Hey everyone! Just as a warning this chapter is darker than the other ones. I don't know if I can say enjoy but I hope you urm... enjoy it I suppose.

Chapter 7

Battle of Thunder

Enda shivered as cold rain pelted her. She wore her cloak to try and ward off the chill but it was to no avail. They walked along a thin trail that dropped off hundreds of feet. She was very careful with each step. She did not want to slip and possibly fall to her death. She didn't like traveling through the Misty Mountains because one bad step could spell out death.

"You look miserable…" Bofur said as he turned back to look at her.

"Thanks a lot." Enda's teeth chattered together. She cupped her hands together and blew into them trying to gain some heat. She then turned her head to see Kíli behind her.

"You're so pale…" he said. Enda scoffed.

"You are too…" Enda then saw that he was about to offer her his cloak. "No Kíli, I don't want you catching cold for me. Besides it won't help me much…"

"I don't want you getting sick either."

"Don't you mother hen me too…" Enda moaned. "Just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean I need to be babied…"

I just care about you, Kíli thought. He didn't say it though for fear of letting her know of his complete affections. "It just… would be bad if you got sick…" Kíli hoped that his face hadn't turned red. He really liked her but he was too shy to say so. Kíli never felt so shy in all of his life, why did he feel shy with her? He thought about it for a few moments. The best explanation he thought of was because he didn't want to be rejected by her. He was not terribly handsome in Dwarven standards nor was he anything special.

Enda looked at him with a smile. Kíli saw her naivety, if she didn't notice that he treated her with more affection than he would ever even shown, she had to be blind to it. How could she even really understand romance, she was raised with no one to show her what love is. In that fact though Kíli was raised by his uncle and he never had any real idea of romance before. Kíli shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about this. She was comfortable around him now and he didn't want to make things awkward between them.

"What's on your mind?" Enda asked as she watched her friend. He seemed lost.

"Um… I was just thinking. Over thinking really… I'm only causing more problems that weren't there before…" Kíli said. He really wished he could read her mind. He wanted to know if she felt the same as him. Did she feel the same sparks and the butterflies whenever they touched? Did her stomach twist when he smiled at her? He wondered if she ever thought of kissing him. He wondered what a kiss would be like. He shook his head again. He saw Fíli's gentle smile.

"Watch out!" Dwalin suddenly yelled. The Dwarves all looked up and saw a huge boulder flying through the air. Enda then spotted something tossing the boulder.

"Bless me! The legends are true! Giants, Stone Giants!" Bofur said.

"This is a Thunder battle!"

"Everyone take cover!" Thorin yelled as another boulder flew towards them. It shattered on the mountain ledge above them. They all pressed against the side of the mountain to avoid getting hit by rock fragments. "We have to find shelter!"

Then the path started to split between Enda and Kíli. They leapt to avoid falling into the crack. Kíli was on the ledge that started moving. Enda's heart stopped as he was taken from her. She screamed out his name but was unable to do anything more. Enda could only watch as her two friends were taken. Fíli and Kíli were holding on to the ledge but then the Stone Giant fell a few meters in front of the group Enda was with. Fíli and Kíli were crushed more likely than not. Enda felt a sinking in her stomach.

"Fíli! Kíli!" She then ran forward, pushing past the other Dwarves and then sighed in relief when she saw them unharmed. She instantly hugged them and held to them like they would disappear again. She then helped them to their feet. Then the mountain shook again. Enda tried to steady herself but she slipped. She was falling down the mountain.

She desperately reached for anything she could grab on to. Her hand found a small hold. She held onto it tightly. She looked down and saw that if she let go she would fall at least four hundred meters. She then looked up. She was shocked to find that she only had fallen a few meters. She felt ready to scream out in panic. She quickly tried to reach her other hand to some kind of hand hold but she couldn't reach the next hand hold.

"Enda, grab my hand!" Kíli said. Enda tried her hardest to reach but she didn't have long enough arms.

"I can't!" Enda hated how high her voice had gotten. She wasn't certain if it was only the wind that stung in her eyes or only rain upon her cheeks. She was afraid. Truly afraid of falling to her death. She couldn't prove herself if she died now.

"Yes you can!" Kíli said. "Reach!" Fíli also tried to help but both of them couldn't reach her.

"I can't…" Enda heard herself sob the words.

"Come on, girl!" Thorin then reached down. His arms were longer than Kíli's so when Enda reached up he firmly caught her by the wrist. When Enda was back on the ledge with the others she felt ready to completely breakdown but she reprimanded herself. She had to be strong if she were to prove herself.

The group soon found a cave and they quickly went in.

"Search the back, caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied," Thorin said. Dwalin then lifted a lantern and found nothing hidden in the darkness.

