This will be the last chapter you guys! I am so sorry for being so slow on the update. I have rewritten it so many times, cause I didn't want the last chapter of this story to suck. My apologies. But I hope you'll enjoy this!
Thorin: "We need to get moving. Come on!"
Thorin had heard that our conversation had reached its end. I tore my gaze away from Thrór and glanced out into the humongous chamber. We were going to have to move towards the tall walls, if we could blend into the shadows we could move southwestwards to the spiral staircase.
And so we did. It didn't take long before we reached the staircase. But something that all of us had failed to realize was that the staircase was almost 200ft tall. It was going to take some time to get up, for there were many steps to be stepped on. But we could do it, we could not give up now. We're not far away, Thrór had said. And so we started to walk up the stairs, in a fast pace.
After a while I was sweating floods, that ran down like a stream on my forehead. Then suddenly, I could feel how Smaug drilled into my head, demanding me to let him in. I wasn't ready for the attack, it came so swift and quick I couldn't withstand it. I let out a terrible cry and fell backwards. Thorin had been walking behind me, so he had managed to catch me. My vision went black and all I could hear was Smaug's voice, almost roaring at me.
Smaug's voice: "Don't. You. Dare"
I chuckled on the inside in spite at him. I talked back to him inside of my head.
Me: "Try me, slug"
Smaug's voice: "It would be very unwise, Valerie. Have you forgotten that you are dealing with a dragon? Or are you honestly that foolish?"
Me: "It was unwise not to believe your visions. And no, I'm not foolish. It's something called surviving instincts and escape. Never heard of it, eh?"
I could literally feel his growling against my skull, clawing me.
Smaug's voice: "You are being ridiculous. I suggest you stop now"
Me: "Or what? You are probably leagues away from us! You can't do anything"
Smaug's voice: "Oh really? Look down"
My vision cleared. My gut started to turn uneasy, was Smaug just beneath us? Ready to breathe fire on us if he had the chance. I leaned over the railing of the stairs and there he was, smirking mischievous at us, in a bad way. My eyes widened and fear ran through my limbs and veins. It was like I had frozen to ice. How could he have gotten so close to us without being heard? The monster was almost as big as a village for the love of Mahal!
Me: "By the slopes of Doom! He is here!"
I cried out in horror. Thrór and Thorin both gasped at my sudden cry. I saw how Smaug's chest suddenly began to light up. As if he had a furnace inside of him. His glowing chest lit up the dark chamber and his eyes flashed almost as bright. Then he slowly opened his jaws…
I acted quickly. I threw myself out of the way from the fire wave that he had sent towards us. I slammed my arms into Thorin and Thrór, ducking them away from the railing. The fire struck upwards, just beside the railing. it was maybe a meter away from us. And even if the fire had not hit us, it still burnt like hell itself. I covered my face from the bright flames and crouched into a little ball.
The fire stopped. Then Smaug attacked me mentally, forcing himself inside my head again.
Smaug's voice: "You had better give in. Or I'll kill the three of you"
Me: "No! Please don't! Can't we compromise this deal? Can't I just go with them? You'll have mountains of gold beyond any counting and gems that shines more than the sun of this world!"
Smaug's voice: "Hold your tongue! There is no way to compromise a deal. Either it's a deal or no deal. What is your choice, Valerie? Is it death or life?"
I mentally pushed him out. But still I knew I was going to have to make a choice about it, soon. Thorin helped me up on my feet and we ran up the stairs, faster than we had ever run before.
We reached the top and there was a passage, no, more like a tunnel, leading into the shadows. This must be it. This has to be the way to the Door. But before we could get into the tunnel, Smaug appeared behind us, with a snarl that gave me chills. I slowly turned around to face him.
I cursed underneath my breath. tears began to thrive in my eyes and my breathing became irregular. Curse that damned dragon. We were in disadvantage; he only had to spit a fireball at us and we would be dead, or fatally injured. I took a deep breath as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I had decided; and the choice pained me more than any firestorm could do.
I turned to Thorin, he saw my face expression and turned to me.
Me: "We don't stand a chance…"
Thorin: "I know. I suppose this is the end. For all of us and for the future of Erebor"
His voice quivered. He was dropping tears as well. I inhaled my sobs and put my palm against his cheeks.
Me: "Don't worry. You've still got the Arkenstone at least. Even if it's just a damned stone"
Thorin: "Aye, that's true. Grandfather, you've still got the Arkenstone?"
He turned to his grandfather. Thrór began to dig his pockets; first the upper right, then the lower right, then the upper left…
He did not manage to find it. Thorin cursed out loud and helped Thrór to find it. But they did not succeed. The stress increased violently in the face of Thrór; he was literally sweating.
