Chapter 13
After the company reached the other side of the lake everyone clambered out of the boat then began travelling in the direction of Erebor. By late that afternoon they are at the foot of Erebor and searching for the path up to the hidden entrance. Suddenly Primrose spots what appears to be a path winding up a huge statue of a former dwarf king which graces the side of the mountain.
"There, up there Uncle," Primrose said.
Thorin gazes up and spots what she has spotted.
"Everyone, Primrose has found it. The path to the secret entrance," Thorin said.
The company begins their trek up the mountain and it isn't until the sun is about to go down that they are standing by the hidden entrance. The dwarves immediately begin to search for the hidden door but none of them have any luck. Then suddenly the sun has gone down.
"The last light of Durin's day will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says," Thorin said, "What have we missed," he adds looking at the others, the map in his hand, "What did we miss,"
"We've lost the light, there's no more to be done," Balin said, "We had but one chance. Come on laddie its over," he ends.
The dwarves slowly begin to leave while Primrose looks confused.
"Where are they going?" Primrose asks, "You can't give up now," she adds.
Even Thorin turns to leave, dropping the key to the secret entrance and thrusting the map at Primrose, leaving only Kili with Primrose. She looks at the map reading the runes again and again. And then the moon rises and suddenly the keyhole is illuminated.
"It's the moon," Primrose exclaims understanding dawning.
"You're right," Kili said.
"It's the moon. The last light of Durin's day is the light of the MOON," Primrose calls out.
She looks for the key but can't find it.
"Where is it? It was here a minute ago," Primrose said.
"I've got the key if that's what you're looking for," Kili says softly.
He holds it up and suddenly Thorin is there again and takes it from him.
"Thank you my clever niece in law I knew you'd work it out. I was wrong to give up," Thorin said.
"Kili was the only one who stayed with me. He was the only one to have faith in me," Primrose said.
She smiled at Kili who smiled back. Thorin inserts the key in to the hole and turns it. With a creak a door in the rock swings opening revealing blackness. Slowly the dwarves enter the passage, Primrose clutching Kili's hand. After they've gone a short way the group stop.
"We can't go any further. I can't make any promises as to what you'll find down there. Whether there is in fact a live dragon there or not.
"There is something I want you to find for me once the dragon is dead, the Arkenstone," Thorin said.
"How will I know what it looks like?" Primrose asked.
"You will know it when you see it. It's a large white jewel like nothing you've ever seen before," Balin said.
Kili shook his head. What was wrong with his uncle? The jewel wasn't important. Getting their home back was what was important. Had his uncle learnt nothing from his dealings with the elf king?
"Ok wish me luck I will head in," Primrose said.
"Be careful my love. I don't want to lose you or our child," Kili said.
Primrose nodded and Kili found her lips with his and kissed her deeply while hugging her close. He released her and the rest of the dwarves added their good lucks.
Primrose turned and headed forwards, making sure the ring was in her pocket. Quietly she headed down through the twisting tunnels until finally she found herself looking down on a vast underground chamber which was full of gold coins, goblets jewellery and a huge array of other things. Bending down Primrose picked up a coin to examine it and suddenly coins cascaded everywhere. And then she was looking at an enormous eye. It was the dragon and he was even more immense than she had imagined. The coins were still moving and suddenly Primrose could see where the dragon's scales had been knocked off exposing part of his skin.
"Well thief I know you are here. I can smell you. Show yourself to me," Smaug said.
"I am not a thief. I merely came to see if you really are as big as the legends claim you are," Primrose said, suddenly spotting what was unmistakeably the Arkenstone.
Smaug suddenly drew himself to his full height
"Well do you now?" Smaug asked.
"The tales fall well short of your magnificence Smaug the Stupendous," Primrose said.
"Do you think flattery will keep you alive? You seem to know my name but I've never smelt your kind before. Who are you are you and where are you from?" Smaug asked.
"I am a hobbit and I come from under a hill," Primrose said.
"And what about your little dwarf friends. Where are they hiding?" Smaug asked.
"There aren't any dwarves here, only me," Primrose said.
"You are a liar. I know the smell and taste of dwarf. I can smell dwarf all over you," Smaug said.
"Well of course you would. I'm married to one and am carrying his child within me," Primrose said.
"I know why you are here. It's Oakenshield. He wants you to find the Arkenstone," Smaug said.
"Leave my Uncle out of it," Primrose said.
"I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer. Watch it destroy him. Watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad. But I think not. I think our little game ends here. So tell me, thief... how do you choose to die?" Smaug said.
Primrose paled as Smaug prepared to breathe fire then she remembered the ring and slipping it on slipped away. Going back the way she came she eventually found the other dwarves.
"Oh thank Mahal you're ok. We heard the dragon moving and I thought the worst," Kili said.
He and the other dwarves had heard Smaug moving around and Kili had become very worried.
"What was that?" Kili had asked.
"That my lad is a dragon," Balin had said.
"We should go and rescue her," Kili had said.
"Give her more time," Thorin had said.
"No I won't let my wife and unborn child be killed," Kili had said.
