Shobha stood on the ramparts with Balin, Gloin, Bofur and Nori. The valley surrounding the Mountain was quiet. Too quiet. Below all the camps set up outside by the Blacklocks and Dain's soldiers had all been packed away, and a few of Bofur's miners continued with their work on planting the explosive charges in the land just beyond the large stone bridge to the great entrance.
"Everyone has been evacuated into the deep waiting hall now, lass." Balin confirmed. "Oin has kept the sickest as they are, but there are only two such dwarves and he expects one will soon join our ancestors in the halls of Mandos."
She nodded still looking out across the dark land.
"And the explosives?"
"All in place – we will have to light the charge by hand." Bofur replied.
"What about if the fuse fails to work – do we have some way of detonating it from afar?" She leant over to look at the dwarves below, scurrying about like ants with their torches.
"Aye, my lady. We will fire arrows, that have been set alight. From up here, it shouldn't be difficult to aim."
There was heavy footfall up the stony steps approaching them.
"My Queen, Lord Bard and his men have arrived." Barr spoke with urgency.
"Arrange for them to be fed, and give them a place to rest. If they lack any suitable weapons or armour, they may need some provided." She them turned to him. "Then go down to the waiting hall please."
"But my Queen –"
"Not this time. I need you to help Dis and the others protect the women and the children. They will have to be led through the escape tunnels in the event that things go south here. And then, someone needs to block the escape tunnels so the orcs cant follow. That is your task." She spoke calmly.
"Don't worry, we will be standing with our Queen, to the very end if need be." Nori attempted to pacify her large guard. But his creepy tone combined with his clear delight at the prospect of being in a life and death situation only appeared to add to Barr's misgivings. He stood there for a moment, uncertain of how he could challenge their ruler's wife, and then finally accepted his orders, saluting her with a heavy fist and bowing before leaving.
She remained standing between Balin and Gloin looking out across the land, the anticipation of the horror of what was to unfold was becoming almost unbearable. It would be easier now to just get it over and done with. After all, on several occasions since her arrival here she had been sure she would die. At least she had the chance to feel true happiness with him. Then she thought about her family, particularly her parents. How she wished she could tell them one last time that she loved them. To have the chance of truly saying goodbye. And her thoughts turned to how she wanted to be cremated after her death in accordance with her ancestral Hindu customs.
"Balin…" she began, wondering how she would broach the subject with him.
"Aye lass?" The greying diplomat watched her carefully. He was uncertain how she could remain so calm in the face of all this trouble. But it was clear she was to ask something of him that would be deep and profound.
She took a deep breath again and then wondered whether they had all made funeral arrangements. But if death awaited them, it was not a peaceful one. This was war. So she merely shook her head and held her tongue. Once she was dead, it wouldn't matter how they took care of her. There would be a strong chance that the orcs would do something terrible in any case. She heard about how they refused to return Thror's body despite Nar's pleas.
Balin placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. They needed to get through this. She had been excellent in planning the defences for a siege. But if their walls were somehow breached they lacked strong warriors. Thorin's raven had not arrived yet, but he hoped that it soon would. Their King needed to return back fast.
…..
Fili tracked the noise, deep into the tunnels. The group moved as silently and swiftly as possible. The walls were sharp with many jagged rocks, and there was the odd chinking of mail when one of them accidentally caught a sharp edge as they moved in almost complete darkness. Dwarves had exceptional eyesight, having been a race of people accustomed to living underground. But even these tunnels were proving to be more challenging.
Eventually they emerged in a large open cavern. They could see distant torches, and the small group being led down a set of stony steps. There were numerous tunnels that all opened into this large cavern, and further countless sets of stony stairways leading up and down, with narrow walkways all carved into the mountain rock.
Fili held his hand up to halt the whole group, and ducked, presumably to avoid being spotted as the orcs led the Blacklocks further down. There was some hissing and angry chatter below amongst the orcs, but they didn't appear to turn back on themselves, and after a short pause they were following the group once more.
The Blacklocks had been taken down to a platform where the orcs had stopped again to argue amongst themselves.
Fili looked at the Thorin and the rest of the warriors he had led in, having crept as close as possible, remaining in the shadows, then signalled to attack.
They all charged. Several arrows, daggers and axes finding a few unsuspecting orcs before they could even step forward.
The Blacklocks has fought the orcs close by, attacking each in pairs to overpower them, led by Draeg. After a brief and efficient fight, they had apprehended four orcs between them. And Dain, Thorin, Dwalin and Draeg held their swords to their throats while Fili questioned them.
