The Dragon's Curse

Reach for me my King

Back inside the Lonely Mountain Thorin sits on his throne when Dwalin comes over to him, hoping to knock some sense into him as he stopped before the throne. Thorin's deep glare made him hesitate before he knelt down, lowering his eyes and head before slowly rising with Thorin's command before taking a closer step towards his old friend, in hope to give him wisdom.

"Since when do we forsake our own people? Thorin, they are dying out there." He bluntly spoke as Dwalin was one never to beat around the bush. He didn't lay it on thick, he spoke the blunt truth.

"There are holes beneath holes within this Mountain, places we can fortify. Shore up, make safe? Yes. Yes, that is it. We must move the gold further underground to safety." Thorin muttered to himself as Dwalin could see the insanity in his eyes and his greed clouding his judgment and heart. He may have not liked the romance between Artemis and Thorin but now he wished it more than anything if it meant that his friend would return.

"Did you not hear me? Dain is surrounded. They're being slaughtered, Thorin." Dwalin snapped at him once again as he saw Thorin rising from his throne about to leave back to the treasure room, only to pause to hear Dwalin's ashamed command.

"Many die in war, life is cheap. But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It is worth all the blood we can spend." Thorin spat at him as he was becoming more hunched over, his palm resting on Artemis's sword which sat by his hip. Dwalin eyed the blade slightly fearful of his friend, brother and king. He was willing to easily hurt, wound and nearly kill Artemis the one his loved. Who was to say what he would do to him.

"You sit here in these vast halls with a crown upon your head, and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been." He scolded Thorin trying to get him to reason only to watch as Thorin stumbled back slightly.

"Do not speak to me as if I were some lowly Dwarf Lord. As is if I were still Thorin... Oakenshield. I am your King!" He whimpered as he remembered what he thought was shame when he was known as Oakenshield, when it reality it made him greater.

"You were always my King. You used to know that once. You were always my King. You used to know that once. Artemis was right. You cannot see what you have become." Dwalin softly spoke as his voice cracked slightly as Thorin looked up to his old friend and saw tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Go. Get out, before I kill you." Thorin hissed in warning as Dwalin bowed and left as he was ordered and made his way back down to the dungeons. Dwalin was slightly shocked as he neared Artemis' cell to find the whole company sitting on the steps and leaning against the wall to her cell. The door wide open as he looked in to see her curled up on the bed staring off into space refusing to move.

"She won't come out" Balin whispered to his brother as Dwalin came around the corner.

"Thorin won't be persuaded. He is set on the gold" Dwalin informed as he watched Artemis' eyes clench shut and a tear escape down her cheeks before she placed her head on her knees and clutched her legs tighter. Dwalin and Balin left and headed towards the library in hope to think of a way to save what was left of Thorin's sanity and their brethren behind the stone walls.

"Artemis? Please?" Kili whispered begging as he knelt in front of her, desperate to not lose two people who were very dear to him. Without muttering a word and with a distant look in her eye she grabbed him by his collar and threw him out of her cell and slammed it shut, locking herself back in before curling back on the bed as though nothing had happened.

Fili helped his brother to his feet before the company slowly one by one dispersed making their way back to the main gate. Artemis screamed into her legs to muffle the sound as her body shook, racking in sobs as no tears fell. However back in the Gallery of the Kings Thorin walked slightly drunkenly as he began to recall the conversations in his head.