I fled through the smallest parts of the mountain, forced to squeeze myself through in order to escape Smaug. He had managed to catch up to me, so I had to be real careful not to take the wrong turns and as I ran along I planned where I should go next.
(Thorin's p.o.v)
Me: "Grandfather! Where are you?"
Thrór: "Thorin? I'm up here!"
I gazed up another huge pile of endless gold. And there, on top of the hill of gold, he was standing. I started to climb to reach him so I could speak to him.
When I reached, grandfather had a surprised look on his chubby face.
Thrór: "What are you doing here, Thorin? Why are you not with the army?"
Me: "The army is gone, grandfather. The dragon entered and nearly killed all of us in a firestorm. I barely escaped myself"
Thrór: "Oh Mahal, are you alright?"
Me: "I'm fine, but I'm a little beaten"
Thrór: "I'll pray for the souls of our loyal soldiers for the rest of my life…"
Me: "Have you find the Arkenstone yet?"
A wide grin spread across his face. He picked something out of his pocket and there it lay, resting on his palm, shining even though no light was touching it. But his grin quickly faded away and he got serious again.
Thrór: "Where is your father? Where is my son?"
Me: "He also survived, but he stayed to get the people out together with the last soldiers. We agreed that he would wait for us a couple leagues away from the mountain with the people. And if we should not return in a week, he would know that were dead. We have to get out now. The dragon is yet haunting our footsteps and we are not safe until we have gotten out"
I tugged at his arm and tried to pull him with me, but he would not move.
Thrór: "Hold on. Why did you come back? I thought that you pretty much hated me after what I did to-"
He trailed off. His face expression was infested with shame and guilt.
Me: "Valerie told me something, no she actually slipped. She said that she had a vision before the dragon attacked us, she knew that the dragon would come and yet she did not tell us!"
My voice was filled with hate and anger.
Thrór: "Is it really odd that she did not? After what I did to her, I cannot think that she would ever want to do something out of concern for any of us"
My jaw dropped. What happened to him? Why did he suddenly change? He saw my face and explained to me.
Thrór: "I realized what I had done to her. I was filled up with the treasure and all, that I didn't realize what I was doing. I thought that I could claim her, like she was an object… I hate myself for doing something so horrible and unforgivable. I wonder if she's ever going to be able to forgive me, I know that I wouldn't"
I stared at him, I could not believe what he was saying. Finally, he understood. But he still had to know that Valerie caused the death of the soldiers.
Me: "Grandfather, you should know that she was the one who caused the death of our soldiers by not warning us of what she saw"
Thrór: "I'm sure she didn't mean for them to die, how could've she known? We can't blame her for that, it is not right"
Me: "Not right? She's responsible for the death of hundreds of dwarves!"
Thrór: "Easy, lad. If both of us know Valerie right, I'm sure she never did it on purpose. She was probably afraid"
Me: "What could she possibly have been afraid of?"
Thrór: "I do not know, but I'm certain that after her parents died, she'd thought she was going insane of sorrow and anger. I would not blame her, and neither should you Thorin"
I sighed. He was right. I just wanted to blame someone for the death of the soldiers. I have to find her before we leave.
Me: "I'm going to go and look for her, she might be in the Hall of Durin's folk"
Thrór: "Why would she be there? Isn't she supposed to be in the dungeons?"
Me: "She escaped. Her friends helped her"
Thrór: "Bless my beard…"
Me: "Where can we meet? Do you know if there's another way out of here?"
Thrór: "Aye, the is a door in the west of the mountain, so we're going to have move eastward from here"
Me: "Are you sure of that?"
Thrór: "Aye, I had it built a couple of years ago. Only your father, now you and I know of the Secret door"
Me: "Alright. If we won't be there in an hour, then we're dead. Go"
I shooed him away and he started to make for the western side. I turned around and slid down he hill of gold. I reached plain ground and started to move towards the city.
(Valerie's p.o.v)
Smaug: "Come out come out, wherever you are!"
I was exhausted. I've been running nearly for 40 minutes at this time. Smaug were right in my heels, but he was in the big halls following me while I ran in the small passages and paths beside the halls. He could smell me, which gave me an extreme disadvantage. I made a sharp turn to the right and ran some steep steps downwards. It was now the path down to the chamber was beginning. I could not be far away now.
Smaug: "Come back to me, little dwarf! Come and feel yourself slip into darkness!"
This dragon… A complete and utter psychopath.
Smaug: "You'll be happy when you're alone! Having friends, lovers and family will only hurt you, hold you back and limit your power! Just look at me!"
