The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

And The Very Unexpected

Journey of a Finn

Chapter 12 Something worth Fighting For

Summary: Where an object is found and a sentence such as: '' VOI PERKELE!'' is an appropriate statement to utter in a situation where you've ended up in the middle of nowhere in an unfamiliar land.

Disclaimer: I do not own the fine work of J.R.R Tolkien. I only own the adventurer I myself created.

...

Gandalf dropped the coins back in the pouch. Thorin was glaring and Balin had a worried expression on his aged face as he looked at the coin I was still holding.

I barely suppressed a noise of disgust as I abruptly flung the coin into the still open pouch like it had suddenly grown dragon fangs and were about to bite me. The very thought of Smaug having probably used these coins as a bedding and wiping his ass on them like they were toilet paper was enough to make me want to gag.

I couldn't forget the image of all those lives lost in Erebor's halls when Smaug had made his move to take the mountain for himself; men, women and children. They had died from being crushed, scalded by fire that was like magma from an active volcano or had been trapped within Erebor and withered away from lack of water and food. And if Thorin had been truthful, many more of the dwarven kin had perished in the wilderland after King Thranduil had refused to give aid to Thror's people

All those images in the films may have been just been an ordinary movie scene back on Earth but after getting myself stuck in Middle Earth those images now affected me more than they'd done in the past.

And seeing, and physically touching these pieces of gold were another reminder that this was all real, not just a movie world!

Not a fairytale.

Bad things could follow if you lost yourself in the 'fairy-tale' land where you think you will remain indestructible.

'' If these coins are to be distributed to every member of the company I will have to do an arduous spell to cleanse these coins from the harmful essence that Smaug left on them. Though I must say I'm quite curious about how these found their way in this sort place as they weren't hidden before the fall of Erebor.''

Everyone's jaws dropped at the implication to these words and it was Dori and Nori who shared knowing glances; but even they looked like they hadn't expected to hear this from the wizard.

And I was suddenly more than an ounce curious as to what they might've known but would not say out loud.

'' So... there is another way inside the mountain.'' I stated with a shaky chuckle.'' But how in the gods was it not shown on the map?''

'' That's probably because it had remained unknown except to those who eventually discovered it.'' Gloin grumped, shaking his head.''

'' Or it was known but only among those who walked in the shadows.'' Dori said softly, almost whispering.

'' A secret most probably shared only among the spies of Erebor.'' Thorin spat out looking incredibly vexed.'' And we can't ask any of the original spies that had survived the attack upon the mountain as they were all sent on a mission years ago to find another way inside Erebor's lower halls...''

He turned to glare at the two descendants of (I realized) one of the spies that had been sent on said mission.

'' … but it seems they'd already known of an existing passageway in advance and instead of returning with the smuggled riches they'd all probably managed to escape with from under Smaug's nose they hid it here. Now the question is, did you discover any more of Erebor's wealth, woman?''

'' No!'' I answered unflappably, knowing in my mind that I was, again, lying through my teeth ( very much like I'd done to Ori upon our first meeting but if I was ever discovered to have lied to this dwarrow... well, I'd likely get my head chopped off) but Thorin's current treatment of the three siblings of the company was irritating me. Of course, getting almost gutted by the said king was also a reason for me to cook up a lie lest him finding more of that cursed treasure would risk him becoming even more befuddled.

'' There was a gold-vein but no other treasures from your home Kingdom.'' I added for good measure.

Thorin threw me a glance that told me he didn't quite believe my words despite me looking not at all nervous. I kind of had to be inconspicuous because If I hadn't my expression would have blown my cover-up in a heart-beat.

The dwarrow turned to walk towards the large hole Bombur and I had managed to create by falling through.

Thankfully Gandalf seemed to think there wasn't something I wasn't saying out loud (or he may have sensed the imperfection created by the dragon curse that extended to more than just the coins he still held in his hand).

From the corner of my eye I could see his mouth form words that were probably a spell and his hand that held the gold-pouch moved in a quick arch before stashing the pouch in the folds of his grey robes.

I didn't exactly know what the wizard had done but the outcome was the important thing for me.

Thorin returned to the company with an unsatisfied expression on his face.

'' Show me those knives you found in the hole!'' he immediately demanded me and I closed my eyes for a moment to bit back the retort that wanted to fly out of my mouth at the way he was, once again, speaking to me.

A hand on my shoulder made me look down at Balin who was holding a hand out towards me, and I quickly handed the knives to him instead. I watched him pull one of the knives from its sheath and inspect it from the pommel to hilt.

