Author's Note: Hello everyone! I apologize for not updating last week and being late this week, there's no excuse I just needed a mental health day/week lol. Thank you everyone for your patience, I will try and update weekly (though there's no set date on what day I would be updating specifically). As always I appreciate all the love, reviews, favorites, and follows!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit, all rights belong to Tolkien (book references) and Peter Jackson (movie references). Any grammatical errors or mistakes you find I hope you can forgive me. Happy reading everyone!
Sophitia was running, it seemed like that's all she ever did was run, relying solely on adrenaline as from behind her she could hear the moans and growls that were slowly catching up to her. Snapping jaws and the stench of rotting flesh reached her senses no matter which direction she went to try and lose her pursuers…no matter where she tried to rest, Sophitia could not escape her personal hell. It was the constant factor in her life.
"Must be nice…" A voice inside her head spoke up. "you were able to escape this reality…"
'What…' Sophitia thought as she turned to duck behind one of the buildings for cover, peaking out just enough to see a small group of the undead hobbling past where she was hiding.
"Why is it…that you were able to live."
"While we had no choice, but to die!"
'Stop…' Sophitia shook her head from such thoughts as tears started to prick at the corner of her eyes. 'please…'
"You wanted to die!"
"You should've joined us!"
A body came colliding with Sophitia's, the two of them tumbling to the ground as Sophitia tried to get the upper hand by flipping their bodies, but failed as the thing above her kept her body pinned. As Sophitia held the body up by its shoulders, the thing snapped its jaws just inches from her face in a wild attempt to latch its jaws onto her neck.
"Join us, Sophie!"
The body above Sophitia slipped from her hands, its jaws clamping down on her shoulder and tearing flesh from her skin bit by bit. Sophitia bit her tongue as she felt the immense pain spread throughout her body each time the creature ate away. A burning sensation started to spread from her wound and getting hotter to a point where she let out a loud and painful wail after being unable to bear the attack any longer.
"Stop fighting!"
Sophitia, through her pain, peaked through her eyelashes and tears saw that the noise she was making started to alert more of the undead to their location. The weight over her body started to get heavier as more of those ravenous creatures reached their location, joining the 'feast'.
"Why won't you just…die!"
"…please…" Sophitia begged as she closed her eyes to drown out her own screams, to hopefully numb the pain and forget the things that were crowding around her. "…make it stop…"
And just like that, at her simple plea, everything around her had stopped. The pain, the monsters, the blood, and her screams had ceased. Sophitia was left laying in the center of forever, surrounded by blinding white that she had to squint as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the brightness.
"Child…" A voice called out, echoing all around the place. "stand up…nothing can hurt you…here."
Sophitia hesitantly sat up, she looked around for the source of the voice that had called out to her, and when she found no one she sat there in confusion. 'Am I dead…?'
"No." The voice answered Sophitia.
"It all seemed so…real." Sophitia mumbled as she carefully got to her feet. "So, if I'm not dead…then where am I? This can't simply be a dream…"
"Clever girl…" The voice chuckled and in front of Sophitia a dark figure manifested itself before her. There were no visible features, just a shadow like figure, but she could tell it was a man by the sound of its voice and the structure of the shadow's body. "you're body is sleeping, yet your soul wanders."
"The dream sequence was your doing?" Sophitia asked as the shadow figure looked to be shaking his head.
"That was your doing, you who are still haunted by the horrors of your own world. The guilt you've held onto for the past five years." The man said. "I've simply chased those thoughts away."
"So, why am I here?" Sophitia asked curiously. "This is the first time this has ever happened…unless I really am going crazy in my dreams as well…"
"This is no dream child I assure you, and you aren't going crazy." The shadow vibrated while he laughed. "And this isn't the first time you've been here…nor is this the first conversation we've had. Though, I'll give you credit, you've been consistent in asking me the same question every time we meet."
"Really?" Sophitia looked to be in thought as she scratched the back of her head to try and recall seeing this place. "I can't remember."
"That's because I never wanted you to remember." The shadow responded. "At least not yet."
"Why?" Sophitia glared at the shadow. "Why wouldn't you want me to remember our conversation? Or remember this place? This meeting?"
