Chapter 4: Out of The Frying Pan and Into the Fire
The Goblin King stood before Adära, his mighty and gruesome form towering over her. He leaned forward to meet Adära's gaze.
Adära had seen plenty of gruesome creatures during her long years on this earth, but the Goblin King was something new to behold.
The Goblin King examined Adära, his hungry eyes trailing over her body. The company watched on with either concern or anger, fearing for their elf-maiden. Thorin in particular could feel his hands clenching into fists.
"You're a pretty thing, aren't ya?" the King said, lightly trailing a finger on Adära's cheek. Adära stood her ground but shivered slightly at the Goblin King's touch. His finger was cold and damp. "Are you a dwarf too?"
"No, my malevolence, we believe she's an elf," the small goblin said.
"An elf?" the King questioned. "Interesting; a beauty like you would fetch quite the price on the black market."
Adära's heart began to beat quicker at the horrifying thought at being sold off like some rare good. But then again, she was a rare good wasn't she? The last of her people. Should her life end at any point, her people and her kingdom will be nothing more than a myth.
The Goblin King then turned his attention back to the dwarves and said "What brings you around these parts?"
When no one answered the Goblin King said "Very well. If they will not speak, we'll make them squawk! Bring up the mangler. Bring up the bone crusher!"
The dwarves began to resist, trying desperately to free themselves.
"Start with the youngest!" the goblin King ordered. Adära's eyes quickly went towards to Ori as the goblin King pointed at him.
Adära tried to break free of the goblin's grasp on her to get to him but it was no use.
Suddenly she heard Thorin's deep voice yell out, "Wait!"
He stepped forward, everyone shifting their attention to him. The Goblin King, upon recognizing him gave Thorin a mock bow.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King Under the Mountain!" Adära heard as some of the goblins began to chuckle, but Thorin held his ground.
"Oh but I'm forgetting you don't have a Mountain," the goblin King continued. "And you're not a King, which makes you nobody really." He paused before continuing on with his sinister guise. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just a head really. Nothing attached."
Adära watched as Thorin became a bit uneasy. He was toying with him she thought, but Thorin didn't seem like the kind of man to let it show.
Fear started to breed within her, for she worried she knew exactly who the Goblin King was talking about. She had a feeling the others did as well, but they didn't want to admit it.
"Perhaps you know of whom I speak," the Goblin King went on. "An old enemy of yours; a pale orc, astride a white warg."
"Azog the defiler was destroyed," Thorin said in a calm but edged voice. "He was slain in battle long ago."
At the sound of those last words being spoken Adära sensed the desperation in Thorin's voice. Deep down he knew that Azog was still hunting him, his family, but he didn't want it to be true.
"So you think his defiling days are done do you?" asked the Goblin King. The Goblin King then turned to a much smaller goblin who was sitting on a square piece of wood attached to a rope. Some sort of telegraph device. With parchment and ink in hand the small goblin wrote down his King's message.
"Send word to the pale Orc. Tell him I have found his prize."
The small goblin then flew down the caverns in the contraption, cackling as he went.
Adära watched as the small goblin flew down, worried for all their fates. She then glanced back at the dwarves, eyes searching for…someone.
Thorin saw Adära's eyes looking around and he followed her gaze trying to see what she was looking for.
His gaze then met hers and a look of terror consumed her face. She mouthed the word "Bilbo" and Thorin immediately understood. The hobbit wasn't with them.
~~X~~
The Goblin King began to dance in front of them as he sang "Necks will be shattered, bones will be wrung. You'll be beaten and battered, From racks you'll be hung! You will die down here and never be found! Down in the deep of Goblin town!"
Just as the Goblin King finished up his song a clank was heard. Orcsist fell to the ground. The goblins stepped away in fear as the Goblin King screamed "I know that sword! It's the goblin cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks! Slash them! Bite them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"
The goblins each took a hold of each member of the company. Adära struggled, trying to escape their grasp, her shoulder searing in pain. She watched as her companions struggled to break free. She then saw four goblins jump on Thorin, bringing him down to the ground. She watched as he struggled to break free, with one of the goblin's grabbing their weapon.
"Thorin!" Adära screamed as she tried to push forward to save him. Suddenly, a burst of white light filled the cave, knocking everyone off their feet. A few seconds later Adära lifted her head up, and out of the darkness came the grey wizard- Gandalf.
