The Ranger ➵ Kili Durin

PART 2 : CHAPTER 14

It took some coming around, but finally, Thorin understood that Bilbo needed to be saved. Sword in hand, he charged into the mountain, jogging through the tunnels in search of the Hobbit. Much to his dismay, Elvira followed. He knew how much the Hobbit meant to her, and so he only protested a little bit at her coming.

Elvira followed him down into the mountain, until they came to a halt. There Thorin stood, overlooking a vast chamber, positively overflowing with gold. The chamber glowed a bright ember color, and Thorin gasped at the sight. Elvira's breath caught in her throat at all the wealth in that room, but the real shock that came to her was a little Hobbit running towards them.

"You're alive!" she gasped, her heart overflowing with relief.

"Not for much longer," Bilbo panted, putting his hands on his knees in order to catch his breath.

"Did you find the Arkenstone?" Thorin asked him, eyes growing dark. Bilbo stumbled for words.

"There's a dragon coming!"

"The Arkenstone," Thorin said dangerously. He put his sword up against the entrance to the tunnel, blocking Bilbo from running away like he so desperately wanted to.

"Did you find it?"

"No. We have to get out!" Bilbo tried again, tried to walk past, but Thorin would not let him.

"Thorin!" Bilbo said, confused. The Dwarf King stepped forward, forcing Bilbo to take a step back. He put the edge of his sword dangerously close to Bilbo's heart, and fear grew in the Hobbit's eyes.

"Thorin, stop!" Elvira tried, but of course, he would not listen. Suddenly, a sound could be heard from further into the chamber. Thorin, Bilbo, and Elvira all looked that way, waiting.

Amidst the hoard of treasure stood a creature Elvira had yet to see with her own eyes until now; a fearsome dragon, tall and covered in scales, its eyes glowing red with the hatred that it held in its heart.

The dragon Smaug seemed to recognize Thorin Oakenshield, for its eyes narrowed and it bared its terrible fangs. It stood taller, and the scales on his chest and neck began to glow underneath. "You will burn!" he roared, and all at once, he bellowed fire in their direction. They all seemed to have the same escape route, for at the same time that the horrible creature blew fire, all three turned and jumped off the edge of the staircase. They tumbled down a pile of gold and landed near a different tunnel entrance, quickly diving through it. The other dwarves stood further along inside it, calling for them to run faster.

A room stands on the other side of the tunnel, and Elvira and Bilbo make it through, with Thorin behind them. His coat was on fire, and all at once he fell to the ground rolled the coat off in one sweep, and stood up again.

"Come on," he said, leading them down another tunnel, taking them further and further into the mountain as the echoes of an angry dragon's roars emanate all around them.

Across the lake, Kili's screams could be heard for miles around. Tauriel gathered a bowl and tore the Kingsfoil into pieces, putting it in boiling water. She orders the others to hold him down as she began to gather up the pieces of the plant and mold them together in her hand, chanting an elvish healing incantation that she was taught when she was much younger.

As she chanted the words, her palms brought the plant down and pressed hard against the wound in his leg. He screamed and writhed in pain, and Sigrid and Tilda jump up to help hold him still. As Tauriel continues, he quiets down, his breath still ragged. He watched her, eyes foggy. Her voice began to cloud him, and a shining white light stood behind her. It encompassed her, until the red haired elf that stood in front of him was only a shadow, an outline of a figure.