The Hobbit and Her Memories

CHAPTER 3

THALIA'S POV

The next morning, the company woke to an army of elves who were lead by King Thranduil himself. Beside him rode Bard on his stallion.

"Thorin, King under the Mountain, we call to make a bargain with us!" Bard shouted. I stood between Bilbo and Bofur, and we all gazed over to Thorin, who had a slight smirk on his face. "What are you wanting from me?" he asked.

"The promised gold you said you would give to the people of Lake-town." Bard answered. Thorin grinned and shook his head a little. "You have nothing to bargain for that."

Bard slipped something from his upper pocket and into his hand. He held it up so all of us could see it. "How about this?" he gestured. A white round stone full of glittering colors shone in the cloudy sun's rays. The smile on Thorin's face disappeared immediately.

"How did you come by what is mine?" he demanded to know. Bard shrugged and slipped it back into his pocket. Thorin's face filled with rage. "What came you by it!"

"I gave it to them." Bilbo said. My throat tightened as I stepped back to look at him. "You?" Thorin choked. His cheeks were turning red and his eyes teared as if he was going to cry. I guaranteed my expression was the same. "How could you do this to me?"

Bilbo straightened his posture. "It's for your own good, Thorin. You've change." Then, Thorin lunged for Bilbo and grabbed the collar of his robe. He shook Bilbo around and shoved him into the wall.

"No! Thorin!" I screamed, hanging on his arm. "Stop! Please!" Thorin threw me off and I fell on the stone floor. "Did you know he did it! Were you helping him!" Thorin shouted. "Answer me!"

Bilbo's eyes met mine. So that was what you did last night, I thought. Oh Bilbo, what have you done? Bilbo shook his head slightly. No, his eyes told me. Stay here with him. I slightly nodded and gained eye contact with Thorin. "No..." I choked on my tears. "I didn't know..."

"Not only you deceive me," Thorin growled. "But Thalia, too." He tightened his grip on Bilbo. Then, he began to push Bilbo towards the edge of the wall. Bofur and Balin and several other dwarves tried to hold Thorin back as he did.

Suddenly, Gandalf's boomed over our yells. "Return my hobbit to me!" The dwarves managed to lift Thorin off of Bilbo, who made a break for the rope-line that still hung from last night.

I remained on the cold stone floor and hung my head. Tears fell from my eyes. Kili lifted me to my feet and held me in his warm arms, letting me cry on his chest. Thorin leaned on the wall and watched Bilbo run to Gandalf's side. His expression was frozen with sadness.

"What will it be, Thorin Oakenshield?" Bard called. "Will you have peace? Or war?" The world seemed to stop as everyone's hearts were pierced by Thorin's harsh and terrifying answer.

"I will have WAR."

I buried my face in Kili's chest and let the new tears fall.

Suddenly, a battle horn echoed off the Mountain, and I watched as the army of dwarves marched forth.