Chapter 14: Goblin Town

Down, down, deeper and down. The goblins pushed them further into the heart of their underground kingdom. With every step they took the smell got worse, the smell of rotting flesh and faeces. Braerka tried to cover her mouth and nose to keep the stench at bay, but it was hopeless it penetrated every molecule of her being and there was no escape. The dwarves had become quiet after a fair round of resistance and failed escapes; they now marched forward, too exhausted to care and too lost to know where to run.

The goblins had taken a keen interest in their catch. They clawed and nabbed them as they walked, every now and then the dwarves would lash out and send a few flying to their deaths, down into the dank chasms below. The Goblins would study them with awe; their angered outbursts only seemed to encourage their prodding.

The best part of an hour had passed; they passed goblins perched on high rafters, they screeched and squealed in amusement as they passed. The company walked in silence, with the odd dwarven curse being mumbled here and there.

Their path was treacherous; the half-finished, half-rotted rope bridges were less than safe and all too unstable. The flaming torches that marked the paths were the only beacons to break the blackness, without them it would be pitch black.

Daring to looking behind, Braerka did a lightning fast head count, it wasn't that hard really, she just numbered the heads with hair, and in Dwalin's case tattoos.

'13! That's not right, who's missing?' She thought, swinging round to check again, her curiosity won her brutal beating from a serious looking goblin, its ear was half chewed and its teeth were rotted. It spat at her and hit her again when she glared back at its deformed figure. She resisted the urge to break the creature's neck, the last thing they needed was the goblins attacking them full force with them unarmed.

The beating, however, had been worth it, she had deduced that Bilbo was the one missing, though she could have sworn he fell in with them, where on earth was he? Little did she know he was experiencing his own problems and difficulties deep below them the farthest depths of this 'Goblin Town'.

Bilbo awoke surrounded by strange looking over-grown toadstools, his head was spinning, the last thing he remembered was...

'Oh goodness what's going on?!' He asked himself recalling what had happened; the last thing he remembered was talking to Shepherd, discovering that wasn't really her name. Next he recalled falling and then eluding the mass of goblins that greeted them. He faintly recollected hitting his head of something and then falling again. It was mostly a blur, the constant throbbing in his head was probably the cause of his amnesia.

He moved to get up but found himself stopped when a raspy hissing noise approached were he lay. He heard a voice, no two voices, no wait maybe just one, he couldn't be sure, they both sounded the same, but yet very different.

He peeked through a small gap in the padded field of mushrooms in which he'd landed, he saw a goblin, half conscious lying on the hard rocky floor it blood stained its land zone, it breathes were short and rough, the creature was losing its battle with death.

Bilbo froze when two green lanterns appeared at the end of the tunnel, only they weren't lanterns at all, every few seconds they disappeared then reappeared. The creature that owned crept forward on all fours, the lanterns were its eyes, they glowed bright from long exposure to the black.

It crawled forwards and looked over the dying goblin, "Yes! Yes!" It screeched in its raspy voice. It began to drag the seemingly dead body back down the tunnel it came, when the goblin lashed out determined not to be taken.

The creature wrestled with and then bashed half its skull in with a nearby rock. Satisfied the goblin was either dead or unconscious again it continued to pull away its prize, "Better than old bones precious, better than nothing!" It said receding back down the dark tunnel.

Bilbo waited a few moments for the creature to disappear back into the pitch black, then he was up like a shot, he dusted off the worst of the dirt on himself. He took a quick look around, 'I need to find the others! How do I get out of here?' He thought, not speaking for fear it would bring whatever that thing was back again.

He thought for a few moments, 'Why is this part of the cave lit and the rest dark?' It took him a while but he soon remembered, his sword would still be glowing, that goblin was still alive obviously. He searched the ground and soon found the elvish blade sheltered beneath a few toadstools; he lifted it, its blue light allowing him to see a few feet in front of himself.

He looked up, the light of goblin town was just a tiny pinprick at the top of the steep incline, 'Wow! I survived that!' He thought astonished, he was impressed by his endurance though he could feel that he hadn't make it completely unscathed, his body ached but his want to feel the light of day was overriding it.

He started forward eager to find a way out, when something small and iridescent caught his eyes, he looked down, 'Huh... a ring?' he bent over to pick it up and quickly pocketed it, thinking nothing more of it.

