Of all the creatures she had been introduced to over the past weeks, there was no question that goblins were the ugliest.

They were short and thin, with triangular heads that made their yellow eyes bulge from their skulls. Their fingers were abnormally long and narrow, their teeth as yellow as their eyes and sitting in beds of black gums. The goblins moved like ants, crawling over everything – each other included.

She only had time to draw her sword before they were upon her. She swung it back and forth, forcing the mob back as the blade hissed through the air. The goblins clacked their teeth and squealed, the crowd still milling as they tried to find a way around, the word 'Elf' circulating amongst the mob. Sylven got to one knee, slashing angrily. She used the only word she remembered Elrond speaking. "Mithrandir!"

They shrieked and began to move about more hastily, agitated by what she'd said or simply the language itself.

Then something jumped onto her shoulders from behind, throwing her forward. Her face hit the ground, and the cut above her brow exploded into pain as it tore open again, the blade flying from her hand. She pushed off the ground, reeling back onto her feet as the goblin clung to her, nails dragging across her face. She drove back an elbow, but it was useless. As she struck her attacker the others were already surging forward.

Hands, millions of gnarled fingers scrabbled at her clothes as she kicked and swung, dragged down under all of them. She was forced onto her stomach, and while she was lifted up some climbed on top of her, clamping hands over her eyes blinding her. No matter how hard she tried, she could hardly move at all. There were too many, holding her limbs and the sides of her head restraining her as they carried her, bobbing and chanting, "Elf! Elf! Elf!"

Then the hand on her eyes moved a finger near her lips. She snatched at it, biting down as hard as she could. The goblin shrilled, and she caught glimpses of wood planks and goblin shoulders through the cracks of its fingers as it tried to get it's hand back, but her mind was consumed with the nauseating blood gushing into her mouth. Everything it touched began to burn, and she spat the finger out, black viscous blood spraying with it as she spat and coughed, trying to get clear.

Something hit the back of her head, more hands on her face, and then she was falling again. She put her hands out franticly, but her knees hit first, jarring against the stone. She pushed herself up, sitting back on her heels, drinking in her surroundings desperately. All around her hugging the walls of the cavern were level upon level of wooden platforms, crowded with moving figures that could only be thousands upon thousands more goblins. They spanned up so far she had to strain her neck to see, and continued on beyond what the edge of the ridge allowed her to see.

But taking up the majority of her view, was something as large as a troll but far more abhorrent.

Blubberous, pustule ridden, and with a goiter the size of a small horse, it seemed only fitting that the king of the goblins was the most hideous of them all.

"Well now, first dwarves, and now elves?" He leaned forward on his massive throne, the gathering of goblins he used as a footrest squawking as he waved his staff capped in a skull to gesture behind her. "Is there no end to the impertinence?"

She knew better than to turn. She did. But as the flower to the sun she was helpless against the pull of knowing he was so near. They were all there, starring at her with the goblins spread amongst them holding them. Only Thorin remained composed – and for a moment their eyes met and she knew he realized what she did. There was hope to be found, if they could weave the deception. Her hair had loosened from its place and now had her ears covered. She wore elvish clothes, carried one of their blades. It could work.

It was no simple thing, to look indifferent as she found Kili near the front. His dark eyes were swollen with distress, and some darker maelstrom beneath. The claws of the goblin as run across her face in a streak, and she knew there was blood – its salty tang was detectible amongst the after taste of goblin still stinging in her mouth. This was the first time he had to experience what she had when he'd run out to fire on the orc that was about to discovered them all as they fled. He needed to trust her. He had to let her try.

So Sylven faced the goblin king, with his white stringy hair and crown of what might have been shin bones. She pictured herself slipping into another skin, another body. She tried to distance herself from her past, to draw close her memories of Rivendell. When she spoke, she kept her voice serene and elevated.

"Apologies," She dipped her brow for the briefest of moments. "I should have sent word ahead that I was coming. If I had realized you were otherwise engaged, I never would have stopped in. I can return later, if you prefer?"

"You're a cocky one." He roared with laughter, the goiter bobbing in front of her in a very disconcerting display. He cut short in an instant and growled, "I use the skulls of cocky elves for my furniture."

Fresh searing fear. Sylven had to push her tongue against the roof of her mouth to keep from making a noise as he pressed on.

"So what, pretty elf, are you doing in my kingdom?"

