AN: Alright so here's another interlude chapter that was requested. This one was requested by daemon-of-light and I hope you guys enjoy it.
Chapter 2 Memory Interlude: Thorin POV
"Dragon!" Thorin screamed running through the halls. He was the first one who had known of the dragon, but even he was still having trouble believing. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he might have thought this was all some sort of bad dream. Especially while Haran wasn't in his arms. His only consolation was that he had yet to feel the debilitating pain of losing his One. More than one dwarf had stumbled and fallen because of it. Some even fell to their death before the dragon.
But Thorin didn't have time to think about his One right now. Haran would have already started heading towards the gates with Fili as soon as he heard of the threat and Thorin could not risk the time to look for them. Instead, his father had tasked him with finding his grandfather. The old king would probably be in the treasury, which was surely where the dragon was heading and Thrain begged him to get Thror out before he was killed. They both knew the gold mad king would not leave of his own accord.
"No!" he yelled when he saw his grandfather trip in one of the doorways to the treasury while gold flew around him.
"No!" Thror's gasp echoed Thorin's own, but for different reason. He had dropped the Arkenstone. It was lost to them now. Yet the king continued trying to crawl after it. Thorin had no doubt he would have gone into the depths of the dragon's belly if he hadn't caught his arm and tugged him away.
"Come!" he yelled, pulling the old king away, but again Thror tripped. He was old and weak and weaker still because of his gold madness. Thorin was forced to pull his arm over his shoulder and carry him through the throng of people still trying to escape the mountain. "Run!" he called to both his grandfather and anyone else who was still around.
Out of the corner of his eye Thorin saw several guards standing against walls directing people down uncollapsed halls. Among them he saw Vorin and his son Taran. He hesitated. He knew their purpose. If they did not stay, many people would get lost in the mountain and be trapped forever more. But he did not want Haran to suffer the pain of losing a loved one as he had once felt. If he had any choice at all, he would prevent any suffering for his One.
"Vorin!" he called, watching as the guard looked away from his eldest son and locked eyes with him. "Run!"
The smile Vorin returned was both sad and weak, but he shook his head. He would not abandon the people to this fate. "Go," he said, though Thorin could only read it in his lips.
Thorin glanced to Taran, hoping that at least he would heed his word for Haran's sake, but he was no longer even looking at his prince. Instead he was barking orders at several of the other guards, making full use of the promotion he had gotten only a couple weeks before. Thorin wanted more than anything to go back for them, but Haran's family were a noble people. They would not leave until everyone else was out.
Thorin shook his head, pulling his father along. He didn't have time to hesitate anymore. Vorin was right. The royal family had to get out as quickly as possible while the guards did everything they could to ensure the lives of their people. It was the only way to ensure their line continued. Still, Thorin clenched his eyes shut, it felt too much like abandoning their people. Had this been a true battle, there would have been nothing that would keep the royal family from the front lines especially with children who could take over the line if need be. But this was not a normal battle. This was a fight they couldn't win and there was no guarantee of safe children to keep them going if they should fall.
The giant gate that had once been guarded by dwarven kings set in iron doors was crumbled. The utter destruction was a complete opposite to the hope the light spilling through gave them. Even worse were the bodies that Thorin could only barely glimpse through the throng of people. Some crushed and others burned, but all to the point of unrecognizability.
"We're almost there," he whispered to his grandfather, but there were massive rocks gathered at the gate opening. The dwarves were scrambling over the rocks, paying no attention to what or who they were actually climbing over. In fact, there were several places where a dwarf had fallen and instead of someone helping them up they had been trampled. In other places the dwarves were pulling at each other to climb the rocks faster, sometimes even knocking them from their place without even realizing it. It was utter madness. Almost worse here than it had been with the dragon for the simple reason that the dwarves were so crazed with fear that there was no knowing who they were hurting. Thorin only hoped that none of the children had fallen to this insanity. There were at least some dwarrowdams that had enough sense to stay off to the side cradling their young ones as they cried. In other places the guards had set up a line of people to hand the sick and injured off to until they got out and if there were several children among them then no one would say anything. Still, this whole mess was unacceptable.
