Concerning Hobbits

“who is that?” Pansy asked tugging on Thranduil’s cloak “that is Lord Dane Ironfoot, Kin to the King Under the Mountain” He muttered. “Thorin’s kin? Oh, this is not good” Pansy muttered. Thranduil huffed impatiently “are you so glad you came now?” he asked sarcastically. Pansy leered up at him but said nothing as Ironfoot drew closer. “good morning! How are we all!” Ironfoot called out “oh he seems rather pleasant” Pansy breathed “give it a moment” Thranduil said pointedly. “I have a wee proposition for ya” Dane said coming to a halt more than half way down the large sloping hill “if you wouldn’t mind givin’ me a few moments of your time!” He called out. Pansy watched him cautiously from around Thranduil “he cannot be related to Thorin, he is much too cheery” Pansy muttered. “shh!”Thranduil said hushing her. “would ya consider?” Dane paused looking over the army below “Just Sodding off!” he boomed. “oh, well I say!” Pansy gasped. “all of you! Right now!” he yelled. The men of Laketown backed away in fear as they were no natural soldiers. “Stand Fast!” called Bard.

“Come now Lord Dane” Gandalf called. “Gandalf the Gray?” Dane questioned tilting his head to get a better look at the wizard. Gandalf gave a bow of his head, “Tell this rabble to leave or I’ll water the ground with their blood!” Dane shouted as he got for riled up he got louder. “There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men, and Elves!” Gandalf called out as he marched up the hill to Dane. “ A legion of Orcs march on the mountain” Gandalf said in warning. Pansy paled and trembled “L-legion, of Orcs!” she gasped wringing at Thranduil’s train nervously “I rather you didn’t do that” Thranduil spoke back to her. But Pansy was not listening. “stand down your army!” Gandalf said irritated and done with the foolishness of dwarves.

“I will not stand down before any elf!” Dane called “Not least this faithless woodland sprite!” Dane said pointing to Thranduil “he wishes nothing but ill upon my people!” Thranduil’s eyes flared with anger at the insults which marred his pride as he tried to keep his Deer steady. “ If he wishes to stand between me and my kin, I will split his pretty head open!” Dane roared, Thranduil smiled and lowered his gaze to Dane, daring him to try it. “let's see if he is still smirking then!” Dane called out as Thorin and Company cheered once more giving war cries. “He is clearly mad like his cousin” Thranduil spat his words dripping in venom. “you hear that lads? We’re on! Let's give these bastards a good Hammering!” Dane called riding back to his men. Pansy’s jaw fell open at his profanity “d-did he just say!” she gasped “If you have not yet found that Dwarves are uncivilized you have been blind and deceived my dear” Thranduil said simply flicking the reigns he road around to give his men orders. “Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!” A dwarf soldier cried out, “so this is really happening?” Pansy asked at the sound of the battle cry while Thranduil shouted elvish orders to his men. The elven soldiers took a defensive stance.

“to the Mountains” Aule’s voice echoed. Pansy looked up and could hear and feel the ground and mountains around them shake. But looking around she saw she was not alone. Thranduil’s eyes became huge, and Pansy then because very afraid. “w-what is that?” she stammered watching him until she couldn’t take the growing fear on his face anymore, and turned her gaze to the mountains. He did not answer her “Earth Eaters” Aule’s voice said. “and those are?” Pansy thought to him. No answer was needed as she soon found out. One after another, enormous worms burst from the base of the mountains, making terrible noises as the ground the rock to dust with their large short bone textured tentacle-like mouths. Even at a distance pansy could see their endless rows of teeth. “oh come on!” Dane called out. As the three beast dove down creating new burrows. “w-where did they go!” Pansy called out afraid of the ground below her.

