Bilbo padded up a winding staircase, Nadi quick on his heels. Above them lay the entrance to the cavern. With any luck, they'd be able to reach it before the raging dragon caught sight of them. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and made note of Smaug slinking in the opposite direction. His tail whipped around a hill of gold and promptly disappeared. But it was not because he had lost sight of them. On the contrary, she had a feeling that he was searching for a vantage point from which he could flush fire across the entirety of the cavern floor. The thought of being caught in such an inescapable assault sent a shiver through her and she thanked her lucky stars that they had made it up the staircase just in time.

They were approaching a bend in the staircase that spread out into a platform beneath the final flight of stairs. Her head still turned in the direction of the dragon, she stumbled onto the platform and went crashing into Bilbo's back.

"Why have you stopped-" She turned her head. The sight that greeted her over his shoulders made her words freeze on her lips.

It was Thorin.

A black mood fell upon her and she instinctively sunk lower behind Bilbo's shoulder. But there was nowhere to hide. He had seen her. Upon the meeting of their eyes, his face had taken on a surprised expression. Now, his features darkened and he gazed at her suspiciously.

"Thorin," Bilbo gasped in relief. He turned and pulled Nadi from behind him, happily oblivious to the tension between the two Dwarves. "Guess who I found!"

"What are you doing here?" Thorin asked. "I thought we left you in Lake-Town."

The ground quivered beneath their feet and they stumbled back. "Yes, well, kick a dog and it comes crawling back, right?" Nadi spat back as she tried to regain her balance.

"That is not what I asked you."

"Thorin, Nadi-"

Nadi put her hand up to silence Bilbo. Don't let him know that you were searching for the Arkenstone, came Ana's voice in her head. Hold your secrets.

"I...followed you," Nadi said, thinking quickly. "I found the secret door and entered through the Westhros tunnel. My plan was to travel beneath Erebor and avoid the dragon, then come up through the North passage. But the tunnel was flooded and I got lost. I retraced my steps and wound up back here, where I encountered Bilbo only a few seconds ago. We were on our way back and-"

Bilbo was staring at her as if she had gone insane. She bit the inside of her lip, mentally willing him to wipe the look off of his face and just play along. The Westhros tunnel had acted as a sewer of sorts when Erebor was populated by its Dwarven inhabitants. It was not a far stretch to believe that one could have accessed it and found it flooded after so many years. Hopefully, the stench emanating from her clothes would be convincing enough. She hoped that the fact that she had stripped to her undergarments lent credibility to her story.

But Thorin wasn't buying it, she could see it in the creases lining his brow.

"We were standing at the hidden entrance all night," he said. "Not once did we see you."

"When I came, no one was there."

"Nay, we only left once. And I left Ori standing at the door."

"When I came…" she said slowly, heatedly, never once breaking eye contact. "...no one was there. He must've abandoned his post."

He was not convinced, and yet had no proof by which he could dispute her claim. He cast her a final, disbelieving look before informing her that he would deal with her later. Then, turning to Bilbo, he asked, "Did you find it?"

Bilbo shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, his tongue in his cheek. She felt the Arkenstone hanging heavy in her pocket. Heat seemed to emanate from it now, burning her flesh beneath her clothes. Or perhaps it was the heat of her own deceit. But would Bilbo tattle on her? That was the question that bounced around in her mind. The Hobbit was trying his best not to look at her. In his head, he was thinking that Nadi must have had a good reason to lie.

"Er…" he said. "Well, Nadi-" She thrust her elbow in his back and cleared her throat. "Listen," Bilbo said. "We have to get out of here. Smaug-"

Bilbo made a move to go past him but then Thorin did something that surprised them both. Nadi gasped as he lifted his sword and leveled it with the Hobbit's chest.

"Did...you...find...it," he said in an octave much lower than his usual. Smaug roared somewhere in the distance and she trembled. She kept her eyes trained on the edge of Thorin's sword as he turned it so that the sharpest end grazed Bilbo's buttons.

I can't do it, she thought to herself. He'll kill him!

