Chapter 7
Time slowed down. The Goblin King screeched like a young child, and the goblins around him slammed into her like falling rocks. More of them than necessary pinned her to the ground. She felt their hands everywhere holding her arms, pinning her legs. Some even held her torso, Nymeria's head dropped, hanging in defeat, she had failed him. She had failed her love.
"Who is it that dares to attempt murder upon our king?!" a goblin shouted. She felt fingers pull at her hood then wrap themselves in her hair as they yanked her head back exposing her face; her neck went taught from the strain. The Goblin King looked down at her with total fascination; like she was a new toy he could break.
"A woman," the Goblin King smirked at her. He began to open his mouth to surely spew some insult, but at that moment a withered wrinkled old goblin ran up from behind the throne and whispered something in the Goblin King's ear. Greed flashed in his eyes, "But not just any woman," he shouted looking around. Silence fell through the cavern. "No, something utterly unique, the very last Lovari!" he shouted. For a moment silence reigned over the goblins, and then pandemonium filled the mountain. The goblin that held her hair twisted her neck almost to a breaking point so he could shove his ugly face close to hers.
"But first we must perform a test to make sure she is who she is claimed to be," the Goblin King shouted over the ruckus. One of the goblins holding her arm forced her arm to extend itself. She pulled her muscles taught, trying to fight him but he forced her limbs to his will, exposing the underside of her unprotected forearm. The old goblin waddled close to her holding a bar of lead. She tried to shake the goblins off, but their hold was too strong and too many. Get away, get away, and do not let it touch you, her instincts screamed. Nonetheless the bar of lead came closer and closer until it was inches away.
When it connected it felt as if molten fire was racing across her skin where the metal was. She bit her lip and felt her teeth begin to break the skin, anything, anything to keep the pain from making her scream. She tried to pull her arms out from underneath the metal but they held her steady. The hissing sound of her skin burning echoed around the room, Nymeria could not even look at Kili, her eyes were glued to the bar and her only thought was when it would be removed.
After what felt like ages the goblin pulled the bar of lead from her skin. An angry deep red burn crossed her forearm. Her breath labored in and out of her lungs. The pain still persisted in an after affect. The Goblin King stared at her puzzled, but sinisterly enticed.
"Now tell me," he began breaking the silence, "Why would a Lovari, a proud and the very last one, risk everything for a dwarf?" he asked looking between her and Kili. Nymeria stared him down refusing to look at Kili, refusing to give anything else away even though her burn stung like a thousand needles were poking at her flesh.
The Goblin King leaned back on his throne looking down at his two toys through half closed eyes.
"Even if you two are strangers why would she risk her life for you?" he asked again, "Relatives? No, no you don't look alike. Friends perhaps? No, not even the closest of friends would risk this," he paused for a moment, "Ah, Lovers?" At the question Nymeria allowed a moment for her eyes to look at Kili, to gauge his reaction. He did the same making eye contact; she looked away quickly hoping the Goblin King had not seen it, but he was faster than she thought.
"Lovers it is!" he cried, clapping his hands together.
"What? No!" Kili shouted over the jeers from the goblins watching.
"You're crazy!" Nymeria chimed in.
"Quickly switch them! He will answer everything if his love is in danger," the Goblin King continued despite their protests. She could hear the dwarves behind her begin to throw a riot, shouting mixed grunting and some cries of pain. The brutes wrenched Kili from his machine, he struggled as soon as his arm was free, wriggling like a fish in a net. If my torture is a broken arm I can deal. She thought as the goblins dragged her forward. But the arm machine was being wheeled away, and another took its place. It was a large square frame with leather straps hanging down from the top of the square and some kind of boots on the platform it stood on.
Her heart caught in her throat as he passed by her.
"Be strong, I'll get you out of this," he whispered, as the goblins forced him to his knees in the place where she once kneeled. Goblins climbed up onto the platform to accept her from the ones on the floor. They wrenched her from them; she hissed as one closed his hand around her burn. They roughly man handled her, turning her to face the King, and the company. Her feet were shoved into straps which quickly tightened more than they needed to be. One grabbed her hand and pulled her hand above her head tying one of the straps around her wrist. He did the same with her other arm so that her body created a kind of star shape. She watched the dwarves; Fili was still trying to get to Kili, to take care of him. Well I guess I get to go under a knife to save him, she thought. Thorin was trying to hide his relief at his nephew's release. Nymeria couldn't blame him, she did not know how he had restrained himself.
