Inside the hidden passage of the mountain, the Company stood in silence.
At the end of the passage stood the inner doorway that led down into the halls beneath the mountain.
Thorin turned toward Bilbo.
Balin stood beside him, calm but serious.
"This is why we came," Thorin said quietly.
Bilbo shifted his weight, glancing toward the dark stairway that disappeared into the mountain.
"You are our burglar, Master Baggins," Thorin continued. "Now is the time to earn your reward."
Bilbo rubbed the back of his neck.
"Right… yes… the burglar part," he muttered.
Balin stepped forward, speaking in a calmer tone.
"Somewhere in the treasure beneath the mountain lies the Arkenstone," he said. "The heart of the mountain. The most precious jewel of our people."
Bilbo frowned slightly.
"And how exactly does this Arkenstone look?" he asked.
Balin smiled faintly.
"You will know it when you see it."
Bilbo stared at him.
"That's not very helpful," he said.
Thorin ignored the comment and continued.
"You must find it and bring it to me."
Bilbo looked again toward the dark staircase leading downward. The stone steps vanished into darkness, stretching deeper into the mountain.
He took a slow breath.
"Well," Bilbo said quietly, adjusting his coat, "I suppose I'd better be off then."
"Bilbo," Balin called softly.
Bilbo paused and glanced back.
Balin looked at him with a calm but serious expression.
"Be careful down there," he said. "And whatever you do… do not wake anything."
Bilbo gave a small, nervous nod.
"Yes… quite right," he murmured.
Then he turned and began walking down the long stone staircase into the depths of Erebor.
The steps went on for what felt like forever. The light from above slowly faded until only a faint glow from below remained.
Bilbo reached the bottom and stepped forward.
Then he froze.
The chamber before him was enormous.
Gold.
Mountains of it.
Coins lay piled high like dunes. Goblets, crowns, necklaces, armor, and gemstones were scattered everywhere. Jewels caught the dim light and reflected it across the cavern walls.
Bilbo's eyes widened.
"Good gracious…"
He stepped onto the hoard. The coins shifted under his feet with a soft clinking sound.
Everywhere he looked there was treasure.
He walked further into the chamber, staring at the endless piles.
"How am I supposed to find anything in this?" Bilbo muttered.
He bent down and picked up a jewel, turning it in his fingers.
"Is this it?"
He looked at it for a moment, then shook his head and tossed it aside.
Bilbo picked up another piece—an ornate necklace set with red stones.
"No… that doesn't seem right."
He moved slowly through the treasure, lifting goblets, rings, and gems one by one.
"It would have helped," Bilbo muttered, "if someone had told me what it looked like."
"I know what it looks like."
The voice came from beside him.
Bilbo flinched and nearly dropped the jewel in his hand. He turned quickly and stared.
Luke was standing there among the piles of gold as if he had been there the entire time.
Bilbo blinked.
"How did you come…?" he asked, turning instinctively toward the entrance he had used. The stairway was still there, empty. He was certain the Company had stayed behind at the secret door.
Luke waved a hand dismissively. "Don't sweat small matters."
"This is not a small matter," Bilbo said quickly, lowering his voice but sounding alarmed. For a moment he looked suspiciously at the mountains of gold around them. "You're not here to steal all this, are you?"
Luke glanced around the cavern, his eyes moving over the endless treasure.
"I'm not here for gold, Bilbo," he said. "Although I admit it's tempting."
He nudged a pile of coins with his foot.
"Could probably make some nice jewelry with it," he added thoughtfully, then shook his head. "But this hoard is famous for being cursed. Better not touch it."
Bilbo frowned but didn't argue. Instead he crouched down again and resumed digging through the treasure.
"Well… I'll continue my search then," he said, lifting one gem after another.
Luke watched him for a moment.
"Hm," he said, casually picking up a golden cup and turning it in his hand. "Searching for a single stone in a mountain of gold. You've got quite a job."
Bilbo sighed.
"You're telling me."
"Did they tell you not to wake anything up?" Luke asked.
Bilbo looked up.
"Yes…?"
He paused, suddenly unsure.
"I'm not entirely sure what exactly I'm not supposed to wake."
"I'll show you," Luke said.
Without much thought, he tossed the cup across the chamber. The golden cup struck a distant mound of treasure with a loud clang that echoed through the cavern.
The sound disturbed the delicate balance of the hoard. Coins shifted and plates slid aside as a thin stream of gold began to slip down the pile. The movement grew into a slow metallic cascade, treasure sliding over treasure with a scraping, ringing sound.
Bilbo froze where he stood, watching nervously.
As the gold slid away, something beneath the pile was revealed.
At first it was just a dark red scale. Then more of it appeared as the treasure continued to move aside.
A massive head slowly emerged from beneath the gold.
The creature's snout rested heavily among the coins, its scales thick and dark like burnished iron.
Bilbo gulped as he recognized it.
That massive head, half buried beneath the gold, could only belong to one creature.
Smaug.
The dragon that had driven the Dwarves from Erebor years ago.
Bilbo felt his heart beating faster.
Luke looked at the dragon for a moment, studying it like someone observing an interesting animal.
Then he smiled.
"Let's go wake it up," he said casually.
Bilbo's heart nearly dropped.
"No!" he whispered urgently, grabbing Luke's sleeve without even thinking. "No, no, no, no! That is a terrible idea."
He pointed nervously toward the enormous head.
"That is Smaug! No sensible person would want to wake something like that."
Bilbo lowered his voice even further, as if afraid the dragon might somehow hear them.
"That's exactly why we should wake it up," Luke said. "Not everyone gets an opportunity like this."
Which only proved one thing—Luke was definitely not a sensible person.
*****
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