And so? Ana hissed as Thorin dragged the sword upwards, closer to Bilbo's neck. Their plight bears no weight on yours. Let the foolish men tear each other apart.

I can't...Nadi reached in her pocket, fingered the Arkenstone. Bilbo gulped and glanced at her. The look of desperation on his face alarmed her. I can't…

She thrust her hands out and clamped them firmly along the edge of the sword. Thorin's mouth fell open in surprise as she wedged herself between Bilbo and his sword.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to make it past me first," she said through clenched teeth. She was ready to fight him to the very end if it came to that. Because she loved Bilbo dearly and would not see him die due to her treachery.

But Thorin was immovable. Her hands shook on the edge of the blade as he raised it, almost curiously, to her chin. "This song and dance is growing old," he growled. "How many more times do you plan on challenging me?"

"Make a move and this'll be the last. Uncle, please," she pleaded, waiting anxiously for the moment that his face would soften and he would withdraw his weapon. Bilbo moved up behind her and placed his trembling hands on her shoulders. "Do not make me hurt you."

"This, for a Hobbit, Nadi? I'll make you pay for your insolence…." he said, sweeping his armed hand back. He hissed something in Khuzdul and she reached for her blade. Suddenly there was a magnificent crash as the dragon appeared around the corner. Thorin gasped and fell back as they locked eyes again after so many years. The dragon growled in delight and began to slither towards them, his jaw slack above a rising ball of fire. There was a shout and a clamor as the other Dwarves appeared and surrounded them, their weapons drawn. Never before had she felt so relieved to feel Dwalin's shoulder pressing into hers.

"Glad you're here, lassie," he said, a wicked rage tinting his brow as he gazed upon the dragon.

"I'm not," she said back. The dragon lowered its head and extended its neck towards them.

"You will burn!" He roared.

"Come on!" Thorin called. The Company turned and began to run as a tornado of fire spun itself from deep within the dragon's belly. They launched themselves up the staircase, the winds from the fire searing their backs and heating the small coins that rained down upon them. They crowded into the nearest chamber, but the fire had caught Thorin. He cried out in pain as he tumbled to the ground, flames licking at his coat and arms. Hurriedly, they pat at his clothes until the fire dwindled and he stood up. Without hesitation, he ordered them to hurry and began to run again.

Finally, they reached a chamber beyond the reach of the dragon. They were quick to shut the door behind them, just as Smaug spewed forth another wave of fire. Nadi hissed and withdrew her arm which was still smarting from holding the flaming shield. The room had gone quiet and she turned around, expecting to find the rest recuperating from their ordeal. But the sight that greeted her was terrible, one that she would never forget.

There, spread upon the floor below her, was a graveyard of Dwarven corpses. They were long past the point of decay and had been mummified with expressions of fear and desperation hanging upon their faces. There were children and women alike, along with men whose names she did not know. But they were her kin, that much she knew. She quickly covered her mouth to hold back the scream that was rising in her throat. Her eyes swept back and forth along the carnage as she tried, against her own will, to identify the faces around her.

"That's it, then," Dwalin said from behind her. "There's no way out."

"The last of our kin. They must've come here, hoping beyond all hope to escape the desolation of the dragon," Balin said.

"We could try to reach the mines," Dwalin responded. "We might last a few days…"

She knelt in front of one of the bodies. It was a female Dwarve with ashen blonde hair and a warped, grey face. Beneath its skeletal arms lay the body of a Dwarvling, unmistakable with its thin limbs and small face. Gently, her arms trembling with terror, she swept the arms to the side and stared at the tattered golden cloth that hung off of the sharp ridges of the ribcage. She remembered the dress, as well as the golden hair and sapphire ovals hanging from the shrunken ear. She moaned and fell back with her hands covering her face. It was Dina: sweet, precious Dina who had always looked after her. Dina had been the light of Dale. All who gazed upon her pink cheeks and high smile had been smitten. She was a charming Dwarve who sold homemade soaps and tinctures from beneath the bejeweled cloth of her marketplace tent. It was Dina who had been present at Sadi's passing, and Dina who had revived Nadi upon her return from the forest many years ago.

