SO! HOPE YOU ALL STILL LIKE MY STORY, EVEN AFTER THAT LAST CHAPTER. ANYWAY, HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER, LITTLE LONGER THAN NORMAL, SO ENJOY!
GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!
~THE LUPINE SOJOURNER
(M)
I am not actually sure entirely what made me stay. Fili, or Kili's wound. I just know that I want to stay with Fili. And that I can help poor Kili, who I have gotten attached to. If I could at least take some of his pain away, then I would. That wound was something I hadn't seen before. There was something off about it and I guess I want to know what it is. I steady Kili as he suddenly looks ready to collapse with exhaustion. I chew my lip worriedly. If he had convinced Thorin to let him go...Kili would be dead. He needs rest and treatment, things only possible here in Laketown. There was no time to both hike to Erebor and tend to Kili. Something Thorin knows. That's why Kili is still here.
I feel for him. I really do. It can't be easy, having to tell your kin they cannot be a part of something so important and momentous for Dwarf-kind. Nevertheless, Kili needed tending to. And fast.
"Come on." I order, pulling Kili's arm over my shoulder and marveling and worrying at the lack of resistance I am met with. Kili must be worse than he thought. "I have an idea." So we drag him toward the Master, the only thing we can think to do.
"Please, wait!" Fili cries desperately. The Master and Alfrid turn. By now, I take most of Kili's weight, the other portion taken by his brother. He's getting colder by the minute. Which is peculiar. Normally, infections make people feverish and hot. Not colder than ice. "Please. We need your help. My brother is sick." Fili explains. Alfrid and the Master pale, the Master drawing out a handkerchief.
"I-is it infectious?!" He cries, reeling back as if the sight of us repulses him. "Get back! Alfrid! Alfrid, don't let them come any closer!" I scowl darkly.
"You don't have to touch him!" I bark. "We just need medicine." This doesn't change anything, the Master is still wary and drawing back, Alfrid standing protectively in front of him. Now that the majority of the Dwarves were gone, they had no reason to give us any more aid. I feel more hatred for them than ever before.
"Please." Oin begs. I know for a fact that the Master has medicines, the best this town has to offer, locked away in the event he gets sick. If we could get a dose of it...it should help Kili. Alfrid then sneers at us.
"Do I look like an apothecary?" He snaps. Hopelessness fills the Dwarves, but rage fills me. I haven't given up on Kili, with or without the Master's medicine. "Haven't we given you enough?" He demands. "The Master's a busy man. He hasn't got time to worry about sick Dwarves."
"It won't take but a minute to fetch one dose!" I growl. "Just give us the medicine, and then we won't have to bother you any more."
"Sorry, Earthstrider. You're on your own." He replies. "Be gone with you. Go on. Clear off." He growls. I glare murderously at him, heaving Kili a little higher.
"You're repulsive and sickening, Alfrid Lickspittle. Amin delotha lle, utinu en lokirim Amin feuya ten' lle. (I hate you, son of snakes. You disgust me.)" I seeth, reverting to Elvish in my fury. "Come. We have to think of something else." I tell the others.
"No!" Bard barks when he opens his door. He's downright furious with us. I can tell. But, we have no other choice. Everywhere else, people turn us away, fearful of catching whatever it was that was killing Kili. "I'm done with Dwarves." He adds. "Go away." He then tries to slam the door.
"No, no!" Bofur cries, prying it back no. "No, please. No one will help us. Kili is sick. He's very sick."
"Dying, more accurately. We need to treat him." I add pleadingly. "I'm sorry, Bard. Truly. I did not mean to add to your family's troubles. Honestly. All we need is your table to work on. As soon as Kili is better, we'll be off to Erebor and you most likely will never see us again." He understands the underlaying words. 'we'll most likely be dead after we reach the mountain, but we have to heal Kili. He can't die like this. Even if Kili succumbs to the poison, we have to try.' He then swallows, deliberating for a moment before opening the door. "Thank you, Bard. Thank you." I breath in relief.