Azog’s voice rang out across the lands, and a loud blaring horn sounded. Pansy’s heart raced an uncontrollable fear growing in the pits of her stomach. Hoards of Orcs poured out of the large tunnels the Earth Eaters had created in the mountain side. “The horns of hell are upon us!” Dane called out leading his men to charge towards the oncoming Orcs. “to battle, to battle! Sons of Durin!” He cried.

Kili’s eyes tore away from the hoards and fell on Pansy who looked on in dread at the sight before her. Even from far below he could see her trembling, she was not a fighter, she could hold her own, but this was not a simple skirmish this was a true battle being laid before them “I’m going over the wall!” Kili called. Thorin eyed him up and down as his eyes fell on her too. But still feeling betrayed he pushed aside the urge to go down and snatch her up and away like he had always done. For her betrayal, this was no more than what she deserved. Wasn’t it?

“Who’s coming with me!” Kili called “Ayyyye” Fili roared “yeeesss” Shouted Bofur, Gloin, Dwalin, and Bifur sounded off as well. Thorin turned to them quickly “come on let's go!” Dori called as they gathered near the walls edge ready to climb down. “Stand down!” Thorin ordered “what?” Ori questioned Kili tore his eyes from Pansy and looked to Thorin with growing anger, incredulous. “are we to do nothing!” Fili asked furiously. “I said stand down!” Thorin roared. Kili looked down at Pansy as she turned and looked up tot eh Gates, her eyes hoping, pleading with them to come down from their fortress. But as she saw Thorin walk away from the gate’s overlook she knew that Dane, Bard, Thranduil and their men were alone in this.

Pansy looked up to Thranduil expectantly as she had watched the dwarves ride to war. “why are we not moving?” she asked him tugging at his robes. He glanced down at her briefly. “Thranduil this is madness!” Gandalf called pushing to Thranduil through his ranks. Thranduil looked back to him, and the more Pansy watched the Elf King he looked afraid. “Thranduil?” she questioned, “would it help if it was an order from the Daughter of Yavanna?” She asked him. He looked down at her behind his back and squinted “Or would you rather show the forces of the dark that Woodland Elves are not to be tested” She said trying her best to pick at his vanity and pride. Thranduil's eyes flared and he looked up towards the Orc hoards, and with a flick of his hand, he gave his men the signal.

The dwarves gathering together made a wall out of their shields, Spears pointing through the gaps. They steeled there and waited for the Orcs to break upon them. But as the Orcs neared, like a wave elven soldiers leaped over the wall of dwarves bringing their blades down upon the Orcs who had been unaware and unprepared for the speed and action of the elves. Pansy beamed at the sight of it all. As the elves fought the dwarves stood still in wall formation and spears forward they as one unit rushed forward at the second wave of Orcs. Another horn sounded, Pansy looked around not knowing what to expect, she could feel her pulse in her ears as Thranduil rode around his men shouting elvish orders to his archers, who obeyed at lightning speeds, notching their bows. Pansy held onto him tightly so not to be knocked from the deer. Her eyes scanned all that was happening before her, it felt surreal.

A second army of Orcs marched out of the Earth Eater tunnels, with them large cave trolls. Trolls far larger than that of the one Pansy had faced with Thorin and the others. They were headed for the city of Dale. “all men fall back to Dale!” Bard called, Pansy looked to see Gandalf and Bilbo dashing towards the city as well yet found herself stuck with Thranduil. It pained her to realize that the company was now broken. Fire and smoke from Orcish torches lit small patches of grass in the plains before Erebor. Thranduil rode through the Orc army slashing through them, His deer Reared back and Pansy was nearly knocked off but managed to hold tight to Thranduil’s train. He was headed for the city. “wait!” Pansy called up to him “what?” Thranduil grunted as he slashed the head off of an orc. It’s blood splattered off of his blade and flew back spreading across Pansy’s face. She yelped and gasped in shock. “what?” Thranduil asked again as he continued fighting. “I need you to take me back!” She said. As Thranduil rode forward. “you are mad, Oakenshield would kill you the moment you walked in” He said. “I know my risks but I cannot leave them, they are my people now, I mean to stay by them, please you must understand that?” She called out over the sounds of war. Thranduil sighed and after gutting another orc of his organs he turned the Deer around. “if you so wish” he said.

