Both Bella and Thorin were on their feet once the mountain had officially stopped shaking for the time being. The company all stared into the doorway, into the mountain and an orange glow lit up the tunnel. "Bilbo?" Bella uttered beside Thorin who clearly didn't even hear her as his own fears took over. The young woman slowly made her way towards the entrance, unaware how close she had come, wondering what had become of her friend. Was he even still alive? Did the dragon already get him? Bella was about to take another step closer when the tunnel lit up again and a rush of hot air hit her skin.
"Bella get back!" She felt someone grab her by the arm and pulled her away from the entrance and looked beside her to see it was Dwalin.
"What about Bilbo?" Ori asked.
"Give him more time." Thorin said as he refused to look at any of his men or the woman.
"I think we've given him enough time, Thorin!" Bella pressed. " He could get killed!"
"You're afraid." He spat and the half-breed just glared at him, wondering what brought on this change of behavior.
"Yes, I'm afraid, Thorin. And I know damn well you are too!" The woman snapped.
"I am not afraid." Thorin denied, feeling the anger in him rise. She was about to say something, when someone else intervened.
"I'm afraid." Balin confessed, narrowing his eyes at the leader and stepping in front of Bella, so she was behind him. " I fear for you!" He continued, pointing a finger at him and Thorin looked away and stared into the darkness. " A sickness lies on that treasure hoard, a sickness which drove your grandfather mad!"
"I am not my grandfather." Thorin stated, angrily.
"You're not yourself! The Thorin I know would not hesitate to go in there-"
"I will not risk this quest for the life of one...burglar." Thorin sneered, causing Balin to take a step back in shock. He feared this was to happen when they got here.
" Bilbo. His name is Bilbo! What is wrong with you, Thorin?" Bella shouted, coming from behind Balin. Thorin still refused to even look at either one of them...or any of the others for that matter. He wasn't about to risk his life just to go in after the Hobbit. When Bella saw she wasn't going to get anywhere with the Dwarf, she pulled out her sword and started heading towards the door.
"Bella, where are you going?" Ori asked, looking at her worriedly.
"I'm going in to save my friend. I don't know what the rest of you are doing." She pressed, walking with determination into the mountain and started running, disappearing around the corner. The Dwarves all looked to their leader wondering why he wasn't following in after her.
"Are you just going to let the lass, you care about face the dragon alone!?" Dwalin yelled at him, causing Thorin to tear his gaze away from the night and look in the direction of the mountain. He did a quick look amongst his company and sure enough, the young woman was not among them. Thorin's face expression suddenly changed he was no longer filled with a strong sense of resentment, but guilt and apprehension for not stopping her when he could and the king without question charged through the door, pulling out his sword as he chased after the half-breed, the others following close behind him with their weapons drawn.
As Bella ran further down the tunnel, it didn't occur to her until now, that she had no idea which passage led to the treasure room. The half-breed knew she couldn't wait for Thorin or the others to catch up to her, by then who knows what damages the dragon could do in that time. Bella went with the only thing she could rely on, which was her gut feeling and she charged through the tunnel that she thought would take her to the treasure room.
Thorin hadn't stopped running since he entered the mountain. He had to find the young woman before she got herself hurt or worse... The king had a head start on the others as he didn't have to even stop and think which way he had to turn next and he dashed down the passage that would lead him to his grandfather's treasure.
The young woman realized now she had gone the wrong way. She no longer felt the heat on her skin, nor did the tunnel light up from the dragons fire. Bella stopped and decided to head back, hoping she remembered which passages she took to at least get back to the others, before she became even more lost. But she had been in such a hurry, she wasn't really paying attention to which tunnels she took.
The Dwarf king rounded the last corner and dashed into the treasure room and stopped to stare at the sight that laid before him. Thorin was in such a deep trance that he already forgotten the reason why he ran down here in the first place. He snapped out of it for a second when he heard the sound of footsteps running up the stairs and saw it was the Hobbit. " You're alive!"
"Not for much longer!" Bilbo shouted, nearly out of breath.
"Did you find the Arkenstone?" The Dwarf, asked.
"The dragon's coming-" Bilbo tried to warn.
"The Arkenstone," Thorin demanded again, blocking the passage he came through. The Hobbit just looked at the Dwarf, panting still from nearly being burned alive by Smaug. " Did you find it?" Bilbo could hear the slight change in the Dwarf's voice and he knew something wasn't quite right.