"I will not risk the life of this quest for one burglar," Thorin said.
"Primrose, her name is Primrose. And she is your niece in law. My wife," Kili said.
"Uncle what is wrong with you. The Uncle I know wouldn't hesitate to go in and rescue his niece in law," Fili spoke up.
Kili was looking distraught, unable to believe Thorin didn't want to rescue Primrose.
"If you won't go in there I will. I can't just stand here and let my wife be killed," Kili said.
"And I am going with him," Fili said.
In the end all of the dwarves made their way inside and Primrose found them as they were making their way down to the underground chamber. Kili had been very relieved to see that she was still alive and unhurt.
"Have you found the Arkenstone?" Thorin asked.
Primrose shook her head and Thorin frowned as she began to move to head back upstairs
"We should go," Primrose said.
Thorin drew his sword and barred her way. Suddenly he was pointing his sword at Primrose.
"Uncle!" Kili protested.
Thorin looked at Primrose his eyes distant and she realised that the gold sickness was gripping him.
"Here we go again," Fili muttered to Kili.
Primrose backed away from Thorin as he advanced on her holding his sword out in front of him.
"Uncle stop it you're frightening Prim," Kili said.
Suddenly he saw a movement and realised it was the dragon. At the same time he realised they were looking down on the chamber that contained the dwarves gold.
"You will burn," Smaug said as his chest began to glow orange.
Suddenly he belched fire at the company and everyone had to run to take cover.
"Come on Prim," Kili said grabbing her hand. The company spilled into another tunnel and raced along it.
"Flee, Flee run for your lives, there is nowhere to hide," Smaug called out.
The next period of time was spent running and hiding from Smaug until the company eventually made it to the furnaces.
"The plan is never going to work these are stone cold," Dwalin said.
"He's right. There isn't a fire here hot enough to set them ablaze," Balin said.
"Have we not," Thorin said, looking in the direction of where Smaug was.
He began insulting Smaug then ordered the other's to take cover. Kili who was still holding Primrose's hand pulled her behind a column. Suddenly Smaug belched fire and the furnaces were lit. Thorin ordered Bombur to get the bellows working and Primrose to go up to where there was a lever and pull it when he said.
"Come," Kili said.
The two made their way up to where the lever was and waited for Thorin's command. Thorin mean while asked Balin if he still knew how to make flash flame.
"They'll be ready in a jiffy," Balin said.
He and a couple of the others began assembling the bombs while Smaug approached where Kili and Primrose were.
"Now," Thorin suddenly called out.
Primrose pulled the lever and water poured out of several places. This got more machinery working and at the same time the other dwarves began throwing the bombs at Smaug. These had no effect and Smaug kept advancing. Finally Thorin lept into a wheelbarrow after molten gold began flowing from the furnaces telling the other dwarves to lead Smaug to the Gallery of the Kings..
"Come we must go to the Gallery of the Kings my love," Kili said to Primrose. They began running through corridors until they found the Gallery of the Kings. As they burst into the room Smaug burst in causing a tapestry to fall on top of them.
"You think you could deceive me little hobbit?" Smaug called out, "You've come from Lake Town. This is some sordid scheme hatched between these filthy dwarves and those miserable tub-trading Lake-men. Perhaps it is time I paid them a visit," Smaug said.
"Oh no," Primrose said, still hiding under the tapestry, "This isn't there fault. WAIT. You cannot go to Lake Town," Primrose said, getting out from under the tapestry.
"Prim what are you doing?" Kili hissed at her from under the tapestry, aghast at what she was doing.
"You care about them do you? Good then you can watch them die," Smaug said turning to leave.
"Here," Thorin called out drawing his attention, "You WITLESS WORM. I am taking back what you stole,"
"You will take nothing from me dwarf. I laid low your warriors of old. I instil terror in the hearts of men. I am King Under the Mountain," Smaug said.
"What a load of rubbish. Uncle is the King Under the Mountain," Kili said.
"This is not your Kingdom. These are dwarf lands. This is dwarf gold. And we will have our revenge," Thorin said.
Thorin grasped the chain he was holding and pulled. The other dwarves save for Kili were also holding chains and they pulled on them. The cover of the Statue Thorin was standing by falls off and it is a golden statue of Thror. Suddenly the gold melts and the statue collapses, the gold covering Smaug. All that is left is a sea of gold and no sign of Smaug. Primrose looks at Kili wondering if they have killed Smaug. However he suddenly bursts from the sea of gold and bursting out of the mountain flies into the sky. He is furious and spins around shaking the gold off.
"Revenge? REVENGE? I will show you revenge," Smaug says flying off towards Lake Town.
Primrose looks at Thorin, aghast at this turn of events. Smaug is going to attack Lake Town and they won't have any warning.
"What have we done?" she asks.
"We weren't to know this was going to happen, my love," Kili said.
"I know but this doesn't make it any better does it. What is going to happen to Bard and his family?" Primrose said. She is inconsolable sure that everyone in Lake Town is going to die and feeling as though it is her fault.