"Ella! Fili!" Thorin shouted. "Let's go!"

Ella and Fili climbed out from under the pile of gold. Golden coins had managed to get into their clothes and Ella had to pull a couple out of her corset. Fili grabbed her hand and guided her to the others as she removed the coins.

"Looking good Bilbo." Fili said to the burglar. "Could hardly recognize you without you old jacket."

"Oh my God!" Ella said excited. "Mithril! I never thought that I would see it with my own eyes! This is awesome! Can I touch it?! It's even prettier then in the movies! So this is how you got it! You look so-"

"Lass, be quiet for the love of Mahal." Bofur whined which caused George to giggle. "You will make our ears bleed before we even reach the second pair of stairs.

"Stairs? What are you…" Ella mouth dropped as she looked up the many stairs in front of her. "OH HELL NO! You want me to walk up there?! All the way?! You have got to be joking me."

"Nope." Bofur said. "Ladies first."

"Screw you." Ella said and started climbing but it didn't take long for the other to pass her.

Up and up they went and it felt like there wasn't coming an end to the stairs. George had given up after four pair of stairs and Bilbo wasn't far behind. The steps were not made for people with short legs like them.

XxX

"Hallelujah!" Ella panted as they stopped climbing. "I though that it would never end!"

"This is the great chamber of Thror." Thorin said. "The hall of feasting and council. We are not far from the Front Gate now."

As they entered, Ella's heart dropped. The room was burned, tables were rotten, benches and tabled were turned upside down and broken. Skulls and bones were on the floor together with bowls, mugs and dust.

Thorin walked through and down another hall.

How is it possible that he can find his way though this maze?

A grey light started to get brighter and the sound of water filled their ears. When Ella could see the river she was all but eager to jump in but was held back by Fili who gave her an amused look.

"Lets follow it." Thorin ordered and they were walking again.

It didn't take long for them to find the Front Gate. Everybody dropped their torches as the morning sun shined on their faces.

"Well," Bilbo said breaking the silence. "I never expected to look out of this door. I have never been so please to see the sun again and to feel the wind on my face again. But, ow! The wind is freezing!"

"No shit Sherlock." Ella mumbled but was quickly shut up by a kick from George.

The dwarves didn't care and just stood there until Ella could see George shiver.

"Maybe we should have some breakfast." She said as she picked George up. "We haven't had anything in a while."

"I would love too." Bilbo said. "But not at the Front Gate. I don't think that Smaug's front doorstep is the safest place for a meal. Maybe we should find somewhere else where we can sit quiet for a bit."

"Quite right." Balin said. "And I think I know which way we should go: we ought to make a look-out post at the South-West corner or the Mountain."

"How far is that?" Ella asked, she was getting really hungry.

"Five hours march, I should think." George and Ella let out an annoyed groan but Balin continued. "It will be rough going. The road from the Gate along the left edge of the stream seems all broke up. But if you look down there the river loops suddenly east across Dale in front of the ruined town. At that point there was once a bridge, leading to steep stairs that climbed up towards Ravenhill. There was a path that left the road and climbed up the post. A hard climb though, still will be even with those old steps."

"You have got to be fucking joking me?" Ella complained.

"Oh dear." Bilbo said. "I don't know if we will survive more climbing without breakfast!"

"I am not climbing anymore stairs!" She said. "I am starving and when was even the last time we ate?! And how may stairs can somebody put in a worthless piece stone like this mountain?!"

"Do not call my palace a worthless piece of stone." Thorin said a bit strict but when he rattled with the gems in his pocket his look seemed to soften. "Wait until it has been repaired and redecorated."

"But that wont be until Smaug is dead." Bilbo said. "I the meanwhile where is he? I would give a good breakfast to know. I hope he is not up on the mountain looking down on us."

"Way to calm my nerves Bilbo." Ella said a bit worried but sarcastic. "Keep going like this and I might die of a heart attack!"

"We should move away from here." Dori said. "I feel as if the dragon's eyes are on the back of my head."

"Not helping either Dori."

"Calm down lass." Balin said. "Let's just follow the path, alright?"

XxX

Ella and George dropped to the floor when Thorin said that they could have a rest. They had found water and they still had something called cram in their backpacks. If there was one thing the siblings didn't like to eat then it would be cram. The bread was more like a chewing exercise for them then breakfasts. But better something then nothing.

After they had eaten they left again with much whining coming from George.

It was at the end of the afternoon that they finally reached where they should be.

"Here in the old days we used to keep the watchmen," Balin said. "And that door behind leads into a rock-hewn chamber that was made here as a guardroom. We have several places like this around the mountain but they never seemed of any use in the time of our prosperity. The guards might have grown to comfortable, if it wasn't so we maybe would have had a change to spot the dragon before it attacked. But we can still shelter and hide here for a while and we can see much without being seen."

"Not much use if we have been seen coming here." Dori said as he kept looking up to the top of the mountain as if Smaug could turn up any moment.

"We must take our chances of that." Thorin said. "We will go no further today."

"Oh thank the Lord!" Ella said dramatic and fell to the floor. "I can't feel my legs anymore!"

