C10: Broken and Bloody
"Stay Together!" Thorin yelled at everyone, his arm coming out and instinctively pushing Druili behind him.
She grabbed at Balin' arm and held on.
"Don't break formation!" She called out, knowing they'd be stronger standing together if they Goblins couldn't get to them. She even saw the other's at the back attempt to climb the cage, though the only way out from there was a deep, deep drop.
Alas, when the first Goblins started to grab at the group, they found themselves easily overpowered, each member of the company shouting and fighting their way out as best they could as one by one, they were tossed aside and separated.
"Get away!"
"Filthy Scum!"
"Get back!"
When Thorin had been pulled away from her, Druili immediately found herself grabbed by her arms and fought back.
"Get off me!" She kicked out at the goblin, but felt herself easily lifted off the ground. He tossed her sharply into the crowd behind him and she was caught by waiting, eager hands.
"Dhaalkal'daan!" The creature shouted and she felt her body hoisted again in the air, many hands grabbing at her to still her flailing limbs. Her back was arched uncomfortably as she was supported by only her lower back and arms.
"PUT ME DOWN!" She screamed as loud as she could and was surprised that somebody had heard her.
"DRU!" Fili screamed at the top of his lungs and from her upside down perspective, sought his face. She felt a familiar, warm hand grab at her arm and pull, though she felt she was being entered into a tug of war, the goblins adamant they wouldn't let her walk with the others.
"DON'T LET GO!" She finally found Fili' face, though he too was being overpowered and knocked about by the goblins as they attempted to move them forward in the hustle and bustle.
Fili spotted a goblin raise a large wooden stick, a stone crudely tied to the end.
She didn't catch the swift movement by her head, but felt a brief and intense pain as darkness came across her vision. Her hand, instantly losing grip from Fili', dropped away as her body went limp.
"NO!" Fili felt himself pulled back and had to watch as his sister' body was carried in front of the group, the large, bloody gash on her head, dripping into her hairline.
Forced to march forward, the company were led over makeshift bridges overlooking dark and dangerous caverns.
"DRU!" Kili tried to push his way to the front of the Goblin led party, keeping a close EYE on the unconscious figure held aloft by unsavoury hands. Suddenly, the creature diverted away from the group and for a moment, the figure of Dru disappeared also.
"DON'T YOU LAY A FINGER ON HER!" Fili tried desperately to fight off the hands holding him also, but turned when a voice barked back at him.
"Don't worry, I see her!" Oin called back as they rounded a treacherous path, the only safety being a net and a couple of posts.
Onward, they twisted and turned, until the dark, enclosed caverns became light and they looked around them in horror and awe when they realised where they were.
Goblin-Town.
Hundreds, maybe even thousands of Goblins littered bridges all around them. Each one screeching and shrieking for their blood to be spilled.
As they were led along the last of the bridges, Fili could see Druili again and she was beginning to stir. Her arm, weakly came up and her hand covered her face, as if trying to rouse from a deep sleep.
The company were shoved along a thicker bridge, were they could all stand. Being overlooked by the king upon his throne.
Druili' head pounded. She could hear voices and her whole body was aching. It sounded like someone was off key singing by her. She couldn't quite remember what happened, but she knew that she needed to shake her head clear of cobwebs. She felt something shift and just as she opened her eyes, felt her body fly through the air, before being caught again, in strong and sturdy arms.
"Up, lass."
She was righted almost immediately, but the light was hurting her eyes, so she could only grab on with unsteady hands as her legs began to work again.
"Where's my hammer? Did Thorin hit me over the head with it?" She placed her hand over her eyes and opened them then, attempting to see through her fingers.
"No time for jokes, lass," Dwalin' voice was low, as if he didn't want them to be heard, "we stand before royalty."
That last word was said with such disgust, Druili had to look now. Biting back the pain it brought her, she lowered her hand and gazed in front of her.
"Who would be so bold as to come armed into MY kingdom?!" A large, disgusting face loomed down at the company and Druili felt herself sway at the overpowering stench that came off this creature.
"The King of the Goblins." She hissed as the pain became unbearable and put her hand at the source. She felt something hot and wet on her fingers and pulled away to see a fine amount of blood stuck to her hands and gloves.
