Chapter 37
We all would be killed if we stayed where we were. Bilbo spoke quickly.
"Quick! Quick!" he gasped. "The door! The tunnel! It is no good here!"
As we were about to flee into the tunnel Bifur gave a cry.
"My cousins! Bombur and Bofur! We have forgotten them, they are still down in the valley!" Bifur said.
"They will be slain, and all our ponies too, and all our stores lost!" moaned the others. "We can do nothing!"
"Nonsense!" said Thorin reclaiming his dignity. "We cannot leave them! Get inside Mr. Baggins and Balin, and Fili and Kili and you Gilraen! The dragon shall not have all of us! Now you others where are the ropes? Be quick!"
I refused to hid in the tunnel whilst my friends were in danger. I snatched up some rope and helped the other to get up Bofur and Bombur. As we were hauling up some tools and supplies the danger came. A whirring noise. A red light touched the points of standing rocks. The dragon came. My eyes grew wide as the sight of the golden-red dragon. A magnificent and terrible beast. Bofur's words came to me,
"Think furnace with wings! Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You are nothing more then a pile of ash!"
We barely had time to fly back into the tunnel, pulling and dragging our bundles, when Smaug came hurtling at us from the North, licking the mountain-sides with flames, beating his great wings with a noise like a roaring wind. His hot breath shriveled the grass before the door, and drove in through the crack we had left and scorched us as we lay hid. Flickering fires leaped up and black rock-shadows danced. To say I was scared did not cover it! I held onto Thorin's hand tightly and hid my face in his shoulder. Then finally the dragon passed and darkness fell. I heard the ponies scream with terror and I heard them gallop away, my horse with them.
"That shall be the end of the poor beasts!" said Thorin. "Nothing can escaper Smaug once he has seen it. Here we are and here we shall have to stay, unless any one fancies tramping the long open miles back to the river with Smaug on the watch!"
It was not a pleasant thought! I sat shaking in Thorin's arms. The screams of terror from the people of Dale filled my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Gilraen all is well! We are safe." Thorin said.
"I can hear them. The people! Their screams of terror as they try to flee."
Thorin said something but I could not hear him. I tried to calm myself and took deep breaths. Finally the screams passed. I ceased my trembling and shaking and looked up at Thorin. I could only just see his face. His eyes were full of concern. I gave him a small smile and then we crept down further into the tunnel. Here way lay hiding until dawn came pale through the crack of the door. Throughout the night we would hear Smaug's raging roar.
Later I only just heard him creep back into his lair. The dwarves and Bilbo were whispering and I stopped them.
"Hush! I heard him! He has gone back to his lair I am sure of it." I said.
Now we all had to figure out how it was we would escape, alive and not a pile of ash.