Chapter 12

"UP! EVERYONE UP!"

The sound of Thorin deep voice woke me, only just as the ground was opening beneath us. Kili held me tightly and tried to move me to safety, but too late. We fell and I screamed as we slid down the rock tunnel. We landed in a sort of cage where goblins immediately jumped us. My weapons were taken, all save the small knife in my boot which was carefully concealed. The goblins yanked me away from Kili and dragged us away. I struggled violently and threw them off. Without my weapons I could not do much, but Luin had trained me to fight with only my hands and legs. I spun around kicking them, screaming with rage.

I continued to fight them until more of them swamped me.

"Gwirithiel!" shouted my friends.

The goblins now had extra drivers hauling me away. We were brought before a very large and truly hideous goblin. The Great Goblin.

"What miserable persons are these?"

"Dwarves your malevolence! And this pretty little thing!"

I was pushed forward. The Great Goblin grabbed my face.

"What is it? A ranger?"

The goblins snickered.

"Let her go! AH!"

I heard a whip crack on Kili. I twisted out of the grasp of the Great Goblin and tried to run back to Kili.

"What were you and your little friends doing in my realm?!"

I spat in his face, this only brought me pain. He smacked me across the face.

"If they will not talk! We will make them squeal! Starting with the youngest!"

There you have it. Goblins are truly wicked creatures. Yet there was one who would dare to speak.

"NO!"

I looked over and watched as Thorin walked forward.

"Well, well! Thorin Oakenshield King Under the Mountain!" The Great Goblin made a show of bowing to Thorin. "Oh but wait! You do not have a mountain! You do not belong anywhere! Which makes you, nobody, really."

The other goblins laughed.

"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for you head! Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak." Thorin slowly looked up. "An old enemy of yours. I shall give you a hint. A Pale Orc astride a white warg!"

"Azog the Defiler." Thorin said.

"Oh very good!"

"The Pale Orc died years ago!" Thorin snapped.

"Oh so you think his defiling days are over? Oh no! In fact perhaps I shall keep this pretty little thing here as proof that he yet lives! Search them!"

The Great Goblin pulled me up and kept me away from the others. Kili was struggling to get to me, and as I looked at him, I noticed that Bilbo was missing. I looked around for the little hobbit, but a goblin shrieked and dropped a sword to the ground. I knew this to be Thorin's new sword.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver! Biter! Kill them! Kill them all!"

Goblins began to snap their whips on Thorin and the others.

"Cut off his head!"

I knew this was my last chance! I took the knife from my boot and shoved it into the Great Goblin's arm. He howled in pain and I saw the other goblins force Thorin to the ground. They were going to kill him.

Just then a blinding white light forced the goblins to the ground and I was nearly blown off my feet. As the light dimmed I saw a tall form walking forward. The pointed hat was what made me smile. It was Gandalf!

"Take up arms!"

The dwarves were now realizing what was happening.

"Fight! FIGHT!"

I snatched my weapons back from the goblins and then hacked through them. Kili found me and fought beside me.

"Follow me! Quick!" shouted Gandalf.

Kili grabbed my hands and pulled me away. Of course I had to take pout one last goblin. We ran through the goblin mountain, killing the goblins as we went.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin ordered.

I swung my sword cutting through the ropes. I now saw that the goblins had begun to swing down towards us. I smiled at Thorin's cleverness. As we ran, goblin archers started to shoot at us. Kili parries several arrows with his sword and I quickly eliminated them, but of course more followed. Kili took a ladder and together, with Fili, Bofur and Ori, we used it to ram through the goblins. It was also useful when we needed to get across a large gap in the goblin walk-way. Gandalf used his staff to make a boulder fall from the roof of the mountain and we pushed it forward, and it rolled over the goblins. As we approached what looked to be a tunnel, the Great Goblin jumped up through the bridge.

"Did you think you could escape us!? I am the Lord of the Mountain here! What are you going to do now wizard?"

Gandalf swiftly cut open the Great Goblin's stomach. He held it and fell to his knees.

"That will do it."

Gandalf slit his throat and his body fell forward. This was our downfall.

Kili's POV

As the Great Goblin's body fell forward the supports that held the platform up snapped, and we all started to fall down. I held onto Gwirithiel tightly as we fell down, down, down! And she clung to me tightly. As we crashed to the ground she was torn from my grasp. I cried out and reached for her, and thankfully, Gandalf caught her.

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

There was a crash and I shut my eyes in pain. The massive body of the Great Goblin came crashing down upon us.

"You have got to be joking!" Dawlin said.

As I looked up I saw the rest of the goblins rushing towards us.

"GANDALF!" I said.

Gwirithiel was soon at my side removing the rubble covering my body. By looking at her one could not believe how very strong she truly was. She moved the pieces of wood and rock swiftly and then took my hand.

"There are too many! We cannot fight them all!" Dwalin told Gandalf

"Only one thing shall save us now! Daylight! Quickly this way!"

We ran through the winding tunnels of the mountains, and sure enough Gandalf led us out. We ran out into the setting sun. As soon as we stopped I looked at Gwirithiel. She smiled and threw her arms around me.

"Where is Bilbo?" asked Gandalf.

We separated and looked around for the hobbit.

"Where is our hobbit?"

No one answered, for no one knew.

"Where is our Hobbit!?"

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

"Well do not blame me!" Dori retorted.

"Well when did you last see him?" asked a very worried Gandalf.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us!" Nori spoke up.

"What happened?! Tell me!"

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

I looked down sadly. I really liked that little hobbit. He was good for a laugh and a good fellow.

"No," came a voice. "He is not."

When I turned Bilbo was there.

"Bilbo Baggins! I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf said as he walked forward.

Gwirithiel's hand left mine and she embraced the little hobbit. This made me smile.

Gwirithiel's POV

As I set Bilbo back down I smiled and whispered in his ear.

"You are full of surprises Master Baggins."

He smiled and I stepped back to Kili's side.

"Bilbo we had given you up." Kili said.

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili inquired.

"How indeed." said Dwalin.

Bilbo chuckled and put his hands in his pockets.

"Well what does it matter! He is back!" Gandalf said happily.

"It matters!"

I looked at Thorin in disbelief.

"I want to know…..why did you come back?"

Once he said that, I too wondered. I knew Bilbo missed his home.

"Look I know you doubt me, and I know you always have!" Thorin did not drop his gaze. "It is true 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, a home. It was taken from you." Thorin looked down but then returned his gaze to the hobbit. "But I will help you take it back if I can."

I smiled. For one so small he was full of courage. I looked at Thorin and I saw not anger, or disappointment, but gratitude. Our sudden moment of happiness was interrupted by a howl.

"Out of the frying pan!" Thorin said.

"And into the fire!" Gandalf finished.

The warg riders had found us again!