A Long Way From Home[Thorin Oakenshield] RE-EDITING! 2/60 DONE

~Chapter Thirty Three~

The company gathered in the bowman's room in front of the hearth to get warm and to dry their wet boots. Honoria was a little shorter than Bard's eldest daughter Sigrid and she was kind enough to offer the half-breed one of her dresses to wear for the meantime, while hers dried.

"They may not be the best fit, but they'll keep you warm." Bard stated as his youngest daughter brought dry clothing to all the shivering dwarves and hobbit. Honor brought herself and her cousin a cup of warm tea to help bring feeling back into their hands as they sat in front of the fire. The elf looked around wondering where Thorin was when she found him over by the window, starring at something and she got up with her cousin right behind her.

"A dwarvish windlance." Thorin whispered as he starred at a piece of history made from his own people long ago.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Bilbo pointed out as he approached the dwarf's side. Thorin glanced at them both.

"He has." Balin spoke from behind the cousins. Honor and Bilbo both turned to look at the older dwarf. "The last time we saw such a weapon...A city was on fire. It was the day the dragon came. The day that Smaug destroyed Dale."

Honoria listened carefully to the sad story. She had never heard the whole story of what happened when the dragon came and she glanced at the dwarf prince and saw that his face was filled with torment as the tragic memory played over in his mind. He could still hear the screams of his people, like it was only yesterday it happened and the half-breed gently took his hand in hers and Thorin turned to her and a small smile formed on his face, and he took some comfort having her in his presences as Balin continued on with the story.

"Girion, the Lord of the city....rallied his bowmen to fire upon the beast. But a dragon's hide is tough. Tougher than the strongest armor. Only a black arrow fired from a windlance could have pierced the dragon's hide. And few of those arrows were ever made. The store was running low when Girion made his last stand." Balin stated as he let out a sigh.

"Had the aim of men been true that day...much would have been different." Thorin sadly stated, before turned to stare back through the crack of the window, wondering what life could have been like if things had indeed gone differently.

"You speak as if you were there." Bard stated as he approached them, wondering who they really were.

" All dwarves know the tale." Thorin declared, careful not to divulge anything to this man, on who they really are what their true intentions for being here.

"Then you would know that Girion hit the dragon." Bain growled, somewhat offended by the dwarves version of the story. " He loosened a scale under the left wing. One more shot and he would have killed the beast." Dwalin begins to chuckle behind them.

"That's a fairy story, lad. Nothin' more." Dwalin gloated. Honoria looked up to see the man was hurt and even angry by this and she could tell he was fuming in his mind. Thorin released the elf's hand and stepped forward to get down to business, they had wasted enough time.

"You took our money. Where are the weapons?" Thorin demanded.

"Wait here."

Bard left to bring the dwarves what he promised and Thorin, Balin and his two nephews went over to far end of the room to discuss things in private. Honor was standing by her cousin. She was slightly annoyed at the dwarves ignorant attitude towards this man. He had been so kind to help them escape across the lake and allowed them to take refuge inside his home. He could of left them on there own, once they were in Lake-town. The deal was that he get them into Lake-town which he honored. The hobbit noticed his cousin hadn't been listening to a single word he'd been saying and he noticed why.

"Honor, have you been listening to a single word I've said." Bilbo questioned.

"Shh." She hissed.

"Your eavesdropping again, aren't you?" Bilbo whispered. And he got his answer when she wouldn't reply and he shook his head at her, knowing one of these days it was going to get her in trouble.

" Tomorrow begins the last days of autumn." Thorin pressed as he turned to Balin.

"Durin's day falls the morn after next. We must reach the mountain before then." Balin indicated to them all.

"And if we do not?" Kili wondered. " If we fail to find the hidden door before that time?"

"Then this quest had been for nothing." Fili murmured and their discussion was ended when they heard approaching footsteps. Bard had come back, and placed the weapons on the table. Thorin and the rest of the dwarves eyed the pile suspiciously and each took one in to examine it and their first thought was this man had completely lost his mind to think they had wasted all their money

"What is this?" Thorin hissed.

"Pike hook, made from an old harpoon." Bard answered.

"And this?" Kili asked.

"A crowbill, we call it. Fashioned from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand, I grant, but, in defense of your life, these will serve you better than none." The bowman declared and Gloin sneered at this.

"We paid you for weapons. Iron-forged swords and axes!"

"It's a joke!" Bofur protested along with the others as they tossed the weapons back on the table not accepting them as fair trade for their payment.

"You won't find better outside the city armory. All iron-forged weapons are held there under lock and key" Bard explained. Thorin and Dwalin shared a look over the half-breeds heads knowing what they needed to do next. Honor couldn't listen to this anymore. They were treating this man rudely.

"Tho--." Honor began only to be interrupted by Balin.

"Thorin...why not take what's on offer and go? I've made do with less. So have you. I say we leave now." Balin proclaimed.

"You're not going anywhere." Bard hissed.

"What did you say?" Dwalin growled as he and Thorin stepped towards the man.

"There are spies watching this house and probably every dock ad wharf in the town. You must wait till nightfall." Bard said and left outside once the dwarves grumbled their annoyances. Bard hadn't returned since he went outside and his son soon followed him out and was the only one to come back in. Thorin approached Honor and Bilbo who were near the hearth.