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
As soon as the boat hits land, we secure it and move on quickly. Already, it is nearing ten o'clock. We need to get to Dale as quickly as possible, noon is the best, if we are to be on track to find the door by sundown.
I can't help but feel a nearly overpowering urge to get back in the boat and sail back to Laketown. Back to my One, my brothers, and my friends. But, duty calls and I have no choice but to obey. Whether or not I enjoy it.
Once we've been walking awhile, I find myself striding alongside Balin, a question popping into my head, and I voice it, eager for a distraction.
"Balin?"
"Aye, lass?"
"What happened last night. I had too much ale to remember." He laughs.
"I haven't seen a kiss like that since Dis and Frerin's wedding day." I flush.
"Oh, Mahal."
"Don't worry. Most probably don't remember."
"Nori does." I reply sullenly. Balin sighs.
"Well, at least it's out now. You don't have to hide your romance any longer." I groan, running a hand down my face in exasperation.
"That may be, but he's in Laketown and I'm here." He looks sympathetically at me.
"Lass, separation is no trivial thing, especially concerning two people madly in love. It is not shameful to feel what you feel." I somehow smile at Balin. He always had the best advice.
"Thank you." I mumble and keep moving in comfortable silence. An hour or more passes, each member of the company lost in thought and concentrating on moving with speed, until we reach the area Thorin describes as the Desolation of Smaug.
"So quiet." Bilbo mumbles disconcertedly. Balin sighs.
"Wasn't always like this." He replies. "Once, these slopes were lined with woodlands. The trees were filled with birdsong." I sigh, picturing that sight in my head. It's easy, having lived in a wood for so many years. I can practically hear the birds now, despite only a thrush being the single bird around. Bilbo looks around, still concerned.
"Relax, Master Baggins." Thorin calls, drawing up to us. "We have food, we have tools, and we're making good time." I sigh, remembering the sacrifices we had to make to get here. I just pray to Mahal Kili recovers quickly. Separation is not pleasant at all. I frown and keep moving, happening to look up as I come near an outcropping.
And see the city of Dale, or the ruins thereof. Durin's beard, is it an awe-inspiring sight! i nearly forget my troubles for a moment, staring at once was a great city of Man.
"What is this place?" Bilbo asks. Hasn't he looked at a map?
"Dale." I whisper.
"It was once the city of Dale." Balin remarks, a little louder than I. "Now, it is a ruin." I whistle.
"If this is but a ruin, I can scarcely imagine what it looks like fully developed and in business." I reply. Balin nods.
"Aye. There was not a sight like it. However, it is now simply the Desolation of Smaug."
"The sun will soon reach midday." Thorin notes. "We must find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way!" Bilbo looks at Thorin.
"Wait, it this the overlook?" He asks. I frown for a moment before remembering that Gandalf had strictly ordered us not to enter Erebor without him. However, if he wasn't here..."Gandalf said to meet him here." Bilbo points out. "On no account were we to- -"
"Do you see him?" Uncle interrupts. Bilbo stutters to respond. "We have no time to wait upon the Wizard." He adds. "We're on our own! Come!"
I gulp, looking again at the massive destruction wrought upon the city. If Smaug can destroy an entire city...
How are we to stop him from doing it again to Laketown? Or us? Without Gandalf, to boot?
=#=#=#=#=
(M)
"Do what you can." He says. "I understand the helplessness of this situation. My wife had the fever, worst I've ever seen, and we couldn't afford a doctor." That sends a punch of guilt into my stomach, as well as memory. "M-Mithra...you are...you are beautiful. Let no one tell...tell you different." I swallow thickly. Mother's last words.
I've never had the courage to believe them before, but why else would someone like Fili pay attention to me, right? No. He's my friend for my personality more than looks...right? Difficult to say, but...I think it's true. He doesn't only see my looks. He sees me, doesn't he? He knows me better now and still wants to hang around me, so...