I ran down a passage where there were still lanterns lighting up. It gave a long sight forward; the passage were almost a mile long, with more steps and stairs. I stopped for a few seconds to catch my breath and ready myself for the long run. I closed my eyes and listened for Smaug. He were in the west south hall, trying to find my smell. I had not been near there, so he couldn't possibly pick up my sent.
Hope flared up inside me. I took a breath and then sprinted down the path.
I reached my destination. There was only a corner and a small path left. I swiftly tip-toed around the corner and snuck down the little path.
I reached and my gaze was met by a sickening sight.
Gold. Gold everywhere. Gems, jewels, diamonds and rocks of value. The chamber was far much bigger than what I had thought, both in wide and height. The mountains and hills of gold nearly reached up to the ceiling. Thick pillars were like trees in a flooding river. Before me was a square formed staircase that swindled down to the floor. Before I walked down, I looked for Thorin, trying to find him from this height, but with no luck. Curses and crows… I did not dare to call for him, because I feared that Smaug would hear me.
I reached ground level and started to climb the mountains. It was an extremely hard task, for every step I took my feet was buried in the coins of gold. I was sweating, breathing heavily and looked for any sign of life. I was lucky that Smaug had not arrived to the chamber just yet. but what if I should not find Thorin or Thrór? Could that mean that they had already left or that they are dead? I really hope at least that they are alive and safe…
I was now climbing another hill, somewhere in the east of the chamber, if my mental compass was working properly. Suddenly, I heard a noise somewhere near me. It sounded like somebody else was climbing, clawing and digging into the coins. I stopped and listened; aye there were someone climbing, on the other side of the hill. Could it be Thorin? Or Thrór? I started to climb hastily up the hill and reached the top. I lay on my stomach peeked out down the slope of the top and there he was; climbing and struggling aggressively up the hill. He looked a bit funny, because he was exaggerating his movements and his face was blossom red of exhaustion. I smiled at him, but he didn't notice me at first. So I carefully and silently rose up to my feet.
Me: "Oi! Have you lost something in the gold or are you just happy to see me?"
He cast a quick glance upwards to me and his eyes widened in excitement. Just as he was going to say something, he slipped, fell backwards and tumbled down the hill. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. That was the most indelicate, yet hilarious and ungainly fall I had ever witnessed. In realization of the dragon still walking the floors of Erebor, I slapped my hands over my mouth and cried into them and my body collapsed with laughter.
I slid down the hill to Thorin, who were trying to get up on his feet, but he seemed incredibly dizzy after the fall. I helped him up and swept off some gold dust from his tunic. I wonder here that heavy armor had gone? I suppose he took it off.
As soon as his dizziness disappeared, he grabbed my shoulders and attacked my lips with his. He gave me a sweet, yet a hard kiss on the mouth and then gave me a long warm hug. Where did all of these niceties come from?
Me: "Easy there fellow, what's that all about?"
Thorin: "Forgive me, Valerie. I'm such a fool"
Well I could not deny that, so I didn't answer. In that moment my joy over seeing him disappeared, because of the reminder of what he did. He ended the embrace but still had me wrapped in his arms, holding me close.
Thorin: "Please say something?"
Me: "What do you want me to say?"
Thorin: "I don't know, just something"
Me: "I'm still a bit upset about it, but-"
Thorin: "Please forgive me! It was in the moment of heat and I said things I didn't mean-"
Me: "It's alright! Calm down! I would've done the same. I forgive you"
Thorin: "Thank you, love"
Then he pulled me into another kiss, but I quickly interrupted it. He had to know of my meeting with Smaug.
Me: "There is something you must know"
Thorin: "What is it?"
Me: "I… I ran into the dragon and-"
Thorin: "You what?! Are you alright?"
Me: "Aye! I'm fine, but the thing is, is that something very strange and frightening happened"
Thorin: "What?"
Me: "You see, I went into the hall and I was just about to look for my friends, when I heard the dragon outside. So I ran out and tried to distract him, but it was then I realized that he was not hunting my friends. So instead he noticed me and chased me back into the hall. I was lucky enough to hide before he bursted in. And when he walked around, looking for me, I had more visions. Memories of the past just flew in front of my eyes like I was traveling through time. And when these memories got to the… the difficult parts, I just lost it"
The memories pained me and I had to stop for a quick second to take a breath. Then I continued on.
Me: "I accidentally fell out of my hiding spot and revealed myself. So we spoke and well, then we spoke in a different way, you see. You know all of these visions I had, right? Well, those were not exactly self-inflicted. The dragon, Smaug is his name, forced them into my head. So all of these visions were planted in my mind by him. He warned me that he would come for Erebor in the dungeons, but the thing with that is that he knew that I thought I was going mad. So he knew that I would not believe what I saw. But the vision I had about my friends was not real, he tricked me into thinking they were chased my him into the Hall of Durin's folk. Are you following me?"
