Chapter 39

"No Loyalty"

After their conversation, Torshar went ahead of Bilbo to the armory and was surprised to find Calyr who she thought had fled the mountain due to the fact that she had not seen him since they arrived. As they embraced, the healer informed her that he had been buried in the documents of what remained of the Archives looking for any way to cure Dragon Sickness but he sadly found nothing. Her hopeful eyes turned dull at the news and she pulled away from his warmth to grip the doorway beside them where she allowed herself to slowly slide to the floor while silent tears fell.

"No…" she whispered and carefully curled up into a ball as her Elf friend knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her once more.

"I'm so sorry… I don't know what more can be done…"

She sniffled and answered in a defeated and hopeless tone, "There is nothing more that can be done…"

"I have been blind, now I begin to see. I am betrayed!" Thorin whispered angrily to his Mithril clad Hobbit friend who look at him "astonished".

"Betrayed?" the burglar wondered aloud and began to think, 'Oh no… He knows the truth!'

"The Arkenstone…" the king's eyes turned towards the company who were grabbing weapons and helping each other into their armor, "One of them is false… I believe it to be Torshar…" His voice trailed off as his gaze fell on said maiden and her tear-stained cheeks. Sorrow suddenly gripped his heart as he watched several drops fall down her face; regret seeping into his very soul for believing that she of all people could betray him. But was her treachery the reason behind her tears or was it because of all the pain he had caused her? Deep in his heart a small voice of reason told him yes to the latter.

The warrior prince was pulled from his reverie when the burglar spoke up, "Thorin, why would Torshar steal from you? Besides, the quest is fulfilled… You've won the Mountain, is that not enough?"

"Betrayed by my own love…" the sick Dwarf whispered, gazing back at the Elf healer and the versifier.

Once more Bilbo gained the king's attention, "You made a promise to the people of Lake-Town, is this treasure truly worth more than your honor? Our honor, Thorin… Torshar and I were there, we gave our word."

"And for that, I am grateful. It was nobly done but the treasure of the mountain does not belong to the people of Lake-Town. This gold is ours… On my life… I will not part with a single coin… Not one piece of it…" suddenly, the voice of Smaug the dragon began to ring in Bilbo's ears though his gaze was focused on Thorin as then Dwarves passed between them, armed and ready for the impending war.

"Not this time! Armies of Orcs are on the move; these are fighters. They have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength." The grey wizard pleaded in the tent of Thranduil in the city of Dale. He had arrived a little over an hour before and demanded to speak to whomever was in charge of the refugees or army.

"Why show his hand now?" the Elf lord questioned.

Gandalf stood straight though his back screamed for him to sit and rest as he gazed at both the Elf and the bargeman, "Because we forced him! We forced him when the company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim their homeland with Torshar as their guide. The Dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor, Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master seeks control of the Mountain. Not just for the treasure within but for where it lies, it's strategic position." The illusionist stepped out of the tent, followed by his compatriots, and motioned to the sealed gate, "This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the North. If that fell kingdom should rise again… Rivendell, Lorien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall."

Even with all of this revealed to him, Thranduil still proceeded to question the wizard, "These Orc armies you speak of, Mithrandir, where are they?" this was a question that the Ishtari member could not answer.

Calyr helped Torshar to her feet once she had calmed herself and found the Dwarves had left for the entrance hall to take shifts at the gate. Her gaze fell to the floor then rose to the armory as she took a step towards it. The healer watched her in confusion, "Torshar…? What are you doing?"

"I am going to fight… By his side, no matter if he wants me there or not." She answered and started searching for a suitable weapon and armor.

"You're in no condition to fight! You're five months pregnant!" Calyr warned.

"I don't care! I love Thorin and nothing is going to keep me from him!"

"Not even Dragon Sickness?!" the brunette asked though he knew it was a cheap shot, it was the only way to make her see reason and it was apparently successful because she dropped the sword that was in her hands then collapsed to her knees and sobbed.

Burying her face in her hands, Torshar let loose even more tears that she had no idea where they were coming from, "I just want him back, Calyr… I want my betrothed back… I want my Thorin back…" she sobbed and was wrapped in a warm embrace by her Elf friend.

"I know, young one… I know…" he whispered.

Thorin stood in his chambers removing his armor to prepare for a few hours of rest when a knock sounded at his door. "Come." He stated but didn't turn as he removed his tunic.

The door opened and closed then a soft voice spoke up, "Thorin…" this made him look up to acknowledge the person who spoke but he only scowled when he saw it was Torshar; her eyes a bit red and puffy.

"What could you possibly want, harlot?" he asked maliciously then turned away from her to remove his wrist cuffs.

"Thorin, please… I'm begging you to see reason. The Arkenstone is not needed to prove you are king of Erebor… You know deep in your heart that I am not a whore and that the children I bare are yours and yours alone. Please… I love you…" she pleaded and fell to her knees at his feet as he turned towards her once more.

