Chapter 14

It took us two days to reach the mountain. Fili had taken command over the others, who all seemed comfortable with it. He had pushed us as far as we could go the first day until we had to stop and sleep. I took the form of a wolf and slept beside the brothers. I was up late that night, and sighed quietly as I stared at the stars. There were only a few clouds in the sky, but I still welcomed the sight of the stars. It was something that was always the same, and it always brought me a sense of happiness no matter what I was doing. Sighing, I put my head back on my paws and got a bit more comfortable.

"What do you think we'll find?" Kili asked, surprising me.

I turned my head toward him and thought that over for a moment. To answer him, I gave off a soft whine, because I didn't know what we'd find. Kili sighed quietly at that and looked up at the sky for a while before he fell asleep. Fili was still up with me, and he laid his head against my side when he adjusted. I looked at the elder prince and gave him a gentle wag of my tag. I knew he was looking for comfort, so I curled a bit so my head was close to his own.

"Do you think they are alive?" he asked.

I snorted at him and dipped my head in a nod. Smaug wouldn't have left if Thorin and the others were dead. At least I was hoping that was the case. I had said that to him already, but the young prince needed more than that. I wagged my tail gently at him, and sighed softly. There was nothing we could really do except for wait till we got to Erebor. Fili gave a quiet sigh from where he laid against me, and I watched over him and the others until they were all asleep.

I couldn't help but be slightly nervous about what we were going to find. Thorin had already expressed that he was nervous going into the mountain many years ago if he were to ever go back. Now, they were there and he was in that mountain without us. I knew he was a strong dwarf, he was the strongest willed being I had ever met. There were things that he had handled that would put him off as invincible. I smiled inwardly at the memory that popped into my head, when he had claimed I held him too high. I was hoping that I was right in that part. If anyone could beat gold sickness, it was Thorin Oakenshield.

The next morning we were off and moving. We were all determined to get to Erebor today, and we kept up a fast pace. Seeing Kili still limping badly, I transformed into a horse and offered him a ride. For a moment he glared at me, but he took the offer. I kept a quiet pace with them until we reached Dale. The city was in ruins, as I remembered a year ago. Fili and Kili both sucked in a breath seeing what a dragon could do. I snorted softly and quietly led them past the city and down the road I used to run with Thorin when we were younger.

"Wow," Kili breathed as we came up past Dale and down the path that led up to the mountain.

It was going on sunset when we finally reached the entrance of Erebor. I looked up at the large hole that Smaug had made when he had left the mountain. Rubble lay scattered inside the mountain as the dwarves ran inside, so I quickly followed them once I was human. I didn't like seeing the city I had grown to love lying in ruin. With the dragon gone, I could see where he had busted through the stone and ruined so much more. I caught up with the others and looked around the large hall.

"Bombur!" Bofur cried. "Bifur!? Anybody!"

"Come on," I sighed walking through the hall. "We can only go down from here."

We walked through the huge hall and down several stairs that led to the fortress city below. It was just as amazing as I remember from months ago. For a moment, I pictured us walking through the city back when it was untouched by dragon claws. It made me feel a little better. Looking around us, I jumped when I heard sudden shouting. Turning my head, I smiled wide when I saw Bilbo running to us.

"Wait!" he cried as the others ran to meet him. "Wait!"

"Bilbo!" Bofur cried. "He's alive!"

"Stop! Stop! We need to leave," Bilbo gasped as we got to him. "We all need to leave..."

"But we only just got here..." Bofur said slowly looking at the hobbit in confusion.

I looked at Bilbo for a moment as he caught his breath and looked at us. "What's going on?" I asked.

"I've tried talking to him...but he won't listen," Bilbo replied.

"Wh...What do you mean, laddie?" Oin asked.

"Thorin!" Bilbo almost shouted and then hushed his tone as we jumped. "Thorin. Thorin, he's been down there for days. He won't sleep, he barely eats. He's not been himself, not at all. It's this...it's this place. I think a sickness lies upon it."

Kili looked at him in concern and Fili leaned around Bilbo to see down below us. "Sickness?" Kili asked as his older brother suddenly rushed off. "What kind of sickness?"

"Fili? Fili!" Bilbo shouted as we ran after him.

I knew exactly what Bilbo was talking about. A strain of madness was deep in Thorin's family, and I only assumed that he had fallen to it. The fact that a dragon had been guarding this treasure only made it worse. Dragon sickness was a serious business to get lost in, and would destroy a person. I ran after Fili as he rushed down to the horde of treasure below. I slid to a stop as they did, and almost collided with Bofur who stopped me before I went further. The mountains of gold in this place weren't new to me. I had seen them before, many times. Fili sucked in a breath, and I noticed Kili looked at him in concern for a moment. Coins moved suddenly, and I watched Thorin walk out of a small room. He had on a long robe, one that I had seen his grandfather wear long ago. Thorin looked around for a moment and I backed away, into the shadows.

