Pov narrator

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When you arrive at the mountain, you see Thorin recognizing the valley and running up the last slope and overlooking. You and the others walk up beside him; your eyes fly over the burnt city of Dale. Sadness creeps your heart, and you can almost see the fire burning and the screams of the people. "What is this place?" Bilbo asks, talking you out of your thoughts. "It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin. The desolation of Smaug." Balin answers, and you can hear the sadness in his voice.

"The sun will soon reach midday; let's find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way!" Throin says and starts going against the mountain. You turn as you notice  Bilbo doesn't follow you. "Wait...is this the overlook? Gandalf said to meet him here. On no account were we-" he says, but Throin comes up to him and cuts him off, making your eyes flash a little. "Do you see him? We have no time to wait upon the wizard. We're on our own." He says grimly. He then turns and walks away, leaving Bilbo, who turns around and looks again at Dale. You go over to him and pat his shoulder.

"He'll come," you say softly. If you're meaning Gandalf or Throin, you don't know.

You adn the other look around after the secret entrance as Thorin calls out to you. "Anything?" Dwalin answers, followed by agreements from some dwarves, "Nothing!" You see that Bilbo has spotted something and goes over to examine it. Behind you, Throin speaks, looking at the map. "If the map is true, the hidden door lies directly above us." Suddenly you and Bilbo spot it, the secret entrance. It's a set of stairs built into a statue of a dwarf who's carved into the side of the mountain.

Bilbo calls to the others while you examine the stairs, ensuring they aren't a trick. "Up here!" Bilbo calls, and as Throin joins you, he smiles and praises Bilbo. "You have keen eyes, Master Baggins." You painstakingly make your way up the stairs that end in a little rock-walled clearing in the side of the mountain. You smile softly as Throin runs to the rock wall, turning to look at you all, and says proudly, "Let all those who doubted us rue this day!"

As Thorin holds up his key, the others cheer. "Right. We have our key, which means that somewhere, there is a keyhole." Dwalin says and goes to the rock wall and explores the clearing walls with his fingers, looking for a keyhole. Thorin walks to the edge of the clearing and looks out at the setting sun. Your face grows serious as you relive something.

"The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." You hear Throin mumble to himself. He then turns and looks at the wall, trying to figure out what the light hitting the wall means b its lo keyhole shows as the sun starts to set. You sigh, saying nothing. You can say you're disappointed, at least. However, Throin is not ready to give up and gets frantic. He orders different dwarves to try their methods to break down the door, but nothing works. Balin then calls, making the dwarves such as Nori and Dwalin stop and return to the group.

"It's no good! The door's sealed. It can't be opened by force. Powerful magic on it." He says. The dwarves sigh, discontented. The sun disappears behind distant mountains. "No!" Throin yells, not believing it. He stumbles forth and re-examines the old map, reading aloud. "The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says." He holds his arms open in disbelief. The dwarves mutter words of disappointment and anger. 

"What did we miss?" thriving says and then turns to Balin, who looks as sad as the rest of them. you look at him; sympathy shines in your blue eyes of dragon fire. "What did we miss, Balin?" Thorin says, repeating his question. Balin shakes his head, saying sadly, "We've lost the light. There's no more to be done. We had but one chance." the other dwarves bow their head in despair and starts to walk away. "Come away; it's... it's over." Balin says to the dwarves who are left, and they too leave. It's just you, Bilbo and Thorin left. Bilbo says quietly, looking at the others who are going away, "Wait a minute!" he gets no answer, then calls out again. 

 "Where are they going? You can't give up now!" you walk over to him and turn to Thorin, saying nothing. Your gaze is soft. Bilbo looks beseechingly at Thorin, but Thorin turns away. He holds up his key and looks at it, then drops it to the ground, where it clatters. "Thorin...you can't give up now," Bilbo says, looking at him as Thorin goes away after throwing the map to Bilbo, who takes it. You and Bilbo stay in the clearing. As Bilbo recites the riddle and gets to the mountain wall, you look on. you say nothing, knowing he can do it alone. "Stand by the grey stone..." He goes and stands by the grey wall. "When the thrush knocks..." He looks around but doesn't see a thrush anywhere. "The setting sun...and the last light of Durin's Day will shine. Hmm. The last light. Last light..." He turns away from the wall, thinking hard and muttering to himself. He looks up and sees the clouds move aside to reveal the moon with a thought. He looks at it wonderingly and sees that it illuminates the clearing. Then, hearing a noise, he turns back and sees a thrush hitting a snail against the grey wall. Just then, the moonlight hits the wall. 

you smile, seeing the keyhole form. "The last light!" biløbo laughs as the thrush flies away. "The keyhole! Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon, the last moon of autumn! Hahaha!" he says and looks at you, smiling. You smile back and start to look free at the dwarves. Bilbo calls while you use your advanced eyesight to spot them. you don't see them, but you can feel their presence, and they're close. "Where's the- Where's the key? Where's the- it was here...but it was here, it was here! It was just...." Bilbo mutters, and as he nudges it, it starts to roll against the side of the mountain, but before it falls, someone's boot steps on it, stopping it. Its Thorin. You smile as he looks up and meets your gaze. 

He then leans down, picking the critical up. The dwarves come up beside him and smile at you two in relief. Thorin goes to the keyhole and inserts, turning it. Mechanisms are heard turning behind the rock. Thorin pushes the wall, and a previously unseen door opens into the mountain. The seams of the door were utterly invisible earlier. The door opens into a tunnel going into the hill. you and the others look in awe at the threshold. "Erebor." thorin says in amazement. Balin suddenly calls out to his king, tearfully, and you look up at him, worried. "Thorin..." thorin turn to Balin, then turns back and strokes his hands over the wall, saying, "you remember Balin?" Balin answers as he comes closer. "I remember."

You and the rest of the company slowly enter the mountain. Inside, Nori points at a carving in the wall above the door; it is of the throne of Erebor, with the Arkenstone above it, sending out rays of light in all directions. Gloin reads aloud the inscription on the carving. "Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's Folk. So may the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home." you're in shock, but it's silent. "The throne of the king." Balin then explains as Bilbo looks curiously at the painting. "Oh. And what's that above it?" the hobbit asked. "The Arkenstone," you answer, going up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Arkenstone....And what's that?" he asks, and throin answers, looking at the both of you. "That, Master Burglar, is why you and Miss Midnight are here." 

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oooh, I'm looking forward to writing the next chap since it'll have Smaug :) and yes, I know I said at the readers loveinrest would be placed throughout the story, and I mean that, but I'm sorry if I haven't been clear whos who. Maybe Smaug will be one of them; I'll see. 

-Saph