1 | dark pasts [oakenshield]

Twenty-eight

Nervous: that's how Bilbo felt. Why wouldn't he be? He was about to plunge into the Lower Halls and quarrel with a dragon—if he decided to wake it up.

Nothing to worry about, right?

Bilbo placed careful steps, looking around the area. He slowed his course at the large door frame, gulping. "Hello?" he whisper called.

When he didn't get a response, he knocked softly on the wall. Though this, if anything, caused a ripple effect and made the sound echo, and he automatically pressed his back against the wall. When the sound passed, he took a breath and pursed his lips, clearing his throat and looking behind him before looking forwards again.

"He's not at home," he mumbled to himself. "Not at home." Bilbo cleared his throat once more. "Good. Good, good... good."

Bilbo stood at the edge of the ledge, gaping at the amount of gold and gems and cups and treasure. It was literally covering the all of the floor, and the mound was both huge in size and height. The small light from the torches made the gold shimmer, though in the dark the gold seemed dull.

Nonetheless, he trudged down the stairs, cringing and mentally shushing himself when he reached the gold, his feet crunching on it each time he took a step. He groaned quietly in announce, trying not to slip. He sighed and shook his head when some coins started to fall down the mound, but he stayed on course. As he walked, coins clinked and clanked, generally annoying Bilbo to no end.

He finally stopped near a tiny hill of treasure, filled with gold and tiny gems. He searched through a bowl and found nothing. He found a small white gem, and the a large ruby. He picked them up, flipping them back and forth before putting them away. The Hobbit picked up a shimmering necklace, almost weighing it in his hands. He absentmindedly put it next to his ear before sputtering and shaking his head. He almost sighed in relief when he saw a large, white jewel that... wasn't the Arkenstone. He put it in the light, trying to see and shaking it next to his ear a few times before plopping down and throwing it to the side.

"Shush, shush, shush," Bilbo hissed, his hand out like he was using the force to stop the jewel from going everywhere.

He sighed and walked further up the mound near a pillar, making a little squeak when he sunk down in the treasure, the coins skittering around. "Arkenstone. Arkenstone. A large, white jewel," he mumbled to himself, sighing once more and letting his eyes wander. "Very helpful."

Bilbo walked—or rather slowly scrambled—along the gold once more, holding his breath every single time the coins clattered beneath him. He passed a few more pillars, his eyes wandering around the cavernous space. He finally reached a high point and a pillar next to a huge mound with a lump. He waddled towards it and pulled out the nearest cup.

Mistake number one.

Bilbo watched as the coins decided to fall down the hill, a look of horror on his face. He paled when the coins decided to reveal a closed eye and an ear. Bilbo tilted his head to the side and studied it; red skin, super scaly, and probably not at all nice.

The Hobbit made a noise and scurried to the nearest pillar behind him, hiding behind it and looking out. He was panting, obviously scared. Bilbo jumped when a nostril flared from his right. Bilbo tried to calm his nerves down by stepping to the left to try and get more behind the pillar befire coming out from his hiding place, going around. Yet he stopped and paled a bit when he saw the other side of the mound rumble, revealing a tail. He tilted his head to the side and gulped, shaking his head and spinning around. He held his hands out to the side as if willing the movement to stop, and it thankfully did. he looked around, trying to compare his height to the head and tail of the dragon.