Come to Morning Through The Shadows

Dungeon Tunnels

It hurt.

Aule did it ever hurt!

Lyla groaned and her knees buckled as the orc's spear rammed into her ribs, the wind knocked from her lungs. Her torso felt compressed, crunched beneath two boulders.

She struggled for a moment to draw breath, stars and spots dancing before her eyes as she slipped to the ground, her chest feeling impossibly tight. A panic welled in her, the noises around her blending into a mashed, muted jumble, the faces of her enemies blurring together in a swirl of nauseating colors.

Her vision darkened, eyes slipping closed as she tired desperately to regain control.

Horrified, Bofur watched the hobbit fall, the color draining from the girl's face as her eyes drooped closed and she crumbled before him.

No.

NO!

Rage billowed in the pit of his stomach as he snarled at the orcs, pushing the onslaught back, away from his friend.

His friend who lay unmoving at his feet.

He felt the tight lump forming in his throat as he leveled a blow at the large orc that drew its spear towards him, trying to place himself between the enemy and her.

But he'd been to slow.

He couldn't...

Bofur swallowed and swung his arm, meeting the orc's side with his blade. The creature sank before him, a black pool of lifeblood oozing from the creature's new wound.

Bofur paid the gurgling creature's pleas little mind as he moved towards the next enemy that dared to raise a weapon towards him...towards her...

Thranduil winced as followed after the small congregation in front of him, with the dwarf Nori leading the way (much to his annoyance). Tauriel cast a few furtive glances back towards him every few moments, seemingly unsure of his mental acuity in this instance.

But Thranduil only met her speculative and concerned gaze with a hard glare of his own. She of all people should understand the necessity of his desire to leave the mountain.

And thankfully, to her credit, the fiery haired elf remained silent in her protests.

So they continued onward, Thranduil, Tauriel, Arwen, and Balin of all dwarves, towards the dungeons and the loading tunnels where the unusual barrels had been discovered, and the confused and abused elves had managed to find themselves stuffed inside the powder kegs.

"Now, the guards and the delegates are busy fighting over the latest stratagem we've provided," Balin remarked, rather nonchalantly, "And I've set watches over the tunnels and gangways to ensure we're not spotted.

He smiled back at Nori.

"If we hurry, we'll make it out of the mountain before dawn when we're much more likely to be spotted by the rabble," He remarked, "And Dain knows of the plan and will continue to delegate the affairs of the mountain until our return."

"Won't that throw the mountain into more chaos?" Tauriel inquired, shooting Thranduil another concerned look, "I understand that most of your delegates aren't too keen on the current government structure and Master Thorin's...affinity for an outsider. Nor his friendship with the elves."

Balin chuckled.

"That may be true," He remarked dryly, "But given your recent endeavors to fortify and protect our mountain, I'd say a fair number have changed their opinions...or at least softened them a bit."