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Chapter 15: Down in Goblin Town

Isla almost thought she was trapped in a nightmare, only the pain of striking the stone would have woken her if she had been.

She didn't know how long they fell for, only that the world careened past in a blur of stone and the shouts of the others. They tumbled around her, pinwheeling and rolling and occasionally crashing into each other as they fell. In the madness of it all, she found Bilbo. He slid past her, and she reached out and grabbed his hand, using their momentum to pull him to her. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and they fell sharply down into open air.

They landed hard, knocking Isla from Bilbo's grip, and she tumbled gracelessly from the top of the pile of Dwarves on which they had landed.

Isla rolled to a stop, fighting down the nausea and vertigo battling in her stomach, and sitting up, she tried to make sense of their surroundings. They had fallen into some kind of catch, and while she was grateful that no one had been impaled on the tall wooden stakes surrounding them, she also couldn't shake the image of them trapped within the clutch of a giant hand.

Shrieks and hisses pulled Isla from her thoughts, and she turned to find a crowd barreling down the path towards them. They cackled and hollered to each other, and Isla, struck at their sudden and horrendous appearance, could only watch as they fell on her and the Company. She had been sitting at the front of the others until Bifur yanked her up and pulled her behind them, but that didn't stop the goblins- for that was certainly what these heinous creatures were- from laying siege to the lot of them anyway.

She kicked and struggled but she couldn't shake the claws wrapped firmly around her arms. They scratched marks like ridges on her skin when she tried to pull herself from them, and while the sting of it made her hiss, she refused to stop fighting. The Dwarves cursed and roared around her, and some of them were successful in sending a few goblins flying, but even Dwalin's strength was no match for the sheer number of foes they faced.

The crowd surged forward, and Isla glanced wildly around at the others but could hardly make them out through the press of goblins surrounding her on all sides. Panic set in when she couldn't see Bilbo anywhere, but she figured he must have been at the other end of the party.

The goblins led the Company through tunnels and over walkways, and Isla tried to ignore the abyss stretching out below them. She fought to break free, kicking and shouting her frustration before a voice quieted her frenzy after a moment.

"Stop it or they won't hesitate to throw you over the side," came the stern command from behind her, and Isla managed to glance back over her shoulder. Thorin, with a look of barely contained rage, stared back at her, and despite herself, Isla listened to him and stopped struggling. Even with everything that had happened between them, she couldn't afford to worry about that now.

"Where are they taking us?" Isla threw over her shoulder, panting from her efforts. She cast quick, sidelong glances at the goblins on either side of her, but their captors, occupied with keeping them moving, paid no heed to their conversation.

"I don't know," came Thorin's reply, voice brittle and severe, "but I don't like that they're carrying us deeper into the mountain." She knew he was furious, but he was keeping it contained for the time being.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, glancing back at him again. Only the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her uncertainty, but she hoped that Thorin didn't notice it. He only stared at her for a moment.

"Wherever we're going, stay behind us and keep quiet," came his stern reply, and they stepped from the tunnel into a monstrous cavern.

Isla's mouth dropped open at the sight of it all.

Walkways and scaffolds lined the walls, creaking against the weight they bore, and it was amazing to Isla that they managed to stay standing with the load of goblins they held aloft. There were hoards of them, jeering and cackling down on the Company from all sides, and Isla swallowed at the sight of them. There had to be ten times more of them than there were Hobbits in Hobbiton, and Isla wondered how they were going to get out with the sheer number of them all. She didn't know if they could fight their way out of this one.

"I think I feel a song coming on," came a voice from deeper in the cavern, echoing above the calls of the crowd around them. The voice continued as the Company was led down the path deeper in.

Clap, snap, the black crack

Grip, grab, pinch, and nap

Batter and beat

Make 'em stammer and squeak

Pound, pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town

The voice grew in volume until the walkway widened onto a platform in the very heart of the cavern, and Isla glimpsed one of the most horrendous creatures she would ever see in her life.

She was certain he was a goblin as well, but he towered over the others at twice the height. His mottled and blemished skin glistened greasily in the light of the torches, and his gut protruded several feet out from his body, hanging over his filthy and tattered loincloth. He spun dramatically as they approached his throne, belting his horrendous tune to the crowd of his delighted subjects. He gave one final turn, a massive bulge of skin and fat swinging at his throat as he stopped to face Isla and her companions.

The horde brought them before him, and he appraised the Company with watery eyes, a delighted smirk revealing the mess of teeth within his mouth.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" he sneered, the warts across his mouth stretching as his lip curled. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins!?"