Slowly he moved forward, the glow of his sword, lighting the way. The fear he felt was enough to make him scream out for help, but he knew better. He was stuck down here, only him and that…thing, and the only way to get out was to go forward, so forward he went.

Decades seem to pass, though it couldn't have been more than a few hours, what time was it? Was it light outside already? These questions were impossible to answer in this hell, there was no natural light, no way of telling how late or early it was, days could have passed for all they knew. It certainly felt like it, they had been walking for an eternity with no food, water or rest, they were drained.

Kili stood straight with whatever energy he had left, trying to intimidate the goblins with his size but it didn't work and he knew why, they numbered only 14, in comparison to what seemed to be an infinite number of them, they would be slaughtered if they attempted any form of escape.

He had quickly pulled Shepard into the centre of the group to protect her after a goblin had tried to beat her yet again. He knew she probably wouldn't return the feelings he had for her, but at least he could keep her safe.

He stood just to her left, he glanced at her, the look of fear had never been more apparent on her face, she had always seemed so calm and collected but now… To Kili she looked exhausted, close to breaking point, he found himself doing something he hoped would calm her.

Slowly and almost unnoticeably, he slipped his hand into hers and gently squeezed her fingers. She looked at him grateful for the reassurance, or at least that what her expression looked like to him. To his surprise she moved closer to him, he felt an unnatural heat emanating off her, she was warm, too warm, maybe she was getting sick, he began to worry for her safety. She seemed busy by the looks of things, her eyes were all over the place and her focus seemed far away and distant, even if she was responding to his comforts.

All of a sudden the place got brighter, the narrow tunnels they had traversed opened up into a wide open hall. The bridges and pathways snaked around everywhere, the stink in here was worse than the tunnels. He saw at the centre of the cavern a sort of throne, it was made of rotted wood and rusted iron, adorned with skulls and ribcages, upon it sat an overtly large goblin, 'that must be their leader' he deduced from the boned crown upon his head.

That's where they were going, he knew that now, they were being brought for judgment, brought to the heart of this degenerated subterranean metropolis. There was now only two ways out, and one of them was death. He had no plans on doing the latter.

They were stopped just in front of the goblins throne, their leader's massive bulk caused the half rotted planks to creek in agony when he moved, he held a large spectre in one hand, and it bore the skull of some forsaken animal and was tied with aged sinew leather. His boils and pustules were revolting, he glistened with sweat and layers of unidentifiable filth, he was truly the most disgusting and grotesque thing Kili had ever seen and he'd seen a lot of nauseating stuff.

The goblin chief stepped down from his pedestal crushing a few goblins with his mass, he didn't concern himself with their welfare.

"Who dares to enter my kingdom so heavily armed?!Hmm? Spies? Thieves? Assassins? Speak?" He bellowed his voice echoing in the outer reaches of the cavern, his beady eyes watched them closely. Kili felt Shepherd's grip tighten at the mention of Assassin's.

One of the smaller goblins spoke up to his master, "Dwarves! Your malevolence".

"Well then search them, every crack every crevice! I want to know who and why!" Commanded the chief goblin, his minions began whipping and gnawing at them. They snatched things from their pockets and stomped on Oin's hearing horn. They battled Shepherd for her bag, before the strap snapped allowing them to take it. Kili stood calmly and allowed them to search him, he knew it would be useless to fight back in their current predicament, if anything it would only make things worse.

The goblins piled their other belongings with the already modest pile of their weapons.

"Speak! What are you doing in these parts?!" demanded the Goblin again, he was losing his patience, "Tell me?! What are you doing here?!" He yelled once more.

Still no one answered, this seemed to not to anger him but to make the whole situation more enjoyable for him.

"Fine," he snarled happily turning to address the whole hollow. "If they won't talk we'll make them SQUAWK! Ha ha! Bring out the Mangler, bring out the Bonebreaker!"

All of the lesser goblins roared out in unison, laughing and cackling at the company's misfortune. But still they remained silent, as if the prospect of death wasn't daunting in the slightest.

The Goblin chief sneered at their resilience, "Start with the youngest!" he roared over the already deafening cries of the other goblins.