"Gold. Gold beyond measure, beyond sorrow and grief," I heard him whisper.

He looked up at us then, and noticed that Fili and Kili were there and he smiled. It was an expression that seemed odd on his face. It made him look crazy, if that was even possible. It made me shift on my feet uncomfortably, and I tensed from where I stood beside Bofur. The dwarf looked at me briefly, but said nothing.

"Behold, the great treasure hoard of Thror," he announced, and threw a large jewel up to Fili who caught it. "Welcome, my sister's sons, to the Kingdom of Erebor."

Fili looked over the gold till Kili laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at his brother and something snapped in him and his eyes cleared again. I met his gaze when he found me. He seemed distressed, and I knew why he was. They slowly moved back so that Bilbo could take them to see the rest of the company. I moved to follow them when I heard Thorin suck in a breath.

"Arina?" he asked in surprise.

"Thorin," I replied, keeping my back to him.

He came up the steps then, and I glanced up to see that Kili had stopped to wait for me. I noticed the hard look on his face and so I turned to look at Thorin when he got to me. For a moment, his sharp blue eyes were clear and he smiled when he suddenly pulled me in to a hug. I couldn't help but hug him back, and I buried my face against his shoulder and into his hair. He squeezed me tightly and pressed the side of his head briefly against my own.

"You're ok," he breathed. "You all are ok..."

"Yes, we managed to get out alive," I mused slowly, and backed up to look at him. "What...Thorin what's going on with you?"

"Just imagine," he said abruptly, his voice dark. "There will never be anymore grief...no more worries about not having enough...you would be well taken care of."

"But there is grief," I said quietly reaching out to run my hand down his cheek. "You are not the same."

He paused for a moment and then gave me an irritated look as he backed away from me. Shifting slightly, I watched Thorin as he suddenly swung back around to look at the gold in front of us. He tensed and then his shoulder dropped before he took a few steps away from me. Knowing our conversation was over, I shook my head and turned to see Kili still waiting for me. He reached out to offer his hand, so I took it and walked with him quietly.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked quietly.

"It's a strain that runs in the family," I said slowly. "It started with the ring of power handed to the dwarves. But Thorin doesn't have that ring, so I don't think it has anything to do with that. This...this is from the dragon. Things happen when a dragon guards its treasure, and Thorin seems to be...loosing to it. It's also possible that the madness is in his blood, but I don't see you or Fili reacting to it. I'm to tired to really think about this."

"How do we pull him from it?" he demanded.

"I don't know...I've never experienced this before. I wasn't there first hand when Thror lost his mind."

As we rounded the corner with everyone else, we smiled when Fili and the others were busy hugging everyone. Nori looked up to see us and he grinned widely. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my own face. I was so happy to see that everyone was alive and counted for. The thief jumped down the stairs where he had been standing, his arms open.

"Kili! Arina!" he gasped, and there was another round of hugs.

Dwalin swept me up in a tight hug, and I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. He swung in a circle before he set me down on my feet, and I held his arms as he looked me over. I knew he was giving himself comfort, making sure that we were all okay. I didn't blame him, because I remembered doing this many times in the past.

"We thought you all were dead," he said backing up.

"Far from it," I grinned, hugging Balin. "But it seems that was the least of our problems..."

"Aye," Balin replied sadly. "But for now, let's not worry about it. We made something to eat, and let's get you some place to sleep."

"Do I really look that bad?" I asked, and he gave me a look.

"You have dark circles under your eyes," he said easily. "And anyway, it's almost nightfall as it is. There isn't much we can do now."

I sighed quietly as I followed them to a spot that they had picked out to sleep. No one really wanted to go find rooms to sleep in and instead, they had brought out blankets they had found and laid them around a small fire they got going. I watched as Bombur made some dinner with the things they had left. As they did that, I found myself wandering back to where Thorin was, and saw that he was slowly coming up the steps to join us. He looked up at the sound of my feet and came right up to me.

"I am glad you are safe," he said quietly.

"It was quite a trip getting away from Lake-town," I said slowly. "I don't think I'm going to really enjoy fire anymore. Or water for that matter."

He smiled slightly at that, and for a second I knew I was talking to Thorin Oakenshield. "We thought you had truly perished. All of you..."

