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Chapter 50. Betrayal.

YES!!! We're finally at chapter 50!!! I'm so excited hahaha!!!

So, here's chapter 50! Please comment, vote and follow! Thank you! Now please enjoy!!!

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*Fili's POV*

"You!" My uncle yelled, turning upon Bilbo. Thorin reached the hobbit with two big steps, grasping him with both hands. Bilbo's face scrunched up in pain and fear, as my uncle's hands dug into his shoulders before he shook him like a rabbit. "You! You miserable hobbit! YOU UNDERSIZED NASTY - BURGLAR!"

"Thorin!" I heard Cassy's outcry in the chaos that had erupted on the platform, as she tried to step in but Thorin ignored her completely, as he did the cries of the rest of us. Thorin glared as he shouted at the little hobbit.

"By the beard of Durin! I wish Gandalf were here! Curse him for his choice of you! May his beard wither for forcing such a deceitful thief upon me!"

Bilbo cried out in fear as Thorin suddenly lifted him in his arms in rage, moving towards the bannister. I felt my heart do a shocked thump in my chest as Thorin made to hurl the small creature through the air. "As for you I will throw you to the rocks, you disgusting rat!"

We all could only watch in shock as the air was filled with Thorin's shouts and Bilbo's cries and I was frozen in shock and I couldn't bring himself to move when suddenly, two things happened at once.

The old man down by the gate lifted his hood, revealing a familiar head of grey hair and a long beard beneath it. I heard Gandalf calling up to Thorin to stop and put the hobbit down but it was not as if the dwarf-king had a great choice, for at the same time that the wizard spoke another voice, a feminine voice rang out from the balcony.

"Put him down, Thorin!" Cassy yelled as she held her bow in her hands looking intimidating as ever and she aimed an arrow at Thorin. "I'm warning you Thorin! Let him go!"

"You dare threaten me?" He asked as he looked at her.

"I am here to protect this company and you are currently endangering one of the members. I don't care if you are the leader or not, you will put him down or this arrow will pierce your forearm." She warned, trying to remain calm.

"He gave them the Arkenstone! He betrayed us all!" My uncle yelled, ignoring Cassy who's grip on her bow relaxed when Thorin's grip on Bilbo loosened slightly.

"Your wish is granted! Gandalf is here, and none too soon it seems. If you don't like my Burglar, please do not damage him. Leave him alone, and listen first to what he has to say." Gandalf shouted up to Thorin.

"It seems you are all in league!" Thorin said, his gaze only leaving the hobbit to look at Cassy before he looked back to Bilbo. "Never again will I have dealings with any wizard or his friends. What have you to say, you descendant of rats?"

"I am sure this is all very uncomfortable." Bilbo started and my eyebrows rose upon this understatement. Bilbo seemed to realize that his choice of words had not been the best, as well, and quickly continued, clearing his throat.

"We are not all in league, as you would like to believe. Cassy had nothing to do with all of this." Bilbo said, sending the Archer Queen a short glance. "She was merely trying to protect me just now, I think. Do not blame her for something she had no part in just because she is my friend. It was me who gave the Arkenstone to Bard and the elves. You may remember saying that I might choose my own fourteenth share?"

I saw Thorin's fists clench at his sides as Bilbo continued, seeming to grow more confident in his speech.

"Perhaps I took it too literally - I have been told that dwarves are sometimes politer in word than in deed, though I refused to believe it until now. The time was, all the same, when you seemed to think that I had been of some service. Descendant of rats, indeed! Is this all the service of you and your family that I was promised, Thorin? I have been of more service to you on this journey than was possibly agreed on in our contract and you would do well not to dismiss that so easily. Take it that I have disposed of my share as I wished, and let it go at that!"

I looked at Cassy and I could tell that she wanted to go to Bilbo's side and defend him against the wrath of the dwarf-king. But as she took a step forward, a strong hand wrapped around her forearm, holding her back. I saw Cassy look down at the hand that was wrapped around her arm before she glanced up at the dwarf that was holding her, staring into Dwalin's grim face. The bald warrior didn't look at her, just kept his grip tight around her arm as Thorin finally spoke again.

