Note: Here's Chapter 13! Chapters 14 & 15 (maybe 16) will be out on Monday!
Chapter XIII
"I say unto you", the Master began. "Welcome! Welcome! Thrice welcome, King Under the Mountain!", the Master's voice rang out and the people cheered as he spoke. But Eruanna Úlumiel was solely focused on the prophecy.
"All shall fail in sadness and the lake will shine and burn...", she murmured softly. Her eyes widened but she did not dare share her thoughts. "No", she whispered.
The next day, Thorin and the dwarves gathered together to leave. Bofur had not come but Thorin declared they couldn't wait. Bilbo and the dwarves boarded the boat with him. Kili tried to get on but Thorin stopped him. "Not you. We must travel at speed, you will slow us down."
"What are you talking about!?! I'm coming with you!", Kili said incredulously. "I'm going to be there when that door is opened, when we first look upon the halls of our fathers! Thorin!"
"Kili... stay here, rest. Join us when you're healed", Thorin ended all talk on the matter.
"I'll stay with the lad. My duty lies with the wounded", Oin said, getting off the boat. But Fili wasn't pleased with leaving his brother. "Uncle, we grew up on tales of the Mountain, tales you told us. You cannot take that away from him. I will carry him if I must", he pleaded.
"One day you will be King and you will understand ... I cannot risk the fate of this Quest for the sake of one Dwarf - not even my own kin", Thorin said. The words struck a core with Eruanna and she looked at him, shocked.
Fili disembarked. "My place is with my brother", he said as Thorin protested. Eruanna went to board the boat but Thorin stopped her.
"Are you insane! You'll be facing the dragon! You'll need me! That's why Gandalf put me on this quest!", she snapped.
"No. You will stay here and look after the others. Stay here and make good use of yourself", Thorin responded. The dwarves look on in shock.
"Thorin. Without her, we stand no chance", Dwalin began to protest.
Thorin turned around and said in a low voice. "An elf cannot step on dwarvish lands."
The eyes of Bilbo and all the dwarves went wide. Eruanna too heard the comment but she was too hurt to say anything. Eruanna watched as Thorin and the dwarves left. "If they make it, I am going to be shocked", she said.
Bofur finally rushed over. "Did you miss the boat as well?"
"More like got kicked off", Eruanna hissed. Just then, Kili began to sway from the wound dealt by the orcs back in Mirkwood.
"Kili!", Fili cried out as Kili fell. Kili's face was pale and sweat covered his forehead. "Durin save us!", Oin breathed as he looked at the bandage which had gone black with infection.
"We need to get him to Bard", Eruanna said. They went to Bard's house and knocked on his door. He opened it. "No, I have had enough of dwarves, go away", he said.
"Please! No one else will help us!", Oin cried out. "He could die!." He motioned towards Kili. Bard looked at them and his eyes softened.
The group was allowed inside. "We need Kingsfoil to bring down his fever", Eruanna said quickly. She remembered her grandfather, Elrond, teaching her about these things. However, she wasn't sure how exactly to use it.
"Aye. We just need that herb", Oin agreed.
"It's a weed. We feed it to the pigs", Bard put in.
"Pigs? Weed? Right... don't move", Bofur called as he sprinted out the door.
A mere few minutes later, a small tremor shook the house. Dishes rattled and a low rumble echoed through the small house.
"No", Eruanna breathed. "No, no, no, Eru save us."
"Da?", Sigrid asked, fear lacing her voice.
"Take your children and leave", Eruanna said to Bard, urgently. "It is coming."
"We have nowhere to go", Bard said, looking at the Dragoness. She cursed under her breath. This was the worst possible thing that could happen.
"Are we going to die da?", Tilda asked. "No darling", Bard reassured her. "The dragon... it's going to kill us", she said.
Bard went and grabbed something from the ceiling. "Not if I kill it first", he said. "The black arrow. The only thing that can kill a dragon", Eruanna said in awe.