The storm and the stone giants had shaken Bilbo. He looked like a frightened cat trying to hide in every nook and corner at the slightest noise. I was feeling uneasy too, not the scared uneasy but alert uneasy, there was a looming threat that I couldn't understand but knowing my powers I knew that we were not safe in the cave.
I went to Thorin he was telling the others that we won't be lighting any fires there and we would be leaving at first light. I place my hand on his arm lightly
"We are not safe here," i whisper, he looks at me concerned, "And no I'm not scared, just uneasy." I rub my neck trying to release the tension in my muscles.
"You are tired, sleep" he replies pointing at his sleeping bag with his head.
The sweet gesture made me smile, "No thank you," I point towards the back wall, "I have my own bed" he let's out a long breath
"Take some sleep Maur"
Bofur is on the first watch. The rest of the dwarves have already slept. I can hear their snores and rhythmic breathing. I can't sleep, the threat is too near and my senses are on high alert. I get up and go to Bofur, just for the sake of company.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Bofur whispered surprised as I sat next to him.
"I can't sleep seems like I've had a whole barrel of caffeine I'm so jittery and restless. " I whisper back.
"Have you told Thorin?" he asks concerned.
"No Bofur, he needs to sleep, I can't keep burdening him with my problems all the time." I say looking at my hands.
"He won't mind lass, he's living and breathing for you. We never thought he would be this in love and this different around a woman ever"
Before I can answer we hear a light rustle of footsteps behind us.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bofur says to Bilbo as he comes into view with his pack on his back and his stick in hand.
"Back to Rivendell" replies Bilbo.
"No, no, you can't turn back now, eh? You're part of the company. You're one of us." Bofur stands up
"I'm not, though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door." bilbo replies, Thorin had lost his cool with him a bit when he was jumping and huffing at every slight noise but he didn't mean it.
" I get it, you are home sick, don't go Bilbo. Thorin has a temper but he would never let anything happen to any of us." I whisper
"No, you don't. You don't understand. None of you do. You're Dwarves. You're used to this life. To living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!' bilbo hisses and then suddenly realizing the harshness of his words stops. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean."
"No you are right" Bofur smiles bitterly, "I wish you the very best, always."
I knew Thorin wasn't sleeping, he heard the whole thing.
My eyes are drawn to a glint of Bilbo's side, I move his jacket, "What is that?" my eyes going wide as realization hits that his sword is glowing blue.
Suddenly the ground begins to shake beneath our feet and the floor splits from the middle as if its being sliced from the inside
"Wake up! Wake up!" Thorin shouts
And then it pulls us in. We are all falling hitting bumping down a deep underground space. It's all happening so quick that none of us have time to register what's going on.
We land on a bridge and with sharp shrill and ugly cries there are hundreds of goblins on us. We push kick try to get out of their hold but nothing is working, there are just too many of them. They grab us from all directions and push us forward. They are pinching and whipping as they lead us ahead.
We stop in a cavern deep in the mountain where the Great Goblin, who was huge and ugly with a massive head sat.
"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" the Great Goblin drawls.
"Dwarves, your Malevolence." One of goblins replies.
"Dwarvesssss" his eyes squint.
Thorin takes a step forward trying to shield me as the Great Goblin has not set eyes on me yet.
"Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror...King Under the Mountain. Oh, but I'm forgetting. You don't have a mountain. And you're not a king...which makes you nobody, really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just a head. Nothing attached. Perhaps you Know of whom I speak. An old enemy of yours. A pale Orc, astride a white Warg." words pouring like poison from his ugly mouth.
I whip my head towards him, feeling a hole forming in my chest, 'Pretty price for your head'
"Azog the Defiler was destroyed" I hear Thorin's voice full of rage.
My sudden movement had the Great Goblin's eyes fixed on me, "Who do we have here" He said hobbling towards me.
"Stay away from her." Thorin spat his tone aggressive shielding me completely. The goblins held him and pulled him away with him fighting with every single nerve he had.
The Great Goblin bent in front of me, face inches from mine, " Seems like the King has a heart and a pretty one too. I'm sure the white warg could use some sweet soft flesh."