"I'll bloody kill those bastards!" Druili clutched at her head again, attempting to stem the flow as the pounding increased, not helped by the jostling and shoves she was receiving from all around her.
"Get in line," Dwalin ground out and tried his best to steady her and protect her body from the goblins, "get it together, woman! Don't need you keeling over again."
"Spies? Thieves? Assassins?!" The King glowered down at them from above, but it was one of his minions that caught his attention.
"Dwarves, your malevolence."
"Dwarves?" The king repeated this, as if the very word itself was excrement in his mouth.
"We found them on the front porch." The goblin minion proudly showed them off, as if they were hunting rabbits.
"Well, don't just stand there," the King threw his arm out, "Search them!"
Druili felt herself grabbed by rough hands, even though Dwalin was attempting to hold her with his own, trying to shield her.
"SOD. OFF." She barked as one particularly curious Goblin pulled at the front of her chain mail and tunic.
She was jostled again and her anger and adrenaline replaced the overpowering pain momentarily, just enough that she felt her back straighten and her legs get into a fighting stance.
"What are you doing in these parts?!" The King's voice demanded.
The goblins stopped searching them long enough for the company to answer. But none did. They each shared a quick glance with any who was closest to them, seeing if any would speak. None answered. Druili felt a swell of pride in her chest at the resolve and stubbornness of these males.
"Speak!"
Again. No answer came.
"Very well. If they will not talk...we'll make them squawk!" A cheer arose as the King turned to his subjects, each one eager to see chaos.
"Bring up the mangler! Bring up the Bone breaker!"
"Start with the youngest!" The King turned around and suddenly, his fat, large finger was pointed directly at Ori.
"NO!" Druili dove forward, avoiding hands that made to pull her back to safely. She placed herself between Ori and a particularly nasty bugger, shoving the Goblin as far away as she could.
"Oh, a feisty one! Let's break her!" The King again turned to his adoring crowd, his arms held aloft, "Bring the rope down!"
Druili suddenly felt multiple hands separate her from the group. She barely had time to register what was happening before she was again, desperately fighting her way out of their grips.
"Get off, you bastards!" She hissed and kicked and attempted to punch out, but she felt herself overpowered.
The company fought anew, but overwhelmed by increasing numbers of goblins, could only watch in horror as a group of seven goblins surrounded Druili and she disappeared as a rope was lowered from one of the platforms above and into the group of goblins.
"No! Stop, it's me! It's me you want!" Thorin' voice called out, desperate to get attention and stop this madness. But he could not be heard above the others, nor could he be heard above the cheering goblins. Suddenly, the group shifted and the seven goblins dispersed as the Goblins above pulled the rope taught.
"HOIST THIS TRINKET INTO THE AIR!" The king boomed and took his seat to enjoy the show.
All the Dwarves froze as they watched Druili, bound by her hands, get hoisted into the air, her feet dangling a a couple of feet from the floor. She shouted and cursed, wiggling desperately and attempted to kick out, trying anything to escape.
"Bring the skin stripper!" The king ordered and Druili looked around, wondering what-
'Oh.'
A hunched, deformed goblin approached from behind the throne, his hand clasping one end of a long, tatty looking whip. But even though it looked old, after a couple of cracks against the floor, she knew it would still hurt.
Her eyes turned back to the company and that seemed to break them out of their reverie. Most looked terrified, others infuriated. Kili looked ready to cry. More goblins descended and held back the men, who were fighting with everything they had, even if their weapons had been taken from them and throw on the wooden flood.
She felt hands suddenly steady her body and glanced over her shoulder as the Goblin grabbed a chunk of fabric and chain mail.
"GET OFF! I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" She fought anew, but it was no use. In a moment, her chain mail was gone, thrown over the side of the deep chasm below. Her tunic was torn and she felt her Leather Holster exposed for all to see, the other side somehow clinging on enough for her other breast to remain unexposed. Not that it stopped the hungry eyes of the goblins from roving over her. The hands on her body disappeared and for a moment, she thought they were merely bluffing.
And then, she heard the crack against the floor and a moment later, felt the pain spread across her own back, like a sudden fire blast. She choked on a scream and grit her teeth, preparing for the next onslaught. They came in quick succession, barely allowing her time to get her breath in. It was the fourth or fifth strike she did eventually let out a scream. Her hands gripping the rope as her body swayed back and forth, desperately trying to escape.
