A/N: This entire chapter was a beast to write. Golum, although I appreciate him as part of the narrative, is not my favorite character to write. So I hope that I got that section correct. And if seems like I am speeding through The Hobbit a bit? Well, I am. Because I very much want to get to the next part of the Saga.

I'm thinking about publishing my original stories onto platforms like Wattpad and Inkitt. Any thoughts? You know what? Let's just get to the story. Y'all can tell me later!

Now as I hope I have made obvious I write fanfiction for practice in the craft of writing. And if you like my writing style, my original works are much the same style, although varying subjects and genres. I just need to get over my own nerves and publish them. Can I get a supportive hug, please?

Also because my Ao3 readers have caught up with my readers you are now on the regular update schedule so you get parts of insanely long chapters. Cause 25+ pages in my writing program is a bit of an eye strain for me to write and edit each week. So love you all but I love not being sick all week from migraines and pain more.

Well on with the show and here we go! (I'm a poet and I didn't know it. Bad poet, but hey.)

Like, Subscribe, Favorite, Follow, Kudos and Review, (and consider following or supporting on P-atreon and Ko-fi. Cause you know adulting.)

Much Love

JR

P.s. P-atreon and Ko-fi update: Why aren't there tiers and goals yet on either? Mainly because I'm trying to get used to writing regularly on them. I don't want to promise my patrons something and not be able to deliver. So I'm working on building slowly and getting my routine down, then I will be doing some patron-only content like polls for story design and personalized thank-yous and inspiration videos or packages that contain some of the things that inspire each story and other various things. Maybe even some world-building polls. I dunno. I'm winging it. So hang in there with me, I'm still learning, and sign up to follow me so that when the tiers and goals go live you'd be the first to know. (There are 3 tiers up on P-atreon now and a goal up on Ko-fi. I'm working on others.)

Pps. I've caught up on posting on my older stories to Ao3. I am now free to post any deleted "scenes" and extras in conjunction with the older stories and the ones I am currently working on. They will only appear after a story is completed. And after Patrons get the first crack at them. Sorry. What do I delete? Mainly anything that needs to be edited out to meet the rating rules on this site. But also little interesting snippets that just slowed down the pacing. I will not be posting them here on this site. Apologies. But it has more "interesting" rules.

Supporter shoutout:

Thank you so much!

Nyx Thranduillion

Chapter 5 Escape Part 1

Weaving her way around the readying dwarves, Sherilynn made her way to the small hobbit's side with an encouraging smile in answer to his worried frown. "Scared?" She whispered.

Turning eyes that could only be described as Baggins eyes, full of practicality and concern, he nodded and shrugged on his pack with a tiny quiet groan.

Pulling him to her roughly, she slid her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "Hold onto your Took side." She counseled after having slowly released him and begun tugging at the straps of his pack and readjusting them for the running that she knew they would need to do. "And always remember that even in the dark when you feel the most alone, someone is with you. Have faith, keep your head, and keep moving."

Eyes narrowing on her face in the gloom, Bilbo's brows drew together as he took in her unexpectedly grave face. "You know what's going to happen." He murmured, eyes darting about to see who might be listening. When only Balin met his eyes and nodded slightly it seemed odd that the dwarf stood between them and the others, as if he knew that there was more to the Singer than others imagined and he knew that their conversation needed to be private.

The small hobbit frowned, "we're not all going to make it are we?" He asked quietly.

A surprised smile broke across her face, teeth and eyes almost glowing in the low blue light. "If we don't waste time and don't lose our heads we have every chance to see the sunlight and trees on the other side of these tunnels." She promised carefully.

It didn't escape Bilbo's notice that her promise was no real promise. But that was only reasonable he supposed, after all, who can promise life when sure death is on the line? Even knowing the future, the way he had been told the Singers did, they would not foretell to those who asked, he had also been told. If they did, those they told might never do the actions that would lead to the outcome they foretold.

What a dreadful business, he sighed internally. Even more so than the elves and their inability to reply with a straight answer. To know something and not be able to say it, lest it never occur simply because it was said. What a terrible position to be placed in. Even more than having to leave your comfortable hobbit hole with its warm fire and safety.

"Keep your hand on your sword." She finally counseled before placing a small kiss on top of his sweaty dirt-caked hair and moving away.

Moving to the back of the cave to stand next to Gandalf, fingers curling around the hilts of her dual swords, Sherilynn nodded to the much taller male. "Where do you and Thorin want me?

The hidden back door to the cave slid open almost silently allowing them to creep into the dimly lit tunnels without drawing attention, and for some time they had more of the same. Thorin took the lead with Sherilynn and Balin right behind him while Gandalf took rearguard, only quietly giving direction when they nearly took a wrong turn here or there. At each fork or turn in the tunnel, either Balin or Sherilynn crept forward to scout and sometimes silence the few guards that patrolled the furthest edges of the caverns.

Nearly gagging at the stench of the first goblin as she rendered him unconscious, Sherilynn ground her teeth together to keep a straight face when the company crept forward and Dwalin ended the insensate guard with a quick sword thrust and a censuring glare in her direction. But he was right, she supposed. It was either make sure they went unseen and unremarked or become a slave and die under this mountain. This was no dream. There were no half measures.

She didn't hesitate on the next guard but decided that no amount of scrubbing would make her feel clean again.

Caelann, for her part, ran ahead to scout the way. After all, she could not be seen. And her scouting saved them much time in the maze of tunnels. But each tunnel she went down left her feeling more and more alarmed. While the company tried to skirt the main tunnels and working shafts, they were slowly being funneled closer and closer to the Goblin King himself.

