Notes

thorin is resplendent in his father's golden armor, a child playing dress-up in his father's too-big clothing, when the dragon comes, and it is his downfall. he barely survives the initial attack but he rallies himself, pushing down the terror that threatens to consume him as he hefts an abandoned sword and rushes to meet the beast, ignoring balin calling out for him.

the dragon spots him easily. with a new hole blown into the mountain, a river of buttery yellow light streams in and reflects off of the gold armor, making thorin gleam like a beacon. the dragon freezes and watches thorin as if transfixed, but it shakes its head like a dog and snaps out of it. its voice, when it speaks, is so deep and terrible that all the dwarrow within earshot freeze when they hear it.

"what are you, to be challenging me so?" the dragon asks, amused. it seems distracted; its head keeps turning slightly as if its listening to the call of something behind it, and thorin realizes with a jolt that it's sensing the gold in the treasury. he hopes his bid for time will be enough for someone to pull thror out of the treasury, and for his people to escape. already dwarrow are streaming out of the mountain, giving thorin and the dragon a wide, terrified berth.

"i am the pride of my people and the heart of the mountain," thorin says, lifting his chin and his sword proudly. "and i will be your downfall."

the dragon laughs.


thorin's eyes are wide as he is dragged away, wild with terror, and they lock onto dis' with startling speed.

"come back for me!" he shouts, and dis nearly curls in on herself from the force of her pain as her heart breaks. it stabs through her chest like a living thing possessed, but she squashes it down ruthlessly. her lips pulled back into a snarl, she hefts her axe and prepares to scream her fury to the skies as she charges, but someone grabs her by the scruff at the very last moment. the breath escapes her.

"don't be daft!" dwalin shouts, but his gaze, too, is locked on thorin, just as furious and helpless as dis feels.

"no!" dis screams, struggling against dwalin's hold. "thorin! THORIN!"

"Dis!" Thorin calls, but then the dragon disapears from sight, taking thorin with it, and dis slumps against dwalin like a puppet with its strings cut.

"i'll come back for you," she promises softly, fiercely. dwalin's arms tighten around her. "i'll get you back."