A/N: Finally, done with this chapter. I wanted to get it up earlier, but this chapter just did not want to agree with me.
There is one small note that should be said before the chapter. I love the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter in the book and the scene is pure gold in the movie. Thus, I have absolutely nothing to add to it. So, I apologize to readers who were looking forward to that scene. Bilbo's pity moment toward Gollum is the ending scene of the chapter, though, if that gives any consolation.
Chapter Nine
or "Rest Not Required"
The fall did not seem that long. That was what Bilbo had to tell himself, or he would be doomed. Maybe, he would be more doomed trying to tell himself this would not hurt. He closed his eyes; he did not want to see the caverns tumbling by. The shocked yells of his companions echoed in the hobbit's ears. Without a thought of what to do, Bilbo twisted in the air to try to fall upright. However he landed, he did not want to land on his head. To him, that equated to death. A quick one, at least, his brain registered dully.
The landing did come sooner rather than later. Bilbo wanted to turn in the air one more time to avoid landing on his shoulder- he failed to do it on time. So, for the second time that day, his shoulder collided roughly with hard stone. He groaned and blinked his eyes to try to gain focus. It was not the most painless fall, yet it was not the most painful either. Bilbo would much rather not be well acquainted with falls.
There was no time to register the fall however. Most of the dwarves were still shocked into awakening when a hoard of goblins came running toward them. For a gracious gentlehobbit like himself, the creatures were foul to say the least. The Goblins' skin was diseased, and attacked with no lack of ferocity, a lack of morality. Bilbo gasped at his semi-blocked view and after deciding not to stand up he bent down to try to get the sword. The whole enclave they fallen into went into chaos. The Company tried to grab their supplies and weapons. However, with the jerking awakening and onslaught, it was futile.
Bilbo already had placed his little sword at his waist, though he was knocked down before he could grab it. Disorientation ruled his senses as he froze momentarily on the spot. The angry voices of everyone else spurred him to try and get up, but the flow of the bodies moved away and held him to his spot. He stood up blankly. He did not know if he should feel insulted or relieved that he was completely passed over. Bilbo noticed a few of the dwarves cast him a glance despite most being preoccupied as they attempted to escape.
Bilbo felt his hand finally reach his blade and he pulled it out. He had to help his friends. Friends…? ". . .You're part of the Company" Bofur's voice drifted back into his mind. He had just been planning to leave. Was he ready to just jump back in the adventure once he was sure he made up his mind to not? Bilbo gulped and adjusted his grip on the hilt. Of' course he was going to help his friends. Not just because there was nothing else for him to do at this point. It was because he set this adventure in his mind, and he did consider the group of dwarves as his friends.
The main problem was that he was sure any rescue attempt from him would fail miserably, especially by himself, highly implausible against a whole colony of Goblins.
That seemed not to be the case even if he had a shot at it. A stray goblin had taken noticed of him and charged. Bilbo swung his blade wildly, eyes widened in fear. He really needed to learn how to use the sword properly. He managed to parry a couple of blows, which was good. The bad news came when he failed to notice how narrow the pathway actually was. Without any further warning, Bilbo tumbled off the path and fell down to the cavernous space below.
Nori was thoroughly tired of being herded and carted off in his life. The experience he had was enough in his lifetime. It was one of the drawbacks in his line of work. The good news was that he did have experience in escaping these situations. A small difficulty, however, was that he knew for a fact goblins had no honor compared to some guards, like Dwalin for instance. His usual ways of escaping with creatures with lack of honor like these goblins will most likely leave a knife jammed in his back.
That did not stop the wily dwarf from trying. His eyes first scanned the Company to see, yes, most of them were caught. Except Mister Baggins, who Nori thought he last saw before the rest of them were dragged away. Well, he hoped for the best for the little hobbit, however well that will work for him.
He heard Ori give an indignant shout somewhere up ahead, but the other dwarf was completely blocked from his view. Anger prickled inside him like a trapped beast. No one messed with his little brother. He threw his head back to try and head-butt the goblin that was holding him. From the minimal grunt and the tightened grip, he guessed he only managed to hit the shoulder. That would not do. Nori attempted to spot Ori again yet failed. Now that he focused on it, he could feel the scared waves coming off in drones.
The next tactic was to try to pull his arm free, and he kicked back hard on the shins. That mostly worked and was given some relief when the grip finally loosened. He yanked his arm free and rammed his elbow to the goblin's face. After his hand was free Nori reached for the knife he always had hidden away. He cursed under his breath when he failed to find the trusty blade. Their captors were smarter than he thought. They took it away from him. Claw like fingers sunk into his arm and he did his best not to call out. Shit, that hurt.
