The Lonely Mountain [1]

Preparation for War

Bard rode back up the old over grown road to where Thranduil was waiting for him.

"He will give us nothing." Bard said as he pulled his horse to a stop.

"Such a pity." Thranduil said with little emotion. "Still you tried."

"I do not understand. Why? Why would he risk war?" Bard said, glancing back the way he had just come. As the dwarves pushed the heads off the statues that guarded the entrance way. The heads connected with the bridge too the main gate and destroyed it.

"It is fruitless to reason with them." Thranduil said as the statue fell. "They understand only one thing." He drew his sword; a long silver blade. He admired the blade as Bard's face turned grim. "We attack at dawn." Thranduil turned his elk and set off towards the city. "Are you with us?"

Bard found Dale's untouched armoury and armed every man who could be armed. The dwarves were doing the same. Erebor's armouries were full of every weapon Amara could have imagined. She pulled on shoulder and forearm guards, cleaned her twin knives until they gleamed and replenished her quiver. She still had not decided who she would stand with.

Bilbo looked on as the elf and the others armed themselves. Bilbo watched Amara; through all the fights he had seen this one was different. He could tell from the way she held herself.

"Master Baggins, come here!" Thorin called, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Amara glanced up from fixing the straps of her forearm guards as Bilbo walked over to Thorin.

"You're going to need this." Thorin said holding out a chainmail vest. "Put it on." Bilbo removed his jacket as Thorin held up the vest. "This vest is made of silver steel. Mithril it was called by my forebears." Bilbo started to put it on. "No blade can pierce it."

Bilbo put it on and looked at the metal. Amara smiled as all the dwarves stopped and looked.

"I look absurd. I'm not a warrior, I'm a hobbit." Bilbo said looking at Thorin.

"It is a gift. A token of our friendship." Thorin told him as the dwarves went back to their conversations. "And true friends are had to come by." Thorin said in a hushed tone. Thorin grabbed Bilbo's shoulder and moved them away from the others.

Amara followed silently, staying out of sight and listened to what Thorin had to say.

"I have been blind, now I am beginning to see. I am betrayed." Thorin whispered.

"Betrayed?" Bilbo asked.

"The Arkenstone. One of them has taken it. One of them is false." Thorin snarled.

"Thorin, the quest is fulfilled. You've won the mountain, is that not enough?" Bilbo asked in a shaky voice.

"Betrayed by my own kin."

"You- you made a promise to the people of lake town, is this treasure really worth your honour? Our honour? I was also there. Thorin I gave my word." Bilbo said with a deep breath.

"For that I am grateful. It wasn't easily done, but the treasure does not belong to the people of Lake Town. This gold... Is ours." Thorin had changed, the gold was taking over every corner of his mind. "And ours alone. By my life I will not part with a single coin. Not one single piece."