This will be a quite emotional chapter and I apologize for that cruel cliffhanger at the end of this chapter!
/
"Father...I don't understand..." Thorin was still too confused, too perplex to form a full sentence. Thrain stepped away from him, his eye drifted to Kate and his lips formed a warm smile. She returned that smile as he reached for her hand, gently stroked the back of it with his thumb.
"You will, Thorin, you will understand. We'll have enough time to talk.", Thrain said before he turned to look at Kate again and added: "As you may know, my dear, I'm Thrain, son of Thror and father of Thorin. You must be Kate."
She nodded and her eyes drifted from Thrain to Thorin and back again.
"It's a pleasure to meet you", she replied. He gazed down on her, his smile grew even more as he saw her slightly grown belly.
"And this will be my grandchild..." his voice trailed off, too amazed that he would die someday with the knowledge that there would be another heir to the throne after Thorin.
A sudden bang shook the ground, Thrain stumbled backwards but Thorin managed to grab his wrist to prevent him from falling.
"Kate? What was that?" Lindsey asked frightened. Kate approached her cell, took her hand.
"Maybe another part of the ceiling broke down..."
"What if Fili...or any of the others got smashed?" Lindsey sobbed. Kate felt helpless, she sank down to the ground. Thorin turned to look at her.
"Kate?"
She looked at him, reassured him that she was alright, but tired.
"Father, we have to get you out of here..." he turned to Thrain again. The elder dwarf stepped closer to the bars.
"There's only one way to break this spell, you do know that, son"
Thorin nodded slowly but it seemed to him that it would be impossible now that he'd seen the dragon with his own eyes.
"And how? How will this spell break?", Kate asked and looked at Thrain.
"The only way to break a dragon spell is to break the dragon. To kill the dragon.", the elder dwarf replied and Kate felt her heart sinking. She knew it was impossible for them to kill Smaug without any help. But who would come and help them? Who might be able to kill Smaug? The elves? The people from Laketown? Gandalf? Where was he? He had told her that they would meet again in the end. For this was the end. At least she thought it was. Could it become even more miserable?
"Fili? Fili, where are you?" Kili searched frantically for his brother but he was nowhere to be seen. Fear crept up in the young princes heart. The roar of the dragon echoed through the halls. Dwalin turned to look back at Kili and the others. Bilbo shivered with his back pressed against the wall trying to hide in the shadow.
"Where is your brother?" Dwalin called and Nori started to search for the young prince in the debris of the collapsed ceiling.
Gloin and Kili did the same. "I think I can see him!", Gloin called and pushed a chunk of marble away. And there they could see him, covered in blood and unconscious.
"Fili!" Kili called. He was on the edge of his nerves and grabbed his brother's hand, but Fili didn't move.
"Stand aside, lad!", Dwalin said. He grabbed Fili, lifted him gently out of the debris. He turned around and the roaring of the dragon was gone.
"We need to get him out of here!" Kili called and pushed Legolas aside to reach Dwalin.
"The dragon is quiet, but I do not know if he is just hiding or if he has left the mountain again." the young elf replied calmly.
"If we stay here, we're also caught in a trap! And Fili is seriously injured! If we do not bring him to Oin he might die!" Kili growled and his eyes were teary-wet but he managed to hold them back.
"Bilbo! You got that ring with you?" Dwalin asked and Bilbo nodded slowly. "Alright, put it on and go take a look if Smaug is somewhere inside the mountain"
Bilbo took a deep breath, put his ring on and made his way closer towards the throne room again. Smaug was nowhere to be seen. He sneaked closer to the treasury and listened if the dragon was breathing somewhere hiding under the gold but the treasury was also empty. He ran back into the hallway, put the ring off and gestured them to follow him quickly. The dwarves and the elf followed Bilbo. They ran up the stairway leading to the Hidden Entrance. They entered the tunnel, with Dwalin at the front still holding Fili in his arms. The prince was still unconscious and his wounds were still bleeding.
Soon they reached the platform were the rest of the Company was still waiting for them. As they saw that Fili was injured their hearts began to sink.
"Let me take a look!" Oin called and Dwalin placed Fili on the soft patch of grass. He stepped aside and Oin began inspecting the young princes wounds. He had a lot of bruises and small cuts on his face. A laceration on his forehead was bleeding a lot.
"My bag! Bring me my bag!" Oin ordered and Bofur brought him his belongings.
"Take this cream and these herbals and mix it!" he told Bofur while he took a cloth and some water to clean the wound and stop the bleeding.
"Here you go" Bofur handed him the herbal cream and Oin gently rubbed it onto the cut. He bandaged it and began to do the same with the cut on Filis shoulder.
Balin turned to look at his brother. "Where are Kate and Thorin?" he asked and it was by now that the rest of them were aware that they were missing.
"The ceiling broke and separated us. But I've heard Thorin calling. They are alive but trapped. Where is Smaug?" Dwalin explained.
"He flew away and I guess he headed to Laketown. May Mahal protect those people", Balin replied.
"We have to go and find Thorin and Kate! Lindsey is also still missing!" Ori cried out but Legolas placed a hand on the young dwarves shoulder.
"We can't go inside again. Not now, we should wait it Smaug comes back. I'm certain Laketown has able fighters to bring him down." the elf said and turned his gaze towards the horizon. He knew his father would arrive soon. It was just a matter of time until a new battle would start. The sun was already gone and Smaug was still not back again.
"Maybe they killed him?" Bofur said.
"False hope is worse than fear. We should at least wait a few more hours." Legolas replied. They agreed.
Kili laid down next to his brother who was still passed out. The younger one took his brothers hand, placed his head close to his face.
"Please, Fili...wake up. I need you. Lindsey needs you..." he whispered and a single tear rolled down his cheek. The Company sat around them, watched the brothers with concern.
Suddenly Kili was aware that something was wrong. He lifted his head, watched his brothers face. His eyes drifted to his chest.
"Fili? FILI!" he shook his brother violently. Oin jumped to his feet and approached Fili.
"DO something!" Kili cried as he was aware that his brother wasn't breathing anymore. Tears ran down his face while he watched Oin pumping on his brothers chest, trying to reanimte him.
"Please...Fili! No...please, wake up! You can't go! You can't leave me now!" Kili cried out and broke down into Balins arms.
oh Mahal, I know that's a cruel cliffhanger and gosh am crying so hard xD Don't worry I try to update as soon as possible! Maybe even tomorrow :)