He seemed lost in memories for a moment before he spoke to the rest of us.

'' Indeed, these are the very knives forged for the best spies chosen by King Thror himself to be an important key element in keeping our mountain safe. As for these symbols of animals...''

He showed me the distinctive carving of the fox surrounded by flame.

'' They are the last step in the forging of these weapons as each one of them are unique like their wielder, and completely reflective of the spies personality or strengths. Even appearance.''

'' The Flame Fox!'' Thorin spat out as he looked over my shoulders. '' The spy with hair the color of flame and as sneaky as the fox that's been carved into these knives.''

He threw a withering look over his shoulder at the three ' Ri siblings' who glared right back at him; and Nori took several steps towards us with one eye on Thorin and the other on the knives Balin deftly handed back to me without me noticing until I felt their weight on my palms.

'' In this case the sneakiness of a fox is his downfall. He defied his king's orders to report back of his finds.''

Nori looked quite possibly murderous and I could see Dwalin edging back to intercept his approach.

Dori gave a noise of disgust which surprisingly wasn't aimed at his middle sibling but at Thorin. His strong hand grabbed hold of Nori's shoulder and held him back.

Even Ori who was usually shy to show if she was mad or discomfited by someone's words was openly glowering at their king.

Seeing all of them like this was a realization to me that what I'd unraveled was significant, and the many mounted questions that must have clawed at the sons of Noren had been answered with the finding of these knives and the coins of Erebor (if not all of them).

I just hoped that such unraveled information wouldn't cause strife to form within the company...

I bit my lip just as Dori spoke up in a tone so unlike his usual amiable self that it made me blink my eyes a few times.

'' Sneaky our father may have been, Thorin, but what did you, your father and Thror exactly expect from him and the other spies sent out with him? Our father had no want to leave his family to go off to steal from a dragon, and from what I overheard every other spy with families of their own had held the same thoughts. Noren loved us enough to feel the need to stay nearby and protect his family. His wife and two sons. And Nori was only twenty years of age when our father left.''

Dori's eyes were like two icicles as he stared Thorin down and I shivered slightly from the many years of bottled emotional pain I could feel leaking loose from him.

Nori had stopped struggling against his brother's grip on his shoulder and was glancing back at him with shadowed eyes.

Even though I couldn't feel Nori the way I could feel Dori's emotions it was quite obvious that he'd been hurt by not having his father around during those years of him growing to adulthood.

'' Our father wasn't given option to back out. His decision was forced by the Royals.'' Dori continued bitterly.'' I'm aware of this because I'd happened to overhear our parents discussing the matter in the kitchen as I was coming down the stairs for a cup of water.''

I leaned the back of one hand to my forehead and sat down on a nearby boulder(the knives still tightly clutched in my fists).

So there lay the reason why all these riches had been found in this natural shelter. Nori's father had disagreed with the Royals and had probably lost many comrades in the act of reclaiming even these precious metals I'd discovered by luck. And in defiance he'd never reported his findings to whichever king had been ruling at the time, or handed over the riches smuggled away from the dragon's clutches.

And I was quite leaning towards the spy's logic. He'd had a family that needed his presence; a wife and two young dwarrowlings (well, the other not as much a child as the other but still...).

'' Nevertheless they made unforgivable decisions.'' Thorin seethed out.'' Those knives are forged from Mithril and the best quality steel worth more than is in that bag of coins. I'm having half a mind to not give any of you the share of coins once Gandalf had ridden off the poison of Smaug.''

'' You promised us all one fifteenth of the gold in that sack. '' Nori pointed out calmly, half-looking at me as I stood up again and made my way to the dwarrow with the russet hair pulled up in its pointy style and handed over the two Mithril- metaled knives to their rightful owner with a respectful nod.

'' Thorin, if we strive away from equality we will be in danger of loosing company members.'' Balin sighed.'' And we will be needing Dori's formidable strength and Nori's cunningness. And Ori is the the Scribe of our company. We would risk loosing them all as their known to stick together no matter the situation. It will be in our best interest to share the gold equally among the company members; no matter what we may think of the deeds of our former spy!''

I smiled slightly at Balin, the ever wise- dwarrow whom liked to barter advice to a commendable outcome rather than cause more strife.

Thorin didn't look satisfied one bit, and Dwalin and Gloin were noticeably fuming. Both were fingering their axe handles and muttering to themselves darkly.