She could hear everyone calling out to her, calling her name, telling her to hold on.
"I hope you never talk," The King laughed, mostly to himself, "this is MUCH more fun!"
She felt herself turned again by large hands and looked down to see the Goblin minion smiling up at her. Her anger soared. Before the creature could step back and renew it's whipping, this time on her front, her legs came up and rested upon the shoulders, her thighs either side of its throat. In its momentary surprise, she took advantage of it and tensed her arms on the rope.
"I warned you." She hissed before using her full weight to squeeze her thighs and turn her hips sharply, feeling the satisfying crunch as the Goblin' neck easily snapped.
As she let the body fall, dead, to the floor, she noted that it had not stopped the cheering or the fighting. If anything, it had increased the shouts.
Suddenly, a flash of something caught her eye and she spotted a familiar knife, whizzing over her head. The next thing she knew, the rope gave with her weight and she fell to the floor, just barely bracing herself for the impact. The pain flashed briefly, but her adrenaline told her to keep moving. She jumped up as another Goblin bounded towards her. She dived to the side and pushed it away. She looked at the company and bounded towards them. Two other Goblins approached from either side and she'd only just made it by them, ducking at the last second to tuck and roll onto the floor.
She felt hands on her shoulders and felt herself pulled back, just as she saw the feet of her friends approach.
"The female!" The King roared behind her and she felt herself pulled away from her friends, unable to regain her balance.
"WAIT." Thorin' voice finally boomed out and a silence descended around the place, as if the king had signalled everyone to be quiet. As soon as the grip left her shoulders, she shuffled away, spinning round on her backside to glare at them and see if they would attempt to grab her again.
Two pairs of firm hands grabbed either side of her shoulders and under her armpits and she was hoisted up, her eyes briefly locking with Thorin and Dwalin on either side of her. When Thorin stepped in front of her, she was encircled by Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Dori. Her brothers quickly got to work removing the rope and whilst they didn't say anything, the anger in their eyes actually worried her. There was going to be a bloodbath, no doubt about it, she just hoped their side came out the victors.
Druili lent into Fili.
"Nice throw, brother." She received a a tense nod as she rubbed at the marks on her wrists.
"Well, well, well," The king leered at Thorin, his eyes widening hungrily, "Look who it is."
Thorin stood before the King and Druili admired his stance. Powerful and strong in the face of a great adversary.
"Thorin, son of Thrain, Son of Thror," The Goblin King gave a flourish with his arms in the air, with each name and title, though he was not sincere, "KING under the mountain."
He gave a low, false bow and Druili was tempted to push her way to the front again and kick the Goblin King where it would surely hurt him. As if sensing what she thought, Kili and Fili both gripped one of her wrists in their hands, calming and reassuring her at the same time.
"Oh, but I'm forgetting. You don't have a mountain," the large, ugly King just looked down at Thorin and Druili could feel he was smiling, even if he wasn't, "And you're not a king. Which makes you...nobody, really."
"Bastard." She whispered and this time, as she tensed trying to control her rage, felt her back burn from the marks the whip had left.
She glanced over her shoulder and could just make out the top of an ugly, red line. Luckily, her skin had not completely broken, but she had a feeling she'd be hurting for a week, at least.
But it could have been a lot more worse. The pain spreading over her back was a quick and grim reminder she'd had it a lot worse...
"Hey, I just realised! You have the same name as us!" "That bloody...bastard of a man." Fili' eyes widened as he heard his mother's raised voice and the curse leave her. He'd seen her get angry, but it was very rare for her to actually swear and the pure bite behind it meant she was truly angry. Later...
Druili looked up from the puzzle she was idly trying to piece together. The colours weren't the same and the numbers didn't go, but she thought she was getting it by now.
"Pardon?" She glanced up at Kili who was looking at her from his own work. He'd been given some parchment and a pen with the most beautiful feather she had ever seen and wanted desperately to know if she could have one also. Fili, who was sitting to the side, reading a book, had promised her they'd go searching for one tomorrow at dawn.
"You've got the same name as me and Fili!" Kili repeated, giving her a 'you know what I mean' look. Unfortunately, she did not and turned to Fili to see if he knew. He merely shrugged and went back to silently reading his book. She turned back to Kili, who just shook his head and rolled his eyes, all with an element that he didn't mean any of it.
