The Lonely Mountain: Journey to the Blue Mountains

by TheNotSoMutantTurtles

Thorin Oakensheild returns from the battle of Moria to an even more devastating slaughter. With their women and children cut down to a dwindling few, the last of his line and King-Without-A-Mountain, Thorin must lead his people to the Blue Mountains, a long journey fraught with great danger, to give them a place of safety. Disclaimer: Don't own

21. Chapter 21

Thorin was torn. He wanted nothing more than to loose his sword and charge the beast, but todo so would mean either taking Kili into battle with him, or prying his white knuckled fingers from his coat and leaving him to stand alone and vulnerable before the beast. His only alternative was to run, find someone to take the child and then return and hope to Mahal that Fili was not yet dead.

It was like the world slowed to a stop, a terrible slow motion that he could not break from, frozen in place. Then he felt something try to tug Kili from his grasp and s sword was half drawn before he recognised young Bofur, eyes wide and frightened, mouth moving and hands up.

And then everything rushed back into focus and all he could hear was the utterly terrifying sound of Fili screaming for him, and without a second thought he shook Kili loose and passed him into Bofurs waiting arms, ignoring the way the babe screamed for him and turned to the beast, drawing his sword fully. Dwalin was already in the water, hacking at the beast with his twin axes seeking to kill it before it could do more damage. Balin was beside his brother, fending off the multitude of smaller tentacles that sprouted like the legs of a centipede from the creatures body.

With a roar of rage Thorin joined the fray. Some if his warriors were hacking at the creatures tail, hoping to get it to loosen its grip on their people. But the creature just writhed against the blows,making a terrible screeching sound. Then Oin shouted. "Fire! Take the torches and burn it!" Gloin was in the water, with torches in hand.

The creature recoiled, and seeing their chance the warriors each turned to get one, but Thorin did not, because to his horror the beast was returning to the darker part of the lake and was preparing to return to the water.

"No!" He yelled, and with a strength borne not of rage, but of desperation he charged it, swiping at the tail with all of his might, joined by the quicker of his warriors who set their newly acquired torches to the wound he had left. The creature flailed once and then the tentacles began to loosen and those that could squirmed their way free.

But with a final wrench the beast pulled away and Thorin could only watch in horror as it disappeared, Fili still in its grasp slipping under the water with a final, haunting cry of.

"Uncle!"

And then it was gone and all of the strength left in Thorin went with it and his knees weakened under him.