Chapter 16: Not at Home
In the meanwhile, the dwarves sat in the darkness, and utter silence fell about them. Little they ate and little they spoke. They could not count the passing time; and they scarcely dared to move, for the whisper of their voices echoed and rustled in the tunnel. If they dozed, they woke still to darkness and to silence going on unbroken. At last after days and days of waiting, it seemed, when they were becoming choked and dazed for want of air, they could bear it no longer. They would almost have welcomed sounds from below of the dragon's return. In the silence they feared some cunning devilry of his, but they could not sit there forever.
Thorin spoke: "Let us try the door! I think I would rather be smashed by Smaug in the open than suffocate in here." Deep in her gut, Bella (whom had not spoken since that night when she shouted at Thorin) knew that the door would not open. Still, several of the dwarves got up and groped back to where the door had been. But they found that the upper end of the tunnel had been shattered and blocked with broken rock. Neither key nor the magic it had once obeyed would ever open that door again.
"We are trapped!" some of them groaned. "This is the end. We will die here."
Yet, just when the dwarves were most despairing, Bella felt a strange lightening of the heart. "I am going down the tunnel once again," she said, her voice cracking slightly from lack of use. "I have been that way twice, when I knew there was a dragon at the other end, so I will risk a third visit when I am no longer sure. Anyway the only way out is down. And I think this time you had better all come with me."
In desperation, they all agreed. "Now be careful!" whispered the hobbit. "And be as quiet as you can possibly be! There may be no Smaug at the bottom, but then again there may be. Don't let us take unnecessary risks."
Down, down they went. The dwarves could not, of course, compare with the hobbit in real stealth, and they made a deal of puffing and shuffling which echoes magnified alarmingly; but though every now and again Bella in fear stopped and listened, not a sound stirred below. Near the bottom, as well as she could judge, Bella slipped on her ring and went ahead. But she did not need it: the darkness was complete, and they were all invisible, ring or no ring. In fact so black was it that the hobbit came to the opening unexpectedly, put her hand on air, stumbled forward and rolled headlong down into the hall!
There she lay downwards on the floor and did not dare to get up, or hardly even to breathe. But nothing moved. There was not even a gleam of light – unless, as it seemed to her, when at last she slowly raised her head, there was a pale white glint above her and far off in the gloom. But certainly it was not a spark of dragon-fire, though the worm-stench was heavy in the place, and the taste of vapor was on her tongue.
At length Bella could bear it no longer. "Confound you, Smaug!" she hollered aloud. "Stop playing hide-and-seek! Give me a light, and then eat me, if you can catch me!"
Faint echoes ran round the unseen hall, but there was no answer.
Bella got up, and found that she did not know in what direction to turn.
"Now I wonder what on earth Smaug is playing at," she said. "He is not at home today (or tonight, or whatever it is), I do believe. If Oin and Gloin have not lost their tinder-boxes, perhaps we can make a little light, and have a look around before the luck turns."
"Light!" she cried. "Can anybody make a light?"
The dwarves, of course, were very alarmed when Bella fell forwards down the step with a bump into the hall, and they sat huddled just where she had left them at the end of the tunnel. Thorin was particularly worried, and contemplated jumping after her, but instead had to focus on holding down his nephews from doing the same thing.
"SH!" they hissed, when they heard her voice; and though that helped the hobbit to find out where they were, it was some time before she could get anything else out of them. But in the end, when Bella actually began to stamp on the floor, and screamed out "light" at the top of her lungs, Thorin gave way, and Oin and Gloin were sent back to their bundles at the top of the tunnel.
After a while a twinkling gleam showed them returning, Oin with a small pine torch alight in his hand, and Gloin with a bundle of others under his arm. Quickly Bella trotted to the door and took the torch, but she could not convince the dwarves to light the others or come and join her yet. Thorin did offer, but she blatantly ignored him and said she would go ahead by herself. So the dwarves sat near the door and watched.
They saw the little dark shape of the hobbit start across the floor holding her tiny light aloft. Every now and again, while she was still near enough, they caught a glint and a twinkle as she stumbled on some golden thing. The light grew smaller as she wandered away into the vast hall; then it began to rise dancing into the air. Bella was climbing the great mound of treasure. Soon she stood upon the top, and still went on. Then they saw her halt and stoop for a moment; but they did not know the reason.
It was the Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. So Bella guessed from Thorin's descriptions of it, but indeed there could not be two such gems, even in so marvelous a hoard, even in all the world. Ever as she climbed, the same white gleam had shone before her and drawn her feet towards it. Slowly it grew to a little globe of pallid light. Now as she came near, it was tinged with a flickering sparkle of many colors at the surface, reflected and splintered from the wavering light of her torch. At last she looked down upon it, and she caught her breath. The great jewel shone before her feet of its own inner light, and yet, cut and fashioned by the dwarves, who had dug it from the heart of the Mountain long ago, it took all light that fell upon it and changed it into ten thousand sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow.
