Concerning Hobbits

Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin trudged tiredly up the rocky hills towards Erebor after days of walking, not knowing what they would find, but they expected the worst. Kili’s eyes lingered on his brother as he walked ahead of him. Fili had not said a word.

“Fili!” Kili called out to him, but Fili did not stop instead Kili had to jogged to him, once at his side Kili winced on his still aching leg. “Fili” he huffed looking confused as Fili wouldn’t even look at him. “Fili what is wrong?” he asked. “ever since I came to you have been like this, I would think you be happy” Kili said. Fili sighed and glanced at his brother “I am, I am very glad that you are alright” He said. “then what is the problem?” Kili asked. Fili stopped and exhaled “you broke her back there, and for what you said I can forgive as you were not lucid. But for what you said as we left shore I cannot.” Fili said meeting Kili’s eyes. “Broke who?” Kili asked almost hesitantly. “you know who” Fili shot back “I do not, tell me who?” Kili asked. “Pansy, Kili, Pansy” He said. Kili stood up straight and drew in a deep breath, he peered his eyes and turned his head slightly “I do not understand” he said shaking his head. “she loves you, and gave her all to protect you when the orcs attacked” Fili said, “cradled you in her arms, and pleaded the woman who who almost left you there to stay and heal you!” Fili nearly shouted. “why are you shouting” Kili asked “Pansy knew in her eyes you could see knew the day you laid eyes of the Elf that you had fallen for her, and she had hurt ever since, blaming herself for your wound, it's been her eyes” Fili said calming down. Kili shook his head “that's not my fault, and why, why would you care so much?” Kili said become defensive. Fili went to open his mouth “Because she has been my sister, I stood by you in fighting for her when she was utterly useless, I stood by because you said you saw something in her, you believed in her, and you were right Kili” Fili said. “I watched you protect her, I watch her help her grow and doing so grew her as well” Fili exhaled and gave a bitter smiled “I saw my brother shine under her light and she flew whenever you were near her because you helped her to fly. She became my sister, because you loved her” Kili backed up at Fili’s words “no, never have I said-” Fili took a step closer to him “you didn’t have to” Fili said Kili looked down at his feet his heart beating in his chest like a pounding drum.

“She fought harder than she ever had for you, brother. She was will to forsake a quest she had dreamed of to stay behind and make sure you would be ok” Fili said pointing at him “and you can say what you like about how it wasn’t you fault and how you do not love her, but you didn’t have to look into her eyes when you confessed your love to Tauriel!” Fili was once more shouting “Or see her heart bleed to the floor as she held your dying body for dear life!” He added. Bofur rested a hand on Fili’s shoulder trying to calm him. Kili’s eyes weld a bit “could she have loved me you asked” Fili said bitterly “ and her heart shattered” Kili looked up sharply “those words” his voice nearly cracked. “those words were not for Tauriel” Kili said calmly his words slow. “I had a dream, I had a dream that Pansy was stuck in the moon, and she sat there on a white throne, and the moon rested in the hands of this giant on a man, he held it in his palms, and he looked at me, and he said I could not have her, he said she could not stay with me” Kili said his eyes welling more. “that she did not belong to this world” he added softer. “you called for Tauriel” Fili said bitterly “you spoke to her! Tauriel, No you couldn’t be her! That is that you said” Kili looked up shouting “Nooo!” Fili huffed and leered at his brother I remember what I said,” Kili said it coming back to him faintly “ You could not be her, She is far away, far away from me, she walks in starlight in another world. It was just a dream” Kili lowered his gaze away from his brothers as he looked at the ground. Remembering how Pansy had looked in his dream, glowing inside the moon, his heart raced and throbbed in pain. “you cannot have her, for she will die if she stays there, she belongs in the sky where she can live forever and shine light upon middle Earth and dance her sister, her home is with the Valar” He recalled the giant man telling him. Kili closed his eyes. “ do you think she could have loved me” He said softly, “that is what I said!” Kili said looked up his eyes shining with tears. “Pansy, is just as the elves had said, the one who made her told me in my dreams, and he said I could not have her when I lost in the shadows of the poison Tauriel was glowing before me and I thought she was her!” Kili yelled. He shook his head. “I thought she was her, I do love Tauriel, I can feel it in my heart, and Pansy means so much to me” Kili said softly “But I cannot b-be with her, its written in the stars themselves, Tauriel is all I have!” he yelled.