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence," supplied a goblin with a reedy voice as the rest of them crowded around the Company, blocking off the path from where they had come.

"Dwarves?!" the Great Goblin cried, studying them with more fervor.

"Found them on the front porch," chirped the goblin cheerily

"Well don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice!" he ordered, and the goblins surrounding the Company jumped into action at the command.

The horde fell on them again, tearing at their clothes and searching for anything they had on them. The Company did their best to fend them off, swearing and struggling, but it could not be helped. One by one, their weapons were cast before the Great Goblin's feet with a chorus of clatters. They even went so far as flatten Oin's hearing trumpet, much to the elder Dwarf's dismay.

A pair of goblins once again seized Isla, and she struggled when they tried to take the knives and slingshot from her belt. However, her efforts were ceased when one of them grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, earning a sharp yelp from the Hobbit. It's claws scraped along her scalp, leaving a few deep scores in their wake and bringing unwilling tears springing to her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, Isla thought she saw Thorin whirl in her direction, but Bofur jumped in just then.

"Oi! Hands off 'er, you filth!" he cried, wrenching himself free and throwing a swift fist at Isla's captor. The goblin flew backward, its claws releasing themselves from her hair as it went. She felt a trickle of blood slide along her scalp as Bofur gathered her up, looking her over.

"Yeh alrigh', Love?" he asked with a pointed nod of his head, his hands on her shoulders. She nodded, and the Great Goblin began to speak again. Bofur slid her behind him, his mittened hand wrapped firmly around hers, and Isla found herself hidden between him and Bombur.

"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" The Great Goblin demanded. The Company glanced around at each other, but no one said a word.

"Well then," the Great Goblin snarled, "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" he turned to address his subjects, who cheered in response.

"Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker!" he called to his delighted audience before whirling on the Company again, brandishing his staff.

"Start with the youngest!" he cried, pointing at a wide-eyed Ori. Isla reached out and gripped the young Dwarf's sleeve, but a voice rang out then over the rest.

"Wait!" Thorin called above the noise, his voice carrying out across the cavern. Silence fell as he stepped from the crowd into the center of the platform, and a smirk of sick delight slid onto the Great Goblin's face at the sight of the Dwarf King.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." He gave a bow, his head low to the floor and a hand thrown out dramatically behind him. Isla's teeth ground at the display.

"Oh, but I'm forgetting," he said suddenly, his head popping back up, "You don't have a mountain. And you're not a king, which makes you... nobody really."

For his part, Thorin said nothing, only stayed calm and quiet against the Great Goblin's insult. There was a strange sort of regal air to him; a cool disdain. The same could not be said for Isla, and she found herself bristling at the Goblin's words.

"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head," the Great Goblin murmured after a moment, and something in his tone gave Isla pause, "Just the head! Nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak? An old enemy of yours. A pale orc, astride a white warg," he taunted, and a ripple went through the Dwarves. Even Thorin looked suddenly shaken at the Goblin's revelation, and Isla's brow furrowed. What he said sounded familiar, and she placed a hand on Bofur's shoulder.

"Bofur, what-?" she began but Thorin's voice cut her off.

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago," Thorin rumbled, and realization dawned on Isla. She remembered the story on that cliff all those months ago and something cold slid into her stomach. It couldn't be true, could it? Thorin said it himself, he died in battle.

No wonder Thorin looked so affected, and despite herself, despite everything, her heart went out to him. And she wanted nothing more than to smack the satisfied sneer off their host's hideous face.

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" he taunted, enjoying Thorin's quiet discontent.

His smile was amused and smug as he turned to a small goblin with shriveled legs sitting in a swing close to the platform. He murmured something to the goblin, who then obediently scribbled the message onto a board in its hands. The cretin cackled to himself as he pulled a lever above his head, releasing the latch and sending him flying deep into a canyon. The Great Goblin turned, a grin stretched across his features.

"I do believe he has a story or two to tell about your father."

Isla watched Thorin and the way he stiffened and she decided she'd had enough.

"Liar!" Isla shouted before she could stop herself, surging forward. Bofur tried to grab her, but she shook off the hand on her shoulder and stalked to the front of the Company. Thorin jumped in front of her, stopping her short of coming before the Great Goblin and yanking her firmly behind him. He glared at her over his shoulder.

"I told you to stay quiet," he growled.

"No, I'm not going to just stand there and listen to him lie and ridicule and-" she hissed, but the Goblin started laughing, interrupting her.