She felt the frustration rise as she began to crawl backward, away from the bodies and the truth of what they had become. Gloin gathered her in his arms as she rocked back and forth, biting her knuckles to keep herself from sobbing aloud.

"There, there, little lady," he said, petting her head. "Don't look, it'll only bring you torment."

"Do you know who that is? It's Dina," she murmured, somewhat deliriously. "How are we going to tell Fili?"

Fili had always been sweet on Dina - they all had - though she wasn't sure why she thought of him now, of all times. She buried her head beneath Gloin's arm and squeezed her eyes shut. Up until that point, she had seen their crusade as a holy plight with obstacles that were manageable and could be handled swiftly. Now, gazing upon the bodies of the Dwarves who had died of starvation, in the darkness of fear and hopelessness, the crusade had taken on a much more grim tone. How many more deaths must there be, she thought to herself, before this is over. Her hand found her stomach and she exhaled with force. She couldn't give up. She had to fight for her livelihood, in honor of the fallen Dwarves, and for the sake of her unborn child. Now was not the time to succumb to weakness.

"I've got you, little one," she whispered to herself. "I'm here. Kili is too, in spirit." Gloin cast her an odd glance but said nothing to this.

"-I will not die like this," Thorin was saying. She braced her hand on Gloin's shoulder and stood upon quivering legs. A wave of nausea washed over her and she bent forward, placing her hands on her knees. "Cowering, clawing for breath. We make for the forges."

"He'll see us, sure as death," Dwalin said. Thorin shook his head.

"Not if we split up."

"We'll never make it-"

"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We'll kill the dragon. If it is to end in fire, we'll all burn together. This way!"

They pushed open the door and scattered in opposite directions. The dragon spotted them immediately and began to give chase. But he could not follow them all at once. When he cast his eye upon a set of Dwarves, another would appear at the opposite end of the tunnel, waving and shouting to catch his attention. Nadi found herself running in circles, quick to divert the beast's attention when it seemed as if he would fall upon her kin. Enraged now, Smaug sent a wave of fire rolling through the tunnels. The very ground beneath her began to glow and crackle. She hopped from one foot to another, feeling the heat spreading along her boots.

She heard the others shouting in the distance, leading each other to the forge. She hurried towards the sound of their voices. She could barely see through the sweat and firelight obscuring her vision, but her feet remembered the way. The dragon was slinking ahead of her, towards the rest. Somehow they had gotten ahead of her, separated by a crumbling platform and the dragon's massive body. No matter what their plan was, if the dragon chose to spew another wave of fire, it would incinerate them like ants beneath a fizzling matchstick.

She was consumed by hopelessness as she watched their shadowy silhouettes scrambling across the platform. She stopped, breathing heavily, her eyes stinging beneath the salty sweat that coated her face.

"Wait," she said weakly. And then again, louder. "WAIT!"

What are you doing, you idiot girl, Ana hissed as Nadi reached into her pocket. Don't.

The dragon turned its head and caught her in the amber-golden glow of its snakish eye. Was it her imagination or had he drawn his lips back into a pitying snicker?

"You dare call upon me, little thing?" He hissed. Hearing her familial nickname on the tongue of so awful a beast was unsettling. She shook her head to rid herself of the blurriness gathering in the corner of her mind. Smaug lifted his head and sniffed. "Such a foul stench! Let me rid you of your audacity and your misery-"

"You don't want to do that!" She called out. The others had disappeared. She could only hope that they had found safety, even if it was to be at her expense. She took a deep breath and clenched the Arkenstone beneath her fingers. "I might have something that you want. Something precious, wrought in pure light! Something invaluable!"

"You have no such thing, woman."

"Burn me, then. Go on! However, I don't think the Arkenstone will be able to withstand your flames! Come on," she shouted louder, finding her voice. There was no way that Smaug would risk destroying the king's jewel. "Kill me you slippery, slimy-"

But she was wrong.

"Here!"

