Walking Between Dreams

Chapter 18

I snatched my wrist from the dwarf's grasp when we were out of view and sprinted down one of the winding hallways, pebbles rumbled with each step. There were sparse torches flickering to light up the caves with piles of gold blocking some conjoining doorways. Yellow light glinted onto the cracked walls creating art while gems reflected brightly. Each step took me closer to my freedom from Erebor and it's king.

"Halt!" demanded a rather large dwarf who waddled after me.

I attempted to slow down to check who it is but I skidded into the end of the hall that was stacked of shelves with layers of dust and cob webs. My shoulder's hit bellowed in the caves, it was loud enough to make the rotting wood shake. I twisted around to see the largest dwarf in the company stalk towards me as the long braided mustached bounced with his footsteps.

I chatted as I leaned against the wall while gripping my left shoulder and noted a room a few feet away, "Bombur, right? How are you doing?"

"Good enough," Bombur answered, "Why are you running?"

"Well, I needed to run off some energy because I cannot sleep," I came up with while trying to distract him, "I heard that you have a family, one of the few dwarves to have one."

"Yes, yes I have a wife and a multitude of children. All of them are grown up now and they visit my wife and I," he excitedly chimed in when I took a step towards him.

"What is you wife's name?" I rambled on as I guided the dwarf with my arm across his back, my muscles flinched in pain with each movement.

"Lemi is her name. She bakes the most wonderful sour dough bread in all of Middle Earth," spoke Bombur as I guided him towards a dark room, "and her honey tea tastes amazing with it."

I shoved him into the dark room and slammed the oak door closed, it shuttered from him hitting it. The bolt lock easily slid into place as if it was meant to a convenient jail. Then I darted down into the labyrinth of passageways that always continued.

Eventually, I made it to the main entrance that was the grandest room that I saw, there was no one that I could spot. A chilling draft flowed now through the hall as if the entrance was open; but, there was one who had long white hair. His ancient eyes glided across room searching for something or someone.

I scrambbled across one of the many mounds of valuables and slide to a stop in from of him, his eyes widen a little.

"What are you doing?" inquired Balin as he took a seat on the ground and patted to spot by him.

"I asked lot of questions these days, nonetheless I was to be locked up by Thorin again. I believe that I need to escape again. The issue was that Bombur ran into me, so I put him into a locked room." I accounted for, "The plan was going well until I ran into you. Not that I dislike you except you are loyal to Thorin and I think you will try to stop me."

The white haired dwarf nodded with his face becoming creased in concentration, "You are searching for something yet you do not know what it is. The key you found is only the first step."

I jumped back in surprise with the heavy stench of dead leaves taking over the musty odor of Erebor. My eyes darted to the short stair case that led to the entry way and I ran towards it. Freezing dark tendrils reached from Balin's feet on the ground. In the hurry I barely got away as I jumped and slide to safety. Through the archway I saw shred of sunlight peaking into the darkness, still I felt a new chilliness fill the room. A shuddering slam rattled the walls crafted from screes and carved out of, then the light vanished. There was no where to go but back into the darkness.

I blindly dashed through the now pitch dark cavern and raced for anywhere but there. My heart thudded with each step, my breath becoming swifter, and yet there was no light. However, there was smoke wafting through Erebor now and when I glanced back there was no one except for piles of singed purple strands. The memory of the burnt house and everything overcame my mind as I crumbled down and cradled my head. My heavy breathes bounced off of the walls when the darkness washed out the world around me. In the distance I thought there was a horrid cry for help. The second time it was more real than before.

I got to my feet and crawled towards it. The hollering echoed off the walls until I saw a grand black door with smoke billowing out from the cracks. I shakily stood up and hovered my hand over the knob, heat radiated off of it like a summer day. With nothing else to do, I tried to pry open the door, but it was locked. I pulled out the silver key and twisted open the lock. It slammed open instantly, so I walked through without much thought.

---

Inside there was a throne of glass with a sinister looking man looking through me as if I was invisible. There were black wyverns stitched onto banisters that decorated the throne room, guards lined the walkway of a long rug. Before the king was a young man with dark hair with his knuckles white with fear and a ruggedly handsome gentleman braced in a defensive stance glaring at the king. To the right of the man with the dark hair was a massive brute that had locks of pale blonde framing his threads of muscle that riveted with each movement.

With the flick of the king's wrist an unearthly jet black ring flickered in the light and instantly women's head rolled into view. Inky black hair fanned across the floor as her brown eyes stared up at the high ceiling. I heard nothing but saw the dark haired man run towards her, scooping up the head and mourning for her. 

For a moment I witnessed Mia smiling with tear-stained eyes at me and treaded towards me through the guards that now attacked the three men. Once she stood in front of me her transparent hand grasped mine and lifted it up. In my hand was now a petal of an alostroemeria that had a rich pink beginning in the middle and fade into white around the rim. 

"Thank you, mpenzi wangu" she whispered into the wind of dead leaves and faded away. Her soft, coco hands left mine and tears stung my eyes. For a brief moment I felt hope for finding my love again though that ended when the ruggedly handsome man pushed me out of his way.

"There is a women!" screeched on of the guards as they tackled me. 

Their weight pushed all of the air out of me and the petal was gone instantly like Mia. I struggled against them but to no avail; I was captured again. 

I willingly was hauled off after the brute with nothing spoken to me, but suspicious glares from the guards. Off in the distance I heard a hoarse cry for help and it was silent as if something was captured. I looked ahead and continued on.

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In the spirit of Easter and the quarantine I wanted to write a short head canon of Easter for Thorin's company. I hope you enjoy!

Easter Egg Hunt Head Canon:

Thorin: Hides all of the eggs (which is hundreds) and makes map of all the hiding places

Balin: Helps to hide the eggs but does not partake

Kili: Teams up with Fili to find a map that has all of the egg's locations

Fili: Teams up with Kili but does not want to use the map, however he finds it

Oin: Fights whoever gets in his way

Gloin: Begins a fire to smoke out anyone in the room 

Dwalin: Says he is too old for this but he still looks for some eggs

Ori: Paints the eggs then not hide them

Dori: Chase Ori and Nori with a sword when they steal his eggs

Nori: Steals Dori's eggs

Bifur: Protects Thorin from Kili and Fili harassing his about the eggs

Bofur: Somehow makes the eggs into an alcoholic beverage

Bombur: Eats all of the eggs he finds

Bilbo: Makes sure that the eggs are evenly divided but steals some of their.