"Lying am I, little Dwarf?" the Great Goblin mocked before he narrowed his eyes at her, his head cocking to the side, "But you're not a Dwarf, are you?"

Without a word, two goblins seized her suddenly from behind, lifting her by the arms and carrying her before the throne.

"No!" Thorin shouted, but three goblins jumped forward and held him back. Behind her, the Compay erupted, shouting and pushing against the goblins that were keeping them at bay.

"Isla!" Fili called, his arms held behind him, but pulling with all his might.

Isla struggled, but she could do nothing as the two at her sides carried her forward. She threw a glance backward and was surprised by the panic she found written across Thorin's face.

At the feet of the Great Goblin's throne, Isla was suddenly aware of how large he really was, and despite herself, fear slithered down her spine. But all she could do was clench her jaw and glare as he bent his grotesque face close to hers, studying her intently. She suppressed a flinch when his hand reached out and took her face between his thumb and his forefinger, and the others behind her fought with renewed fury.

"Yeh'll not hurt that lass!" Balin warned as the Great Goblin examined her.

Breathing hard, Isla tried not to wince against the pressure of his grip as he turned her head this way and that. Thorin growled sharply behind her.

"Ears like an Elf, but it's too short for an Elf, isn't it?" the Goblin puzzled when he saw her ears poking out from her hair, turning her head at an odd angle to get a better look. Isla couldn't help the small noise of pain, worried that he would break her neck if he bent it any farther.

"Release her," Thorin barked, and against the grimace pinching her features, Isla peaked at him from the corner of her eye. His tone had surprised her. She found him with a glower that could have flattened mountains, but he was only answered with a sardonic smile.

"My, is that a soft spot in your heart of stone, Oakenshield?" the Goblin laughed, turning back to Isla, "Whatever this thing is, she must be rather special."

He lowered his head once more, peering intently at her, "And just what are you, creature?"

Isla said nothing, only snarled and spat up into his face, relishing in the act despite the fear she felt. The Great Goblin's lip curled and he wiped his free hand across his chin, cackling as he did so.

"Why, it's nothing more than a wild animal," he sneered as he straightened, grabbing Isla roughly by the back of the collar when she tried to get away from him. She pushed feebly at his hand, but it would not budge. She heard a strange sort of creaking then coming up the pathway, and she turned to see goblins wheeling up various instruments of torture, laughing as they did. Isla's blood ran cold at the sight of them.

"I do believe she'll have to be broken," the Great Goblin called pleasantly, and the horde cheered in response.

She fought harder against the hand restraining her, locking eyes with the Company and wondering just how they were going to get out of this. They fought and struggled but could do nothing against the sea of foes around them. She tried to find Bilbo in the crowd but couldn't see him through the press of goblins and Dwarves. She could hardly make out the Company in the chaos at all.

Above her, the Great Goblin started up another jaunty tune.

Bones will be shattered necks will be wrung

You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung!

You will lie down here and never be found

Down in the deep of Goblin Town

"Hang on, Lass!"

Suddenly a goblin crouched at the pile of weapons hissed, flinging a sword onto the planks at their feet. It clattered and lay there, glimmering in the torchlight, and Isla realized it was Thorin's sword. At the sight of it, the goblins retreated, shrieking and cowering before the Elvish weapon. Even the Great Goblin recoiled, yanking Isla by the collar where he still held her as he fell back. She landed with a sharp crack of her knees on the boards, wincing as she tried still to pry herself from the grip of the hand behind her.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver! The Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks!"

At his cry, the horde surged forward again, pouncing on the Company with renewed fury. They whipped the Dwarves with ropes and chains, beat them with cubs, drove them writhing to the planks at their feet. Isla could only watch this unfold, helpless and unable to break free of the grip that held her.

"No! Stop!" she shouted, but her voice could not carry over the noise of the cavern. She might as well have told a storming sea to stop in its churning.

"Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all!"

The Great Goblin pulled Isla up from her knees before tossing her across the clearing. She landed hard, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop. Momentarily disoriented, she cast her eyes around and found Thorin a little ways off to her side, struggling with the goblins that had him pinned. He was on his back like she was, upside down in her view from laying the opposite way as she, but he turned his head and they locked eyes in that moment. Gaining her senses a little, she caught sight of the goblin standing over him, a wicked blade clutched in its hand, and her heart seized up within her.

"Cut off his head!"

"No!" Isla cried, pushing herself up on her hands, desperate but helpless.

A sudden blast knocked her back to the planks, white light brighter than the noonday sun filling the expanse of the cavern. It blew back the horde, sending many of them careening over the platform and blasting their contraptions into splinters.