Thorin: "This is not good…"
Thrór: "This is outrageous! I must've lost it somewhere…"
Me: "What meaning has it anyway? It's just a rock that glows more than other rocks"
Thrór: "The Arkenstone is the heirloom of Durin's folk! That is the only token that can summon all the dwarf kingdoms together to war!"
I flinched. I suppose I hadn't realize the value of that stone, but if it has that great matter, then it was important to get it. We had to get it. For the future.
I turned to Smaug, who had been, impressively enough, patiently watching us.
Me: "Will you let us-"
Smaug: "No! Do you think I am that idiotic? Move an inch towards the stairs and I'll melt you to piles of flesh"
I winced at his sudden interruption. He was getting impatient. There was no way to reason with this dragon any longer, his patience had run out. I turned back to Thorin and Thrór and started to shove both of them towards the tunnel.
Thorin: "What are you doing?"
Me: "You need to go now"
Thorin: "Not without you! Are you insane?"
Thorin lightly pushed me back in order to stop me from shoving them. Thrór sighed and walked up to the opening of the tunnel and waited for his grandson. Thorin grabbed me by my shoulders and gazed harsh into my wet eyes.
Thorin: "I'm not going without you Valerie"
Me: "Then we're all going to die. Don't you see?"
Thorin: "No I don't see! You are a fool to think that you're going to stay with him."
Me: "For the sake of Mahal! Use your head Thorin!"
He stared confused at me. After a half a minute, it got to him. He shook his head in denial.
Thorin: "You're mental. You can't do that, I'd rather die with you than without you"
Me: "I would to. But you have to live. And if I can sacrifice myself in order to save you, then I'll do it. You can find another, there are surely plenty of other women out there-"
Thorin: "None of them are like you. None of them will ever be like you"
Me: "I know that my beauty is rare, but-"
Thorin: "I'm not talking about your beauty, Valerie. I'm talking about you. Your the most amazing woman I've ever met and I cannot, honestly, see a life with not you in it. I can't live without you, don't you understand…"
He trailed off. He was shaking of sorrow and he began to sob. My heart sank to my stomach. I was pained like there had been a million of arrows shot into my body. I embraced him and kissed his cheek. He returned my embrace and looked desperately down at me.
Me: "I'm so sorry. If there would've been another way, I would have done it that way. But there is none"
Thorin: "I love you so much…"
Me: "I love you too. My heart will always belong to you, even if yours might belong to another in the future"
Then Thrór interrupted our goodbye.
Thrór: "Come on, we need to go. Both of you let's go!"
Me: "I'm not going, Thrór"
Thrór: "Don't be a fool"
I pulled out of Thorin's arms and shoved him towards Thrór.
Me: "Go"
Thorin: "Not yet-"
Me: "Just go!"
I shoved him again, this time hard. He stumbled onto his grandfather who caught him before he could fall.
Me: "Go! Save yourselves and live in peace. Far away from here"
Thrór: "You're truly are insane, aren't you? Come with us now! It's an order"
Me: "The hell with your orders! You have to go now!"
Thorin: "No. Not until"
Thorin walked up to me and tugged at me. He just wouldn't let me go, would he? I withstood his tugging, kept my spot and stared harsh at him as I hissed between my teeth. Even I was getting impatient.
Me: "You need to go now, Thorin"
Thorin: "I do not wish for this"
Me: "Neither do I. But I just want you to live. I could die for you if that was the case"
Thorin: "As would I, Valerie. I could now…"
Me: "What exactly are implying?"
Thorin: "We could let him kill us, then we could be together, always and never be separated"
Me: "Don't say things like that! You need to live. You're an heir of the throne of Erebor!"
Thorin: "Without you, my life has no meaning"
Me: "Yes it does! Love of Mahal listen to yourself! You are practically calling yourself weak! You're saying that you can't live without one woman and if that is the case then you are feeble! Don't let this be the end! Return for the Mountain in the younger days! I may be dead, but this is our home and it will be your duty to reclaim it. It will be awfully dangerous and perilous, but you have got to do it. For the future of the line of Durin, you need to go now so that you can survive and come back. And if not you, then your little brother can go or even your sister! They are in the line of Durin as well, aren't they?! Do you understand me?"
He was sobbing violently. My little encourage-speech had little effect on him. Nothing would cheer him up now.