They placed their bags in the small room before going to sleep or discussing their plan. Ella on the other hand was too tired to sleep and she was hungry. How she would have died for a bag of M&M's or pop tarts or a box with cupcakes. Something told Ella that she needed to eat and she grabbed a piece of cram since they didn't have anything else.

"I thought you didn't like it." Bofur said as he saw Ella take another bite and sat next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm… Just feel the urge to eat something, you know." Ella said with her mouthful. "I can't feel my body, everything hurts and it only goes away when I eat. You know what I would die for right now?"

"What?" He asked with a grin.

"Peanut butter jelly sandwich with a mug of chocolate milk and Jellybeans on the side!"

"You're acting all dramatic again." He smiled to Ella. "Maybe you should get some sleep."

"But I'm too tired." She whined.

"You sound like George." Bofur said. "Now off to bed."

"But what about my food?"

"Bed."

"Alright, alright." Ella said waving her hands in the air and got up. "You don't have to tell me twice." She picked George up and left for bed.

XxX

Ella awoke to a sound of a bird singing. She rubbed her head and sat up. It didn't take too long for the bird to fly over to her and started to pull her hair

"Ow!" Ella shouted as the thrush dragged her to the dwarves and hobbit. "Let me go, you stupid bird!"

Balin was telling something about Ravenhill and about a raven called Carc and his wife when Ella came to a halt. She didn't have much time to listen to him as she tried to untangle the bird from her hair. Once it was loose it flew away. Ella walked to her bag and grabbed out a comb to fix her hair again.

"O Thorin, son of Thrain and Balin son of Fundin." A voice croaked. "I am Roäc son of Carc." Ella walked back, tying her hair in a ponytail but she froze when she noticed that a raven was talking. In English!

"Carc is dead but he was well known to you once. It is been a hundred and fifty three years since I came out of an egg, but I do not forget what my father told me. Now I am chief of the great ravens of the mountain. We may be few but we still remember the king that was old. Most of my people are abroad, for there are great tidings in the South- some ate tidings of joy to you and some you will not think so good."

Ella's mouth dropped to the floor. She didn't understand what the bird was say but she understood his language. She looked to George who share the same expression and back to the bird.

"Behold! The birds are gathering back again to the Mountain and Dale from South, east and West, for word has gone out that Smaug is dead!"

Dead? Ella gasped as the dwarves cheered. "Dead?! Are you sure?" She asked Roäc.

The thrush flew to her shoulder and bit her in the ear as if punishing her for her stupid question.

"Yes, My Lady." Roäc answered. "The thrush saw him die. He saw the dragon fall in battle with the men of Esgaroth nights back."

Ella looked at the thrush on her shoulder with eyes wide.

"For so much joy, Thorin Oakenshield." The raven continued. "You may go back to your halls in safety; all the treasure is yours- for the moment."

The dwarves and hobbit stood still.

"What do you mean?" George asked panicking a little and pulled Ella closer.

"The news of Smaug's death has already gone far and wide. Many still remember the treasure of Thror and want part of the spoil. Already a host of elves are on the way, and carrion birds are with them hoping for battle and slaughter."

Ella's heart stopped, the pictures of the battlefield started to return in her head. There was still a chance for her to disappear. She looked at her ring.

"No one will touch the gold while we are alive!" Thorin shouted angry. "The gold is ours!"

"Thanks for the warning, Roäc." Ella said and moved closer to pull Thorin back. He looked like he could break the bird's neck. "You will not be forgotten for what you did."

"But if you could bring the news of anything that draws near?" Fili picked up where Ella left off. There was something in Fili's voice that Ella hadn't heard before and it sent a shiver through her spine. She didn't know rather it was a good thing or a bad thing. Fili took a step closer as Ella tried to calm down the king. "If any of you are still young and strong of wing we would ask you to send messengers to our kin in the mountains of the North. Both west and east from here and tell them our plight."

"Especially go to our uncle's cousin Dain in the Iron Hills." Kili added with the same sound in his voice. "He has many people well and dwells near this place. Bid them haste!"

"I do not know if this council is good or bad." Roäc said. "But I will do what can be done."

"Back to the mountain!" Thorin shouted. "We have little time to lose."

"Back to the mountain!" The others cried and left. Fili and Kili bowed before leaving as well.

"My Lady." Roäc said, as Ella was about to leave too. "If you listen to my council then you will not trust the Master of Lake Town but the man who shot the dragon. He is grim but true. Bard is his name."

"The name sounds familiar." Ella said. "I think my little brother mentioned him a couple of times."

"We would see peace once more between dwarves, elves and men after the desolation but it might cost you your dear gold. The people of Lake Town also blame the number of the dead on your company. They too think to find amends from you treasure, whether you are alive or not."

"Thank you for the heads up, Roäc." Ella gave him a small but worried smile. "I'll try to see if I can get Thorin to agree to share a part of the gold."

"They are lucky to have you, Lady Earthling."

She gave the raven a nod before it flew away with the thrush.

Ella pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh as she walked out of the room. "Thorin is going to kill me for even trying to talk to him about the damn treasure." She mumbled to herself as she walked down the first pair of stairs.