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THORIN WALKS THROUGH THE HALL IN WHICH HE TRIED to drown Smaug; the entire floor is covered in gold a few feet deep. In his head, he hears many of the words he spoke or were spoken to him earlier. "You sit here... with a crown upon your head... you are lesser now than you have ever been..." Dwalin's words echo with disappointment. "...But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost..." His own words echoed harshly. "...A sickness lies upon that treasure..." Balin's words struck a string in Thorin's mind followed by Bard's words, "...The blind ambition of a mountain-king..."
Thorin paced over the gold as his words echoed back to him, "...AM I NOT THE KING... this gold... is ours... and ours alone..." More and more echoes from Balin and Bard alike bounced within his mind almost as though it were echoing through the very hall he stood within. "...I truly believed you were stronger than this, my friend...I am trying to help you but you are refusing to acknowledge it..." Maristela's words screamed within his mind followed by Bilbo's, "...you are changed, Thorin...is this treasure truly worth more than your honor..." Thorin grips his head painfully as the voices of those he cared for echoed like screeching birds.
"...I am not my grandfather..." Thorin muttered as Maristela's voice echoed again, "...You were my King but that disappeared with your greed, hunger, and desire..." He shook his head as his eyes locked on the gold below him, "...I am not my grandfather..." The voices suddenly stop and Thorin focuses on the gold below him and sees the shadowy shape of Smaug sliding beneath the gold. "...this treasure will be your death..." Gandalf's words of warning further the King's panic. Thorin screams as the gold beneath him turns into a sinkhole and he begins drowning surrounded by gold. An echo of Maristela's voice hit him as he tries to escape, "...Smaug is your predecessor and you will be Erebor's fall..."
As he disappears beneath the gold, his imagination ends revealing that he is safely standing on the golden court. He yanks off his crown and throws it to the floor, finally, he had come to his senses and guilt floods his mind as he thinks of Maristela, Bilbo, and his kin. He takes a deep breath before removing the large coat from his shoulders and with one last glance around the room, he turns and makes his way out, he wasn't going to sit upon a throne earned by the bloodshed of his kin. He wanted a throne he earned, he would fight not just for his home but for the townspeople too.
The Dwarves of the Company sit desolately, hearing the cries of battle outside but unable to help their kin; Bilbo had already snuck off in search of Gandalf or Maristela. They rise as they see Thorin approaching from further in the mountain, sword drawn; He is no longer dressed in his royal robes and arbor, but in a simple leather outfit. "I will not hide behind a wall of stone while others fight our battles for us!" Kíli snaps at his uncle, standing from where he had been sitting, approaching Thorin as he continued, "It is not in my blood, Thorin!"
They stop in front of each other as Thorin speaks, "No, it is not. We are Sons of Durin. And Durin's folk do not flee from a fight." Thorin lays his hand on Kíli's shoulder, smiling, while Kíli smiles back at him through tears. They touch foreheads, a common act of respect between Dwarven families before Thorin turns to the rest of the Dwarves, "I have no right to ask this of any of you; but will you follow me one last time?" The Dwarves rise and raise their weapons ready to follow their leader and friend again. "Fíli," Thorin spoke gaining his nephews attention, "You find Mari and make sure she comes back. I expect a big wedding." Fíli grinned at those words.
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Lord Dáin and his surviving Dwarves set up a desparate shield wall in front of the moat by Erebor's gates; the Orcs line up by rank, ready to attack them but Azog suddenly stops the Orcs with him on the hull from signalling the attack. Several heavily armored trolls shoulder their way to the front of the Orc ranks, the Orcs hear their signalling horn and they begun to march forward. Suddenly, another trumpet is heard and Maristela stopped in her movements knowing that horn, a smile found its way onto her face as she turned to Erebor in time to see the barricade fall to a golden statue.
The rocks fall forward and make a rough bridge across the moat, Thorin leads the Erebor Dwarves out of the Mountain and through the ranks of the Iron Hills Dwarves; Azog looks on in shock. "TO THE KING! TO THE KING!" Lord Dáin ordered his troops, Maristela doesn't have to command Attica who rushes towards Thorin as he shouts, "Du Bekâr! (To Arms!)" Thorin leads the way as all the Dwarves form a wedge behind him, they smash their way through the Orc ranks releasing their pent up anger and hatred onto the fowl beasts threatening them.
In Dale, Bilbo and Gandalf look out at the plain from an abandoned causeway. "The Dwarves! They're rallying!" Bilbo exclaimed to Gandalf, they watch as the Dwarves, fighting with new vigour, destroy the Orcs. "They are rallying to their king!" Gandalf cheered with a proud smile. "Any men who want to give their last ─ follow me!" Bard expressed before they charge through the city and clash with the Orcs, fighting with reckless abandon now that they know the Dwarves are back at it. Maristela throws an Orc's axe at an Orc sneaking up on Ori, "Perhaps an actual weapon would help." Ori plucked the axe perfect for him and continued fighting alongside Nori and Dori.
Maristela jumped off of Attica allowing the large Wolfhound to play while she approached Thorin and Dáin. "Hey cousin, what took you so long?" Dáin questioned Thorin, the two continue killing Orcs, briefly finding a moment to hug. As the cousins embrace each other, Maristela throws two daggers to kill the Orcs approaching them. "You mind paying attention to the battle?" Maristela asked with a teasing grin, turning to behead to three Orcs behind her. "Mari, I'm--" Maristela cuts Thorin off, "Don't apologise, My King. Let's just end this battle." Thorin nodded at her words. "There's too many of these buggars, Thorin. I hope you've got a plan!" Dáin exclaimed to his cousin.