And then the worst happened.

While the company stopped to let Balin and Sherilynn creep ahead to take out a small group of guards, one of the boards that made up the soaring walkways cracked under Bombur. Then it was like dominoes or a train wreck that one simply couldn't stop watching. Almost in slow motion, it seemed, even though it only took the space of a blink, the strain caused by that one broken board caused another and another until the support beams beneath the entire company gave way and they fell with a great crash.

Through one walkway then another and another then several more. Splinters of wood and rope and dust rained around them in a shower, growing in strength with every one that they fell through until finally the wood wedged between the edges of two cliffs and slowed its descent until it stopped.

Groaning as she pushed a beam out of her way, Sherilynn slid to the rock outcropping in a panic. "Bilbo? Gandalf? Thorin?" She coughed, brushing the dust from her face. "Balin? Fili? Kili? Bifur, Dwalin, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori?" She whispered, ears catching the growing thunder of pounding feet on the wooden walkways.

Thorin grunted as he pushed a plank from across his face. "Who is alive?" He growled, taking her hand when it was offered. Catching sight of the alarm in her face and hearing what she did, they began pulling members of their party out of the broken wood nearly frantically.

No sooner was the last of the dwarves pulled from the rubble than they were set upon by the goblins and pulled before the king.

Bouncing off the rock faces and fallen wood into the darkness beyond, poor Bilbo was struck upon the head by a wide wooden beam and knew none of his companions distress as he disappeared beyond their knowledge and reach. Even further into the darkness than the goblins would go, he fell until he reached the very roots of the mountain itself and lost all consciousness.

A quiet voice and gentle fingers in his hair drew him back to consciousness. "Like a star in the sky, darkness cannae reach you." It crooned, each word fading with the pain in his head and body as he regained his senses. "Light the night, joy is light, till the new dawn."

With a gasp Bilbo sat up and saw nothing but a tiny ball of light that hovered, only faintly glowing, by his head. "Was that you?" The ball dipped, then rose again as close to a nod as a ball of light could get he supposed. When he went to thank it the ball quickly pressed against his lips, an almost insignificant pressure-filled with a pervasive warmth that almost flooded through him and invigorated his fatigued limbs. "You want me to be quiet?" He whispered when the ball retreated once more.

Again it dipped and rose, much faster this time. Once then twice and finally a third time. Dropping his voice even lower, he barely breathed "can you lead me out of the caves?" The light didn't bother to answer but moved off into the darkness and Bilbo hastened to follow into the darkness.

Far above lit only by flickering torches, reeking of sweat and terror, goblins ringed the group of defiant dwarves. Thorin, anger ever-present in his dark eyes, was eyeing the Goblin King as if the behemoth was no more than a bug to be crushed under his boot heel and barely restrained himself from reaching for the blade that had hung from his belt since leaving Rivendell that now was being examined.

Squealing in terror and surprise like the pig that the grandson of Thrain likened him to, the Goblin King cried out as Thorin's blade was held before him. "Biter!" He trumpeted, his eyes growing wide as he drew to his feet. The ground shook beneath him as he tossed some of his own people aside in rage. "Murderers and Elf Friends!" He spat, his grotesque chin shaking and great globs of spit flying from his swollen purple lips. "Slash 'em! Beat 'em! Bite 'em!" He ordered to his guards who stood howling and crashing their shields having seen the sword for themselves and knowing full well which sword it was.

"Take 'em to dark holes full of snakes and never let them see the light again!" He yelled, rushing Thorin himself in his rage. His mouth open, showing dark teeth sharpened by decay until they were as sharp as needles as if he himself wanted to do the biting.

Just at that moment, the entire cavern went dark as pitch. The torches and great fires that illuminated its walls extinguishing all at once leaving a tower of smoke so thick that even those nasty creatures so used to darkness could not tell who was who. Sparks fell from the smoke, burning holes in the goblins, and soon they were thrown into disarray, biting and kicking at each other as if they had all gone mad.

Suddenly a sword flashed through the smoke and the darkness, glowing in its own light as it slid deep into the Great Goblin King and came out the other side as he stood in the middle of his rage. Lit only by the glow, he looked down at the blade protruding from his chest for a moment then fell down dead and silent. Shrieking the goblin soldiers fled from before the sword into the darkness.

"Thorin! Be quick!" Gandalf's voice came from the darkness. "Quickly! The torches will soon be relit!"

Racing through the darkness, following the path lit only by Gandalf's blade they sped until they were deep in the heard of the mountain, far below where they had fallen.

Suddenly, hearing smacking of running feet on stone Gandalf fell behind with Thorin on his heels, and as the dwarves rounded a corner they spun with swords raised. Blue swords spun taking the first wave of goblins down. Then again and again until the goblins shrieked and ran.

Catching up to the group, they saw Sherilynn and Balin leaping onto the runners that came from the other direction. One slice and heads went rolling off the wooden path into the darkness below, then they moved on while Fili and Kili, having stripped bows from the bodies left behind stopped just behind them to lay covering fire at those that took aim from above.

Behind them, Dwalin pulled blades and knives from the corpses and handed them around with grim determination.

"Move you fools!" Gandalf cried, taking the lead again as they toppled their latest target.

"Gandalf!" The singer yelled, spitting and wiping at the black blood that covered her face. "There!" She pointed her blade at a crack in the wall ahead.

Without a word, he sped into the barely visible fissure and lit the way into the room in opened into surprising the goblins that were guarding it and the door beyond.

Credits:

Song of Healing- Legend of Zelda