He nodded as an answer.
Me: "So his plan was all along to trick me into the hall. And then we spoke some more and, he said that if I don't hand myself to him, he'll kill you and my friends"
Thorin: "But then we must go this instance! Come with me I know where we can-"
Me: "Wait a second, I'm not finished. I managed to get into his head, you see. We can somehow keep contact over mind and read eachother. So that was what I did and-"
Thorin: "Hold up. Are you saying that you can keep contact with the dragon? Valerie that means that he probably knows where you are!"
Me: "No he doesn't! I can feel if he tries to get in my head. However, and when I did that, I saw that he was planning to kill you and Thrór in order to wipe out the lineage of Erebor and scare off other from reclaiming Erebor ever again"
Thorin looked horrified; his eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped. And he was trembling a small bit. But then something caught him in his eyes, like he did not understand something.
Thorin: "But if the dragon, or Smaug, means to wipe out the line of Durin then why will he not kill my father?"
I took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for me to drop on his already heavy shoulders.
Me: "He will not kill Thráin, 'cause when I was inside his head, I saw that he had foreseen Thráin's death. He will die, Thorin"
Thorin: "No, no that cannot be true…"
Me: "It is, Thorin and that's why we have to find Thrór now and get out of here"
Thorin: "But what about my father? Will he-"
Me: "We do not have time to speak of him now! We have to go!"
I hissed. I both felt and heard that Smaug was not far away from us.
Me: "Smaug is near, where is Thrór?"
Thorin: "He's on his way to the Secret Door"
Me: "Hidden door?"
Thorin: "Aye, he had it built a couple of years ago. Come on, we must get moving"
He did not explain any further. He pulled me with him and we started to make for the Secret Door.
We moved eastwards, the Door was situated in the west of the mountain. we had to climb a lot, the hills of gold did not become any smaller. They, in fact, became bigger and more massive. There were some gems on the way that caught my eyes, gems that even drew my desire to possess them. Mahal only knows how deep the miners had to dig to find them…
We were not far away, only a mile or so left. I could see somewhere in the distance that there were a dwarf climbing another hill of gold.
Me: "Thorin, is that Thrór over there?"
I pointed my index finger towards the dwarf. I looked at Thorin and his face was lighten up.
Thorin: "Aye, it surely is! Grandfather! We're over here!"
He yelled after Thrór. Thrór turned around to face us. He waved his arms and shouted some inaudible. We moved faster and soon reached him. He did not seem surprised about me being free. Maybe Thorin had told him about it. But there was something strange about him; he did not have that hateful look in his eyes when he gazed at me.
Thrór. "Bless me! You made it!"
Thorin: "Aye that be true! Lead the way, grandfather"
Me: "Where are we to go?"
The King did not answer me. Instead he gave me a meaningful glance, like he actually had a heart.
Thrór: "Valerie?"
Me: "What?!"
Thrór: "I need to speak with you, private"
He gazed quickly at Thorin, who raised his head as he understood what his grandfather spoke of. I had a feeling what he wants to talk about, but time is too short for such conversation.
Me: "We don't have time for that, we have to go now"
Thrór: "It is a matter of great importance and I think you know what I talking about"
Me: "Aye, I do. But not now-"
Thorin: "Look!"
Thorin was pointing his finger southwards. My gaze turned to the south. No, oh no, no. He was here. Smaug. He'd found us. The dragon was far, far away from us, so we were at least in a safe distance away from him. His firestorms could not reach us here. He was staring at us, as if we were something to eat. I hissed between my teeth.
Me: "Run"
Both of them obeyed and they fled north. I followed them frantically as I heard Smaug bolting after us. We have to find a hiding spot, this instance. I shot glances around the chamber, gazing desperately for places to hide in. My eyes landed on a spot; in the northwest, a low bridge that could be something to take cover in for a short while. Smaug was still yet far away, we could have a chance. I grabbed at Thorin's and Thrór's sleeves and stopped them. The impact nearly threw them backwards.
Me: "Oi! I've found a hiding spot, northwest of the chamber, over there!"
I pointed my finger towards the low bridge. The two royalties of Erebor nodded their heads and the youngest one took my hand and pulled me with him.
We reached the bridge in success without Smaug seeing us, but we would not have a great amount of time. The slug could also use his nose to smell our scent. Now we were waiting and planning an escape route from here, when suddenly Thrór interrupted.