"Because it wasn't time." The shadow said. "And even when you wake you still won't have any recollection of this conversation."
"Then what's the point in talking to me." Sophitia said giving the shadow the blankest stare she could muster.
"There's a point in everything I do." The shadow responded. "You may not remember our past conversations, but your body remembers what I've asked you to do."
"I won't ask because I won't remember." Sophitia said before she turned her back to the shadow. "But…out of curiosity, what do you want now?"
"It has…to do...with…"
"Sophitia, you awake?" Thorin's voice called from the other side of my door as he gave a few knocks.
I hoisted my bag over my shoulders, my weapons that I've bought from my own world and the few weapons I became accustomed to from this world strapped to my body. I looked around my room to make sure that I hadn't forgotten anything before going over to the door and opened it to see Thorin waiting patiently on the other side. "Awake and ready to go when you are."
"Got everything you need?" Thorin asked me as I shut my door behind me.
"Packed all I needed last night." I assured him. "Hope everyone didn't drink too much."
"Are you sure you wish to come with us to the mountain?" Thorin asked as we left my house with the company following close behind.
"Yeah," I nodded my head. "the years I've been in Middle-Earth gave me time to think how I could be of some help to you instead of being a hindrance. My training has led me to this resolve so I've had my mind set on it for a while."
Thorin didn't say anything after as we continued to walk to the main docks that the Master and a majority of the town had gathered to see us off. Early in the morning, before the sun rose, the Master had sent over his 'lackeys' to deliver some packs of provisions, some heavy set armor along with change of clothes for the company to change into. I could tell the Master was just trying to get into Thorin's good graces just so he could get his hands on his promised share of the gold in the mountain.
"You do know we're one short." Bilbo suddenly nudged himself between us as he looked back toward the company that lagged behind. "Where's Bofur?"
"If he's not here, we leave him behind." Thorin said as he, too, turned back to look at his company.
"We'll have to." Balin mumbled. "If we're to find the door before nightfall, we can risk no more delays."
One by one, the company filed into the boat that was prepared for us, and the moment I jumped in I had placed my bag down that would not be in the way of the others as I went about assisting the rest with their bags to help them get settled.
"Not you." I heard Thorin say, and when I looked up I saw that he had stopped Kili from advancing forward as he continued to place bags into the boat. "We must travel at speed. You will slow us down."
Fili stopped beside me, the two of us sharing a look of concern as we continued to listen in on their conversation.
"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you." Kili smiled, thinking his uncle was joking about the matter. Two words, Thorin simply spoke two words to show Kili that he wasn't joking about not taking Kili along. "Not now."
Kili's smile vanished as he looked at his uncle for answers, the fight in his eyes coming forth as he tried to challenge his uncle. "I'm going to be there when that door is opened. When we first look upon the halls of our Fathers, Thorin."
"Kili, stay here. Rest." Thorin said as he stepped closer to his youngest nephew, placing a hand on the side of Kili's head. I could see the hurt in Kili's eyes as the situation began to sink in that he was going to be left behind…being told to stay behind while the rest continued forward. As much as I wanted to disagree with Thorin and insist that Kili has every right to come along, I knew he was right. Kili wasn't getting any better, today he looked even paler than yesterday and the dark circles under his eyes were more prominent. He would only slow us down, and if worse…get himself or others killed trying to help him. "Join us when you're healed."
"I'll stay with the lad." Oin volunteered just as Thorin stepped away from Kili. "My duty lies with the wounded."
"Uncle." Fili finally spoke up to get Thorin's attention. "We grew up on the tales of the mountain. Tales you told us. You cannot take that away from him!"
"Fili-" Kili tried to intervene in his brother's speech.
"I will carry him if I must!" Fili tried to argue, speak up for his little brother.
"One day you will be King and you will understand. I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf. Not even my own kin." Thorin responded with a shake of his head.
"You need rest." Oin was trying to argue with Kili who only shook his head at Oin, denying that he wasn't going anywhere until he saw his friends and family off.