"I, too, lost someone to sickness. My mother. Blue Mountain Virus. She never stood a chance." I mumble, distracting myself from thoughts of Fili, shifting my feet as Oin instructs Sigrid, who flies around, preparing hot water and fairly clean strips of cloth. Kili begins to mumble deliriously. Bard puts his hand on my shoulder. No words are needed. As Kili is laid on the bed, it's time for me to do my part.
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
It is around five in the afternoon, and we are no closer to finding the door we need. I travel back and forth over the area in which the door was said to lay, but find no more than decorative carvings and the stone walls of the mountain. The massive statues of Thror are impressive, aye, but not what we need.
"Anything?" Thorin asks, searching himself. We're getting lower and lower on time. Everyone calls back negatively and I groan. Where on earth is that door?! "If the map is true," Thorin muses, holding the map up, double checking it, "then the hidden door lays directly above us."
"And yet, it remains hidden." I mumble frustratedly, hand on hip. The wind is cold and I am wearying. The hike was strenuous and the search fruitless.
That is, until Bilbo calls us over. He's staring at and pointing to the stone statue excitedly. I frown, then take a closer look.
"Oh, Mahal!" I cheer, suddenly spying the cleverly hidden pathway hidden in the statue itself. "Bilbo, you are a life-saver!"
"You have keen eyes, Mr. Baggins." Thorin cheers, smiling with the most joy I've seen in a long time, feels like.
"Let's get climbing!" I chirp, striding forward eagerly, the others directly behind me. While I wish my brothers and Bofur and Oin and Mia were here, I can't deny the swelling excitement and joy I feel.
The climbing is slow and the journey arduous, but each step brings us closer to the gate, so we press on as quickly as possible. None would guess the path lay in the statue, and so it remained a mystery. I heave myself over another step and start over the great ax held in my great-grandfather's giant stone hands. By six-thirty or so, we've reached the shoulders. Five minutes more, and we can see over to the ledge the door must be hidden on. I take the last step and laugh aloud as I behold the end of our journey. This is what it all comes to; entering the mountain again.
This thought sends up guilt at enjoying myself when my brothers and the other's cannot, but I can't help feeling giddy and light all the same. If Bofur were here, he'd be laughing with me and we'd probably even kiss in celebration, company present or not. He'd want me to take heart and joy in this moment, and so I allow myself to hug Balin with the excitement I feel.
"We made it!" I cheer.
"Now all that's left is to open the door." Balin notes happily, tears filling his eyes. I laugh.
"Balin...we're here! We've reached Erebor! Oh, if only my brothers were here to see this!"
"Aye." Nori calls. "And Bofur, as well, eh?" I flush, but can't stop smiling.
"Yes." I reply, crossing my arms. "Of course I wish him here, as well, Nori. Him, my brothers, Oin, and Mithra." I add haughtily.
"This must be it." Thorin mutters, standing in front of the stone mountainside. "The hidden door." I clap Gloin on the back.
"This is it." I tell him. He nods, smiling.
"Let all those who doubted us..." Thorin calls, drawing out the key. "rue this day!" We all cheer heartily, and I am able to enjoy the moment, memorizing every moment to recount later.
"Right then." Dwalin calls. "We have a key. Which means that somewhere, there is a key hole." I roll my eyes.
"No. This is just stone." I reply sarcastically. He mock-glares at me, and I can't tell how much he actually means it.
"'The Last Light of Durin's Day'," Thorin recites, but from what I can't be certain, "'will shine upon the keyhole'." He then looks between the mountainside and the setting sun. We're low on time to actually find the keyhole. "Nori." He calls, and the Dwarf runs forward to tap for the door. In theory, it would sound hollow, wouldn't it? Nori began tapping eagerly. "We're losing the light. Come on!" Thorin calls. Dwalin begins kicking the mountainside in order to find it.