She let out a sigh of relief and started to get up. The others followed. Gandalf walked over to them and said, "Fight you fools. Fight!"
And with those words they were all fighting as the dwarves threw weapons at each other, each one arming the other. Adära fought off the goblins, daggers slashing skin. They fought and ran, moving as fast as they could knowing that there were too many for them to defeat. They continued on, fighting and killing every goblin that came their way.
The Goblin King charged towards them. Adära took her bow and arrow and aimed at the Goblin King, an arrow flying right past his left shoulder, giving the Goblin King a minor flesh wound. Not her best work, Adära thought to herself.
"Is that the best you got elf?" Thorin yelled at her, as he came up beside her. He charged at the Goblin King with his axe. Thorin's axe collided with the Goblin King's staff, the friction sending both of them in opposite directions, as the Goblin King fell against his throne, breaking it and falling down.
They ran as fast as they could, feet hitting the floor boards of the bridges underneath. Adära ran behind the rest of them, making sure that they were all accounted for. She panicked a little when she saw that Bilbo still was nowhere to be seen.
She then saw Dwalin and some of the others grab a wooden pillar that had been lying on the floor, using it to charge against the goblins up ahead, pushing them off the side as they came at them. Thorin and Adära fought and ran side by side, devouring anything that came in their path.
She heard Thorin scream "cut the ropes" as some of the dwarves did just that in order to prevent some more goblins from coming at them. Suddenly they were thrust into a detached wooden bridge that began to move back and forth. Some of the dwarves jumped over to solid ground, while Adära and some others swung back to the other side. More goblins came on as they began to swing back, Adära beheading quite a few with her daggers. Once they were all in the same place, they cut the ropes and continued to run forward, running down long and winding steps.
They pushed an enormous rock that was up ahead and it rolled down the stone path as they continued to run. Suddenly they were ambushed by the Goblin King who rose from the ground, breaking the wooden barrier that lay between them.
Gandalf stopped just in front of him, causing everyone else behind him to bump into the next, with Adära's body coming in last, slamming against Thorin's back. The Goblin King attacked them with his staff, pushing Gandalf back. He screamed at them, challenging them, asking them how they were going to get out.
Gandalf quickly got to his feet and poked the Goblin King in the eye, making him stammer back. He then took his blade and pierced the belly of the Goblin King who finally fell to his knees, Gandalf finishing him off with a slice to the throat.
The bridge then collapsed, as they all fell once again into darkness, wood and stone colliding. They finally landed on the rocks, Gandalf getting up quickly.
Adära heard Kili say "that wasn't so bad" as they started to get up. Just as Adära was pushing herself up the Goblin King's body fell on top of them, to which Dwalin responded, "you got to be kidding me."
Adära continued her efforts to get up from the rubble but her shoulder was throbbing in pain once again. It also didn't help that her foot seemed to be stuck under the rubble, pain shooting up her right leg. A small moan of pain escaped her lips as she tried to get up, but it was no use. She then felt a strong hand grab hers, pulling her from underneath the rubble.
To Adära's surprise it was Thorin pulling her out, with Dwalin providing a hand as well. They pulled her a bit violently at first, until she let out a pained groan which made them realize she might actually be injured. They then proceeded with a bit more caution.
Once she was out she stood in front of the two dwarves, a silent gaze of gratitude and understanding being shared by the three of them.
Adära then heard one of the dwarves, Kili she thought, shout Gandalf's name.
"We can't fight all of them," he said as he looked on with horror at the thousands of goblins that were heading towards them.
Adära's heart began to race once again knowing that they had to get out of there and quick.
Gandalf spoke, pulling Adära from her thoughts as he urged all of them to run for their lives. She felt Thorin's hand brush lightly past her lower back, urging her to move forward.
But Adära remained where she was, staring at the incoming mob of goblins. She saw terrible figures before her, moving seemingly at the speed of light. But she also saw fire, burning hot and bright as it moved towards her.
And suddenly she was taken back to that dreadful day when she lost everything. Her breath started to rise and fall quickly, a panic attack seemingly starting. She heard Thorin call her name, but it just a bunch of muffled sounds in her head. She knew she had to run, she had to follow the others but she couldn't't. It is as if her feet were planted to the ground.