"Ili. We're the three Ili's. Fe, Ki and Dru."
"Ooooh." Druili slowly nodded her head in understanding. But then, she frowned and remembered something important.
"But that's not my first name , REALLY. My mum said it was the other way around but she didn't like Dagmar as much as Druili. She said I was...I don't...not a Dagmar person." Her nose scrunched up as she tried desperately to recall the conversation with her mother. It hadn't been too long ago, but she still struggled remember big conversations.
Kili noticed her concentration.
"Well...I do think she was right," Kili nodded and scooted his chair and work a little closer to Druili, "It makes us a team. Plus, I like calling you Dru. Rather than Dag. It doesn't sounds right at all."
Druili scowled.
"It sounds like dog."
"Better a dog than a piglet." Fili didn't even look up from his book to make that comment, though he smiled to himself at the joke. For Fifteen, he still had that mischievous side that got him into trouble.
"I'm NOT a pig!" Druili turned sharply in her chair and lent over it to glare at Fili, balancing precariously on it, "Mam Dis says that's not very nice!"
"I wasn't calling YOU a piglet," Fili gave her a soft, charming smile and actually deigned to look at her, "but you do have that adorable nose, like the neighbours piglets-"
"FILI!"
All three of the children jumped and forgot their conversation as they looked towards the hallway. Druili quickly scrambled back into her seat, just as Thorin came marching round the corner, entering the room and scowling.
"Fili! How many times do I have to tell you, STOP breaking the broom handles for practice fighting, you're not ready yet!" Thorin approached the boy, who was looking at him like he's grown a second head. Fili looked between his uncle and the long, broom that was clutched in his hand. The bottom where the brush usually was, was distinctly sharp and splintered.
"It wasn't me," Fili was taken aback by this sudden disruption and arched his brow defiantly, "you told me to concentrate on my reading, so I'm reading."
Thorin shut his eyes briefly and took a deep, quivering breath as if he was controlling his rage.
"You are the only one that has been caught on THREE separate occasions with a broken broom handle in his hand, wielding it about and pretending to fight off trolls!" Thorin' voice barked at Fili and he pointed the end of the stick at Fili, not in a threatening manner, but more making him observe the break, "if you didn't, then pray tell me, WHO did, because as of right now, I have just about had enough of-"
"It were me."
Thorin turned to the small voice that interrupted him and glared at Druili, who couldn't stand by and let Fili get blamed for her mistake. She'd jumped up off her seat and made her way around to Kili', her hands grasped on the back as she peeked round at Thorin.
"I broke it. It got stuck in the door and I fell and broke off the bottom. Please, don't yell at Fili. He didn't know."
Kili kept his eyes on Thorin, but he could feel Druili' small body, quivering with such ferocity that he dare not move, encase she fled.
Thorin took a step forward and held the stick out to his side, looking down at the damage to it.
"And you didn't tell us because?" He had already been angry at finding the broom hidden and now still felt angry, more so that he'd just accused his nephew of doing it, "I found this, HIDDEN in the outdoor house with all the other tools. Did you not think it right to tell anyone that you'd broken their property?"
Druili' knuckles clutched so tightly into the wood, her entire hand began to pale. She shook so visibly now, even Thorin noticed. Her eyes were wide and on the stick in his hand and her breathing was fast and unsteady.
"I asked you a question...what's wrong?" Thorin lowered the stick and took a step forward, but that seemed to startle her even more. She let go of her brothers chair and darted out of the room, luckily running into Dis who had appeared to check on everyone.
"Dru?" She looked between the girl who was now desperately trying to hide herself amongst Dis' skirts, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"I didn't mean to," came the muffled, shaking response, "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. I'll be good, I don't want to go back!"
Dis looked up at the scenario before her.
Kili worried his bottom lip between his teeth, his work abandoned as he gazed anxiously at Druili. Fili had shut his book and was standing behind Thorin, his own face full of concern. And Thorin...Thorin still stood there, with the stick lowered and his eyes flicking nervously between the child and his sister. Dis quickly assessed the situation.
"Thorin," she hissed at him, her eyes aflame, "for Mahal sake, DROP that now!"
Thorin obeyed, only because he knew his sister all too well. She may have been younger, but she couldn't easily take him in a fight.
Dis quickly pulled Druili away and stroked her face.
