Laurel
We were so close to the Misty Mountain that Thorin demanded we find refuge in it the following night. Once we actually reached the top of the mountain, it started to storm heavily. Normally I would pay no mind to a storm but it was chilly and the wind was blowing everything around like crazy. It was literally raining sideways.
Kili was in front of me while Bilbo was behind me, Fili following. The brothers were worried about each of us, so they were trying to ensure nothing would happen.
The world started to shake around us like an earthquake. Bilbo slipped due to the rain, almost falling over the edge of the ridge we were on if it were not for Fili and I grabbing onto his pack.
"We've got to find shelter," Thorin bellowed over the gust and storm.
I second that notion. We started to trudge on when something enormous caught my eye, soaring through the air just above us. "Is that a piece of boulder," I wondered softly. It crashed against the mountain above us, everything shook once more and we all leaned back into the mountain for support.
"This is no thunderstorm," Balin cried out, "it's a thunder battle!"
On the opposing mountain in front of us I could see it shake as well. Something was moving; coming apart from the mountain. It was larger than anything I had seen before, if I had a word for it I would say it was a giant. The creature was make out of the rocky edges of the mountain. It staggered to a standstill stature before it leaned forward and wiggled another chunk of rock out.
"I'll be blessed," Bofur took a few steps forward, "the legends are true. Giants! Storm giants!
The giant threw the clump of mountain it had in it's hand and threw it in our direction. We all ducked, turning into the rocks behind us to try and face away from any on coming destruction.
Tremors traveled through my feet and into my bones. When I looked down I could see the ground beneath me was cracking and tearing apart. My eyes looked up to see Kili finding out the same thing. "Laurel," he called, offering me his hand. Before I could even think about accepting his hand Fili had grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me away from danger.
The look of pure terror his eyes screamed across the chasm in from of me was heart retching.
Equally divided, the group was staring at the other side in horror. We were being separated.
Everything seemed to transpire in slow motion. The piece of mountain Fili, Bilbo, Ori, Nori, Bombur, Dwlain and myself were on was actually a giant. We moved when it moved almost making me sick to my stomach from the motion.
I didn't know where we started or where we ended.
Suddenly another part of the mountain was coming up close and fast. Preparing myself I took a stance and waited for the impact.
Like a car crash we were thrown. I collided with the others, trying to bite back my groan of discomfort. In seconds the other group came to us, laughing with glee that we were reunited.
"Everyone alright," Balin asked helping up some. I accepted the hand that Bofur gave me. In turn I helped up Ori.
"Everyone, this way," Thorin declared once more as we followed him into a crevice of a cave.
Inside it was dry, and we were able to light a candle that Oin had stashed away for such occasions. Our leader stated it would be best to stay for the night and wait out the storm before departing the mountain. Soon everyone found a spot on the sandy cave floor and rested, falling asleep.
I was about to join them in the land of sleep, before I felt something land in front of my face.
A very large foot. Bilbo. He was heading towards the entrance to the cave carrying his bag. I had to detangle myself from Kili before raising and trying to tip toe around everyone.
"Bilbo," I whispered, "what are you doing?"
"Leaving."
My brow furrowed in confusion, "Why?"
"Elrond said I could stay in Rivendell until I am ready to return home. It is no secret that Thorin is not fond of me," he looked around everywhere but myself, "of us."
"That may be true, but it doesn't matter none the less. You agreed to help them."
"Thorin could not care less if I left or not," he muttered, "you could come with me."
Back to the beautiful place we just left? That would not be something I would oppose to, but my head turned, seeking out the black haired archer that slept so easily in the middle of the night. "I can't," I whispered. I only had just found him, I could not just abandon him.
"Thorin already forbade anything between the two of you," he whispered, taking a step forward to grasp my arm. "Why be somewhere where you are not welcome? Why continue on to this journey knowing that you would have to turn around and come live with me anyway?"
"Elrond said the heart of the—"
The ground beneath us started to slowly sink, as if the sand were slipping through an hour glass. Just to my left was my pack and weapons. I made no haste as I grabbed them and positioned myself with all of them on. Bilbo was backing against the wall of the cave, dragging me with him. I then noticed the odd blue light emitting from his sword. "What the hell is that doing," I muttered as we were staring at it in awe.