"What to do, what to do with you," the Goblin King muttered, looking her up and down, but she paid him no mind. She only focused on Kili, he was still struggling but the goblins were not going to let go. There were trails of blood down his face from a new cut on his forehead. Nymeria removed her glance from her struggling beloved just for a moment to catch Thorin's eye. His stare was as expressionless as the face of a mountain, uncaring for what had just happened to his nephew. It set an anger to boil in her stomach. How could he be so apathetic! Does he know the consequence if we do not get out of here? She thought, she heard a gasp and watched the elder goblin scurry away.
"Ah! I know," the Goblin King began smirking, "But the way she is dressed will never do." He nodded to a goblin that clambered on to the platform unsheathing his knife. Nymeria tried to turn to see what he was doing but she could only move her head. The cloak tore at her neck as it was ripped off and flung to the ground. She felt the blade press against her back as it sliced the ties holding her armor on. She gasped as it was tossed onto the pile of weapons. She heard the shirt begin to rip and Kili shout in anger as the cloth parted exposing her skin. Luckily the goblin left the band of cloth that supported her breasts alone. She tried to ignore the catcalls and wolf whistles coming from the gathered spectators.
"How dare you!" he shouted.
"You will speak when spoken to!" the Goblin King bellowed turning to him. One of the goblins near him punched him across the face opening a new gash on his lip. The Goblin King turned back to her and signaled someone behind her, once more she tried to turn her head fear gripping her when she couldn't identify the threat she knew was coming. Perhaps they mean to burn me until someone gives them what they want.
That was not their plan. She heard the crack and then felt the burn, like someone had slashed at her with a hot sword. The gasp erupted from her, her eyes widening in surprise at how much it hurt.
"I'm changing the rules," the Goblin King stated, "For each poor answer her pain doubles. How did you find that cave?"
"We got lost! We needed somewhere to stay!" Kili answered, his voice which had been strong before now sounded more like a plea.
"I wish I believed you. Oh wait, no I don't," the whip cracked again she felt it slice three new marks into her skin.
"Why are there so many of you?"
"We met in a tavern and agreed traveling in numbers is safer! Please leave her alone! She doesn't know anything!"
"This is fantastic!" the Goblin King cried, "I get to see a dwarf beg, and a Lovari bleed, but I want to hear her scream," he chortled. This time the whip fell again and again, lacing trails of acute pain across her back. She could now feel the blood sliding down her back. The scream pushed at her lips, but she barred the entrance, clenching her teeth. They will not hear it; she thought, I will not give them the satisfaction. The Goblin King frowned at her when she returned his stare with a glare, pouring all of her anger and fury into the look. He looked back at Kili, "We are getting nowhere!" he shouted slamming his flabby arm on the armrest. She heard the crack again and braced herself again. The lashes did not stop for what felt like forever, it became a vicious cycle: crack, flash, pain, crack, flash, pain, crack, flash, and pain again. Dark spots began to swim at the edges of her vision, her head felt so heavy, and the pain. She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep.
"Turn her around, I want him to see his bravery," the Goblin King commanded when it was over. Please my brave fool, she thought, for me, I am so selfish but I can't take much more.
Kili's heart felt as if it was being torn in two. His arm ached from the machine but he couldn't imagine her pain. Her back was a meaty slab. Her hair, her silver hair was mixed with golden blood dyed a horrible shade; all because of him. Fili had been whispering words of comfort as soon as he had been taken out of the machine and Uncle Thorin had let a sigh of relief when Kili had been brought from harm's way. It's because she's not one of us. They don't care, but she will die for our secret, he thought, he wanted to take her down from there and far away from here where he could hold her and help her hold her head high with pride like she always did.
"Are your answers really worth this? Are they really worth her death?" the Goblin King hissed at him.
"Don't listen to him," Fili snarled, but Kili heard the truth that rang in the words. Was an entire race really worth the secrecy of their mission?
"I'm still alive," someone croaked. Kili couldn't quite believe it, she was still pushing through.
"Wha-How?" the Goblin King gasped.
"Kicking and screaming," her voice increased in volume, projecting all around. The sound of her voice strengthened Kili's resolve.
"I've told you everything there is to tell," Kili stated shutting his mouth. The Goblin King's face contorted in rage he looked from Nymeria back to Kili. Kili smirked at him; they were untouchable.
The Goblin King pointed at Nymeria and the goblins turned the machine around again allowing Nymeria's face to be shown again. From behind her Kili saw a goblin carry a large bar of metal, and their plan dawned on him.
"NO!" Kili shouted straining against the goblins but it was too late. The goblin with the metal jumped up onto the platform and shoved the bar into her back. He watched in horror as her head snapped up and the scream tore its way through the air. It ripped through him like a thousand knives, and it didn't stop. The Goblin King leaned over the side as if trying to get as close to the sound as he could. When she finally stopped her head drooped, and her entire body was being held up by the straps on her wrists. Kili saw something he thought he would never see from her, he saw her broken.