"It's all right, darling," she cooed at the young girl, trying to soothe her, "silly Uncle Thorin isn't really cross. Is he?"
Dis turned a smile on Thorin, but her eyes still held that 'murderous glare' he'd known too well when they grew up.
He looked at Druili who was peeking at him nervously, her eyes threatening to spill over with tears. He shook his head at the girl and she sniffed a couple of times, before returning to the comfort of her mothers skirt folds.
"Boys," Dis signalled to Fili and Kili who immediately stood, before they were even told what to do, "I think we need some more apples from the tree. Take that bucket and go fetch us some more. Druili, sweetheart, go with them and make sure those greedy guts don't eat them all."
Druili, at first reluctant to let go, was prised off gently, but instead of walking, Fili bent down and scooped her up in his own arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and clung on tightly to him as he followed Kili out, all three pointedly ignoring the bowl full of apples on the table.
They turned a corner and Fili settled them down, not going all the way just yet as they listened in on the conversation. He hushed Kili and passed Druili over to him. Both quickly showing more interest in the ants nest they found, that led from their house to a small hill of dirt a few yards away.
Fili listened carefully.
"Who?" Thorin' voice called out and there was a small amount of shuffling and bustling noises, as if they were righting the furniture within the room.
"That bloody trader we got her from," Dis didn't want to use the word rescued, nor 'bought' especially around Druili, "if I ever get my hands on him again, he'll wish he never laid a finger on her!"
There was a small pause and Fili peaked over the edge of the outside window to get a better look.
"He hurt her?" Thorin and Dis were facing one another and Fili could see both their faces from the side. Both looked mad.
"She's covered in bruises. Head to foot, all her over her back. I think...I think he beat her with a stick," she signalled to the discarded item on the floor, "hence why she reacted that way. She won't say anything and she gets upset when I mention him. That's why she hasn't really played a lot with the boys.""
Fili watched his mother wring her hands together, the type of thing she only did when she was really upset, "Poor thing must be in agony. She thinks you're going to take her back there if she does something wrong. No matter how much I reassure her."
Fili took this chance to stop listening. He came away from the window and looked down at his siblings.
Kili telling Druili about how ants have one queen, but she couldn't seem to grasp the idea of a queen without a king.
"Come on you two," he walked on ahead, the bucket slung over his shoulder, "let's go get some apples for mam."
He didn't really want to hear the rest of the conversation in the house. It made his blood boil and he wanted nothing more that to go back to that stall with a REAL sword and fight that man.
Fili was seated upon the floor, Druili pulled onto his lap as he and Kili tried to help her with her reading. Kili held the book wide open on his lap and pointed to the different pictures in it.
"What's this word?" He pointed to one side of the paper, which bared the word 'MOUNTAIN' and the picture of a mountain range underneath it.
Druili cocked her head to the side.
"It looks like a big hill...three of them."
"Yes," Fili smiled, "but what do you call a group of them that are very big?"
Druili squinted at the drawing and then at the words.
"Big Hills."
Both he and Kili laughed.
"No, that's not right," he leaned over to angle himself so he could point at the letters, "THESE are called mountains. M-O-U-N-T-A-I-N-S. Mountains."
"Mountains. Like the one you said Uncle Thorin and Mam Dis used to live in?"
"Correct," Kili turned his attention to the other page, "And this, is...?" He trailed off, looking expectantly at Druili for the answer. Whilst they were waiting, voices began to grow louder from the outside and they all listened as it became obvious they knew who the voices belonged to.
"You could have gotten into trouble! This is not our place to start fights-" Balin sounded frustrated and his voice grew closer as he said this.
They turned as the footsteps came from round the corner and stayed quiet as two people came into view, glaring at one another.
"And let him get away with it? There are rules and laws in place for a reason, but if I cannot-" Thorin stopped when he realised they were not alone. He glanced at the three on the floor who just stared back at them.
"Well, little ones," Balin suddenly broke in, smiling cheerily, "I see you're getting on with your schoolwork. I see-" But Balin was cut off when Druili gasped loudly.
"Uncle Thorin," Druili immediately removed herself from Fili' lap and walked over to him, "you're hurt!"
Thorin watched as she grabbed his large hand, gently in between her two small ones. She pulled the hand close to her face to inspect the cuts and bruises on there. She then glanced up at him.