Suddenly Bella's arm went towards it drawn by its enchantment. Her small hand would not close about it, for it was a large and heavy gem, but she lifted it, shut her eyes, and put it deep in her pocket. "I will officially take this as my fourteenth share, until I know whether it will cause more problems for the dwarves if I give it to them." All the same she had an uncomfortable felling and that trouble was yet to come because of it.
Now she went on again. Down the other side of the great mound she climbed, and the spark of her torch vanished from the sight of the watching dwarves. But soon they saw it far away in the distance again. Bella was crossing the floor of the hall.
She went on, until she came to the great doors at the further side, and there a draught of air refreshed her, but it almost puffed out her light. She peeped timidly through, and caught a glimpse of great passages of the dim beginnings of wide stairs going up into the gloom. And still there was no sight nor sound of Smaug. She was just going to turn and go back, when a black shape swooped at her, and brushed her face. She squeaked and started, stumbled backwards and fell. Her torch dropped downwards and went out!
"Only a bat, I suppose and hope!" she said miserably. "But now what do I do? Which is East, South, North, or West?"
"HELLO?" she cried. "The light's gone out! Someone come find me and help me!" For the moment, her courage had failed altogether.
Faintly the dwarves heard her small cries, though the only word they could catch was "help".
"Bella!" Thorin said, ceasing his pacing at the sound of her panicked cry. He knew very well that it wasn't the dragon, because if it was she wouldn't be shouting like that. "Come on, get a light going and let's go help our burglar."
"It is about our turn to help," said Balin, "and I am quite willing to go. Anyway I expect it is safe for the moment."
Gloin lit several more torches, and then they all crept out, one by one, and went along the wall as hurriedly as they could. It was not long before they met Bella herself coming back towards them. Her wits had quickly returned as soon as she saw the tinkle of their lights. When the dwarves swarmed her and asked what happened, she ignored Thorin and answered only the other members of the company.
"Only a bat, I think, and I dropped the torch. Nothing but that," she said. Though they were much relieved, they were a bit grumpy from having been so scared for her wellbeing. Thorin simply looked upset and angry, at having been ignored.
The mere fleeting glimpses of treasure which they had caught as they went along had rekindled all the fire of their dwarvish hearts; and when the heart of a dwarf, even the most respectable, is wakened by gold and by jewels, he grows suddenly bold, and he may become fierce.
The dwarves indeed no longer needed any urging. All were now eager to explore the hall while they had the chance, and willing to believe that, for the present, Smaug was away from home. Each now gripped a lighted torch; and as they gazed, first on one side and then on another, they forgot fear and even caution. They spoke aloud, and cried out to one another, as they lifted old treasures from the mound or from the wall and held them in the light, caressing and fingering them.
Fili and Kili were almost in merry mood, and finding still hanging there many golden harps strung with silver they took them and struck them; and being magical they were still in tune. The dark hall was filled with a melody that had long been silent. But most of the dwarves were more practical; they gathered gems and stuffed their pockets, and let what they could not carry fall back through their fingers with a sigh. Thorin was not among these; but always he searched from side to side for something which he could not find. It was the Arkenstone; but he spoke of it yet to no one.
Now the dwarves took down mail and weapons from the walls, and armed themselves. Royal indeed did Thorin look, clad in a coat of gold-plated rings, with a silver-hafted axe in a belt crusted with scarlet stones. Though Bella had to admit that he looked rather dashing, she preferred him in his regular, less painful clothes.
"Ms. Baggins!" he cried, startling her. "Here is the first payment of your reward! Cast off you old coat and put on this!"
Bella scowled at him angrily, and turned her back to him. No matter how many times she said that she wanted nothing of this treasure, he seemed to force the wealth upon her. While her back was turned, Thorin put a small coat of mail on her, which had been wrought for some young elf long ago. It was silver-steel, which the elves called mithril, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals. "What did I tell you?" she snapped, turning round on him viciously. Hesitation paid her a brief visit when she saw the look of sincerity in his eyes.
"Do not take this as a fourteenth share then. Take it as a gift, to protect you. No blade can pierce that armor, and it would bring me great comfort if you wear it," he said softly.
"This does not change anything," she said, turning heel and walking away from the saddened king. Her eyes grew wet, but she did not shed a tear. That would come later tonight, when everyone else was sleeping.
"Thorin!" Dwalin cried. "What next? We are armed, but what good has any armor ever been before against Smaug? This treasure is not yet won back. We are not looking for gold yet, but for a way to escape; and we have tempted luck too long."
"You speak the truth," Thorin sighed. "Let us go! I will guide you. Not in a thousand years should I forget the ways of this palace." Then he hailed the others, and they gathered together, holding their torches above their heads they passed through the gaping doors, not without many a backward glance of longing.
