Chapter Nine
The next morning, Neniel woke up with Thorin by her side, whom was already awake and dressed, and she quickly covered her mouth to keep from laughing at him. Thorin was dressed in a dark blue doublet with very puffy sleeves and a red cloak. "The Master has very poor taste in clothing! I look ridiculous!" grumbled Thorin, as he realized Neniel was already awake as he put on his boots. "I don't see any wrong with the clothes. You look rather handsome-and kingly in it!" Neniel grinned. "Oh, so you're taking the Master's side when it comes to fashion now? He's about as bad as my sister!" said Thorin.
Neniel laughed again, this time much louder. "Don't tell me your sister picks out clothes for you!" said Neniel. "For a while she did until I stopped her from doing it. And to this day, I have had my own clothes!" said Thorin. "You haven't seen me make clothes yet, love." said Neniel, as she planted a kiss on Thorin's cheek. "I really hate to see how those turn out!" said Thorin, softly. After Neniel got dressed, she followed Thorin, as they met up with the rest of the Company on the boat.
"Wow! Such pomp and circumstance we're having here, aren't we?" said Neniel, as she heard the Master's musicians sounding off their horns. "They all know my title! A grand exit wouldn't hurt!" said Thorin, smiling at Neniel. Neniel climbed into the boat first, while Thorin waited on Fili, Kili, Bofur and Oin. Shortly, Fili, Kili and Oin approaches the boat, an the only one missing was Bofur. "Where's Bofur?" asked Oin. "If Bofur doesn't show up in a few minutes, we're leaving." said Thorin.
Fili climbed into the boat first, and no soon as Kili approaches the boat, Thorin stopped him. "Not you! You're not coming." said Thorin. "What do you mean? Of course I'm coming!" snapped Kili, assuming that his Uncle is joking. But Thorin wasn't joking at all. "Return to the Mountain when you are healed!" said Thorin softly, as he placed his hands on Kili's shoulder. "Thorin, you have to let him come with us. We have long awaited for this to day to see the home of our ancestors. You've told us tales of this place, and we've dreamed of this day to come! I will carry him if I must!" spoke up Fili.
"I will not risk this quest for some dwarf, not even my own kin!" grumbled Thorin. Kili's eyes widened in shock when he heard the harsh words coming from his Uncle.
"Fili, someday you will be king! You'll understand. You are part of the Company!" said Thorin. "No! I belong with my brother!" snapped Fili, as he climbed out of the boat, and stood next to Kili. Thorin frowned and turned away as he climbed into the boat. Neniel snarled. She felt angry of the words Thorin had spoken to his nephew. Fili and Kili looked upon Neniel apologetically. "I will stand behind, so I can heal Kili." said Oin. Thorin nodded, as the boat began to move, and they pressed on.
During the entire journey to the Mountain, Neniel remained silent, as a lot went through her mind, and she felt hurt hearing those words Thorin had spoken about Kili. How could anyone speak of their own flesh and blood this way. She also felt bad of not saying her farewells to her mother. "I forgot to say goodbye to my mother." Neniel said sadly. "We saw your mother in the crowd." said Dwalin. "Please don't tell me her reaction. I don't want to know." said Neniel.
"She's proud of you, Nen. She told us that herself last night when we met her." said Balin. "You met my mother?" asked Neniel. "Yes, Thorin introduced us to her." said Nori. Neniel looked over at Thorin. "I-I didn't know what to say." said Neniel. "She knows you have something you have to get done, and she told me someday the two of you will reunite again." said Balin. "I surely hope so." said Neniel with a sigh.
An hour later, they arrived at the base of the mountain, as the Company climbed out of their boat. Neniel stopped as the Company walked ahead of her. "Neniel?" said Thorin. The Company turned their attention to the Dark Elf, as they saw her standing there. "Nen, are you alright?" asked Dwalin. "This is odd, I don't feel so well." began Neniel. "Neniel, you know we have no time for this." said Thorin, sharply. "Nen, once we'll find the side door, we'll rest okay?" said Bilbo, gently. Neniel nodded, and they pressed on.
An hour later, Bilbo had discovered the area where the side door is located. "You have keen eye sight, Mister Baggins!" said Thorin, smiling at the hobbit. "We will rest here until its time." Thorin announced to the others, as he approached Neniel "How are you feeling now, Neniel?" Thorin asked gently. "Not any better." mumbled Neniel. "What's ailing yer?" asked Dwalin. "I feel dizzy, and light headed. Its strange, I had never felt like this before." said Neniel. "Just sit and rest, Neniel." said Thorin. Neniel nodded, as she sat on the ground, leaning her head against a wall, as she closed her eyes and dozed off.
Nightmare:
"You will not leave the mountain until you find what I needed!" shouted Thorin. "Thorin, my mother could be dead! I need to find my mother and bring her here before something happens to her!" Neniel protested. "Your mother will be fine, do as I say!" Thorin bellowed. "NO! I will not listen to you! You are not my king. There are lives out there that need to be saving, and I'm wasting my time here with you looking for a stupid, stupid, jewel!" shouted Neniel. Suddenly Thorin lashed out on her, placing his hands around her neck, as he began to strangle her.
End of Nightmare.
Neniel woke up with a loud cry, as she wiped sweat from her eyes. "Neniel? Are you alright?" Thorin asked, as he quickly ran over to her. "Get away from me! Get away from me, you beast!" Neniel screamed. "Nen, its me, Thorin! I won't hurt you, just calm down-you had a bad dream, that's all!" said Thorin, as he sat beside her, pulling her close to him. "You didn't have another one of your visions did you?" asked Balin, looking at Neniel with great concern, as he remembered she had a nightmare before that rose concerns to the Company.