"Do you want me to get Mam-Aunt Dis to put some herbs and a cloth on it? She says that helps the pain go away and it stopped my hurts."
Thorin looked down at her. Her eyes full of worry. His face softened a fraction as he found himself unable to form a sentence, a lump in his throat. He shook his head at her.
"No, thank you. They will heal." He managed to rasp out.
She nodded, but glanced back down at his injured knuckles. He did not move as her head lowered and she placed a small kiss on the damaged skin, before pulling away and surveying where she'd left her kiss.
"There. I hope it helps get you better sooner." Her head lifted again to look back at him and the smile that she bestowed on him almost broke him. He knelt down, his face now level with hers.
"If...If you ever do something wrong again, do not hide it. Own up to it," Thorin kept his voice steady and level, so as not to frighten her again, "And as for punishments...No one will ever raise a hand or any other item to you here, understand?"
Druili reluctantly let go of his hand as he tugged slightly on it and she nodded at him.
"You won't send me back to him? Or Prison?"
Thorin bit the inside of his cheek to prevent the smile from breaking out.
"No. Your home...your home is here. For as long as you require it. Now, go back to your lesson and do as Fili says."
She nodded and left him with one more small smile, before skipping back over and throwing herself on top of Fili, who grunted and pulled her up in his arms.
"Gently, piglet!" He began to tickle her, but she glowered at him between giggles, "You're still healing!"
"I'M NOT A PIG! I'M A GOBLIN! AND I'M TOUGH! RAWR!" She grabbed hold of Fili' beard and held on as he shrieked, rather loudly.
"That's NOT how Goblins attack!" Kili stood up and glared down at them, "THIS is how goblins attack!" He threw himself on top of Druili and immediately Fili fell backwards on the floor, laughing at the unexpected dog pile as the two on top began to wriggle and attack him without mercy.
"Well," Balin lent in so the children wouldn't hear, "I suppose...I suppose it was justified. Come on...we best go break the news to your sister. I want to be there for that when she both scolds and commends you."
Thorin groaned and turned away, though he would have gladly stayed to watch the outcome of the fight on the floor.
Balin and Thorin left them, still hearing their screams of laughter and chaos as they exited the house again through the back.
"Just a head. Nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak."
The Goblins around the company, were obviously in on the joke and began to laugh and sneer at them. Druili felt the tense atmosphere, but she did not know of whom the King spoke of.
'Who would want Thorin dead?'
"An old enemy of yours." The Goblin King pointed directly at Thorin.
Druili could not see her Uncle' face, but his head tilted upwards to look at the Goblin better.
"A pale Orc, astride a white Warg."
Druili felt her blood grow cold. She involuntarily shuddered as the image of someone whom she had never met, popped up in her mind's eye.
Azog.
"Azog the defiler...was destroyed." Thorin' voice shook with underlining rage.
"He was slain in battle, long ago."
"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The goblin King leaned closer to Thorin and Druili felt her blood heat back up, her heart hammering wildly as she wanted nothing more to bash in the face of this liar. He chuckled and she felt sick to his stomach.
He turned away from Thorin and to a smaller goblin, seated on a strange seat, attached to a long rope, that seemed to be connected to a farther bridge.
"Send word to the pale orc," the smaller goblin began to write onto a book hastily, "tell him I have found his prize."
The company watched as the smaller Goblin pulled away, seemingly flying through the air on the little seat pulled along with the rope.
A slow, steady beat began to echo around the cavern.
"Stay close." Fili pulled in closer and the others followed suite, effectively blocking Druili in.
"Don't smother me too much," she shook with terror and rage, "I want to lay my hands on some of these bastards."
"You'll be no use to us if you get yourself whipped and tied up again," Kili leaned in and she could see the fear tingeing the corners of his eyes, "just...stay close."
Druili did not want to argue as she felt the wood beneath her began to shake. Something was coming.
The company turned it's attention back to the King.
"Here come my wonderful contraptions!" He waved his arm to the side of his throne and they all turned. Across the bridge, making it's way slowly to them, was a band of Goblins, each pushing and pulling large wooden and metal contraptions. Some with spikes. Others with rope.
All gave the company the same, sick feeling in the bottom of their stomachs.
For the first time, in their long journey...they had lost hope.