"I will." Thorin growled. "And I will let you go at that - and may we never meet again!" With that, he turned away from the hobbit, dismissing him as nothing more than a lowly thief and traitor as he spoke over the bannister to the people below. "It was rightly guessed that I could not forbear to redeem the Arkenstone, for it is the treasure of my house and the heart of my people. I will give one fourteenth share of the treasure for it in silver and gold. That shall be the promised share of this traitor, and with that reward he shall depart, and you can divide it amongst yourselves, as you will. He will get little enough, I doubt not."

"Take him, if you wish him to live. No friendship of mine goes with him." Thorin spoke before he turned to Bilbo. "Get down now to your friends! Or by Mahal, I will throw you down!"

Bilbo just nodded. "What about the gold and silver?"

"That shall follow after, as can be arranged." Thorin growled. "Now get down before I throw you down myself."

The hobbit lowered his gaze and stepped up to the bannister as Ori came forward from the group, handing him piece of rope that was held by him, his two brothers and Bofur. Bilbo took it with a small askew smile that did not reach his sad eyes.

Bilbo was swung down the wall, and departed with nothing more than the thin mithril armour that Thorin had already given him days before. We stepped up to the bannister as we watched him reach the ground and walk over to the gathered people. Gandalf greeted him with a warm smile before the hobbit turned to the mountain once more.

"Farewell!" He shouted up to us. "We may meet again as friends!"

I shortly glanced around the company, seeing pity and shame mirroring on the faces of more than one dwarf as they watched him go. Only Thorin's expression was stoic and dark, his jaw clenched tightly as he called out to the hobbit.

"Be off! You have chain-mail upon you, which was made by my folk and is too good for you. It cannot be pierced by arrows; but if you do not hasten, I will sting your miserable feet! So be swift!" Shouted Thorin.

Bard called out from down below, telling Thorin that they would give him time until tomorrow and then come back to see if he had brought the portion that was to be set against the stone from the hoard of treasure. If it would be done without deceit, they would depart and the elf-host would go back to the forest. I paid only little attention to their words as I watched them turn and go back to the camp. Most of our company were slowly turning away as well now, one after another going back inside the mountain, though no one spoke much. Cassy stayed where she was, her gaze still set on the distant camps. Kili made to go and talk to her but I grabbed my brother's arm and stopped him.

"Give her some time alone, brother." I told him.

Kili sighed but followed me back inside nonetheless.

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*Cassy's POV*

I remained standing outside on the balcony for a long while. I was glad the others had gone back inside because I really didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. My mind was going haywire! I was so shocked that Bilbo gave them the Arkenstone and I had to admit that it probably wasn't the best thing to do, after all the Arkenstone was the jewel of the Mountain and belonged to the dwarfs. But Thorin had no right to act that way, he shouldn't have acted so aggressively towards him. At least Thorin had decided to give them the gold for the Arkenstone, so not everything that happened today was all bad.

I turned towards the stairs upon hearing footsteps and to my surprise I saw Thorin.

I watched with a small frown as Thorin walked up to the bannister himself, holding a small piece of parchment in his hand. It was a few seconds later that the flapping sound of wings could be heard and I turned my head as a large raven landed on the stone bannister right before Thorin.

"Roäc." Thorin greeted the bird. "I would ask you to bring this message to my cousin Dain. By now, he should be in a two days distance of the mountain at the most. Bid him to make haste."

The raven grasped the paper in one of its claws, tilting its head as it looked up at the dwarf-king before it took off again, and I followed its dark form in the sky with my eyes until it was out of sight. Only then did I turn to Thorin who was already walking back to the stairs again.

"What message did you send to Dain?" I asked cautiously, slightly raising my eyebrows as Thorin looked at me over his shoulder.

"I am telling him of what has happened today, and that the Arkenstone is in the hands of men and elves at the moment. If he makes haste, I am thinking the dwarven host could overthrow them in a surprise strike. We could take back the Arkenstone without having to compensate it with any gold or silver. And once our forces shield the mountain and all its entrances, they will not have a chance to get even a glimpse at the treasure."

I could only stare blankly at Thorin for a few seconds, his words ringing in my ears. "But you have promised them that you would recompense them in return for the Arkenstone. And with that this argument would be settled."

"It will be settled, Cassandra." Thorin answered coolly. "One way or another."

And with that he turned away and descended the stairs. My thoughts were whirling in my head as I watched him go. I was right, Thorin was not in his right mind. He was blinded by greed and was ready to start a battle over something that could easily be settled without one.

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