He was really losing his touch if this was the best attempt he could do. Nori sighed in frustration and kicked a rock to the back of the head of another goblin. At least, that was a little satisfying.
Kili could not remember the last time he was scared. Well, he did, but he never let fear get to him. It was how he coped, and honestly, there was hardly times where there was need to be terrified. No, the young dwarf was not now. All the settled fears were blocked by a surge of frustration.
The one thing that always proved true was it was impossible to hold Kili still, especially when it was against his will. He stopped abruptly and the goblin directly behind bumped into him. The closeness was the opposite of comfort, yet he took the momentarily surprised goblin to his advantage. He dug his elbow into the creature's gut. Kili had a moment of satisfaction and pulled away with a stomp on his captor's feet for good measure.
The unfortunate side was that he forgot how clustered everybody was. His shoulder jammed with the closest living object- he did not see if it was dwarf or goblin. Kili quickly lost his footing after that and stumbled to the ground. These were the times where he specially hated being a klutz.
Something hit him hard from behind and his head throbbed at the sudden impact. The dark-haired dwarf groaned in pain while more goblins came to pull him back up.
"KILI!" The dwarf in question growled in frustration. Fear finally seeped through his barriers because he will be damned if Fili got hurt trying to protect him. He glanced backward to meet the worried blue eyes. Another goblin grabbed the other dwarf's blonde locks to stop him from advancing. Kili smiled at his brother in reassurance that he was alright. It turned into a grimace as the newly acquired headache asserted itself. Well, that plan failed.
Bifur tried knocking some teeth out before he was overwhelmed. Did goblins even have any teeth left anyway? They were deprived maniac monsters. This did not bring back any positive memories, in fact, it was just the opposite. The dwarf kicked out and flailed while trying to escape. A hand managed to strike a goblin and pull away prior to being bitten in return. His brain registered that the goblins were communicating with each other, yet he ignored the warning. The next second, a few claws and fists tore at his clothes. Shadows of dark experiences peeked at the edge of his vision. The dwarf would have gone over the deep end but familiar words of comfort came from one of his cousins.
He threw one more punch for good measure but decided to calm down. He felt disappointed now that his head cleared up. He had gotten better over the years, but it could not be helped sometimes. Before his hands were bound again, Bifur gave a quick signal in hopes someone would notice it. Bofur, who was still looking at him, smiled, but his attention was taken away a moment later. Feeling as satisfied as he could be, he growled a few curses under his breath.
They moved to a makeshift bridge in the cavern. They were moving slowly as all the dwarves insisted on putting up a fight, much to the goblin's chagrin. The whole Company was disarmed, so it was fruitless on most cases. It gave some satisfaction though in the knowledge until they got a better chance to escape.
Once on the bridge, Bofur started humming, which caught the goblins, and some of his companions off guard. The cheery dwarf had a sly smile on his face and once the majority was confounded to the sound his shoulder jarred into the nearest goblin and pushed the creature off the bridge. This shocked them even more and the dwarf managed to do one other before a whip sliced into his arm.
Bifur hummed at the success, but he will have to keep an eye on that goblin to make sure it paid for harming his family. Nori and a couple of the others gave Bofur a small nod of approval.
The moments to their final destination seemed to go on forever. It did cross a few of their minds to stop fighting and save their strength for when they actually had an opening to escape. The Company was of dwarves though, and they were all too stubborn to stop and gather their thoughts.
Eventually, the goblins and their detainees did reach the epicenter of the goblin caverns. An eerie light from the countless torches glowed down on them. If it was possible the burn made the place seem darker- not in the amount of light but from the lack of warmth. When they reached the small space in front of the Great Goblin, the dwarves finally managed to get closer together and close the ranks while the goblins that grabbed them made their report to the throne. A few stood guard around the huddles group.
At the back, Thorin tilted his head in askance toward Dwalin who gave the briefest of nods in return. Both the seasoned warriors' eyes scanned the area for the opening. All they needed was an opening to take their lead. The probability they did that with the absence of major injury seemed low. Patience- the one thing some dwarven warriors lacked but would be practiced now.
A few words were exchanged between some of the dwarves as the checked to see who was alright and who wasn't. Bofur's arm was bleeding and Kili kept clutching his head; Gloin was massaging his shoulder while Balin checked his side for any scratches. Words of comfort spread through the group like warm water, yet everyone turned to glare at the Great Goblin when he addressed them. They all refused to answer; the glare only intensified.
