I'm Staying With You (A Hobbit Fanfiction)

Chapter 38

"Fili, Kili, Nossa, come here," Thorin orders.  We walk over to huddle around him and Balin.

"Tomorrow begins the last days of autumn," he says.

"Durin's Day falls on the morn after next," I say. Balin nods.

"We must reach the mountain before then."

"And if we do not?" Kili asks. "If we fail to find the hidden door before that time?"

"Then this quest has been for nothing," Fili says. His arm is still around my waist.

Bard returns and we gather around a table. He drops a black package on it and unwraps a collection of tools, from fish hooks to blacksmith hammers.

"What is this?" Thorin asks.

"Pike hook," Bard replies. "Made from an old harpoon."

"And this?" Kili asks, holding up a massive hammer.

"A crowbill, we call it. Fashioned from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand, I grant, but in the defence of your life, these will serve you better than none," Bard explains.

"We paid you for weapons. Iron-forged swords and axes!" Gloin exclaims.

"It's a joke!" Bofur scoffs. Everyone tosses the weapons back into the table.

"You won't find better outside the city armoury. All iron-forged weapons are kept there under lock and key," Bard says.

"Thorin, why not take his offer and go?" Balin suggests. "I've made do with less. So have you. I say we leave now."

"You're not going anywhere," Bard says.

"What did you say?" Dwalin growls.

"There are spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town. You must wait till nightfall," Bard replies.

I look around. Everyone sits down, and Kili lowers himself onto a bed, wincing. He keeps looking at his leg, and worry grows in my chest.

"We're leaving," Thorin says a while after Bard leaves.

"What do you mean, we're leaving?" I ask.

"I mean, we're leaving this house and going to the armouries! We can't do anything with these pieces of garbage!" Thorin replies, pointing to the table of "weapons."

"You can't leave!" Bain exclaims.

"Well we are," Dwalin growls.

We exit the house and start sneaking towards the armoury.

"Can you see anything?" Bilbo whispers.

"Shh, keep it down!" Ori exclaims.

"As soon as we have the weapons, we make straight for the mountain," Thorin whispers.

We make a human ladder, and one by one we hop through the window into the armoury.

People hand Kili and I weapons to carry down. Kili is biting his bottom lip, trying not to cry out in pain.

"You alright?" Thorin asks.

"I can manage," Kili replies.

"You're going to hurt yourself," I say. Kili looks at me.

"I'll be fine."

"Let's just get out of here," Thorin says.

Kili begins to walk down the stairs, but his leg gives out, sending him crashing down the stairs. The weapons clatter loudly, and the shouting of guards can be heard.

"Kili!" I yell. I run down the stairs towards him, and Fili is right after me.

"Run!" someone yells outside. Everyone grabs weapons, but the guards have swords at our throats in a second.

Fili, Kili, and I are trapped on the stairs, but I don't take my hand off of Kili's shoulder.

All of us are dragged outside by the light of torches and into a crowd. We're set in the middle, and the Master storms out of his hall.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he exclaims.

"We caught them stealing weapons, sire," says a guard.

"Enemies of the state, eh?" the Master asks.

"A desperate bunch of mercenaries, if ever there was, sire," Alfrid says. His eyes land on me, and he freezes. "That's the girl that was on the barge! She was working with the leader of these criminals!" He points to Thorin.

"Hold your tongue," Dwalin barks. "You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal. This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!"

Thorin steps forward, and the crowd starts murmuring to each other.

"We are the Dwarves of Erebor," he says. "We have come to reclaim our homeland. I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbour, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the centre of all trade in the North! I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the Dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!"

The crowd starts cheering, and Thorin turns to the Master.

"Death!" someone yells from the crowd. "That is what you will bring upon us!"

Bard steps through the crowd and faces Thorin.

"Dragon fire and ruin. If you waken that beast, it will destroy us all."

"You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this: If we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth 10 times over!" Thorin says.

The crowd goes crazy, and Bard glares at Thorin before looking at the crowd.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm!? And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a Mountain King, so riven by greed, he could not see beyond his own desire!"

"Now, now! We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!" the Master yells.

"It's true, sire," Alfrid says. "We all know the story. Arrow after arrow, he shot. Each one missing its mark."

"You have no right," Bard growls at Thorin. "No right to enter that mountain."

Thorin looks up at Bard.

"I have the only right."

Thorin turns back to the Master.

"I speak to the Master of the Men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people?"

The Master pauses and looks around at all the people, standing huddled in the cold.

"What say you?" Thorin demands.

"I say unto you," the Master begins. "Welcome! Welcome, and thrice, welcome! King under the Mountain!"

Everyone starts cheering and hugging each other, and Bard just glares at Thorin. The dwarf walks up the steps so that his head is higher than Bard's.

Then the party begins. Ale and food are enjoyed, and eventually we all fall asleep.