"Be quiet!" Nori calls. "I can't hear when your thumping!" He adds. "I can't find it." He surmises dejectedly after a moment. "It's not here!"
"Yes, it is. We just gotta keep looking!" I reply, scanning the stone desperately.
"Break it down!" Thorin roars.
"We can't cut through stone with axes and swords, Uncle." I call, even as Dwarves obey and start slamming their weapons on the wall. "Stop! We can't break it down!" I call, but everyone is too desperate to obey.
"It's no good." Balin notes. "The door's sealed. Can't opened by force!" He adds. "There's a powerful magic on it." Just then, the light fades behind the small peaks coming off the Lonely Mountain. I feel panic seize me.
"No..." I whimper. Mahal, let us find it!
"No!" Thorin cries. It's too late. The light is gone... "'the Last Light of Durin's Day...will shine over the keyhole'." He repeats, gazing down at the map dejectedly. I put a hand over my mouth to hide my sorrow. "That's what it says." He whimpers, sounding broken and depressed. I bite my lip. Shouldn't the keyhole have appeared when the light faded? Wasn't the setting sun the Last Light? How could it have failed to- -huh...what if...the first moon of autumn was the last light? It is still technically Durin's Day, right? So...as soon as the moon appears...it'll reveal the keyhole, won't it? Oh, Manwe, please let that be true! "What did we miss?" I want to venture my idea, but don't want to raise false hopes, so I remain silent. "What did we miss?" He asks Balin, who starts tearing up again, this time from sorrow. "Balin?" He asks when the Dwarf remains silent.
"We've lost the light." Balin mumbles dejectedly.
"..." Again, I remain silent, waiting for my theory to be confirmed or denied.
"There's no more to be done." Balin adds. "We had but one chance. Come away, lads, Aili. It's over." I frown as everyone starts leaving.
"...What if the moon is the Last Light?" I ask, but no one appears to hear me.
"Wait a minute..." Bilbo mumbles, looking around in numb shock.
"Bilbo, is moonrise still the daytime?" He frowns.
"Pardon?"
"The day isn't over until midnight, correct?" He then gets what I am hinting at.
"Indeed. Maybe the moon..."
"That's my thoughts, as well." Again, no one hears Bilbo and me, too depressed and shocked.
"Where are they going?" I lick my lips, looking to Uncle. He looks back hopelessly. "You can't give up now!" Bilbo cries.
"Please! Let's wait for the moon! It might be the Last Night!" I add, but no one heeds us. "Please!" I scream. "Don't leave!" I am then drawn to the sound of metal on stone. The key has fallen from Uncle's numb fingers, and he slumps disheartedly after his troupe, wearied and depressed. "Uncle, please don't leave."
"Thorin, Aili and I- -you can't give up now" Uncle simply keeps walking, however, slamming the map into Bilbo's chest.
"No, Thorin! Please listen! What if the moon is the- -Uncle!" I cry, but he doesn't heed me. At least Bilbo stays with me. I pick up the key and tie it around my neck, resolved to wait until the moon rises before completely giving up.
"'Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks.'" Bilbo whispers, tapping the stone. "Those Moon-Runes can't have lied." He mumbles when I look at him curiously. I then blink. Oh. I take the map and look at it. Sure enough, there are more letters than before. How I didn't notice it before...I don't know. "And 'the Last Light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. Last light...that must mean the moon, right?" I gulp.
"It must. We can't have failed, having come so far." I reply wistfully, praying to Mahal and Manwe and even the Valar that our quest would succeed. Soon enough, a small patch of clouds move away from the moon to let the moonlight shine forth. Suddenly, there is a knocking stone. I whirl to find that small thrush from before knocking a snail against the mountain. Suddenly, the light on the area the door was to reveal itself grew a little brighter, taking on an almost unnatural brightness and clarity to it. "Bilbo, look." I breath, shaking myself after a moment and striding forward to confirm that the blasted keyhole was forming. Indeed, I see it happening. I run toward the path down.