The goblins hoarded in to do more body checks, although the dwarves already had all their weapons confiscated. Oin had his ear trumpet yanked out of his hands, and it was promptly stomped flat. The healer kept his head and to try to distract himself he attempted to locate his healing bag. That was the most important thing to grab once he had the chance. The whole Company would be worn out and injured at this rate by the end of the recent events.
Once the Great Goblin was satisfied that his prisoners were unarmed of their weapons he leered back at them. A dark grin passed his face. "I'll ask nicely once again." The voice was deep with twisted sarcasm. "What are you doing here?" More glares and stubborn looks was the main answer.
"Very well, if we can't make them talk. . ." He paused, for dramatic effect or actually thinking, the captive dwarves decided not to guess. "Start with the youngest!"
Angry shouts erupted forward. Both Dori and Nori shoved their way to the front and pulled Ori protectively behind them. They lashed out at any further attempts to grab their little brother. Nori used an old trick he learned to attack the neck, while Dori almost tossed a goblin off the platform they were on. Beside them, Fili moved to the front and punched the goblin who tried to stop him in the nose. He stepped in front of Kili and found his brother's hand to give a reassuring squeeze. The youngest Durin muttered under his breath, "I'm fine." Fili gave a sharp glance behind him. He could feel Kili shaking behind him.
The Great Goblin seemed amused by the protective displays, but before he could get another order out another voice cut through the air.
"Wait!" Thorin stepped to the front of the group relatively easily, few blocked his way. A murderous look crossed his face. The distraction succeeded as all the focus turned to the dwarf prince. He had not planned to say anything, so he kept the demeaning appearance up in the meantime. As long as he could keep the focus off of any harm coming to his Company.
"Well, well, well." The Great Goblin glowered down at Thorin. Nothing could beat the expression on the exiled royalty's face. He had held his most intimidating and angry glare to somebody who actually deserved it and the large goblin in front of him made the check.
"Look who we have here. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain." The Great Goblin gave a mock bow toward him. Thorin really wished he had his sword on him so he could cut off the thing's head. He saw it to his right but diving for it would most likely end with a blade in his own neck.
"But wait a moment. You don't have a mountain, and you're not a king either. That makes you… nobody really."
'That bastard. . .' Now, he felt his hand itch in urge to snatch the blade. Thorin almost completely disregarded the next words being said. No one got away with insulting his pride like that. What was said next was hard to ignore however.
The thought of his sworn enemy still alive would have sent normal people to a sense of dread. The feeling that welled up inside Thorin though at mention of Azog being alive, which he did not fully believe, was a tumbling rage. He really needed to kill something now, preferably this goblin. Thorin felt all the eyes of his company on him, reminding him he could not to anything irrational. He would not allow anybody to suffer from his urge. Holding back took strong willpower, nonetheless he contained it.
Once the Great Goblin dismissed getting answers and instead headed next toward torture, the decision was made to separate the dwarves as much as possible. This was far from a simple task. Bombur successfully managed to tackle down his first captor, though he was overwhelmed once he got back up. Bifur managed to punch the goblin as it raised a ravaged knife toward his cousin. At the other end, Dwalin moved closer to where Thorin was at the front. Balin got his brother's back and blocked anybody from successful efforts to try and stop him. The tattooed dwarf backhanded a few goblins until at least five came to round him off.
Nori and Dori both agreed to sandwich Ori safely between them. The two fought well together while on the same wave length. The young scribe meanwhile had grabbed a few tiny pebbles to throw. Even without the slingshot, his aim was still true enough for worthy distraction. If they were bigger they would have done reasonable damage. After a goblin was finally successfully thrown over by Dori, the silent agreement was made to hold the three brothers close together.
Fili pulled Kili close to his side, which earned a tired and thankful glare from the younger of the two. They both managed to hold off anybody separating them. Kili kicked an approaching goblin in the eye, while Fili helped sustain his brother's balance and trip another goblin. A hand that got past the initial defenses grabbed Kili's dark locks and caused him to cry in pain.
"No!" Fili was obstructed from defending his brother. The moments distraction was enough to pull the two brothers apart. "Kee!"
"I'm fine." The dwarf repeated in the same exhausted tone from the first time. Kili wanted the constant assault on his head to stop.
The backlash stemmed off once the dwarves were quarantined by some distance from each other. There was one, or several, goblins to each dwarf and the Company caught their breath. Desperate and angry glances were shared among the dwarves. They had to wait for another opening once more.
