Extra Company

Chapter 31

"Any sign of it!?" Thorin called out from his perch, as the dwarves shifted through the gold, searching for the Arkenstone under their king's command and for their own sakes.

"Nothing here!" Bifur called out from where he was searching as he turned to look up at Thorin for a moment.

"Nothing here!" Ori followed as his eyes never left the patch of gold as he dug into it with his hands, before giving up and sitting back as his eyes scanned the endless gold ocean, hope beginning to dwindle in his gaze.

"Keep searching!" Thorin encouraged as he noticed some of the dwarves began to slow down.

Dwalin huffed as he looked out across the hoard of gold, "That jewel could be anywhere."

Thorin began to pace looking out from his perch, "The Arkenstone is in these halls. Find it!" He ordered, his voice echoing along the stone halls.

"You heard him, keep looking." Dwalin spoke as he urged the others, some who were either held a look of sadness or confusion towards Throin's sudden behavior change.

"All of you! No one rests until it is found!" Thorin called out as Bilbo watched him from afar, he let out a sigh as his head dipped low, unable to recognize Thorin anymore. He turned around, walking away from the shining room behind him as he made his way towards the great hall where the once liquid gold had now hardened and cooled.

Across the way lay Saharia, unconscious since her fight with Smaug, her wounds healing slowly. Bilbo walked up to her, sitting down beside her head, listening to her soft breaths as she snoozed.

The words of Smaug ringed inside his head, "I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer. Watch it destroy him. Watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad."

Bilbo let out a sigh as he reached his hand inside his coat pocket, pulling out a bright glowing stone, the Arkenstone. "I don't know if I should give this to him, Saharia ... Thorin has changed." He spoke as he examined the beautiful stone in his hands. "He's losing his mind to greed, in a way he reminds me a bit of Smaug with how much he cares about the treasure." Bilbo added, before slipping the stone back inside his coat pocket, before leaning back against Saharia. "I wish you were awake, Saharia, maybe you could snap Thorin out of it."

Bilbo nearly jumped when he heard a loud screech, his attention snapped upwards seeing a falcon, carrying herbs in its beak as it landed on one of Saharia's golden antlers. Bilbo watched the raptor as it seemed to break the herbs as much as it could inside its beak before flying down and placing it on her stomach wound which was covered in cobwebs, some being red. It then flew out of the mountain, seeming to go gather more herbs.

Fili and Kili both looked at one another from where they were searching through the gold, nodding to each other before leaving their spots, climbing up the stairs towards their uncle. "Uncle." Fili spoke, gaining Thorin's attention.

"Why have you stopped searching?" Thorin questioned as he turned to face his nephews, a different look in his eyes. 

This time Kili spoke, "We wish to see Saharia. To see how she's doing." Filli nodded along with his brother, agreeing with him. Thorin gave them a suspicious stare as he took a couple of steps towards them.

"You are not done searching." He stated, his tone dropping, making the two brothers take a small step back. "She doesn't matter at the moment." Thorin did a double take, not believing what words fell out of his lips.

"Doesn't matter!?" Kili growled as he glared at his uncle while Fili stopped him from charging forward towards their uncle.

"Are you alright uncle?" Fili questioned as Thorin took a few small steps back.