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Chapter Twenty Eight # In the Dragon's Den #
"Kíli lad, stop pacing, you'll wear the soles off of your feet." Bofur's carefully lilting voice did little to ease Kíli's frantic mind and the young dwarf carried on walking up and down.
"It's been hours, Bofur, hours!" Kíli ran his hands through his hair. "He should be back by now, he should-"
"Kíli," Thorin put a hand on Kíli's shoulder, stopping his pacing immediately. "Erebor is a large city – just because Bilbo has not returned does not mean that anything bad has happened to him."
"I…" Kíli broke eye contact with his uncle to stare at the door longingly. "Thorin, if I just-"
"No." Thorin said bluntly.
Kíli turned back to the king desperately. "I wouldn't even go beyond-"
"No, Kíli. If you go in there you will only put Bilbo in more danger." Thorin insisted, his hand still on Kíli's shoulder.
Kíli swallowed, looking to Fíli, but his brother just shook his head. With a growl of frustration Kíli dropped to the ground, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
Fíli sat down beside him, slinging an arm around his shoulder far too casually. "Kíli, everything's going to be alright."
Kíli scoffed but did not say anything, leaning slightly into his brother and despairing in his own helplessness.
Bilbo could be down there screaming right now and I would have no idea… he thought glumly.
Suddenly the entire world rumbled and Kíli leapt to his feet, looking towards Balin desperately.
"Please tell me that was an earthquake?"
Balin's look of sympathy did nothing to appease him. "I'm afraid that that, my lad, was a dragon."
Kíli snatched his bow from the floor. "We have to go in."
"Wait, it's too dangerous!" Thorin began, and Kíli's world burned red.
"I am going in, now!" he growled.
Thorin gave him a dangerous look. "Kíli, you are not-"
"I am going in whether you like it or not!" Kíli yelled angrily. "He's my family and I will not-"
"You will sit down now!" Thorin roared, pointing at Kíli so threateningly that the younger dwarf flinched away from his uncle. "Now, Kíli!"
Trembling from head to foot, Kíli lowered himself onto a nearby boulder, staring up at Thorin with wounded eyes.
In an instant Thorin swooped forward and put his hands on Kíli's shoulders, staring him solidly in the eyes.
"Listen to me, Kíli. You need to calm yourself before you do anything else. You cannot let your fear rule your head. It can fuel your heart, yes, but it cannot dictate your actions – you'll only get us all killed, do you understand me?"
Kíli nodded, swallowing.
A loud roar tore through the mountain, escaping the doorway and sending terror coursing through Kíli's every vein and he looked to Thorin fearfully.
"Now, we will go in to the mountain and we will find your hobbit. But you must swear to do whatever I say. If you cannot follow orders I cannot risk you entering the mountain, for all our sakes." The king shook Kíli slightly and the young dwarf nodded again.
"I…I understand, Thorin. I'm sorry."
Thorin nodded curtly and signalled for the rest of the company to ready their weapons, before pausing and turning back to Kíli, putting a hand on his shoulder and drawing him close so that no one else heard his words.
"Remember Kíli, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."
Surprised, Kíli blinked, before nodding slowly. "Thank you, Thorin."
With another curt nod, Thorin moved to the head of the group and Kíli was quick to follow, terror for Bilbo gnawing on his heart.
The company walked into the darkness of Erebor, with no idea as to where their hobbit may be and with the intermittent roars of the dragon their only means of navigation.
Kíli twirled his fingers around one of his new arrows anxiously, the bow in his hands the only comfort he held against the sense of impending doom.
Erebor was a labyrinth, it seemed, and they turned corner after corner, descending down stair after stair before finally they came out into an open hall, and Kíli's mouth dropped open.
An enormous cavern opened before him, boasting hoards of golden treasure and mountains of glimmering gems that made him feel quite dizzy. The tales he had heard around the campfire telling of the wealth of the mountain truly fell short of the truth of the splendour of Smaug's haul.
Another roar filled the air, even louder than the one before it, and something collided with Thorin that was certainly not a dragon.
"Ooph!"