A voice rang out as she ducked behind a wall, right as a river of fire rumbled upon the platform where she had been standing. She peered around the corner and saw Thorin dangling from a rope right above the dragon's head. As she watched in terror, the dragon lifted its head. But Thorin lost his grip and fell square on its snout. There was a tense moment as he balanced unsteadily upon the dragon's nose before jumping away and disappearing into the hall beyond. Smaug looked back to where she was standing. Then, perhaps assuming that she had been incinerated, growled low in his throat and disappeared after the others.

She was alone with the echoes of the cavernous hall.

She pushed the Arkenstone deep in her pocket then pulled her clammy fingers away. She had to go after them and provide as much aid as would get them out of there but, as was becoming the disconcerting norm, Ana spoke again.

Don't you think you've been foolish enough? You have the Arkenstone. You're alone, there's nobody to stop you. Flee, now, before the dragon returns.

"I have to help them!"

You have to help yourself. Hasn't it always been this way?

"You don't understand-"

What all do you risk by going there and getting killed? Or turning over the Arkenstone? The fate of the world is more important than your sense of valor and your petty loyalties! Lose the Arkenstone and you lose it all. Now, let us think. Yes...Images of the Westhros tunnel and an empty stone gallery flashed through her mind. Make your way through the Westhros tunnel to the Gallery of Kings. Make your escape there. Do it quickly and do not look back. Go. Now.

Nadi turned on her heel and began to run up a flight of stairs. Then she cut a quick right through a shadowy hall and traveled along until she found a rusted grate at the end. She wrapped her fingers around the bars and tugged at them. Pieces of metal and stone dislodged from the grate and went tumbling into the darkness below. The sound of splashing traveled back up to her, signifying that the tunnel had, in fact, been flooded through. She yanked, again and again, getting angrier with every turn, until the bars of the grate shifted and came apart in her hands.

Good, Ana cooed.

"Shut up, you bodiless bitch."

She took a deep breath in and then jumped through the grate. Her back collided with a smooth surface and she began to slide downwards, gaining traction every second. She kept her arms and legs pressed together as the slide twisted and coiled until she was launched feet first into chilly waters. She rose, gasping and gagging, but the water that came up to her chin was surprisingly clear and devoid of any mysterious muck. Her feet slid uncomfortably against the slimy ground but she found that by waving her arms through the water she could remain upright, though precariously. There was barely any light in the tunnel, save for the ethereal silver glowings of something phosphorescent hanging about the walls. A band of bats dislodged themselves from the shadows and swooped low, chittering, above her head. She raised her hands and pressed them firmly against the rough-hewn ceiling as she squinted into the dark.

"Well," she said to no one in particular. "Here we go."

She began to paddle along through the waters. Every few minutes the tunnel would give a terrible quiver and send small bits of rock and sand raining down upon her head. It could have been anything from small earthquakes to the dragon raging about above her or the natural movements of the mountain. She thought about the Company and what they could have been doing at that moment. The thought of them fighting for their lives while she slunk about in a sewer tunnel made her ill.

There was nothing by which she could gauge the time. She tried counting out the seconds but was too often distracted by the sounds above and below her. Multiple times, she thought that she felt something small and fleet brush across her legs but she contributed this to an overactive imagination.

"Cast your line, O pretty girl, into the lake of heaven's light. 'Tis you who reels the warmth beyond into the black and sleepless night. Cast your line, O sweet beloved into the pools of souls forgot. Reap your riches one by one and in your trance, forget me not." She repeated the song over and over and over again, just to keep herself sane. "Agh, Kili. What would you say to me if you could see me now," she muttered to herself as she moved along. Something brushed past her again and she shook her leg in irritation. "You'd say, 'what are you doing, you crazy girl? Get your arse back there and fight!' Ah, no. You probably don't even remember who I am anymore. Mahal, what is this?!" She stopped and gave her leg a particularly violent shake. Something splashed into the water ahead of her and she froze. But as much as she squinted, she couldn't make out a thing in the pressing darkness.

"Hello?" She called out. Her voice echoed along the tunnel and bounced back to her distorted. "Is anyone there?"

