The army stood outside. Wargs snarling, the orcs howling and sneering. When a large orc, clearly one of the generals, at the front stepped forward.
"We come only for the Queen." He snarled. "Surrender her, and we will leave the men of Dale and the dwarves of Erebor alone."
"I will believe that when I see ya wear a pink skirt and dance around." Bofur muttered under his breath standing on the rampart near Shobha.
"Do we need to reply Balin?" She asked. "Do I need to have a witty comeback?"
"No lass," Balin shook his head. "We don't dignify them with a reply. They are asking us to betray our own Queen, this becomes treason. Similar to betraying Thorin himself!"
"We are ready." Gloin reassured. "They wont be able to storm in anytime soon."
She didn't want to kill or fight any creatures. She just wanted them gone. The only task she was to fulfil was to go down with the ship in place of the King.
The ground reverberated again with the sound of the orc horns and the beating of their weapons on the ground. And there was a slight clanking of armour from a few soldiers that manned the ramparts of Erebor that had been rattled by the sound.
"Give them a horn back…" she commanded. "Ours is better – make it extra loud please."
No sooner had she given the command, than the sounds of the deep Erebor horn resonated through them. The sound travelling through the mountain, and through the ground. It made the orcs step back startled for a moment, before they were shouted at to hold their ground.
A loud command was growled below in black speech. It sounded unearthly.
"Duck lass! Shields!" Balin shouted as a volley of arrows pelted at them. He had the advantage of understanding the language well.
"Fire back!" Gloin shouted. And shobha watched through a gap in the ramparts as many orcs were felled by the sturdy arrows of Erebor.
And that began the charge. More orc horns blew, and their foot soldiers advanced towards their gates.
"Light yer arrows!" Bofur shouted. "Wait for it…. Fire now!"
Just as the first wave of orcs stepped over the land close to erebor the arrows lit with oil went flying below. Some orcs caught fire, while some arrows landed in the earth.
Shobha felt Balin cover her again just before a loud explosion ricocheted through the ground. The clatter of armour could be heard below, as she could only imagine many orcs were caught in the explosive charge below.
There was more shouting in black speech.
"Light yer arrows again!"
More shouting and confusion. More arrows pelted them from above.
"Fire!"
Another two explosions this time.
"Again! Light up! Aim for those rocks!" Bofur shouted. "Fire!"
More shouting in black speech and another explosion, followed by cheering from the dwarves. She quickly stood up.
"They're retreating!"
She pushed past Balin to look over the rampart. There were several large craters blown into the ground with many scattered bits of armour, body parts and a few intact bodies around where the charges were.
But while the foot soldiers pulled back, several large trolls began making their way forward, holding clubs and maces. Some pulled large catapults forwards. More arrows fired at the dwarves and Shobha ducked under her own shield this time as both Gloin and Balin reinforced her from either side with their own shields.
"We have to move in now." Balin began to usher her away, as a loud crash sounded, from several large rocks hitting the mountain and rolling away.
The Rock of the Mountain withstood the force, but this was not good.
….
They had been pelted with rocks for the last few hours, as they braced the gates.
"What happens if they breach these gates?"
"We have a few more made of stone and heavy wood further in, but it is best to keep the fighting on the upper levels. The lower we go, the fewer the escape routes there are." Gloin explained. "At least those trolls cant get in."
"How will Thorin get in?"
"He might have to come in via the tunnels from Mirkwood." Balin explained.
She nodded.
"Send the guards to ask Dis to evacuate everyone." She called out as Aro, the young guard pushed her back protectively.
"They are advancing again!" A shout came from Nori who was returning from the ramparts.
"Take our Queen to the Throne room!" Balin shouted at Aro.
The young guard guided her into the Throne room, where several more soldiers joined them. As the sound of pounding came from the enormous gates.
