The Fifteenth Member

Out of the Frying Pan

Attara's POV

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The goblin king danced and sang as the goblins began to move the torture devices closer. A group of goblins advanced towards me, but Fili and Kili attempted to stand in their way.

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"What are you doing?" I hissed angrily at them.

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"They are not getying anywhere near you without a fight." Kili responded, snarling.

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"I'm the only one of us with any way to defend myself, and you're protecting me? I don't think so." I retorted as I flew over their heads.

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I landed lightly on the balls of my feet as my skin began to glow. I prepared to knock the initial group of goblins off with a gust of wind, when I was startled by the shriek of a goblin.

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I turned just in time to see a goblin tossing Thorins sword away in fear. "I know that sword!" He exclaimed "it is the goblin-cleaver, the biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks!"

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The exclamation seemed to put all of the goblins, even the king himself, into a rage. "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" The king ordered as his minions attacked.

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I attempted to blow the swarm of goblins away from the dwarves, but there were too many of them. In the confusion some of us managed to grab our weapons and begin to fight back. As the battle seemed to be taking a turn for the better I saw Thorin being pinned down, a knife to his throat. Before I could react a burst of bright light filled the chamber.

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As my vision cleared I saw Gandalf standing above us. "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" He exclaimed, and we did just that.

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As we fought back the goblin king seemed to come to his senses. "He wields the foe-hammer, the beater, bright as daylight!" He yelled pointing at gandalfs sword.

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Even with the advantage of surprise we were far too outnumbered to win. "Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf commanded as he started to head away from the throne platform. We chased after him cutting down any foes in our way.

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"Quickly!" "Faster!" I heard voices yell as we ran. I took flight in order to keep up with the dwarves. They  jumped from platform to platform to avoid the goblins, cutting ropes that as they went.

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Just as the party reached a bridge, the goblin king burst from below and blocked our way. "You thought you could escape me?" He asked, swinging his mace. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"

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With that Gandalf poked the great goblin in the eye with his staff.

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"Ow, ow, ow!" The goblin king exclaimed, holding his eye.

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Taking advantage of this distraction, Gandalf slashed the belly of the beast, causing him to fall to his knees. "That'll do it" he said as he sliced the goblin kings throat.

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Suddenly the bridge collapsed. I managed to take flight, but the rest of the dwarves fell with it. I dove after them, but was not quick enough to catch any of them. As the bridge slowed and came to the stop at the bottom of a cavern, the dwarves let out a sigh of relief. I landed lightly next to the bridge. "Well that could have been worse" Bofur said chuckling.

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Just then, the body of the goblin king fell onto the party. I dodged out of the way just in time, but the dwarves weren't so lucky. "You've got to be joking" dwalin groaned as he climbed out of the debris.

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"Gandalf!" Kili exclaimed as he looked up. Following his gaze I saw thousands of goblins swarming towards us.

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

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"Only on thing will save us: daylight! Come on! Here, on your feet!" Gandalf commanded as he lead the way towards a tunnel. We all ran after him. The tunnel lead upwards, and soon we were out in the daylight.

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I stretched my wings appreciatively as a light wind blew around us. I couldn't stand the feeling of being pinned down by all of those goblins.

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"Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!" I heard gandalf exclaim as I turned to face the group.

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A sense of panic filled me. I thought back to the last time I saw Bilbo. He hadn't been at the platform with us where the goblin king sat. Had he falled down the trap at all? I wondered.

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"We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone." I heard Thorin say as I began to pay attention again.

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Then, seemingly from nowhere Bilbo appeared. "No, he isn't" he said simply.

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"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anybody in my life!" Gandalf cried, grinning.

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"Bilbo we'd given up on you!" Kili told him.

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"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked.

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"How indeed" Dwalin muttered.

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As the group reunited I turned away slightly. It was not my place to be involved, no one other than gandalf even wanted me in this party anyway.

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Suddenly I heard something that made my blood run cold. From the top of the mountain came a howl. The orcs had found us.

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Thorin whipped around to face the new foe "out of the frying pan..."