I caressed his cheek, looking softly into his blue and wet eyes. He gazed back at me and then gave me a kiss. A passionate and a loving kiss. Our last kiss. I felt our love sparkling between us, one last time. I didn't want to end the kiss, I just kept on extending it. I started to realize the weight of this parting and it hurt me even more. Mahal, is this pain going to kill me in the end? Wouldn't surprise me if it did…
But I had to end it, no matter what.
I pulled out of the kiss and leaned my forehead against his. Tears of watery silver ran out of our eyes. I heard that Thrór had begun to walk down the tunnel, apparently trying to hurry us. My voice was shaking and my stomach sank down.
Me: "Good luck, Thorin. I love you and I always will"
Thorin: "There is no end of the tunnel; in the tunnel of my love for you. Goodbye, my love Valerie"
Then he started to gently back away. I kept my soaked gaze locked with his as he walked backwards towards the tunnel. And so, he slowly faded into the shadows and he was gone. I heard heavy footsteps walking away from the chamber, leaving the last dwarf of Erebor to be a treasure for a dragon.
The footsteps stopped and could not be heard anymore. They were gone. He was gone.
I turned to face Smaug, who was standing right in front of me, blocking me from escaping dow the stairs. I stared tauntingly at him. I wasn't afraid any longer; Thorin and Thrór was out of his reach, he couldn't hurt them. They will return and they will retake the Mountain. The dragon could kill me if he wish, I actually didn't care if he should. As long as Thorin, Thráin and possibly Thrór could live, everything would be fine with me. Hope yet sadness was burning inside me, due to the hope for the future and sadness to the parting of me and Thorin.
Me: "What is your last move, Smaug? Now that you've let the line of Durin escape right in front of your eyes?"
First, he stared at me for a moment. And then, he bursted into a roaring and loud laughter. I was confused by this. I read before in his mind that wanted to kill Thorin and Thrór. Was he hiding something from me?
Smaug: "You are so naïve"
Me: "What? Tell me what you're hiding!"
Smaug: "You are sure of that? It might be even more heartbreaking for you"
Me: "I'd rather have you killing me with the truth than keeping me a live with a lie"
Smaug: "So be it"
He spoke no more. Instead he lashed into my mind, but I let him do this. He showed me a vision, a vision that was to happen in the future.
I saw a battle, taking place on small mountainous cliffs in front of a tall, elongated entrance into a mountain chain. Could that be the entrance of Moria? The kingdom where Durin the Deathless established the mighty city of the Dwarven race? It must've been, because the vision showed me dwarves, battling and fighting orcs. They must be fighting over Moria.
The view drew nearer, showing me the faces of the Dwarven warriors fending off the nasty orcs. The view drew inside the battle, gliding through the air and then it reached its destination. I saw a pale and a huge orc, with scars allover his bared chest and the rest of his body. He was fighting a dwarf, who looked like a little nymph next to him. The orc was winning and then managed to cut the head off the dwarf. He then threw the head towards the direction of the view, and that was when I recognized the dwarf.
Oh Mahal save us! It was Thrór! It was Thrór who was killed by the orc. And then I saw another dwarf, realizing what happened to the King. He stepped out from the fighting mass, and then charged for the orc. But he was swiftly impaled in his chest by the orc before he had the chance of defending himself. He fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his flesh wound. The view closed to the stabbed dwarf and I swear I recognized those features on his face. He looked a lot like Thorin, but younger and skinnier. Love of Aulë, it was Frerin, Thorin's little brother, who had been slaughtered by the orc. My heart was skipped a beat by the realization.
Before I could panic, another vision appeared inside my head. Now I could see Thráin, imprisoned in a dark fortress. It must've been Dol Guldur, from what I read in his ind earlier. The view neared him, so I could have a closer look on him. He had visible scars on his face and he was all beaten up. He was also terribly famished, like he hadn't eaten in weeks. But then the vision faded out into black.
It suddenly went back to light and I could see… The Lonely Mountain? There was corpses of orcs, dwarves, men and even elves lying all around in a stony field before the mountain. I felt panic flaring up inside me and my breathing quickened. The view circled around the corpses, but there were no faces that I was familiar with. I saw two young dwarves, lying beside eachother. One of them was blackbrown haired, while the other one was strawberry blond. I didn't know who they were, but they were looking a bit like Thorin, they had some features in their faces that resembled him. the view ent past the dead bodies and ten went up a little rocky hill and on top of that hill… There he lay. Dead.
I let out a ear piercing cry and I was kocked onto the floor. Smaug went out of my head and kept his place in front of me.
