The Dragon's Curse

The Lonely Mountain

"What is this place?" Bilbo asked as he looked upon the ruins.

"It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin. The desolation of Smaug." Artemis bitterly spoke her father's name as Balin placed a hand on her shoulder as she glanced down to the floor for a brief moment.

"The sun will soon reach midday. We must find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way" Thorin instructs as he begins to start moving once more.

"Wait. Is this the overlook? Gandalf said to meet him here, on no account were we to...?" Bilbo asked confused.

"Do you see him? We have no time to wait upon the wizard. We're on our own. Come" Thorin snapped as the conversation turned to the bare minimum. The company all start to follow on after Thorin as Bilbo glances around confused and looks to see if he can spot Gandalf, before he starts to catch up with the company. At the Lonely Mountain the company search for the hidden door. Thorin throws his sword into the ground and calls out.

"Anything?"

"Nothing!"

"If the map is true, the hidden door lies directly above us." Thorin spoke as he looks back at the map for guidance. Artemis remained at the back of the group as she dreaded each step she took closer to the mountain as she began to follow the path that she once took to escape from the mountain. Bilbo finds a large carving of the previous king on the side of the mountain.

"Up here!" He called out as the company ran over towards him.

"You have keen eyes, Master Baggins." Thorin praised with a beaming smile as the company climbs up the massive carving one by one until they reach the top where they see the wall of mountain. Artemis remained at the back with a numb facial expression as she stood near the ledge watching the hope in their eyes.

"This must be it. The hidden door. Let all those who doubted us, rue this day!" Thorin cried out in praise as he holds up the key and they all cheer.

"The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole." Thorin read out as he looks over to the sun light shining on the mountain's wall but the dwarves fail to find the keyhole. Nori goes over to the wall places a glass against and uses a spoon to tap against the wall in order to see if he can hear where the hidden door is.

"We're losing the light. Come on!" Thorin encouraged as Dwalin starts thumping his leg onto the wall trying to locate the hidden door. Artemis watched slightly amused and yet frightened as the sun light began to fade quicker.

"Break it down!" Thorin instructed as the dwarves start using their weapons to hit against the mountain wall frantically trying to break it before they lose the sun light completely.

"We lost the light. It's no good! The door's sealed! Can't be open by force. Powerful magic on it." Balin spoke as the sun finally sets and they lost the light.

"No! The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says. What did we miss? What did we miss? Balin." Thorin brokenly spoke to his advisor as Balin shook his head.

"We've lost the light. There's no more to be done. We had but one chance. Come away, lads. It's over." Balin spoke as they all dejectedly start to leave. Bilbo kept trying to convince them to return as Artemis watched them leave one by one with her head bowed down. Even if they failed to enter she knew how to enter the mountain. At least if they are far from the mountain they won't get hurt, she thought to herself.

Thorin starts walking away and gives the map to Bilbo as he drops the key to the ground as Artemis watched as Bilbo slowly began to discover the riddle of the entry to the mountain. Stand by the grey stone. When the thrush knocks, and the setting sun. And the last light of Durin's Day will shine.

They both glanced up at the same time as the moon appears from behind the clouds in the sky, Bilbo followed Artemis' eye line and looks back the wall and sees a thrush tapping at the wall with its beak, then the moonlight hits the wall.

"The last light! The keyhole! Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon! The last moon of Autumn!" Bilbo shouted out down towards the others as Artemis closed her eyes breathing slowly as she could hear Bilbo's feet shuffling before the sound of the key clinking against the rock making her eyes snap open to see Thorin's boot slam on the string to prevent the key from stumbling over the edge.

Thorin slowly picks up the key looking at it as the other dwarves join him, they all then look at the wall where the keyhole is now showing. Thorin inserts they key into the keyhole within the mountain wall, unlocks it and pushes it open, the company stares at it in awe for a moment.

"Erebor" Thorin whispered proudly.

"Thorin." Balin managed as Balin is near to tears and Thorin places his hand on his shoulder, then he takes a step inside.

"I know these walls. These halls. This stone." Thorin smiles to the familiarity as he touches the stone wall as he walks further inside.

"You remember it, Balin. Chambers filled with golden light." Thorin softly smiles as he struggles to ensure his voice doesn't break as he lets the memories flood back into him as he lets a beaming smile escape to his lips.

"I remember." Balin chokes back tears as Balin and the rest of the company step inside, Gloin spots an engraving on the wall.

"Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defence of this home." Gloin reads out as his fingers continue to hover over the engraving as though it would disappear from under his fingers.

"The throne of the king." Balin states as he refers to the engraving of a stone on the throne with light shining around it.

"And what's that above it?" Bilbo asked curiously.

"The Arkenstone." Balin stated proudly.

"The Arkenstone. And what's that?" Bilbo asked confused.

"That, Master Burglar, is why you are here." Thorin spoke in a deep tone as Bilbo looks around at the dwarves suddenly realizing the task ahead of him as his mouth drops into a large O. Sniffing and nodding he tried to show he wasn't afraid as he turned and frowned to see Artemis was outside.

"Artemis? Aren't you going to come in?" Bilbo called out as Artemis stands still on the ledge frozen staring into the mountain but then turns her back and looks at the view for one more time. The others shrug it off and Thorin takes no notice however Balin can see her devastated look and tensed body.........