"Bilbo!" Kíli cried quietly, a relieved grin splitting across his face as his hobbit stumbled backwards away from them, blinking as if he were in a daze. "Where have you been?"
"Not now, not now!" Bilbo rushed. "Now would be a good time to-"
"Burg-LAR!"
Bilbo swallowed, looking at the company fearfully. "Run?"
"Go, go!" Thorin yelled, grabbing Bilbo's collar and throwing him back towards the company, who instantly began to sprint back towards the tunnel they had come from.
Kíli made the age old mistake of looking over his shoulder as he ran and his jaw fell open. "Oh, my-"
"Kíli!" Bilbo yelled, dragging him to the side. With a start, the young dwarf realised that he had been about to run right over the edge of the pathway, he had been so enthralled by the horrific dragon now chasing the entire company. "Careful!"
It was not Kíli that the hobbit should have worried about, however, for at that moment the dragon collided with their path, shaking it uncontrollably and sending several dwarves teetering dangerously close to the edge.
With a horrified curse, Dwalin tumbled off of the high walkway, falling through the air and colliding with the golden treasure below them with an enormous crash.
"No!" Thorin yelled, halting behind Kíli who reached back and grabbed his uncle's arm.
"Thorin!"
Having utilised the motion from his fall, Dwalin was sliding down the mountain of gold, allowing it to carry him away from the dragon far faster than he could have run.
"Get out of here, you fools!" the warrior roared as he disappeared.
"Thorin-" Kíli began again.
"Run!" Thorin ordered, shoving Kíli forward and the young dwarf obeyed, staring in horror at Dwalin's disappearing head.
Dwarven legs are no match for a dragon's wings, however, and Thorin, Kíli and Bilbo would all have perished had Fíli not lurched back and shoved all three of them off of the pathway and onto the mountain of gold beneath them.
One moment Kíli's legs were carrying him away from the monster as quickly as he could and the next they were flailing through the air, before he finally collided with the limitless treasure, yelping like a wounded dog as a golden trinket of some sort bit into his behind. Unlike Dwalin's almost graceful slide down the reams of gold, Kíli tumbled down most inelegantly, landing at the bottom with his legs in the air and his neck on the ground, his face squashed against the cold stone floor.
"Ow…"
"Get up!" Bilbo bellowed, grabbing Kíli's arm and physically dragging him behind a nearby pillar just as a wall of fire collided with the stone, sending flames flying either side of the hobbit and his son.
Kíli pressed his back against the pillar, grabbing Bilbo's arm tightly and craning his neck to stare through the flames.
Dwalin, Fíli, Thorin, Ori and Nori were all cowering behind the next pillar, and had they been not been enclosed in flames Kíli would have laughed at the image before him. Dwalin and Nori had somehow thrown their arms over each other's shoulders, reaching out to envelope the others and shove them against the pillar, forming a protective wall in front of them. Thorin and Fíli spluttered indignantly and Ori's eyes stayed the same size as Bilbo's best saucers, but nevertheless none of them were burnt when Smaug's incessant flames stopped and Dwalin and Nori stepped away.
"Run!" Thorin roared at Kíli and Bilbo, shoving Ori and Fíli towards them and Kíli obeyed instantly, turning tail and making for the small door his uncle was pointing at.
The tinkling sound of falling gold bombarded his ears as the dragon turned and searched for a way to get between the pillars but Kíli did not look back this time.
Instead he ran, his feet pounding against the floor in time with his speeding heart as he prayed that the rest of the company had escaped back into the smaller tunnel they had been running to. He took the fact that the dragon was chasing them to be a good sign as Smaug – hopefully the others would be fine.
Instinctively, Kíli reached around and grabbed Bilbo's arm, all but throwing his hobbit ahead of him through the little door. Once again they were in a smaller passageway only big enough for two or three mean to walk side by side, and the two Bagginses paused, unsure of where to go.
"Go right!" Thorin ordered sharply. "Keep moving!"
This time it was Bilbo that grabbed Kíli's arm and the young dwarf allowed himself to be dragged down the small passage by the hobbit while Thorin overtook them to lead as the only one who had half an idea of where they were going.
