Chapter 14
It took less time for Bilbo to find the treasure and the dragon than he expected because the destruction of Erebor was horrendous, it made an easy path to follow. Bilbo felt a great sadness as he walked through the many grand halls, every ten meters or so there was a pile of Dwarven soldiers squashed together and ground into the stone, he could not leave them laying twisted and exposed when his Dwarves entered the mountain. Bilbo found any fabric that was left, mostly fallen banners, and covered each pile of Dwarves whispering a pray to the Green Lady and Lord Mahal each time.
As he came upon the treasury Bilbo saw that the great doors were hanging by their bottom hinge, they had long deep gouges where Smug had torn them open. From the moment he stepped inside Bilbo could tell the Dragon was still alive because the gold was moving ever so slightly outwards and then inwards in the slow rhythm of a set of giant lungs breathing, too slow for the dragon to be awake. He looked around and found himself sickened by the evidence of one Dwarf's greed, a greed that had ended a great civilisation that he was sworn to protect. But there was something more, a darkness that was trying to creep into his soul telling him that he had found this treasure it was his, but Hobbits nor Fae are so easily swayed, Bilbo batted the voice away as if it were but a bothersome fly.
Bilbo turned to leave, but something caught his eye, it glowed in a disturbingly familiar way. It could only be the Arkenstone, a diamond no bigger than his fist, polished and glowing with and internal light. Bilbo recognised it immediately and felt his stomach drop. The worst disaster to strike the Hobbits since the Fell Winter was four years ago when a cave full of these gems was found, Bilbo remembered the exhaustion that followed as he spent three days awake and tending to the patients with heavy metal poisoning, for that is what made the Arkenstone glow, a heavy metal called Thallium which was toxic caused insanity, Bilbo had found the source of Thror's madness.
Upon exiting Bilbo was surrounded by his Dwarves, he did not hear their questions. How did he tell them? Bilbo passed for a few seconds, considering. Then he looked at the Dwarves, it would have to be quick, no hesitation. "I found the source of Thror's madness, it wasn't the gold."
Silence. "What?" Thorin whispered in confusion.
"You best sit," Bilbo said, they complied. "Smaug is still asleep. But I have bad news that you may not want to hear but, well let's start with the easy part, Smaug has made a nest in the treasury and when you enter something will call to you to try and claim the treasure, and then he will eat you. I heard the voice but my kind rarely fall prey to those sorts of enticements. For this reason and one other none of you should enter the mountain until Smaug is dead, when he dies I believe the call will die with him."
"How are we to kill a dragon?" Kili whispered, fear was evident in his voice.
No one answered for a moment. "I may have an idea," Bofur said.
"Well? Let's hear it!" Gloin said.
"I- I will need to confer with Bilbo for a moment first," Bofur said and he stood and walked to the edge of camp waiting.
Bilbo followed, "Bofur?"
"Sallgard dúradh liom uair amháin go raibh sí leacht an-fhuar a úsáidtear i gcóireáil le haghaidh ceann amháin de na hothair, bhraith mé d'fhéadfadh an fuar go leor chun a mharú an beithíoch," Bofur whispered.
"Bofur, go bhfuil smaoineamh den scoth a, ní bheadh sé a ghlacadh fada as é a thagann, beidh an dragan chodladh go dtí go bhfuil sé ag woken. Má táimid ciúin is féidir linn a choinneáil air ina chodladh go dtí go dtagann sé," Bilbo replied
"Sallgard told me once that she had a very cold liquid used in treatment for one of her patients, I felt the cold could be enough to kill the beast."
"Bofur, that is an excellent idea, it would not take long for it to come, the dragon will sleep until it is woken. If we are silent we can keep him asleep until it comes."
When they returned to camp Bilbo nudged Bofur and gave him a nod. They sat and Bofur began, "My wife-"
"Since when are you married?"
"You don't have a marriage bead!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Married!"
Various members of the company exclaimed all at the same time, Bilbo sighed and sent a flash of light into the middle of camp, "Silence," He hissed, "You'll wake the dragon!"
He nodded to Bofur, who began again, "My wife is a Hobbit and she told me of something that is colder than ice and snow, cold enough to kill a fire drake. Bilbo can contact the Shire from here and it would arrive quickly, perhaps with food and aid as well. We will need to be quiet so that the dragon remains asleep, but we can do this lads."
