Hey guys, I am so sorry for how late this it. I honestly had no intention on making you wait this long. Originally, I was going to wait until I had my eyes sorted before continuing to type, however, they haven't been done yet, hopefully will be done in New Year. But, I have found a way where I will be able to write without too much issue, so I can keep going for now! Yay!
Sorry again to keep you all waiting this long. I hope this early Christmas gift will help make it up to you. I'm not going to be updating now until after the New Year though. Thanks again for being so patient and understanding xx
Chapter 24
It is the next morning in Laketown and after a night of celebrating, the people crowd along the sides of the main channel as a boat is loaded with supplies for the dwarves to take to the mountain. Bilbo and the dwarves walk along the road, the humans creating a pathway for them.
"You do know we're one short; where's Bofur?" Bilbo says as he notices the jovial dwarf is not with them.
"If he's not here, we leave him behind." Thorin answers, also wishing Caladwen had caught up to them during the night.
Balin nods. "We have to, if we're to find the door before nightfall. We can risk no more delays."
They march along the pier and the dwarves begin to board the boat. They are fully decked out in armour and regal clothing. Thorin stops Kili before he can get in the boat.
"Not you. We must travel with speed, you will slow us down."
Kili smiles, thinking Thorin is joking.
"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you."
Thorin shakes his head. "No."
Fili, already in the boat, turns and looks at Thorin and Kili.
"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 lays his hand on Kili's shoulder and smiles at him, but Kili looks shocked and betrayed. Thorin turns to board the boat. Kili turns away. Oin gets out of the boat.
"I'll stay with the lad. My duty lies with the wounded."
Fili turns to Thorin. "Uncle, we grew up on tales of the mountain. Tales you told us. You can't take that away from him!"
On the shore, Oin is examining Kili, but Kili is trying to pull away from him.
"Fili."
"I will carry him, if I must!"
"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."
Fili looks at Kili for a moment, then steps out of the boat. Thorin tries to stop him.
"Fili, don't be a fool. You belong with the Company."
"I belong with my brother."
Fili pulls away from Thorin and goes to join Kili and Oin.
The musicians of Laketown play their instruments as the Master climbs up to a raised platform. He waves, and the people cheer and clap.
Further away in a house in the town, a sleeping Bofur is woken up by the sound of the music. He is asleep under a table, and soon begins to come round at the sound of music.
"By my beard, is that the time? Oh, ugh."
He jolts upright, smacking his head on the bottom of the table. Scrambling up unsteadily, he runs out the door, finishing his drink on his way. The guards look back at the sound of the doors barging open and watch as the dwarf runs past them, shouting for his company.
". . .Bring good fortune to all!" The Master's voice calls out.
The Master smiles and waves to the dwarves in the boat as they pull into the canal and begin to paddle away. Kili looks on miserably from the dock. The dwarves in the boat smile, wave, and bow at the cheering people.
Dori smiles at the people. "Goodbye!"
Bofur pushes his way through the townspeople and reaches the water, only to find the boat of dwarves far off down the canal. He turns and finds Kili, Fili, and Oin.
"Ah! So you missed the boat as well?"
Suddenly, Kili moans in pain and begins to fall over, but Fili catches him.
"Kili? Kili!"
Oin tries to examine him
"Oin! What's wrong!?" Fili asks worriedly.
"I don't know lad! But we need to get him some help, and fast!"
"Maybe the Master can help us." Bofur suggests.
Fili and Bofur hold Kili up between them and the four of them rush off to the Masters house. They reach the house to see the Master and Alfrid striding up the stairs, about to go inside the mansion. Pushing past the guards, they stand at the bottom of the stairs.
"Please, wait!" Fili shouts out.
The Master and Alfrid turns to them.
"Please, we need your help. My brother is sick." Fili begs.
"Sick? Is it infectious?" The Master asks as he covers his mouth with a cloth. "Get back. Alfrid, Alfrid, don't let them come any closer!"
Fili's heart drops as he realises they won't help them. Oin steps up to try to convince them.
"Please. We need medicine."
"Do I look like an apothecary?" Alfrid asks. "Haven't we given you enough? The Master's a busy man. He hasn't got time to worry about sick Dwarves. Be gone with you, clear off."
The guards push the dwarves away, Fili and Bofur trying to keep Kili from falling out of their grasps.
"What do we do now?" Fili asks, sounding desperate.
Bard opens his door to find Bofur, Fili, Kili, and Oin on his doorstep.
"No. I'm done with dwarves. Go away."
He tries to slam the door shut, but Bofur stops it with his foot.
"No, no, no! No one will help us; Kili's sick. He's very sick."