She then felt a hard tug of her arm, pain shooting up her shoulder once again. She was practically being dragged when she turned her head to see Thorin running forward, pulling her with him as they ran.
She saw as they passed the rocky halls of the cave, light shining at the end, showing them their exit.
Soon the bright light of the sun was shining upon them, illuminating the sky. They stopped once they felt they were within a reasonable distance of the cave.
Thorin quickly let go of Adära's arm and turned around to face her. His eyes were seemingly burning with his own fire that crept deep within his heart.
"What in Mahal's name is wrong with you?" he shouted at her drawing closer until his face was but a mere few inches away from her. She could feel his hot breath on her lips. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Adära looked in Thorin's eyes, but it is as if she wasn't even there. Thorin noticed the blank look in her eyes and stopped, back up slowly. She looked like she had seen a ghost he thought.
Gandalf finished up his head count, noting that Bilbo was missing. "Where's Bilbo?" he asked. "Where's our hobbit?"
"Curse that halfling, now he's lost?" Dwalin spoke.
At the mention of Bilbo's name Adära seemingly snapped back to attention.
"I thought he was with Dori," Gloin responded.
"Well don't blame me!" Dori said.
"Well where is he?" Gandalf asked once again.
"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us," said Nori.
"And what exactly happened?" Gandalf asked again, getting impatient.
"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin spoke, his eyes still on Adära. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."
After their King's words the other dwarves seemed to fall into certain sadness, disappointed at the thought of Bilbo leaving them.
Just as Adära let out a small sigh, her eyes still fixed on the King Under the Mountain she heard his voice.
"No. He isn't," Bilbo said from behind them. At the sound of his voice a smile formed on Adära's lips as she turned around to see the young Hobbit standing there.
She let out a grateful sigh and shouted his name. "Bilbo!" She walked towards the Hobbit and stood beside him, greeting him with a familiar nod.
She saw as Gandalf too had a smile forming on his lips. The other dwarves gathered around and seemed to be happy to see their burglar as well. Adära then looked over at Thorin who was standing beside Dwalin, leaning on his axe, a look of disappointment overtaking his rugged features.
It was Gandalf who broke the silence. "Bilbo Baggins. I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life!"
Kili then spoke saying "Bilbo! We had nearly given you up."
"How on earth did you get past the goblins" Fili then asked.
At that question, Adära noticed Bilbo hesitate slightly and she then saw his hand move into his pocket, seemingly dropping something in it. He didn't answer the question and she noticed that Gandalf too had noticed something odd.
"How indeed?" Dwalin then asked.
He simply brushed it off however, saying "Well what does it matter? He's back."
"It matters. I want to know." Thorin spoke drawing Adära's attention. "Why did you come back?" he asked, a bit of pain in his voice.
"Look, I know you doubt me. I know you always have," Bilbo spoke. "And you're right I often thing of Bag-end. I miss my books. And my armchair, and my garden. You see that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back. Because…you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."
And with those beautiful words all the dwarves smiled at Bilbo, grateful for his courage and his compassion.
Adära herself felt illuminated by his little speech, but a deep sadness also overtook her, thinking about her own situation with her home.
Thorin gave Bilbo a small nod of thanks, to which Adära admitted she felt herself a melt a bit afterward.
She then saw Gandalf move forward, a proud smile on his lips. His eyes shifted from Bilbo to Adära, seemingly acknowledging her for the first time.
"I didn't realize we had taken on a 15th member of the company," Gandalf spoke.
Before Adära could respond, Bilbo spoke for her. "Gandalf, this is Adära! We met her in Rivendell. She is helping us in this quest." As Bilbo spoke he looked at Adära with a certain gleam in his eyes.
"Well Lady Adära, welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said. "I've heard quite the stories about you. I am sure you have already proven to be quite the asset."
At those words both Thorin and Adära looked at the wizard with confusion overtaking their eyes. How could he possibly know who she was, Adära thought to herself. Did he know where she was from? What had happened all those years ago?
Just as she was about to ask she heard the howl of wargs fill the air. Growls and howls surrounded them at the black speech filled the air. "Azog," Adära said to herself.
"Out of the frying pan," Thorin began with Gandalf completing the well-known phrase. "And into the fire. Run!"
They all began to run further into the woods. There seemed to be no end to the perils of the journey.