Finally they paused just before the passageway opened into a large hall, and as Smaug's angry roars faded away, Kíli allowed himself to hope for a moment.
"Have we given him the slip?" Ori whispered innocently and Dwalin shook his head, clapping a hand to the young dwarf's shoulder.
"He's far too cunning for that. He'll be waiting for us to come back into the open – and we'll have too eventually." The warrior sighed.
Breathing heavily, Kíli leant on his side against the nearest wall, reaching to his back to feel his quiver. While he had automatically held his bow had survived his adventures unscathed, the arrow he had been preparing to shoot had broken – Kíli guessed during the tumble down the hill of gold. As he feared, it felt like he had lost several arrows in the same fall – he would wager he had less than a dozen left.
He looked to his brother and Fíli looked back, and what followed was the first non-verbal conversation the younger could remember having.
Pouring his concern into his eyes, Kíli raised his eyebrows at Fíli.
Are you alright?
Fíli inclined his head slightly and his eyes looked Kíli up and down quickly, before he tipped his head to the side slightly.
I'm fine, are you hurt?
Kíli shook his head a fraction, glancing over the others and then staring back the way they came, drawing his eyebrows together as he frowned.
Do you think the others are alive?
Fíli shrugged slightly, his own face pulling into a deep frown, before allowing a faint smile to flicker across his face.
I don't know… I hope so.
Kíli grinned slightly, voicing the thoughts on his mind for only Fíli to hear, though he knew full well that the others could hear his words too.
"You know, of all the ways to die, this can't be the worst."
Fíli raised an eyebrow incredulously and Kíli elaborated.
"At least it's exciting."
Bilbo smacked him on the arm harshly and Kili opened his mouth to tease the hobbit, only to stop when he saw the fear and pain in the hobbit's eyes.
"We're not going to die." Thorin growled, glaring out at the hall opening before them.
"Yes sir." Kíli agreed vehemently, before hesitantly adding. "What's the plan?"
"I thought the plan was 'avoid getting trapped in the mountain with the dragon at all costs'?" Nori interrupted with a pointed look at Thorin, who he had just impersonated very well. Kíli was quite impressed, to tell the truth.
Thorin frowned at the trickster slightly, thinking carefully. "There is no way out of the mountain other than the door through which we came. We can only hope that the others got out… However, if we can make it to the forges we may be able to reach the passage again…"
"Good plan." Kíli nodded. "And then what?"
Thorin closed his eyes. "I do not know."
"You must have had a plan for killing the dragon?" Kíli frowned, wondering why he had never asked before.
"Thorin?" Fíli prompted at his uncle's silence.
It was Dwalin who answered. "There is no plan for killing the dragon. That was the wizard's area of expertise, and unless you haven't noticed he hasn't been with us for a while."
Kíli blinked, looking from Thorin to Fíli to Dwalin as if he had missed a joke. Fíli looked just as confused as he felt, but Dwalin's face was grim and Thorin's glare was fixed on the floor. "Wh-what?"
"There was never a plan on how kill the dragon." Thorin confirmed, and from the corner of his eye Kili saw Nori turn bright red as a scowl passed across his face. "We foolishly let ourselves hope that he was dead, and that even if he was not that Gandalf would have answers…Balin was right…"
Kíli's frown deepened. "About what?"
Thorin peered out into the hallway. "I think the coast is clear…"
"Thorin!" Kíli frowned, stepping forward hesitantly. "You never had a plan?"
"Must it be spelt out for you?" Thorin snapped and Kíli recoiled momentarily, before quickly regaining his composure.
"No…But there must be something we can do now?"
"There is nothing! The worm has no physical weakness-"
"That's not true!" Bilbo piped up quickly. "There's a missing scale above his left breast, I saw it."
"Really?" Kíli mused. So Bain was right, Girion had hit the beast…
"Well where does that get us?" Nori interrupted angrily. "Trapped in a dead kingdom with a furious dragon missing one scale, and no plan to kill said dragon?"
"Why is Smaug so angry?" Kíli frowned at Bilbo. "What did you do?"
The hobbit shuddered.
Bilbo slipped around the corner, the ring circling his finger ensuring his invisibility and building his confidence as far as it could be built as he crept into the lair of the dragon.