Bard sees Kili being supported by Oin and Fili; looking extremely pale, sweating and breathing laboured. Bard hesitates for a moment but he does nod and stands aside to let the dwarves in. He might not like them after what happened the night before, but that doesn't mean he's going to leave Kili while he's ill.
Meanwhile, Bilbo and the rest of the Company are in their boat, heading across the lake toward the Lonely Mountain. As the other dwarves row, Thorin stands at the bow of the boat, facing ahead. They are all decked out in regal clothes and armour from Laketown.
Once they reach the other side, the company shed off the heavy armour, taking only what they need as it's still a long walk between here and the mountain.
They walk on, moving as long as Thorin is willing to push them before they stop to rest for the night, before setting off once again early the next morning; on Durin's Day.
Soon enough, as they walk over a hill, the Lonely Mountain comes in sight of them. Thorin, finally seeing his home in front of him, feels all sorts of emotions running through him; rage, sadness, hope. Thorin stops as he looks back the way they came, thinking of his nephews still in Lake Town, praying that Kili will be better soon, and then his thoughts turn to Caladwen. Oh, how he wishes she was here with him, but he can claim the mountain back, ready for when she returns.
"It's so quiet." Bilbo says from up ahead, snapping Thorin from his thoughts as he continues on.
There's no sound of animals or even the slight rustle of the breeze in the air. The whole ground around the mountain is like a barren wasteland. No green grass, no trees, nothing.
"It wasn't always like this." Balin replies as he stands by Bilbo. He points to some slopes to our right. "Once, these slopes were lined with woodlands. The trees. . .were filled with birdsong."
"Relax, Master Baggins. We have food, we have tools and we're making good time." Thorin says as he walks past him.
Thorin, recognizing the landscape, runs atop an embankment overlooking a valley. As the other dwarves join him, they look at the other end of the valley and see the ruins of Dale.
"What is this place?" Bilbo asks.
Balin steps up besides him. "It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin. The desolation of Smaug."
After looking towards the sky, Thorin speaks up. "The sun will soon reach midday; let's find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way!"
He turns to rush off by stops when Bilbo speaks.
"Wait. . .is this the overlook? Gandalf said to meet him here. On no account were we-"
Thorin interrupts him abruptly.
"Do you see him? We have no time to wait upon the wizard. We're on our own."
Thorin turns and walks away.
"Come."
The other dwarves follow him; Bilbo looks back at the city, conflicted, but still follows the dwarves.
Having reached the mountain, the dwarves spend quite some time trying to find the secret entrance, scouring the sides of the mountain.
"Anything?" Thorin calls out after stabbing his sword into the ground.
Dwalin looks to him from a ridge above. "Nothing!"
Thorin looks to the map. "If the map is true, the hidden door lies directly above us."
Bilbo, walking around, sees a massive statue of a dwarf carved into the side of the mountain. Looking closely, he notices a set of stairs built into the statue.
"Up here!"
Hearing him, the dwarves rush over, Thorin smiling as he reaches him and sees what he's pointing at.
"You have keen eyes, Master Baggins."
They then painstakingly make their way up the steep and treacherous steps and find a little rock-walled clearing in the side of the mountain just before the sun is due to set. Thorin smiles as he runs to the clearing.
"This must be it. The hidden door."
The remaining dwarves and Bilbo come into the clearing as well, all of them smiling.
"Let all those who doubted us rue this day!"
As Thorin holds up his key, the others cheer.
Dwalin steps forwards towards the wall. "Right. We have our key, which means that somewhere, there is a keyhole."
He begins exploring the walls of the clearing with his fingers, looking for a keyhole. Thorin walks to the edge of the clearing and looks out at the setting sun.
"The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."
As he talks, he and Balin share a grin with each before looking to the wall, triying to figure out what the light hitting the wall means. As the sun gets lower and lower on the horizon and nothing changes on the wall.
Thorin turns to Nori, nodding towards the wall. "Nori."
Nori, who is known as a thief, runs to the wall and begins tapping it in different places with a spoon while holding his ear to a cup held against the wall. Meanwhile, Dwalin strains and pushes against the wall. The sun gets lower.
"We're losing the light."
"Come on!" Dwalin exclaims as he begins kicking at the wall.
"Be quiet! I can't hear when you're thumping." Nori yells to him.
"I can't find it. . .it's not here! It's not here."
As the sun gets closer to disappearing, Thorin frantically gestures to the other dwarves.
"Break it down!"
Dwalin, Gloin, and Bifur smash at the wall with their weapons, to no avail, as their weapons break.
"Come on!"
"It's no good! The door's sealed. It can't be opened by force. Powerful magic on it." Balin speaks up.
