"This must be it. The hidden door." Thorin says standing before a flat surface of rock. I flop down whining next to the rock pyre I am once again bound to.
Thorin hold up his key "Let all those who doubted us rue this day!" drawing cheers from his company
"Right. We have our key, which means that somewhere, there is a keyhole." I close my eyes as someone speaks and I hear shuffling
"The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." Thorin recites in his power hungry voice. And I fall asleep quietly.
Being jerked awake I open my eyes lazily and stand stretching slowly, Thorin looks fuming and to rile him up more I wag my tail and bump his elbow. He retaliates with a harsh tug on the rope holding my jaws shut.
We begin the trek back down, however halfway I hear a voice and evidently so does Thorin and he shoves my rope into Bofur's hand and runs back up to Bilbo's voice. I stumble back up after Bofur who took the courtesy to loosen the rope around my mouth so I could actually breathe properly.
Bofur ties me to the rock I was tied to before and follows the company through the door. They speak for a few minutes before Bilbo and Balin walk further into the mountain, the rest of the group piling out and sit around me.
About an hour passed before an earth quaking shudder rang through the mountain and the dwarves sitting around me stand up
"Was that an earthquake?" Dori asks
"That, my lad...was a dragon." Balin says watching me as I pulled at the rope making strange noises, my promise to protect Bilbo I had made myself was echoing through my brain. Bilbo was in enough trouble for Thorin to look worried. I feel hot air hit my side and I glance out of the corner of my eye to see a glow flickering on the passage way's walls
"What about Bilbo?" Ori asks
"Give him more time." Thorin commands
"Trying to do what? To be killed?" Balin asks fearfully
"You're afraid." Thorin states
Balin steps closer to Thorin after a pause "Yes" he says "I'm afraid. I fear for YOU. A sickness lies upon that treasure hoard, a sickness that drove your grandfather mad."
"I am not my grandfather." Thorin growls
"You're not yourself. The Thorin I know would not hesitate to go in there-" Balin is cut off by Thorin who is growing more and more agitated
"I will not risk this quest for the life of one burglar."
Balin looks disgusted and I pause my struggles to stand behind Balin "Bilbo. His name is Bilbo."
Thorin looks away contemplating. With not so much as a word he sweeps off inside the mountain drawing his sword.
The remaining company give each other quick glances before standing and making their way into the mountain after their king.
As soon as they are out of sight I begin to pull the rope again and after a good few minutes the fraying bit around the rock snaps and I fly back skidding into the wall. I shake off the packs on my back and lower my nose to the ground sniffing for their scent and following their trail.
I looked up when a whisper of scales sounded in front of me
"I did not look to see you so easily outwitted!" my attention was drawn to Thorin past the pillars. Smaug's head emerged from the pit the sound had emitted. I shrunk back
"You have grown slow and fat in your dotage." I gulp, that idiot was insulting a dragon.
"Slug."