Embracing the Shadows

Chapter Seven - Kings under mountains.

"No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere. I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do." Bofur smiles and places his hand on Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo turns and begins to walk away and I stop him.

"They don't have a home, but you do Bilbo Baggins, that is why you need to help" I whisper. Bofur interrupts me.

"What's that?"

"Wake up. Wake up!" Thorin calls and before any of us can react the floor folds inwards along the crack I noticed. I turn at call into the darkness.

"Find Gandalf" Amber eyes in the darkness blink and disappear. I slid down after the Dwarves, someone had to protect the hot headed king and his followers.

We land in a wooden net of sorts and a horde of shrieking Goblins advance over us, pulling us to our feet and stripping us of weapons. One of the goblins shriek "It's her, it's the Warg queen" he pulls me faster towards the front of the company.

Our weapons are piled at the feet of an obese goblin.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" The goblin king calls down before jumping down leading to a small earthquake.

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." The Goblin that holds me speaks up

"Dwarves?"

"Yes, and the Warg queen. We found them on the front porch." My 'captor' speaks

"Well, don't just stand there. Search them! Every crack, every crevice." A flurry to search us ensues "What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" No one speaks and again I am the chance to speak but the Goblin king cut me off before I begin "Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." I step in front of the accusing finger.

"I don't speak for them, but I did go hunting for a few trolls" I spoke and the Goblin king puffs up his chest.

"Trolls! In my mountain" He exclaims.

However, Thorin steps forward. Stopping my banter with the large goblin.

"Wait."

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." I growl, now we were all done for. The goblin king bows sarcastically to Thorin. "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 the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg."

I growl and Thorin looks up in surprise. "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago."

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Great Goblin laughs at our expense. And then turns to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket and holding a flat piece of rock that serves as a message board "Send word to the Pale Orc. Tell him I have found his prize. And his queen"

I lunge forward only to be restrained by the Dwarves behind me. "Over my dead body" I hiss as the little goblin in the basket slides down a rope cackling.

"Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung. You will lie down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin town." The Goblin king sings. I sat at the base of his throne, tied to the bony side as the torture instruments are carried towards us. The goblin that held me before was examining the weapons they had confiscated from us.

He pulls Thorin's sword out slightly before throwing it away with a cry letting it land in the view of all of the goblins milling around causing them to squeal in fear as the scramble to get away from it. And the Goblin king stands on his subjects in his hurry to clamber onto his throne like Thranduil running from a mouse.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin­ Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks." He cries as a whole lot of goblins begin whipping the dwarves with ropes and reaching out to maul them with their claws and teeth. "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"

Goblins swarm over Thorin holding him down, on pulls out a knife and readies itself to remove his head.

Luckily an explosion of white light flung the goblins around us in the air. And one of my light daggers slid closer, I reached my foot out to grab it and pull it closer, nudging it around to my hands so I can cut the rope holding my hands.

I free my hands just as the explosion simmers out, I scoop up the swords dumping them in the centre of the company, just as the light returns to the cave

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" Gandalf calls illuminated by the day light steaming in from the hole he made.

The goblin king calls out as we fight the remaining goblins "He wields the Foe­ Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!"

"Nori!" I hear and jump with Thorin in front of his friend and deflect the blow the goblin king sent his way. The overlarge goblin stumbles back over the edge

I find a clear patch to a path way "Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf calls as I point him to the path

"Quickly!" Gandalf calls

"Faster!"

"Post!" Dwalin calls and a few dwarves cut the post from the side of the path

"Charge!" he calls and every one charges at the oncoming goblins holding the rail and sweeping them off the path. I sigh and begin clearing a path from them through the flocks of goblins.