"It's a vision yes, but I don't want to talk about it!" said Neniel, softly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Neniel. Just calm down and relax okay?" said Thorin. Neniel nodded as she leaned back against Thorin, resting her head on his chest. An hour later at sunset, Thorin approaches the door as he inserts the key into the door. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the door's movement. "I know I done everything right!" Thorin spoke loudly, and then he looked over his map again.
"Stand by the grey stone-when the thrush knocks-!" began Thorin, as he continued looking at the map. Everyone watched patiently. "And the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day shine upon the keyhole.. The last light of Durin's Day…" Thorin mumbled, as he felt anger and frustration built inside him. "What am I missing?!" snapped Thorin, impatiently. "It appears we may have missed it, laddie. And we came all this way to go back. We have to wait until next year." said Balin, sadly. In frustration and anger, Thorin slammed the map and key on the ground, and he walked away, followed by the rest of the dwarves.
"Wait! You cannot give up NOW!" shouted Bilbo, angrily. Even Neniel felt frustrated. She knew Thorin or any of the dwarves would be the type to give up so soon.
"Is my eyes deceiving me, or the Great Thorin Oakenshield has become a quitter?!" Neniel snapped, angrily. Thorin turned to her and glared angrily at her. Thorin restrained himself for going off on her, as he turned and continued to walk away. "DAMN!" Neniel screamed loudly. "Neniel!" said Bilbo softly, as he placed his hand into his. Soon, it gotten dark, as the moon rose into the sky. At the same time, a thrush appeared knocking on a small grey stone, as the light of the moon shone on the side door.
To Bilbo and Neniel's surprise, a keyhole appeared in the door. "Thorin! The key! The key! Its happening! The key! Quick!" shouted Bilbo, as he frantically looked for the key Thorin had dropped. No soon as Neniel bent over to pick up the key, Thorin's foot stepped on it, as Thorin himself reached for the key, and inserts it into the keyhole. The door opened, as Thorin led the Company inside the Mountain. Neniel gasped as she looked around, and she smiled. "I know these walls, these halls-the stone-Halls filled with golden light! DO you remember Balin?" said Thorin softly.
"Yes, I remember laddie!" said Balin, wiping away a tear. "Now this I definitely can live with!" said Neniel. Thorin turned to Neniel, as he took her hands.
"Just wait until you see it rebuilt and decorated!" said Thorin, smiling at Neniel. "I already feel home at home, already." said Neniel softly. Thorin squeezed her hand. "What is that?" Bilbo asked as he pointed at the runes above them, with a image of a throne and something above it. "That is the Arkenstone, the King's jewel!" Balin replied. "And that, Mister Baggins, is why you are here." said Thorin. Balin instructs the hobbit to enter the treasury to find the jewel and bring it to Thorin.
Bilbo nodded as he walked away. "You don't mean you're going to send him down there alone with that dragon?" snapped Neniel. "Neniel, he'll be alright. Its his job, let him do his job." said Thorin. Neniel sighed. She tried not to argue as much with Thorin. After several of the nightmares she had, she would try not to do anything to provoke Thorin's temper. And now the wait had began. Neniel sat, with her back on Thorin's back.
Suddenly, she could hear a rumble coming from the mountain, and her feelings came back to her. Now this time, nausea. "What is that? Don't tell me he had woken the.." spoke up Neniel softly. "Is that an earthquake?" asked Dori. "No, that my friends is a dragon!" said Balin, gravely. "We should go down and help him!" said Gloin.
"No, give him time." said Thorin. "Give him time?! Give him time? Damn it Thorin, he's going to get himself killed down there!" shouted Neniel. "Thorin, maybe I should go down there, at least a little ways so someone could be there with him." said Balin. "No, this is his task, and his task alone. Let him be." said Thorin. "You are not yourself, Thorin. That same jewel is what drove your grandfather mad, and the gold!" said Balin. "I am not my grandfather!" snarled Thorin.
And there was a brief silence. "You're afraid!" said Thorin. "No, I fear for you! And for the hobbit, and all of us here." said Balin. "I will not risk this quest for one burglar." grumbled Thorin. "That's what you said before about Kili! And you know what I'm sick of it!" snapped Dwalin, angrily. "SILENCE!" shouted Thorin. Suddenly, another loud rumble was heard and a ominous voice speaking, Thorin turned and bolted into the treasury. "Lets follow him!" said Dwalin.
And they followed Thorin into the Mountain. Neniel bolted towards first, as she could see Bilbo running towards Thorin. "We have to get out of here!" the hobbit panted. "The Arkenstone, where is it?" asked Thorin. "Thorin, Smaug has woken up, we got to leave!" protested the hobbit.
"Where is the Arkenstone?" Thorin asked again. "I-haven't found it yet, Thorin! We really should get out of here!" snapped Bilbo. Suddenly, Thorin reached for his sword, pointing the sharp end towards the hobbit. "Thorin, stop it! What are you doing?!" screamed Neniel, as she ran down, and stood between the hobbit and dwarf. "Out of my way, woman! This doesn't' concern you!" shouted Thorin.
"Barrel rider, I know you're still here! You cannot hide from me!" spoke up the dragon. "RUN!" shouted Thorin, as they began to sprint away from the Dragon. "To the Gallery of the Kings!" Thorin called out to the Company.