Just then his gaze went to the pile of arms on floor a little away from me. A shrill shriek left his mouth as he saw Thorin's sword at the top of the pile.
"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced 1000 necks! Slash them! Beat them! kill them! kill them all! Cut off his head!" He came at me teeth bared. Just then there was an explosion with a bright white light and the the screams and shrieks of the goblins was deafening. We had all been thrown down.
"Gandalf" I whisper
"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" Gandalf called to us and after hearing his voice we all got up with lightning speed as Bofur threw our weapons to us. I had both my knives and I was ready to cut some goblin heads, the ass holes wanted His head.
"He wields the Foehammer! The Beater! Bright as daylight!" the Great Goblin was shrieking again.
"Thorin! Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf said moving his hand as if he was a teacher trying to gather the students. I felt Thorin's hard and steady grip on my hand and we all ran.
We sliced, kicked pushed our way through the goblins.
We were on a bridge when the Great Goblin broke through it right in front of Gandalf.
"You thought you could escape me wizard?" he said spit flying from his mouth.
Gandalf pushed the tip of his staff on his eye, the sliced his throat with his sword . The Great Goblin fell forward breaking the bridge beneath him. We fell again, my bones are going to shatter real soon I thought. We fall to the very bottom, thudding on top of each other. I heard Kili scream Gandalf's name, hundreds of goblins coming at us from every direction.
"They are too many we cannot fight them" Dwalin said as he pulled Ori to his feet.
"Only one thing will save us, daylight! Come on! On your feet." We all started following Gandalf. We ran out the doors after endless turns and ran down the mountain. I collapsed on my knees to catch my breath all the others were doing the same as Gandalf counted us.
"Where's Bilbo?" he voice sharp. Gandalf was besides himself inquiring the dwarves where they had last seen him. None of us was sure.
"Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth...
...since first he stepped out of his door.
We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin growls.
"No. No he's not" Bilbo appears from behind a tree. The dwarves all cheered and I felt like hugging the burglar. We were all fussing over Bilbo when a howl pierced the evening. My heart was jumping out of my chest.
" Out of the frying pan" said Thorin looking around
"And into the fire. Run!!" And we all followed Gandalf. There was an orc pack around us.
We came down the slope into a bunch of trees. "CLIMB" shouted Gandalf and we all climbed. I was in a tree behind Thorin . We were all trying to get our grips steady when three wargs came down the slope. Trying to climb and bite the trees. There size alone was enough to shake the trees we were in. One of the trees right Infront fell backwards due to the constant jumping of the wargs. The dwarves jumped on to the tree where the others were. Gandalf was sitting on the biggest tree at the very edge. Gandalf grabbed a pine cone and put it on fire and threw it on the wargs. The fire immediately caught the dry wood and leaves pushing the wargs back.
In all this commotion a huge white warg came into view and all the breath in my body left.
"Azog" said Thorin disbelief on his face, " It cannot be"
He stared at Azog as if he was in a dream and whatever was happening was going to vanish somehow.
He looked at Thorin an evil smile on his face.
" Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it. Thorin, son of Thráin."
I looked at Thorin and it seemed a switch had flipped in his mind. He slowly got up rage smoldering his face and started walking towards Azog with his sword and a branch as a shield.
I moved to stop him or at least try to snap him out of the rage enveloping him when the branch I was sitting on broke. I fell but my reflexes didn't fail me. I grabbed the tip of the bark but the tree had fallen due to the fire and was hanging a dark abyss under me.
"No no Thorin nooooo please " I could hear myself scream. My arms hurt. "Gandalf stop him pleaseeeeeee." I heard myself pleading, crying screaming, my throat had gone hoarse and dry because of the smoke and screaming.
I could see the whole thing play out in front of my eyes but nothing registering to my mind, Thorin falling as Azog swung his mace and hit Thorin. I heard Thorin's cry of pain when the white warg grabbed him in his teeth but it was cut of by my own shrill wail. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
The last thing I remember before I blacked out was the pain in my heart seeing him fall and Bilbo standing in front of him with his sword in his hand. The pain of knowing he was dead.