Their glittering mail they had covered again with their old cloaks and one by one they walked behind Thorin, a line of little lights in the darkness that halted often, listening in fear once more for any rumor of the dragon's coming.
Through all the old adornments were long moldered or destroyed, and though all was befouled and blasted with comings and goings of the monster, Thorin knew every passage and every turn. They climbed long stairs, and turned and went down wide echoing ways, and turned again and climbed yet more stairs, and yet more stairs again. These were smooth, cut out of the living rock broad and fair; and up, up, the dwarves went, and they met no sign of any living thing, only furtive shadows that fled from the approach of their torches fluttering in the draughts.
These steps were not made, all the same, for hobbit-legs, and Bella was just felling that she could go on no longer, when suddenly the roof sprang high and far beyond the reach of their torch-light. A white glimmer could be seen coming though some opening far above, and the air smelt sweeter. Before them light came dimly through great doors, that hung twisted on their hinges and half burnt.
"This is the great chamber of Thror," said Thorin; "the hall of feasting and of council. Not far off now is the Front Gate."
They passed through the ruined chamber. Tables were rotting there; chairs and benches lying overturned, charred and decaying. Skulls and bones were upon the floor among flagons and bowls and broken drinking-horns and dust. As they came through yet more doors at the further end, a sound of water fell upon their ears, and the grey light grew suddenly more full.
"There is the birth of the Running River," said Thorin. "From here it hastens to the Gate. Let us follow it!"
Out of a dark opening in a wall of rock there issued a boiling water, and it flowed swirling in a narrow channel, carved and made straight and deep by the cunning of ancient hands. Beside it ran a stone-paved road, wide enough for many men abreast. Swiftly along this they ran, and round a wide-sweeping turn – and behold! Before them stood the broad light of day. In front there rose a tall arch, still showing fragments of old carven work within, worn and splintered and blackened though it was. A misty sun sent its pale light between the arms of the Mountain, and beams of gold fell on the pavement at the threshold.
A whirl of bats frightened from slumber by their smoking torches flurried over them; as they sprang forward their feet slithered on stones rubbed smooth and slimed by the passing of the dragon. Now before them the water fell noisily outward and foamed down towards the valley. They flung their pale torches to the ground, and stood gazing out with dazzled eyes. They were come to the Front Gate, and were looking out upon Dale.
A cold wind blew upon all of them, sending a chill deep into their bones. It carried a threat of oncoming winter, swirling over and round the arms of the Mountain into the valley, and sighed among the rocks. After their long time in the stewing depths of the dragon-haunted caverns, they shivered in the sun.
"I think we ought to make for the old look-out post at the South-West corner of the Mountain," said Balin.
"How far is that?" asked the exhausted hobbit.
"Five hours march, I should think. It will be rough going. The road from the Gate along the left edge of the stream seems all broken up. But look down there! The river loops suddenly east across Dale in front of the ruined town. At that point there was once a bridge, leading to steep stairs that climbed up the right bank, and so to a road running towards Ravenhill. There is (or was) a path that left the road and climbed up to the post. A hard climb, too, even if the old steps are still there."
"Very well, let us follow Balin's path," said Thorin.
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Under the rocky wall to the right there was no path, so on they trudged among the stones on the left side of the river, and the emptiness and desolation soon sobered even Thorin again. The bridge that Balin had spoken of they found long fallen, and most of its stones were now only boulders in the shallow noisy stream; but they forded the water without much difficulty, and found the ancient steps, and climbed the high bank. After going a short way they struck the old road, and before long came to a deep dell sheltered among the rocks; there they rested for a while and had such a breakfast as they could.
After that they went on again; and now the road struck westwards and left the river, and the great shoulder of the south-pointing mountain-spur drew even nearer. At length they reached the hill path. It scrambled steeply up, and they plodded slowly one behind the other, till at last in the late afternoon they came to the top of the ridge and saw the wintry sun going downwards towards the West.
Here they found a flat place without a wall on three sides, but backed to the North by a rocky face in which there was an opening like a door. From that door there was a wide view of East and South and West. "Here," said Balin, "in the old days we used always to keep watchmen, and that door behind leads into a rockhewn chamber that was made here as a guardroom. There were several places like it round the Mountain. But there seemed small need for watching in the days of our prosperity, and the guards were made over comfortable, perhaps – otherwise we might have had longer warning of the coming of the dragon, and things might have been different. Still, here we can now lie hid and sheltered for a while, and can see much without being seen."
"Not much use, if we have been seen coming here," said Dori, who was always looking up towards the Mountain's peak, as if he expected to see Smaug perched their like a bird on a steeple.
"We must take our chance of that," said Thorin. "We can go no further today."
Grateful of that mercy, Bella sat down immediately against the rock wall. All of them looked out to the West, South, and East, and saw nothing. There was no sign of the dragon, but there was a gathering of many birds. At that they gazed and wondered; but they were no nearer understanding it, when the first cold stars came out.