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Thorin Oakenshield, heir to the Throne of Erebor, stood at the gates of his home and watched the burglar run towards him.
“SMAUG IS GOING TO LAKETOWN! WE HAVE TO STOP HIM!” the Hobbit yelled as she ran to him.
She tripped to a stop in front of Thorin. “We have to stop him!”
“What can we do, Hobbit? Even our best weapons did nothing,” Thorin said.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t do something! Distract him long enough to let some of the people escape!” the burglar said.
“It is better if we bar the gates here than help a town already burning.”
Something changed in the Hobbit. She stood up straighter, her breathing evened, and her eyes flashed with anger. “So, this is what Dwarves are? They hide in their mountains seeking riches; they care nothing for the troubles of others. I should have stayed with the Elves.”
Thorin grabbed the Hobbit by her shoulders. “What did you say?”
“Lord Elrond gave us shelter, food, and knowledge despite Dwarves being long-standing rivals. He healed your sister who is still in Laketown. Even King Thranduil, the man who let your people burn and starve, kept his prisoners nourished and clean. In my books, Elves certainly score higher in the common decency department of life.”
Thorin growled at her. “I will not have a pointy-ear outscoring me.”
The Hobbit bared her teeth and growled back. “Prove it to me, Oakenshield. Defend those who cannot defend themselves. Show yourself for what you are: a man of honor.”
Thorin could hear the others coming up behind him. “What are your orders?” Dwalin said.
A haze lifted from Thorn’s eyes. Bramble stood before him. Her hair and clothes were singed, but her eyes were still as bright as ever. Whatever desire he had to hide in the mountain receded. He spoke to her softly, hoping the others would not hear. “What would you have me do, Bramble?”
“I think Smaug blocked the river. Don’t you see? It’s flowing some, but I don’t think it’s enough,” Bramble whispered. She wrapped her hands around Thorin’s wrists. “We need to get the river flowing again. At the least Smaug will know we are causing him trouble. At best…”
“… if he is somehow felled, he will drown.”
“There is a chink in his armor, just by his heart on the left side. It can be done,” Bramble said. She did not notice the thrush listening to their conversation.
Thorin kissed the Hobbit’s forehead. “Brilliant Bramble.” He turned towards the Company. “Balin, do you remember how to make dynamite?”
“Aye. Should have the materials at the forges,” Balin said.
Thorin looked down at Bramble feet and sighed. “You are going to lose your feet standing out here without shoes.” He picked Bramble up in a bridal carry as they made their way back to the forges, some of the others running ahead.
Bramble smacked Thorin’s shoulder. “For the love of the powers that be Thorin, I’m not five!”
“Then stop acting like it.”
“Only if you do first!”
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Finally, Thorin put Bramble down once they were in Erebor again. Bramble made her way next to Balin. She nodded towards Thorin. “What happened to him? His eyes seem strange sometimes.”
“Lass, we need to focus on the dragon first, then Thorin,” Balin said.
“There is something wrong with Thorin?” Bramble said.
“… I don’t know, but we’ll all be dead if this doesn’t work,” Balin said.
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The group split up. Balin took Bombur, Ori, Dori, and Nori to the forges to create dynamite. The other half went to the source of the river inside the mountain. Bramble kept close to Thorin, unsure of what to make of him. He seemed normal now, but only a few minutes before he was in despair and a short time earlier almost deranged.
The river came from the heart of the mountain from some unknown spring. Kíli had mentioned he wanted to send robots down to explore the depths of the source of the river once they reclaimed Erebor. The river was blocked by massive boulders carelessly tossed about, allowing some water to leak through. The water was up to their knees if they trudged along the center.
Glóin pointed to what seemed to be a second source. “Erebor redirected part of the river to give water to the kingdom and the forges. When we got the water working in the forge, we got some of the water back. It’s probably barely reaching Laketown.”
The Hobbit did not mean to shriek when she tripped over bones. “SORRY! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to step on you!”
Bifur yanked Bramble back. Thorin knelt next to the body. “This is not a Dwarf of Erebor.”
“How do you know?” Bramble asked.
He held up a cell phone. “I deduced it, my dear Watson.” He began carefully looking through pockets.
“I don’t think you should listen to Miracle Max about searching through pockets for loose change,” Bramble said.
“The left hand is missing. Mortal Men wear a ring on their left hand to show they are married, generally a gold band. I think a dragon would take it,” Thorin said. He found a wallet and sighed. He passed the phone and wallet to Glóin. “Keep this safe until it can be returned to Mrs. Bargeman. We will try to recover the body if the river does not destroy it.”
Bramble covered her mouth. “It’s Mr. Bargeman?”
“Unfortunately. Dwalin, tell your brother the way is clear, and we can start placing the explosives,” Thorin said.
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“We have a problem,” Balin said after they had placed the explosives into the makeshift dam, “We don’t have a long enough fuse to be at a safe distance when this goes off.”
