"You have my word, one King to another…" Thranduil said.
"I would not trust Thranduil, the great King to honor his word! Even if there is reason for your abandonment of my kin, I will not ask for your help…" Thorin turned and looked Thranduil in his eyes. "..You lack all honor!"
"I have seen how you treat your friends! We came to you once having lost everything, starving and seeking your help! But you turned your back!" Thorin said full of anger and emotion.
"You turned from the suffering of my people when you of all people should have understood what it means to lose something so precious and important!!" Thorin's words made Thranduil flinch as he showed pain in his eyes.
"You knew the dangers of dragon fire are but that does not warrant our suffering after living that inferno that destroyed us!" Thorin then said something dwarvish and Thranduil reacted.
"So you knew I face the great serpents of the north but it is your Grandfather did not heed my warnings! Of what his greed will summon, but he never listened!" Thranduil looked at Thorin then turned around. "You are just like him."
"I am never like him, I am Thorin Oakenshield." Thorin said as Thranduil waved his hand making the guards take Thorin away.
"Stay here if you will… A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I'm patient, I can wait." Thranduil said this but he turned his back as he hid a tear in his eyes, remembering his wife made him a bit irrational in face of Thorin.
Soon Thorin was brought down to the cells where the others are held. Balin saw his prince and asked. "Did he offer you a deal?"
"He did, I told him he could go ish kakhfe ai-'d dur-rugnu! Him and all his kin!" Thorin said as he felt that even with the knowledge Paul gave him he could not forgive how his people were rejected of help when they are in need.
"Well, that's that then. A deal was our only hope." Balin said.
"Not our only hope." Thorin whispered as he looked out the cells.
Just as Thorin had hoped, Bilbo has sneaked in the halls of the Woodland Realm and had been familiarizing himself in the pathways followed by the elves.
He had seen many places in the palace of Thranduil that ever knew off but he did not pay attention to most of it. He did get scared once thinking that the King noticed his presence but it was just a false alarm of his.
So for a few days he had scoured the palace and found many interesting points to exploit. And one man he found crucial in this endeavor is the key-holder, Elros, who acts like the warden of the dungeons of the Elven Halls.
There is one he particularly paid attention to, an elf that always visits the cellars where his friend worked. They have particularly been drunk that they did not notice Bilbo sneaking about without the ring in use.
It was then he also noticed the weekly schedule of the empty barrels that are to be picked up by a barge man downstream. Bilbo felt that this was the best way they could escape as it leads to a poorly guarded side of the Woodland Realm.
And after few days he finally found the best time to break out the dwarves. As Bilbo followed this Elros, he found him being goaded by the cellar master to drink the left over wine of the King. At first he was hesitant but in the end it was temptation that won him thus drank with the man in the cellars.
"I'll wager the sun is on the rise." Bofur's voice echoed in the dungeons as they were all sulking about since in a few weeks Durin's day would come and they still have quite a distance to cover.
"We're never gonna reach the mountain, are we?" the youngest dwarf, Ori, said in obvious sadness.
"Not stuck here, you're not." Bilbo said as he appeared in a corner and showed his hand with the dungeon keys to the surprised dwarves.
"Bilbo!" Balin said as he was surprised at Bilbo's presence in the dungeons.
"What?" Bofur's voice sounded out again in surprise.
"He did it!"
"We're free!"
"Shh!! There are guards nearby!" Bilbo shushed the others that were about to make some noise as they felt happy seeing their master burglar. Bilbo then proceeds to free the dwarves in their cells starting with Thorin then towards the others nearby.
"Hahaha…" Balin chuckled as he looked at Bilbo.
"Close the doors, it'll buy us more time." Thorin whispered to the others as they got out of their cells.
"All right, Nori." Bilbo then hurriedly opened the cell door for the dwarf. He then proceeded to free the last dwarf but as he turned around he could see the others planning to go up the stairs.
"Up the stairs."
"You First."
"Ori!"
"Not that way. Down here, follow me." Bilbo stopped the dwarves as he went towards the lower stairs gesturing for them to follow his lead.
"Go." Fili said to the others making them follow Bilbo down.
"Easy now." Gloin said as he was careful in his steps down.
Soon the dwarves were led by Bilbo towards the cellars escaping the guards that were on patrol as he knew their pattern already. The dwarves followed behind him and they arrived in the cellars where two elves were drunk and unconscious.
"This way." Bilbo gestured to the dwarves.
"Come on." He urged again but Kili was stumped as he looked around.
"I don't believe it. We're in the cellars!" Kili said in frustration.
"You're supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur looked at Bilbo in confusion as he stared at where they are.
