I am overwhelmingly tired. More tired then I have been in my entire life it seems. I've seen the goblin king so many times; his image is burned into my brain. I have no hope. The goblin guards that drag me along the floor mutter to each other in their own language about something. But because I've lived in their kingdom for so long, I can catch the drift of the conversation.

"New prisoners fell in a few minutes ago," one says. So that's why I left early I think

"Dwarves right?" The other replies in a board tone., they then go on to insult the dwarves various different ways, Dwarves? I make a mental note to ask my friend Clara about this when I see her in a moment.

The two goblins have dragged me to the end of the hallway. "You have five minutes…" one of them mumbles in common speech, and shoves me through the door.

I'm in the goblin version of a washroom. It's small, maybe ten feet by ten feet. In the middle of it is a bowl of water and a dirty towel. Standing behind them is a female goblin.

My face breaks into a smile despite everything. "Clara!"

She smiles at me. " Astalith…its good to see you!"

I lean against the wall and she stands next to me. We've been friends for five years now. I can trust her with anything.

"Clara?" my voice is quiet.

She looks at me. "Yes"

Staring at the wall, I speak. "There's a chance that Kyra may leave me…"

Clara looks at me, an expression of thoughtfulness on her face, "Because of the dwarves?" I nod.

"I see…" her voice is even, level, "Reunions are not always a happy thing"

"Times up! Get out here!" the goblins outside call out.

"Clara I-" but I never finish my sentence.

"Go! They might suspect something!" she shoves me out the door. "Good Luck!"

On the way back to the cell the goblins keep me in, my captors go on to talk about the latest gossip; this conversation mainly consists of what the goblin king is making me do. I don't even lift my head. We get new prisoners almost every day and I hear about my engagement to the goblin king every day.

I've seen someone from almost every race, of almost every class. King, merchant, you name it- I've seen it. I've even made friends with a few of them. Unforchantly, none of the friendships last. Almost everyone I know here dies after a few weeks. Either that, or they escape. Their the lucky ones…

I'm contemplating this when we arrive at my cell. "The goblin king will see you later," one of them says as the other shoves me roughly into my cell. They walk away laughing. The door clicks shut, leaving me staring at the rusty metal that has trapped me for nine years. A tiny voice speaks from the corner, "I really fail to see what's so funny about that…" I turn, opening my arms wide. A tiny figure hurdles across the room and jumps into them.

"I know," I whisper, stroking the girl's hair. For some reason, I want to cry, but I don't. If I cry, the tiny figure in my arms would burst into tears. After a moment I put her down and gently lead her across the room to where to cots have been places across from each other. I sit on one; she sits on the other. After she's settled, I speak. "Kyra…" I take a deep breath. "There are dwarves here." Her eyes widen. She knows what I mean. Jumping up from the cot, she runs to the barred grate that serves as our window and peers out. I simply look at her; I no longer have the strength to hope. Kyra is a dwarf, a direct descendant from the line of Durin. That's probably the reason that the goblins haven't killed her. I knew her mother. Three months after I was captured, the goblins stole Liana, sister of Thorin, and her young child, Kyra, supposedly for ransom. Liana got very sick. She made me promise to take care of Kyra. She was dead two months later. Before she died, Liana told me Kyra's heritage and the name of Thorin Okensheild. I think her hope was that if we ever escaped, Kyra might somehow find a way home. T

he girl by the window speaks, snapping me out of my trance. "I think I see my cousins out there…" I walk over and peer over her shoulder. "Really?" Kyra nods with utter assurance. "Yup, There's Kili…and Fili!" her voice gets more excited as she goes on. "And where Fili and Kili are…Uncle Thorin's sure to be with them!"

"Maybe you'll see him…"I murmur as she goes on about the dwarves she sees. I am only half listening. If Thorin's here, he could escape, and if he knew Kyra where here, he might bring her with him. As much as I want Kyra to be happy, I can't help thinking about what it will be like all alo- "Astalith!" Kyra breathes. "The goblins are bringing two of them up here!" I bolt to the window in the door of our cell. "Will they out them in our cell?" Kyra asks excitedly,

Peering out, I answer her. "I think they…are!" I can barely believe my own eyes, Finally! Some contact with the outside world! The creak of the bolt causes me to jump back. Get behind me Kyra" my voice is urgent and low. Kyra grabs the back of my tunic and crouches behind me.

The door opens.