"We have to get out. " The burglar urged as he went take a step forward and stopped when Thorin blocked it with his weapon. Bilbo looked at the leader, and then before he knew it, Thorin's blade was pointed right at his chest. " Thorin?" Bilbo said, looking at the Dwarf with confusion and the next thing he knew he was being backed up to the edge of the platform." Thorin." The Hobbit pleaded again.
"Thorin! Get away from him!" Bella's voice shouted from behind. Thorin glanced to side for a second and then returned his attention to the frighten Hobbit.
"No! Not till he gives me what he was sent down here to get!" Thorin demanded.
Bella couldn't understand where the sudden need for the Arkenstone so badly came from! They clearly had a more pressing issue that was now wandering around this very castle, searching for them. When Thorin made no sign he was lowering his weapon anytime soon, the half-breed went around Thorin and now stood in front of the Hobbit with her sword drawn, pointed at the Dwarf. Thorin was a bit surprised by this and looked at her oddly.
"Bella, what are you doing?"
"He doesn't have it, Thorin. Now lower your sword. We have to go before the dragon comes!" She ordered.
"You don't command me!" Thorin growled at her, as he started to walk towards her. Bella was about to argue further with him when something caught her attention and she looked to the side. Thorin at first thought she backed up and tried to look away from him, because he intimidated her, but he realized that wasn't the case at all when he heard the thunderous steps coming and he looked to side to see the giant beast, stalking towards them, snarling. Bilbo backed away slowly behind the Dwarf and half-breed who held their swords at the ready when the others came charging in, shouting battle cries when they saw the dragon.
"YOU WILL BURN!" Smaug roared as he began charging at them. Thorin shouted at his men to jump off the platform when he saw the dragons body glow orange and he grabbed the young woman by her arm and pulled her over the edge with him just as the dragon breathed fire.
The company wasted no time making haste to the closest passage to escape the fire-breathing beast. Bella was just climbing the stairs when she heard Thorin grunt when his boot sunk into the gold and fell to the ground. The half-breed turned around and looked to see the dragon was getting ready to breath fire at them again. "Thorin!" Thorin looked up, as he tried to yank his boot out to see the young woman running towards him.
"Bella go!" The Dwarf pressed. Bella ignored his order and grabbed his arm and pulled with all her might and Dwarf managed to get free and the two of them made haste up the stairs but not before Smaug breathed fire that lit up the entire treasure room, blowing hot air right at them and Thorin pushed her into the tunnel before she got hit with fire and she fell to the ground where the others were hiding. Thorin coming in seconds later, his coat on fire and and rolled on the ground, tearing it off with the help of Dwalin.
"Come on." Thorin urged, his sword in hand as he started running down the hall with the others behind him.
The Dwarves and the Hobbit had been wandering through the tunnels for hours and they were growing tired from no rest the night before. Balin insisted they all should take a rest while the dragon was no where to be seen. They were gonna need all the strength they could get if they planned on defeating the beast. Thorin offered to take the first watch. He wasn't going to find any rest until he had the kings jewel in his hand and now he had to get rid of dragon that was now hunting for them. Most of the Dwarves and Bilbo were pressed up against the walls trying to sleep.
The leader was sitting on a piece of stone, thinking real hard about something that he didn't even hear Bella approach him. " Thorin..." She spoke, startling him.
"Bella, I thought you'd be getting some rest." Thorin pressed, getting up from his spot.
"How can I get any rest, when I'm worried about you?" Bella stated and he gave her a funny look.
"Why are you worried about me? I'm fine." He insisted.
"No, you're not, Thorin. You have been acting strangely since we got to the mountain and-"
"And what?" The Dwarf challenged.
"I'm scared for you."
"Well, don't be. You have nothing to worry about." He told her and turned away from her to do some more thinking when Bella went to put her hand on Thorin's arm to stop him when he grunted in pain and she pulled back her hand, to find blood on it and she looked up at the Dwarf.
"Thorin your hurt." Bella informed.
"It's not that bad." He grumbled at her.
"At least let me look at it and bandage it up." She offered.
"Bella, really it's nothing. I've been through much worse. Believe me." He pressed, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.
"Will you stop being a baby and just let me look at it." Bella demanded and without further argument, Thorin sat down on the ground and rolled up his sleeve to expose the fresh burn on his arm.
"See, it's really not that bad. Not as bad as it could have been. I'm lucky that's all I go." He explained, trying to roll down his sleeve to cover it, but she wouldn't let him.
"Why didn't you say something earlier Thorin. One of us could have bandaged it up or something. " She questioned, as she dug in her small pouch she had attached to her.
