Two more weeks of travel finally brought them within sight of Erebor .
The Lonely Mountain loomed before them like a sleeping giant, its snow-capped peaks glistening in the afternoon sun. In the distance, Escanor could see the ruins of Dale, the city of men that had once thrived in the mountain's shadow before Smaug destroyed it.
"There it is," Thorin breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "My home. Finally."
The dwarves had stopped on a ridge, all staring at the mountain with expressions ranging from reverence to fear. They had traveled so far, risked so much, and now their fate was literally before them.
"It's beautiful," whispered Bilbo . "Even from here, I can feel... something. As if the mountain itself were alive."
"It is," Balin agreed. " Erebor is not just rock and stone. It is the heart of our people. Our ancestral home. And it has been waiting for us to return."
Escanor studied the mountain with different eyes. He could feel something too, but it wasn't the nostalgia the dwarves felt. It was something darker. More dangerous.
" Smaug is inside," he said softly. "I can feel his presence. Like a furnace, burning in the heart of the mountain."
" Is he awake?" Thorin asked tensely.
—Asleep, I think. But not soundly. And if we make too much noise, too fast... he'll wake up.
"Then we must be careful," Thorin said, glancing at the sky and calculating. " Durin 's sun . We still have time. Three days before it shines upon the secret door. Until then, we will approach cautiously, scout the perimeter, and prepare ourselves."
"That sounds sensible," Escanor nodded. "But Thorin , when the time comes to go in... let me go first. If Smaug awakens, I want to be between him and you."
"We're not going to hide behind you," Dwalin protested. "We are warriors."
"I know," Escanor said, looking directly at him. "But I'm the only one who can survive a dragon's breath. If something goes wrong, if Smaug attacks before we're ready, I need to be at the front. Not for glory. For practical survival."
Thorin considered this, then nodded slowly.
"You're right. I don't like it, but you're right." He looked at each of his companions. "When we enter Erebor , Escanor goes first. Then Bilbo , since he's our raider. The rest of us follow, but in silence. One loud noise and this becomes much more dangerous than it already is."
"Understood," the dwarves said in unison.
They descended from the ridge and approached the mountain, searching for a place to establish a base camp. They found a small cave (after Escanor meticulously checked it for trolls , orcs, or anything else unpleasant) that offered protection from the wind and a clear view of the mountain.
That night, while the others slept, Escanor sat facing the cave entrance, gazing at Erebor in the starlight. Rhitta rested against the wall beside him, always within easy reach. The Elessar around her neck glowed softly, catching the starlight just as Arwen had said it would.
Arwen thought, touching the pendant. I wish you could see me now. I wish you could be here.
But she wasn't there. She was in Rivendell , waiting for his return, trusting that he would keep his promise.
And then there was Tauriel , in Mirkwood, who had understood his divided heart in a way that he himself barely understood.
—You can't sleep either, huh?
Escanor turned to see Bilbo emerging from the cave, wrapped in his blanket, his large hobbit eyes shining in the starlight.
"Too much on my mind, " Escanor admitted . "The dragon. The battle to come. And... other things."
" The two elves ?" Bilbo sat down next to him, not bothered by excuses.
—Is it that obvious?
"Just for me, I think. The dwarves are too focused on the mountain to notice your inner turmoil." Bilbo glanced toward Erebor . "Have you made a decision?"
"I don't know if it's a decision I should make," Escanor sighed. "I love Arwen . That hasn't changed. But Tauriel ... she's something special too. Different, but equally important in her own way."
"You know," Bilbo said thoughtfully, "we hobbits have a rather simple view of love. If you love someone, you marry them, have children, and are happy. But I've been reading books from other cultures, and I've learned that love isn't always so simple."
- What do you mean?
—I mean, maybe, just maybe, you don't have to choose. Maybe you can love them both. In different ways, for different reasons, but both loves being real and valid.
Escanor looked at him, surprised.
— Bilbo , are you suggesting that...?
"I'm not suggesting anything," Bilbo said, raising his hands. "I'm just saying that the heart is complicated. And perhaps, in your case, the solution isn't to choose one over the other, but to find a way to honor both loves. If that's possible. If everyone agrees."
—That sounds... incredibly complicated.