"My Queen, I am to take you on to the royal wing, through the passageway behind the throne." Aro spoke. "Then there is another passageway through the royal wing to the lower waiting halls. From there we can find an escape way."
She was about to protest.
"These are Balin's orders as your brother, and in the absence of our King, your husband, who would be your protector, your brother takes over the responsibility, my Queen." Aro explained softly. He watched her carefully with his hazel eyes. If he needed to, he was permitted to remove her to safety by force. Both Balin and Dwalin had been clear about this during his training. He was the youngest Royal Guard, and he was proud of it. He would see his duty through.
She looked at the Great doors to the throne room, where she had stood just over two weeks ago nervously waiting to be walked up to her waiting groom. The next thought was to rush out and give Balin a hug in case she never got the chance again. But before she could move, the door had burst open in the entrance hall, and she could hear the shouts, and the clash of metal on metal. They had breached the great gates!
The guards shut and braced the door to the throne room.
"This way my Queen –"
There was pounding on the door of the throne room.
"Hurry!" The remaining guards followed as Aro ushered her through the passageway emerging in Thorin's study. Deep in the royal wing it was hard to imagine that a war even raged on above.
She was no fighter, that much was true, but she was not ready to rush down the escape tunnels, while everyone else fought. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming.
…
They dismounted from their ponies, it had taken almost a day of continuous riding to reach the vicinity of Erebor. It appeared the orcs had entered the Lonely Mountain. Several Trolls stood outside guarding watching for stragglers.
Thorin hoped that they had stuck to the escape plans, and that Shobha hadnt insisted on remaining until the last.
"We need to fell the trolls first…" Fili spoke urgently.
"It doesn't matter – they cant get inside. We just need to get past them." Thorin looked at Dwalin and his friend knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Too risky – " Dwalin concluded. "Take the passageway from Mirkwood."
"Aye." Thorin nodded. "Let's go."
They had no time to waste.
…..
There was a loud knock on Shobha's door. The guards all stood with their weapons drawn, as Aro opened the door.
"We need to get moving." Balin stood outside, as she rushed over to hug him.
"I wouldn't mind a wee hug too, m'lady!" Nori winked creepily standing beside him. The bouffant-haired dwarf had a massive grin plastered across his face despite being covered in orc blood.
"No time Nori. They are roaming the corridors in packs. We need to collect Oin first." Balin was not happy about having to take her with them, but the escape route was otherwise blocked. "This way…"
He led them along several corridors in the furthest part of the royal wing. A part that even Shobha hadn't explored.
"Is everyone ok?"
"We have sustained many casualties lass." He rounded several corners and shot down several stairwells silently. Stopping at corners to peer around. "At least the trolls cant get in. And there is another passageway near the infirmary."
"What about Bofur?"
"They went down to help Dis." Nori confirmed. "Gloin is with Oin."
"Arm yourselves – we have company!" Balin shouted as a pack of orcs rounded on them in the dark passageway.
The guards were quick to fight, Aro stood with her. It appeared his duty was to guard her. Balin fought several orcs with ease, while Nori appeared to be struggling with the third orc. Shobha took a dagger and carefully aiming, threw it at the creature. It wedged deep in its thigh and Nori finished it off. He bounded over to her having retrieved her dagger.
"Those are too good to leave behind." He wiped the blood off on his trousers and handed it back with a smile.
"Um…Thanks." What more could she say?
Dead men, orcs and dwarves lay on the floor of the corridors. The life lost was heartbreaking for her.
They moved further along reaching another set of stairs when Balin held his hand up to halt them all. The guards were poised immediately. But then Balin seemed to relax a bit.
"It is I, Mol. One of the Blacklocks." He approached them slowly, arms raised in surrender. "We have cleared the path to the royal wing!"
"That was quick work. They were swarming around there laddie!" Balin appeared surprised.
"Shall I escort our Queen?"
"That's not a problem laddie." Balin shook his head. "She must stay with me."