"Let's light a fire," Glóin said.

"No fire tonight," Thorin said.

"Well so much for warming up in this dark place…" Enda said as she continued to shiver but her usual grin graced her face otherwise. She grinned simply because she was thankful to be alive. Kíli and Fíli smiled and that set Thorin off.

"Girl, you have no rights to be smiling!" Thorin growled. Enda instantly paled as Thorin glared down at her.

"Excuse me?" she squeaked out. She cursed at how weak and frightened she sounded.

"Do you not realize the burden you are? Or are you just a stupid child?"

Enda felt her temper flare and reckless, foolish boldness came from her. "What? Why are you mad at me?"

"You have been nothing but a distraction! My nephews would have never lost the ponies-"

"You've got to be fooling… Everything turned out alright-"

"Don't talk when I am!" Thorin bellowed. Enda flinched. "I know my nephews, they wouldn't have lost the ponies unless they were distracted by someone like you! A worthless girl, a child who has-"

"Uncle-" Kíli started but he was cut off.

"Don't interrupt me!" Thorin then continued his rant. "I should have known better than to allow a girl on this quest! I knew you would be more of a burden than an asset. You aren't a warrior, I can barely believe that you're a hunter either. You didn't bring down many Wargs-"

"I brought down more than you…" Enda said harshly. Enda thought this was more of a thunder battle than the one they just escaped.

"You are blatantly disrespectful. But of course you wouldn't know how to be civil, you were raised a traitor. Your father wouldn't be proud of you though… You know that. He would look down at you and see that you aren't a warrior like he trained you to be, you let your family die! You were too weak to save them!"

Enda looked down as guilt and self-doubt filled her. Everything Thorin had said to her was like driving knives into her soul, at first she was able to pretend it didn't hurt but now that he opened an old wound that she had tried so hard to stitch together, she was near to breaking down. She stood still her fists were clenched tightly. She felt the tears stinging her eyes. She couldn't let herself cry now or else she would prove her weakness to him. She forced herself to keep a rigid appearance.

"Uncle, stop!" Kíli said.

"Let her alone," Fíli said. But Thorin was not going to relent because his nephews said so.

"You are too busy distracting my nephews to see the importance in this quest! You are not anything more than a weak child- a burden and you will never have a place amongst us!" Thorin yelled. Enda visibly tensed as he yelled at her but other than that made no movement.

"A burden that never should have been bothered with…" Thorin hissed and then walked away.

Enda didn't move. It took all of her will power not to run away. She had to face her judgment or else she would have to wander as an exile. She could hardly breathe. She saw truth in what he said even if she stretched it a little so it would fit. She wasn't worth much. She was a child, weaker than the others, disrespectful, inexperienced, a distraction. She could see herself as a burden.

Kíli then felt a burning anger in his chest. He had never seen Enda so wounded looking, although she stood rigid, he could see the pain she had felt at those words. If he had not fancied Enda he would have never thought that he would do anything to defend her.

"Thorin!" Kíli said angrily. He felt his body trembling in rage. The Dwarf in question turned around, shocked. Kíli had always been respectful to him, the younger Dwarf always wanted to make him proud. Kíli glared at him.

"You can't treat her like that! She is important and she is valuable! Maybe you don't see it but that's because you're pigheaded!"

"Kíli?"

"You purposely have brought her pain! What sort of man are you? I always thought you were wise and fair and just! But you have purposely brought her down… If that's the sort of person you are, I'm sorry I ever wanted to be like you…"

Thorin looked shocked. Kíli then went to Enda after sending his uncle another disgusted look. Fíli went to his uncle to try and make sure that no more anger could be spread.

"Enda?" Kíli then took Enda's hands in his own and he brought her down to sit with him. She tried to pull away but Kíli wouldn't allow it. "Enda, please don't do this. I don't want you to be upset. "Don't listen to Thorin, he's just frustrated since Gandalf isn't with us… He didn't mean what he said. He is just taking out his anger and words of anger never are from the heart."

"Please just leave me alone…" Enda said her voice was hardly over a whisper.

"Enda please don't take anything he said to heart." Kíli wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held onto her. "Enda, you are strong and brave…" One of his hands went to her face and he gently tilted her chin up so she would have to look at him. He looked into her watery eyes. "You are valuable even if Thorin doesn't see it…"

Enda gave Kíli a soft smile. She then felt his lips upon her forehead. She felt like she could fly and she wished that this moment would last forever. She hugged him and he held her close. He smiled softy and they sat like that for a few moments.

Then the ground started to rumble and it completely opened from under them. They plummeted a good distance down and Enda could stop her shriek of horror before they landed. She saw that they had landed in a cage like structure and she saw many Goblins coming towards them.

