Ok, I just about managed to get this chapter up, after a loooong weekend, but also a rather funny one. Turns out, my family is prone to stowaways. We took a gecko with us in our tent bag all the way there, then on the way back, my mom noticed there was a tiny frog near her foot…we are still not sure how it got there but anyhow, he is in our garden now so I hope he is happy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, only my OC's Ember, Amelia and Quinn.

Review Response:

Thilbo4Ever: Turns out, you won't have to last five day ;). And you are absolutely right, this is a reason to hog the laptop for.

RougeReaper: I hope this is soon enough for you.

Bleeding Blue Kunoichi: I did have fun camping, thanks very much, and I see you're all still here, and some new people too.

ThatOtherWriterGirl: Yes they had better…though I think you spell it Saruman, not Sauroman…unless you did that deliberately to show his betrayal in the future (Sauron + Saruman = Sauroman)

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 11 – The Mountain Moves

The sun was just on the rise when they made the final corner of the path, before Rivendell would be completely lost from their sights. The girls looked back at the otherworldly beauty Rivendell had in the rising sun.

"Be on your guard." Thorin shouted from the front of the line. "We're about to step over the Edge of the Wild." He turned to Balin, who was just behind him. "Balin, you know these paths. Lead on." He ordered, as Balin complied.

Ember stopped next to Bilbo as he looked back on the Valley with longing. She understood though, she felt reluctant to leave this peaceful haven as well. She placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. He looked up at her, begging her to understand.

"Don't worry. You'll see it again." She promised, knowing it would be true. He smiled at her gratefully, before looking back at Imladris.

"Master Baggins, Miss Ember…" Ember turned at Thorin's call. "I suggest you keep up." Ember turned back to the Hobbit at her side.

"Come on, we can't keep them waiting." She said as they fell back in line. She made eye-contact with Amelia and Quinn, giving them a silent message.

'Now, onto the next challenge, the Stone-Giants.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took them roughly two days to reach the Pass through the Misty Mountains, but it didn't take long for the storm to begin. Soon, everyone found themselves soaking wet and clinging to the side of the mountain. Thunder roared around them. Ember was concerned at the fact that they were so high up. No one had been struck by lightning in the films, but anything could happen.

"Hey! Hold on!" Thorin cried from the front of the line as they continued on. Amelia blew her hair out of her mouth.

"Remember when I said a little rain never hurt anyone?" She yelled, as she clung to the mountain side. "I take it all back!" Ember had to giggle at her friend. She had the strangest ways of lightning a dismal mood. She gasp as Bilbo suddenly slipped and nearly fell from the narrow pathway, had it not been for Dwalin and Bofur.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin yelled.

'No duh, Sherlock.' Quinn thought, not even bothering to answer him.

"Look out!" Dwalin suddenly yelled, as everyone's eyes turned to the large rock that came flying through the clouds to smash into the mountain above them. Rocks and boulders cam rolling down the mountainside, nearly knocking them off the path. Everyone leant into the mountain to avoid the falling rocks. Amelia found herself pulled by Fili as he held her next to him to the side of the mountain. Quinn was in the same situation with Ori. Ember latched onto the mountain behind Balin, just as he spotted the Giants.

"This is no thunderstorm. It's a thunder-battle! Look!" He cried, pointing. Ember watched in terror and awe as the mountain began to move, pulling a piece of the mountain off.

"Well, bless me. The legends are true." Ember just managed to hear Bofur over the din of the storm. "Giants! Stone-Giants!" he yelled just as the Giant threw the rock piece at another that had appeared behind them. It smashed into his face, causing him to sag into the mountain, and making everyone unsteady on their feet for a second.

"Take cover, you fool!" Thorin shouted as Kili and Dori pulled Bofur back to the mountain side as more rocks rained down around them. The pathway began to crumble, causing everyone to press themselves into the wall as far as they could go. Quinn grasped for Ori's hand, as Amelia took hold of Fili's. At that moment, Amelia noticed the rock splitting between Fili and Kili. And her eyes widened in terror.

"Oh, For the Love of Benji!" She said, before screaming at the top of her voice. "WE'RE ON ONE!"

Chaos erupted as the mountain split the Company further and further apart.

"Kili! Grab my hand!" Fili yelled in a desperate attempt to reach for his brother. Amelia pulled him back before he toppled into the growing gap. He turned to her, eyes locking for a split second. The fear in his eyes at being separated from his brother was obvious, but she had no chance of reassuring him when the Giant they were on began to stand. Quinn realized with horror that while she and Amelia were on the left knee, Ember was on the right.

'That means….' "Oh shitake mushrooms!" She shouted just as another Giant head-bashed theirs back into the mountain. It crashed with its right side heavily into the mountain, causing everyone to jar forwards. Thorin saw the path.

"Go, go, go!" He yelled, as he sprinted, jumping quickly onto the path. The rest followed quickly, Kili barely jumping across just as the leg left the mountain again. From their vantage point, they watched the other half of the Company as the Giants' began their battle. Ember froze as she noticed her best friends clinging to the knee.

"Lia! Quinny!" She yelled with all her might as the Giant smashed his fist into his opponents chin, then watched in fear as third Giant threw a boulder into his face, knocking the head off completely. The head smashed above them as it rolled down the mountainside. Everyone watched as the left leg passed them, the rest of the Company still clinging for dear life, before it went smashing into the mountainside. Ember felt dread fill her chest, despite knowing that they must have been fine.