'' Very well. The gold will be sorted into sixteen equal shares amongst all people of the company.'' Thorin spoke through clenched teeth.'' But as for the gold-vein, it will be put into a long term deposit to be used after we've claimed the Mountain back. There is no proof that Noren son of Nor made valid claim to this treasure hole...''

My heart lurched at the King's words. Damn't it all, I'd been hoping to see the 'Ri siblings' claim all of it for themselves as it had been their family whom had found it in the first place. But apparently the dwarrows needed to show up with wills or contracts for everything if they wanted to keep anything in their favor.

'' But it was Noren who found the vein of gold!'' Ori exclaimed, looking very upset at the leader's words.'' It should rightfully belong to our family. To our mother's younger brother, too. He and his wife just had their first-born before we left the Blue Mountains and Magnor needs the gold to care for them properly as he isn't as venerable and able-bodied in his work as he used to be in his youth!''

'' I'm sorry young one,'' Balin sighed as he walked over to put his hand on the young dwarf's shoulder,'' but without a legimite Testament the whole of the gold belongs to the King.''

'' But the Gold wasn't found in a Dwarven territory.'' I exclaimed suddenly, having thought of a worm-hole in his words.'' What does the Dwarven rule book say about finding treasure in a settlement that doesn't belong to the Ruler of the Blue Mountains? Could it be that rightfully the person whom had first discovered the gold first is the one that has claim to the property and it's riches?''

The company immediately went stock-still at my words. Gandalf was half-smiling behind the long pipe he'd fished out at some point and nodded at me with twinkling blue eyes.

I silently congratulated myself for having put that argument to their ears as Thorin looked somewhat stunned over having overlooked that certain sentence in the Rule Book.

Dori, Nori and Ori had a moment of triumph but before we knew it Balin had a verbal bomb dropped over our heads.

'' Yes, that is the case when it comes to a dwarrow having found the gold, but you aren't a dwarrow and our rules don't have any standing to you.'' Balin said apologitelly. '' Therefore...''

'' The gold still belongs to the King.'' I muttered tensely and dropped down onto a nearby boulder with my elbows resting against my knees and my forehead resting on my palms.'' I'm so sorry, Ori.'' I added as Ori wandered over and sat down beside me

'' You put up a solid argument, though. Thank you.'' Ori answered, hugging me around the shoulders gently.

I gave her and Dori (who'd put his hand on my shoulder again) a half smile despite the stinging disappointment for not having been able to preserve all of Noren's legacy to his children. Nori wasn't looking at me but he'd moved closer to where siblings were standing (or sitting) whilst fingering the pommel of one of his knives with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

'' Then,'' Thorin said with some smugness in his voice,'' unless by some miracle someone can produce a valid 'Testament' the gold now belongs to the King.''

There was suddenly a small squeaking sound from where Nori was fingering his knives. I looked up to watch in shock as the russet haired dwarrow unscrewed the pommel on one of the knives and held his hand over the open hole.

A small roll of parchment rolled down into his other hand, causing a great gasp to echo around the shelter as the other dwarves saw this happening before their eyes.

'' What the...?'' I gasped out as a strangled sort of noise escaped Dori's lips and jumped to my feet to see the pommel better. Ori, too, was on her feet in an instant.

Nori smirked good naturally at my shock and handed over the round pommel for me so I could take a better look.

'' Its like the screws I've seen back in my world,'' I exclaimed with a delighted chuckle as I ran my finger around the edges bellow the pommel,'' Look, Ori, see the ridges on the bottom?! Nori, is this something the spies of Erebor had come up with in their line of work?''

'' Correct.'' Nori answered as he unfurled the piece of parchment with nimble fingers.'' I was very young when my father started teaching me what he'd learned in his line of work...''

A sad expression overcame his eyes and he looked like he was blinking back tears''... hence I knew to look for something such as this.''

He showed Ori and I the paper (even Dori leaned in closer to see the black ink) and I quickly read through the lines written first in dwarvish (which Nori hadn't fully unfurled) and common tongue.

'' Well now,'' I spoke out in a hushed, but awed tone of voice,'' will you look at that, Ori... there it is! The proof that is needed for you're family to take full claim over the gold!''

Stunned silence followed my admission. It was so quiet I swear I could hear all birds within the area chirping a merry tune that sounded lie a jeer to the dwarven Kings defeat. I may have even heard crickets doing their solos amidst the tall grass outside...

End of Chapter 12 Something worth Fighting For

Author Note: The knives will hold more secrets in the future chapters. And this was a much more tasteful place to hide something so important as a Testament than an ordinary leather bag.

Can anyone venture a guess as to which story I picked up the idea for the pommel?

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