Nothing. All was still. She shook her head and continued to wade through the water.

"Maybe I am crazy, talking to myself like some kind of - what?!"

It was undeniable. Something was moving along the water ahead of her. Whatever it was, it seemed to have broken the water's surface, judging by the soft hiss and splash. She paused again, thinking back to the giant alligators and monstrous gaping fish of her mother's fairy tales. She reached beneath her belt. Yes, her blade was still there. It was all that she had.

She remained still as the unknown creature approached her. She could feel it graze her stomach and then slither beneath her hair, which was dragging in the water. It was behind her. But had its positioning been intentional or was it perhaps not interested in her at the moment?

She figured that it'd be best not to wait around and find out.

She threw her arms forward and then sliced them back through the water, propelling herself forward. Her feet lifted off of the ground and she struggled a moment for balance before finding her footing again and rushing forward. The water sucked and tugged and her clothing as she half-swam, half-ran through the dark. The creature behind her now had gotten louder. It was thrashing through the water, getting closer and closer. She thought she heard a hiss as if from a reptilian jaw. She had heard the sound before at the very beginning of her journey. If it was what she believed it to be, then she was in for a world of trouble.

"Hyah," she turned around and quickly dunked her head beneath the water. She could see nothing. Then the glint of two eyes and a row of uneven, sharp teeth appeared before her. She estimated the size of the jaw and its position relative to its eyes before swinging out with her hand and jabbing the creature's chin with her dagger. The eyes and teeth disappeared - it was wriggling away, judging by the flurry beneath the water - and she used the opportunity to swim away from it. Something nicked her ankle and she swam faster. There was movement all around her. There were multiple creatures now. They were swarming her, placing curious bites along her hands and face. She shook her head and batted out against them. She was losing the air in her lungs but she had to keep swimming, she had to make it.

Just when she thought that all would be lost, she spotted a light ahead of her, above the waterline. She hurriedly breached the surface and grabbed hold of the glowing grate. A single wrench wasn't enough to open it. Something large and cold wrapped against her leg and pulled her downwards. She could just barely make out the creature's face before it gave her another tug, pulling her deeper into the watery depth. She choked - she hadn't had enough time to gasp for air - and reached under its chin. The dagger was still there. She grabbed hold of it and pulled it free, unleashing a cloud of red within the water. She gave a kick and then broke the surface again. Immediately, she set the point of the dagger within one of the screws pinning the gate down and began to twist. The creature grabbed hold of her again just as the screw popped out and she was pulled underwater. She beat at its nose with her fist until it let her go and she breached for the second screw. They were all around her now, their hissing and chattering filling the space. The second screw popped out and she reached for the third, just as the creature launched itself from the water and slammed its domed head into her shoulder. The blade went spinning from her hand and landed somewhere in the water.

"Damn you," she cried. Both of her legs had been caught in the creature's grip. She held onto the grate as it pulled her with all of its might. The grate gave a pitiful moan and creak before popping off completely and launching her against the wall. Freedom was her's, if only she could make it. She began to kick and thrash blindly, using the last of her strength and courage. The creature gave an unearthly roar that shook the very walls of the tunnel before falling back into the water and relinquishing its grasp. She braced her hands against the grate's opening and lifted herself out of the water, just as another creature jumped and snapped at her boots.

She threw herself into the small chamber and quickly withdrew her feet from the opening. Curiosity overwhelmed her and she crawled forward, slithering on her belly until she reached the broken grate. Two yellow eyes peered out at her above the water. Beyond them, the water churned gently as if by some large tail. She recognized the pale blue skin and domed head immediately.

"Ah. You again."

The Sthrusa gave a low growl and then disappeared, flanked by a few others of its kind.

"Next time send your mother. Perhaps she'll have a fair bit more luck than you." She spat into the water and then stood up, adjusting her sopping clothes. She pushed open the door to the chamber and stepped into the light of yet another glowing hall.

"Well, then," she said aloud as she meandered along, squeezing the water from her clothes. "I told Thorin that I was in the Westhros tunnel, and so I was. Perhaps I should be more careful what I wish for."