The dwarves hitting the door drop their weapons in tiredness and disappointment. The sun disappears behind distant mountains.
"No!" Thorin stumbles forward and re-examines the old map, reading aloud. "The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says." He holds his arms open is disbelief; the other dwarves mutter in disappointment and anger. "What did we miss?" Thorin walks up to Balin and repeats his question, earnestly and tearfully. "What did we miss, Balin?"
Balin looks to him with disappointment and sadness shining in his eyes. "We've lost the light. There's no more to be done. We had but one chance."
The dwarves bow their heads in despair and turn back toward the stairs.
"Come away lads; it's. . .it's over."
Bilbo watches as they begin to leave. "Wait a minute!"
"You wait." Gloin says as he walks past.
"Where are they going? You can't give up now!"
Thorin, while looking at the key in his hand, feels all his hope drain away in an instant. He knew he shouldn't and have put his trust in the elf to get them inside the mountain, he didn't even want them to continue with their journey in the first place. He thinks of his sister back in Ered Luin, waiting for news on them reclaiming the mountain, he was going to disappoint her, as well as his nephews and Caladwen. . .he was hoping to start a new life with her within the mountain, a life they should have had years ago. He'll go find her, maybe she will return to Ered Luin with him.
Hesitantly, Thorin turns his hand and the key falls to the ground with a clatter. Hearing the sound, Bilbo turns to look to him beseechingly, watching as he turns to leave.
"Thorin. . .you can't give up now."
But Thorin slaps the map at Bilbo's chest as he walks past him. The dwarves begin descending down the stairs, but Bilbo stays in the clearing. He recites the riddle from the map to himself while gesturing with his hands.
"Stand by the grey stone. . ." He goes and stands by the grey wall. "When the thrush knocks. . ." He looks around but doesn't see a thrush anywhere. "The setting sun. . .and the last light of Durin's Day will shine. Hmm. The last light. Last light. . ."
He turns away from the wall, thinking hard and muttering to himself. With a thought, he looks up and sees the clouds move aside to reveal the moon. He looks at it wonderingly and sees that it illuminates the clearing. Hearing a noise, he turns back and sees a thrush hitting a snail against the grey wall. Just then, the moonlight hits the wall.
As the thrush flies away, Bilbo laughs with relief and delight and points at the wall.
"The last light!"
The moonlight illuminates a keyhole in the rock, and Bilbo gasps in surprise, then yells for the dwarves, who have already gone, to hear. He peers over the edge of the clearing at the stairs, but sees no sign of the dwarves.
"The keyhole! Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon, the last moon of autumn!"
He laughs but then begins looking around on the ground.
"Where's the- Where's the key? Where's the- it was hereā¦but it was here, it was here! It was just. . ."
Bilbo is looking frantically around on the ground in the clearing for the key, suddenly, his foot hits it and it goes flying from the clearing. Just before it falls off the side of the mountain, a boot steps on the string and stops it. It is Thorin. Bilbo sighs in relief. Thorin slowly reaches down and picks up the key, then examines it. The other dwarves step up beside him. They all smile in relief at Bilbo.
Thorin inserts the key into the keyhole and turns it; mechanisms are heard turning behind the rock. Thorin pushes the wall, and a previously unseen door opens into the mountain. The seams of the door were completely invisible earlier. The door opens into a tunnel going into the mountain. The dwarves look on it awe as Thorin stands on the threshold.
Thorin stares inside the tunnel "Erebor."
Balin stands next to him, also looking inside. "Thorin. . ."
Balin chokes up, and Thorin puts a hand on his shoulder before stepping into the mountain, the first step in a hundred and seventy one years.
"I know these walls. . .these halls, this stone. You remember it, Balin. Chambers filled with golden light."
As he says this, Thorin runs his hands over the walls, lost in memory. Balin steps into the tunnel.
"I remember."
The rest of the Company slowly and reverently enters the mountain. Inside, Nori points at a carving in the wall above the door; it is of the throne of Erebor, with the Arkenstone above it, sending out rays of light in all directions. Gloin reads aloud the inscription on the carving.
"Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's Folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home."
Bilbo looks at the carving in interest and curiosity. Balin explains it to him.
"The throne of the king."
"Oh. And what's that above it?"
"The Arkenstone."
"Arkenstone. . .And what's that?"
Thorin turns to him at this point. "That, Master Burglar, is why you are here."
All the dwarves look at Bilbo, and he looks bewildered, but resolute.
And there we have it, the dwarves are finally in Erebor! Hope you all enjoyed this, even without Caladwen there xx
As I said at the top, I won't be updating until after the New Year, so I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you all in 2025 xxx
