The Dwarf Prince

Chapter 18: The King Under the Mountain

Because of the looming threat of a war, the people in Dale began collecting and distributing weapons in order to prepare themselves. On the other side of the town, deep in the mountain of Erebor, the dwarves were doing just the same thing. All suited up for battle, there was an aura of foreboding, one which was not welcome among the dwarves, more so the one hobbit that stood among them.

"Master Baggins, come here!" 

Bilbo turned around and saw Thorin walking up to him, holding a vest of white mail.

"You are going to need this. Put it on," Thorin said, holding up the chain mail armour as Bilbo shrugged off his jacket. "This vest is made of silver steel- Mithril it was called by my forebears." The dwarf king held up the vest so that Bilbo could slide into it. 

"No blade can pierce it."

When Bilbo had finished putting the vest on, he looked down at himself. "I look absurd. I'm not a warrior; I'm a hobbit."

"It is a gift. A token of our friendship. True friends are hard to come by," Thorin replied simply with a small smile. That smile had soon faded into an all too familiar frown when Thorin looked towards the direction of the other dwarves. Thorin grabbed Bilbo by the shoulders and pulled him away from the others.

Now out of earshot, the dwarf's anger was displayed. "I have been blind. Now I begin to see. I am betrayed," he said.

"Betrayed?" Bilbo repeated.

"The Arkenstone," Thorin replied in a low voice. Thorin moved closer to him, and Bilbo felt his nerves rise, looking more than uncomfortable about the greed-consumed dwarf in front of him.

"One of them has taken it," Thorin said, his eyes boring into Bilbo's. Internally, Bilbo felt relief was over him but he didn't show it. As long as Thorin didn't know about his possession of the Arkenstone, he would be spared the wrath of the dwarf king.

"One of them is false," Thorin voiced out.

"Thorin," Bilbo began. "The quest is fulfilled. You've won the mountain. Is that not enough?" 

"Betrayed by my own kin," Thorin continued.

"No eh...you made a promise," Bilbo started. "To the people of Laketown. Is-is this treasure truly worth more than your honour? Our honour, Thorin. I was also there, I gave my word." he reminded.

"For that I am grateful," Thorin said. "It was nobly done. But the treasure in this mountain does not belong to the people of Laketown! This gold...is ours and ours alone," the king's voice grew deeper, almost turning into the same voice as Smaug the dragon.

"By my life I will not part with a single coin! Not one piece of it!" Thorin growled. There was no sign of the dwarf from earlier in Thorin's eyes, only a king who was so consumed by dragon sickness that he was blind to all things but the treasure. From around them, the other dwarves started to march by them, all dressed up for battle in their suits of armour. All Bilbo could do was stare at Thorin in shock. He was only getting worst.

***

In a fortress far away from Erebor, crouched Legolas and Tauriel behind a giant rock. 

"Gundabad. What lies beyond?" Tauriel asked, her eyes scanning the area.

"An old enemy," Legolas replied. "The ancient kingdom of Angmar. This fortress was once its stronghold. It is where they kept their great armories, forged weapons of war."

"A light! I saw movement!" Tauriel said suddenly, when a small flicker of light appeared in a window of the fortress before disappearing.

"We wait for the cover of night. It is a fell place, Tauriel. In another age our people waged war on those lands," Legolas stopped, looking pained as he thought of the memories that remained in this foul place. Tauriel noticed this, and she looked at him in concern.