"No! No!" Thorin shouted as they watched they body fall, before running to see if they're companions were still alive. Thorin froze at the sight of his companions alive and well, albeit a bit shaken. He barely noticed how Quinn and Ori clung to each other. Nor how Fili helped Amelia to stand as her legs wobbled with relief. Of course, the relief did not last as Bofur looked around.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" Ember looked over Balin's shoulder to spot Bilbo's fingers as they grasped the edge. Before she knew what she was doing, she dived past Balin and grasped Bilbo's arm before he slipped out of their reach. She quickly pulled him back up, despite the weight. She only had a chance to sigh in relief as he sagged against the side when the floor crumbled beneath her. She screamed as her hands searched for purchase, finally finding it below the ridge, and held on for dear life, as she heard her name overhead.

"Ember, grab my hand!" She squinted to see Ori and Bofur above her, their arms outstretched but unable to reach her, she tried to pull herself up but felt her hand slipping. All of a sudden, she saw Thorin as he swung down next to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her up into reach of Bofur and Ori. She looked back in horror as Thorin slipped, but thankfully, Dwalin was there to pull him to safety. She felt two pairs of arms surround her as Amelia and Quinn wrapped her in a shaky embrace.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin said as he looked over at Bilbo. Thorin followed his gaze before glaring.

"He's been lost ever since he left home." He stated, as Ember frowned. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." Ember squeezed her eyes shut, summoning all of her courage, before breaking free of her friends embrace and standing before Thorin.

"If that is the case, Master Oakenshield, then there is no place for my friends and me either!" If Thorin's eyes widened a fraction, she took no notice as she continued to shout to his face. "We all signed that contract. That makes us a part of this Company whether you like it or not!" She finished her rant, breathing heavily as she tried to reign in her fury. Thorin stared at her for a few seconds more, before glaring back at her and shoving past her, heading into the cave he had spotted, calling for Dwalin to follow. Ember glared at his back the whole time.

Her friends looked at each other and sighed. Suddenly, Fili shook Amelia's shoulder, and she turned to him.

"Um, who's Benji?" he asked, a confused look on his face. Amelia looked to Quinn, as they both burst out laughing before making their way into the cave with the rest of the company, leaving an even more confused Fili behind to catch up. Ember stayed behind purposefully to help Bilbo inside.

"Right, then. Let's get a fire started." Gloin said as he threw the pieces of wood down.

"No. No fires. Not in this place." Thorin quickly put a stop to the idea. "Get some sleep. We start at first light." He finished, as the Company began to set their bedrolls on the cave floor. Balin came up to Thorin's shoulder.

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan." He reminded Thorin.

"Plans change." He replied, before turning around. "Bofur, take the first watch." When he turned to lay out his bedroll, he caught sight of Ember placing hers close to Bilbo's. This caused even more anger to bubble in his chest at the Halfling. He shook his head as he stomped to the other end of the cave to set up his bedroll.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later, the cave was filled with snores. Bilbo opened his eyes, and quickly checked around to make sure no one was awake. Then, he quickly, and silently, began to pack up his things, and started making his way to the front of the cave. Unfortunately for him, one dwarf was still awake.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bofur asked as Bilbo stopped, before looking at said dwarf.

"Back to Rivendell." Bofur's eyes widened as he got up quickly.

"No, no, you can't turn back now, eh? You're a part of the Company. You're one of us." He insisted. Bilbo shook his head after a moment.

"I'm not, though, am I?" Bilbo asked in an incredulous tone. "Thorin said I should never have come and he was right." Unbeknownst to them, said Dwarf King was awake and listening to their conversation. "I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking."

Thorin thought back on his words earlier. He knew they had been harsh, but they were true. The Halfling should not have come. He was in danger of some many things out here. Why Gandalf had even suggested him was beyond him.

"I should never have run out my door." Bilbo finished.

"You're homesick. I understand." Bofur tried again, but only served to strike a nerve.

"No, you don't. You don't understand. None of you do." Bilbo began speaking very fast. "You're Dwarves. You're used to this life. To living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!" Only after the words left his mouth did he realize what he had said. Bofur's face fell a bit. "Oh, I am sorry. I didn't..." He trailed off, unable to take the words back. Bofur nodded slightly.

"No, you're right." He admitted, before turning and looking at the still sleeping company. "We don't belong anywhere."

Thorin sighed at the words, wishing with all of his being that Bofur did not have to say that. He looked up for a split second then froze as blue eyes looked into his. Ember was awake, and her sorrow-filled eyes indicated she had heard what had transpired. She held his gaze, as Bofur spoke again.

"I wish you all the luck in the world." He whispered, saying farewell. "I really do." He said with a sad smile, as he touched Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo grasped his back before turning to the mouth of the cave once more. Bofur was about to let him go when he spotted something. "What's that?" Bilbo looked down and slowly pulled out his sword, which was glowing an eerie blue.

When Ember's eyes widened and she looked to the floor, Thorin knew something was wrong. He followed her gaze to the cave floor where the sand was beginning to seep through cracks that had not been there before. When a creak was heard, both he and Ember shot up.

"Wake up! Wake up!" He shouted to his companions, but it was too late. The floor opened beneath them, sending them all down the dark tunnel below.

I hope to update tomorrow, but right now I am really tired, and wish for nothing more than my own bed.