Silence echoed across them as the light receded, and Isla lifted her head from where she lay, blinking against the dark spots in her eyes from the sudden flash. The light withdrew, and Isla found a lone figure standing in the shadows, his silhouette a familiar shape in the darkness. He stepped forward, and Isla almost wept for joy when she saw that it was Gandalf.

"Take up arms," he called, casting his eyes across the sea of them. At his voice, the others began to rouse from their momentary stupor.

"Fight," he said, "Fight!"

The Company jumped into action around her, throwing off the last of the goblins keeping them down and gathering themselves together. Suddenly, Thorin was there, pulling Isla wordlessly to her feet and towards the others by the arm.

She watched the chaos unfold around them as Thorin worked his way through the crowd. In the madness of it all, Gandalf's sword sang through the air, and the horde cowered before him.

"He wields the Foe-Hammer!" cried the Great Goblin, horror in his voice, "The Beater; bright as daylight!"

"Fili!" Thorin called as the Company made a mad scramble for their weapons. Fili's head popped up from the crowd, his arms laden with swords and axes as the others tossed weapons to each other and jumped into the fray.

"Keep her close," Thorin called to his nephew, his hand landing on Isla's back and urging her towards the Company.

"Thorin-" Isla turned to glance back at him just as the Great Goblin stood and charged towards them.

"Oh my-" she gasped. Thorin pushed her down towards the others and out of the way just as the Great Goblin rose up before them, his staff raised high overhead and ready to strike.

"Thorin!" Nori called suddenly from Isla's side, rolling onto his back and holding Orcrist aloft. Quick as lightning, Thorin took the hilt and spun, catching the Great Goblin's arm midswing and deflecting the blow. The strike sent the wretch careening backward on heavy, clumsy steps. He stumbled, crashing to the edge of the platform before going over the side with a roar.

Isla was caught in a momentary daze until a hand took her arm and pulled her up, and suddenly Fili was pushing her weapons into her hands. She took them wordlessly, blinking at the chaos around them and trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening, but Fili's hands clasped hers after a moment, bringing her back to reality. Pressing her hands gently around her knives, he bent his head and peered into her face.

"Be ready now, Isla."

They locked eyes, and Isla nodded, shaking off the last of her stupor and preparing for the fight to come.

"Just stay close, and we'll keep an eye on yeh," Dwalin said, giving her a pointed look as he rushed past.

Isla glanced around her, "Wait, but where's-"

Suddenly Gandalf was before them, pressing them on with an urgent voice.

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" he called, and the others rushed forward. Fili grabbed her arm and pulled her with him, and Isla took off running with the rest of them.

They thundered over the walkways, their steps clattering against the planks. It didn't take long for Isla to pick up the sound of the hoards from behind, and dread settled over her like ice when she realized how many were rushing after them. Their shrieks and laughter bounced off the cavern walls, and Isla threw a glance over her shoulder.

"Keep going, Isla. Don't look back," Fili called and she caught his eye over her shoulder. "It's alright, I'm right behind you."

She took a breath and nodded again, focusing on keeping up with the others.

Up ahead, Dwalin led the charge across the planks. She wasn't sure who was at the rear, but she only hoped that the goblins weren't gaining on them. She had Gandalf in front of her and Fili at her back, and despite the danger she knew they were all in, she felt confident in those around her. None of them would let anything happen to her or Bilbo- wherever he was in the line behind her- and she knew she wouldn't let anything happen to any of them.

Up ahead, goblins began dropping down onto the walkway. Isla's heart seized within her until she saw Dwalin and Nori cut a railing free and use it to clear the path ahead of them, and the Company continued on. However, like insects, goblins swarmed the walls and crawled up the scaffold posts. Soon they were appearing on both sides, and close combat became a reality.

Out of nowhere, a goblin hefted itself over the side with a shriek, clutching a curved, jagged blade in its hand. Isla's heart stuttered in her chest when it turned towards her and raised its blade high overhead. Reflexively, she lifted her knives and caught the goblin's blade in its downward slash. The muscles in her forearms burned as she pushed against it, and she stepped out of the path of its descent before her arms gave out, sending the blade harmlessly off to her side.

Fili was there in an instant, slicing his blade efficiently across the fiend's neck with practiced ease, and they carried on running.

"Well done, Isla," he panted, "Just like we practiced. I'm right here to help you."

It was a comforting thought, and Isla took courage knowing that he had her back.