"The corridor ahead is full of em." Mol carried on, shaking his head and pointing at several cuts to his clothing. "I don't think it wise. Anyway we can take the whole guard."
Balin looked suspiciously at the dwarrow at first.
"We can wait for you there, Sir." Mol explained.
Balin looked ahead at the corridor. It was indeed teaming with orcs. He groaned. He didn't like her leaving with another dwarf, they did not know.
"Mol, I am ok for now. Let's all stick together. And we can head back together." Shobha patted him on the shoulder, much to Balin's relief.
They moved together as a group rushing forwards, as the orcs noticed them and began to advance on them. Once again, the guards together with Balin, Nori and now Mol, took down over a dozen orcs, when Aro suddenly staggered into her. He clutched his neck tightly, wincing.
"Aro!" She grabbed him to support him. "We need to get to the infirmary. Now!"
The other guards helped her, as they quickly made their way into the infirmary and barricaded the doors. The place was empty except for Gloin and Oin at the back. They came rushing over.
"On here." They lifted the young guard onto the nearest cot. As she took some clean gauze and pressed it to his neck firmly.
"Thank you my Queen." Aro uttered dazed, and drowsy. "I am sorry. I do not know how…"
"Don't be sorry. You are a brilliant guard. Its me that should be sorry. Get this armour off!" She spoke to the others, while pressing firmly the stab wound in his neck, slipping her fingers firmly under the edge of the breast plates. "Cut the tabs now."
Oin began to cut the leather straps, but it was becoming futile, as hot red liquid poured out from underneath.
"No please stay with me Aro!" She pressed harder. As they removed the armour his injury appeared to have been too deep for anything to be done slipping under his collarbone.
"It was…" his breathing was ragged now, and Oin gently eased his helmet off, revealing his youthfully handsome face. He smiled, a dimple revealing itself on his right cheek and reaching up to his hazel eyes. He was far too young to die. "My honour… to serve…"
He coughed, and gasped again, and after several shallow breaths he looked over at her, as though seeing someone familiar, and smiled again weakly. Finally, his head lolled back in her arms, his eyes glassy, pupils dilated. Oin gently touched her bloodied hands, and moved to shut his eyes. She gently lowered his head into the cot, his body still warm and rested her forehead on his chest. If not for the blood, he could have looked as though he were sleeping peacefully, a young, handsome dwarrow.
"Nooooo!" She fell onto her knees next to the body, tears welling in her eyes, as she regarded her bloodied hands. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
Oin held her immediately, stroking her hair, trying his best to sooth her. She had only ever lost a handful of patients in her lifetime. And even then it had never been under such helpless circumstances. Never while she held anyone and watched the spark of life leave their eyes. There would have been intense resuscitation.
Nori was immediately there with wet cloths wiping her hands clean as best as he could while Oin continued to hold her.
"We can't stay here much longer, lass." Balin knelt in front of her as she slumped down, tears flowing freely. Oin sat with her. "Shobha...? ...lass?"
She looked at him with her tear filled mahogany eyes, a flicker of understanding returning, as she reached for her calm once more, and she nodded.
"Back out the way we came?" Mol asked returning from the door.
Balin nodded.
"Oin are you ready?"
One of the guards had hoisted the last patient onto his back. He was a frail elderly dwarrow, who looked vacantly at them all.
"Yer should jus leave me 'ere." The elderly patient grumbled. "I'm old and tired. On me way out."
"We don't leave any of our own behind." Gloin snapped at him. "Be grateful, lest they use your skin to make something foul."
She wiped her face and stood up, nodding in understanding as they all moved towards the door again. Everyone had their weapons drawn and ready, as Nori and Mol opened the door. And they began to move forward.
They were slower, with the elderly patient, but they were on the move, when more orcs came at them. This was a smaller group, but they were separated by the scattered approach and their new burden.