What surprised me the most was when Fili turned to me, blocking my view as his light blue eyes stared down at me, not a smile on his face as he whispered under his breath for me to hear. "Watch over our uncle."
Before I could even ask him to reiterate, he turned away from me and started to leave the boat.
"Fili," Thorin held his hand out to stop his eldest nephew from leaving. "don't be a fool, you belong with the company."
"I belong with my brother." Fili responded, taking one last glance my way as I could simply nod before he shook off his uncle's hand and went over to where Kili was seated.
Before Thorin could say anything else to try and convince his nephew otherwise the sound of an out of tune band started to play as from the top of a platform the Master showed his face to the waiting crowd as those around started to cheer and applaud at his appearance.
"Go now with our goodwill and good wishes." The Master started his little speech. "And may your return bring good fortune to all!"
I sat at the front as the company started to row the boat down the canal, people of the town gathered on either side waved as we passed and I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt settle in my chest. The thought that I had nothing to do with this quest or this mountain, and yet I was off to see it first compared to the rightful heirs of the mountain that were being left behind. And as the boat kept going, I couldn't help but feel like I was forgetting something important. Most of the time I could simply brush it off, but not this time…this time I felt like I was truly forgetting something that I was told to do, and it was bothering the absolute hell out of me.
'There's something I need you to do…'
'Ugh…my head…' I reached up and placed my hand on my forehead as I squinted at the sudden pain, but as quickly as it came it had vanished. 'that voice…I've heard it before…'
'I brought you here-do something-' Do what? 'return the favor-' What?
"Are you okay?" Thorin asked from beside me, standing tall as he guided the company that was rowing.
"I'm fine…" I responded as I looked up to Thorin with a smile. "just a small headache. For some reason…I feel like I'm forgetting something."
"We can't go back Sophie, I'm sorry." Thorin apologized and I could only shake my head.
"It's not something physical that I've forgotten, like…a lost memory." I sighed. "And when I try to remember, I forget the reason why I'm trying. So I just give up…but it bothers me sometimes that I can't remember."
"Has this been happening often?" Thorin asked.
"It's happened a few times in the time I've been to Middle-Earth, but it's slowly gotten worse in the past couple years." I honestly said to Thorin.
"The next we meet with Gandalf, we can ask if he has a reason for your predicament." Thorin said.
"Is he supposed to meet us at the mountain?" I asked curiously. "Whatever happened to Gandalf?"
"He left us just before we entered Mirkwood. Gandalf said he would meet us at the overlook, just before the slopes of Erebor." Thorin informed me before he went silent, staring off into the distance where I knew the mountain would be.
I turned my neck side to side to work out the kinks in hopes to relieve the pain in my head before I resorted to leaning back against the edge of the boat. I stared up at the orange tinted sky just as the sun was beginning to show over the mountains, staring at the lone bird that hovered above our boat just before taking off.
"Have you been to this side before?" Bilbo asked me as we started our trek up the cliff side of the mountain.
"I haven't been to this side per se, but I had to go further than this before." I said to Bilbo as I wiped my brow from the light sweat that threatened to trickle down into my eyes. "Someone had asked me to take something to the Iron Hills, and I started doing some business there with some of the dwarves."
"You've been to the Iron Hills?" Dwalin asked as he came to walk beside me. "Have you met Dain?"
"I met him once," I shrugged my shoulders. "there was a dwarf who needed me to deliver something to the Dwarf Lord. I also learned a few things from the dwarves of the Iron Hills."
"What kind of things?" Bilbo asked curiously.
"Explosives." I smiled with pride. "I was able to take what I learned, along with the knowledge from my world, and make pocket sized explosives that pack a big punch. Very convenient for distractions. Oh! I was even able to make smoke bombs!"
"Smoke bombs?" Balin asked.
"Very complicated, and limited." I sighed. "Along with a few mishaps here and there. It took some trials and errors, along with some minor injuries until I got the concoction right."
"Have you used your weapons?" Bilbo asked as I shook my head.
"Elrond had advised me to refrain from using them considering no one in this world has such weapons." I shrugged my shoulders. "So, I've had to adapt to using your world weapons and vowed to only use it for emergencies only…hence why I bought them with me." I looked toward the front and let out a puff of air to blow out a few silver strands of my hair that fell out of my tie. "So, any idea where or what this secret door would look like?"
