Chapter 26

All the Dwarves stood around the throne. Thorin was sitting on it. Bilbo was standing to his right. Fíli and Kíli were on his left. Balin was beside Bilbo.

Thorin sighed and stared at the Arkenstone in his hand. "Bofur, can you still manage the pulleys?"

Bofur nodded. "Aye." Thorin sighed again.

"Then take it down to the deepest part you can reach. Be careful. Examine those ropes and pulleys carefully before you go down there. I don't want to know where you hid it."

Bofur nodded and took his cousin, Bifur, with him. He cradled the stone in his hands. Thorin tore his gaze from it. "We should count the gold. How much should be enough for the survivors?"

Balin coughed. "At least five sacks full." Thorin nodded slowly. He smiled at Bilbo.

"Good. Let's start working. Dwalin, get to work on fixing the gate. I don't know what Azog is planning, but I don't want to have my front door wide open."

The Dwarves snorted and went to work. Thorin held Bilbo's hand and took him to the Royal Quarters. "When everything is restored, Bilbo, this is where you shall sleep. This was my room once. The connecting door leads to my current chambers. Come, let me show you the place that I used to play. It also became the place where Dis, your aunt, and Frerin and I used to learn court etiquette from Balin." Thorin shuddered.

Bilbo smiled. "Why didn't Uncle Frerin join us?"

Thorin stilled. He sighed. "Frerin died during the Battle of Azunulbizar, as did your great-grandfather." Bilbo looked down.

"I'm sorry."

Thorin sighed. "There is nothing that can be done. For now, rest. Get off your feet. I'll have Ori and Dori clean your rooms."

Bilbo protested. "I can do that quite well by myself!"

Thorin chuckled. "You are a Prince, Bilbo. When the rest of the caravans come, you will be treated like a Prince. You must accept the help and assistance that comes with being Royalty. Fíli and Kíli will help you. They have long learned it."

Bilbo huffed. "Ori and Dori are my friends. I will not have my friends be my servants."

Thorin sighed but nodded. "If you're set on that, then I will not argue. I have too much to be happy for!" He hugged his son. "I'm going to help the others in the treasury. Rest, Bilbo." He left the room. Bilbo unrolled his bed roll and slept on the floor.

He woke up soon after when Balin knocked urgently. "Bilbo!"

Bilbo opened the door. "Yes?"

"Thorin. He's demanding to see you."

Bilbo frowned and hurried with Balin. "What's wrong?"

"He's changing, Bilbo. He…did not stop for the noonday meal. He kept right on organizing the gold."

Bilbo entered the treasury and balked in shock. It was completely different. All the coins were stacked up and counted. Nori and Dori were tallying things. Ori was recording everything. They had covered a great deal of gold in such a short time.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Thorin turned and saw Bilbo. His features eased and he moved quickly to where Bilbo was standing. Balin tensed. "You have slept for a day and a half."

Bilbo hugged his father. "Have you given the gold to the Humans yet?"

Thorin frowned. "Not yet. I have been thinking it through. There is still wealth in the city of Dale. They can find that and it will help them. After all, it was my people who searched and toiled for this gold. We should not squander it."

Bilbo blinked. "Squander?! Father, they have lost their homes!"

"But they survived Dragon's fire. They should consider themselves lucky."

"And how would you have reacted if someone said that about you?

Thorin blinked and stared at his son. "I would have admitted that they were right."

"They still need blankets! Food! They can get that with our gold!"

"How long will they have to wait for such things? They will already be dead by that time. It is useless to give them gold. What will they do with it? Eat it? No. We have no blankets to give them, and we have barely any food ourselves."

Bilbo looked at Thorin. Thorin, not his father, not King, not leader. He looked at Thorin. "I can't believe it." He turned and walked away. Bilbo looked out over the ramparts. He could see fires dotting the city. Something glimmered in the light.

"Elves?" He breathed out in shock. They were armed. He turned around to speak, but Thorin had already gone back to the treasury. Bilbo felt like screaming. He was not going to lose his father to gold sickness.

It wasn't the Arkenstone at all! It was the greed that is constantly present inside both Man and Dwarf. Bilbo groused silently.

He tromped down to where Dwalin and Balin were. Dwalin looked like he was mourning. Bilbo glared at them both. "Something needs to be done."

Balin shook his head. "Nothing can be done. Thror was caught and ensnared. There is no way out."

Bilbo hissed out a breath, watching the heat curl in the cold air. "No. I don't believe in no win situations!" He looked at the throne and then sighed. "That's the only thing left to do." He walked away towards the treasury only to call over his shoulder, "Oh! By the way, there is an Elven army at our doorstep!"

Dwalin shouted in alarm and started shouting for the others to get to the ramparts.

Bilbo snickered. He knew Thranduil wouldn't attack unless there was no other way of getting what he wanted. The Elf-King honored his people's lives far too much to attack needlessly.

"Ada."

"I do not want you to use any Elf tongue. From now on, it is Westron, or Khuzdul." Thorin turned around and stared at Bilbo. "Understood?"

Bilbo opened his mouth to argue but saw a slight glimmer in Thorin's eyes. He isn't the same. I do not know how he will react.. He spoke in Khuzdul, "Yes Father. I understand."