Thyri, Daughter of Thrain, Dragonslayer (Book 2)

Plan To Defeat Smaug

Balin, Thorin, and Bilbo run through a large hallway. Balin turns into a side tunnel, but Thorin continues forward with Bilbo at his heels "It's this way ! This way ! Come on !" Bilbo stops by the tunnel, and calls out to Thorin, who is still ahead "Thorin !" Thorin turns and begins to go back to Bilbo and Balin, but stops suddenly. They all see Smaug at the end of the hallway. Thorin yells at Bilbo "Follow Balin !" Bilbo shouts "Thorin !" Balin shouts "Come on !" He pulls Bilbo into the side tunnel just as Smaug's chest glows orange and he unleashes his fire throughout the hall. Thorin runs the other way and leaps into the air, falling into a deep pit. He catches onto a chain with a bucket at the end of it, and it begins descending just as Smaug leaps into the pit as well. Smaug claws his way down the tunnel, snapping at Thorin on the chain. Dwalin runs up to the mouth of the pit "Thorin !" He smashes his axe into the machinery holding the chain Thorin is holding on to, and the chain stops descending abruptly. Beside Dwalin, a heavy holding bucket on the other end of the same chain begins descending rapidly, causing Thorin's chain to fly upward. Thorin soars upward, narrowly missing Smaug's head. Smaug turns and manages to grab the end of Thorin's chain, stopping its movement. Smaug pulls down, at the machinery holding the chain at the top of the pit breaks free of its moorings and falls into the pit. Hit chain slack, Thorin falls and lands right on the tip of Smaug's closed mouth. He stands on Smaug's top lip as Smaug growls and opens his mouth. Fire is visibly rising up his neck.

Just as Smaug snaps closed his mouth to eat him, Thorin leaps to the side and grabs another chain. Smaug turns to bite him, but the falling machinery strikes him in the face. Nori, at the top of the pit, hits another machine, and its gears spin rapidly, pulling Thorin on his chain rapidly upward. Smaug roars and blows smoke straight up the pit after Thorin. Thorin manages to reach the top and throw himself on a ledge just as the fire erupts beside him. He stumbles over to Nori "Go ! Go !" Thorin and Nori run through narrow slits between tall, stone pillars and join the other dwarves and Bilbo. They are standing in front of several massive furnaces. Dwalin says "The plan's not going to work. These furnaces are stone cold." Balin says "He's right. There's no fire hot enough to set them ablaze." The furnaces are all dark, with no sign of fire within. Thorin turns back toward the pit "Have we not ? I did not look to see you so easily outwitted !"