Thranduil slashed and dodged his way through, “Let me borrow you dagger” Pansy said reaching for it, as she did so an Orc hopped in front of their path causing the Deer to rear, Pansy fell from it’s back and rolled. “Pansy!” Thranduil called after laying low the orc. “I am fine! Go!” Pansy called as she waved jumping up and down in the chaos trying to grab Thranduil's attention. “I am close enough! I will make my way!” Pansy called out ducking as a Dwarf soldier slammed his hammer into an Orc behind her. Thranduil nodded and flicked the reigns charging his deer towards Dale. Pansy held the dagger tightly and weaved through the battlefield headed for Erebor. When her eyes landed on Dane, “where is Thorin!” He called out “we need him!” Pansy ran to him and with both hands ( or as best one can with only one able hand) stabbed an Orc in his belly just as it went to swing at Dane “look out!” Pansy cried out as the Orc fell over dead. “well who the hell are you?” Dane called as he swung his war hammer around in a circle around them creating a small clearing. “I- I am Pansy Arkenstone!” she called out Dane looked down at her “I am titled by Thorin King Under the Mountain!” She shouted over the noise. “were is he?” Dane asked killing any orcs who came near them “He is locked away in his fortress, mad with dragon sickness!” Pansy called. “He will leave for nothing” she added ducking under an orcs Blade, she took her dagger and stabbed under his arm pit through the gaps in his armor. Looking up Pansy could barely see for she was so small, the orcs towered over her, but even still she could see the large cave trolls bashing the ground with their large fists.

So much was going on around her too much, and as afraid as she was she had no time to be fearful as she had to stay sharp as to not get hit. “can you help me back to the Gates!” She shouted to Dane “Aye, Lass I can try!” He called and the two headed that way.

Meanwhile in Erebor, Thorin sat on his throne, grimacing bitterly. Kili looked to Fili distraught “he’s out there, she cannot fight Fili, she will be slaughtered” He said to him. Fili sighed “they will all be slaughtered if we do not do something! We cannot let our Kin suffer this alone!” Fili raged. Dwalin marched up the path and steps to Thorin’s Throne “since when do we abandon our Kin!” He called “Thorin they are dying out there” Dwalin pleaded. Thorin looked up his eyes deranged “there are walls beneath halls of this mountain places we can fortify” He said. “sure up, make safe, yes!” Thorin said standing up from the throne. Dwalin’s eyes filled with tears as he watched him, not wanting to believe what he saw or heard. “yes that is it we must move the gold further underground to safety!” Thorin rambled rushing away from Dwalin. “Did you not hear me!” Dwalin called out. “Dane is surrounded, they are being slaughtered Thorin” Dwalin stated as Thorin turned around to face him.

“Many die in war, life is cheap” Thorin said. “but a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost, It is worth all the blood we can spend” Thorin said. Dwalin gazed at Thorin long and hard, and gave him a bitter small smile “you sit here in these vast halls with a crown upon your head and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been” Dwalin said with a tone so empty it seemed to echo softly. “Do not speak to me as if I was some lowly dwarf lord” Thorin said, but Dwalin eyed him as if he were a common pickpocket. “As if I were still Thorin Oakenshield” Thorin said his voice cracking. He reached for his blade in the dim firelight and pulled it free “I am your king!” He shouted hoarsely slashing it into the air.Dwalin dodged it effortlessly and took a step towards Thorin. “you will always be my king, you used to know that once” Dwalin said. Images replayed in Thorin’s mind. Flashes between what was and what was now. He saw his people struggling and the days that he used to be nothing but a smithy trying to get by, he saw the days of the quest, he saw meeting Gandalf in the inn, meeting Pansy and Bilbo in Bag End, He saw her give a drunken curtsy to him, he saw her eyes look on at him in wonder. Then he saw how they had looked at him most recent, painful, hurt and failed, he replayed how more each day even his Kin had those same looks in their eyes. He recalled striking Pansy and nearly throwing Bilbo from the gates. And lastly, he remembered the gleaming of the gold.