It was not long before the sound of clanking and rolling torture device, whatever it was, reached their ears. Over half the company had adopted Thorin's murderous look. Ori visibly paled, while Kili kept sending anxious looks toward Fili.
A goblin wondered off to inspect the weapons. It picked up Orcrist and once it recognized the blade, dropped the sword in shock and feat. The Great Goblin took notice as well and fell back into his throne.
"I know that sword! It's the Goblin Cleaver!" The closest goblins also stumbled back from the store of weapons. Thorin felt a strange sense of pride at his sword and took the moment to sock the nearest goblin in the face. That was satisfying.
What happened next was a scramble as they decided not to wait to hold back toward their prisoners. Calls of anger and pain came up from both sides. Whips lashed out at the dwarves as the Company maneuvered as one closer to the stash of now unguarded weapons.
A powerful gust of energy erupted into the area, knocking everyone down and taking the lights out with it. Heads popped up to see the newcomer and the dwarves were filled with hope at the sight of Gandalf. The wizard had sword and staff in hand.
"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" The rest of the Company did not need to be told twice. They had enough of being captive to the goblins' will. Everyone had grabbed their weapons and supplies they could manage before the goblins snapped out of their stunned states.
Weapons back in hand gave the dwarves a sense of security. Not that they did not know any hand-to-hand or self-defense combat. They trained most extensively, however, with their weapons of choice and losing one was like losing an arm.
So, once they got the extendable limb back, they were vicious creatures to behold. This was not a full out battle, as much as some of the dwarves wanted to get their energy out. The fact was they were vastly outnumbered and not in their environment. The warped caverns were as close as they came to their familiar mountain environment, which did not stop the fact their 'hosts' knew the paths better.
The Company made an escape path rather easily. Gandalf was at the front with clear direction in his step. None of the dwarves questioned how he knew where he was going. There was no time. The quickest way to dispatch any goblins was thrust them off the pathways in one fashion or another. Thorin and Gandalf took direction at the front of the group, and Dwalin took control for the back.
"Left!" Thorin shouted to Ori, who turned on his heel to fire a shot. Since the goblin was flying through the air it landed dazed and stumbled off the ledge. The small dwarf gave a grim smile of satisfaction and ducked to avoid another incoming blow. A knife soared over his head and embedded into the goblin's chest. Ori glanced behind him, and Fili gave a small smile. The blonde dwarf was pushed ahead by Kili on the terms that he was suffocating his brother by not letting him properly defend himself. He still needed to get his restless protective energy out, and Ori was the best choice.
Wherever the whole group crossed any sort of bridge, the last person across would knock it down to avoid further pursuit. The biggest threat of ambush came from above. One goblin almost landed on Oin's back except the healer gave a jolting hit to the creature's gut before it could get a proper hold. The goblin fell back and was pushed off the ledge by Balin. Bombur was not as lucky, he took a bite to the shoulder before he rammed into the wall to make the goblin fall off. The rotund dwarf ached from the constant barrage his body took so far. First against a mountain, then down into the mountain, and now a siege of goblins. There was no reason to enjoy this night. He took his frustration out on thrusting his knives in the next nearest goblin. The ginger-haired dwarf had a look of distance cross his features. He had to make sure to clean his blades properly before preparing the next meal.
There were too major factors that played within each of the dwarves, and the two counteracted each other. The first was pent up irritated energy. With the night everyone was having, first weather, then giants, now goblins, it was good for them to get out and be able to fight back and release that energy. There was no sour feeling, and if it were not the frantic need to escape the Company would quite enjoy this exercise. Bifur did remember the goblin that hurt his family and quickly dispatched it by means of spear in stomach. Dwalin made swift progress with his axes, similarly, Gloin had equal to little trouble.
The second major factor, stemmed from the same sources as the extra energy, was everyone was exhausted. The average sleep time for the night by the dwarves was a little less than an hour. Some did not get any proper sleep at all. And the two factors did not correlate well together. Gandalf was generally unaware of this, and Thorin was stubborn, so the pace for escape was set rather high with the two leading. Not that anybody complained. The common sense factor said the quicker they got out the quicker they could go back to sleep. Then there was the dwarf factor, which put the amount of stubbornness in the dwarves and simply a little extra high-adventure would be good for them.
Despite the two contrasting dynamics, good headway was made relatively quickly. Fatigue burned the dwarves' sides and once they got to the major bridge they were blocked off. The Great Goblin again stood before them. He did now the passage ways better, and no one would escape him this easily.