Fili went and hugged his brother. Who hid his face in his neck. “My brother, nothing in engraved int eh stars, if you want it bad enough, even the stars can change” Fili said. Kili let him go and looked into his eyes. “She loves you Kili” Bofur said peeking around Fili who nodded. “ but you have to love her first, or else she will let you go” he added. Fili nodded and sighed “that, and Uncle has had his eye on her for a very long time now” said Fili. “but have I run her off? And what of Tauriel? My heart is so confused, it is as if it has split in two. One-half has run to Tauriel and the other to Pansy” Kili said. “then you will have to make a choice” Fili said. “you need to be a man now Kili, it’s time to grow” He added. Kili nodded to his brother and Oin stepped up “that is only if any of them has survived, if not, you might not have any choices to make” Oin said as they all turned their gaze upon the gates of Erebor.

As they reached the gates they saw that they had been blasted open a gaping hole in the otherwise closed gates. A hole the size of a dragon. Their hearts sank and with a glance to each other they ran inside. The entrance was in ruins.”Hello!” Fili called out his voice echoing off the walls. “Bombur!” Bofur called out. Kili’s blood ran cold as he looked around. It looked as if the world had ended inside those halls. “Bifur!” Bofur called for his brothers. “anybody!” Bofur called running down the short steps further in. They traveled down numerous flights of stairs and still no sign of anyone. But they did not want to believe that they were all lost. “Wait! Wait!” Bilbo called out. Fili stopped the others “It’s Bilbo!” he gasped “he’s alive!” called Bofur. “wait wait you need to wait!” Bilbo said. The four dwarves stopped “you need to leave, we all need to leave” He said. “what do you mean?” Bofur asked. “Thorin! He’s been down there for days, he won’t come out” Bilbo said.

Pansy followed by hind Thorin watching him in horror, as she stood in the middle of the treasure hoard. “Thorin, please, you need to at least eat, it’s been two days!” She called to him. But he didn’t answer her. She bit her lip. “Please Thorin, come sit with me” she called hoping that would work. He turned his head a bit but did not face her, and continued to wander around in the hills of treasure. Once that didn’t work she shook her head and held out her hands beseeching him “the others are worried for you, Thorin! They need their king!” she called, this sudden quick change in him when not just a few days ago he had seemed normal,perfectly fine. “Thorin” she called as he walked through a hall in the treasure hoard she followed him through it “Gold” he breathed, “gold beyond measure, beyond sorrow, and grief” he muttered. Bilbo and the four who had just returned looked down at him and the hills of gold. Pansy ran out of the hall and watched Thorin beside herself, she didn’t know how else to get him out of this terrible place. Bilbo’s eyes fell to her, he did not like her down there with him, for he knew in this state, Thorin was dangerous. Kili’s eyes fell on Pansy, to see her alive, but the fearfulness on her face as she looked at Thorin, it made him fearful too.

Thorin looked up and Spotted them. Pansy followed his eyes and upon seeing Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin safe, would have at any other time, made her heart swell with joy. However, Pansy turned her head to gaze at Thorin, she wished that this wasn’t what they had to return to. A mad king.

“Behold!” he called up to them a darkness lingering in his eyes as he smiled unnaturally “the great treasure hoard of Thror” He said. He looked at the golden gauntlet in his hands and he tossed it up with great force high and far into the air at them. Fili who had been watching his uncle in horror caught the golden cup. “welcome my sister's sons” Thorin said resting his hand on his heart before stretching them out wide “to the kingdom of Erebor!” he called.

Pansy went and took his arm, “please Thorin, they have returned go and greet them, please just for a minute, leave this place” she said with pleading eyes. Thorin looked at her almost coldly, as he flung her back. Pansy fell into the gold and landed on her busted hand, she cried out and drew her body into a curl as she sat up, cradling her hand in her lap. She looked up at him hurt. Thorin backed up, eyes wide at his own actions, he looked at his hand which had pushed her off. “Pansy” he called to her softly “I didn’t-” He stopped himself as Bilbo came running down the steps. He ran to Pansy’s side and helped her up. “don’t you touch her” Bilbo said sharply leading Pansy away. She looked back at Thorin over her shoulder as they left him there.

“Nori, can you reset this?” Bilbo called as he entered the dust dining hall where the others sat. “what's happened?” Balin asked. “Thorin, He pushed her and set her hand off” Bilbo said hurriedly and furious. Balin and Dwalin glanced at each other worried. “I am alright, it only hurts a little” Pansy said as Nori laid her arm out across the table and went to work. “ Bifur!” Bofur called rushing into the room. Fili, Kili, Bofur, and Oin were greeted by the others. Once Nori finished he joined them. Pansy sat with her arm laid out on the table and watched them with a smile. Soon Kili spotted her, and she him. They watched each other as the others hugged him. His smiled fell as it landed on her hand. She gave him a silent bow of her head before standing up and walking out of the dining hall.