He looked at Dwalin with a distant stare “you cannot see what you have become” Dwalin said sadly. “Go, get out before I kill you” Thorin said and though his voice was hollow Dwalin had sworn he had seen a faint glimpse of the king he knew in there as if speaking but to warn him of what the sickness was capable of. Dwalin exhaled shakily but turned and left, the king was lost.

Thorin, walked down the Kings hall on a Solid gold floor from which the molten golden river hat settled. “you sit here in these vast halls with a crown above your head and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been” Dwalin’s words echoed in his head. “a sickness lies upon that treasure” Balin words haunted him “the Blind ambitions of a mountain king!” rang Thranduil’s. “ I’m your King!” his own words. As he walked more and more voices sounded in his head “this gold is ours, and ours alone” he could hear himself. “ I will not part with a single coin” his voice echoed. His demons rising from the depths of his memory those which he had been blinded to “He cannot see beyond his own desire!” Bard’s voice rang. “as if I was some lowly dwarf lord, Thorin Oakenshield” his words yet again “that sickness drove your grandfather mad!” Balin’s voice, “This is Thorin son fo Thrain, King Under the Mountain!” He recalled Dwalin’s words back in Laketown how he had been so proud to say those words of introduction, and how it was a far cry from the way he had just looked at him moments ago. “I am not my grandfather”He could hear himself say as he gazed down the hall it seemed to get longer and darker, stretching endlessly while the darkness raced at him. The voice piling on top of one another repeating themselves all speaking at once, as memories replayed loudly with great vividness in his mind.

“take back Erebor” were the words of Gandalf, who’s name had cursed, “Take back your homeland” Gandalf words range above the others, “you have changed Thorin!” Bilbo’s spoke even louder in his memory. “I am not my grandfather” His own words clearer now and the darkness began to shrink back down the hall “but what about you now! As you turn back on those who’s home is burned, pleaded for help, only worse because you unleashed the beast upon them!” Pansy’s voice cut through and banished the echoing memories of his wrongs “is this treasure truly worth more than your honor?” asked the honest voice of Bilbo. “I am not my grandfather” his own words now haunting him. The echoing voices faded altogether and the darkness had stopped but below him beneath the golden floors a Dragon’s shadow slivered beneath it vanishing as soon as it came. The floor melting into its former liquid state it rose around him consuming him whole in molten gold yet it was cold around him. Thorin watched frightfully unaware of what was happening around him. Falling to his knees he saw that it had not consumed him at all rather ripped out away from him. Glowing brightly, dancing in a dim light. And as he gazed into the golden ripples he could see it sucking him in pulling him down into the endless wealth, before in an instant though he ran in a gaping hole of the golden whirlpool it swallowed him whole, and Not a soul was there to reach and pull him out.

Thorin gasped and blinked a few times. Looking at his hands and the solid unmoving gold floor beneath his feet. It was only an illusion, a daydream. “Thorin, I do not believe in this but I will follow you to whatever end as my king.” Pansy’s voice spoke softly not it his mind but in his heart. Thorin snatched the crown from his head, his mind clear now he tossed it to the ground in disgust. Like a breath of fresh clean air, he could see now beyond the shadow that had for so long now filled his mind and blinded him. He could see clearly once more.

