Chapter 10

The ground opened beneath us and we all fell through. It was a none to comfortable ride. We fell down, down, down until we landed in what looked like a cage with a ramp. That was not the worst of it! Goblins were coming forward. Our weapons were taken as were our packs. We were shoved and pushed along down the ramp and to the dwelling of the goblins.

Next to Trolls, goblins come next on my kill list.

We were brought before a large and most ugly looking goblin with a sort of crown upon his head. The King Goblin.

"Who are these miserable persons?"

"Dwarves and this elf!"

There went my secret!

I slowly turned to look upon Thorin. Hatred, anger, and betrayal were clear in his eyes. I looked down sadly and tears formed in my eyes. The Goblin King approached me.

"What is an elf doing amongst dwarves I wonder?"

"Nothing that concerns you scum!" I snarled.

The goblins proceeded to laugh.

"We found them sheltering on our Front Porch!" said a goblin.

"What do you mean by it?" said the Goblin King. "Up to no good, I shall warrant! Spying upon the private business of my people! Perhaps you wish to tell me other wise?"

No one dared to speak.

"If they will not talk! We shall make them squeal! We shall start with the youngest."

No! That would mean Fili or Kili!

"NO!" came Thorin's voice.

He was pushed forward and the Goblin King smiled.

"Well, well! Thorin Oakenshield! King Under the Mountain! Oh but wait! You have no Mountain anymore! SO that makes you, nobody, really."

Thorin's face fell sadly and my anger grew.

"He is more a king then you shall ever be! Lle naa haran e' nausalle!" I snapped.

He looked at me angrily and then looked back to Thorin.

"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head! Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak. An old enemy. A pale orc astride a white warg."

My eye grew wide.

"Azog the Defiler is dead!"

The Goblin King laughed at his words.

"So you think his defiling days are done?" he looked to a small goblin at his right. "Send word to Azog I have found his prize!"

The little goblin sped off laughing evilly. I struggled against the goblins that held me.

"Azog shall never have his prize whilst I yet draw breath!" I said.

"I can fix that!"

The Goblin King walked forward but was stopped by a shriek from another goblin. Orcrist fell to the floor and the Goblin King fell backwards.

"Biter! Murderers and elf-friends! Bring me his head! Kill them all!"

"NO!" I shouted.

As Thorin was being brought forward there was a brilliant flash of light. Gandalf then came forward. Glamdring was held proudly in his hand.

"Take up arms! Fight! FIGHT!" Gandalf said.

"He wields the Foe-Hammer! The Beater!" The Goblin King shrieked.

"Follow me! Quickly!" came Gandalf's voice.

We grabbed our weapons and fought our way through. We ran along the ramps and the goblins chased after us.

"Quickly!" Gandalf called.

"HAH!"

I slashed through goblins. Dwalin and a few of the others picked up a large piece of the railing. They ran forward knocking goblins off as they did. I smiled at this. We ran forward across the ramps and saw goblin start to swing down upon ropes.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin shouted.

We did as he said and the ramp above us fell forward and the ropes with the goblins wrapped around it. Soon goblin archers came forward and Kili was blocking them with a ladder. Several of the dwarves took hold of it and they charged forward into the goblins knocking them all off. We proceeded to rung across the ladder. Well, Bombur more or less teetered across, but we made it across. As we ran forward the Goblin King jumped up in front of us knocking Gandalf back. The dwarves set him right.

"Did you really think you could escape?! What will you do now wizard?" The Goblin King laughed.

Gandalf sliced open his stomach and the Goblin King fell to his knees.

"That'll do it."

He fell forward. His combined weight upon the already fragile bridge caused it to break beneath us.

Oh no.

It went sliding down the mountain. I managed to keep my balance but barely. As we neared the ground I jumped off with Gandalf. The bridge fell a top the dwarves.

"Well that could have been worse." Bofur said.

That was when the body of the Goblin King crashed down upon them.

"You have got to be joking!" Dwalin complained.

I smiled and began to help them out.

"Gandalf!" Kili said.

I looked up and my eye widened. All of the goblins were not rushing towards us. Apparently angry for the death of their king.

"Quickly!" Gandalf said.

I pulled Fili out and we ran. The tunnels of the mountains held many twists and turns and one could easily lose their way. I was grateful for Gandalf for he knew every turn we needed to take.

"Only daylight shall save us now!" He has said.

As we ran I swore I could smell what I knew to be the scent of rotting fish and decaying flesh. I ignored this and ran out into the sunlight. As we ran Gandalf counted us.

"Where is Mr. Baggins?" Gandalf asked.

No one said anything.

"Where is our hobbit!?"

"Curse that Half-ling! Now he is lost!? I thought he was with Dori!" said Dwalin.

"Now do not blame me!" snapped Dori.

"Well where did you last see him?" Gandalf questioned.

"I saw him. He seemed to have got away but I know not where he is now." Nori said.

"I will tell you what happened! Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He has though of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our hobbit again! He is long gone." Thorin said.

He was wrong, though I dared not tell him so. I sat down and looked to the ground sadly.

"I have not gone."

I jumped up and turned to find the little hobbit standing there. I smiled so did Bofur and everyone else save Thorin.

"How did you get out?" Balin asked.

"Well I lost a lot of buttons….I…."

I saw him slip something into his pocket. Gandalf must have as well.

"What does it matter. He came 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 are right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair and my garden. See that is where I belong. That is home! And that is why I came back, because you do not have one. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo said.

I smiled and embraced the little hobbit.

"And you!" Thorin said.

Here we go!