Chapter Text
“Captain.” For the word to be spoken by Martin, it was tentative at best, forlorn only if one were optimistic. Richard knew before the Quartermaster spoke another word what those words were going to be: “We are nearing the cove, sir.”
“I’ll be right there,” Richard answered into the intercom. When he released the button, he leaned his head against the wall, sighing deeply.
The arms that came around him from behind didn’t shock him in the least. The second he felt the other man against him, holding him, he was comforted.
“Come and sit down for a moment,” Lee urged. He put his chin on Richard’s shoulder. It amazed the Captain how different certain touches and moments were so discernable. Lee was consoling him, and that alone, and Richard knew it without a doubt that was the younger man’s only intent. He couldn’t help but smile as he allowed Lee to lead him over to his chair at his desk.
“I need to get to the wheel house,” Richard said in way of an attempt at arguing, but he welcomed the diversion. “I have to manually steer the ship. It is a dangerous passage that requires great care to traverse.”
“All the more reason why you should take a moment to gather your thoughts.” Lee began to knead Richard’s shoulders and neck gently but effectively. The older man could not help but slump as he closed his eyes. It had been so long since anyone had taken such care of him and it felt wonderful.
“What did I do to deserve you?” Richard meant it as a joke, the question, but in his private thoughts he had been trying to come up with a legitimate answer for some time now, and it had been a fruitless endeavor.
Lee just laughed, taking it as it was meant. “You kidnapped me.” Was the answer delivered in mirth. A few moments later, however, once his hands stilled on the Captain’s shoulders, and he leaned forward to rest his chin on Richard’s shoulder, he whispered: “You have traveled the path that led us to one another. That was all you had to do.” And with that, Richard’s conundrum was settled.
No more than fifteen minutes later, both Richard and Lee entered the wheel house below decks. Most everyone, except for those who where manning the engine room, were present and at their assigned stations, if they had one. Those who didn’t were sitting on the benches by the glass, talking and pointing out at the strange fish they saw.
“Come and sit with us, lad,” Stephen said as he waved Lee over. Mark patted the empty space on the bench between he and Stephen. “This is a bit tricky, even for the Captain.”
“Very tricky.” Spoken by William who Lee could swear he had never heard say a single word until this moment. “Dangerous.”
Lee nodded as he sat down. As he did, he realized that the ship was moving, but slowing down significantly, and as he looked ahead he saw through the water what looked like a black hole that they were apparently going to go straight into.
“What is that?” He asked as he pointed toward the blackness.
“That is the cave we have to enter in order to get to Erebor,” Mark stated. “Or at least to the hidden cave which leads to the tunnels that will take us to Erebor.”
“The cave is hidden,” Stephen went on. “This is the only way into Erebor now. We were lucky to have found it.” His words, tone, and features were full of sadness, mirroring the looks on William and Mark’s faces as well. Lee glanced around at the other crew members at their stations only to find them as forlorn as the three men sitting with him and, of course, Richard. Coming home should be a happy time to look forward to, but whatever had happened had made this a blight on their hearts and souls. Lee could not help but think that his homecoming would be just as heartbreaking as theirs was now.
With the ship surfaced halfway, Richard guided it into a tunnel that began just barely big enough to accommodate the width and height of the vessel. Lee held his breath the entire time, earning a few chuckles from his shipmates and a few “Breathe, lad”’s as they slowly made their way. It seemed to take forever, but Richard was most formidable at steering the long corridor and soon the tunnel opened up into a very large cavern, complete with a dock and storage house.
“Martin, bring the ship fully to the surface and get the mast extended once again. I want everything checked and what needs to be repaired, repaired.” Richard told the Quartermaster in the engine room. Martin sounded his agreement and the ship began to rise slowly.
If the mood hadn’t been somber before, he surely became so once the ship was fully raised and the cavern that lay beyond the dock was fully in view. Everyone sat for a few moments, just staring in silence. Lee could feel their sorrow and reluctance and it made his heart ache for them all.
Finally Richard cleared his throat, brushing away the deep emotion that made his eyes shine with unshed tears, and everyone else seemed to let out the breaths they had been holding, and slowly begin leaving their seats and heading out of the wheel room. Richard approached Lee, his smile sad, but a smile nonetheless.
“Are you ready?” He asked. Lee was stunned by the question considering he was not the one who was about to face what Richard and the rest of the crew were: the remnants of a home they clearly loved and missed.