The wrinkled goblin that had disappeared earlier reappeared, running towards the Goblin King in great haste.
"Your majesty, your majesty," he puffed before stopping next to the throne. The Goblin King lent the elder goblin his ear and the goblin began babbling quickly and silently into his master's ear. The Goblin King's eyes darted to look at Thorin behind him, then at Kili and then to Fili.
"Thorin Oakensheild," the snicker echoed around the room, "King under the mountain, with his two heirs," he boomed, "What remains of the Line of Durin. I know someone who has a very nice reward waiting for you, an old enemy." Kili turned his head to look at his uncle, whose eyes had grown wide with surprise. Slowly his face turned to fear and confusion.
"I know the list must be long. You would know him as 'The Defiler' perhaps," the Goblin King added.
"Azog died of his wounds long ago." Thorin murmured trying to reassure himself.
"Did you watch the light leave his eyes? If not then he is alive as I am." Declared the Goblin King, he turned his attention back to Kili.
"Bring me the other one!" the goblins then wrestled Fili to the ground next to his brother, no, no, no, Kili thought. Once more he tried to struggle from their grasp, he checked on Nymeria who still hung there, but now her body shook with what looked like sobs.
"This is a great day, I will wipe out the last of a race, and a line of kings," The Goblin King declared, turning to Nymeria who was still shaking. Slowly she raised her head, and she was smiling. A loud crazy sounding laugh echoed around the cavern.
"Good luck with that!" she laughed, "My people did not die overnight. We did not go to extinction quietly. I'm going to enjoy ripping your throat out." Her eyes burned with a strange fire. Kili had thought her broken when she was just being made more powerful.
"Bring her to me!" the Goblin King bellowed his face was filled with rage. Kili tried to hide his smile.
"You chose a good one," Fili whispered into his ear. Kili knew he should be afraid, but if Nymeria had the strength to laugh at her destructor what was there to fear?
As one goblin moved to cut her bonds another appeared right in front of her. Snarling he shoved his fist into her stomach forcing the air from her lungs. Pain exploded across her back when she doubled over. Her façade of strength had done what she wanted; it brought her close to Kili and away from the machines and the torture. Black spots danced across her vision threatening her consciousness. Hang on just hang on, she thought. The goblins held her by her upper arms for some reason they were terrified to touch her wounds. She tried to walk but her legs would not support her weight, soon she was being dragged across the stone floor.
As Nymeria came closer to him her heart rate picked up, a worry about how exposed her skin was arose as well as how much of a mess she must look. She pushed the worry aside to take further inventory of his injuries. His scratches were not terrible but they did bleed a lot.
"I've had enough of you," the Goblin King snarled at Nymeria, suddenly a stinky, dirty hand wrapped around her mouth, clamping tight.
"Now, Thorin Oakensheild," he said Thorin's name in a highly mocking tone, "I have ways of getting answers from you."
"I have nothing to say," Thorin growled.
"I'm really tired of this game. I know you have a secret, you're going to die anyway why not try to save others from such a fate?" the Goblin King sighed, but Thorin just continued to glare at him.
"Fine then!" the Goblin King scoffed, one goblin stalked towards Kili and Fili with a mad glee in his eyes. He kneeled in front of them unrolling a piece of fabric revealing a large assortment of knives. The torchlight glinted off the blades menacingly.
"Which one your majesty?" he asked.
"Just pick one. I don't care." The goblin smiled and slowly extracted a knife with an exceedingly long blade. He cupped Fili's head in his hand, and rested the blade just under his eye.
"Where are you going?" the Goblin King asked, resting his head in his hand. Say the Iron Hills they'll believe that, the Iron Hills! Nymeria thought trying to will her thoughts into his own, but Thorin was to distracted by the goblin's blade.
"What?" he asked startled. The goblin with the knives giggled sadistically and slipped his blade across Fili's cheekbone giving him a long thin cut just beneath his eye.
"Now the other one," he whispered crouching over Kili. He slipped the tip of the blade across Kili's upper lip, "Want to blow one last kiss?" he asked Kili quickly turned his head, but the knife still cut him across the cheek. This one was deep and began bleeding at once.
"Stop!" Thorin shouted, "This isn't fair!"
"I make the rules!" the Goblin King shouted, "Where are you going?"
Thorin's eyes desperately darted around the room trying to come up with a lie, until he caught Nymeria's eye. She tried to use her eyes to shout, "The Iron Hills" to him praying he got her message.
