A/N So yeah, this'll be a twoshot or maybe a threeshot, if such a thing exists (This isn't instead of Defiance, if you're here from my home fandom, I just needed a break). I felt like writing lots of dwarves simultaneously, though I'll try and pay as little attention as possible to the Heirs of Durin - Nothing against them, I just like the less appreciated characters. There will be an OC or two with absolutely no romantic links to anyone. I'm just working them out, if they get the slightest bit irritating feel free to flame me, just give me reasons. Also, fun fact: This is the first thing I've posted with a two-word title. Comments, critique, anything and everything welcomed and loved.


"Start looking for shelter!" Thorin's voice was whipped away almost instantly by the wind, but only a few needed to hear it. They passed it on, dwarf to dwarf and eventually to hobbit, until all fourteen short figures knew that the march would end as soon as they found a cave or overhang. Few things would have motivated them more.

The second day of trekking over the Misty Mountains had brought an early start followed by relentless gales. They hadn't stopped much throughout the long hours of dim, mountain-shadowed light; Durin's day would not wait for them.

Eyes immediately began to search every crack in the steep wall of mountain on their left, watering in the wind. To the right, an almost sheer drop discouraged walking two abreast. It was amazing how fast the terrain had changed from slopes of scree to this narrow path, hugging the cliff-like sides of the peaks.

Dwalin led, his experienced eyes giving only cursory glances to the shallow shadows they passed. Fili and Kili came next, giving the discarded possibilities much more attention. The rest of the Company gave varying levels of scrutiny to the brittle stone, knowing that the forerunners would spot anything before they did yet hopeful nonetheless.

It was almost an hour later when they found something approaching suitable. The light was fading, the wind was gentler, and it was Nori who stopped suddenly.

Ori collided with him, only to be pulled back by Dori, already asking an irritated question. Nori didn't answer, instead sliding the loop of his mace up his arm and starting to climb. The rock was sharp, but at least the wind had kept it dry, and he was more agile than most of the Company.

"Found something?" Glóin was getting impatient. He was a warrior, not a goat, and he much preferred the interior of mountains to the exterior.

Nori managed to work a shrug into the next reach for a handhold, then he was scrambling to his feet on what looked like a narrow ledge.

"Get down, you idiot. We need shelter, not a more exposed-" Dori's call was cut short by his brother suddenly disappearing.

A few seconds later, he reappeared. "There's a cave here. Looks big enough." Fili and Kili had already worked their way to the point he had started at and now they eagerly began their own ascent. It took another few minutes for them to get up and in.

Bofur looked around. The others seemed content to wait, but personally he was cold and tired, and it there was anything dangerous up there then Nori and the youngest Heirs of Durin would have found it by now.

Unless, of course, it had killed them silently. Stabbed them in the dark, no chance to scream.

The wry thought was just begging to be woven into a story – a good gory one, the type that would curb even a hobbit's appetite, great for spending a night in a dark cave. He clapped Bifur on the shoulder and handed him his mattock, smiling at the glare he received, and started after them. He made sure he had ropes to throw back down for the less… limber dwarves. Years of mining had made him an adept climber and he scrambled up far faster than the others had.

Nori's sharp eyes had by this point adjusted to the almost-dark within the rock. It was a fairly spacious cave, higher than a Man could reach and twice as wide. Something wasn't right, though. He stepped forward and something soft cracked under his boot. He reached down, but before he could pick whatever it was up, something moved at the far end of the cave. Something big.

Golden eyes bright with reflected light blinked at him, then blazed with fury. He dived out of the way as whatever it was charged, barely noticing the sounds of Fili and Kili doing likewise behind him.

Two screams mixed as the dim light was blocked out: anger and fear mingling with a large amount of desperation. Something almost like frantic clicking from further within was lost in the noise.

Bifur was staring out at the opposite mountain when Bofur clapped him on the shoulder, handed him his mattock and started climbing. He shot his cousin an irritated glance, which was more notice than he would have given a few months before. A quick flash of a smile answered him.

He had sunk into thought again when the screams came. For a moment, they were the war cries of orcs and he swung around, heedless of the drop behind him, boar spear raised, a snarl twisting his face. Then the rage faded and the deafening noise separated into something strange, panicking, wild and fierce and half-remembered, and –

Bofur.

His cousin was already falling with a scream formed of unrepeatable Khuzdul mixed with Westron. But something was wrong about how he fell. He was too far away from the mountain. It was as though he had been thrown off the ledge instead of slipping vertically. Bifur knew he couldn't stretch far enough, not even if he had had the reach of a troll. That didn't stop him lunging for the edge, stopped only by Bombur's reflexive grab. Not all of the cook's bulk was fat, and he would not drag his other cousin to his death.

He couldn't do anything but watch as Bofur's flailing form plummeted past. A roar of Khuzdul erupted from within him, and he barely noticed the others twisting around to stare at whatever was above them as strange clicking echoed down. Other shouts blended into one as it changed to another scream. The fading rays of sunlight flickered, and something huge and dark and loud dived down upon them.


A/N Question time! I do this a lot. This was me writing Bifur for the first time, is he okay? Any typos I missed? Any theories?