The Goblins easily overpowered them and took the weapons from the Dwarves and then dragged them away. Enda didn't see what happened to Bilbo but he was not with them. Her worries weren't with him though. They were dragged to a town and over terribly unstable bridges. Everything reeked of decay.

They soon found themselves standing before a huge Goblin who had a crown of bone upon his head. Although he was a disgusting sight, fat and warty, she couldn't look away. She felt ready to vomit for she had never seen such a repulsive creature. He spoke to Thorin for a few minutes before he pointed to Enda.

"If you won't talk we'll make them squawk! We'll start with the youngest."

"Whoa ugly!" Enda said in shock.

"Ugly?" he asked. "Did you hear that little Dwarfling? He says we're ugly!" The Goblin laughed then and Enda felt the urge to run but she couldn't. "Perhaps he wouldn't think us so ugly with a few scars to mar his young features. Take them to the prisons!" the Goblin king ordered. He then pointed to Enda. "Put him in a separate cell but leave him there until I come down."

Enda and the others were all pushed down a dark tunnel and then herded into separate cells. Enda was the only one to not have another one with her. She sat alone in the dim cell. The only area that had bars to look out from was the door. The walls formed a tiny room and a small area had been hollowed out of the wall, only big enough for someone to sleep in. Enda took her coat and jerkin off knowing that if she was going to be whipped it would only get in the way and they would take them and find the few knives that she had hidden in them maybe she could plan an escape.

She heard the other Dwarves muttering and grumbling only to be hushed by Thorin.

"Enda you had to criticize the Goblin…" Thorin said with a sigh.

Enda rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her. She did it only because she knew she would cry if she wasn't going to be sarcastic. "Well I'm only a useless child! What did you expect?" Enda gave a rather unladylike snort. "Maybe they will rid me as a burden…"

"Enda-" Thorin sighed but was cut off as the Goblin king came down.

"Well, well. I hope you didn't miss me too much…" Enda scoffed. "Dwarfling, I don't know if you will handle punishment, so I will give you the chance to choose someone to take your place…"

"I am a Dwarf and I can handle whatever you will do to me. I was the one who insulted you, lardy, and I will take the punishment." Enda forced herself to be brave, she would not let her friends get hurt for her actions.

"No, I will take it!" Kíli said. "Don't hurt my friend!"

The Goblin king ignored Kíli's outburst. "Such a noble youngling, both foolish but brave. I will oblige to your wishes. I let you have a choice but you chose not to let your friends get hurt for your stupidity. Oakenshield, I know I will get the knowledge I want. I will break the child and I'll break you, unless you are completely heartless."

The Goblin king then opened the door to Enda's cell and then had two of his Goblins drag her out. Enda jerked out of the Goblins grasps and walked forward with a bravery that she faked.

"Such a young one… You haven't even the slightest trace of a beard. And you are also so scrawny, I shouldn't have much trouble breaking you," the Goblin king said as he examined Enda. His hand was uncomfortably grasping Enda's jaw. Enda glared up defiantly to him. She felt ready to be sick but she refused to be, she had to be strong.

Enda was led into a room that stank worse than anything else in this foul place. The scent of death and decay and blood filled Enda's nostrils. Enda forced herself to keep bile down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her mouth. She then felt her arms get pulled, she tried to fight it but the Goblin king clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Enda instantly stopped her struggle, afraid that if she was weak the Goblin would take one of her companions. The Goblins then cuffed her wrists in chains that were welded into the wall. Her legs were also chained.

"Now where shall we start? Perhaps that childish face of yours…" The Goblin king pulled a knife out and Enda's eyes widened. The Goblin king smirked down at her. "Yes, I think I shall start with the face."

Enda tried to turn her face away but the Goblin king pressed his hand on her head so she couldn't move away. She closed her eyes as she felt cold iron upon her left cheek. She then felt a piercing pain and the knife trailed down her face leaving, a trail of blood in its wake. She grit her teeth together not allowing herself to make a noise. Warm liquid covered her face.

A relief briefly crossed over her when the Goblin moved his hand away but it was only for a short time.

"On second thought, I don't think I shall continue with your face. I want to see your fair face as it twists in pain. I will finish later though, don't you worry." Enda felt an involuntary shiver creep up her spine. She despised this Goblin, the glee in his voice at plotting her pain made her feeling even more sick.

"Bring the cat-o-nine…" the king ordered. One of the Goblins then grabbed the ugliest and scariest looking whip that Enda had ever seen. She had seen whips for her father owned one that had a single long cord but this had nine and all of them were knotted. Enda knew it would shred her skin.

"I have an option for you, boy. Tell me what your quest is and I will not harm you. But if you refuse to tell me I will get it out of you by any means necessary."

"I would never tell you anything," Enda said, glaring at him, hoping that she looked hard and intimidating, like a Dwarf ought to be.