Pansy screamed and slid under a Cave Troll as it tried to bring its fist down upon her, looking up she had seen that she was now very far away from Dane. “Lord Dane!” she called out but he could not hear her. Pansy dove out of the way of an Orc who charged her and instead he met with a dwarf soldier. Dane’s army was dwindling fast. “fall back!” She could him call out. “Fall back tot he mountain!” He called. But the gates were shut. Pansy could see another wave of Orcs marching towards them and her heart sank. Another Orc Horn sounded off “n-no!” Pansy panted. They could not withstand much more, looking up she saw she was still yet a great distance from the gates to the mountain. “I'm sorry” she thought, closing her eyes to shut away the tears “I did not mean to betray anyone, I only did what seemed right” She thought, tears still welling, she did not want her end to be out in these rocky fields, alone in this evil. A hand grabbed her shoulder and flung her back out of the reach of an Orc’s blade. “careful lass!” Dane said bashing its face in “L-Lord Dane!” Pansy called happily “I thought I had lost you, with Thorin’s temper, can’t have that now can we!” He said. Pansy fought along side of him as best she could “He wouldn’t care, not after what I have done, I helped give away the Arkenstone” She confessed over the battle. “but you are his Arkenstone are you not?” He asked “I do not know anymore” Pansy said.

Kili sat with his head hung low, all he could see in his mind, her a pool of blood and Pansy laying there in. His mind re-imagining over and over the ways in which she could have been cut down. If they had cut her down. He also imagined at instead they would keep her if she was truly a half of the moon, a daughter of the Valar he could only imagine what Azog might use her for. How they would harness her power. His thoughts were making him ill. His eyes teared up. “I should have told her” he muttered to himself. “I should have said”

Fili looked away from his brother as they all waited in the entrance hall, listening to the sounds of battle, the sounds of death. The death of their Kin who had come to their aid, and yet were receiving none themselves. Fury was rising in the hearts of the Dwarves as they waited in the entrance hall. Pacing aimlessly, to loyal to take any action without it being on their king's command. For one of them would not be enough they would all have to charge as one.

Heavy footsteps sounded, Kili turned his head and from the golden gleam of the Kings hall walked a Shadow in the shape of a man. Kili stood quickly as did the others. Kili tilted his head in wonder as he watched his Uncle. Thorin had shed his thick armor and now brandished not but chain mail, his coat and clothing and a single sword. Anger rose within Kili “I will not hide, behind a wall of stone!” Kili shouted at him “While others fight our battles for us!” Kili screamed walking to meet Thorin head on. Thorin still walked forward, not a word said. “it’s not in my blood Thorin” Kili said as the two came to a halt before each other. “She is out there, she is out there and if you cared any bit as much as you would have us believe” Kili words failed him so instead he looked into his uncle’s eyes. He had heard that Thorin had crowned Pansy as his queen, he had heard that he had taken her, and even so he had not seen with his own eyes any love given to her by him, but to leave her to die out there was twice as despicable as to leave Dane to his doom. Kili would not let him do it to her.

Thorin locked stares with Kili “no” He said Kili searched him the anger fading from his eyes “it is not we are sons of Durin, and Durin’s folk do not flee from a fight” Thorin said, the light in his eyes had returned. Kili’s eyes welled up with tears as his uncle smiled at him. Finally there he was. The King they had long followed, the figure who was nearly like his father. Thorin smiled at him and rested his hand on Kili’s shoulder. In there, was the dwarf Kili would gladly surrender pansy to and all else he cared for if asked of him. Thorin grabbed the back of Kili’s head and through their foreheads together. Pulling away he patted Kili’s shoulder and went to address the rest of his company. Kili turned back and smiled. They now had a King, he just prayed that his return wasn’t too late.

“I have no right to ask this of any of you” Thorin said walking to his company Dwalin and Kili walking up behind him “but will you follow me one last time?” Thorin asked his heart was pounding, he was half sure that they would turn their backs to him, it would have been no more that what he was owed. But he also knew that there were none more Loyal than each of them standing before him. And almost the same second his words ended, Fili, Gloin, Oin, Ori, Nori, Dori, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, and Balin raised their weapons and stood tall.