The others took care of the brunt of the offenders, but Isla did her best to help out where she could. She struck out wildly as she ran, reacting largely on instinct and reflex as enemies appeared on both sides of the walkway. Although she mostly tried to stay out of the others' way, she felt a small sense of accomplishment for the few foes she was able to bring down.

It was nothing short of pure chaos. When they weren't dodging blades and slashing enemies, the Company was leaping over gaps and trying to find their way through a winding maze of walkways. At one point, Isla glanced up at the sound of heavy footfalls and found that half of the Company had found their way to a path above them.

"Do we even know where we're going?" Isla shouted as she jumped out from underneath the swing of a goblin's club. Fili quickly followed with a swift upward stroke, sending the wretch sailing into the abyss below. She ignored its final shriek as Fili cast her a helpless shrug, and Isla blew out a breath as they carried on running.

Soon, they were swarmed on all sides and were forced to stop for a moment to clear the path before they could continue on running. When she wasn't fighting for her life, Isla found herself watching the others and marveled at their skill and efficiency. They all had vastly different fighting styles, but each was as deadly as the last. Even Balin, who she had worried about as the oldest Dwarf, fended off enemies with a skill that could only come with age. Everyone worked in unison, calling and shouting to each other and making sure they had each other's backs.

In the chaos of it all, Isla caught sight of Thorin up ahead on the path. It was the first time she had seen him truly fight, and she was struck suddenly by the sheer grace and skill with which he wielded his elvish blade. Her mind went back to their training in Rivendell, and she was distantly grateful that they had only used practice weapons that day. As much as she didn't want to admit it, when it came to Thorin's skill, deadly didn't even begin to cut it.

His voice carried suddenly back to them, "Cut the ropes!"

Isla looked out, catching sight of the goblins across the way preparing to swing to their side of the cavern. To her right, Nori slashed through one of the ropes that held the scaffolding aloft above their heads, and Isla followed suit without question. Her knife went through the fibers like butter, and above them, a walkway creaked and tilted forward, catching the goblins midswing and flinging them into the darkness below.

"Come on, Isla," Kili said suddenly at her side, and his free hand gripped her arm and pulled her with him. He took off running, cutting down goblins with Isla close at his heels, but her heart jumped into her throat when she saw what lay ahead of them.

"Kili, look out!" she yelled just as a goblin let loose an arrow, but Kili swung and batted it away. He looked just as surprised at the feat as she felt, and he jumped out in front of her, making sure to keep her shielded. He deflected two more arrows before glancing back at her.

"That ladder, Isla. Quick!"

She spotted the ladder leaning against the wall to her left and grabbed it. Together, she and Kili hefted it and dropped it onto the foes in their path. Soon, Bifur and Bofur were at her back and helping them to push the ladder forward and their foes over the edge. The path now cleared, Kili dropped the ladder over the gap and they hurried across it.

Isla found herself behind Gandalf once more as he charged through the horde, taking as much appreciation for his skill as she had done for the others earlier. However, soon they reached the end of the scaffolding, and Isla spotted where the rest of the path continued on the other side of the cavern. The space was too large for them to jump, but the Company had nowhere to go.

"Gandalf, how-"

Before Isla could finish, the planks beneath her feet suddenly lurched forward, and they swung across the gap to the other side. With the distance closed, the Company raced forward and jumped the remaining distance to the scaffolding below. Half of them had managed to make it across before the walkway swung backward again, and suddenly goblins were dropping down before them. One goblin raised its mace against Isla, but Fili quickly grabbed her by the collar and pulled her out of the way, putting her behind the others. The bridge swung back again as Isla made it to the edge of the planks, and suddenly Dwalin was there, grabbing her with one arm around the middle and jumping before Isla could hesitate. Her scream caught in her throat, but they landing safely among the others as Fili cut the last rope, sending the walkway crashing below. Isla cast a wry, if shaken look up at Dwalin.

"I could have made that, you know," she quipped, even as she gripped his arm in thanks.

He released her once she found her balance, and the lot of them took off again.

"Uh-huh," he replied, beheading a goblin in one swing, "just be grateful I didn't toss ya."

She only answered with a smile and kept on running with the rest of them, but she could feel herself beginning to tire. No matter how many goblins the Dwarves cut down, they still kept coming in droves. Even with Gandalf's magic, which he had just used to cut free a boulder to clear their path, there were still too many foes for them to handle. It felt like they had been running and fighting for an age now, but Isla couldn't say whether they were any closer to getting out of the mountain. What she wouldn't give for an open sky.

Just when Isla thought she couldn't run anymore, they rounded a corner and she spotted a bridge on the path just up ahead.