Balin and Nori were busy fighting, while Gloin and Oin tackled more orcs, and the guards busy protecting the rest of them. And they could hear more footfall.
"Take her to the escape tunnel Mol!" Balin shouted finally. "Go! And take a guard with you!"
"Balin! No!"
"I will find you lass. I promise." He killed the orc he was fighting and moved to her, grabbing her shoulder and pressing his forehead to hers gently. "Now go, little sister."
Mol had already grabbed her wrist and began pulling her along the corridor fast, the guard that followed was struggling to keep up as he moved. Shobha didn't care anymore. Chances were, she would die now. She only hoped that Dis had evacuated everyone safely.
They finally reached the royal wing again, and he pulled her along towards their room. Then opening the heavy door and looking inside he pushed her in.
"Wait here. I am going to check that all is clear, my lady." Mol shut the door behind him.
…
Thorin moved through the escape tunnel, emerging in the waiting hall. But to his surprise it was empty, although there was evidence of many dwarves having stayed there at one point.
"They have been evacuated then?" Fili asked hopefully.
"Our people are still fighting in there. I will not relinquish my Kingdom." Thorin moved ahead. "There is another secret passage way just beyond this corridor. It falls near the treasury. Maybe you should remain here Fili."
"No I am coming." He shook his head firmly. The guilt of his actions would remain with him until they had reclaimed their mountain from the invaders, and each of the dead mourned properly. But it didn't matter, for he felt compelled to save Vara. And given the choice, even with hind sight he would choose to go after her again.
As they emerged near the treasury, Thorin looked about.
"You go to the royal wing. She may still be there. Then get her to safety." He commanded his nephew, who nodded, disappearing in that direction.
"Balin will still be here." Dwalin growled, he knew his brother was the next one to take Thorin's place in leading their men in battle, and he would die fighting.
Thorin nodded fully understanding what his cousin thought.
"Ya go and find her, Baheluh." He grabbed his old friends shoulder once more, before parting ways.
….
Shobha heard banging outside her door, and a struggle. She crept near it with her sword and shield in hand, when there was sudden silence.
The sound of her thumping heart was deafening, in anticipation. Holding her breath, she pulled the door open. But outside all was silent. Slowly moving to the door, she peered outside. The last thing she saw was the pommel of a sword coming down on her head, when the darkness took her.
Fili moved silently towards the royal wing. The fallen lay scattered along the corridors. There were men, orcs and dwarves.
"My Prince!" He turned pointing his sword at the voice, only to be faced with a dwarf. A Blacklock!
"Who…?"
"It's me, my Prince. Mol, son of Grol." He held his hands up, although his sword was still bloody in his hand.
"The Queen is safe, I just need to get her to safety. This way."
Fili frowned, struggling to comprehend that she would remain within the room all this while.
"She had been in her room all the while?"
"No Sire, we collected Oin and a patient, but were ambushed, so Balin asked that I take her to safety until we cleared the escape route." He explained.
"Aye." Fili nodded. "Show me –"
Mol led the way towards their room. When Fili was stopped by a pair of hands grasping at his legs. It was one of the Royal Guard! He lay gasping on the floor. His eyes were wide with horror, and he was desperately attempting to speak.
"In there, my Lord." Mol ushered the prince quickly. "Hurry my Prince, I don't know how long the corridor will be clear for again…"
Fili tried to stand up, but the guard used all his final strength to grasp at him.
"Here, let me attend to him." Mol bent down, wrenching his hands roughly off the prince.
"Gentle, Mol. The dwarf is injured."
"Aye, my Prince."
Fili walked through, opening the door.
As soon as he walked through, he was grasped by three dwarves, knocking him to the ground, while two more dwarves bound him and rid him of his weapons fast.
They pulled him back onto his feet. One stepped forward and struck him hard, but despite the heavy blow, he continued to struggle. Until to his horror one of the dwarves moved towards a lithe body that lay on the large bed.