"Everybody stop!" Thorin yelled as loud as he could. He had learned from a young age how to command a crowd and this time was no different. Everyone stopped and the mountain grew quiet of the screams of dwarves except behind where the dragon still was. Thorin couldn't hesitate for too long. "Stop fighting!" he hissed. "Help each other!" And then the dwarves were back to scrambling over the rocks, but this time it was different. Now instead of pulling each other from the perches, the dwarves were actually pulling each other up to mount the rocks faster. It wouldn't last forever, Thorin knew. The dragon would surely return to take them out and the panic would return, but at least for now there was some order that might save a few more people.
Thorin handed his father to one of the guards in the line and stood beside him, taking the injured and young to pass along. "Has my father passed through yet?" he asked.
"He has, your majesty," the guard nodded, though he did not stop his task. "As has the lady Dis."
"Anyone else?" Thorin asked, though he specifically meant to ask about Haran.
The guard frowned, but shook his head. "The line was formed after many had already escaped," he said. "There is a chance they made it out before I got here. Or I could have missed them in he madness."
"Very well," Thorin nodded.
"You should go ahead, your majesty," the guard continued. "There is no need for you to stay here. You are surely needed out there."
It was true. If there had been this much panic inside the mountain, then there had to be at least half that outside of it, but with hopefully more people. His father could not deal with that alone and neither Dis nor Thror were in any sort of state to aid him. Yet, still, he was not ready to leave. He hoped beyond hope that he would suddenly see Haran among the people and he hesitated despite better judgement.
Thorin glanced around, looking for something that would be a miracle to see, and wondered if there were any injured that he could go to to extend his time in the mountain for just a little longer. All the injured, though, were already being helped or long since passed the point of saving. There was one particularly gruesome sight of a dwarf hidden behind a pillar, blackened and charred from the dragon's breath. He had been so close, and yet had not made it. Then Thorin saw the small hand clutching the dwarf's shoulder and he could look no longer. He had been trying to protect a child and they had both died for it.
"My lord!" the guard said.
Thorin nodded. There was nothing more that he could do here and he could only hope that Haran had already made it out alive.
When they were finally far enough from the mountain that the dwarves were calmed by safety, Thorin decided to pick up his pace. He had remained near the middle of the pack, trying to make sure that the people stayed calm and together, but he needed to return to his own family. They needed to figure out what to do next and Thorin wanted a head count on how many people had survived. He had seen from a distance when the dragon had crashed once more through the front gate and cut off any more from escaping and he had no idea if Vili or Fili had escaped, though he was sure at the very least that Haran and therefore Fili were at least still alive. Nor did he have any idea if those he knew had made it out had done so unharmed.
He found his grandfather first. The king looked weak still, but he still seemed to be in much better health than Thorin had seen him in in so long. "My king," he said by way of greeting. Normally he would have called Thror grandfather, but in times like this it was always best to keep reminding the people that he was the king if only to keep their trust in him alive.
"Thorin," Thror nodded. "I was waiting for you to join me. I have already sent word ahead to your father that we are to head for the Blue Mountains. I plan to join him, but I'm afraid I'm still a little weak from the battle." Thorin flinched at the lie, but he didn't say anything. Their people did not need to know that none of the royal actually even tried to face the dragon. In fact, it was almost better for the people to believe that they had at least tried and failed, but still bought some time. "You will have to go on ahead of me."
"Of course, My Lord," Thorin said with a nod of his head. He should have offered to help Thror, but it was because of the king that all this had happened. It was because of the king that he couldn't even go back to make sure that his One made it out alive. It was because of the king, and Thror knew it. He would not ask for assistance. Not now. In time he would make it up to the people, but for now Thorin could not forgive him so instead he left him behind.
It was a few days later that Thorin found his sister. She was in one of the few healing carts they had managed to get out of the mountain before the dragon destroyed the gates cradling her spasming stomach as she bawled. "He's dead!" she screamed at Thorin as soon as she saw him, reaching out to her big brother for comfort. "He's dead! My One is dead! What do I do?"
"You need to calm down," the healer tried to coax her even as Thorin climbed into the cart and pulled her against him. "This stress isn't good for the baby."
"Shh," Thorin whispered rocking back and forth with Dis in his arms. "Sh."
"What do I do?" she begged, clutching at him.
"You need to calm down," Thorin said, though not unkindly. "You will not lose Kili to the dragon as well as your husband. He wouldn't want that. You know that."
"I know!" she cried. "I know, but I just can't calm. It hurts so much Thorin. I have lost my One and my eldest son and now I fear that I will lose my youngest as well." Despite her words, she did make a concerted effort to calm her breathing despite the pain.