"Where is the Princess? And how many more of you in here?"
Dwalin landed a solid blow to the orc he held by the neck with his knuckle dusters.
"Come on we don't have all day." Dwalin shook the orc like a rag doll.
"Speak and we will be merciful."
"This doesn't feel right." Thorin spoke urgently. "It was too easy. There is something else at play here."
"Speak you filth." Draeg began to squeeze the throat of his orc.
"Kill… me… it matters… not…" the orc gasped, as his neighbour hissed at him.
"Shut your mouth scum." Another orc spat at his fellow orc.
"Keep yer tongue still or I will cut it out!" Dain jabbed his sword sharply at the orc that spoke.
"Where is Princess Vara? I will not ask again." Draeg loosened his grip.
"It is done. Your Kingdom will fall by morning." The orc wheezed a satisfied laugh in between gasps. "Your people… your whore-Queen – all gone –"
The orc was cut short as Thorin dealt a powerful blow to the stomach, causing him to double over and cough. But the two Blacklocks that held him, kept him up.
"Is that where the rest of your filth have gone?" He slapped the pitiful creature hard.
It spat out several teeth following the heavy slap, but merely laughed again.
"Search for the Princess Fili." Thorin bound the orc's arms and legs, kicking it into a heap in the ground. "We are turning back for Erebor, and we ride light and fast."
Dwalin looked at Thorin and nodded, they had fought, travelled and trained together for so long each could almost read the other without words.
"As for you. We won't kill you. We will bury you alive in here."
"Wait!" One orc screamed, as the other three orcs protested. "I will speak –"
"Go on." Thorin turned to it, as the others received silencing blows from various dwarrows retraining them.
"I will take you to the Princess and her two ladies. The other lady is dead, she starved herself – I know not what they did with her body, perhaps fed to the wargs." Thorin's grabbed the orc, binding his hands tightly and slung him towards Fili.
"Show us," he pulled the orc along. "But first tell me what your orcs are doing in Erebor."
"They are marching on the Mountain. The final fight." The orc looked genuinely afraid. "But I want to be released unharmed. Outside.. free."
Thorin studied the orc carefully. The creature seemed younger than the others, but he wouldn't trust it until they were safely outside.
"You have our word." Thorin pulled it along again. "But show us now."
It led them down a further tunnel, as Dwalin and several guards followed. They soon emerged in the dungeons, where there were several unguarded cells.
Hearing them approach someone stepped towards the bars of the cell.
"Help us… please…"
"The keys." Fili demanded.
"I do not have them." The orc uttered, recoiling in expectation of a strike for his miscalculation.
"Who does?" Fili shook the orc again.
But Dwalin had walked over to the cell.
"Stand back." He raised his axe and swung hard as the dwarrowdam inside rushed back. The lock creaked and buckled under his axe. And with his second strike the door opened. "Bollocks to keys –"
No sooner had the door opened, than three dwarrowdams rushed out. They looked gaunt, in dirty clothes, but appeared largely unhurt. They looked like Blacklocks, with raven hair in braids that had partially come undone.
"Your Majesty!" The youngest of he three knelt down before them. "We did not expect you to come – we must return to Erebor at once – Lady Pella knows some black speech. It is an ambush!"
She was exceptionally beautiful, with jet black hair, big, lively emerald eyes that hadn't lost their sparkle despite the suffering she had seen. Her eyes were almond shaped Fili watched her with overt fascination. And as her green eyes caught his blues, her olive skin flushed a little. She was scared and appeared desperate.
"Aye, my lady, we must go now –" Fili began, but she interrupted him, clutching at the young prince.
"No! You don't understand – they are after her! Your Queen! They mean to kill her and any heir she carries!" She looked from Fili to Dwalin and the soldiers, but Thorin had already set back along the tunnels. And Dwalin began to follow.
"Hurry up, Fili." The warrior groused ahead.
Vara was already dragging her two ladies in waiting along, although they seemed far more exhausted and worn out from the whole ordeal.
"Have they hurt you, my lady?" Fili asked quickly glancing at the young dam.
"No." She whispered shaking her head. "They were never interested in us. But lady Roa did not make it… I do not know what became of her body either…"
Fili nodded ushering her along, as the guards picked up the two other ladies, who were struggling to walk barefoot.
They were soon in the main chamber.
"Cousin?" Dain looked at Thorin, from where he stood guard over the captured orcs, but his cousin didn't appear to stop.