"I beg to differ, but stubbornness is the Dwarven way. I have tried to stop this but I will do whatever it takes to get you to talk. You will beg for it to end…"

"I will never beg to you!" Enda said angrily.

"If you wish to think that…" The Goblin paused. "This will never do." He pulled her ponytail making her head jerk back a little bit.

"No, not my hair!" Enda shouted. Her eyes widened. Hair was a Dwarf's pride and she didn't differ at all. She had always felt proud for her hair was long and coppery brown hair just like her mother's.

"Without it you'll have nothing…" The Goblin mock pouted. "Poor little Dwarfling." The Goblin then handed the knife to another Goblin. "Cut his hair. I think that should suffice…" The king poked the base of Enda's neck right above where her silver clasp kept her hair in a ponytail. "It'll take a long time for it to ever grow back in its glory."

"Yes your malevolence!" The Goblin then walked towards Enda. Enda closed her eyes as she felt the knife cut her hair off. She felt tears prick her eyes when she heard the clasp fall to the ground. She lost her hair and knew it would take a long time to grow back. Enda refused to cry though. She couldn't be weak, not now. She refused to be weak whenever anyone would be there to witness it.

"Much better. It's very short and ragged. Now we'll have an easier time…"

The Goblin king then cut the back of her shirt and pulled it away so his whip would make direct contact with her skin. He then noticed the cloth that was wrapped around Enda's chest. "A woman!" He sounded shocked but Enda could see the obvious delight that filled his face. "This will be more entertaining than I anticipated. There are more ways to break a woman…"

Enda's eyes widened in fear and disgust. She forced herself to keep the bile from coming up and she clenched her fists. Her nails bit deep into her palm.

"I shall save that for later…Now let's let the whip sting upon your skin."

Enda closed her eyes and prepared herself as best as she could for the pain. She set her jaw so she wouldn't scream. She couldn't hold back a whimper as the whip tore across her back. Her whimpers became louder and more pain filled with each lash. Tears streamed down her face and she couldn't stop them from coming. After the twenty or so lashes Enda let out a yelp and the king stopped. Enda was ready to pass out. The pain was overwhelming.

"Just one last thing and then we can be done for the day…" The Goblin then dipped his knife into a yellow oily liquid. He then unchained Enda's right arm and held it in his hand.

"This is so you will always remember the pain that stubbornness brings. Tomorrow what is left on you will be much worse, I promise." The Goblin smiled sadistically and then he brought the knife down into her arm.

Enda felt burning pain in her arm as the Goblin cut her arm. She couldn't contain her scream, the pain was worse than any of her other injuries. She then did the thing she was determined not to do, she begged for it to end.

"Please! Stop, make it stop!" she screamed. Her vision then blurred and she was starting to pass out. She continued to beg not knowing if the Goblin had stopped or not. All she could feel was the intense burning in her arm. She then lost consciousness.

Kíli was alert when he heard the screaming. He instantly went to the door and looked through the bars wishing to break free. Enda was hurt and he needed to help her. The screams then stopped and that caused almost more fear. He saw two Goblins dragging Enda, who was now motionless and the tossed her into her cell. They left ignoring Kíli as he shouted curses at them.

Thorin placed his hand upon Kíli's shoulder and he instantly fell quiet. He heard weak sobs and whimpers from Enda's cell.

"Enda?" Kíli asked. "Enda, can you hear me? Please say something! Please!" Enda didn't make any more sounds, all was silent. Kíli then felt a sob fill his chest. "Oh Mahal! They've killed her!"

"She's unconscious, Kíli. Don't work yourself up… You can be of no use if you work yourself into hysteria!"

"I can't lose her…" Kíli sobbed out. "I can't!"

Thorin placed his hand upon his nephew's shoulder and Kíli cried into his uncle's shoulder. The elder Dwarf embraced Kíli and the latter eventually calmed a little.

Kíli only quieted because he had run out of tears and he was now in numb state. He still felt the sobs that shook his body but his only thoughts were if Enda was still alive and what had the Goblins done to her. He fell to his knees and felt Fíli's arms around his shoulder but heard nothing that Fíli said was processed in Kíli's mind. If Enda died Kíli knew he would never be able to recover from the pain.

Hey everybody! I warned you that it would be dark. I don't know if it was too dark so please feel free to let me know. I hope that you did (for lack of a better word) enjoy it though. I hope that I did not turn away readers because of this.

Please review! I really want your opinions on this chapter. Also I want to know if the characters, especially Kíli and Enda are believable with their feelings and thoughts and behaviors.

Again thank you to those who have read this and have followed and reviewed! I always feel like I'm appreciated when I see that I have people reading my work.

~ Maethorni