Royalty

Part Four

Lasgalen was sitting in the corner of the cave, her eyes scanning the sleeping dwarves. Bilbo got up and she watched him from her spot next to the sleeping Thorin. Bofur woke up and stood up to stop Bilbo from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks the hobbit.

"Back to Rivendell." Bilbo told him.

"No, no, you can't turn back now. You're part of the Company. You're one of us."

"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 had run out my door."

Lasgalen looks at Thorin and sees that the dwarf is awake. His eyes went up to hers and something seemed to come over him. His hand slid over and his fingers threaded through her's. She looked at him for a moment before sending him a soft smile and allowing it. But suddenly, the floor fell from below them. They fell in a heap on some bridge thing and Lasgalen landed on Thorin's chest. She blushed a light pink as he smiled a little but soon, Goblins were yanking them up. She tried to fight them off but there were to many of them and she couldn't. She was pushed to her knees in front of the Great Goblin and the dwarves were forced to watch.

"What is this?!" He asked. "The princess of light, is it?"

She glared at him as he laughed.

"Oh my. The daughter of Thranduil in the company of dwarves!" He looked at the company. "And not only dwarves, but Thorin Oakenshield!"

She growled and lunged for him but a group of his minions held her back from her sword as he laughed again. He turned to Thorin with a sick grin. He talks, but Lasgalen doesn't focus. She's looking around, trying to come up with a plan to get out. But so far, it's not working. Suddenly, she hears someone squeal.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin­ Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousandnecks." The Goblin yells in fear. "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"

"Thorin!" Lasgalen screams.

But as he sends her an upset look, a flash of light throws everyone backwards. Lasgalen takes the chance to kick the goblins away and dive for her sword. She spins on her knee as she slices a goblin's head off. She runs after the company and kills goblins along her way. She jumps over a railing and grabs a rope, swinging around and jumping down in front of Gandalf. She ducks a blow from a goblin and kills it. As they cross the bridge, the Great Goblin drops down in front of them, swinging his mace. It misses Lasgalen as she ducks and misses Gandalf as he stumbles backwards.

"What are you going to do now, wizard?" He asks.

Gandalf leaps forward and strikes the Great Goblin in the eye with his staff. The Great Goblin drops his maceand clutches his face in pain.

"Ow ow ow!" He squeals.

Gandalf steps forward and slices the Great Goblin in the belly; the Great Goblin falls to his knees, clutching hisbelly. He looks up at Gandalf and nods.

"That'll do it."

Gandalf swings his sword and slices the goblin's neck. Lasgalen smirks a little, but she falters when he falls onto the bridge. His weight causes the bridge to start shaking; suddenly, the section of the bridge on which the company isstanding breaks away from the rest of the bridge and starts sliding down the side of the cavern. The bridgeslides at a terrific speed down the cavern's wall, demolishing everything in its way; the dwarves cling on,screaming in terror. Lasgalen jumps, sliding down the wall on her boots.

The bridge slows down and lands at the base of the cavern, breaking apart and burying thedwarves in the timber and wood. Gandalf gets up from the pile of wreckage and inspects the rest of thedwarves, who are still stuck in the wreckage. Suddenly, the heavy corpse of the Great Goblin lands on the wreckage, squishing the dwarves further. Theycry out in pain. Lasgalen helps them out as Kili yells.

"Gandalf!"

"There's too many! We can't fight them." Dwalin says.

"Only one thing will save us." Gandalf says. "Daylight."

Lasgalen nods and kneels down, pulling Thorin out. She avoids his gaze as they run. They burst through to daylight and keep running until they can pause to gather their breath. Lasgalen leans against a tree as she closes her eyes, gathering her breath. Gandalf speaks.

"Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve...and Bombur ­ thatmakes thirteen. Lasgalen makes fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

Lasgalen's eyes widen as she looks around. The dwarves begin to argue and blame before Thorin speaks up.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought ofnothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not beseeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

Lasgalen turns to snap at the dwarf when Bilbo's voice enters her ears.

"No he isn't."

Lasgalen sighs deeply and goes back to her tree. Thorin speaks again.

"It matters! I want to know: why did you come back?" He asks.

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End.I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that'swhy I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take itback if I can."

Lasgalen smiles but it falls when she hears the howls of wargs.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin begins.

"And into the fire." Gandalf finishes for the dwarf. "Run. Run!"

As they run, the wargs grow closer. She jumps into a tree and yanks herself up. Night has fallen now, and the wargs are growling like monsters. Of course, they are. As they stop the noise, Lasgalen's eyes move upward. She nearly falls out of the tree at who she sees, but Thorin catches her.

"Azog?!" Thorin says as he follows her eyes.

She hears him speak, but she ignores it. As she finally gets herself steady, the animals below jump at the trees. She yelps in surprise as she has to grasp the tree to keep herself on the thing. The trees begin to fall like dominoes, and she nearly falls off again. She can't keep her balance with these things! Suddenly, Thorin stands up and runs into the fight head on.

"Thorin!" She hears someone yell.

She pulls herself up, only to slip again. The white warg picks Thorin up in it's jaws and she feels tears falling down her face. She smiles through them as Bilbo fights as well. But her grip slips and she falls from the tree. She lands on something soft but firm and rolls over. Giant Eagles. She smiles but it fails to cross her lips as she sees Thorin being carried by one of the magnificent birds. She hears Fili yell for him, but no response comes from the dwarf king. She buries her face in the feathers of the bird she is on, trying to hide her tears from the company.

---------------------------