At least he assumed it was the lair of the dragon, because he had never seen so much gold and so many precious gems in his whole life. Now that he was there, Bilbo was not completely sure what to do.
He could not see Smaug and wondered somewhat hopefully if the beast was not at home. Then again, the hobbit supposed that Lake-Town at least would have noticed had an enormous dragon left the Lonely Mountain, so the chances were that Smaug was somewhere in the cavern with him.
Well, that was a pleasant thought.
Perhaps, Bilbo pondered, I could take something small and prove to the dwarves that the gold's still here? Oh, what good would that do? It's obvious that the gold is still here, where else could it be?
Nevertheless, Bilbo crept closer to the gold pile, and a pretty little thing caught his eye about halfway up the mountain of gold. A smile spread across the hobbit's invisible cheeks and he started to climb carefully, mindful of the tinkling of gold that accompanied his every move.
Finally he reached the large pillar protruding from the middle of the gold pile and edged his way across, finally grasping his prize in his hands. Bilbo ran his fingers over the golden bow, tracing the smooth grooves with careful fingers and testing it gently. As he had expected it was nothing more than a decorative weapon, but it was incredibly beautiful and elegant in an almost simplistic manner unlike many of the gaudier items around him.
Kíli would love it.
With a slight start, Bilbo realised that he had completely forgotten his own birthday while on the road, and he smiled happily at the thought that he could give his son such a splendid gift to celebrate, even if it was a little late. It was unlike Kíli to forget the hobbit's birthday, but Bilbo quickly noted that Kíli was wont to forget what day of the week it was if no one told him so he was not surprised.
A sudden cold feeling swept over Bilbo and he frowned. With all this splendour around him, Thorin and Fíli had so much more to offer Kíli than the hobbit did. It was unsurprising that the relatively rich Master Baggins felt like a beggar amongst such wealth, and Bilbo began to worry that Kíli would be foolish to follow the comparatively impoverished hobbit back to his hole in the ground.
Pausing, Bilbo chided himself for being such a fool. Kíli was not so enamoured with material possessions that they could sway his mind on a decision such as this.
While the hobbit was distracted with worries of his son, the dragon stretched, slowly leaving his blissfully long and ignorant sleep.
Bilbo halted as the bell-like sound of falling coins met his ears and his eyes slid to the right, where the largest head he had ever seen slowly emerged from the sea of gold. Smaug's eyes were closed as his neck stretched out, fiery red scales armouring his enormous neck, and Bilbo backed away slowly. Glancing over his shoulder only revealed the tail curling around in front of him and he froze, completely stupefied as to what to do.
What can't see you won't hurt you! His father's voice sang in his head and Bilbo had to agree, standing as still as he could and covering his mouth to minimise the sound of his breathing.
The dragon tensed, his nostrils dilating before his eyes opened fully. Fearfully, the hobbit watched the dragon stand, looming around the corner with a soft growl.
"Well, thief, I know you are here…" Smaug's voice was far gentler than Bilbo would have expected. It was unnerving. "I can smell you…I can feel you in my air... in my mountain… So where are you?"
Bilbo backed away from the beast silently, his mind racing as he tried desperately to think of what to do.
"Come now, don't be shy!" Smaug crooned, moving further around the pillar. "Step into the light, little thief!"
Bilbo coughed, steeling his nerves. "I do not think so, oh Smaug the Stupendous? I am no thief."
The dragon paused, puzzling over that, though Bilbo knew the dragon would not be convinced. "Indeed? If you have not come to steal from me, why have you come here?"
Thinking quickly, Bilbo tried to keep the stammer out of his voice. "I came to see if the stories were true…to see if you were really as great and magnificent as the old tales say… I must say I did not believe them when I heard, but truly the stories and songs I have heard fall utterly short of your…enormity, Lord Smaug the…Unassessably Wealthy."
Smaug rose with incredible grace, pulling himself up to what Bilbo desperately hoped was his full height. Even as he trembled with fear, Bilbo noticed a missing scale above the dragon's left breast, and he half grinned at the idea that the beast had a weakness. "Is that so…? Do you think flattery will save your life, thief in the shadows?"