"Struggle some more young prince, and see where it gets her." The dwarrow holding him rasped in his gravelly voice.
Fili immediately stood still, panic slowly rising in him. Was she dead? Then he noticed the tiny movements of her chest as she breathed shallow.
The dwarf closest to her lightly slapped her cheeks.
"Time to wake up, woman." He continued to tap her cheeks, as she groaned. Finally getting impatient, he held some smelling salts under her nose, which made her gag and cough. He roughly grabbed her and hauled her to her feet, although it was clear she was incapable of standing. He held her upright, as she fought to open her eyes. She was taller than him, but being much slighter in her build, her weight was nothing to him. He held her up like a large rag doll and brought her to the end of the bed.
"Durin's 'airy arse crack! You 'it the little bitch too 'ard." One scoffed. It was almost a half laugh. "It's no good when they can't stand. A right pain in the arse!"
"Quit yer moaning, and hang her up from the bed frame then. We have to tie her up anyway. Who knows maybe she will come round a bit more, when he is done with her."
"What are you – let her go. You have me." Fili wriggled again, this time head butting one of the dwarves holding him, but receiving a knee to his stomach for it. He coughed and spluttered. "You… can have… whatever… you want."
Mol walked through the door at that point his hands bloody, from having struggled to kill the dying guard.
"Fucking fool. He just wouldn't let go. Well now young Prince, what we want is to get rid of this bitch, and your Uncle. I doubt you would stand in the way of progress… hmmm?" Mol carried on, as though it was a perfectly civil conversation.
The dwarves tied her wrists and threw the rope around the top frame of their grand four-poster bed, and pulled, hoisting her up in a half suspended state. They had already stripped her of her armour and mithril. Mol moved closer to her and seeing her still semi conscious, gave her several firm slaps. Her cheeks were red from the strikes and a large bruise visible on her forehead where she had been knocked out. Her head lolled, as she groaned attempting to open her eyes.
"You can't hit women so hard you imbecile! They are not strong like our kind. They are weak and pathetic." He chastised one of the others, as he firmly picked her chin up to look at her. "Shame really, she is a pretty little thing. But just because the King finds pleasure between her legs, it doesn't make her a worthy Queen."
"Please… we can talk to the King. There will be some solution –"
Fili was cut short again by a heavy blow into his chest, which winded him.
"We have scarified so many of our own kin for this cause. The time for talking is one past." Mol spoke again. He pulled a cane out of his scabbard and gestured towards the other dwarrow who had just suspended her. He moved closer to her and turned her around to face her away and ripped her blouse open at the back, bearing her soft brown skin to them all. "And where was Thror when our people came for help? Our own kin were persecuting us. And we were being driven out of our own lands. Thror was too busy with his hoard… Thror's hoard, Thorin's whore… it's all the same. You Kings are selfish. We need a council to rule. A republic. Not some divine monarchy. And we could live, trade and work with even the orcs…"
He struck her with the cane. Fili cursed in Khuzdul as she groaned.
"Come on. Wake up you little tart…"
Mol struck her again viscously. Red weals appearing where the cane had made contact. She could feel the pain through the thick fog that clouded her senses, and the burn of the ropes around her wrists where the pull of her own body weight was put through, as her legs buckled under her.
"Wakey wakey!" He struct her again and again. The last time she cried out. The pain reviving her a bit. "That's a bit better."
"You see Fili, I WAS hoping that your Uncle cared enough to come looking for his new bride, but apparently not… and I really wanted his Majesty to watch. But in his absence, you will do… I see how you look at her – I am sure you would love to share her even, if your Uncle would let you… maybe even enjoy her together... A little Uncle –nephew bonding time eh? I bet just the thought alone makes your dick hard…"
He ripped her breeches off, leaving her in only her underwear, cutting any tethering with his dagger.