"I know what I'm doing." Bilbo answered in a normal tone.
"Shh!" Bofur shushed him and looked at the sleeping elves.
"This way! This way!" Bilbo rushed the dwarves towards the barrels. And it was just that time patrols passed by the cells and noticed the absence of the dwarves.
"Everyone…" Bilbo caught everybody's attention as he said. "…climb into the barrels quickly."
"Are you mad? They'll find us." Dwalin said to Bilbo not understanding his plan.
"No, no they won't I promise you. Please, please you must trust me." Bilbo's words made the Dwarves skeptical that they started to murmur amongst themselves so he turned and looked for help in Thorin.
"Do as he says." Thorin felt that there might be more to what their Master Burglar has planned so he ordered the dwarves to follow Bilbo's lead.
"Move your big ginger head." Dwalin said to Gloin as they followed the others to get in the barrels.
"Bifur, get in… the barrel!"
"Move!"
"Everyone's in."
Bilbo then counted the dwarves if they are indeed all accounted for, then he went back towards the lever mechanism on the side and then looked back at the dwarves in the barrels.
"What do we do now?" Bofur asked and it was followed by the heads of the dwarves popping out of the barrels.
"Hold your breath." Bilbo said as he reached out to the lever.
"Hold my breath? What do you mean? Aghh!" Bofur was confused but was suddenly scared at the sudden movement of the floor. The other dwarves were surprised to as they let out surprised shouts but the two elves were still dead drunk sleeping in the sides.
Soon the dwarves rolled out of the cellars and fell on a small river passing through beneath the Woodland Realm. And just as in the movies, Bilbo was suddenly hit with the realization he was still inside the Woodland Realms.
It was then Tauriel was leading the guards to seek for the keeper of the keys, Bilbo on the other hand was trying ways to make the floor flip over so he could follow behind the dwarves.
But as the elves neared Bilbo was alerted making him move back in trepidation but it neared him to the edge of the platform making it tilt a little and slid him down to the river. But just in time for Tauriel to see the floor close making her understand how the dwarves escaped.
Just as expected the dwarves were able to escape due to the chaos created by the orcs led by Bolg to kill the dwarves but it got a strong opposition from the elves with Legolas leading the assault. Kili was shot with the Morgul Blade and they now flowed downstream.
The elves were not able to chase since the dwarves have now left their borders and due to the King's strong stance on not having any of his people leave his borders, they retreated.
Tauriel and Legolas brought an Orc Lieutenant to Thranduil for interrogation but what it said urged Tauriel to leave and go for Kili.
The days she talked with him of the outside world made her fond of the dwarf and felt a need inside her wanting to save and help him learning of the morgul shaft he was hit with.
And as expected, Thranduil locked the gates of the woodland realm and doubled their guards but Legolas went to follow Tauriel hearing of her leaving the lands of Mirkwood.
On the other hand, Gandalf and Radagast has witnessed for themselves the tombs in the High Fells of Rhudaur were indeed empty and now rode towards Dol Guldur to confirm it once and for all.
Meanwhile Paul has now arrived in Dale in silence as he brought with him his ride the Ice Drake and two large companions. The two royalty of the Trolls in his command, who now had become improved and stronger than before standing in about 65 meters in height.
Their skin still looked like a rocky exterior but they now have a distinct scale pattern and more fit. The older Troll was more Buff and has a larger beard made of roots while his son has a shorter beard but a leaner build.
And they have been rid of their weakness towards the light of the sun and now could roam about even in daylight. They also gained a boost in their cognitive functions and even learned to talk more clearly similar to a human. The other Trolls are still in their process of being transformed while only a dozen have been successfully turned into Dragon Trolls.
Paul brought them to meld within the Mountain side and once the were-worms appear they will strangle the things or so Paul planned. And also since no one was around he went to the great Hall and focused his powers in the large Town to slowly clean it.
As the minute goes by if someone was present they would see the streets were filled with brooms floating about cleaning things up. Rocks also floated about placed in the walls and strengthened it by compacting the stones into a denser material.
Paul cleaned the sewers and found hidden tunnels making him smile. He then proceeded to use his powers to the fullest with only a 20% in cleaning and repairing and the rest was to make a hidden path where he can place his moving fortress to hide it.
For three days he went on carving a hidden passage and released the spare robots he has in his person of about 200 all making him able to create reinforcements in the tunnels and now was able to make a cavern where he found lots of precious metals.
Meanwhile his dragon was lying down and his eyes drawn towards the Mountain as it showed yearning but it held itself back. Even when purified Paul cannot take away the Dragon's interest in Gold but he was able to take away the obsessive compulsion to get it.