"Almost there," Thorin panted, appearing suddenly at her side, "Fresh air. I can smell it just past that bridge."

"You can?" she gasped, unable to manage more than a few words.

He nodded, and even Isla could see how weary he was, "Almost there."

They scurried down the path and to the bridge, and Isla felt relief wash over her that they were almost free, but it was a feeling short-lived.

The boards at their feet erupted into splinters as the Great Goblin burst from below, a smirk proud across his face. The Company skidded to a halt before him, and fear gripped Isla's heart once more. Eru, no. Not when they were so close.

"You thought you could escape me?!" the wretch cried, slamming his staff into the boards at Gandalf's feet. He swung, barely missing the Wizard, and once again, Thorin reached back and pulled Isla behind him. She didn't even think to bristle at the contact.

"What are you going to do now, Wizard?" the Great Goblin sneered, turning a sardonic eye on Gandalf.

Without hesitating, Gandalf surged forward, his staff in hand, and jabbed the Goblin squarely in the eye. The beast howled, clutching a hand to his face, and not a moment later, Gandalf swung his sword in a graceful slash across the Goblin's belly. Clutching his gut, he collapsed to his knees before the Wizard.

"That'll do it," the Goblin nodded, and Gandalf sliced his throat without another word.

He gurgled and fell at Gandalf's feet, finally lying still and silent, and triumph broke out amongst the Company. Isla cheered with the rest of them, but the boards began creaking ominously beneath their feet and her elation faded once more.

"Oh, sweet Eru," Isla said under her breath, and suddenly the ground gave out beneath them.

Isla's stomach lurched, a scream tearing from her throat as she fell to the planks. Her eyes clamped shut, and suddenly someone was there, a weight across her shoulders and a protective hand over her head, keeping her pressed into the ground. Even as they crashed and tore their way down, Isla was held firmly in place.

She listened to the others scream and cracked her eyes open, afraid of what she'd find. Stone and debris rushed past like water, but she saw the others clinging on for dear life and was pacified for the moment that they were still there. She found a hand near her head, clutching the boards beneath them in a white-knuckled grip, a glinting silver ring momentarily catching her eye. A spill of dark hair fluttered against her cheek in the rushing wind, and as they fell sharply down, Isla pressed her forehead into the arm near her head and squeezed her eyes closed.

They landed hard, and Isla felt her bones rattle beneath her skin as they were thrown from the wreckage. They stopped, wood and debris falling around them, but whoever held her took the brunt of it and she remained relatively untouched. Panting hard and feeling disorientated, Isla lay there for a moment with her forehead against the stone. There was movement near her, and her ears were ringing, but gradually she became aware of a voice calling her name.

"Isla? Isla! Are you alright?"

Hands shook her shoulders and brushed the dust from her hair, and she lifted her head from the ground to the bluest eyes she had seen in her life.

Dazed, Isla's brow furrowed as she propped herself up on her forearms and glanced around, seeking out the others. They had landed at the bottom of a ravine, and as far as she could tell, everyone was there.

Thorin's hands clasped her face and drew her gaze back to his.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, his head bent, peering into her face. His eyes roved over her, and Isla was distantly aware of Bofur making some remark in the background, but she could only stare at the Dwarf who held her. Eru, had his eyes always been that blue?

She shook her head to clear it, "Yes, I'm fine, I'm alright. Where's Bil-"

A heavy and resounding thud cut her off and she jumped about a foot in the air, the Great Goblin's corpse having joined the rest of the wreckage.

"You've got to be jokin'," Dwalin exclaimed as the others groaned around him, and Thorin's hands slid from Isla.

One by one, they began to peel themselves from the debris, but suddenly Kili's voice rung clear and terrified above the others.

"Uh... Gandalf!?"

Isla followed Kili's gaze upwards, afraid of what she would find, and her mouth dropped open in horror. High overhead, goblins, still heady in the chase, poured down the cavern walls like water. They would be on them any minute.

"There's too many," Dwalin called, pulling a stumbling Nori from the wreckage, "We can't fight them."

"Only one thing will save us," Gandalf replied, "Daylight. Come on! On your feet!" At the Wizard's command, everyone jumped back into action.

Isla rushed over to the wreckage, ready to lend a hand. Some of the Dwarves were rather buried and would need help getting free, but she also wanted to find her cousin before everyone got on the move.

She moved boards and lifted debris, and in record time they had everyone out and ready to take off again. However, even when the last Dwarf was pulled free, Isla stood a moment before the wreckage and felt that something was terribly wrong.