"Ooh and look she's hairless unlike our females… feel these disgustingly smooth legs." He said running his chubby hands along her skin as Fili growled, pulling hard against his restraints and captors. "Well you can watch now while nothing but a lowly orc has its way with this precious little bitch of yours."
Mol struck her legs hard with the cane this time. And she lifted her head up weakly, screaming, as she struggled to gain her footing from her place of suspension.
"Mol…?" She questioned, in her confusion, fingers reaching up in vain attempt to relieve the pain from the rope.
"Sorry sweetheart – nothing personal. But we have to do this. I am sure you will eventually enjoy it…" he walked over to the door opening it as two rather tall orcs stepped through. They looked at her immediately, licking their lips and laughing evilly.
Fili pulled harder at his restraints.
"Touch her, and I swear I will kill you all! Myself!"
"If you're not going to cooperate then…" Mol walked over calmly and landed a punch to his jaw, and pulled out his dagger.
Shobha began to focus a bit more. She could feel the cold air on her stinging legs and back, and was beginning to grasp what was going on.
"No please. You have me now. Let him go –"
"No Shobha!"
"Oh how touching." Mol sneered sarcastically. "The love between the Prince and his Uncle's whore… well tell you what? If you are a good girl and behave then we will let your Prince go once he has watched you. So what's it going to be?"
He dug the dagger deeper into Fili's skin, a trickle of blood dancing its way down his neck, disappearing under armour.
"Ok – ok! Don't kill him."
"Beg."
The orcs began to grope themselves.
"P… please…?"
"I don't think that's good enough. Surely that is not how you welcome your King between your legs?" He inched the dagger into Fili's skin more.
"Wait! Please! Take me!" She shouted, the words making her sick to the stomach.
"Better… lets see if we can't improve on that... hmmmm?"
…..
Thorin had found the Fundins, Nori, Gloin and Oin.
"Where are they?"
"Mol, the Blacklock, said he would get her to safety!" Balin began rushing towards the royal wing. "Through your own escape route."
"That passageway was empty earlier." Dwalin yelled. "Hurry they must still be there!"
Thorin led the way rushing forward. As they turned towards the throne room, they ducked narrowly missing several arrows that flew their way. Ahead of them, to their surprise, they spotted a large group of Elven guard fighting a mass of orcs that stood at the entrance to the royal wing.
They moved closer as one by one the orcs were felled, to find Kili and Tauriel fighting amongst them. Further ahead Thranduil was fighting a smaller group single handedly. Thorin bent down grabbing an axe stuck in a dead orc and threw it, bringing down one of the orcs as he ran ahead to join the Elvenking.
"So you are back?" Thranduil acknowledged, swirling his swords, blocking several strikes in one movement, as Thorin joined him.
"Well observed. And what might you be doing here Thranduil?"
"I swore to come to your Queen's aid – I am honouring my oath." He moved with grace as he killed the final attackers simultaneously. "I have looked elsewhere. She must be here…"
"And the others – "
"Safe in my halls for now. Your Queen wrote to me asking for asylum, which I granted for her sake. You sister is amongst them."
"This way." Thorin pushed on through their parlour.
They burst in through his bedroom door, to find six dwarves, some restraining his eldest nephew, while two orcs hovered over his bride, who had been bound to their bed posts like a piece of meat. The back of her blouse was ripped open, and her breeches stripped off, bruises on her pretty face, and cane marks on her skin.
Thorin and Thranduil had startled the group as they stormed in, moving like lightning to kill the orcs immediately before facing the others holding Fili bound.
"No closer, or I'll gut him." Mol pointed a dagger to Fili's throat.
"Frankly I don't care for your pathetic threats." Thranduil spoke.
The Elvenking threw a dagger, which landed deep in Mol's arm, forcing him to drop the weapon held at Fili. It allowed Fili to jump onto of him, wriggling free of his captors, and leaving Thranduil to kill them both.
Thorin was quick to kill the other two dwarrows, the one nearest to Shobha diving behind the side of the large bed, while he turned towards the last group.