"No, no!" Bilbo assured the dragon in a high pitched voice, before clearing his throat and continuing. "I only thought I might as well be honest! And I assure you I am not here to steal your treasure. My title may be burglar but burglary is not my business."
"Who gave you such a title if you are not a thief?" the dragon sounded mildly interested and Bilbo swallowed.
"He who persuaded me that it would be worth glimpsing your majesty…"
"Who are you, Burglar?" Smaug curled his body round, his face coming dangerously close to Bilbo who ducked around the pillar. "From where do you hail – I do not remember smelling your kind before, though you seem familiar with my name?"
"Me? Oh, I'm nobody really…" Bilbo licked his lips before continuing. Riddles had saved him once, so maybe, just maybe... "I come from under the hill, and under the hill and over the hill my path has led. I am he who flies with eagles and walks unseen in daylight or darkness. I am ring-winner and luck-bearer, and I am the son of a hole-dweller and the father of a prince."
A sickening grin appeared on the dragon's face. "Impressive… your riddles amuse me, Burglar. But you are yet to tell me of your dwarven companions."
"Dwarves?" Bilbo tried to pour confusion into his voice. "No, no, I am no companion of dwarves."
Smaug rumbled. "It is no use lying to me burglar! There are none who know the stench or taste of dwarves better than I! They send you in here for whatever purpose they saw fit, while they linger outside like the snivelling filth they are…"
"Well, that's a bit rude." Bilbo retorted automatically, before squeezing his eyes shut and cursing himself for allowing Kíli's love for comebacks to rub off on him over two decades.
"Rude?" Smaug thundered. "You come to my mountain to steal my treasure and you call me rude?"
Trembling, Bilbo kept his eyes shut, certain that Smaug would send flames around the pillar and incinerate him on the stop. It was obvious that the dragon knew where his voice was coming from.
Why, oh why did you open your mouth in the first place, you fool! Bilbo scolded himself, miserably wondering if Kíli would ever find his charred bones or if he would be nothing more than a pile of ashes on the floor…
"Well, you are certainly a curiosity, Burglar."
Bilbo opened one of his eyes in confusion, watching Smaug circle around the giant hall leisurely. The hobbit was painfully aware that Smaug's eye remained fixed on the pillar he was all but hugging.
"Am I indeed?" he tried not to squeak.
"You are. Tell me, if you are not here for my gold – which I highly doubt – why are you and your dwarves here, then?"
Bilbo opened his mouth and then closed it again, thinking carefully before he answered. "You must have realised that your great success has won you many enemies, Smaug, Chiefest and Greatest of all calamities…They want revenge upon you for the pain you cause them throughout the years."
"Enemies?" the dragon laughed, a cold, bone-chilling sound. "I have no enemies that may pose a threat to me, little Burglar. Girion of Dale is long dead and I have eaten his people like a wolf among sheep – there are no men on this earth capable of threatening me! The dwarves stand even less chance – their greed always has and always will blind them to the ultimate purpose of their puny lives… I will crush my 'enemies', Master Burglar, with the greatest ease and pleasure. And as for revenge… Ha! I would enjoy seeing them try!"
A hypocritical psychopath…Bilbo mused. That's what you are, a hypocritical psychopath…
Aloud, he simply replied. "That's true enough, oh wise one. Ah well, I'll just pop off and tell them that it's fruitless and we'll be on our way!"
"Not so fast!" Smaug snapped, turning to face the hobbit with startling speed. "You claim to have come with no desire to rob me, yet you hold a piece of my treasure in your hands!"
Bilbo looked down and realised that the golden bow was still clenched between his fingers.
How does he know that? The hobbit thought with horror. Can he see it? Can he see me? Can he really miss so small a thing so easily?
"I only meant to look!" Bilbo said quickly, throwing the bow back to the pile.
That was his mistake.
"Ah, there you are!" Smaug crooned, and Bilbo barely had time to duck out of the way before a barrage of flames escaped the dragon's mouth to scorch the stone he had just been standing on. Then the dragon grabbed at the pillar, causing the entire mountain to shake before he roared out. "Are you dead yet, Burglar?"