"Leave them there, tied up. I must return to Erebor now. Bring your men as soon and as fast as you can. Detonate the charges before leaving." Thorin pulled the orc who had revealed the whereabouts of the princess along. He had promised the creature its freedom and that much he would grant.
"Aye! You heard our King lads!" Dain shouted as he finished binding the three other orcs. "Come on! Carry those lasses! They are only wee things! Hurry!"
Thorin continued to pull the orc along the tunnel they had entered through with Dwalin and several more of his own guards following. But they were cut short as a loud rumbling shook through the mountains. The light from the passage ahead fading into a cloud of dust and rubble as the rock collapsed.
"Durin's beard!" Dwalin exclaimed pulling Thorin back as the orc fell to the floor.
"They were not meant to collapse the tunnels yet!" Thorin stood up looking around. "Quick back into the chamber!"
He pulled the orc onto its feet and pulled the creature along.
"There are many more routes out. The next is only moments from this." The orc limped along.
"Why are ya doing this?" Dwalin eyed the creature as it hurried to keep up with them.
"The only thing we are to expect in this life is pain, and death. If so, I would like what is left of it to be free of servitude."
The younger Fundin paused to look at the orc again. This was no run of the mill orc. He grasped the limping creature again and pulled it along. This time Dain, Fili and the remaining Blacklocks had caught up to them as they hurried towards the next tunnel and ducked in.
They raced along in the darkness, the jagged rocks cutting at them at every turn. Thorin only focussed on getting out into the open air, mounting his pony and riding back like the wind. He took a deep breath focussing, reaching for his battle calm, he couldn't afford to panic or worry.
They could hear shouts from the guards outside as they neared the opening, and several further loud rumblings ripped through them. The blast throwing them against the wall momentarily.
As they clambered back onto their feet and climbed out through the narrow opening they were faced with the scene of a small group of orcs having ambushed the guards waiting outside. A few already lay dead, and some trapped within the rocks.
Dwalin, and several guards rushed forwards weapons raised, moving, ducking and attacking with swift efficiency. Each move engaging with and pushing back the small troupe of orcs. Fili pushed Vara behind him, drawing his broadswords shielding her.
"Flee far from here. Our agreement is settled. If you cause trouble – I will not hesitate to kill you." Thorin cut the bounds of the orc that had helped them, and turned towards the fight.
They had hacked, chopped, and cut down the orcs, when a screech from behind Thorin, led him to turn towards the darkened tunnel where the three orcs had unbound themselves and made one final charge at them. Fili had dispatched one already, and it fell limply to the ground, its black blood splattering on the young prince and the Princess shielded behind him.
But the one closest to Thorin was mere inches away from him with its sword, jabbing, only to be halted by the body of another orc. The young one that Thorin had freed. As Dwalin, decapitated the charging orc with a single sharp swing from his large battle axe, the impaled orc fell to his knees.
The King felt a pang of pity for the cursed creature, falling to its side and catching it. He expected the creature would have been long gone, but to have stayed and stood between him and a sword wielded by his own kind was more than a noble death for an orc.
"Thank you." It was all he could manage. It did not feel right – this thing was an orc.
"Now my debt is paid…" it gasped raggedly. "And I am free… Some of us were not always this way. I was birthed from a woman. My mother… an Easterling. She was kind, and suffered for me… I hope I will see her now…"
Finally, it's wretched life ebbed away, it lay limp, eyes staring up into the grey sky. A child of man – it was a hard concept for Thorin to grasp, but it would explain why he had been so eloquent and craved his freedom. It appeared some were destined to lead miserable lives. He slowly shut the creatures eyes and lowered its body to the ground.
Standing up with full resolve, he turned to Draeg.
"Take care of the dead – and this creature. It died saving my life." Thorin walked towards the ponies. "Dwalin, will you –"
"Ya need not ask me, brother. She is my kin too." His friend was by his side before he could ask it.
"I am coming, Uncle, this is my fault." Fili began racing forward.
"Aye! I will get this lot together fast– we'll be on yer tail soon Cousin!" Dain shouted at them as the three of them mounted their ponies, followed closely by all eight of Thorin's own guard that rode out with them.
…..
The ground rumbled. The time had come. Shobha stood in front of the strange mannequin that held the last of her armour, her breastplate. The armour was light – it was not the original set that Fili and Dwalin had trained her in, but the slightly heavier set Thorin had picked out for her on the handful of times he had tried to train her, himself. She smiled bitterly at the memory. He had lacked the patience, and was quite harsh with her, but had always made it up to her and more immediately afterwards. There was a gentle knock on their bedroom door, and Balin let himself in.
