The Dragon Girl

Chapter 15

After Bilbo's encounter with Arun, Thorin somehow didn't realize I was gone. He noticed Bilbo, of course, and the poor hobbit had to get back to work attempting to find the Arkenstone for Thorin's mad case of dragon sickness. I sat on the same staircase that I had first seen Thorin on when Fili, Kili, and I arrived in Erebor. Thorin kept pacing around the treasure hoard as the rest of the company rummaged through the mountains of gold, "It is here in these halls, I know it." Dwalin groaned as he went up to Thorin, "We have searched and searched." Thorin shook his head, "Not well enough." Dwalin sighed, "Thorin, we all would see the stone returned." It was then that Thorin snapped, "And yet it's still not found!" Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to watch how this fight would unfold. Balin was the first to speak after the moment of awkward silence, "Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?" Thorin then turned to face the company as I sat on the staircase, frightened as to what Thorin would do. Balin continued, "The Arkenstone is the birthright of our people." Thorin shook his head, "It is the King's jewel. Am I not the King?!" I then felt Bilbo's presence next to me as Thorin growled menacingly, "Know this, if anyone should find it and withhold it from me, I will be avenged." With that, Thorin turned around and walked away to a different part of the treasure hoard alone. Bilbo shook his head, "What has gotten into him?" I was afraid to answer Bilbo, as I knew what this was that was taking over Thorin, and shook my head, "I know what it is, but I don't want to be the one that explains it to you." Bilbo noticed my fear and nodded, "I'll go ask Balin, perhaps he knows."

It was later on that I returned to the private balcony, only to find Fili and Kili standing there when I arrived. I jumped once I saw them, not expecting them to have known where I have been most of the day, and they immediately comforted me, "We're sorry Wisteria! We didn't mean to scare you." Fili apologized as I got my bearings together. Kili mumbled, "We just wanted to know where you had been all this time, and we found out." I nodded, "I-It's okay, I just didn't expect you two to find where I had been so quickly." I leaned against the rail of the balcony along with each brother by my side as Kili asked, "What were you doing over here?" I shrugged, "I was just enjoying the view when you were both reuniting with your kin. It's quite peaceful over here." Fili nodded, but I could tell that his tone was starting to go sour with jealousy, "You weren't alone, though. Bilbo told us that he spent some time with you over here, alone." I gasped as I stepped away from the brothers, "It wasn't like that! We were just talking." Kili's tone then got just as sour as Fili's, "Really? Was that ALL that happened?" I retorted back with, "Do you really think that's what happened? I was lonely, Bilbo came and gave me company, and then he left to search for the Arkenstone, same as both of you were doing." Kili nodded, "That's exactly what we thought you were going to say. Defending the hobbit, of course." I felt tears brimming in my eyes, "It wasn't like that and you both know it! If it had been like that, I would have told both of you! Also, don't forget the fact that I am courting both of you. I would never do that!" Fili scoffed, "You could, though, you have been distant with us for a while." I couldn't believe the words I was hearing, did they really think I was cheating on them with Bilbo? I pointed to the hallway that stood behind me, "Leave. I don't have to take any of this from either of you." Kili shook his head, "We don't have to leave, this is our home. We can stay and go where we wish." It was the words I heard out of Kili's mouth that stepped him over the line, "Perhaps it's you that needs to leave." Now, the tears that had been welling up in my eyes were cascading down my cheeks and onto the stone floor. Right as those words came out of Kili's mouth, I could tell that both of them regretted what they said from their facial expressions. Kili reached out to comfort me, but I stepped away from him and growled, "If you wanted me to leave, you should have never courted me in the first place. Elves marry for life you know." Before they could say another word, I ran from the hall and hid within the highest levels of Erebor, where I couldn't hear anything but the howl of the wind and the arguments raging in my head via my forms.