"No idea…" Bilbo answered as he surveyed the vast land that lay before us, though I'm sure the other's had the same thought in mind as we continued forward. "It's so quiet…"
"It wasn't always like this. Once," Balin commented as he took a deep breath, standing beside us as we looked on toward the barren wasteland, pointing in the direction that Bilbo had stared off to. "these slopes were lined with woodlands. The trees…were filled with birdsong."
"Relax Master Baggins." Thorin said as he joined our group. "We have food, we have tools, and we're making good time."
Thorin sounded winded as he used his sword as a sort of walking stick before he suddenly picked up pace and started running forward. Skipping and jumping over a rock as he stared out to what looked like the ruins of a city in the distance.
"What's that?" I asked as I ran forward to catch up with the rest of the company, grabbing Bilbo's arm in the process as I started to tug him to follow. "Come on Bilbo!"
"Hold on!" Bilbo gasped as we came to a complete halt the moment I dragged him to stand with us on the cliff. "Just… give me a second and let me catch my breath."
"What is this place?" I asked as I looked at the city in awe.
"It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin." Balin answered. "The desolation of Smaug."
"The sun will soon reach midday." Thorin said as he turned to look at the sky, toward the sun that was beginning to rise. "We must find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets." Thorin moved around Bilbo and myself as his eyes found a path that was leading down. "This way."
"Wait!" Bilbo called out to Thorin just as I was about to follow. "Is this the overlook? Gandalf said to meet him here. On no account were we to-"
"Do you see him?" Thorin asked Bilbo. "We have no time to wait upon the wizard. We're on our own." Thorin took another glance toward the mountain before he turned back to the path he found, reaching out and placing his hand onto the middle of my back as he started to lead me away. "Come!"
From the outlook, walking past the ruins of Dale and making our way to the mountain the sun had now made its way to the middle of the sky, the intense heat was glaring down upon our group as we continued to search closer to the mountain. With no idea what exactly we were looking for, we were just at a loss. We could've walked past it and not even realize we did! I know it's meant to be a secret entrance, but why did it have to be so difficult to find.
"Anything!" Thorin yelled up to Dwalin at the very top who was standing closest to the mountain. Thorin plunged his sword into the ground just as I pulled the hood of my tunic further over my head to block out the sun as I looked around for anything that may look out of place. 'What I wouldn't do for some sunglasses…'
"Nothing!" Dwalin responded.
"If the map is true…" Thorin said as he pulled out this map that seemed worse for wear. It looked to have been folded constantly, been through the harsh elements of nature, but yet surprisingly it was still readable as I saw scribblings of what looked to be dwarvish writing (I've seen my fair share while visiting some dwarfish settlements) and a reddish brown 'x' just at the top of the mountain. "then the hidden door lies directly above us."
"Up here!" Bilbo's voice called down to us which caused every single dwarf in the company to race to where Bilbo was to see what he had found.
I was the first to reach Bilbo, not being weighed down by my belongings…or possibly I just got so used to such weight that it seemed easy for me to run with it, and right there…carved into the statue of a dwarf in the mountain were what looked to be stairs. 'No kidding it was right above us…' I looked up in wonder at the flight of stairs that we would need to climb to reach the top.
"You have keen eyes, Master Baggins." Thorin complimented with a smile as he patted the hobbit on the shoulders. "Let's go else we lose our chance."
In my world, I never loved stairs. Stairs was my mortal enemy, and these were some pretty steep stairs. But then again…my endurance now is so much better than what it was like in my world, so I was a bit hopeful that I could make this climb without difficulties.
"Will you be okay?" Thorin asked me with concern as we stood at the very first climb.
"I won't hold you back." I assured Thorin as I jumped up, grabbing onto the first ledge before hoisting myself up. "Though I don't think I can assist in pulling your weight up to this ledge. You're too heavy."
"Don't worry about me." Thorin said with a smug smirk as he copied my movements, joining me on the first step. "Continue up, we'll be right behind. I'll catch you if you fall."