She inhaled through her nostrils to give her mouth a moment more to untangle, then spoke. "The dwarves left Imladris by night, knowing my Lord Elrond could not allow them to continue their quest. I was sent to stop them, and return their leader to Lord Elrond to insure they would not continue on."

"So the elf lord sent only you?"

Sylven leaned forward, leaning her head to the side and letting a slow grin spread over her face to chilling effect. "I am all that is required."

"Well, you can rest easily." The king sat back. "They will not be continuing on. Of course, neither will you… bring the chains!"

She tried to get to her feet but the goblins were on her in an instant. She tried to get them off but again she was pulled down, and cold iron clasped around her wrapped wrists. The metal links clanked loudly as the king took them up in his hand, and she screamed as he yanked, forcing her to scramble forward to avoiding being dragged.

It was too much.

Kili tried to break forward, bellowing, "Leave her alone! Get your hands off of her!"

The goblin king jerked his head in the dwarf's direction, eyes narrowing as he continued to fight. "What's this? Oh how very touching." He yanked on the chains, and Sylven grit her teeth as she was pulled to her feet then just high enough that she dangled. "A dwarf, trying to protect an elf! You wouldn't expect it to be so adverse to his interests, to have you chained up."

She grunted as he slackened the chains, dropping onto the ground. She stood, shaking her head. "Dwarves are… emotional. I suspect it pricks his sense of honor."

"That, or perhaps you're the human who traveled with them."

The chains snapped taught, and she fell forward, dragging against the wood. The dwarves began to struggle, shouting and cursing and joining Kili as she goblins pulled at her hair, showing her rounded ears. One jumped up and down on her chest, hooting, "Human! She's the girl! Human!"

"We'll do her first, then!" The king announced, dragging her out of the group and dangling her in front of his face. "She will pay the price, for lying to me."

He turned her, and Sylven felt whatever courage she'd presented putter out as she saw the machines approaching, devices made to lengthen the process of death. There were spikes and restraints and pots of fire, blades and cranks and wheels. They were close now, winding along the wooden pathways built on stilts.

Apparently torture was what brought out the bard in the king. He began to swing her as he stood, belting out, "Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beat and battered, from racks you'll be hung! Stowed down here and never be found! Down in the deep of Goblin Town!"

They were too preoccupied watching her to notice the one goblin, picking up a sword from the weapons pile confiscated from the company. He began to draw it open, then let out a wail so loud it cut across the ruckus. It threw Thorin's sword forward, scrambling back. The goblins went mad – some fleeing, some running about yowling, pelting the dwarves with rocks and fists. The king dropped Sylven, scurrying back to climb onto his throne.

"I know that sword! It is the goblin cleaver! The biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!"

Sylven saw a goblin pelting Thorin with a whip, and took her chance to run for a sword. She a goblin smashed into her from the side, sending her reeling backward to the very edge of the pit as the king screamed for their deaths. She saw Thorin go down, and managed to right herself and throw the goblin off, sending it reeling into the darkness. She ran toward him, but she would never make it in time. She saw the crooked blade lift high above him, ready to come swinging down and open flesh.

And then a boom, like the crack of a glacier split in two. Light became a physical thing, throwing all off their feet and onto the ground.

For a moment, perfect silence.

Then the fires began to burn again, and the stunned assembly began to stir, searching for the source.

And there, of course, was the wizard. He stood alone, sword drawn and staff brandished high. He looked over those he knew as each sat up. He spoke with a voice meant to stir the hearts of those with any valor left to them. "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"

Each of them answered. With a savage scream even Sylven went for her sword, tossing Fili his as the dwarves began swinging hammer and throwing axes. A goblin came at her, a knife held aloft, and went down head first as an arrow lodged in its eye. She turned, and Kili rushed forward grabbing her and barking, "Run!"

"Kili!" She screamed in warning, pulling him back as a goblin tried to jump on him from the level above. She didn't think. She swung, and blade split flesh and a flash of black. She stood, stunned as he fell onto the ground, convulsing. She saw another go down beside her, clutching it's face where some projectile had hit it, but the knowledge that she'd doomed a life overwhelmed any sense of danger for that instant.

It was the primary sin of any healer, to do harm. It was good, that killing came to her hard. It would the first of many on the road ahead. She wanted them all to matter. She never wanted death to become something she took in stride.

But Kili was grinning, and shaking her he shouted, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! Come on!"

They followed the wizard on down the trail of wooden planks as Thorin knocked the goblin king off balance, sending him falling back off the edge. United they began the flight from Goblin Town.