"Life is complicated," Bilbo smiled. "But it's also beautiful. And Escanor , if anyone deserves complicated and beautiful love, it's you. You've given so much. You've protected so much. You deserve to be happy, no matter what that happiness looks like."
Escanor felt his throat tighten with emotion.
—Thank you, my friend. I don't know what I did to deserve your friendship, but I am grateful for it.
"You saved me from being eaten by trolls ," Bilbo pointed out. "And you've been nothing but kind and wise to me ever since the day we met. The gratitude should be mine."
They sat in friendly silence for a while, watching the stars slowly rotate above them.
Finally, Bilbo spoke again.
—Are you afraid? Of the dragon?
"Yes," Escanor admitted honestly. "It would be foolish not to have it. Smaug is ancient, powerful, and cunning. And although I believe I can defeat him, there are no guarantees. I could die down there. And if I do…"
"If you do, you'll die a hero," Bilbo interrupted firmly. "You'll die protecting those who can't protect themselves. You'll die living your purpose. That's more than most can say."
"But I don't want to die," Escanor smiled sadly. "I want to live. I want to return to Arwen . I want to see what might have become of Tauriel . I want to see Erebor restored, the dwarves happy in their home. I want... so much."
"Then fight for it," Bilbo said, placing a hand on Escanor 's arm . "Fight with everything you've got. Be the Lion of the Sun. And come back alive. Because the world needs you, Escanor . And your friends need you. And two certain elves definitely need you."
Escanor He laughed despite himself.
—When did you become so wise, Bilbo Baggins?
—About the same time that I left my comfortable home to go on an adventure with dwarves and a brilliant man— Bilbo smiled. —Adventures change people. For the better, I hope.
"Definitely for the better," Escanor agreed.
Three Days Later, Sunset
Durin 's sun was about to shine.
They had found the secret door exactly where the map indicated it would be, hidden on the western slope of the mountain. But it was invisible, with no visible hinge or lock, just smooth stone.
"There," Thorin pointed to a stone that jutted slightly from the wall. "That must be the grey stone mentioned on the map."
They gathered around, waiting. The sun was slowly descending toward the horizon, the light changing from gold to orange to deep red.
And then, just as the last ray of Durin 's sun touched the stone, something magical happened.
A line of light appeared on the rock, tracing the outline of a doorway. Then another line, and another, until the entire shape of a portal became visible, glowing softly in the twilight.
—The keyhole— Balin pointed to a small keyhole that had appeared. —We need the key.
Thorin took a small key from around his neck, inserting it into the hole with slightly trembling hands. He turned it.
A click echoed, loud in the silence.
And the door opened.
Beyond lay darkness. Deep, absolute darkness that seemed to swallow the light itself. And from that darkness came a scent: gold, ancient stone, and beneath it all, the musky stench of something vast and reptilian .
Smaug .
"Good," Thorin took a deep breath. "This is it. Bilbo , you're our burglar. Go downstairs, look around, but don't wake the dragon. Just observe, report back, and return."
" Me?" Bilbo looked pale. "All alone?"
"You're the quietest of us," Balin pointed out. "And the smallest. You have the best chance of going unnoticed."
"I will go with him," Escanor said firmly.
"No," Thorin shook his head. "You're too... obvious. If Smaug is even slightly awake, he'll sense your power. Bilbo must go alone."
Escanor wanted to argue, but he knew Thorin was right. His power, even when he held it back, was like a flame in the darkness. Smaug would sense it instantly.
"Then let me give you this." Escanor untied the Elessar from around his neck, placing it around Bilbo 's . "It's from Arwen . It captures starlight. In complete darkness, it will glow softly, enough to see. And more than that... it's an elven blessing . It can protect you."
— Escanor , I can't... this is yours. From Arwen .
"And I'm lending it to you," Escanor smiled. "Take care of it. And take care of yourself. And come back safe and sound, my friend."
Bilbo swallowed, then nodded, touching the pendant reverently.
—I'll come back. I promise.
And with that, the little hobbit disappeared into the darkness, his form swallowed almost instantly by the shadows of Erebor .
The dwarves waited in silent tension, each second feeling like an hour. Escanor stood near the door, every muscle tense, ready to lunge forward if he heard any sign of trouble.
But the minutes passed without a sound.
Then, from the depths, came the most terrifying sound imaginable:
A roar.
Not of pain or fury, but of awakening. The sound of something vast and terrible shaking itself from sleep.