"If I fall and you don't catch me, I'm coming back to haunt you." I lightly threatened as I continued upward without hearing his reply.
The incline was difficult, continuously having to pull myself up onto each ledge without looking back…curse my short stature. It was difficult, I was sweating, but I urged myself to keep pushing forward without looking back. I will say that Thorin wasn't lying when he said he would catch me. At one point my foot had slipped when my knees had buckled under the immense strain I was putting on my body and I couldn't catch myself. Thorin caught me as I fell with one arm under my legs and the other was supporting my back…I was completely embarrassed at the situation I had gotten myself into. I thanked him and quickly squirmed my way out before climbing back onto the step I was previously on.
On the way up I was able to have some time to think things through and reflect upon without the constant yelling that came from the company. You see somethings been weighing heavily on my mind. I've had years to think about what I wanted to tell Thorin if he was alive, if I ever got the opportunity to meet him again. And when I finally saw him floating in those barrels, speaking to the company, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me..but when I finally confirmed for myself that he was real I wanted to tell him how much I thought about him. How thankful I was to him for giving me this opportunity of a better life, and how much I really truly missed him and his grumpy attitude, his blue eyes, and his comforting hugs.
But when I found out only a month had passed since he had last seen me, all those scenarios I played in my head went out the window.
How could I confess such things that I had years to come to terms with, when it's only been a month at the most for him? He didn't have the time I was given to to think a lot about me like I had for him. Not to mention the way my heart beat wildly against my chest at having seen him after so long, how his simple teasing could rile me up so easily, how his laughter stirred such strange feelings I'd tried hard to bury, and how happy I was to hug him in that very moment. Why, he'd think I was absolutely insane! But maybe…one day after being around him for so long, when a few years have passed I could tell him everything.
But…I'm rambling. I suppose that's one thing that hasn't changed with me. The comfort 'talking' to myself always brought. It easily helped me keep my mind off the tough trail I was on, and to me it made time move quicker.
'The last step…' I thought with a triumphant smile as I stepped onto the rock platform, moving over to the side and plopped down onto the ground to rest my aching legs. 'I'm going to feel all this tomorrow…'
"This must be it." Thorin said as he went over to stand in front of the rock wall as soon as he reached the platform I was on. Thorin looked up and all around to see if he could see any distinguishing marks that would indicate that a door even existed. "The hidden door." Thorin whispered before turning back to address all of us, a smile on his face as he spoke out strong and firm. He reached for the key that was around his kneck and held it out for us to see. "Let all those who doubted us…rue this day!"
The dwarves present erupted into cheers of excitement and agreement as one by one each dropped their bags as they joined up on the platform and away from the steps. Some even took the opportunity to rest and catch their breath. I had decided to stay out of the way and on the sidelines, just watching with a smile as they started to approach where they assumed the door would show itself.
"Right, then. We have a key." I heard Dwalin say as he stepped up to the rock wall, giving certain spots a feel to see if anything would give away. "Which means that somewhere…there is a keyhole."
"The last light of Durin's Day…" Thorin recited as he turned to look at the setting sun. "will shine upon the keyhole."
I turned my head to look at the setting sun as well, watching as it slowly started its descent behind the mountains across the lake, and as the light was slowly starting to fade…I felt the air grow tense as the longer they failed to find the keyhole the more desperate the dwarves were beginning to get. I especially felt it radiating off Thorin: desperation, anxiety, impatience, anger and frustration at the prospect of having traveled so far with nothing to show for it. "Nori."
Nori stepped forward, holding what looked to be a silver bowl up to the wall and tapping the rock wall with a silver spoon? Nori seemed to be trying to find any hollow spots in the wall. I guess that acted as this world's version of a stethoscope? Interesting…
"We're losing the light. Come on." Thorin urged as Dwalin then resorted to straight out kicking the rock wall.
"Be quiet!" Nori yelled to Dwalin. "I can't hear when you're thumping."
"I can't find it. It's not here!" Dwalin muttered, and for the first time I heard pure desperation in his voice and his actions started to mirror what he was feeling as he went about punching the wall. When the most stoic and hardened person I've ever met shows that kind of emotions…that gave me a cause for concern. "It's. Not. Here!" Each word was emphasized with a punch or a kick.