"I thought dwarves looked out for their kin," the Goblin King pondered. The goblin ran back to his collection of knives and extracted a serrated one.
"Perhaps a shave," the goblin considered hooking the blade under Fili's chin, "The closest one you'll ever have."
"The Iron Hills!" Thorin shouted. Nymeria felt the air leave her in relief, "We're going to the Iron Hills."
"Finally! Was that so hard?" The Goblin King asked, Nymeria watched the goblin with the knives whine in disappointment but still back away from the two dwarves.
"Why?" the Goblin King continued, Thorin this time did not have an answer.
"Am I going to have to pry for this answer too?" the Goblin King sighed, Thorin scrambled he looked to Nymeria again but her mind failed to conjure an excuse.
"Do it," the Goblin King ordered. Nymeria watched in utter horror as one goblin snatched one of the burning torches grabbed Kili's hand and shoved it into the open flame.
"NO!" Thorin and Fili shouted at the same time, as Kili's scream filled the cavern. Both of his relatives fought more viciously than ever before, but their efforts paled in comparison to Nymeria's fury. Her teeth lengthened and she bit hard onto the hand on her mouth; the goblin yelped as blood filled her mouth. She spit the foul black blood from her mouth and let a great and mighty feral roar explode from her mouth. At that moment it seemed like five things happened at once. The goblin with the torch was so startled he dropped the flaming thing on his foot, and a blinding light flashed through the cavern. Knocking everyone on their backs and extinguishing all the torches.
"Take up arms and run!" Gandalf's voice echoed in her ears. When Nymeria opened her eyes Gandalf stood over her holding her weapons and armor. He tossed the belt to her but hid the other stuff in the folds of his robe. The dwarves had recovered and now were taking off, weapons in hand.
"Quickly my dear," Gandalf hissed hauling Nymeria from the ground. She tried to follow him at a run but her strength failed her forcing her legs to give out, "What are you doing we must go!"
"I can't…My legs; I do not have the strength," Nymeria groaned, the goblins were collecting themselves, rising and preparing to attack.
"You are the last of the Lovari, you just underwent torture, and now you are going to get out of here. Fili!" Gandalf called, the dwarf came running over and Gandalf shoved Nymeria onto his back. "Do not drop her," Fili nodded running swiftly to the group who had waited for them.
"GO!" Gandalf shouted taking the lead. Fili ran next to his brother near the front, Nymeria caught Kili's eye. He held a knife in his non-burned hand blood still leaked from his cuts but it was drying on his face. She tried to smile at him but the goblins were descending now and the dwarves became occupied with taking them down as they moved. Nymeria clung tighter to Fili trying to ignore the pain in her back as he ducked and weaved around the enemies, blood was pouring over her arms from his own cuts.
The goblins seemed endless. Where one fell there were two more there to take its place. While the dwarves fought bravely and their progress was good, they were slowing down and their numbers were too small.
"Let me down," she whispered into Fili's ear.
"No you can't run."
"If I just try to fight we have two more fighters. Look, there are more coming. We will lose." With a growl Fili dropped her and Nymeria unsheathed her sword, cleaving the head from the nearest goblin she saw. Her body screamed in protest, but she pushed her legs to run. Work damn you! When I am dead I can rest, she thought as she pushed herself to run faster to keep up. The goblins in her way became mere obstacles that fell beneath her sword. Gandalf lead them down the twisting pathways, and their momentum increased until they ran like a rolling boulder. Unstoppable.
All of a sudden the Goblin King appeared blocking their path, knocking Gandalf back, "Did you really think it would be so easy?" he snapped. Nymeria darted past Thorin and Balin who stood just behind Gandalf. She felt her nails grow and teeth grow. A deep growl rumbled in her throat as she approached the Goblin King. Everyone froze as she closed her claws on his throat. She watched with pleasure as his eyes widened in surprise and fear. Slowly she squeezed tighter her claws slipping into his skin.
"I said I would enjoy ripping your throat out," she said to him, "I keep my word." And with that she closed her fingers yanking her hand from his throat in a spray of gore. She pushed the body over the side of the path where it fell down into the darkness. The effort made her vision swim and her halfway form fade out, and her whole world began to pitch and roll.
"Let's go!" she shouted, lunging forward running again through the halls. Gandalf quickly overtook her once more leading them through the tunnels. The goblins attacked with renewed force at the death of their leader. She simply cut them down; adrenaline was fueling her entire system. It kept most of the pain at bay, and her body moving. Suddenly one goblin reached out and grabbed her burned arm, the wound had been settling down but now it screeched. Her blade flashed and the goblin lost his hand. She sheathed her sword and just kept running, cradling her arm to her chest. The pathways twisted and wound until a great open maw in the wall greeted them. Gandalf did not stop but instead pushed on into the darkness. The sound of the goblin's pursuit echoed through the tunnel bouncing off of her eardrums. Fear clouded her senses just pushing to run faster, to keep going, goblins were not known for being the forgiving sort. She shuddered to think of what would happen if they caught them.
