Chapter 10
Escape from Goblintown
We were pushed by Goblins as other goblins came carrying instruments of torture. The Great Goblin started to dance as he sang. I almost fell and grabbed Dwalin gently. He looked at me and pulled me to his side, keeping an arm around me.
"Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung. You will lie down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin-town." Great Goblin sang. I heard a scream and look to see orcist laying open on the pathway.
"Not good." I said as goblins screamed in fear and the Great Goblin runs rapidly to his throne, trampling goblins on his way.
"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks." The great goblins said. Whips cracked and goblins snatch me from Dwalin's arms.
"Get off me." I said, throwing a goblin off and more piled on.
"Vanya!" Dwalin, Fili and Kili yelled as I felt a pain over my back as a whip hits. I grit my teeth in pain.
"Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head! And kill the she-elf." Great Goblin yelled. I saw Thorin get tackled and I was brought down to my knees. I look to see a goblin get a knife ready. Dwalin was struggling to get to me, but a shockwave rips through the area, sending goblins flying and I landed on my back. It stopped and I sat up. I could feel the pain in my back. A pointy hat emerges form the smoke.
"Gandalf." I said.
"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" Gandalf said. I jump to my feet and ran to the weapons.
"Dwalin!" I yell, throwing him his axes. He caught them as I grab my sword and bow and arrows. I pull my sword out of its holder. It was glowing blue along with Gandalf's and Thorin's.
"He wields the Foe-Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!" Great Goblin said. I slashed at Goblins as they came. I met someone's back as I backed up.
"Up for a killing competition, lass." Dwalin said.
"Who kills the most goblins. Of course." I said. Dwalin smirked. We got in fighting stances and started killing. I stabbed a goblin as it flies at me. I counted in my head.
"Nori!" Dori yelled. I see Nori laying on the ground and the Great Goblin coming at him, swinging his mace. I run up to him and swing my blade, deflecting the Great Goblins blow. I watch as the Great Goblin stumble backwards and falls off the edge, falling into the depths below. I block an attack from a goblin and Dwalin hacked it down. I smiled at him and he returned it. We were going to make it out of here.
"Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf said. I slash at four goblins at once to make a path and we ran down the pathway leading away from the throne room. We through suspended passageways with goblins running after us. "Quickly!"
"Faster!" Thorin yelled. WE see several goblins running at us from in front.
"Post!" Dwalin yelled. Dwalin, Gloin, Oin, and Bifur cut the post and hold it out in front of them. "Charge!" Dwalin and the dwarves charge the goblins and sweep them away with the long rail.
"That only counts as one!" I call out to Dwalin. The dwarves look at us and I saw Dwalin roll his eyes as he pulls out his axes and begins to knock aside goblins. I slashed at goblins as they came, kicking some off the platform.
"Cut the ropes!" Thorin yelled. I saw goblins swinging at us from ropes. Thorin, Dwalin, and I cut the ropes holding a raised platform in place. The platform falls outward entangling the goblins. Several goblins start shooting at arrows at Kili. I pull out my bow and shoot the goblin archers as Kili uses a ladder as a shield. I put my bow back on my holster for my arrows as Kili brings the ladder down on goblins. Dwarves grab on and start running with the goblins still trapped. We approach a missing area of the path. We drop the ladder to use as a bridge. We ran across it and I was the last one off. I kick the ladder down into the darkness taking the goblins with it. Dwalin grabs my hand to stop me from falling and holds it as we run.
"Quickly!" Gandalf yelled. We continue to run through the maze like paths when we get to a section of the path suspended by ropes from above. I slice the ropes and the pathway swings away from the rest of the path approaching another path.