"The Last Light!" Bilbo cheers.
"Come back!" I scream.
"The keyhole" Bilbo screams.
"Come back!" I add desperately.
"Come back!" Bilbo cries, as well.
"We've found the key-hole, Uncle! Come back!" I add. "It was the moon! The last moon of autumn!" We laugh giddily.
"Uncle, the Last Light was the moon, not the sun!" He then starts looking desperately about. I move out of his way, putting my back to the path.
"Bilbo?"
"The key! Where's the key?! Where's the- -"
"Bilbo, here! I've got it!" I interject.
"Give it here." I hear Uncle whisper in my ear. I stiffen and whirl to see him standing there, face unreadable, hand outstretched. I eagerly take the necklace off and give the key to my Uncle.
"Here." I whisper reverently. It's only fitting that the King Under the Mountain be the one to unlock his halls once more. He's smiling as he strides forward and inserts the key and turns it. I feel a swell of anticipation as the lock clicks open with a resounding thump. He then places his hands on the mountainside, pressing hard against it. I see cracks widening and forming a rectangle that slides inward. I then get a view of the mountain halls. It's beautiful, if not dusty from years of disuse. Uncle is breathing heavily in emotion. I can't fathom what he's feeling.
"Erebor..." He breaths, gazing inside reverently, awe-struck and we all feel the intensity of the moment.
"Thorin..." Balin whimpers, tearing up. I do, too, just thinking of their emotions. The relief that we made it, the reverence they treat this moment with, and...and the sorrow that they'd nearly wasted the opportunity. Balin turns to me as Uncle puts his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thank you, Aili. Without you and Bilbo...this quest would have surely been over. We'd given up hope." I smile, tears sliding down.
"...I hadn't. Bilbo and I remembered that the day isn't over until midnight. It made sense that the moon would be the Last Light when we thought about it."
"Thank you all the same." Balin repeats. "Both of you."
"My pleasure." I reply, patting him in the shoulder as we gaze into Erebor. Thorin then steps inside, wistful, reminiscent expression clouding his eyes.
"I know these walls." He murmurs emotionally. "These halls. This stone." He says as he touches the nearest wall. I move aside to let Bilbo look inside. "You remember it, Balin." He whispers. A statement. "Chambers filled with golden light."
"I remember." Balin replies, stepping inside, as well. We all then step into the mountain, most of us for the first time, I think. I then look with Nori and Gloin at the engraving over the door. Runes, with a carving of what I assume is the throne of the King Under the Mountain. I see a round jewel depicted above the throne. The Arkenstone.
"Herein lays the Seventh Kingdom of Durin's Folk." Gloin reads.
"I never imagined this...not in my wildest dreams." I murmur. I let my eyes roves, committing this moment to memory.
I never want to forget this.
"May the Heart of the Mountain unite all Dwarves in defense of this home." Gloin reads. I swallow.
"May it, indeed." I reply, licking my lips. I fear we'll need defense if Smaug wakes up. Bilbo is gazing at the carving in both admiration and confusion. He admired the carving, but couldn't understand what it was.
"The Throne of the King." Balin explains. Bilbo nods.
"And what's that above it?" Bilbo asks. Balin gives him a look like 'do you honestly not know?'.
"The Arkenstone." He replies.
"Arkenstone." Bilbo repeats. He then frowns. "And what's that?" I can't help but laugh. Apparently, no one told Bilbo yet.
"The very Heart of the Mountain." I explain. "The jewel to top all jewels."
"It is also, Master Burglar...why you are here." Thorin adds.
"I swore someone told you." I tell him, frowning.
"No." Bilbo replies, looking a bit bewildered. I sigh.
"Well...it is. You are here to retrieve it." He pales, and swallows, coming to understand his task. May Mahal and Durin protect him.