The tunnel was long and winding. But she knew where she was. She, Fili, and Kili had visited the Gallery of the Kings many times before. She remembered its richly woven tapestries and its grand, imposing statues. Despite the circumstances, she was pleased to have a chance to see it again. And then, once she passed through the Gallery of the Kings, she'd find her way to the outside world.

And then what, Ana asked, testing her. Nadi began to descend the grand staircase, taking in the once-forgotten sight of the magnificent gallery.

"And then I'm going to hide the Arkenstone, some ways away from Erebor. Then I'll go back to help the others."

So stupid.

"Your mother abandoned you for the sake of dark magic. You have no right to judge the loyalty of kin."

If you were so loyal in the first place you would not be here, Nadi.

Nadi came to a stop in the center of the silent gallery and put her hands on her hips. "You know, I'm getting real tired of you," she said, wagging her finger in the air. "Get on out of my head and let us talk face-to-f-"

The wall behind her exploded and she ducked down with a scream. Bits of debris and rock flew past her head as the dragon stormed its way into the gallery in quick pursuit of Bilbo.

"Damn," she said. Having spotted her, Bilbo changed his direction and made straight for her.

"Thank god you're safe," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along. "We thought you had been-"

"-killed. That's the theme, isn't it?"

"You think that you can deceive me, Barrel Rider?" Smaug cried out as they ran through the hall. "You have come from Lake-Town. This must be some pathetic scheme between the Dwarves and the cowards of the Lake. Perhaps I should pay them a visit!"

"No!" Bilbo cried, coming to a stop. Nadi pulled his arm but he refused to move. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"You care about them?" The dragon hissed. "Good. You shall watch them burn!"

"Here!" A new voice cried. "You witless worm!"

"Thorin!" Nadi yelped. He was standing upon a ledge a few feet above the dragon's head, his hand braced against a thick rope. "I am taking back what you stole. For this is not your kingdom. This is Dwarve gold, Dwarve lands. We shall have our revenge!"

Thorin yanked upon the rope. The others appeared behind him, their faces grim and set in determination. As Nadi watched in wonder, a column of stones came apart to reveal the biggest gold statue that she had ever seen. Smaug stood before it, enraptured. Then a curious thing happened. The eye of the statue burst, sending forth a spray of liquid gold. The whole statue began to crumble apart and melt before their very eyes.

"Quick, Nadi!" Bilbo yanked at her arm and they began to run. They dove into a small alcove just as the statue exploded, covering Smaug in boiling metal. The dragon gargled in pain as it was pushed to the floor and then completely submerged in the fiery river. The river flowed for a moment and then was still. They all stood silently, breathlessly, waiting.

"Bilbo," she whispered, "I think he's de-"

Smaug burst forth from the river, every inch of his body covered in luminous gold. He writhed and twisted sickeningly through the air, calling out for revenge as his wings bashed into the pillars of the gallery.

"It burns! It burns!" He swooped low over Bilbo and Nadi, making for the opposite wall.

"Wait-!" Bilbo cried. But Nadi didn't hear him. He called out to her in alarm as she began to run, her eyes fixed on the dragon. Even as they called her back and droplets of burning gold splattered across her clothes, she ran. The dragon launched itself into the wall, breaking it and sending pieces of it cascading around her. Still, she ran until her legs grew weak from the pain and her breath was ragged. She threw herself at the crumbling wall and held on as the wind generated from the dragon's golden wings blasted across her glowing face.

"I am fire…." she heard Smaug say. "I am...death."

"Kili, Fili...they're still in Laketown," she whispered from behind her tear-speckled fists. Though Ana was silent, Nadi could feel her enamourment for the dragon deep in her bones. Silently, Bilbo moved up next to her.

"Oh, Nadi," he said quietly. "What have we done?

X

Ending Notes: And that's it for the Desolation of Smaug Chapters! I'm going to take a small break before writing the BotFA chapters. There's going to be so much to explore, especially in regards to Kili's fate. If only poor Nadi knew what's going to happen to her baby daddy...