"Come on were leaving....now." Thorin ordered them. The hobbit was uncertain about this but didn't argue with him. Thorin pulled the elf with him when they were stopped.

"Where are you going? My father said you can't leave until nightfall. It's not safe." Bain protested.

"Get out of our way lad." Dwalin hissed at the boy.

"I can't let you leave." Bain stated in a serious tone, but Dwalin shoved the boy out of the way, like nothing and they left the bowman's home and headed in the direction of the armory. By the time they reached their destination, night had already fallen.

"Can you see anything?" Bilbo asked quietly.

"Shh! Keep it down." Oin hissed. The company were hiding behind some crates when they spotted a few watchmen wandering the area.

"As soon as we have the weapons, we make straight for the mountain." Thorin pressed quietly to them. A few of them were lined up, while the rest of them formed a pyramid just below a window. " Go, go. go."

Nori was the first to climb the pyramid and into the window. Then Bilbo, Honor, Thorin and few others. Once inside they began gathering every weapon they could get there hands on. They began pilling them on Kili and when he came by Honor to take the weapons, she noticed how ill he looked. " Kili, you don't look so well?" She said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine." Kili grumbled, not wanting to feel useless. Thorin caught the attitude coming from his nephew and when he walked over to Thorin. Thorin asked this time, when he noticed he was starting to limp.

"Are you alright?" Thorin questioned hie nephew.

"I can manage." Kili growled. " Let's just get out of here." As Thorin placed a few more weapons on the pile and Kili went to go down the stairs, his injured leg gave out on him and he tumbled down the stairs the weapons going everywhere. Not soon after the shouts of several guards were heard and getting closer. The dwarves grabbed weapons to fight only to have the watchmen point their own at their throats. Thorin glanced at his nephew and saw the guilty look he had on his face. Thorin turned back to the captain of the guard and tossed his sword to the ground and the others did the same.

The company was soon being dragged through the market area. Honoria glanced around as she saw people peering from their windows to see what was happening and soon they had more than half of Lake-town following behind them, as the watchmen brought the dwarves before the Master's home.

The doors swung open to the master coming out, still trying to get his coat on, looking rather annoyed that he had been disturbed with this nonsense. "What is the meaning of this?" he shouted in wrath.

"We caught 'em stealing weapons, sire." The captain of the watchmen explained.

"Ah. Enemies of the state, ehm?" The master accused.

"A desperate bunch of mercenaries, if ever there was, sire." Alfrid sneered and Honor recognized the pathetic voice when they were on the barge in the barrel's of fish at the toll gate.

"Hold your tongue!" Dwalin hissed at the man, stepping forward. " You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal. This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!" Dwalin declared. Thorin came forward, ignoring the sudden gasps and murmurs coming from the crowd.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland." Thorin proclaimed, stepping further into the circle. "I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor. Filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the center of all trade in the north!" The town's people began to cheer around them as the dwarf continued to speak. " I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!" The crowd was ecstatic until a certain voice interrupted them and they were silent.

"Death! That is what you will bring upon us! Dragon fire and ruin. If you waken that beast, it will destroy us all." Bard shouted in fury.

" You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this: if we succeed...all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!"

Honor listened to the crowd as they cheered at Thorin's words. Even the master was paying attention and the only thing that filled his head was the money he could be putting in his pocket, if this was to be successful as the dwarf stated.

"Why should we take you at your word, eh?" Alfrid hissed, causing the crowd to become silent. "We know nothing about you. Who here can vouch for your character?" The crowd murmur their agreement with Alfrid as he had a fair point. The elf looked around, the dwarves couldn't step forward, no one would believe a word if one of his own vouched for him.

" I will." Thorin turned around at the sound of her voice.

"And why should we take your word? Your just a woman?" Alfrid sneered at her. Honor glared at this man but she held her tongue, this was no time for her to get arrogant.

"Because I have traveled far with these dwarves through great danger..." Honor began when she was joined by her cousin.

"We both have. And if Thorin Oakenshield gives his word...then he will keep it." Bilbo exclaimed. Thorin nodded to the two cousins. The crowd cheers at this. Honor feels a smile on her face when he quickly faded.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?! And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a Mountain King, So riven by greed he could not see beyond his own desire! " Bard shouted. Thorin glared at the bowman in anger. The crowds murmurs started to turn into shouts and protests.

"Now, now! We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame." The master spoke. Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast! Hmm?" Thorin's eyes widened and continued to glare at the bowman. Bard clenched his fist, rage building up in him as the master and Alfrid continued to blame Bard for his ancestors mistakes.

"It's true, sire. We all know the story. Arrow after arrow, he shot. Each one missin' its mark." Alfrid gloated. Honor watched as Bard approached Thorin.

" You have no right. No right to enter that mountain." Bard hissed.

Thorin leaned forward and whispered for only the bowman to hear. "I have the only right." He turned away and looked up at the master. " I speak to the master of the men of the lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people? What say you?"

The master glanced at his people, seeing them all waiting for him to give his answer. " I say unto you...welcome! Welcome! And thrice welcome...King Under the Mountain!" He proclaimed as the people cheered once again. Thorin climbed up a few of the steps and turned to the people and then glared at Bard for the longest time, until he left the crowd in defeat.