"You will not lose him," Thorin said. "Sh. Just calm yourself." Dis gasped. "Breathe with me. In…out…in…out…in…out." It was working. Even if just a little. "I will tell you something that will make you feel better."
"What?" Dis asked, her tears still present, but not nearly so desperate. Even the healer seemed to be calming now as the spasms in Dis's stomach eased.
"Fili is alive," Thorin said with a grin. "I am sure of it."
"You have seen him?" Dis asked, her eyes widening. Thorin shook his head before Dis could get too excited and upset the baby in her womb again.
"I have not seen him," he said, "but he was with Haran. He is alive."
Dis's eyes were skeptical, but her smile calm and serene. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you."
"Get some rest," Thorin said. "I have to go find father, but I will stay here with you a little longer."
"No," Dis said. "I am fine now. I will be okay. Go and find father. He will need your help."
Finding his father took an entire week after seeing his sister. Thorin was actually pleasantly surprised at how many people had escaped the mountain, but it made it take far longer to find his father than he was expecting and it was actually Thrain that saw him first.
"Thorin," he said, grinning as he headbutted his son. "I am glad that you made it out alive. I have heard word that you, your sister, and your grandfather have made it out safely. I understand no one is too far worse for wear."
"That's right," Thorin agreed. "I passed both on the way here. Dis had a hard time with the loss of her One, but I calmed her. The healer seemed to think that she was still healthy when I left and assured me that she would make sure that Kili made it through."
"That is good to hear," Thrain nodded.
"What of you father?" Thorin asked. "How are you faring."
"Your mother perished and the flames of the fire," Thrain said with a sad shake of his head, "But other than that I am whole and healthy."
"I am sorry father."
"It is no worse than many of our people have felt," Thrain said. "I have grieved my One, but now there is work to be done. I assume your grandfather has told you of his plan to head to the Blue Mountains."
"He has," Thorin agreed.
"It's a long and difficult journey," Thrain said with a frown. "We were forced to take the long way around the lake and have not yet even reach Mirkwood. And we have little food. I fear that many will not make it. Our troubles do not end with the dragon."
It was something that Thorin hadn't wanted to think about, but in the back of his mind he had known that this was going to be the more difficult task. At least those that had died in the mountain had quick deaths and little suffering before it. Those that they were sure to lose along the way would slowly fall to the torture of starvation.
"Any word of anyone else?" Thrain asked, changing the subject from such thoughts. They would have plenty of time to discuss such things, but that would best be done when they had at least some idea of how many survivors there were and how much food they had. No doubt things that Thrain had already sent people to look into.
"None that I have heard," Thorin shook his head, "but I am sure that Haran and Fili live."
Thrain frowned. "How are you certain?" he asked.
"I still feel Haran in my heart," Thorin said. "Last I knew, Fili was with him."
"And you are certain that they made it out of the mountain."
"What are you talking about father?" Thorin asked, though his eyes widened in desperation at the implication.
"There are places in that mountain that the dwarves can hide from the dragon," Thrain said. "Places that will be safe for a time, but they are still trapped with no way out. Eventually they will starve and die."
"No," Thorin gasped, turning back in his desperation. He had never even thought of such a thing, but Thrain was right. Dwarves could last some time without food or drink, and ther was a chance that his One was still alive, but stuck in the mountain just clawing for breath. His father caught his arm and shook his head before he could even attempt to go back.
"There is nothing that you can do for them," Thrain said. "They are lost. You can only hope that Haran and Fili are not amongst them."
"He's not," Thorin said, though he shook his head in disagreement with his own words. There was always a chance. The image of the dwarf burned behind the pillar with the child clinging to him flashed in Thorin's mind. Haran could still have the same fate as that dwarf. But "if he were in danger, he would call to me." Thrain gave him a look. They both knew well enough that Haran would never call for help if it could possibly lead to the death of Thorin.
Thrain pulled his son into his arms and prayed to Mahal that Haran would survive. He wasn't sure that Thorin would survive this without him. No matter how strong a dwarf he was, he would be broken to lose his One.
AN: I hope you guys enjoyed that. If you have a certain chapter that you would like to see written in the extras please don't hesitate to ask. Right now I have a request from warriorofthewind_Libra928, lionesspuma, and S02blom in my to do list. If you don't see your name in this list and you previously requested something that I have not already completed, could you just remind me what it was. I went back through all the comments, but I might have missed something. Thank you guys so much for reading.