"Jump!" Thorin yelled. Dwalin, Thorin, and others jump on the other path, but the rest of us with Gandalf were still on the path as it swings back. I see goblins jump onto the path. It swings back to the others and we jump off with Fili cutting the ropes so the path falls. We continue to run though the tunnels, killing goblins as we went. Dwalin was a skilled fighter with his axes. Everyone was equally skilled, but my eyes were set on Dwalin as I killed. Gandalf strikes a rock above us with his staff, causing the rock to fall down and begin rolling in front of the Company, squashing all the goblins in their way. We approach a bridge between two walls of the cavern. As we cross it, the Great Goblin breaks through the bridge from underneath and pulls himself up onto the bridge. We come to a stop.
"You thought you could escape me?" Great Goblin said, swinging his mace at Gandalf. Gandalf stumbles back and Dwalin and Thorin catch him. "What are you going to do now, wizard?" With Thorin and Dwalin's help, Gandalf leaps forward and strikes the Great Goblin in the eye with his staff. The Great Goblin drops his mace and clutches his face in pain. Gandalf slices the Goblin's belly and the Great Goblin falls to his knees, clutching his belly. "That'll do it." Gandalf swings his sword and slices the Great Goblin's neck, causing him to fall down dead. I scream as the bridge starts shaking and the section of the bridge that we were standing on breaks away and starts sliding down the side of the cavern. I held onto a section of bridge as it falls. We land at the base of the cavern and I land on top of Dwalin.
"Ye alright lass?" Dwalin asked, moving hair out of my face.
"I'm fine. Are you?" I ask. Dwalin nods.
"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur said. I groan as the Great Goblin's body lands on top of us, pushing me into Dwalin.
"You've got to be joking." Dwalin said.
"I wouldn't mind this if we weren't in this situation." I groan as more pain rips through my back. Dwalin chuckled and gets out helping me to my feet.
"Gandalf!" Kili yelled. Dwalin and I look up and see thousands of goblins running towards us.
"There's too many! We can't fight them!" Dwalin said, helping me step down and onto the rock.
"Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on! Here, to your feet!" Gandalf said. I help get the dwarves out of the rubble and we run away after Gandalf. Dwalin and I stayed close together. We saw daylight seeping through a hole and ran towards it. We came outside and ran down the hill. Gandalf counting as we came. I stopped and caught my breath. Dwalin came up to me.
"How many?" Dwalin asked.
"50." I said. Dwalin swore in dwarvish. "What about you?"
"49." Dwalin said.
"You are an excellent fighter, master dwarf." I said. Dwalin gave a rare smile.
"So are ye, lass." Dwalin said, coming up to me. I looked into his gray eyes as he studied me. He leans forward, but we were interrupted.
"Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?" Gandalf asked. We looked around. Bilbo wasn't among us.
"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin asked.
"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin said.
"Don't blame me!" Dori said.
"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.
"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Nori said.
"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf said.
"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and 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." Thorin said. I storm up to him and slap him hard in the face. There were gasps among the dwarves.
"I've had it with your selflessness, dwarf. You don't give him enough credit, but you have to judge him and me. You won't give us both a chance to prove that we are worthy of the group while everyone else accepts us." I said. Thorin looked shocked at what I did.
"No, he's not gone." Bilbo's voice came. We turn to see Bilbo standing there. I smiled as the dwarves look up in shock and relief.
"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf said. Bilbo strides forward into the group, patting Balin on the shoulder and giving me a smile.
"Thank you Vanya for standing up for me." Bilbo said.
"Your welcome." I said.
"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili said.
"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?" Fili asked.
"How, indeed." Dwalin said. There was an awkward silence as we waited for Bilbo to respond. He gives a nervous laugh and I noticed that he put something in his pocket.
"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf said.
"It matters! I want to know, why did you come back?" Thorin asked.
"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. Well. Besides Vanya here. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo said. I looked at Thorin.
"You know he's right." I said. Thorin nodded as the dwarves nodded and agreed. I headed towards Oin to have my back looked at but howling of wargs stopped me.
"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin said.
"And into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf said. We ran down the hill with the wargs right behind us.
AN: And I end it there. Next chapter will be a bit intense in what I got planned. Hope you enjoyed.