Queen Under the Mountain - Thorin Oakenshield

~Sixteen~

~A Warm Welcome Home~

Well, welcome home. 

They weren't even spared a moment to take in their surroundings, to relish in the fact that they had made it, that they were finally home, at last, at long last. Now they had a Dragon Sickness problem to worry about.  

"What about us?" Bofur mumbled to Oin.

Thorin flicked his wrist and tossed something through the air. Fili reached up to catch it - a glittering red jewel.  Thorin's eyes shone in the wash of golden light as he grinned widely. 

Well talk about dramatic...

Dahlia reached out and held Fili back from going any further, though he was so stunned he didn't move. 

"See?" sighed Bilbo. 

"Yeah, something's definitely wrong..." agreed Kili.

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"Is it like you remember?" Dahlia asked the brothers as they took in their surroundings, their family home.

"I can't remember it well, but now it's all coming back, chuckled Fili.

"Oh - thank Durin you're alive!"  In what had once been the grand royal dining hall, they found the others, seemingly trying to hide from their Company leader. 

However, there wasn't much time for a big 'welcome home' or reunion, for now that they were all here and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield was once again all back together, the king put them all to work right away. 

"Any sign of it?" Thorin had everyone - minus himself - searching for the Arkenstone in the hall of treasure. Everyone sifted through gold coin after gold coin, but the glittering moonlight-coloured jewel was nowhere to be seen or found. 

"Nothing here!"

"Nothing yet!"

"Not over here either!"

Their calls echoed throughout the vast hall. 

"The Stone could be anywhere..."

"It is here in these halls, I know it..."

"We have searched and searched," Dwalin reminded him wearily.

"Not well enough," snapped Thorin.

"Thorin, we would all see the Stone returned-"

"And yet, it is still not found!"

"Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?" pressed Balin. "The Arkenstone is the birthright of our people."

"It is the King's Jewel. AM I NOT THE KING?!?!" His shout echoed throughout the hall. "Know this: if anyone should find it, and withhold it from me, I will be avenged." On that note, and with his threat lingering, the others left him to sit upon his throne alone and in silence, pondering the whereabouts of his precious stone.  

Balin sighed once they were far enough away and out of earshot.  "That blasted stone... Perhaps it is best it remains lost..."

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"I want this fortress made safe by sunup. This mountain was hard-won - I will not see it taken again."

The people of Lake-town had taken refuge in the ruins of Dale. And, by the looks of things, the Mirkwood Elves had assisted them, if the Elven archer guards lining the walls of the city overlooking the valley were anything to go by.