Thorin jumped from where he lay, "Everyone, get up!"
Just as some of the dwarves started to wake, the floor beneath us opened up and swallowed them whole. I was standing on the wrong part about to fall through as well when Bilbo grasped me and pulled me back.
"Oh no," I moaned, "they are all gone." The floor slowly started to rise again and closed as if nothing had even happened.
"Drats," Bilbo muttered as he started to pace around. "We can't leave them here either."
"Alright let's try to see if we can find them."
We walked around for what seemed like hours. One walkway led to another and that led to a turn around. It was like a stupid maze. I always hated mazes. Deep in my chest I worried of Kili, but I knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself. He could take better care of himself than I could take of myself. Right now I needed to focus on taking care of Bilbo.
Finally we came to a dead end that dropped off into a pit.
"Maybe we should go down there," I whispered.
"Are you mad? Of course not. We don't know where it goes or anything!"
"Exactly! It could go to where the others are at," I muttered, "if it doesn't then we can try and climb back up, it isn't too far of a jump, maybe ten feet."
Without more preamble I jumped into the darkness and landed softly on my feet. Soon after Bilbo followed me. It was a pit indeed filled with what looked like a graveyard. There were all sorts of bones lying about. Some skeletons were complete and others were odds and ends. Immediately chills traveled from the nape of my neck to the balls of my feet. Laying in the middle was another creature that I did not want to look at.
It looked like a mini troll if anything. It's skin was also gray and leathery, long pointed hair, but skinny and lying motionless.
"Do you think it's dead," I whispered.
Muttering could be heard from a distance. I quickly grabbed Bilbo and dragged him to hide with me in the shadows of a rock. A smaller creature, the size of Bilbo and I, came burling out of the shadows across from us. It half walked half slouched as it came up on the creature laying on the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I could make out the bright blue illumination of Bilbo's sword.
"Yes," a gravely hiss of a voice called out. My attention focused on the odd small creature that was just barely covered in a loin cloth. "We eats tonights."
It rounded on the other fallen creature, grabbing it by the legs and started to huff and groan as it dragged the other across the floor. Once it was out of sight we rose from our crouch. Bilbo was the first to move. He approached the entrance where the two things disappeared from. He crouched down and lifted a golden ring from the floor and gazed at it in the little light of the cave.
"Did that thing drop it," I asked. He nodded while he ran his thumb over it.
When I held out my hand to inspect it, Bilbo hesitantly dropped it into my palm. I threw him an odd look at his pause. Without even thinking I slipped it onto my middle finger, feeling the cool metal ice my entire hand. Breath left me in a rush, causing me to gasp and feel the chill all over. Everything around me lost saturation and was almost like a dreamlike state. Bilbo jumped erratically and looked all over. "Laurel," he whispered hurriedly, "where did you go?"
My brow furrowed, "I'm right here."
The Hobbit's eyes worked back and forth without focusing in one spot. Finally I tore off the ring, taking another gasp of breath as everything started to settle in correctly as it had been. Once more Bilbo jumped.
"Did the ring make you invisible," he asked astounded.
I shoved it back into his hands with the chill still fresh in my spine. "Take it," I muttered, "there is something not right about that thing. I don't want to be near it."
It was true. Something about the ring was harsh and made it so I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating with it on. Something to make you invisible? Even in my world that was a dangerous power to have, just because it would drive the wearer to near madness. I watched as Bilbo pocketed the golden beauty. We followed the dark path that we intended to with caution.
We came to a larger opened area. Rocks ranged to all different heights, some reaching to the ceiling and others so small I could pick them up and toss them. As we drew closer into the center of the cave we heard the thing speak again.
"The cold hard lands, they bites our hands, they gnaws our feet. The rocks and stones, they're like old bones, all bare of meat. Cold as death, they have no breath, it's good to eat!"
