Star-Crossed

Chapter 60

Bilbo panted from his spot at the foot of the mountain. Beuren huffed beside him, eyes trained on the mountain side. Thorin had them all running ragged trying to find the secret entrance, but to no avail. Thorin looked down at his map, turning himself so that he was facing the right way. 

"If the map is true, the hidden door lies directly above us." Beuren straightened herself, scanning the upper walls of the mountain. "Beuren, you have the best eyes, what do you see?" 

"It would be easier if I knew what I was looking for?" 

"A door Beuren. The entrance." Thorin groaned.

"Ho, ho, you are working your way to an ass beating, Thorin." She grumbled to herself. Thorin stepped away, eyes scanning the grey stone before him. 

"Beuren, is...is that?" Bilbo pointed to a large statue that had been carved into the mountain. It was of a giant dwarf, adorned with a battle axe and armor. In the detailing of it's coat laid their path. 

"I will make you into a stew if you say anything." She hissed at the Hobbit. 

"Up here!" Thorin jogged towards them.

"Hobbit barley stew it is." 

"You have keen eyes, Master Baggins."

"Too keen." Beuren grumbled. 

"Hurry up." Thorin snapped at his wife. 

"I'm old remember? My hip doesn't take this."

"MOVE!" She rolled her eyes and struggled to move to the next set of stairs. With a leap, she narrowly caught the step, dragging herself up with her hands as she worked to get her knee below her on the stair. "If Aragorn could see me know."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dear." She shouted back, hustling up the steps before jumping to the next set.
It wasn't long before they reached their destination. A small stone clearing overlooked the desolate landscape below. In the spring and summer months, the fields rolled with beautiful golden grasses, patches of wildflowers and trees provided lovely picnic spots. A river flowed from the mountain to the lake, it's gurgling waters shimmering like diamonds in the sunlight. Now, however, in the winter, it looked barren. A wasteland. A ghost of what once was. 

"This must be it. The hidden door." Thorin pushed past Beuren, eyes transfixed on a large flat portion of the stone. The remainder of the dwarves and their token hobbit all filed into the clearing as well, all breathing heavily but wearing exhausted smiles nonetheless. "Let all those who doubted us rue this day!" Their cheering was short lived as all came to realize the problem: It had to be the door, no question about it... but where was the door knob? 

"Right. We have our key, which means that somewhere, there is a keyhole." Dwalin began running his fingers over every inch of the door, trying to find the keyhole. 

"The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." Thorin watched as the sun began to set. "Nori." Thorin's voice was frantic. Nori stepped forward, removing a spoon and a cup from his pack, and began tapping on the stone, listening for anything. Dwalin began pushing on the stone, hoping that maybe brute strength could at least jostle it enough to give them an idea of where the door was. "We're losing the light."

"Come on!" Dwalin kicked the door. 

"Be quiet! I can't hear when you're thumping." Nori protested.

"I can't find it...it's not here! It's not here." Dwalin turned to his king. Thorin, anxiety growing by the minute, looked to the other dwarves.

"Break it down!" Bifur, Gloin, and Dwalin took up their weapons. 

"Thorin, this isn't going to work!" Beuren argued, ducking to avoid a shattered piece of axe that flew past her head. 

"It's no good! The door's sealed. It can't be opened by force. Powerful magic on it." Balin agreed. He shared a dejected look with Beuren, who downcast her eyes in silent agreement. 

"No." thorin rushed to the edge of the clearing, watching as the sun faded behind the mountians in the distance. "The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says." He looked at his company. "What did we miss?" He turned to his trusted advisor. "What did we miss, Balin?" The elder dwarf sighed, shaking his head. 

"We've lost the light. There's no more to be done. We had but one chance." Balin looked to his companions. "Come away; it's... it's over." Even Beuren heaved a sigh of despair. She was not heartless, she wanted the mountain back, she just wanted to be alive to enjoy it and not in the stomach of a dragon. 

"Wait a minute!" Bilbo looked around the company, watching them all shuffle towards the stairs.

 "Wait!" He chased after the company a few strides. "Where are they going? You can't give up now!" Turning to his leader, he watched as the dwarf lord dropped the key. "Thorin...you can't give up now." The dwarf strode past him, pushing the map into the Hobbit's chest and following his company. He looked to Beuren next.

"I'm tired, Bilbo, I'm going to rest before I try those stairs again. You're welcome to wait if you'd like." She seated herself on the edge of the clearing, dangling her legs over the threshold. "I fear his rage will catch up to him once he reaches the bottom." Bilbo examined the map, moving back towards the door and began muttering to himself. 

Beuren laid back, her head resting on a flat stone as she watched the stars begin to pierce through the velvety blue sky. She breathed in the frigid air and thanked the Valar that it hadn't started snowing again. Bilbo was still reciting the map's riddle behind her. She couldn't help but repeat it in her head. 

Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole

Last light...

"LAST LIGHT!" She and Bilbo cried in unison, looking back at one another. "The keyhole! Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon, the last moon of autumn! Ha ha ha!" Bilbo began searching for the key as Beuren scrambled to her feet to help. "Where's the- Where's the key? Where's the- it was here...but it was here, it was here! It was just..." Bilbo froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clattering on stone, he'd kicked it. Beuren dove towards the edge, hand clasping around the string as the key tumbled over the edge. A firm hand grasped her ankle stopping her dead as she began to plunge over the cliff. The air around the three seemed to heavy to breath, the world fell silent, nothing could be heard but Beuren's heavy breathing as she came to realize just how high up they really were. 

"Don't. Drop it." She gulped, nodding in reply as Thorin began to heave her back onto the ledge. Once she was oriented, he took the key from her, turning back towards Bilbo. Bilbo pointed to the keyhole, watching as Thorin apprehensively inserted the key. It was a fit. Relief flooded the faces of all the dwarves, of whom now waited for their leader to open the door. 

Twisting the key, Thorin let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He could hear the clicking of the internal components of the lock, feel them through the key. Thorin's hands braced against the door, but it didn't budge. Taking a deep breath, he held back his temper. That was when the second pair of hands came into his vision. Dainty thin fingers splayed just below his. Beuren wedged herself partially between him and the door, giving him a nod before she began to push. Their combined efforts saw the door open with ease, swinging inward like a heavy pendulum. A ghost of a smile crept to the elf's lips.