Kili felt his heart leap into his throat. He couldn't breathe. He was the youngest, perhaps not in looks, but he was. When he had chosen to pursue this quest with his uncle and brother, he could never have imagined that he would be where he was now. For the first time in long while Kili felt trapped, he had nowhere to run he would have to face this sooner or later. He knew it would be foolish to present himself so he just stood there trying to mask himself.

Kili's free hand balled into a fist, his other only tighten its grip on shepherd's hand, she didn't seem to mind though and simply pulled him closer.

The Goblin chief once again, snarled and cackled, only amused by their resistance. They had nowhere to run and he would wait for as long as it would take.

"Bring me him" he growled cheerfully, pointing a grotesque finger at Kili.

Before he knew it Kili was being pulled to the front and was forced to his knees before the Great Goblin. He hadn't hidden his distress well enough and now he was paying for it.

"WAIT!" he heard, his head shot up. Thorin stepped forward, taking responsibility for them and delaying his inevitable torture. Kili felt a small flurry of relief course though his veins, it may have been brief but it was most welcome.

"Well well, if it isn't Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror, King under the Mountain!" the Goblin chief said mockingly, "Oh wait I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain and you're not a king, so that makes you nobody really!" He snarled at him, Thorin glared angrily at him, 'if looks could kill' Kili thought.

"More of a king than you!" He heard Shepard shout defensively, the Goblin chief scoffed at this.

"Is this admiration I hear?! You are blinded by your loyalty! He is nobody! Worthless, well…almost"

Thorin continued to glare but had to satisfy his curiosity, "What do you mean? Almost?"

The Goblin sneered happily at the question, "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head! An old enemy of yours… The Pale Orc!"

Kili noticed his uncle tense at the comment. He knew what painful memories just mentioning that Orc riled up. He saw the pain in his uncle's face, it couldn't be denied.

"Azog? The Defiler? No! That creature died in battle long ago!" Thorin growled, not wanting to believe that that monster could still live.

The Goblin jeered and laughed snidely at him, his minions joined in his laughter. When they died down from their brisk excitement, the small goblin who spoke before looked longingly at his chief. The Chief nodded and the small goblin scuttled away and returned quickly with a small sullied looking chest. Kili could only imagine the horrors that lay within.

"Now for the fun!" the Goblin chuckled, opening the chest and examining its contents. He pointed at something and the smaller goblin holding it chuckled and set it onto the rotted wooden floor. Another slightly taller, and stronger looking, goblin reached in and pulled out a cat-of-nine-tails, the whip was large and worn with use, the heads of it were adorned with metal barbs which were spoiled with congealed blood of its previous victim.

Kili swallowed deeply, knowing it was for him. He was ready though, he swore to himself he wouldn't break, that he would die to keep this quest a secret if necessary.

He felt the goblins take hold of him and drag him to the side, they tied his arms above his head to a half rotted and blood stained post, the Goblin chief cackled loudly enjoying the scene. Kili heard Thorin protest from behind him.

"NO! Leave him be! He knows nothing!" he growled angrily at the goblins, almost begging.

"Then answer me! What are you doing in these parts?" replied the Chief.

"Travelling!" Thorin answered quickly and plainly, willing to do anything to spare his nephew the pain and anguish of torture.

"Yes…go on…" enticed the Chief when Thorin didn't give him full answer he wanted, "To where? Why?"

Thorin shook his head, the Goblin chief raised his hand and a loud crack echoed in the cave. Kili was met with a searing pain across his lower back, he gritted his teeth and fought back his urge to cry out, his body tried to curl up in response but his bonds wouldn't let him. He supressed his pain. He was strong, he wouldn't break. 'I won't break!' he reassured himself.

Braerka watch in horror as the goblins pulled Kili from beside her, his hand was snatched from her grip and she watched helplessly as they held her back and forced him to his knees in front of their Chief.

She felt an uncontrollable anger blaze within her, she wouldn't let them do this. Thorin stepped forward and queried them, her rage faded, if anyone could avert this she believed he could. But she had been wrong, his talking and answers and only made it more fun for the goblins.

She felt herself cringe when the whip cracked, striking kili's back. She had expected him to yell out but there was no cry of pain, only a low hiss as he tried to ignore. She glanced to Fili, he too glanced at her. The look of anger and rage in his usually calm eyes was unlike anything she'd seen. She saw him fight back the urge to lunge at the nearest goblin, she understood she too would love to hurt some of them for what they were doing.