The other dwarves whispered for between themselves for a moment and then Balin asked, "Is this true Bilbo?"
In the silence that followed Bilbo replied, "Yes, a rough estimation is two weeks for aid from the Shire."
"Why did you not mention this sooner?" Thorin asked with a look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
"It is forbidden to talk of such things with outsiders, but I have come to see you all as Teaghlaigh, Family. That means that you are no longer outsiders," Bilbo explained gently.
The three youngest members of the company mobbed him and said in unison, "Love you Aunty Bilbo."
Bilbo hugged them back as best he could, "Love you too boys."
Fortinbras stared at the papers in front of him, it had been a hard day and the words began to blur. He jumped as he personal communicator rang loudly, he saw a picture of Uilliam smiling up at him and grabbed it, "Uilliam! Why have you not called?" He yelled.
"Hello Fortinbras, I'm fine thanks for asking," came the curt reply.
"Yes, yes, fine how are you?" Fortinbras sighed.
"I am well thank you and yourself?"
"Tired, long day."
"I apologise, but it's about to get longer."
Fortinbras groaned and laid his head on his desk, "Noooo," he whined pitifully.
"Come on, don't you want to be known as the Thain who aided in the death of the last dragon?"
"No. I want to be known as the Thain who slept!"
"Fortinbras."
"Fine! What do you need?"
Four months after the Battle of Azanulbizar, The Blue Mountains
Balin stood at the end of Prince Thorin's small bed, the child would not eat, he barley drank and he never talked. He was thinner than a human child and he flinched when any adult came near. Balin sighed this was the last thing anyone could think of, he approached the head of the bed and knelt down. The Prince flinched, "Thorin, someone is here to see you," the Prince flinched again and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Balin sighed something he was doing a lot lately, and headed for the door, he nodded to the woman outside, "let them in." the woman left and returned with two Darrow children in her arms, "Ban!" the younger, male child called reaching out his arms.
"Bawin!" the slightly older, female child said upon seeing him, she wiggled to be put down, and the woman knelt down to Balin's height passing Dwalin to him and placed Dis on the ground.
Balin took Dis' hand and took the children into the room, shutting the door behind him. He stepped up to the head of the bed and knelt once again. Dis looked at her brother and said, "Towin!" Balin held his breath but Thorin didn't flinch, he didn't stop sucking his thumb, but he didn't flinch! This was a huge step forward.
Over the next few months with short visits from Dwalin and Dis, Thorin started to recover, he would eat but only when the other children were too. He didn't join in when Dis and Dwalin played very often, preferring to sit on his bed sucking his thumb while watching the others play. He still didn't talk but he communicated through nodding or shaking his head, the flinching stopped and soon he became clingy.
The first time it happened Balin was sitting in an arm chair watching the children play at his feet, Thorin was playing with a stuffed rabbit toy making it hop with one hand while his other thumb was in his mouth. He stood up, continuing to make the rabbit hop, he walked up to Balin's chair and pulled himself up into Balin's lap making the rabbit hop up and down Balin's arm. There was a small contented smile on his face and Balin knew he was getting better.
"I wanna be da hero!" thirty-nine year old Dwalin said stamping his foot.
"No you're the bad guy, I'm da hero," fourty-four year old Dis said with the authority of her station, "You can be the Hero next time."
"But you're supposed to be da Princess!"
"No Thorin's da Princess!" Dis said putting a pretty tiara on her brother's head.
Thorin smiled, "I like being the Princess," he said quietly.
"Fine! I'm gonna be da hero next time! Come on Princess Thorin, I'm gonna kinnapp you now," Dwalin said grabbing fifty-eight year old Thorin's hand and leading him to the bed, Thorin climbed up and Dwalin surrounded him with pillows and stuffed toy guardians.
"Help me, help me, brave Dis!" Thorin called, not loudly but the room was small.
In this last section Thorin is the Dwarven equivalent of ten through to nearly twelve. He is childish because he is scared to be considered 'grown up' again, he doesn't want to go to war anymore and he enjoys playing childish games and not getting in trouble.
I'm glad I got some more of Thorin's recovery in its important to his character.