"Break it down!" Thorin's voice boomed causing my whole body to jolt in surprise at the sudden noise as Gloin, Dwalin, and Bifur took up their axes and started to smash it against the rock wall. "Come on!"
'Those won't hold out for long…' I thought sadly as I saw little by little the metal on the axes start to chip away on contact.
"Wh-what about your explosives?" Bilbo whispered to me and I could only shake my head.
"We wouldn't make it to a safe distance in time, and if we do put enough distance between us and my explosives…and it doesn't work." I stood up slowly and looked sadly back in the direction of the sun. "Thorin wouldn't make it back here in time to try again…"
"It's no good. The door's sealed." Balin yelled above the smashing of metal. "Can't be opened by force. There's a powerful magic on it."
The sun had dipped behind the mountain, no light shining upon the stone wall, and in the sky only remnants of the rays of the sun were left behind. The last light had passed…soon, the stars will show and the moon will rise to usher in the new season.
"No!" Thorin growled as he stepped forward, taking out the map from his coat as he looked down to reread the passage. "The last light of Durin's Day…will shine upon the keyhole." Thorin's voice cracked at the end and I couldn't help but feel my own heart break at his next words for I had never heard him sound so broken and defeated before. "That is what it says." He sounded so unsure, pleading and looking for answers…I don't know why, but I wanted to cry as he tried to find the reason behind their failure when they had done everything right.
"What did we miss?" Thorin asked, slowly walking up to Balin, searching for some sort of answer he could provide. "What did we miss? Balin?"
"We've lost the light." Balin said sadly with a shake of his head. "There's no more to be done. We had but one chance." Balin looked back toward the dwarves that were standing in front of me who started to turn and walk away with their heads low, the light of hope that was once there had vanished like the sun. "Come away, lads. It's over."
"Wait a minute. Where are they going?" Bilbo looked around as he tried to stop the dwarves as I continued to watch Thorin who stood staring back at where the secret door would've been as Bilbo raised his voice, pleading with the dwarves to stay. "You can't give up now!"
Thorin turned away and from his hands, through his fingers the key he was holding had dropped, the key that carried what I could only describe held the hopes and dreams Thorin had on reclaiming his home for his people.
"Thorin." Bilbo called to the dwarf, almost pleading with him to rethink what he was doing…only for Thorin to shove the map into Bilbo's chest as he walked away. "You can't give up now…"
When Thorin walked past me I instinctively reached out to grab his wrist to try and prevent him from leaving.
"This can't be the end…" I pleaded with Thorin. "you've come all this way, don't give up just yet. Where there's a will there's a way." I moved closer to Thorin, trying to move into his line of sight and urging him to look at me. "There…has to be another way in…right?
"Balin's right, we've lost the light. We were too late." Thorin gave a long sigh before he placed his hand over my own, giving it a squeeze as blank eyes stared back at me. "Come along, Sophie."
Thorin continued to walk forward, my hands falling to my side as he moved away and I watched as his body disappeared down the path. From above I watched sadly as the rest of the company started descending back down the built in staircase.
"Sophie…we can't give up now." Bilbo's pleading voice caught my attention, and when I looked back I saw his eyes begging me not to go. "Please, help me look."
"No, we can't give up…" I said firmly, looking back over the cliff and back to Bilbo with a sad smile. "let's see if the two of us can work this out."
"Thank you…" Bilbo smiled, and together the two of us started to look for some sort of answer, or maybe a clue we had missed. I really hoped we could find something, I just couldn't get Thorin's defeated expression out of my head. I wanted to bring the light back to his eyes.
While Bilbo kept mumbling to himself, I was running my hands along every inch of the wall that I could reach in an attempt to see if we missed a small crack in the wall, or a panel that maybe we had to push to reveal the keyhole like I'd seen in movies.