Soon a tiny pinprick of light shown at the end of the tunnel; two guards who must have missed all the commotion rushed to their weapons to defend the exit, but Thorin jumped to the front and struck down the first one with Orcrist.
"Biter!" cried the second goblin as Thorin quickly chopped his spear in half and cut him down. The sunlight flooded her eyes, making the company almost shrink from its brightness. They bounded down the steep decline that waited for them at the exit. Trees waited ahead, and as soon as the last member of the company cleared their embrace everyone took cover in the bushes and undergrowth that waited there. Nymeria collapsed behind a fern her breath wheezing in and out of her body. Luckily the goblins did not pursue them out of the mountain.
"We must move on, get deeper into the woods before we rest." Thorin ordered.
Kili crawled over to her, "Are you alright?" he asked lifting her head and cupping her cheeks with his hands.
"I'm fine," she insisted rising, the adrenaline was still circulating in her system but she knew it would wear off. Gingerly she took his burned hand in her own. His fingerless glove had provided some protection but had burned off. His hand was as red as her burn, the one on her back felt numb from the shock. No doubt existed though that it would wear off and she would have to face the same blinding pain she felt at first. But Kili was injured and it was her job to make him better. He might never be able to shoot properly again, she thought, saddened. He hissed when her fingers skirted the burn.
"Let's go," she said smiling, trying to take his mind off the pain. His cuts still bled, red droplets fell from his chin onto his vest staining the leather. The company's progress was slow but the woods began to thicken and the adrenaline was leaving her system. Black spots started dancing at the edges of her vision again. Nymeria tried pushing the threat of unconsciousness from her mind, but it weighed heavily on her. Her legs began to feel like jelly, suddenly they gave out but she caught herself on a tree. Hoping the fail in strength had gone unnoticed, but Gandalf missed little.
"We have to stop." He announced starting towards her.
"We must continue, they will find us if we don't, and nightfall will soon be upon us," Thorin argued. He was not wrong the sun was setting on the horizon.
"It is not sunset it is the rise," Gandalf stated, trying to support Nymeria without touching any of her wounds, "You were captured on Tuesday evening it is Thursday morning, and you will all collapse from exhaustion if you do not rest." Thorin glared at him but all the same yielded control to Gandalf's choice. "Now there is a clearing just ahead, we will rest there."
When they reached the clearing Gandalf took Nymeria off to the side so he could clean her wounds. She rested on her stomach, the pain had returned now and it filled everything. Blaring through her mind it demanded to be felt after being ignored for so long. Her cuts stung but the burn ran from her lower left side to the top of her right shoulder blade. Gandalf whispered words of healing over her; she felt the magic flow over her back soothing her injuries like rainwater. After he was done with the spell the blinding pain had lessened to a throb.
"That's all I can do for now," He said, "Let's hope your own healing will be quick enough. Here," he handed her a canteen of water, "wash the blood from you hair whilst I heal the one on your arm." She watched the redness fade under Gandalf's enchantment. She poured the water onto her hand and began working her fingers through her hair. It had begun to dry and mat so the going was slow until Gandalf finished with her arm. He sat on a rock across from her watching her while she worked the knots and blood out.
"Why'd you do it?" He asked breaking the silence.
"I knew I could take more pain than he could. I would not watch him die." she replied, handing the canteen back. Gandalf returned her bow and arrows along with her armor, and he escorted her back to camp.
"Here's something to cover yourself with," Bofur offered handing her a coat from his pack. Gingerly she wrapped the coat around her shoulders and lay on the ground facing away from the fire. Kili soon joined her with bandages around his hand and on his cuts. His arm was in a sling; he closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly. Nymeria felt her body's energy flowing to her back healing it two times faster than any other being could heal. She reached out and held his non-burned hand. She watched a pale green light race underneath her skin and through his fingers. She felt it race up to his shoulder and swirl around the twisted muscle and damaged tissue.
"You see darling," she whispered, "What made the Lovari so hard to kill was how quickly we heal ourselves." She felt the energy pass from his shoulder to his hand accelerating the healing process. "And how we can pass this ability to others, to the point where we can pull them from the edge of death." When his hand was healed enough she circled back to his shoulder, returning it to its former glory. Only then did she allow the energy to return to her body, but she still did not let go of his hand. Then did sleep take her.