The two troll kings slept as well waiting for their master to give them their orders. As they lied there they could feel the mountains cry in pain as the were-worms gorged through it, the trolls hated the feeling and can't wait to strangle these Earth Eaters.
After making the initial clean-up, Paul went to repair the doors, gates, and even the broken houses but he did not make it so obvious in the sky in case someone scouts the place. The dragon itself was also camouflaged in the snowy sides of the mountain lying down peacefully.
It then Paul felt the marker he placed on Bilbo come nearer making him look towards Esgaroth. Paul smiled as he went on about cleaning the place as well as pocketing the gold and coins he found in this place.
The Dwarves has now reached the place where the bargeman waits for the barrels. There they met with the one who would kill Smaug if Paul let him be but he won't, many would die before doing so, he plans to capture Smaug before it does die.
Nothing much could be expected but them being smuggled in by Bard in Lake Town by putting them in barrels and filling it with fish making the dwarves a bit disgruntled.
But Bard was able to take them inside after a close call with Alfrid Licklespite, the local creepy pedophilic-looking dude. Bard was then able to take in the dwarves to his house silently even with the various spies the Master of the Lake town has placed.
For days the dwarves recovered and rested in the residence of the descendants of Girion, the Lord of Dale. Thinking about it, Paul felt he should at least give word to Bard about him cleaning the land of his forefathers.
Paul will just have the newly built underground space for himself. Now it was almost halfway done and felt that maybe the robots could handle the rest of the construction work.
He did find the Armory where some standard weapons were stored, as well as the forge where the blacksmiths of Dale once made weapons to defend their city.
Seeing that the dwarves are still not ready to go up the mountain, Paul placed himself in the smith lighting the fire as he placed four Black Arrows he found while clearing the streets. As well as one scale of a dragon which made Paul see that it was from Smaug.
Placing silencing wards all around him Paul started to work in the forge to make a weapon that he might use as a gift for Bard once he goes and meet the person.
For four days he was in the forge reshaping the Black Arrows which were made by an Alloy produced by the dwarves. It was not your simple wrought Iron as it was light despite being made of entirely metal including the fletching.
Paul realized that maybe the Arrow was indeed made with great care as well as the dwarvish wind lance that it could pierce the scales of a great dragon like Smaug. He had felt the scale in his hands and found it was about as strong and tensile as a tungsten block.
This special Arrow made specifically for killing great-beast was not magical but more of a great weapon engineering wonder. Paul deduced after long calculations that the arrow could pierce 5 inch thick steel when fired with a regular ballista.
This made him more curious about the wind-lance and wanted to see how the dwarves made it and what it was made of. Paul spent more time trying to reverse engineer the material composition of the Arrow before he would melt it and make a sword for Bard.
"This is really amazing, to think they were able to advance this much in material science makes me wonder if Dwarves have a special gift in sensing the way they make these things." Paul was awed at how much stronger the arrow was that how it looks.
It was light, aerodynamically balanced and has a very strong tensile strength that it could almost rival Carbonadium. Paul now has a collection of special metals in his store and this alloy got itself on his top five.
First being Vibranium, Adamantium, Mithril, Carbonadium and now this Alloy for the Black Arrow. Paul had heard about the rareness of the arrow and how the dwarves produced so little of it makes sense.
A race so gifted in metallurgy could make arrows like this only in few numbers means that whatever they used to add or the process that transpires in making this arrow is a very hard thing to achieve or gather.
Paul felt that maybe his true body could understand this better as this clone could not give as much detailed information as he liked. But he could at least rework the metal to make it into the sword he has planned to gift.
"Well, f*ck these arrows. You'll be a sword soon and I'll take the remaining one in Bard's hands to study." Paul then stoked the flames and used his powers to concentrate the heat only in the forge's area making it reach temperatures only found in volcanoes.
For days Paul toiled in the forge to reshape the four arrows into a sword that could be wielded by the lords of Dale. Paul felt that maybe he should try and see if he can make a sword that would last through the ages.
Paul slowly gathered Magic in his body and led it to his hand then towards the hammer as he reshaped the arrows. Slowly and surely the arrows bent and bowed under the relentless blows from the hammer and anvil.
Days passed Paul found himself immersed in his work that he did not notice the light passing by until the final quench of the sword is done on dragon saliva. Paul then lifted the sword high looking at the black blade that shone red in fire.
Feeling something in the sword Paul waved it and a fire slash appeared making him surprised as he did not expect the outcome of his dedicated attention.
"Hmm? What day is it?"