Authors Note: This is a bit of a story filler, I can't wait to write the ending... but I ain't saying anything ;-) It will be a tear jerker.
The dwarves found different ways to kill time before Bilbo came back; Bombur ate, Dwalin cleaned his weapons, others slept and sorted through their belongings. Freya sat beside Kili as he talked to his brother, but she wasn't listening to them, she was looking at Thorin. He was staring at the tunnel that Bilbo had disappeared in to hours ago. Freya walked over to her father and touched his shoulder making him jump, "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yes, sorry, I was lost in thought." Thorin smiled at her, "Would you mind helping Ori, he said he was going to get wood for the fire but I'm afraid he might have gotten lost."
"Of course," Freya said with a look of concern that they might have lost the youngest member of the company, and hurried off in search of him.
Kili noticed that Thorin was now alone, he wanted to ask him about Freya's safety. He got up from his seat on the rock and walked over to Thorin, ignoring the looks from his brother. "Thorin, may I speak with you?" Kili asked his voice strong.
Thorin turned and looked at the younger dwarf, "Of course." He gestured to a rock opposite him.
Kili sat down and took a breath, then began, "I am worried Thorin." - Thorin raised an eye brow -"I feel that there is a danger coming, one that we cannot stop, and I fear for Freya, I fear for her safety. I am not sure that she is ready for the ferocity of battle or to face a dragon."
Thorin looked at Kili, concern was written across the younger dwarf's face. "Kili, if there is one thing I have learned on this journey is that Freya's ability and strength is not something that you can undermine. She is going to be a leader of our people some day, and if she wants to be the first female Ruler of our people then she must prove herself as a worthy leader. I know how you are feeling, I feel it too. I want to her to go back to Lake Town and stay there, but I know that she cannot and I know she will not. You can protect her Kili, and I know you will, but remember that she is more than you think." Thorin was cut short by a scream that came from the tunnel. He and Kili stood up as did the rest of the dwarves and Freya and Ori dropped the logs for the fire. Bilbo came running out of the tunnel like a bat out of hell. He would have kept going if Thorin and Kili hadn't caught him.
They brought the blubbering Bilbo over to the fire and put a blanket over his shoulders, once he calmed down he told them that Smaug was very much alive and rather angry, and had tried to chase him down the passage way. The dwarves began to discus as to how they were going to get in to Erebor with out the dragon finding out about them. Some said they should go in brandishing weapons, ready for battle, while other, including Kili, Freya and Thorin, wanted to creep in unseen and figure out where the dragon was and what could be done about it. Darkness fell and the decision was still not made, Thorin called a halt in discussion until sunrise the next day.
The following morning was dark and rain clouds threatened in the sky. They all ate a small breakfast, Thorin then made the call that they all needed to enter the Mountain, most of the dwarves shuddered at the thought, they had seen the state Bilbo was in when he came flying through the tunnel. But regardless they shouldered their weapons and followed Thorin in to the tunnel. Freya wondered if they should close the door, but then how would they open it again from the inside? The tunnel was long and dark, Freya smelt the damp in the walls and she could hear the breathing of her fellow dwarves. Her muscles were tense, she was waiting for the Dragon to rear its ugly head and she thought where would it appear from. With this horrible image in her head she looked around for Kili, for his support, Get a grip Freya, she scolded herself, how do you expect to be a Queen if you can't walk down a tunnel without a man at your side? Suddenly a noise rumbled in the deep, the rocks shook and some began to fall. All the dwarves grouped together, weapons drawn. Smaug roared in the belly of the Mountain, the tunnel began to cave in, "RUN!" Thorin shouted and took off towards the main hall with all the dwarves in toe. Smaug had left, Bilbo thought probably to hunt the ponies that he had talked about.
They sat for ages in the dark, they had no idea of the passage of time. If they fell asleep they would jerk awake in fear. Freya slept on Kili's shoulder but not well, she kept thinking that she heard the Dragon coming back, Kili would try and sooth her but truth be told he was as anxious as she was. Thorin broke the long silence, "Let us try the door, I need to feel the wind on my face, I think we might all begin to suffocate in here." All the dwarves agreed and began to grope their way back to the door. Their hearts sank when they realised that the cave in had blocked the tunnel. The only way out was back through the main hall, the dwarves turned to walk to the heart of Erebor.
The dwarves walked for hours, Thorin and Balin were the only ones to remember the way, they often stopped to confer about passages. Freya felt strange, according to her father this was her home, but she never felt more unwelcome in a place before, it was cold, damp and so unfamiliar to her. She saw a light coming up and the dwarves ahead of her got rather excited., it was the main hall. Freya was the last to enter, she stop beside Kili and her mouth dropped; before her eyes was more gold and treasure that she could ever had imagined, it glittered and shone and was piled over 20 feet high in some places. The dwarves again to walk down to explore, but poor Bombur, who was behind most of the dwarves, slipped and careered down the slope of gems and gold, Bofur, Dwalin, Fili and Ori stood no chance as Bombur took them out from behind. Freya had tears rolling down her face as Kili and Gloin pulled and rolled Bombur off the other dwarves. Thorin was already exploring the riches and pulled out a shirt of mail, "Here, Bilbo, take this, it will keep you safe." Bilbo took the mail from Thorin.
"Oh my, thank you," Bilbo took the mail shirt and examined it; it was almost white in colour with small gems in the seem, he took off his shirt and slipped it on, it fitted perfectly, yet he said nothing about the new addition to his pocket along with the ring. As the dwarves looked around the hall Balin brought them all back to their sense, "It is not gold we are looking for right now, it is a way out."
"You are right Balin," Thorin nodded and hailed the other dwarves to follow, "This way."
Freya looked around her home, every thing that her father and Balin had talked about was true, the height of the ceilings, the deep green on the pillars, the cavings on the walls. Over time the carvings had faded and the emeralds were dulled but she could see that the with attention they would return to their former glory. They began to climb tall stairs up and up, Freya could see that Bilbo was struggling, so she pulled him along. They came to the start of the River Running and finally out in to day light, Freya gasped at the fresh air, it was cold and they had to get some where safer. They arrived at an old look out post at the South West Corner, Dwalin made and fire and Bofur began dinner, Freya sat down much to the relief of her feet.
The next morning there was no sign of the Dragon, even though they had all taken turns on watch over the night. "Well this has been rather uneventful." Bofur looked around.
"Uneventful? That is not the word I would use for this adventure of ours." Bilbo said a look of shock on his face. Freya chuckled.
"What worries me," Thorin said, gazing at the sky, "Is where is that Dragon?" Kili spotted something flying towards them, it was too small to be a Dragon, it was black with silver running through its feathers. It was a Raven.