Bilbo ran faster than he had ever run in his life, cursing his stupidity once again. The dragon had not known he held treasure in his hands – he had made a lucky guess and Bilbo had been stupid enough to give his position away. The hobbit was well aware that his every step sent gold flying away; indicating his position and direction to his pursuer, but of the options fight or flight, flight certainly seemed the wiser option.
Suddenly Bilbo's foot caught on an upturned goblet and he slid down the pile of gold with his hands outstretched before him. To his horror – and utter confusion – the ring fell off his finger, bouncing down before him.
How on earth did that happen? Bilbo thought. How can a ring get bigger while it's still on your finger?
"There you are!" Smaug jeered with dark joy and Bilbo scrambled to his feet, grabbing the ring in a fistful of coins as he did so, before sprinting towards the nearest stairs. He could hear Smaug preparing to breathe fire behind him, and he forced his legs to fly faster beneath him, jamming the ring back onto his finger.
The cool metal remained loose around his finger but he disappeared nevertheless and fled to the stairs, causing the dragon to roar in annoyance.
Bilbo ran up the stairs, two or three at a time until he was all but scrambling up, before fleeing along the high walkway towards the tunnel.
Several times Smaug roared in annoyance at the invisibility or the intruder, and several times Bilbo ducked from flames, but the last time when he threw his arms over his head the ring slipped off again, falling between his feet. Sheltered from the dragon's eye by a rock pillar, Bilbo stayed very still until he heard Smaug move on, and when he did he stooped down and shoved the ring into his pocket. He would ponder on this new mystery later…
Peering around to check that the coast was clear, Bilbo tore away and ran again, and moments later he collided with a particular dwarf king…
"I talked to him…" Bilbo coughed. "And he got a little bit angry when I didn't die."
Kíli restrained himself from narrowing his eyes at the hobbit, but he could not stop the shudder that run down his spine at the idea of anyone killing his father.
Nori cleared his throat and Kíli looked to him, a little confused to see a little smirk growing on the thief's face. Nori had been fuming since Thorin admitted there had been no plan to kill Smaug and Kíli had wondered momentarily if the dwarf would actually punch Thorin or Dwalin. It certainly had looked like it, but now Nori looked thoughtful and almost sheepish – a combination that looked downright dangerous given who was wearing it.
"Thorin? I think I have a plan."
Thorin frowned at Nori, who signed something quickly in Iglishmêk. Kíli pouted, aware that he and Bilbo were the only ones who did not speak the dwarven sign language and so were obviously excluded from knowledge of this plan, and he would have protested were it not for the horrified look on Fíli's face.
"No!" his brother spat. "Absolutely not, no!"
"Let me finish!" Nori snapped, making another series of gestures.
Kíli studied Thorin's face carefully, watching faithless determination merge into disgust and then to curiosity, and then finally to guarded confidence. By the time Nori had finished, Dwalin and Thorin bore identical expressions of bitter hope, as if they had been told that they could have a brilliant prize – if they murdered a puppy. Ori's eyes were wide but he nodded slowly, his jaw setting in confidence. Fíli just looked sick.
The youngest dwarf coughed loudly. "So…is it a good plan?"
Thorin closed his eyes. "It could potentially get us all out of here alive…"
"But…" Fíli growled.
"It puts one member of the company at an incomprehensible risk." Thorin finished with a heavy sigh.
"It might be the only way." Nori argued, though his conviction was weakened by the sympathy in his voice.
"Who?" Kíli asked carefully.
Everyone looked at him, and the sorrowful stares he received from Nori, Ori and Dwalin along with the heartbreak in the eyes of Thorin and Fíli said it all.
Kíli's eyes widened. Me?
"Oh…"
Duh duh duuuuhhhh! I actually quite like this chapter – Smaug was horrible to write at first and then I got into it an quite enjoyed it. I hope I made it clear but just to clarify Bilbo did not tell them what happened in his flashback, he quite literally just said what he said.
I hope I made it believable, next chapter we should discover where the rest of the company are and what Nori's grand plan is.
Thanks for reading, leave a review if you fancy, I do love them so :)