"What will you do now, wizard?"
Gandalf, who was thrown back momentarily, stepped forward. He never was one to get angry at simple taunts, but he was certainly determined to shut the Great Goblin up. In answer, Gandalf swung Glamdring and sliced open the goblin's gut. There was a muted cheer behind him. The dwarves were too mature and tired to do anything else.
"That will do it." The wizard did another of the blade for good measure. The collapse of the head goblin shook the bridge, and the Company gave a nervous glance down. No time to do anything else, as the next second the whole bridge disconnected and plummeted down. The shock caused throaty screams to erupt. Everyone who was standing hunkered down and grabbed and handhold they could. A bridge was not built to be a sled, and planks flew off and made the surface area smaller and smaller. There was time to cast some glances at Gandalf, to see if he could slow the thing down because this speed was not the safest. The caverns provided the eventual slow; the close walls cupped the bridge-sled and slowed it to a halt before a final short plunge. The group, dazed, stayed in the broken remains while trying to regain breath. On a whole, no one sustained anymore injuries.
"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur chimed up as he started to try and drag himself out between the broken planks.
The Great Goblin fell from above and landed on the mangled bridge. Everyone who had not gotten out from the wreckage, which was all members besides Gandalf, had their breath beaten hard out of them. A few bones may have creaked from the strain of the weight.
"You got to be joking."
Bilbo had to get out of here, but he begun to lose hope. His newly acquired ring on his finger kept him invisible to be getting caught. However, as far as he knew, he was still solid and the path in front of him was blocked by the creature Gollum. The hobbit did not know if this was even the exit. He took the hunch to follow Gollum to the exit. He knew these tunnels and if he thought Bilbo would escape he would go to the exit. And, Bilbo did see light down the tunnel. What he did not know was if it was a ruse, and if trying to get by risked it.
A shout of voices, familiar voices, came into hearing distance and soon came into view. Bilbo felt relief rush through him and he instinctually raised his hand. His friends were safe! And Gandalf was there too, which a comforting relief filled him at the thought of the wizard joining him right now.
Of' course, Bilbo was remained invisible and the whole Company sprinted past. They were leaving without him! But they were going toward the light- he knew that much, and Gandalf would not lead them further into the mountain or danger. It was the exit.
Bilbo took a few steps forward. Gollum had hid behind the rocks once he heard the group pass, yet he still blocked the way. Bilbo took his little sword in hand and stepped forward. There was nothing else he could do; he could do this. He stepped closer and raised the blade. It would be best to put the creature out of its misery. Bilbo could have been eaten!
He drew the sword back, but right when he gathered all his resolve Gollum turned his head. A shot of fear coursed through him even if he was still safely concealed. Then he saw the desolate sadness in those wide eyes. The resolve in Bilbo faltered. He could not do it. Gollum was despicable and pathetic, yet he could not do it. A welling of pity swelled in his chest. How sad was it, to live in these caves beneath the goblins, alone?
"True courage is not knowing when to take a life . . . but when to spare one." Gandalf's words floated back into his head. And the wizard was right.
Bilbo let out a small breath. No, he could not do it. He took a few steps back for a running start then jumped over Gollum and the rocks. His foot collided with Gollum's face, and the hobbit heard the calls of anger follow after him once he started running after the others. Bilbo did not look back.
A/N: This chapter was a pain to write, but I wanted to get it done with, and I am happy enough to put it up.
A few extra notes to translate my decisions on the chapter: About the youngest, in the movie, it made clear it was speaking of Ori. Yet, both he and Kili are standing right next to each other, so it could be easy without camera focus to assume it was either of them. And Dori, Nori and Fili will make sure anybody who threatens their little brothers die a very, very painful death. Also, I figured it was more realistic for more injuries to occur then in the book or movie. Skilled dwarves or no, largely outnumbered someone will get hurt.
And Bilbo has the ring! I know Tolkien has edited his works and terminology through his lifetime (and more editors correcting it after he passed) and is not the same for all his books. All the words I use are from The Hobbit as they are written there. So the ring will stay as just a ring. Bilbo believes it to be a ring, not the Ring. So, it would be referred to as such since in The Hobbit the One Ring is not acknowledged as a proper noun. I hope that makes sense!
On another note, I'm done with the semester! Chapters should come out quicker. I am planning by midsummer to complete this fanfic. I cannot promise anything though because crazy things can happen, and this can turn out longer than I thought.
Review!