"Aye ─ We're going to take out their leader!" Thorin announced gaining Maristela's attention, she nodded her head when they made eye contact. "Azog..." Lord Dáin breathed out. Thorin strides forward and mounts a large goat that Lord Dáin's army had brought, Maristela called Attica to her and climbed upon his back the moment he reached her. "I'm gonna kill that piece of filth!" Thorin added as Dwalin, Fíli, and Kíli joined their King and the Elleth. The group of five charge toward Azog's hill, smashing through the Orc armies in their way. Elves and Dwarves alike watched between their own fights in awe of the strength of the King and his companions, all prepared for Azog's demise.
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Back in Dale, Gandalf watches human spearmen and archers kill a massive troll with a steady expression, "We may yet survive this." However, the call of his name from Bilbo gains his attention for a moment before an Orc approached him, Gandalf killed the Orc before hurrying over to Bilbo, who is standing by the wall watching the battlefield. "It's Thorin!" Bilbo cheered as he watched the four warriors follow the King. "And Maristela, Fíli, Kíli... and Dwalin. He's taking his best warriors!" Gandalf said with a smile on his face, he had faith that Thorin would overcome the sickness and he did.
"To do what?" Bilbo asked the Maiar, his brow furrowed as he watched Maristela's sword behead around four Orcs in one swing resulting in the brothers cheering for her. "To cut the head off the snake," Gandalf answered him as his eyes trailed to where Azog stood. Atop the hill, Azog hears the goat hooves and sees the dark wolfhound, and he snarls. Bilbo watched intently, he had high hopes yet but felt a pit in his stomach that he couldn't quite place. Legolas and Tauriel arrive back in Dale together on a horse; they charge through the streets, killing Orcs on their way until they reach where Gandalf is standing.
"Gandalf!" Legolas called out to gain the Wizard's attention. "Legolas... Legolas Greenleaf," Gandalf greeted the Elf Prince of the Woodland Realm. "There is a second army! Bolg leads a force of Gundabad Orcs. They are almost upon us!" Legolas warns Gandalf who is immediately worried for his daughter. "Gundabad...This was their plan all along. Azog engages our forces then Bolg seeps in from the North," Gandalf expressed. "Wha... the North... where is the north, exactly?" Bilbo questioned them. "Ravenhill," Gandalf answered gravely with his eyes turning to the very hill that his daughter was heading alongside the king.
"Ravenhill... Thorin is up there! Marisol, Fíli, and Kíli ─ they're all up there!" Gandalf exclaimed causing both Elves to perk up at the mention of Kíli and Maristela. Together, they all look out toward the top of Ravenhill, which is shrouded in mist. Legolas' heart pounds in his chest knowing that Maristela was heading straight into danger, he shared a worried look with Tauriel while Bilbo frowned up at the Wizard who seemed terrified staring up at Ravenhill where his daughter was walking into danger. The memories of Estelle's death flashed through his mind, the way he had failed to be there due to the Valar's rules of not interfering with the natural order of things.
It was something that Gandalf had taught Maristela when she was young, her Maiar ─ Istari ─ abilities were unexpected but he had taught her that she could not use her blessed powers to interfere with the natural order for the consequences of doing such would taint her and she could become something like the Necromancer, Sauron who only desired power over Middle Earth, she would lose who she was and became a shell of the person she was before. It too was the reason that Gandalf could only do so much before he must simply witness the events that he so wished to interfere with, it was how the Valar wanted it.
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In a moment of peace, King Thranduil walks slowly through the city, seeing the fallen bodies on the ground, many of which are his own Elves. His commander comes running up and Thranduil turns to him, "Recall your company." The commander blows a horn as Gandalf comes running up. "My Lord, dispatch this force to Ravenhill! The Dwarves are about to be overrun. Thorin and Marisol must be warned," Gandalf suggested to King Thranduil. "By all means, warn them. I have spent enough Elvish blood in defense of this accursed land ─ No more!" King Thranduil replied before walking away haughtily and angrily.
"Thranduil?!" Gandalf exclaimed but the Woodland King ignored him and lead his people away from the battle. "I'll go!" Bilbo told the Wizard with determination. "Don't be ridiculous! You'll never make it," Gandalf replied to the Hobbit, his mind clouded by fear of loss. "Why not?" Bilbo asked him. "'Cause they will see you coming and kill you!" Gandalf exclaimed to Bilbo who smirked slightly, "No, they won't." Gandalf looks at Bilbo peculiarly as Bilbo spoke again, "They won't see me." Gandalf shook his head, "It's out of the question ─ I won't allow it!" Bilbo sighed, "I'm not asking you to allow it, Gandalf." Gandalf says nothing; they nod to each other.
Turning a corner, Bilbo presses into an alcove hidden from sight and pulls out the Ring he had found in his encounter with Gollum in the Misty Mountains. He looks at it for a few moments; then puts it on. Invisibly, he runs through the city, seeing the remaining battles. In his ring-enchanced vision, the Elves appear to be beings of white light while the Orcs are like solid shadows. He rushed through the crowds until he was able to slip onto a path that gave him access to Ravenhill quicker than slipping through battles. Bilbo hoped that he made to them in time, they he wouldn't be too late to save them from the ambush coming their way because he would never forgive, and he would never forget.
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「 ✦ 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ✦ 」
Ooohhhh.... it's getting tense...
And I've already cried once planning this out.
Thoughts on this chapter?
Theories? Predictions? Suggestions?
See you in the next chapter!