“I should be the one asking you that question,” Lee answered in a soft tone.
Richard’s smile, though still full of grief, widened slightly. He gathered the younger man up in his arms, briefly, his lips brushing against Lee’s temple before pulling away. “Come on. You are about to be one of the few people who can say they have gazed upon the halls of Erebor.”
“If coming here is so painful, then why come at all?” Lee followed Richard from the room. He wanted to see the place that Richard had come from, but the halls were empty and the memory of happier times scarred by pain and loss. Lee hated seeing the shadow in the Captain’s eyes and would do anything to erase it if he could.
“We have supplies stored here and, like I said, the Dragon has no memory of this place. We will be safe here until we can figure out what to do next.”
“Are you sure?” At Lee’s question, Richard stopped and looked at him in confusion. “Are you sure the Dragon does not remember this place or how to get here?”
Richard seemed to think on it for a moment then nodded. “Of course. If he did remember then he would have come back here years ago. The wealth of my people remains here. He would not leave it unguarded.”
Lee still had his doubts. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind and he wanted to drag Richard to a stop and convince him that this was not a good idea.
And he tried. Oh, how he tried to convince Richard that they should restock the ship and then leave as quickly as possible. But it seemed that the closer they got to the ship’s deck, the more determined Richard was to get inside Erebor. It was as if he was being pulled forward by something powerful and refused to listen to reason. When they did make it to the deck, Lee gave one last valiant effort. He grabbed Richard’s arm, forcing him to come to a stop, and he opened his mouth to voice his concerns once more. But when Richard turned to look at him, his words froze in his throat. The older man’s steel blue eyes glinted with anger, cold as iron, and there was a distance in them that Lee had never seen before. Not only that, but also a determination, a hunger that spoke of him having to do this no matter the danger that it posed to him or his crew.
The look was so intense and so full of warning, that Lee instantly pulled his hand away and took a step back from the Captain. Without a word to him, Richard turned away and began barking orders to his crew, who were all on deck.
“Get the plank down, quickly!” He ordered. “We will load the supplies onto the ship before we go into Erebor.”
Lee was thankful when Ken walked over, his face set in a grim expression. “Are you sure this is wise?” His words were spoken in a low voice, but Lee was still close enough to hear them. “We should go to Ian. He said that if we were ever in trouble, that we should go to him first. We should –“
“The last time I checked, I was captain of this ship. Not Ian and not you either.” Richard practically snapped at the older man. “We don’t have the supplies to make it to Ian and we can’t just go into any port and stock up.”
“Then let us restock and leave!” Ken retorted. “There is no reason for us to go into Erebor. There is nothing there for us. Not anymore.”
“How can you say that?” Richard’s voice was deep with anger. “That is our home!”
“No, it isn’t!” Ken’s voice rose and the rest of the crew stopped to watch what was unfolding between him and their captain. “This ship is our home! That should be your top priority now, not trying to regain something that is lost to us.”
Richard took one-step closer to where he was just inches from the older man. He had to lean down to look him in the eye and his every move was near menacing. “It is not lost to us. If you do not want to go, then stay here and mind the ship, but the rest of us are going into Erebor.”
The Captain strode off, and with one look from him, the rest of the crew turned back to their tasks with fervor. All except Graham who shared a look with Ken, shook his head, and then went about his appointed task, albeit more slowly than everyone else. Ken sighed deeply, before turning his gaze to Lee.
“Don’t pay any attention to him, lad,” he said as he placed a gentle hand on Lee’s arm, giving it a reassuring pat. “He is stubborn beyond the point of all reason, sometimes. Though, “ he turned a concerned eye to the captain, “I don’t know what has brought this on all of the sudden. We have come here many times to restock when the need has arisen over the years, but never has he been so determined to enter the halls of our former home.” He was silent for a moment, and then his eyes once again rested on Lee. “Do me a favor, lad: keep an eye on him. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
Lee nodded. “I won’t. I promise.”
Ken patted his arm again and went to join the others. All of them seemed nervous. Even Martin who had his hand in his vest pocket fidgeting with something he carried in there. He saw Lee was watching him, and when he did, he cleared his throat, gave a curt nod to Lee, and patted his pocket before yelling at Aidan and Dean to get a move on.
Lee was liking this less and less and the feeling that something was not right, that something bad was going to happen, was boiling in the pit of his stomach, and making him feel ill. With dread clenching at his chest, he followed the crew off the ship, his eyes locked solely on Richard.