That thing was going to eat the other. A chill embraced my spine while I peered at the short creature. It used a rock to bash the head of the other one. A soft gasp escaped me. The thing turned on the spot looking in our direction. Bilbo pulled me back to the safety behind the rock. I peeked around the corner, only to find that it had disappeared.
As I turned to Bilbo, I screamed as two bright brilliant eyes starred at us just over his shoulder.
"Bless us and splash us, Previous! There are two meaty mouthfuls," it screamed out joyfully. Instinctively my hand reached for my sword, yanking it free and holding it in front of me. The shake that happened in my hands showed in the blade as it wavered before me.
"Ah. Gollum. Gollum. Ack!"
"Stay back," I muttered, "come any closer and I'll cut you open."
Bilbo did the same only his sword was shaking more noticeably than mine.
"It's got an elfish blade, but one is not all Elfs. What is thems, Precious?"
Bilbo lowered his sword, but I left mine high and raised—ready to swing it if need be. "My name is Bilbo Baggins," he offered, "and this is my friend Laurel Took."
"Bagginses? Tookies? What is a Bagginses and Tooksies, Precious?"
"I am a Hobbit from the Shire," he continued, "and Laurel is Elvish, Hobbit, and human…from a far away place."
The thing approached again leering at us from under his lack of lashes. "Oh! We like Goblinses, batses, fishes! We have nots tried Hobbitses, elfies, or humans," it screeched.
"Get the hell back," I snarled holding up the sword, "I told you I'd cut you wide open!"
Bilbo opened his palm in terms of offering peace, "We don't want any trouble, we just want to get out of here."
The thing started to mumble to itself and answer its own questions.
"I don't know what your game is—" Bilbo started.
"Games! We loves games, doesn't we Precious? Can we play games, please yes please?"
Games? Bilbo hesitantly answered before the thing held up it's hand and started to speak slowly and without its odd grammar. "What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees. Up, up, up it goes, and yet, never grows."
Riddles? Shit. I turned to Bilbo hoping he had a better idea of an answer than I. Riddles were never really my area of expertise. I knew some of the basic ones, but nothing like this.
"The mountain," Bilbo chuckled.
The thing laughed, and suddenly screamed about killing and jumped towards us. "No," I urged pointing my sword at its throat again, nearly touching it. "We want to play! Riddles! If we win, you show us the way out."
"Yes, yes," it urged on, "what if the Hobbites and the she thing loses? If it loses we will eats it."
The way that it said it so simply and easily I gapped openly. Damn filthy creature there was no way. If it even came close to us I'll gut it.
So it began. Each one of them going back and forth with riddles of their own. At one point it was almost clear that the thing wasn't going to know the answer. Sadly it answered with a laugh of it's own.
I fidgeted when it was Bilbo's turn and he was almost unable to answer. The creature crept closer and demanded that we had lost.
"Time! The answer is time," Bilbo sighed out relieved.
"Last questions. Last chances. And the she thingsie will askes it. If we guesses it, we eats thems," it whispered out in glee.
"Erm," I grumbled as I wavered my eyes to Bilbo. Hopefully this thing would not know the answer. "What gets broken without being held?"
The thing fidgeted now. Time seemed to drag on as it walked back and forth, looking around and mumbling to itself as it tried to form an answer. "Time is up," Bilbo stated looking all the more important and satisfied. "What's your answer?"
"Eggsies?"
"No," I smiled also satisfied with myself, "a promise, like you promised to show us the way out if we won. Where is it? Time to go."
Suddenly the thing smiled, reaching under it's loincloth for something. Instead it frowned, jumping around frantically. "Where is it? It's gone! NO!"
The ring. I grabbed Bilbo's elbow to discreetly pull him away. "We gotta go, now."
While the thing was running amuck all over looking on the ground Bilbo and I started at a run to find the nearest opening in the web of the cavern. We were gasping and huffing while we jogged down an entrance. In a crack at the end of the path I could see the dwarves running into a light.
"Bilbo! There! The company," I pushed him forward. We just barely managed to squeeze through. The sunlight blinded me as we stumbled down a large hill. We lost the dwarves, but since we were out of the mountain it shouldn't be difficult to find them.