Smaug was awake.
" Bilbo !" Escanor roared, rushing towards the door.
" Wait!" Thorin grabbed him. "It might be okay! If you run now, you'll definitely kill him!"
Escanor froze, every instinct screaming at him to go, to protect his friend. But Thorin was right.
Running could make things worse.
Then they heard another voice, small but clear, echoing from the depths:
Bilbo 's voice , talking to the dragon.
"Good heavens," whispered Bofur . "The hobbit is talking to Smaug . "
"He's brave," Balin sounded impressed. "Either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish."
"Both," Escanor murmured, listening intently.
Bilbo 's words too quiet to hear, but Smaug 's voice echoing like distant thunder. Then, suddenly, they heard footsteps running, quick and urgent.
Bilbo burst out of the door, his face pale, his eyes wide with terror.
" Close the door!" he gasped. "Close it now!"
The dwarves rushed forward, pushing open the stone door. It slammed shut just as a blast of heat and a deafening roar came from the tunnel behind Bilbo .
" What happened?" Thorin demanded. "What did you see?"
"The treasure," Bilbo breathed heavily. "Piles and piles of gold. And in the middle of it all... Smaug . He's... he's enormous. Bigger than this glade. Bigger than ten houses. And he's awake. And angry." He looked at Escanor . "He mentioned something. About sensing a strange power on the mountain. Sunlight in a place of darkness. He sensed you, Escanor . He knows you're here."
"Of course he knows," Escanor sighed. "I can't hide what I am. Not something as ancient as a dragon."
A knock echoed from the other side of the door, so loud that it made the stone vibrate.
" Come out!" Smaug 's voice boomed, muffled but still terrifying. "Come out and face your fate! Or I will cut my way through and tear you from the very rock!"
"He's got us trapped," Glóin cursed. "If we stay, he'll break down the door. If we leave, he'll burn us alive."
"No," Escanor said, taking a step forward. "If we go out, I'll keep him occupied while you escape."
" We're not going to leave you!" Thorin protested.
"It's not your choice," Escanor said, looking at him. " Smaug wants me. He sensed my power. His pride demands to know what I am. So I will go out, I will face him, and you will use that distraction to get to safety."
"That's suicide," Balin said quietly.
"It's a purpose," Escanor corrected. "And I've known since I accepted this quest that it could end this way." He looked at each of them. "It's been an honor. All of you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something bigger than myself."
— Escanor ... — Bilbo had tears in his eyes.
"Take care of the Elessar for me," Escanor smiled. "And if... if I don't survive... tell Arwen that I loved her. Until the very end."
And tell Tauriel she was right. The heart is bigger than we think.
Another blow shook the door, this time cracking it.
"There's no more time," Escanor said, grabbing Rhitta . "When I open the door, run. Don't look back. Just run."
" Escanor , please..." Thorin began.
"Run," Escanor repeated firmly. Then, before they could argue further, he pushed open the door and left, closing it behind him.
The mountainside was bathed in the light of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the rock. And there, emerging from the main gate of Erebor , came Smaug .
The dragon was... indescribable. Vast beyond measure, its body covered in scales that shimmered like liquid rubies, its wings spread so wide they blocked out the sun itself. Its eyes were like furnaces, burning with malevolent intelligence and ancient greed. And when it opened its jaws, Escanor could see rows of teeth the size of swords, and beyond those, the fiery glow waiting to be unleashed.
"So," Smaug spoke, his voice booming like thunder and avalanches combined, "the power I felt. The sunlight on my mountain. It's you, little man. What are you to shine so brightly?"
Escanor stood firm, without fear, Rhitta resting on his shoulder.
—I am Escanor . The Lion of the Sun. And I have come to take you from this mountain, dragon. One way or another.
Smaug It laughed , a sound like mountains collapsing.
—How brave. How foolish. Do you know how many have tried to kill me? How many warriors, kings, heroes have stood where you stand now, making similar pronouncements?
- How many?
"Countless," Smaug grinned, displaying all those rows of teeth. "And they all died screaming. Why would you be any different?"
Escanor let his power begin to flow, his body beginning to glow with golden light.
—Because they were not the sun.
And with a roar that matched that of the dragon, Escanor unleashed Sunshine .
The battle for Erebor had begun.
And all of Middle-earth would tremble with his fury.