Her pathetic position amused him for a moment then his sneer vanished as he knelt and lifted her to her feet, "A queen should not grovel before her king." He whispered and kissed her forehead. Slowly, he felt lean arms wrap around his back and cling to him as she buried her face in his chest hair making him smile, "My darling…"

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced the king's back and caused him to gasp for air. Quickly pulling away from the versifier he discovered her mouth had been pulled into a spiteful, evil grin as blood dripped from her right hand where a dagger was sitting snug in her grip. Gasping for air but receiving none, the warrior fell onto his side before the mirror where he caught a glimpse of a deep wound that was bleeding profusely. He tried to crawl towards the door as Torshar knelt down beside him and grabbed a fistful of his hair, "How could you be so blind…?" she whispered in his ear.

"I knew you were the traitor…" he coughed making her grin widen as she pulled out the Arkenstone.

"Of course it was me. But sadly, no one is going to know that because the dagger I used is Calyr's. When you die I will be the one to discover you scream and try to bring you back, and the company will come running. I assume the throne and the children and I will live happy ever after. A perfect ending." She giggled.

"They won't believe you…"

"Oh, they will." Slowly she leaned in and kissed Thorin tenderly though he did not return the kiss, "Farewell, my king." She then stabbed him in the stomach and covered his mouth and he screamed in agony.

Bolting up in bed breathing heavily and sweating, Thorin looked around his darkened chambers and sighed in relief, "It was only a nightmare…" he whispered to himself as he got out of bed and headed to the washroom to wash his face, unaware of the other Dwarf who disappeared into thin air with a wicked grin on his face.

Night seemed to creep up on Middle Earth faster than anyone realized, especially for Gandalf who found himself still arguing with Thranduil as the moon steadily rose overhead, "Since when has my council counted for so little? What do you think I am trying to do?!"

The platinum blond Elf looked at the grey robed wizard with a slight irritation in his eyes, "I think you're trying to save your Dwarvish friends, and I admire your loyalty to them but it does not disway me from my course. You started this, Mithrandir… You will forgive me if I finish it." He stated as he stood from his seat then stepped out to speak to his commander, "Are the archers in postion?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain, kill it. The Dwarves are out of time."

Bard stepped out as well to tend to his own forces as Gandalf followed to try to reason with him, "Bowman, do you agree with this? Is gold so important to you that you would buy it with the blood of Dwarves?"

"It will not come to that! This is a fight they cannot win!" the dragon slayer stated strongly.

Just then, a voice rose above the clatter of soldiers who were awake or on patrol, "That won't stop them! If you think the Dwarves will surrender, they won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own." And a small, furry-toed mad dressed in blue appeared from the darkness.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf exclaimed in surprise with a smile.

The trio walked back into the tent where Thranduil was introduced to the Hobbit but was less than enthused, "If I am not mistaken, this is the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards?"

With no reason to lie to the king, Bilbo begrudgingly answered, "…. Yes…. Sorry about that. I came to give you… This…" he placed the mouth of the pouch on the table and allowed the shimmering stone to slide out; stunning the other men.

"The Heart of the Mountain…" the lord rose from his seat in astonishment, "The King's Jewel…"

Bard followed as they approached the table and stood above the stone, "And worth a king's ransom. How is this yours to give?" he asked Bilbo.

The burglar smirked to himself, "I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure…" he answered, earning a smirk from Gandalf.

"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty." Bard continued only to be cut off.

"I'm not doing it for you. I know that Dwarves are obstinent and pig-headed and difficult… And suspicious and secretive with the worst manners you can possibly imagine but they are also brave and kind and loyal to a fault… I've grown very fond them and I would save them if I can… Especially Torshar who has shown me nothing but kindness and love. Thorin… Values this stone above all else, even his love for Torshar and his unborn children… In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war."

Gandalf led the Hobbit out as the two leaders began to deliberate. He guided his companion a fair distance from any prying ears before speaking, "Rest up tonight, you must leave on the morrow."

"What?"

"Get as far from here as possible." The wizard warned.

"I'm not leaving! You picked me as the fifteenth man, I'm not about to leave the company now and not without Torshar above all else!" the furry-toed man retorted and stopped mid-step, causing the wizard to stop and turn with a deadly serious look.

"There is no company, not anymore! Torshar should have come with you but she has doomed herself by staying… And I don't like what Thorin will do when he finds out what you've done."

Bilbo sighed, "I'm not afraid of Thorin!"

"Well you should be! Don't underestimate the evil of gold. Gold of which a serpent has long brooded… Dragon Sickness seeps into the hearts of all who come near this mountain." Gandalf stated as the duo turned their gazes towards Erebor then smiled and looked at Bilbo, "Well… Almost all."