“any sign of it?” Thorin asked from an upper balcony that overlooked the Treasure hoard. Pansy stood at his side quietly as she watched the others wade through the treasure. “nothing yet!” Nori called out “there's nothing here!” Ori called out. “keep searching!” Thorin called. Pansy stepped up and cautiously touch his arm this time. Thorin felt her touch and looked to her he looked at her remorsefully as he noticed her actions were as if she had been afraid of him. “Thorin” she said with caution. “it's been hours.” she said nodding to the Treasure hoard and the party that looked through it. “the jewel could be anywhere!” Nori called. “the Arkenstone is in these halls find it!” Thorin called down to them. Pansy sighed heavily. “you heard him keep looking” Dwalin called to the rest as he too dug through the piles of gold. “all of you!” Thorin thundered “no one rests until it is found!” he shouted. Placing a hand on Pansy’s back he led her on ahead of him as he walked. He then stopped her “wait not you, you seem tired, go rest” he said touching her face and rubbing her cheek. Pansy forced a smile, it was true, she had stayed up as long as he has, and he hasn’t slept he had been in that hoard, every since he had named her as future queen. “what about you Thorin? You haven’t had sleep in days” she asked him. His eyes clouded over with a shadow and he muttered “I will sleep when it is found” before walking away and turning his back to her “Bilbo, escort your sister out” Thorin said. Bilbo rushed up to her and took her hand “come, Pansy, come on” he said leading her away. “I have something to show you” he whispered in her ear. Pansy nodded and followed after him.

Bilbo lead her outside, to the ruins near the top of Erebor its outer courts he looked around to make sure they were not followed and then, he ushered Pansy to sit beck to him behind a crumbled wall. “what is it Bilbo?” Pansy asked him. He paused, looked both ways and then pulled a shining clear stone from his coat, in the light it reflected with a thousand rainbows and its core was glowing like a star. “t-that's it isn’t it...the Arkenstone?” Pansy asked her eyes glued to it. Bilbo just looked at her “the very which for which you are now named” He said. “it’s beautiful” Pansy breathed. “it’s dangerous!” Bilbo shot back. “it’s driving him mad, the Dragon told me that it would but I never imagined...” Bilbo trailed off. “this is the thing that is doing this to him?” asked Pansy looking at the stone. “I believe so yes” She stood up “then we have to get rid of it!” she said. “shhh!” Bilbo said pulling her back down to sit. “ wait I need to be sure first” Bilbo said.

“it is here in these halls” Thorin said as he leaned against the main throne, his back to Bilbo, Dwalin, and Balin. Pansy stood at the side of the throne, her eyes lingering on him cautiously “I know it” he said as if in a trance. “we have searched and searched” Dwalin reasoned “Not well enough!” Thorin barked lowly. “Thorin, we all wish you the stone returned” Dwalin said. “and yet, Its still not found!” Thorin roared, his sudden outburst caused Pansy to flinch. “well do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?” Balin asked with a hint of sarcasm, sick of Thorin’s behavior. Thorin turned around and slowly walked closer to them. “the Arkenstone is the birthright of our people” Balin said “It is the king's jewel” Thorin said in a low threatening voice and then pointed to himself shouting “am I not the king!” Pansy jumped and watched him with wide eyes. Bilbo looked from Pansy to Thorin, his eyes reading the same thing as hers, Thorin was to Dangerous like this.

Thorin looked up at the throne, to Pansy, and then back to Dwalin and Balin. “know this” he said in a cruel tone “If anyone should find it, and withhold it from me,” Pansy and Bilbo glanced at each other briefly. “I will be avenged” he said turning his back he walked away, his furred robe trailing behind him. Pansy and Bilbo looked down and then back at each other.

Balin turned to leave and both of them followed him, he stood in a room for scrolls and held himself back from crying. This worried Pansy. Hearing the two behind him Balin turned “Dragon sickness” He said “I’ve seen it before” his voice shook. “so he is sick?” Pansy asked stepping forward. “That look, the terrible need, It is a fierce and jealous love Bilbo” Balin said turning his eyes to the hobbit. Pansy swallowed hard and looked back behind her to make sure no one was there. She half expected Thorin to turn the corner raging at them. “It sent his Grandfather man” Balin added. Bilbo walked closer to Balin, “Balin I-if Thorin had the Arkenstone, if it was found” He said with a pause looking back to Pansy who made her way over. “would it help?” he asked. Balin looked deep into Bilbo’s eyes “that stone, Crowns all” Balin said, “it is the summit of this great wealth,bestowing power upon he who bares it but will it stay his madness?” Balin said, “no lad,” Balin said shaking his head. “I fear it would make him worse” He confessed, Pansy closed her eyes slowly her lashes pressing against her cheek as she turned her head towards Bilbo and grabbed his hand. “perhaps it is best it remains lost” Balin added. Pansy opened her eyes and gave Balin a nod in agreement.