"There was no point in me saying anything. We have no medical supplies with us. Oin stayed behind with Fili, and Kili. It will heal eventually."
Bella shook her head at the Dwarf. " You are stubborn you know that?" She told him, letting out an awkward laugh and pulled out the thing she had been searching for.
"I seem to recall someone else who is just as stubborn when she's offered help." The king countered, giving her a smirk and the half-breed rolled her eyes. "What is that?" He questioned.
"It's the stuff, Beorn gave me when we took refuge in his home." She explained.
"You stole it?" Thorin accused her and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"No. I did not steal it Thorin. He gave it to me, just before we left. Now this will sting at first, but it will help relieve the burning sensation and heal faster." Bella stated as she placed some on her fingers and went to dab at the burn, Thorin slight flinched, cursing under his breath at the stinging. " I'm sorry." She quickly said.
"It's fine, Bella. Just finish what you need to do." Thorin stated. Thorin watched out of the corner of his eye, that she was suddenly hesitant. " Don't tell me your getting squeamish now?" Thorin teased her and she shot him a look.
"I'm not squeamish. It's just you wouldn't have gotten hurt if you hadn't have pushed me through the doorway before you." She said, putting more of the cream on the Dwarf's wound.
"Your right. I would have gotten much worse or died. If it wasn't for you coming back for me. I wouldn't be here now. Bella I would do it again. You mean everything to me."
These words shocked the half-breed as she started wrapping some cloth that she ripped from her clothing around Thorin's wound. The leader noticed the young woman was silent and looked down at her still tying the binding in a knot and cleared his throat. " Um Bella, I think you've knotted that good enough." Thorin indicated, snapping the young woman out of her deep thought.
"Oh, right. I'm sorry." She muttered awkwardly.
Thorin stood up, pulling Bella up to her feet and rolled down his sleeve and placed a hand on the side of her face stroking it as a gentle smile formed on his face. "Bella, I promise. You don't need to worry about me. Nothings going to happen." He assured her as he pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips against hers. He could already feel the sting from his burn starting to lessen since she applied the cream. " Come on, we should wake the others. I think I've figured out a way out of here." He told her and she nodded and the two of them started shaking the others awake.
The company walked the tunnels once again and what felt like hours already. Thorin started to slowly approach another bridge. "Shh, shh, shh!" Thorin whispered, as he held out an arm for his men and the young woman to stop. He peered around the pillar and so far saw no sign of Smaug, but who knew where the beast was lurking for them.
"We've given him the slip," Dori murmured behind them.
"No. He's too cunning for that." Dwalin concluded in a whisper.
"So where to now?" The Hobbit, dared to ask.
"The leader turned to look at his companions. "The western guardroom. There may be a way out." He told them.
"It's too high. There's no chance-" Balin beg to differ.
"It's our only chance. We have to try." He hissed and he began making his way slowly across the stone bridge. When it appeared to be only them around, he motioned for Bella and the others to follow him across. Bella was following behind Dwalin and would occasionally look up to see if the dragon was stalking them from above, which also led her to knocking into the warrior Dwarf half the time because she would never know when he stopped and he eventually just help onto her arm and pulled her along so she would avoid the whole thing. They were all just about halfway across when they heard something clang against the stone bridge and they all froze.
The young woman turned to see Bilbo, searching himself when they all heard again and looked up and sure enough the beast was crawling above them, the odd coin falling from his scales. Thorin motioned for the others to keep going, Dwalin still pulled the half-breed along with him and eventually the last one made it into the tunnel and Thorin was once again running, knowing they weren't far from freedom. "Stay close," Thorin told them as they rounded the last corner and the leader came to a sudden halt, seeing the carnage before him.
"That's it, then. There's no way out." Dwalin murmured glumly.
"The last of our kin. They must have come here, hoping beyond hope." Balin said as his voice broke. Bella step forward just staring at the sight before her. She had never seen so much death and it made her stomach turn but she forced herself to remain strong. " We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days." The elder Dwarf suggested.
"No." Thorin replied as he walked towards his people that now lie dead before him. " I will not die like this. Cowering. Clawing for breath." He added before turning around to looked each and every one of their faces with new determination. "We make for the forges."
"He'll see us, sure as death." Dwalin argued, not seeing how this would work at all.
"Not if we split up." The Dwarf king challenged, not failing to see that most of them shifted in there spot on this risky plan.
"Thorin..." Balin sighed, shaking his head at the leader. "...we'll never make it."
"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire...then we will all burn together. "The king proclaimed and they all nodded in agreement and next he told them the rest of his plan.