Star-Crossed

Chapter 61

"Erebor." Thorin breathed, his air tickling Beuren's ears. When she looked back at her husband, her smile faded. She could see it more prominent than ever now. It was in his eyes, rearing its ugly head like the dragon that laid before them. It had taken him.

"Thorin." Balin choked out beside his dearest friend. Thorin turned, offering a kind smile and patting the elder's shoulder. 

"I know these walls...these walls, this stone." Thorin stepped inside, running his fingers along the wall. "You remember it, Balin. Chambers filled with golden light." 

"I remember." Balin sighed, looking around the chamber, tears in his eyes. 

"Beuren, my love," Her eyes flicked to Thorin's. "We're home." She only stared. "Come to me, love. Come into our kingdom." She wanted to, Mahal knows she wanted to, but no matter how hard she tried, her feet would not carry her to him. "Beuren?" 

"I-I can't." She quickly thought up an excuse. "It's th-the smell." Beuren's feet only seemed to move backward as she retreated from the entrance. "It's too much for me right now."

"What do you smell?" Balin questioned, looking sincerely concerned. 

"Everything." She breathed. "I smell metal and rust. And stale...decay...death..." She shook her head, stepping farther away for fresh air. "Give me time, I'll adjust." Thorin nodded, offering a soft smile. Balin, more concerned now than ever, almost wished he'd joined the lass. 

After quite some time, Beuren entered the room, attempting to get out of the cold. Balin stood nervously at the mouth of a tunnel that led deeper into to the mountain. He wrung his hands a few times, pacing back and forth. Thorin watched, just as uneasily, though she knew it was for another reason entirely. Her eyes quickly scanned the group, noting that one member had gone missing. 

"You've sent him then." Dwalin nodded in reply. She took a seat beside him, curling her knees to her chest and pulling his fur cloak tighter about her shoulders. "How long has he been gone?" 

"Twenty minutes." Thorin replied. 

"Twenty minutes?" Beuren looked to Thorin, bewildered. "And no one has gone to make sure he hasn't been eaten?" The mountain shook, pitching Dwalin forward off the wall. He stumbled forward a pace or two, gaze shifting towards the tunnel. 

"Was that an earthquake?" Dori's voice shook with nerves. 

"That, my lad...was a dragon." Beuren climbed to her knees, feeling a heat rising from the tunnel, an orange glow illuminated the darkness about them. 

"What about Bilbo?" Ori asked, rising to his feet. 

"Give him more time." 

"Time to do what? To be killed?" Balin argued. 

"You're afraid." Thorin accused. Balin stepped towards Thoin, anger in his eyes. 

"Yes, I'm afraid. I fear for YOU. A sickness lies upon that treasure hoard, a sickness that drove your grandfather mad." Beuren, leapt to her feet, unhooking her cloak and retrieving her bow, notching an arrow as she bolted down the tunnel. That Hobbit wouldn't die alone, not if she had anything to do with it. 

She hated to admit that she didn't mind the heat, it was nice to feel her fingers for a change. However, as she neared the end of the tunnel, she began wishing she was wearing something a little lighter. Her cheeks began to redden from the heat and humidity. 

As she crept down the tunnel, Beuren listened to the voices, Bilbo's not much more than a faint whisper from where she was, Smaug's boomed, echoing in the vast cavern. With the echoing as such, she could hardly make out what was being said, but she knew for certain that Bilbo was doing what he did best: buying time. 

Beuren paused, hearing something that sounded much out of place. Footsteps. Just then she was slammed against the wall of the tunnel, Thorin's strong hands clutching the front of her shirt. Her bow clattered to the stone below as she was taken by surprise. She stared wide eyed at him, an anger like she hadn't seen before on him burned in his eyes. 

"What were you thinking?" He hissed, careful to not cause much of an echo. 

"About my friend that you are leaving to die." She snapped back. 

"Your heroics could have caused us this journey. Let him do his job." 

"His job is to find a rock, not get eaten by dragon, Thorin!" Beuren whispered back. "And as for my 'heroics', Gandalf asked me to come along to make sure nothing happened to anyone, especially the Hobbit." Beuren lied, she hadn't really known why Gandalf wanted her on this journey, maybe to keep Thorin straight, keep him from the sickness. Much good that did. 

"I will not argue with you, Beuren. You are the Queen now, act like it." She pushed back against the wall, shoving him against the opposite side of the tunnel.

"Would your mother have allowed someone to face their death alone?" Thorin's eyes glared holes into her very soul as she pinned him to the wall. "That's what I thought." She crouched, taking up her bow and...THWACK.