised that we had left Abira out of the safety of the mountain. Taking it upon myself to not let an innocent die – even if she did try to kill me and was now our prisoner – I slid out of the gap, quickly scooped her up and ran back inside of the mountain just in time to see fire heading our way.
I placed her on the inside of the mountain as tears streaked her face.
"It's alright Abira, you're safe now," I comforted.
I felt very out of place comforting the woman who tried to kill me. It didn't help with 13 pair of dwarf eyes on my back. I managed to get Abira to calm down and she slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
The dwarves and I then had a heated discussion on what we should do now. We finally concluded to wait until daylight for me to go back down the passage and into Smaug's lair. When that time finally came Abira had risen and she had been graced with the pleasure of being untied.
"Thank-you," she whispered as I cut the ropes that bound her arms to her waist.
"Well the others thought that it was only fair to release you from these ropes if you were to be prisoned with us," carefully cutting another rope.
"No. I meant for last night. Thank-you," she repeated.
"Oh, that was nothing," I replied modestly shaking my head.
"No, thank-you," she insisted.
I gave her a half smile and asked "That's quite alright Miss Gem. Does that mean you will answer one of my questions? I did save your life, after you threatened mine."
"Yes, I am sorry about that," she face looked smug.
"So?"
"If I must," she frowned, "What is it?"
"How could you see me while I wore the ring?"
"Being cooped up with my father for so many years took its tole on me. He was obsessed with the ring, wouldn't do anything without it and would always call it his precious. He has even killed those dearest to him," water began to form in her eyes, "My mother. He killed her because she knew what it was doing to him. She wanted him and us to be free from the powerful corruption it possessed. When she took it he killed her," she began to sob.
"It's alright, you don't have to continue," I began to rub her back.
"I'm fine. I can go on. Anyway, once she died I never questioned him about the ring. So many times I tried to escape but he would never let me leave. When he walked about the caves to find food I would secretly follow him. I began to recognise his feet on the floor and I could hear his shallow breaths. You see Mr Baggins, I could never see you but I could hear and smell you. Don't you think I know a Hobbit when I see one?" she cracked a smile.
"How do you know I'm a Hobbit?"
"One can recognise their own kind," mysteriously she tapped her nose for me to get the hint.
"You're a Hobbit?!" I exclaimed.
"Of course," she stated as though it were obvious.
"Well that is something new," she smiled and I smiled too.
"Thank-you for explaining," I replied curtiously.
"You're welcome."
"But how did you know it was in my pocket and that it was me who had the ring and where to find me?" I blurted out unexpectedly.
"I think you should be getting going Mr Baggins," she nodded towards the passage.
"But-" she cut me off with a stern look. Sighing I rose from the ground and walked over to Thorin and Company.
"She's had an impression on you," Thorin commented as I walked over.
"No she hasn't," his eyebrows rose and he smiled at my denial, "Now I am going to venture down that tunnel to retrieve more treasure," I huffed angrily as I began to walk back down that nasty tunnel.
"Mr Baggins," my head whipped around and landed on the beautiful figure now standing in front of me, Abira. "Be careful," smiling and nodding politely I slipped on my ring and continued down the tunnel.
I reached the opening leading into Smaug's lair and thankfully he was napping. Creepy around the door to collect more gold for the dwarves the dragon opened his eyes.
'He must have been pretending to sleep seen as he caught me so offguard,' I thought as I quickly leapt back around the corner for more safety.
"I may not be able to see you theif but I can smell the stench that you carry and hear you shallow breaths," threatened the lizard as his head rose and spun around his den to look for me.
He offered me more gold in a sarcastic tone and I declined his meaningless offer. We bantered on for a good while until I became fedup with his nonsense.
"I bid you a due, Great Dragon of the Lonely Mountain," I scurried back up the passageway and I heard the dragon catch his breath and huff frantically.
Once I reached the dwarves I explained the awful banter which took place between the dragon and myself and they understood why I hadn't collected more treasure while the dragon was awake and cooped up inside.
"Well we are glad that you are alright," Kili told me after my story. I smiled appreciatley and moved around to sit down.
"Common Sense," I was now sitting next to Abira when she made my brows furrow at her unexpected comment.
"Pardin?"
"That was how I knew the ring was in your pocket, common sense," she shrugged her dainty shoulders, "I could see it," she stated more plainly.
The pieces of the puzzle were now starting to fit together, "And because Gollum is your father he told you who took it," I nodded my head, "But how did you know where to find me?"
"I followed you," shock became apparent on my face, "It wasn't that hard! I have crept around Goblin Caves long enough to learn some skills," she smiled.
We were startled when a fire breathing roar sounded from the other side of the mountain.
"The dragon is looking for us again," I stated, "Quick! Get inside!"
We all scurried back into the tunnel just in time, when fire came our way. The air was hot and sticky and Smaug seemed really anrgy.
"I may not know what species you are creature but I am going to search every town until I find out who helped you on your travels," another firey breath came our way and with that the dragon was gone.
The dwarves moaned and groaned. 'I must have let some information about our travels slip up!' I thought as I began to panic. Thank-fully none of the dwarves blamed me because it was a hard thing to not let information slip while you are having a conversation with a dragon.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Don't worry it is not your fault," the dwarves reassured me.
A day had passed and the dragon still hadn't returned home. Everyone was just sitting around waiting for him to but he never came.
"Come now! We must carry on with our quest!" Thorin told us, "After a day of sitting around doing nothing (while we have an advantage with the dragon away) we really should do something beneficial."
We all groaned but understood the reasons we should continue with our quest. The dwarves and I packed our bags and were all standing around for Thorin to lead us down the tunnel.
"Can I come with you?" all eyes turned onto the voice that had spoken. It was Abira. "Please. I'll help and I will do as I am told. I don't want to return to the Goblin Caves where my father awaits. Please!" she begged again.
Everyone - everyone besides Abira - huddled into a circle to weigh out our options.
"No way! She's a girl! It is our quest not hers. She'll get in the way," these were just a few things the dwarves were saying while Miss Gem stood awkwardly on the wall.
"Enough! Who cares if she's a girl, she can help us. Fifteen heads are better than fourteen. Come on, Thorin you can set the boundaries and explain what she can and can't do," I commanded the group to listen.
With that commotion broke out again until Thorin spoke up in an authorative voice and agreed with me "I will set the boundaries and she can come but Mr Baggins understand this, if she does one thing out of line or out of the ordinary she's out!"
I gulped but held my composure, "That is understand, Thorin."
He moved out of the circle and went to stand infront of Abira, "Okay. You may take part on this quest but you follow my instructions and you cannot go off on your own or do your own thing," nodding her head excitedly the dwarves moved away and I walked towards her.
"It looks like we're companions now, Miss Gem," I smiled.
"So it does," shrugging her shoulders she held out her hand, "It seems as though we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Miss Abira Gem but you can call me Abira."
Taking her hand I replied, "Mr Bilbo Baggins, to you Bilbo."
"Well then Bilbo it is a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise Abira, just don't try to kill me," I stated seriously thinking back to when she did try that very act while she giggled a laugh that sounded like chiming bells.
Later on we joined our companions and went on with our quest to retrieve the dwarves' treasure and defeating that evil lizard.
Author's Note: For school we had to re-write one chapter from 'The Hobbit' and change the genre of that chapter.