Dwalin burst in through the door at that moment following
"Take him away." Thorin growled to indicate Mol, as he moved rapidly towards her. The remaining dwarrow who hid beside the bed, slowly stood up holding his arms high in surrender. Nori had rushed in and began restraining him.
"Leave them with me." Dwalin growled punching Mol hard several times as he dragged him away.
As Thorin rapidly cut the rope that tied her to the bed posts and scooped up her weak body into his arms, Thranduil immediately removed his cloak, moving to cover her. She looked at him weakly, sobbing, her body in all sorts of pain, and her head still dull after being struck hard.
"We need to get her to Oin." Thorin spoke.
"Better to take her to my halls - Until Erebor is cleared of the dead."
"We have many more clear rooms –"
"Well you and your Queen would be welcome to stay as my guests." Thranduil bowed his head. He would not beg, no matter how much pity he felt for the little woman the dwarf king held tightly in his arms. Taking one more look at her as she grew more limp, battered and bruised, and hoping that they had managed to save her from being violated, he turned away to leave.
"Thranduil," Thorin stopped after taking another step towards the door to his study, turning back to the elf again and bowing his head. It was not something he ever thought he would say to the elvenking, but he was begrudgingly grateful the elf had honoured his word to his Queen. "Thank you."
Thranduil bowed his head once more before taking his leave, as Thorin hurried on with his wife.
….
Shobha opened her eyes, and suddenly gasped. The light was dim, and the room, quiet. Everything that had transpired seemed like a nightmare, but her body and head ached. Then she recalled Mol, being bound to their own bed, and the orcs, it made her thrash in the bed as she scrambled to try and get to her feet. When a large hand reached out to her, in an attempt to reassure, she thrashed even more.
"You're safe Amralime." Thorin hushed her, pulling her into his strong arms, holding her tight, until she settled. Her initial struggles, dying away slowly as realisation finally dawned, eventually turning into soft sobs. He kissed her hair gently stroking her arm. He had seen her back, the skin was red from the marks of Mol's cane, and raw. "I am sorry, my beauty. So very sorry."
He whispered the words over and over, his short comings for leaving her. They were not his usual proud or stubborn words.
Oin had offered to examine her while she had passed out after being cut down, with Thorin present, to minimise her trauma, but Fili had sworn he was forced to watch every moment of suffering inflicted on her. And while they had removed some of her clothing, they had not touched her. For that little Thorin was thankful.
She lay on his chest, sobbing, as he held her gently, whispering soothing words, soaking his tunic with her ample tears. He wanted to kill Mol just for what he had done. But Dwalin and Balin had reminded him the importance of the information to be gained from the traitors, and having a formal trial.
He desperately wanted to go out on a murderous rampage, to scour the lands and kill as many orcs as he could find. The anger that stirred in him was unquenchable. But he knew it was more important that he remained right here. For her. And so he held her, stroking her hair, muttering soothing words in Westron and Khuzdul, while she cried for Aro, for all the life lost and all the horror she had seen and felt, until she finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.
...
Dear All,
Thank you so much for following so far xx please please leave a review fave/follow let me know what you think xx
I am sorry about Aro :( but everyone else we know survived. sorry if this was a bit traumatic, but there is a reason why they have targetted her... all will be revealed. sorry it got a bit dark, but i promise it will get better. now they need to get to the bottom of these attcks.
Special thank yous to everyone who left a review :) i am so grateful that you've taken the time xx
dragonegyptianblue - so true! she was so prepared to die :( She needs time now to recover
dearreader - thank you so much! The orc and Aro were my (less elegant) way of portraying how wasteful of life, on all sides, these battles were.
UnaLouise - thank you so much! she isnt a badass warrior type heroine, but more of a meek girl trying to do her best in a bad situation. And thank you again for sharing the story. That really was dark but amazing! :)