Mother of Mahal. They were going to die! Smaug let them go because he had already foreseen all of their deaths! When he'd been chasing us! That's why it took him so long to find us. Thrór will die, Frerin will die, Thorin will die and Thráin will die in that fortress! Then it would only be Dís left of the line of Durin… This cannot happen, this must be stopped. I must warn them this instance!
I staggered onto my feet and fled into the tunnel after Thorin and Thrór. They could not be far away from here. Smaug roared viciously after me to return, but I knew that he wouldn't dare to kill me with his cursed flames.
Me: "Go and rot with your precious gold, you bloody BASTARD!"
I yelled over my shoulder as I sprinted down the dark tunnel. There were no torches to light up the path, so I had to be careful where I was running. As I ran, I yelled for Thorin and Thrór. My cries echoed through the tunnel, bouncing of the dark walls. There were no responds to my desperate cries, but I did not let my hope burn out.
And then suddenly, after a few minutes of running, I ran into a hard wall. My nose were crushed against it, I think I could hear a small cracking sound coming out of it. Then I fell onto the ground and passed out for a short second. I came back to reality and realized that it was the Door I had run into. I got up on my feet and observed it; it was made of thick stone, it was nearly ten feet tall and there were no doorknob on it, so I guess I am supposed to somehow push it open.
I threw myself into it and thrusted and pushed. But it wouldn't move, is it locked? I backed away and ram into it with all the power I had left. It didn't move an inch. I got frustrated and kept on pushing the door. How could it be locked? I need to get it open, I need to get out. As I stood there, desperately trying to get the door open, I heard Smaug talking to me very loud. I did not listen to him, he's not going to trick me again. I won't let him.
I probably stood there for hours trying go get the door open. I had bruises on my arms, I was tired and exhausted, I could barely stand up. The door never moved. It was completely closed and sealed. My hands were bleeding and were swollen of hours of abuse. My hope began to fade and my emotions had flown away. My soul was slowly disappearing in to the nothingness and my mind turned gray.
Tears ran out of my eyes and I was absolutely emptied of hope. I couldn't get out. I was too late. There was no hope anymore. All of them would die and the line would be lost. We still had Dís, but she was not a leader nor was she a warrior. But I do hope she'll come, I shouldn't have preconceptions. Just because she's a female, doesn't mean she can't retake Erebor.
But what hurt me most was that Thorin would die in battle. I would've hoped for him to die in a soft bed, surrounded with his future family and … wife. If he should ever take a wife. The thought of him even dying clawed wounds on my strained heart.
There was nothing more to be done. It was over.
In the fraction of a second, panic and a paining sorrow began to rule my body and mind. My breathing became gaunt, my knees gave away and my whole body began to ferociously tremble. Waves of tears poured harshly out of my eyes and I was now lying on the floor, being literally tortured. Loud cries escaped my mouth, but my cords had problems with hitting the exact pitch that I wanted to scream. I wanted everyone around to hear and feel the pain that tortured me. And by that I was meaning Smaug. He might be a heartless, selfish and an evil little slug, but he was going to hear the pain that he had caused me.
So I lay there, crying violently as my body twitched fiercely. I already missed Thorin, it felt like he had already been gone for centuries. My heart skipped beats and I gasped for air. The pain had overruled me, there was no going back from this pain.
I don't know how long I lay there, I lost counting of time. I had now stopped crying, but the pain still hurt every part of me. I wanted it to stop so badly, it was too hard… I have to escape this pain. Perhaps, Smaug would help me?
I stumbled onto my feet and started to make for the chamber again with a lump in my throat. I reached and I saw that Smaug had waited for me, which surprised me a bit. I gave him a desperate stare, trying to make him feel guilty, if that even was possible.
Me: "Are you happy now?"
smaug: "I am never happy nor satisfied"
Me: "How can you be so damned evil? Don't you ever get tired of bringing misery upon people?"
Smaug: "Actually it encourages me to keep doing it. Because there is no such thing as peace and happiness. It's just delusions you people of Middle Earth are suffering from. I am just here to make all of you see the truth; joy does not exist"
I shivered from his words. It's bloody mental this one. Like I said before, he was an utter psychopath. He could've been through traumas as a youngling, but I've never heard of a dragon that is good and loving. All of them were evil and insane.
Me: "End this pain that you've put me in"
Smaug: "No"
Me: Why not?! You've got no other use of me rather than being a trophy to your treasure!"
Smaug: "I am aware of that"
Me: "Then kill me for the love of Mahal! There is nothing special about me than my rare beauty! There is nothing you could do worse than what you've already done to me!"
Smaug: "That is were your are wrong, my sweet Valerie"
Me: "Oh really? Tell me all about it, what is it? Another vision that'll kill me more on the inside or what?"