“Could someone run the distance to safety, wherever it is?” Nori asked.
Balin said after a moment of reluctance, “Maybe.”
“Who’s the fastest one here?” Dwalin said.
Bramble raised her hand. “Me. Don’t make me list my credentials, we don’t have the time. Someone give me a match or something.”
Glóin grunted and tossed a box of waterproof matches. Bramble nodded to the group and glared at Thorin. “No time. I will come back. Now RUN!”
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Bramble took three deep breaths. I can do this. I have faced a dragon. A little match is nothing.
Still, her hands shook as she struck the match, the heat of the flame so close to her skin. She dropped the match away from the fuse and let out a silent scream of frustration.
You are a strong, independent Hobbit who is not afraid of a tiny bit of flame!
Bramble struck the second match. Though her hands shook, she was able to place it next to the fuse and it lit.
“I DID IT! YES! OH CRAP! RUN!”
The Hobbit ran as fast as she could over the rocks and debris.
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Bifur grabbed Bramble’s arm just as she ran next to the Company’s safe distance from the blast. He pushed her against the wall just as the dynamite exploded.
The ground shook from the force of the explosion. Water rushed past the Company, lapping at their feet. Balin stuck his head out of the alcove and squinted down river. “I THINK IT WILL REACH LAKETOWN IN A FEW MINUTES!”
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” Dwalin shouted.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” Balin said.
“WHAT IS ANYONE SAYING?” Ori said.
Bifur signed. “The blast messed with all of our hearing. We won’t hear properly for some time if it ever fully recovers.”
“Thank you, Bifur,” Thorin signed back.
"WHAT’S EVERYONE SAYING? I UNDERSTOOD ‘THANK YOU BIFUR’ AND THAT’S ABOUT IT,” Bramble said.
“WE NEED TO GET TO HIGHER GROUND AND SEE IF IT WORKED!” Balin said.
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Thorin kept his arm around Bramble’s shoulder as they made it up the watchtower. She shook and was not hearing much of anything, but she was alive and otherwise unharmed. The Dwarf froze when they were a few steps from the platform of the ruined tower.
“Come on,” Bramble said, no longer shouting as she tried to pull Thorin further up.
Thorin tightened his hold. “Please, don’t.”
“I can’t ignore this happening. I have to see this.”
He shook his head. “Please don’t ask me to do this. Not again.”
It took Bramble a moment to realize what the again meant. “Oh, Thorin. I didn’t mean to. I’ll stay. I promise. I won’t make you watch this again.”
Thorin pulled Bramble into a hug and shielded her from looking towards Laketown. He kept his eyes on Erebor. It was steady in a world turning on its head. He could feel Bramble saying something, but it was too soft for him to hear properly.
Erebor. Just focus on the gates. Don’t think about what’s behind you. Don’t think about the ruin inside. Just Erebor. Just focus on Erebor.
A thunderous crash pulled Thorin out of his thoughts. Bramble pulled away and ran up the stairs to investigate. Thorin could not follow.
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“What was that? What happened?” Bramble asked as she made it to the platform. She gasped when she how Laketown was either under water or on fire. There was no dragon in sight.
“It fell. I saw it. It’s dead. Smaug is dead,” Ori said.
“By my beard,” Dwalin said.
Something flew past Bramble’s head and towards what her maps had said to be Ravenhill.
“The ravens of Erebor are returning to the mountain,” Óin said.
Balin nodded. “Aye. Word will spread. Before long, every soul in Middle-Earth will know, the dragon is dead.”
“So comes snow after fire and even dragons have their endings,” Bramble said, though the words tasted more of ash than victory. When she turned around, Thorin was already walking towards Erebor, his shoulders hunched over.
The Hobbit ran after him, catching up when they were almost to the river. “Thorin! Didn’t you hear?”
“I did,” Thorin said, his voice rough.
“Shouldn’t we wait for the others? Maybe send some of them out to find if there are survivors or call for help so we can…”
“No.”
“No, what?” Bramble said.
Thorin grabbed Bramble’s hand and dragged her to the gates. “There were no survivors. I know this. We need to find the Arkenstone.”
“You cannot possibly know!” Bramble said.
“I can and I do. We need to find the Arkenstone and protect the gold. It is the only way we will survive,” Thorin said.
Bramble stubbed her foot on a boulder and yelped in pain. Thorin picked her up and continued his quick pace. “I promise you, dear burglar, no harm shall come to you. We will find the Arkenstone and be safe.”
The Hobbit clung to Thorin so she would not fall. “We should wait…”
“The sooner we find it, the sooner we will be safe,” Thorin said.
Bramble shook her head, but said nothing. Once Thorin sat down and thought the situation over, he would see reason. He was just scared and needed space from the disaster in Laketown. The Hobbit had to believe the Company in Laketown survived. Space and time would bring Thorin around again.
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It didn’t.