The Lonely Mountain [1]

The Goblin Caves

The company fell down a chute into a crudely built wooden cage. Amara noticed the goblins coming towards them, moved to the very back of the cage and pulled up her hood; disappearing instantly. Balin and Bofur noticed but said nothing to the others as they too noticed the approaching goblins. They just hoped she had a plan. The others all tried to clamber to their feet, but before they could they were attacked by the goblins, who took their weapons and began to drag them all away. Amara got to her feet and followed the goblins. Only Nori noticed Bilbo slip quietly away.

The goblins herded the dwarves through vast networks of tunnels until they came onto a crudely built, wooden platform that held the goblin king's throne. Amara looked around at the size of the complex before she her eyes came to a stop on the king who was considerably larger and far more repulsive than the rest.

"I feel a song coming on!" The king shouted and as he did, the other goblins began to bang and play various crudely built instruments. "Snip snap, the black crack

Grip, grab, pinch, and nab

Batter and beat

Milk 'em, stammer and squeak!

Pound, pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town

With a swish and smack

And a whip and a crack

Everybody talks when they're on our rack

Pound, pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town

Hammer and torch, get out your knockers and gongs

You won't last long on the end of my prongs

Clish, clash, crush and smash

Bang, break, shiver and shake

You can yell and yelp

But there ain't no help

Pound, pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town!" He finished singing and turned around, stepping on some goblins that he clearly used as a foot stool, and sat on his throne. If you could call it a throne. As Amara looked closer, she realised it was made of bones and other conspicuous items.

"Catchy, isn't' it?" Said the Goblin King. "It's one of my own compositions."

"That's not a song, it's an abomination!" Cried Balin from somewhere in the midst of dwarves.

"Abominations, mutations, deviations...that all you're gonna find down here." The Goblin King replied with a twisted grin.

The company watched as all their weapons and bags were piled at the king's feet.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" The goblin king asked.

One of the goblins stepped forward and spoke. "Dwarves, Your Malevolence."

"Dwarves?"

"We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice." The king scowled.

As the goblins began to search the company, Amara carefully and silently moved towards Kili and pulled the stone his mother had given him to remember his promise out of his pocket. She slipped it into her own for safekeeping and even though he could not see her, he knew she was the one who had taken it and smiled anyway. His smile quickly diminished however, as the goblins began to search him.