He didn't answer me with his cords. This time he talked inside my head. His glare was glowing like the fire that he stored in his lungs.
Smaug's voice: "Something far more worse"
Then he gazed right into my eyes and started to speak. As he spoke my eyes were locked on his and I couldn't move an inch. My body was made into stone.
Smaug: "Never shall thy body move again
Never shall thy body feel
Never shall thou be free again
Never shall thou heal
In the shadows you will dwell
For thy mind will fade away as water ooze away in the well
Prisoner is what you will be
For thy soul shall never be free
None shall hear thy cries for help
For cries will only exist in thy mind
None shall take a look behind
Darkness awaits thou, sweet Lady of the Night"
Flashback stops
And that is all I can remember before... Before I became The Prisoner of The Lonely Mountain. And let me tell you this; being trapped inside your body for this long, is far more worse than being burnt to death. After a few days of this, I lost counting of time. But the worst thing is, I can't sleep. I am awake all the time, but at the same time I am sleeping. I don't low ow to explain any further, that is the only explanation I can come close to.
My eyes are closed, because all I can see is darkness. I can't move my body, I can't do anything but think.
I have been thinking a lot, like picturing the life would've had if I escaped. I really do regret that I didn't even try to run. That is the biggest mistake I have ever done in my life.
I wonder how long I have left before I'll die. As Smaug said in his compelling curse; "For thy mind will fade away as water ooze away in the well". My mind has not faded away yet and I have a feeling it is yet a long time before that. I wish the time could travel faster, so I could finally die and be at peace with all of this pain with Mahal.
I can't be like this anymore, living in the shadow of a deserted mountain with a fire dragon guarding his unrighteous treasure. Will someone come for my rescue? Does somebody know or feel that I am still here? Does Thorin feel in his heart that I still dwell in here after all this time? I wish I had the power to break free. As I told you before I could communicate with Smaug through the mind, but those powers that I once wield has left me. So I couldn't see what he was thinking.
But do you remember when I told you about the foresight I saw within Smaug? When I wasn't sleeping. That somebody would meet Thráin in the fortress of Dol Guldur? The wizard? Well I have some theories about this wizard.
When I was young my mother and I travelled to a place called The Shire. It was a very beautiful and pretty land of the people who lived there. Mother told me that the people were called hobbits and that they only reach 3 foot 6 inches tall. However, when we were there we met this odd fellow called Tharkûn, well my mother called him that. He was clad in gray and wore a hat and leaned on a walking stick, but I do not recall the sword.
Well, I think that Tharkûn is the one that will meet Thráin in the fortress. Smaug also foresaw that Thráin will die, but I think that the wizard will save him from death. Which means that Tharkûn is the wizard. And by that, Erebor could be saved from Smaug.
When I broke through Smaug's barrier for the first time, I wield the power of foresight for a short amount of time. Don't ask me how, because I do not know how. So I have seen things.
What is left of my people are safe, they took them to the Blue Mountains and gave them a normal life in peace. My friends are alive and well and they will have families in the future.
But Thorin would continue on to grieve the loss of Erebor and me. He has not had a night of sleep for a long time, for the pain and the will to retake Erebor kept on growing in him. It saddened me that he is in so much pain. I miss him so much, I miss everyone.
But I could see no more. That power has left me also and I can't see anything that has anything to do with the line of Durin. I can't do anything now.
But I have a feeling Thorin must've felt that he wouldn't do as a king, that he isn't good enough for his people. But I really hope that someone is there for him. I really hope that he found someone else, I couldn't see if he had. I wish she is beautiful and encouraging. So that he could have at least someone by his side, when his grandfather, father and little brother would… Perish.
I don't know if all of them are alive by now, they all could've been good as dead for years now.
Why can't I just die? Why do the Gods abandon me in the shadows? If somebody is out there, please hear my call for help. I beg you, if you can hear me now. Come to The Lonely Mountain and save me from this torture. Kill the beast and claim back what is yours. What is stopping you? What lies are you filled with! Aid me. Aid this mountain and its forsaken kingdom. I would stand on my bare knees if I could...
Take back your homeland.
And that's a wrap! Thanks to all of you for the reviews and for reading my fanfic! I am not sure if I should continue the story, cause I've run out of ideas at the moment. If you think I should write a sequel, please tell me in the reviews :) (I might write one anyways, but I'm curious about your opinions!) But if I should write a sequel, that might take some time, cause I want to see the last Hobbit film before I start the writing. However, I appreciate all the help I've gotten. Peace and love!