"We are travelling east…that is all I will tell you!" Thorin spat at the goblin angrily, trying to satisfy him and to spare Kili.

The Goblin chief shook his head and stepped forward snatching the whip from his minion's hand, "Tell. Me. Where. NOW!" he bellowed, each word was punctuated with a crack of the whip against Kili's back. A quiet sob could be heard from him, Braerka forced herself to watch as each blow fell. She felt her eyes begin to swell, tears about to stream. Why Kili? Why not Thorin? And why did he want to know anyway? It couldn't be that important to him?

Braerka felt the rage boil up in her again, and it was just about ready to spill over. The Goblin was only doing this for sport, he wasn't going to get anything out it. She so desperately wanted to spill the Goblins chief guts there and then but doing so would be suicide, she contained herself.

Then it struck her, of all the things she'd lost in their passage down here, there was one thing they hadn't taken, one thing they didn't know of. Her hidden blade.

An idea sparked in her head, she may not be able to free them all but she would be able to save Kili from his torment.

Three more cracks resonated through the cavern, with each blow her anger grew. She didn't fully understand why she felt such anger, or why she felt so protective of him. But it was obvious to her subconscious, she loved him whether she wanted to believe it or not, she did and she would do anything to protect him.

She saw the Goblin chief's hand raise again ready for another blow. She wasn't going to let it land.

Her subconscious won over yet again, overriding all concern for her own safety. She pressed forward, shoving aside the goblins that tried to stop her. She drew her dagger and slit the throat of the nearest one, moving swiftly forward and gutting the next one in her path.

As the whip fell she stepped into its path, hugging Kili close and taking the full force of the hit. She felt nothing, her anger had numbed her and she was glad of it, she imagined the barbs would make the pain worse. She smoothly cut Kili's bonds and half supported him as he almost collapsed.

His eyes met hers, and she realised there and then, she did love him, perhaps too much. That would be problematic.

In a split second she felt hands on her and she was being pulled back, her dagger was ripped from her hand, she heard it clatter to the floor. Before she knew it she knelt before the Goblin Chief himself, she gulped, she knew what coming.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the goblins toss Kili into Thorin's arms. She allowed herself to relax and little, he would live, she however would have to endure what the goblins sent her way

"Who might you be?!" the Goblin asked, leaning in close to her face. She gagged as its breath met her, it was worse than the tunnels they had traversed to get there.

"Yes do tell us!" she heard Thorin say, almost completely inaudibly , 'so he had been awake, he had heard!' she ascertained, she knew now that even if she did make it out of these caverns alive she would have to suffer Thorin's wrath.

Kili had never been more grateful. When he felt her arms wrap around him he had thought himself delusional, but meeting her eyes had proved it was real. He felt bad that she had to endure the whiplash intended for him, but it didn't seem to faze her in the slightest. She looked at him, he saw the worry and agony in her eyes, but then she was pulled away.

He felt hooked hands grip at him and he too was pulled away, only to be thrown into his uncles arms. Trying to keep even a shred of what dignity he had left he quickly tried to right himself. He stood, with a little help from his uncle, and turned to glare at the goblins. His back throbbed with pain, he endured though he would fight through.

Shepherd was now in the same position he had been moments ago, it was a viscous circle, she was now their plaything.

"Who are you?" he heard the Goblin Chief asked her again. His tall overweight from was bearing down on her, Kili knew she was scared, terrified even, he felt it, she was timid to even breathe and he could see it. Her whole body was tensed up, she was rigid and unmoving, she was petrified of what was to come. Yet she had risked her life for him, why? 'Unless…' he thought, he could only have dreamed that she felt anything for him, after all he had ignored for a fair while and wouldn't have blamed her had she not cared.

The Goblin chief growled and scrutinised her slowly then asked again, "This is the last time I will ask nicely! Who are you?"

Kili saw no signs of her giving in anytime soon, she remained docile though he could see her tremble, then suddenly as if waking from a dream she stopped. Her muscles relaxed and she rose to a standing position, pushing back the goblins that tried to supress her. He watched as she stood glaring at her enemy, whatever conclusion she had come to in her head, she was no longer afraid.

The Goblin Chief regarded her with some bemusement, "Well?" he asked, assuming she was going to answer.

Kili wanted to be by her side just so he could keep her safe; she looked too exposed and vulnerable out there all alone, he didn't like it one bit.