"Stand by the grey stone…when the thrush knocks." Bilbo recited. "The setting sun. And the last light of Durin's Day will shine…" Bilbo started to pace. "The last light…last light"
"What does a thrush have to do with this wall?" I asked Bilbo as I moved closer to the stone, my ears pressed against it in hopes of hearing something or feeling pockets of air that could escape from the cracks of a door. Was I supposed to hear something? I feel foolish. "A thrush is a bird isn't it? How does a thrush knock? Is it going to bash its beak against the rock?"
Suddenly, a light tapping sound caught my ears, but it wasn't coming from the other side of the rock wall. Very slowly I turned to my left and saw a little thrush banging what looked to be a small rock against the rock wall beside me. 'Or…it could do that…'
"The last light!" Bilbo gasped as I turned back to look at what Bilbo was seeing, only for Bilbo to be pointing back at me. "Step away! Come look!"
I did as Bilbo told me to do and I saw that the moon was casting its light on the rock wall. Magic was still something I was trying to get used to, so I watched with wide eyes as the light from the moon concentrated upon one area I swore I had looked before. And there…where the light hit, was a hole that would perfectly fit the key Thorin was holding.
"The map wasn't talking about the sun…" I whispered to Bilbo as we stared on in shock. "it was talking about the light from the moon!"
"The keyhole!" Bilbo exclaimed as he went to yell over the edge of the cliff. "Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon! The last moon of Autumn!"
Bilbo let out a relieved laugh as I could only smile, trying and failing to keep my excitement in as I threw my arms around Bilbo and gave him the biggest hug, before I came to a realization and immediately pushed him away. Holding his shoulders as Bilbo stared at me in confusion. "Bilbo, where's the key!"
"The k-?" Bilbo then started to panic as he looked around, with the darkness of the night it was hard to decipher what was rock and what was the key.
"If we can't find the key and the moon vanishes, we'd truly have failed!" I started to panic as well as Bilbo and I searched frantically for the missing key.
"Where's the key? Where's the-" Bilbo stuttered. "It was…here."
"Could it have fallen over?" I asked as I stepped close to the edge and looked down, immediately regretting my decision as the area I was standing gave away at the light pressure I applied with my foot. In fear I backtracked to safer grounds and went over to Bilbo to help him search his area. "Should I race back down and look for it?"
"No, no it's-it's here!" Bilbo stuttered and when I looked back to him, he was turning in circles as he searched for where the key could be. "Come on, it was-it was here."
"Bilbo, wait!" I tried to warn the frantic hobbit, having caught the slight shimmer when the moonlight hit the ground, just beside his foot was the key. But I was too late, Bilbo had accidentally kicked the key in his panicked state, the key skidding away and close to falling off the platform. "The key!"
I ran over and skidded across the ground, catching the string just between my fingers before it could completely go over. I was shocked, my heart was racing a mile a minute at the thought that the key was going to be lost.
"I got it…I got it!" I said with a nervous laugh as I looked up and back at Bilbo who wasn't looking at me, but what was past me. I followed his gaze, and standing right by the pathway that led down was Thorin. I assume he had returned, along with the company, at the sudden commotion that we were making. I couldn't help but smile. "Bilbo found the keyhole!"
With the key in hand, I reached out to hand it over to the person who truly deserved to open the door. Thorin smiled as he reached out to grab the key before I heard a sudden crack just as Thorin's finger touched my hand.
"Huh…?" I was drawing a blank as I felt the floor beneath me crumble. I hadn't realized that in my burst of adrenaline I had landed hard on the one area that had given away at the slightest pressure I had put on it not too long ago.
I realized too late...I was about to fall over the edge of the platform.
Was this how I was going to die? Before the danger and adventure even began! There was so much I still wanted to do! I wanted to apologize to Bard face to face, I wanted to get to know the company more! There was…so much more I wanted to say to Thorin!
"The events…are now being set in motion, and I need you to do something for me."
There's something fishy afoot! Who's this mysterious shadow figure that appears in Sophitia's dream I wonder. What is she forgetting? *sips hot coffee* Only time will tell, there is a reason for everything I write lol.
If you are enjoying my story then leave a nice little review, favorite or follow to let me know, but you don't have to if you don't want to. Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and washing your hands! Sending lots of love wherever you may be in the world! Mahalo!
-SO