She looked at the Company and did a headcount, hoping that she had made a mistake or miscounted, but everyone was there- everyone except one.

"Guys, where's Bilbo?" she called. They didn't hear her, preoccupied with the danger at hand. Everyone was leaving, but Isla only stood there turning in circles, feeling sick to her stomach and wondering how she could have missed it.

She hadn't seen him. She hadn't seen him that whole time, not since they fell.

"Where is he? Where's Bilbo?"

Her hands were shaking when she threw them into her hair, breathing heavily as horror sunk into her. The others were calling out to her, but their voices were getting far away.

"What is she doing?"

"Hurry, Lass!"

"What's going on?"

"Isla, come one, we have to leave!"

Fili began to pull on her arm, but she shook free. Almost everyone had cleared out by now.

"No! I can't leave until I find-!"

"We don't have time for this," came a voice stalking up from behind.

Before Isla could respond, Thorin was in front of her and stooping down, shoving his shoulder into her stomach and clamping an arm firmly behind her knees. He stood, lifting her and tossing her easily over his shoulder despite the way the Hobbit struggled.

"Everyone go. Now!"

Thorin took off running, and Isla started to scream.

He carried her like nothing; running like he didn't even seem to register her weight. Isla pushed herself up, ignoring the way his shoulder dug into her stomach and watched the wreckage disappear behind them. They were getting further away and Bilbo was still back there somewhere.

Isla struggled, kicking her legs and pounding her fists against Thorin's back and screaming her head off, "Let me go! You have to let me go! He's still back there, let me go!"

She might as well have been hitting against a stone wall. Thorin ignored her, responding only by clamping down harder on her knees to keep her from throwing herself off. This only served to frustrate Isla more, and despite herself, desperate tears sprung to her eyes.

She could hear the goblins shrieking through the passage after them, but she could only think of her cousin and whatever fate he might be facing. They were just going to leave him behind.

It wasn't long before light bled onto the walls of the cave and Isla knew they were almost out of the caverns. The thought should have been a relief, but she found no comfort knowing that her cousin was gone.

They burst from the mountain, sunlight from the dying day warming Isla's back even as she screamed harder.

"Bilbo! Bilbo!"

They ran down the mountainside, but in the light of the day, they were no longer being pursued. It was hard terrain, and even though Thorin did his best to hold her still and steady, her middle was aching from being jostled and having his shoulder digging into her.

Isla stopped struggling, clenching her fists in the back of Thorin's coat and pressing her eyes into her knuckles to keep the tears from streaming down her face. It was torture, but there was little she could do until Thorin let her down. Ill and shaking, she had to wait.

It felt like an age, but eventually, they began to slow, and Isla caught the others' voices as they approached.

"Curse the Halfling; now he's lost?"

"I thought he was with Dori!"

"Don't blame me!"

They joined the rest of them as the others continued to argue. The pair must have received odd looks from the others at the sight of Isla's position on Thorin's shoulder, but he only ignored them. Without a word, he stooped down and set Isla on her feet.

She didn't waste a second. As soon as she touched the ground, she shoved her shoulder into Thorin's chest and pushed him back before he'd even had the chance to fully straighten. Taken completely off guard, he fell, landing sprawled on his back with a shout, and Isla turned and ran back up the way they came.

"Lass, what are you doing?" Balin yelled, startled, as she took off.

"Isla, wait!" Kili tried to grab her arm as she passed him but she shook herself free.

"Lass!" Dwalin stepped in front of her, but she ducked under his arms.

She was just starting to scramble back up the mountainside when arms clamped around her from behind and lifted her off her feet. She kicked out, but he only tightened his hold.

"Isla, stop!" Thorin growled in her ear, but she continued to struggle.

"No! Let me go, I have to go get him! I won't leave him there!"

He dropped her back down and grabbed her shoulders before reaching around and gripping her by the wrists, holding her there before she could take off running again.

"Listen to me; your cousin is gone!" he shouted as she continued to pull against his hands. They were firm like iron.

"I know he's gone, that's why I have to-!"

"He was leaving."

She stopped struggling, gaping stupidly up at him and what he was saying. His hands tightened around her wrists, burning into her.

"Last night. While everyone was asleep, he was leaving. He was abandoning us; he was abandoning you."

"What? No that's... You're wrong. He- he wouldn't- he'd never-" she began in a small voice, but Thorin rode over her.

"He did. He's gone. He saw his chance and he took it."

"No. He would never-!"

"He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door."

"Stop it!" she shouted, hating him more in that moment than she had ever before.

"We will not be seeing your Hobbit again. He is long gone."