"I am the Shepard…" said, her voice was shaky but not broken she was handling herself well.

The goblins eyes opened wide at her answer, "THE Shepard!" He repeated, "Aren't you a little young to be the Shepard!" The chief exclaimed, poking her with the base of his sceptre. "You don't look like a fabled warrior of old tales!"

Kili couldn't help but be confused, she had identified herself as 'the' Shepard, just like Lindir had called her back in Rivendell. He had questions of his own but he had a feeling they would be answered soon enough.

"Warrior?" she scoffed, "I'm no warrior, you clearly don't know the stories very well! The shepherd lives a life of reasonable peace within the forests of middle-earth!"

"Yet here you are! In my kingdom!"

Kili saw her head shake, he had to admit she had walked into that one.

"As the stories go, the Shepard of the forests, protector and defender of life, has been traversing the earth for near 18 decades, slaying many a foe and fighting in many battles, you don't look a day over twenty, or battle hardened in the slightest"

"Looks can be deceiving!" She answered plainly, bored of the conversation and tired of looking at him. Thorin seemed to stare blankly at her confused and a little angered. Kili saw fury in his eyes, she had lied to him, in a way, and he would never forget that.

The goblin chief chuckled deeply, "I like you, maybe when we're done here you can be my pet!" He suggested, basking in his own glory as his minions roared at the proposal.

"Over my dead body!" She spat at him, Kili was amazed any fear she had once held gone. Again the Goblin chuckled, "A few may find that agreeable!"

Braerka didn't know what had come over her, she was willingly answering the chief's questions. Was it maybe the fact that she was tired of pretending and that she had decided earlier that she was going to tell or was it because it seemed like the best thing to do.

She was playing for time, by telling the truth. Not the best of game plans but it was working, she had the full attention of the Goblin chief, and if they were lucky Gandalf would show up like last time. Though the chances of him finding them down here were slim, she wasn't going to give up hope.

She glared angrily at the Goblin. She was angry at him, at herself, at everything; she wanted this day to end.

"I know a few who'd pay a hefty price for you, unfortunately they want you alive!" He continued chuckling, he rubbed his nose, some snot smeared across his face as he did.

"Like who?" she questioned

"Like... Oh I don't know… The Black Eyes maybe!"

Her heart almost stopped, she had completely forgotten about her little escapade in the tavern with them. They had followed after her, probably overtook them while they stayed in Rivendell. But it bugged her, how did the Goblin chief know of them and their grudge against her? She made no attempt at asking but the goblin must have sensed her query for he answered it.

"They came through some days ago, bargaining for their lives saying they only wanted a girl known as the Shepherd, I being the good citizen I am allowed them to continue on their crusade for revenge." He cackled disdainfully when he saw the alarm in her expression.

She thought long and hard, they must have sought after someone who knew her as Arkensan, which is the name she'd given them. The only way Karsen would know her alias was for him to find someone that knew her and then squeeze them for all the information they could.

She wondered what the others were thinking right now, whether they still trusted her or whether they had turned on her, she would find out soon.

Silently Kili, pondered the facts being laid before him, if it was true that she was 'The Shepard', whoever that was, she would be at least 180 years old and have elite skills in combat, which explained her archery skills. But her age 180! It couldn't be possible, she was human, humans didn't live that long!

"I ask this for the last time! What are you all doing in these parts?" continued the Goblin Chief, no longer addressing her but all of them, they all stood in silence, no one was swayed, they would die here if it meant the goblins would never know of their quest.

Kili felt the urge to start up a fight but even he knew that was foolish with in current state and also having no weapons it would be futile and possibly on result in him being whipped again, 'Relax' he told himself.

"Send word to the pale Orc, I have a gift for him!" commanded the Goblin Chief, turning to the weedy looking goblin beside him, he was bored of this and was looking forward to his implements of true torture to arrive.

Kili knew now that they were stuck, they couldn't go back and going forward would get them more than likely killed. Kili needed to survive this, he needed to know the truth, why had she been so defensive of him? Why had she lied about her name? Why?

AN: See I told you I'd get them up quicker :) As always guys R&R, thanks for anyone who's Reviewed so far, love it when I get feedback, whether it be a critical paragraph or even just a sentence. There'll be another one up before the end of the week so stay tuned, til next time :) KiliFanatic