"Lass, are you ready?"
"I cant get the breast plate on…"
"That's because it is usually done by your loved one." Balin walked over to her softly. He wore mail, and carried several heavy weapons. He was not the Balin, she was accustomed to. Her moved swiftly and silently, placing the final piece over her chest and buckling it. "They are approaching."
He paused for a moment.
"I'm sorry lass…" Balin whispered as he finished the last adjustments. She bent her arms and legs testing reaching for her sword and daggers. It felt uncomfortable, bulky. She didn't like it.
"I don't want this one. This breast plate is no good." She grappled with the straps. "Please can you take it off?"
Balin quickly complied. And as soon as he was done, she rushed to their wardrobe and lifted open a chest. Inside were the clothes she arrived here in. She pulled out her cargo jacket and pulled it on.
"Lass…?"
"I cant move or breathe in that thing." She nodded and squeezed the gentle dwarf's arm. "If I die – I am going to be bloody comfortable when I do it."
And with that they made their way out of the room to join the rest of the company who waited in the corridor armed to the teeth. They immediately fell into place forming a protective circle around her, walking up together.
….
They stood on the ramparts waiting. The rumbling of the approaching army shaking the ground as it neared as the skies turned grey.
"My Queen," Barr had quietly moved towards them.
She turned around to find both Zodar and Barr standing there.
"Several of the Blacklocks that went out to the Misty Mountains have returned. They said the King will return as soon as possible, but that they were sent to keep guard."
She nodded.
"Get them ready for battle then."
"My Queen," they both knelt before her, and she realised at that point that they wore their golden armour, as the Queen's Guard.
"Please let me stand with you, my Queen." Aro, the youngest of her guards stepped forward. And joining the other two knelt down.
"Ok. But you two have a task to do… can you fight in that?"
"Aye – this is not only for ceremony, my Queen."
"Come on then – this lot will be at our gates soon…"
…..
"My King, they will be surrounded soon!" Tauriel paced the hall below Thranduil's throne, as he calmly read the note written to him by the new Queen of Erebor.
"And I am happy to grant the Queen her wishes – but she only asks for asylum for her people." He stood and descended down towards the dwarf prince and his captain. Legolas had left to travel with Gandalf, and he knew it was due to heartache. He had hoped that his affections for the red haired elleth were a fleeting fancy, but alas, this was not the case.
"Please help us. You promised that you would come to her aid." Kili requested as politely as he could given the circumstances. "You claim to love her…"
Thranduil turned sharply at this, shooting the young prince a stern look.
"And tell me… When have I confessed undying love to a married mortal woman before…?"
"Surely that is why you and my Uncle still have this strange hostility between you."
Tauriel tried to catch his mahogany eyes, in order to signal for him to stop. But he either ignored her or didn't notice.
"She has shown you kindness, when you treated her terribly. She has been gracious in wearing your gift.. I have seen her humouring you. And I have seen how you look at her. My uncle is not unfounded in his suspicions."
Thranduil scoffed.
"Fine. I will go. I will not leave her to die at the hands of Orcs –"
"If your Uncle was so wise and caring, why did he leave her unguarded?" Thranduil snapped back this time. He lost his temper for a moment. This young whelp of a dwarf had no right in saying what he did. He was angry at Thorin, angry at the situation she found herself in, and angry at himself that he was not rushing over to help her. "She has asked that you remain under my protection also."
"If I am to be the last heir of Durin to survive, then I will not hide away in an elvish palace, while my aunt is killed for the sake of MY people." Kili began to walk away.
…..
Dear All,
Thank you for your patience – sorry it's been so long.
Shobha's fight is coming in the next chapter. sorry if the orc story was a bit sad, but I was reading about how orcs came to be, and thought it was all very sad :(
Please please leave a review (even a quick one) to let me know your thoughts I would be really grateful xx
Special thank yous -
dragonegyptianblue - thank you so much. It was a trap, i think they all worried it may have been a trap but Thorin went anyway to protect Fili. There may be some betrayal coming up. hope you enjoy this chapter too :)
MaggYme - thank you so much. It may be more Helms deep with dwarves than bofta lol! And Blondy might surprise you ;) he has a strange thing for her it is a bit borderline creepy... (but there is a reason, all revealed in the future) lol! hope you enjoy this chapter too :)
