Walking Between Dreams

Chapter 17

After the meal we went on our separate ways; some went to rest and others went to dig through the gold. I went to my next shift to help out the dwarves in another hall that was larger than the last one, and yet nothing came of the arkenstone. 

Sweeping pillars stood over head and when I tipped my head back, I could barely see the carved top rims. Dust layered every single object in Erebor with a musty smell drifting through the halls from the ancient rooms being opened. Behind the pillar Nori and Dori were rambling on about golden utensils that they found that were worth so much that they could buy forty horses. 

I was bent over pushing back necklaces, cups, etc when I felt someone poke me, it was Bifur. I turned around to see an axe in the dwarves forehead with thick scaring around it. His brown eyes reflected the newly lit torches on the walls with his black and gray hair sticking in every which way. He gestured towards a sizable sheet of gold that was embroidered with various gems such as opals and rubies since he did not speak the Westron speech. I nodded gently and followed him over, needing to take shorter steps or I would step on his fur boots.

I grabbed one side of the sheet of gold that was rectangular but Bifur did not pick it up. He looked into my eyes with a playful gleam, pulled it out of my hands, and placed it on a precipitous sweep of riches. Bifur sat on the plate of of gold while grasping the swiveling cords of metal that created the edge and patted the space behind him. It was barely large enough for me. 

The yellow metal felt cool to the touch as I sat down and placed my hands around Bifur's torso. He tried to push us forward and struggled so I gave us the last push off of the edge. Wind pushed back my curls as we sped down the enormous hill of valuables and Bifur let a glorious laugh. Chunks of gems and metals flew by us with a cup almost nailing my head, clunks of the the riches rung in the room like a bell. We heard the other dwarves yelling in surprise or caution as we made our way over another shorter hill until we hit a compact, wooden box in our path. We flipped forward together and I tumbled over Bifur into one of the pillars, my neck cracked in the process. Bifur flopped into a pile of jewels and twisted over; nonetheless, he was the first one up.

I turned over in pain jutting through my back and I placed my hand on the bandages. Red coated my fingers when I pulled back my hand and in the distance I saw a trail of blood. The pain overwhelmed me as I passed out almost immediately.

---

Darkness engulfed me as I opened my heavy eyes with my head feeling like lead. My stomach felt the pressure of my other organs I recognized the position that I am in. Blood seen through my bandages caught my eyes as I gazed towards a doorway on the other side of the room that I did not recognize. There was no one or furniture but the flickering of fire and I in the room. 

A light voice posed as he sat up, "Feeling better?"

I turned to my side to see one of the dwarves with his ashy brown hair pulled back into a three point star with his eye brown hairs braided back to his scalp. The beard finished the look with three braids along his chin.

I nodded. "Yes, I am. Are you Nori?"

The interesting looking dwarf nodded and rolled back over casting a shadow across the stone floor.

"What were you doing with Bifur?" Nori questioned into cracked wall by him.

I replied stiffly, "We were having fun by sledding."

"What is sledding?" asked Nori as he looked over his shoulder with confusion written across his face.

"Ummm... It a human activity done during the winter." I explained, "We take sheets of wood or in this case gold and slide down a hill with snow typically on the ground instead of treasure. Children usually partake in this event but adults can too."

Nori nodded and stared at the top of my side. I saw blood leaking through the bandages onto my shirt and rolled back onto my stomach. Nori then quietly came to my side of the room.

The dwarf gently pulled up my shirt and removed the bandages while letting out a low whistle. "How did you get this?"

"I pushed an elf out of the way of a falling piece of burning wood. It hit me square on the back," I answered while flinching in pain as he reapplied fresh bandages.

"It looks like you have been burned before," Nori observed.

I revealed with a quiet voice feeling as if I should tell the truth, "Yeah, I was in a house fire a while ago."

"What happened?" pushed Nori.

I snapped, "None of your business."

Nori's eyes widen a bit and he bit his lip, then he went away to his side of the room and left me alone. He flopped back down and was quiet for the rest of the night.

---

"Get up you two!" ordered a voice from outside of the room.

I aggressively pulled open the door and stared into Dori's blue green eyes that narrowed. I flinched in pain briefly as I twisted my back to stretch.

I leaned against the doorway and inquired, "What do you need?"

"Thorin needs to see you," Dori mentioned as he motioned me to follow.

I left the room and followed Dori down a low-ceiling hall, a smell of burning metal filled the caverns. There were stalagmites along the hall as we walked down the stony floors.

I probed, "Why does he need to see me?"

Dori answered, "I am not entirely sure, but it does not seem good because he has been in a rotten mood."

"Neat, how is your time in Erebor?" I stated to pass the time.

"It is fascinating!" Dori prattled, "There are so many ancient gems and valuables that I thought was lost to time. Even the armory is fully stocked with elegant swords, axes, and daggers."

"What is your favorite weapon to fight with?" I tried to find common ground.

"Probably the sword because it is perfect for slicing through almost anything." 

Then Dori took a sharp left and pulled me after him leading into a lofty hollow in the mountain. There were four bridges meeting in the center where a massive decorate, stone throne sat with a king cladded in gold regally staring at us. As we walked across the the bridges I looked down to see a pit with the bottom not seen, it was a dark chasm. Thick beams carved in runes held up the walls with stalactites over head generating a salty scent in the area.

"So you finally came," Thorin commented with disgust.

I responded, "Yes, what now?"

"I need to know why you are still here," Thorin dictated as he stood up.

"I still need something," I disclosed.

"Such as..."

I frowned and finally broke after weeks of exhaustion fibs. "A magical object other than the arkenstone."

"For what?" the king pried.

"To find my lover and dearest friend, Mia," I divulged while looking away with my face heating up, "She is my fiancee and I lost her somewhere. I do not know where but it is literally out of this world."

"Why are you lying again?" thought of Thorin while he walked towards me, disbelief obviously painted on his face.

My eyes glazed over with impatience so I turned around to walk away, however Dori gripped my arm. Thorin was breathing on my back and it resulted in me flipping around and had another stare down with him.

"I am done with you," the king broached, "You are saying facts that conflict each other every which way. I never know when to believe you so take her away to a room."

I retorted, "Maybe if you were not blinded your greed none of you will die."

Thorin gripped my throat and threatened, "Shut your mouth or you will never see the light of day again."

I ripped myself from Thorin's grasp and felt Dori take a hold of my forearm. He lead me out of the throne room and to a new hallway, with each step my rage boiled.