Thrór: "Valerie, I need to speak with you now"
I sighed and glanced away. I did not want to talk to him about that right now, because I am still ruthlessly furious at him. The very memories infested my mind and made me shake of anger. I felt Thorin's thick hand place itself on my back, trying to calm me down. It actually helped, don't really know how though. Then he rose and walked away from Thrór and I.
Thorin: "I'll give you two a minute or so, but be quick about it"
I nodded and saw that Thrór was staring at me. I took a deep breath and then I faced him, my eyes staring coldly at his chubby face.
Thrór: "I know that you may hate me and that you always will, but I'm begging you"
He corrected his sitting position and placed himself right in front of me. He still locked his eyes on me, but I glanced away again to avoid eye contact.
Thrór: "Please just listen to what I have to say"
Me: "Alright, go on then"
I turned my gaze back at him.
Thrór: "This will be hard for me to somehow, explain. I never really, intended, to have your parents murdered. All I ever wanted to was to reassure that you would never leave Thorin-"
Me: "Reassure!? If i would have wanted to leave Thorin I would've done it a long time ago!"
Thrór: "I know, but you can never be certain of young love. I just did not want to see Thorin hurt again"
Hurt again? Oh, he was talking about Thorin's former lover; Asabelle.
Me: "So you know of Asabelle?"
Thrór: "Of course I do. He's my grandson, not my servant!"
Me: "But then how did you know that he was hurt by her depart?"
Thrór: "I do have a heart, Valerie, and I'm not blind. Even if my little lad tried to hide his feelings, I could still see that he was deeply hurt"
Me: "And how could you let that escalate into killing my parents!? There is nothing you can say that'll make me forgive you, I hope you know that"
Thrór: "I do know that, but I still want to explain. That evening when Thráin and I talked to your parents, I lost it. I should've given them a kind of warning of what I wanted to speak with them about, but I did not and I lost my patience quickly. Something flew into me and I said things that I did not mean and mostly did things I did really not intended for"
Me: "Perhaps you're just ill, like a sickness, you know. Like a disease that has grown within your head. All of this"I spat and grabbed a handful of golden coins.
Me: "Is what your sickness has driven you to do if what you're saying is true to your heart?"
I threw the coins back with disgust.
Thrór: "Sickness? What is that supposed to mean?"
Me: "When you are speaking about it, it sounds like you went sick. Like, mentally unstable or just insane of something. According to me"
Thrór: "Stop. You are not making any sense to me right now. Let me finish"
I shut my mouth and waited for him to speak again. I didn't want to start an argument in the middle of our hiding.
Thrór: "I just wanted to formally apologize for my reckless, heartless and cruel actions. I take full responsibility of the death of your parents. I cannot believe that I let myself do something so horrible and unforgiving thing to someone kind and loyal like you. I am sorry, Valerie, I truly am"
Tears began to well out of his small, blue eyes and he started to silently sob. His words melted into my ears and thoughts began to swirl up violently in my brain. It really sounded like he was true to his word; like he actually never wanted to have them killed. But that doesn't repay anything for what he did. I know that he might've only wanted to protect his grandson, but he crossed the line by far too many leagues. But yet the innocence of his sobbing and crying made sense to me, he wasn't playing any tricks. He truly was sorry for his actions. But I can't forgive him. That is something I'll never be able to do.
I decided to make peace with him, but still I held a grudge. I'll never trust him fully again, he did not deserve that kind of privilege. He's sick, even if he denies it.
Me: "Before you betrayed me, Thrór, you were like my grandparent, like one of my own. You had a place in my heart. But after what you did, I have lost faith in you. If you truly are true to your word, I'll make peace with you. You are in matter of fact; sick. You can deny how much you want, but to me you are sick and you need help. And that is why, I forgive you"
I had rethought it, and if he truly was sick, then it was not himself who did such things. It was the disease that corrupted his mind. And for that, I could forgive him.
Thrór: "But did you not say…"
Me: "Don't question it. Because then I might rethink again and change my mind"
Thrór: "Thank you, Valerie. it gives warmth to my heart and courage to my soul. I want you to know that I'll never forgive myself, even if you do"
I couldn't help but smile. I was still angry, but now that I've found out why he did what he did, I saw it in a different way. He needed treatment, and that is what he deserves. He may always deny it, but I'm sure that deep inside him, he knows that he's sick. I was glad that he apologized and confessed.
It gives, the little of the humanity that he had lost, back to him.
Author's note: Alright friends, this fanfic is soon coming to an end. But don't worry I will make sequel, but that is going to take quite a while because I'm planning to write another fanfic before. But don't lose faith in me! i hope you have enjoyed this far and I'm grateful for all the reviews that you guys have given me. Respect and love to you all:)