"No, he isn't."

Isla whirled around, her heart clenching at the sound of his voice.

Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree, lifting an awkward hand to wave at the lot of them and Isla almost crumpled at the sight of him. He was filthy and bedraggled, but standing there with the sun reflecting off his sandy head, he looked as golden as ever and Isla could not put into words how happy the sight of him made her.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf cried, the surprise and relief evident in his voice, "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

Isla yanked away from Thorin, and this time he released her willingly, seemingly as stunned as she was. Lifting her hands, Isla scrubbed her palms across her face as she half stumbled to her cousin, nearly overcome with her relief at seeing him.

"Bilbo Baggins, I'll never forgive you for the fright you've given me today."

Without another word she threw her arms around his neck and crushed him to her. He stumbled a bit before regaining his balance, laughing a little as he patted Isla on the back. She hid her face against his collar, finally letting the tears that had been threatening her all evening to spill over where no one would see them. She thanked every Valar she could that her cousin had come back.

"Bilbo," Kili exclaimed in disbelief behind her, "We'd given you up!"

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked, echoing the tone of his brother.

"How, indeed?" Dwalin murmured, and Isla lifted her head from her cousin's shoulder, pulling back a little to look at him.

Bilbo cleared his throat, laughing awkwardly and wagging his finger at them. His other hand hovered over his vest, and Isla thought she saw him slip something into the pocket at his waist, almost trying to be discreet about it. Her brows were furrowed when she looked up at his face, but Gandalf interrupted her before she could ask him.

"Well, what does it matter?" he called, an odd tone to his voice, "He's back!"

"It matters," Thorin growled behind her, dampening Isla's mood the second he opened his mouth, "I want to know, why did you come back?"

Isla scoffed, "As if it matters to you," she muttered bitterly under her breath, and Bilbo gave her a sidelong, if chastizing, look.

"Isla, it's fine," he murmured to her, before turning to face the Company. She opened her mouth, but he clasped a placating hand around hers and began to speak before she could.

"Look, I know you doubt us," Bilbo said, casting a glance over at Isla before turning back to Thorin again, "I know you doubt me. I know you always have. I've always known that Isla was more suited to this than I was."

"Now, wait, that's not-" Isla began, but Bilbo squeezed her hand before she could continue.

"Ssh, you. I'm not done."

Isla paused. She screwed up her mouth at the dismissal, but she didn't open it again. Nodding, she resolved to let Bilbo speak.

"And you're right," he said, turning back to the others, "I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden," he murmured, his eyes getting a little far away, and Isla knew he was back in the Shire.

"See, that's where I belong," he continued, "That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home."

Several of the Dwarves ducked their heads, and Isla glanced at Thorin, weighing his expression. His face was contemplative. Quiet. He seemed to be considering everything that Bilbo was saying but didn't know what to make of it.

"It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

Bilbo turned to Isla, warming her with his smile and sliding an arm around her shoulders.

"We both will," he finished, hugging her close.

Isla beamed up at him and felt as proud of him as anything. She nodded, wrapping an arm around his waist and turning a triumphant smile to the others. I told you so, it said. She would have the hide of anyone who dared doubt her cousin again.

She caught Thorin's eye then and thought that he almost looked remorseful.

"I-" he started, but their heads all snapped up at the sound of a howl in the near distance.

Isla gripped Bilbo's coat, her heart seizing up within her.

"Please tell me that's not-" she said, horrified.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin muttered.

"...And into the fire," Gandalf finished, "Run. Run!"

Isla and Bilbo shared a look, and she gripped his hand in hers. She would not lose him a second time.

They took off running together.

Hey everyone. Still alive if you guys were wondering.

As usual, I'm so sorry that it took so long to get an update. To say the last couple of months has been wild would be an understatement. In the time since my last update, I've broken my leg, rewritten basically all the plans I had made for the summer, switched jobs, and began preparing to move back up to my dream school. Life sure moves fast, y'know?

I do want you guys to know how much I appreciate how the reception for this story has been. I love reading your reviews and knowing that at least a few people out there are enjoying this does make me happy.

Even though I'm not the best at updating, I don't have any plans of abandoning this story. I've still got a lot of ideas and things in the works, and I plan to keep getting chapters out to you. If for some reason I ever do plan to stop working on this, I will let you guys know, but until then, keep expecting chapters.

Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this chapter! This one was kind of difficult to write, not gonna lie, and honestly, it's not my favourite thing I've written, but I am happy that it's finally finished.

I'm going to try and get the next one out as soon as possible!

Thanks, everyone :)