"Well, yea," I shrugged. "A dragon attacking Lake-town...I would have thought so to."

"How is Kili?" Thorin asked we stood together.

"He is healing," I sighed. "The arrow had been poisoned...and we managed to get some help. He'll be fine."

Thorin relaxed dramatically and his eyes fluttered as he blinked a few times. "Good," he whispered. "I'm glad."

I looked at him quietly for a moment and watched as he slowly glanced back at the gold behind him. Laying a hand on his arm, I drew his attention back to me and so I reached forward and hugged him tightly. He was still for a moment, obviously surprised with my actions. A second later, he was hugging me back, and his face pressed against my shoulder firmly. Part of me knew this was the last hug we were going to share for a while.

"Forgive me...for whatever happens next," he whispered. "I am not myself..."

"I know," I whispered back.

When I pulled away from him, I let our foreheads touch. He reached up to touch the braid he had put in my hair, and then fingered the beads at the end. I closed my eyes as he did so, and enjoyed the way his fingers brushed against my cheek. When he stepped back, I forced myself to walk away from him when he nodded. I was hungry, and I could smell food so I went back to the others. He joined us a little while later but I knew he wasn't the same person I had spoken to earlier. I planted myself by Fili and Kili after I ate. Fili was leaning against the wall behind him and slowly, sleep began to take him. Kili was already passed out beside him, tucked under his covers. Thorin was speaking lowly to Dwalin and Balin across the fire and I couldn't make out their words. I yawned tiredly and jumped when someone touched my shoulder. Looking up, I met Gloin's gaze and took the blanket he offered me.

"Get some sleep, lass," he said softly. "All of you need it."

"Thanks Gloin," I murmured.

Opening the blanket, I wrapped myself in it and went to lay down. Looking across the fire I paused when I saw Thorin looking at me, and for a moment I almost didn't recognize him. His eyes had darkened, and the usual easy features were hardened. I felt my shoulders tense painfully, and he looked away from me only when Balin drew his attention. I felt something shift then, something that made my expression fall. The way he was acting was only going to get worse. I knew that, and so did Bilbo. It was why he had wanted to get us all out of here so fast when he had only just arrived.

Balin glanced across the fire at me and in that one look, he told me that I was right to feel the way I did. I knew he was having a hard time with it. He had been there with Thorin through most of his reign in the Blue Mountains. Balin had helped him through everything Thorin ever needed to be King. Wrapping my blanket tightly around me, I looked at the flames some more before I gave up and leaned against Fili in exhaustion. He woke when I did and turned his head to look at me leaning against his arm. Fili blinked tiredly as he took in that it was only me leaning against him.

"Sorry," I murmured. "Wanted comfort and you are right here..."

Fili regarded me quietly for a moment and then reached over and grabbed an extra blanket and folded it to lay it against his side once he made me sit up straight again. "Lay down," he said gently. "I'm used to sleeping sitting up. You'll wake up with the worst kink in your neck."

I chuckled softly, but listened to him and laid down. Putting my head on the make shift pillow, I relaxed when his hand fell to my side to give the comfort I was seeking. I would have loved nothing more than to go to Thorin and curl up against him, but at that moment I didn't even recognize the dwarf. Fili squeezed my side gently a few long minutes later so I tilted to look at him.

"I felt something..." he murmured. "This pull...it wanted to engulf me...it was almost terrifying. Are we losing him to it?"

"Yes we are..." I said softly. "I think it started back in Lake-town...and now...it's only going to get worse. I am glad to see you not falling victim to this..."

"It...terrifies you," he stated looking down at me. "That it'll get worse."

"I've known your uncle for all of your life and then more," I said softly. "Yes...it terrifies me. He always fought against everything. He was someone who never fell to anything and to see this..."

When I trailed off, Fili leaned his head back against the rock and his hand tightened on where it was on my side. I couldn't speak anymore, and I felt tears fall from my eyes and slide down my cheeks. I was so surprised to feel them, but then again I shouldn't have been. I was so exhausted, and on top of that to have this happen was just the tip of it all. This was only going to get worse, I was sure of it.

Oh boy I dare say it is getting good.

I want to say thank you to all the follows and favorites that took place on the last chapter. There were so many I couldn't keep up with them at the point so I'm just saying THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

There weren't many reviews though...makes me sad. Are you enjoying the story so far?

And what do you think about me making a separate story that was strictly of the life of Arina BEFORE this quest? I have several memories that I'd love to post, but we are so far along in this story I cannot post them, so I was thinking about doing a stand alone? Dear readers of mine what do you think?