A Thousand Miles[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Twenty Eight]

The dwarves began to search the wall for the key-hole. Dwalin began to move his hand along the grooves in the stone, but he wasn't having any luck. Feeling the pressure Thorin urged Nori to go help and put his talent to use. The dwarf began tapping a spoon with his ear against the stone listening for a certain sound. Dwalin started beating the wall violently with his boot and cursing at it, when he couldn't find the key-hole, which made it hard for Nori to concentrate and hear.

" It's not here!" Dwalin cursed.

" Break it down!" Thorin ordered. Gloin, Bifur and Dwalin began hitting it with their axes, but it wouldn't even so much as break a chunk of the stone. Alyndra looked at Balin for answers, but Balin just shook his head not wanting to watch them waste their strength on this.

"It can't be opened with force! Powerful magic on it." Balin stated, causing them all to stop what they were doing and look at the eldest dwarf. Thorin looked behind him where the sun was just setting behind the mountain causing the light to go out.

" No." Thorin ran over to the wall with the map in his hands. " The last light of Durin's day, shall shine upon the key-hole." He looked at the others who were trying to hid how discouraged they were. "That's what it says." Thorin stated. Alyndra had never seen him so defeated and she wanted to walk over to him but she never moved. She was beginning to think the elf in Rivendell had given them false facts to prevent them from entering the mountain. Thorin rushed over to Balin. " What did we miss...Balin?" Thorin begged the elder dwarf, but Balin knew they had lost their chance and there was nothing they could do now.

"We've lost the light." Balin started walking over to the others. "Come on lads...it's over." The dwarves started making their way back over to head back the way they came, mumbling their disappointments. Alyndra stood their frozen, they had come all this way only to have them give up so easily.

"W--where are they going?" Bilbo questioned, looking at Thorin, but the dwarf said nothing but turned to see his company leaving.

" So what. Your all just willing to give up!" Alyndra snapped from behind the hobbit.

"Alyndra, it's over. The elf from Rivendell lied to us. Were leaving." Thorin stated bitterly.

" You can't give up now!" Bilbo pressed

" Alyndra lets go!" he ordered, ignoring the hobbit's plea but the woman just shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere." Thorin narrowed his eyes at her, and for a few short seconds they starred at each other in silence.

"Fine, rot here then." He muttered bitterly as the key slid off his hand and hit the ground and he turned away from her and followed the others. Alyndra flinched at his words, and they repeated in her head, causing a tear to roll down her face. Bilbo could hear the skin changer let a soft whimper escape her lips and he wished not too see her in pain.

" Alyndra, go with him, don't stay here. I can figure this out myself." Bilbo insisted, as he held out the map that Thorin had shoved into his hands, remembering the words the inscription said. The woman picked up the key and started heading back over to the hobbit.