A Long Way From Home[Thorin Oakenshield] RE-EDITING! 2/60 DONE

~Chapter Thirty Nine~

 The elf made hast down the dark tunnel. She could feel her heart pounding as she continued running, not stopping until she found her cousin. The hall lit up bright orange and she felt the heat as it blew passed her. Honoria continued to run; her only thought was that she hoped she was going in the right direction, but that didn't take long to figure out when the heat became more hotter when it whipped by her.

Thorin wasn't far behind, he still knew every tunnel in this kingdom like the back of his hand; including the one that would lead him to the treasure room. He could feel the heat burn against his skin as he rounded the corner and knew he was getting closer. Honor came to a stop when she saw the sight before her. Everywhere she turned it glowed. The elf recalled the time the dwarves had talked about the treasure horde but she never imagined it would be this huge and they were expecting her cousin to find the king's jewel amongst this? The half-breed was yanked out of her thoughts when she heard the sounds of footsteps getting close. She turned around, hoping it was Bilbo when Thorin came onto the bridge right beside her. "Honor--" Thorin stopped when he saw the mounds of his grandfather's gold. He starred at it in awe, forgetting why he had come down here in the first place. Honoria looked at him. he was acting strange again. Just then someone else came running up another flight of stairs.

"Bilbo." Honor whispered and she ran over to her cousin. Thorin turned away from the gold, surprised to see the hobbit himself alive.

"You're alive!"

"Not for much longer." Bilbo pressed, pulling his cousins arm towards one of the tunnels when Thorin stepped in front of them.

"Did you find the Arkenstone?" Thorin questioned. Bilbo was no longer holding the elf's arm and he looked at the dwarf, he could feel the darkness that was growing inside him.

"The dragon's coming." The hobbit warned. But Thorin didn't seem to be phased by it.

"The Arkenstone!" He growled. Honor furrowed her brows, she didn't understand why he was being this way. A breeze began to blow passed them, Thorin was breathing hard. He wanted to know and the hobbit wasn't giving him an answer. " Did you find it?"

"No. We have to get out." Bilbo urged and he went to walk pass the prince when Thorin swung his blade; blocking the entrance. He moved his blade and placed the blade right against the hobbit's chest. Honor ran right in between them, causing Thorin to stop and lift his sword.

"Honoria get out of the way." Thorin hissed at her.

"No." She growled back at him.

"I said out of my way. Now!"

"No! I wont let you hurt my cousin. This isn't you Thorin." She pleaded. The dwarf grabbed her by the arm and pushed her behind him like nothing and continued to back the hobbit up.

"Thorin. Thorin!" Bilbo panicked as he stood on the edge of the platform. Thorin looked at him with no emotion. He had no regard for anything or anyone.

"Thorin please don't do this." The woman begged, as she tugged on the dwarf's arm only to be shoved away. The hobbit glanced to his side for a quick second only to look back. He looked back at Thorin and then back over at the thing approaching them. Thorin looked at Bilbo, and narrowed his eyes at him, as if he was stuppid enough to look away so he could sneak pass him. But then he heard it a rumbling noise echoing off the mountain walls and then he looked to see the beast himself, snarling at him.

The rest of the company came charging through the halls with their swords and axes drawn, Smaug roared and rushed at them. "You will burn!" The dragon bellowed and his chest and neck began to glow orange.

"Run!"

The dwarves, the hobbit and the half-breed jumped off the edge of the platform onto the mounds of gold just as the dragon breathed fire at them. The company made hast to the nearest hall and ran through it. The dragon began to breathe fire in all direction. He wasn't going to let anyone escape this mountain. Thorin, was the last one in the door. The dwarf is forced in by flames. He runs into the room where the others are hiding, the back of his coat on fire, and he throws himself on the ground. Dwalin steps on Thorin's coat and stomps on the flames to put them out.

"Come on!" Thorin urged them. No longer being possessed by the darkness. The dwarves followed him down the tunnel, hearing the dragon roar behind them. As they followed the hall, it had grown very quiet, a little too quiet for any of their liking. The dragon could be anywhere and it only put them more on edge as they came to a stone bridge, that looked over the treasure room. Thorin raised his hand, signaling for all of them to be quiet. " Shh, shh, shh, shh." He peered around the column and so no signs of the beast so far.

"We've given him the slip." Dori stated in a whisper.

"No. He's too cunning for that." Dwalin pressed, as they all nodded in agreement that it was going to take a lot more than just escaping through the halls to foul this dragon.

"So where to now?" Honor asked, from behind Thorin.

"The western guardroom. There may be a way out." Thorin declared.

"It's too high. There's no chance that way." Balin pointed out.

"It's our only chance. We have to try." Thorin hissed. The dwarf slowly walked out onto the bridge with his sword in one hand and he took the elf's hand in the other. Every one of them were on alert, looking in every direction for the fire-breather waiting for it to attack. "Come on." Thorin whispered, for the others to start following.

They weren't even half way across the bridge when something fell from above them and landed on the bridge right in front of Bilbo and they all stopped in their tracks. The hobbit at first thought it was something he had dropped and he searched himself when they heard it again and the elf looked up above to see Smaug, and more coins falling off his chest. Seeing the dragon didn't seem to notice them he waved for the others to continue on quietly.

Once back in side the hall they began running once again and ran around the corner. Thorin knew they were close to the guardroom. "Stay close." They made hast through a door way only to come to a complete stop when they saw the tragic sight before them.

"That's it, then. There's no way out." Dwalin muttered, not able to look at the sight of their dead any longer. Honoria closed her eyes and turned away. It was a sight she never wished to see dozens of dwarves dead; including woman and children.

"The last of our kin. They must have come here...hoping beyond hope." Balin sighed. They stood their in silence. There was no way out for them, their only hope they had now was that they kill the dragon. "We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days." He suggest, but everyone could hear the doubt in the elder dwarf's voice.

"No." Thorin spoke, releasing the half-breeds hand and he walked forward. "I will not die like this. Cowering, clawing for breath." The prince turned around and looked at the others with determination. " We make for the forges."

"He'll see us. Sure as death." Dwalin hissed.

"Not if we split up."

"Thorin...We'll never make it." Balin protested shaking his head.

"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire...then we will all burn together." Thorin proclaimed, looking to all of them, hoping they would see this plan through with him and they all nodded.