Author's Note: I own nothing.
31 No Way Out
They got lucky, there was a small doorway at the bottom of the stairs they'd taken, into what must have once been a kitchen. The smell of rot filled the hall, and Bella choked slightly as Thorin, who'd been last in the door screamed throwing off his coat which had caught the dragon's fire. She rushed to him but he appeared to be only slightly singed.
"We need to keep moving." He said taking Bella's hand and leading the way out of the dank old kitchen. For someone who Bella knew to have a less than stellar sense of direction Thorin seemed to know exactly where he was going here under the mountain. They slipped through the deserted city and Bella marveled at what had once been. This pace must have once been so grand when it was lit and full of hope. Now all that was left were empty echoing halls and a sense of incredible sadness. If Bella hadn't been looking out for the dragon around every corner she would have been in tears. Thorin pulled them up short at a bridge. Bella looked around before risking the barest whisper.
"Where are we going?" She asked, she was certain the secret door was the other way, but then again as far as they knew so was Smaug.
"Western guardroom. There may be a way out, it's not accessible from outside but…" Thorin began but Dwalin shook his head.
"No, that's too high up! We'll be spotted for sure. There's no chance."
"It's our only chance." Thorin snapped quietly. He began the way down the bridge. Bella followed, what else was there to do? The others followed quickly but quietly. They were about halfway across the bridge when the clinking started. Bella glanced down and frowned, that was a coin, golden as though from the horde they'd left behind. The others had turned to stare at her but a horrible thought had appeared in her mind. She looked up and her every muscle seized. Above them, passing over the bridge was the chest and belly of the great beast. It had jewels and gems, coins and treasures caught between its scales, some of them coming loose with the great beasts movements. Everyone froze following Bella's eyes upward. But Bella had spotted something else, something not glittering, quite the opposite in fact. It was just under the left wing right where she assumed the dragon's heart to be. She caught Kili's wrist and pointed silently. He frowned, then spotted what she had seen. He covered his mouth with his other hand to stop his gasp.
Girion's arrow had hit its mark all those years ago. One of the scales that made up the great dragon's hide was missing. Thorin caught Bella's other hand and the company hurried as silent as mice across the bridge and down the hall opposite. They were all shaking when they reached the guardroom but Thorin had stopped dead in the doorway. The smell wafting out of the entryway was enough to tell Bella what would be waiting in that room. But she stepped up next to Thorin regardless taking his hand as they looked over the carnage inside the room. Unlike Dale where they'd laid in the open air the bodies here were much more well preserved. There were maybe two dozen of them, almost fully mummified from the lack of fresh air and elements that could touch them here. There were marks of sword, axe and hauntingly fingernails on the door.
"That's it then. No way out." Dwalin said his voice hollow.
"Maybe not, but we might have a chance." Kili said looking away from the bodies in front of them. Fili couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. "The child's story, about Girion's arrow, it's true. Bella spotted the missing scale. If we can find something, we can kill the beast." Thorin turned from the bodies of his kin and looked over the company.
"We head for the forges. I have a similar plan."
"We'll never make it!" Dori argued.
"Some of us might. We split up, give the dragon too many targets to chase at once. Fili, Kili Ori head for the armory. Dori, Nori you'll be our second group. Dwalin, Bombur, Bofur, you'll be another. Oin, Gloin, Bifur, you're our third. Balin and Bella will come with me. Fili, Kili, Ori, your job is to find any kind of weapon we can use against the dragon. Black arrows are best there may still be a few there. Head for the forges once you have what you can carry. We're going to kill the dragon." There was so much conviction in Thorin's voice that Bella couldn't help the spark of hope she felt inside. They would get through this just as they had every other trial they had faced on the way to this mountain. They would not give up now. Thorin took her hand, weaving their fingers together. "If this should end in fire then we will all burn together." He stated and the others nodded.
"Together." Dwalin said clapping a hand to Thorin's shoulder. The groups split, Bella, Balin and Thorin went first in hopes of drawing the dragon out after them. Fili, Kili and Ori went last slipping out and away while the dragon chased the others. Kili thought he knew why Thorin had planned it that way. If anyone was to get out of here he wanted it to be the youngest of them. His heirs and the youngest of all of them. Though they had never before set foot in Erebor they had grown up on stories of the underground kingdom, both from Thorin himself and from their mother. They found the armory without much difficulty, and no sign of the dragon himself. Many of the weapons here were rusted and useless but Kili found a sizable bow and a quiver of arrows.
"It's no windlance." He said pulling out the arrows just to check. Fili let out a humorless laugh.
"And to think, Nadad didn't want you to pick up a bow."
Kili's laugh was equally humorless but his grip on the bow tightened.