It has been a while - here is the new chapter and I hope that you enjoy it.
Many thanks to all those that have favourited and followed and apologies its been so long.
I do not own The Hobbit - just my OC.
Chapter 46 – Frantic
Todd had never felt so thrown around in her life.
Bilbo had uttered the words 'hold your breath' and then she had been subjected to what felt like being tied to the wheel of a cart moving at full speed down a hill.
At first, she felt the barrel start to shudder and then there was the distinct feeling of tipping. She had wanted to ask what was going on, she had wanted to have prepared herself for what came next, yet before she had a change to take a breath, they were rolling downwards. Bofur and Todd knocked into each other as they rolled or fell, Todd really couldn't tell, down and down.
At some point, they were then air born and Todd could tell because all of a sudden, the air was whistling through their barrel and her stomach felt like it had jumped out through her belly button. She felt her chest heave as she gagged, it was the worst feeling but she refused to be sick in the barrel with her One so close. She couldn't help but let out a squeal, Bofur latching onto her, before the impact came.
They smashed into water and the barrels that had already fallen before them, cracking upon hitting each other. They had landed against them with such force that the wind was completely knocked out from her. They seemed to dip under the water then as they slid from over one particular barrel. Their weight pulled them deeper into the freezing cold water. Todd panicked as she gripped onto the edge of the barrel and Bofur with such intensity it felt like she might snap her fingers, holding her breath as tightly within her as she could manage.
Finally, they burst back out through the surface of the water, Todd was able to suck in a deep breath and let out a yelp at the freezing cold water coating her body in the nearly paper-thin elven dress. Bofur immediately took off his hat and used it to expel the water from within their barrel.
Todd clung onto the edge as he did so and was relieved when Thorin grabbed their barrel to stop it from floating off down the river. She looked up to him, her red curls clinging to her face.
"Are you ok?" Thorin asked.
Todd couldn't offer him words, just a shaky nod and the grunt from Bofur as he rushed to get rid of the water that was up to their knees.
They waited for ages, as the rest of the dwarves all righted themselves in their own barrels. Each of them holding onto each other so they were floating in a group just below where they had dropped in. They seemed to have dropped into a river that had carved its way underneath the woodland realm. Carved deep into rock with stone walkways appearing here and there further up, as if to create a tradesman's entrance into the woodland realm.
"Where is Bilbo?" Todd was finally able to ask, her voice shaking through the cold.
"He hasn't fallen through yet!" She heard Dwalin shout back.
They waited and waited, they could even hear the distant shouts of Elves, and then before they could discuss what to do, the roof, or floor, above them opened up and out plopped their Hobbit. They watched as he fell awkwardly and slapped the water, nearly all of them wincing at his impact into the river.
Once his head had come back up over water, Nori was there to grab him and pull him up against his barrel.
"Well done, Master Baggins!" Thorin called out, but Bilbo was so out of breath the best he could offer in return was a wave of his hand.
With that Thorin set them off, using his hands to paddle himself forwards towards where the light from the day was starting to creep into the gloom of this wood and rock. Everyone was trying their best not to knock into each other, and all Todd could do was keep her hands clamped onto the side of the barrel. She turned slightly to Bofur who turned to her at the same time.
"I am frozen…" She chattered.
"I know my treasure, but I'm sure we will be out of here soon and we can all dry off in the sun, ey las?" His voice was strong now, to reassure her.
"Ok, sounds good!" She mumbled as she shook herself off to try and stave the shivering.
"EVERYONE HOLD ON!" Came Thorin's shout and Todd barely had the chance to check her surroundings before they were dropping again, one of Bofur's sturdy arms shooting out to wrap around her body and hold her close to him as they plunged once more into the freezing cold water over their heads.
It didn't take as long this time for them to reappear back above the water, Todd spitting out a mouthful as they continued floating down the river, the waterfall making them pick up speed. Even though she was freezing and definitely not having the time of her life, she rejoiced a little in the fact that they were now out in the open. With trees and the sunshine pouring down on them. It relaxed her a little and made it seem a little more bearable. She could see further in front instead of the river being hidden by rock and outcrops.
They were well on their way when a loud horn sounded, similar to the one the Rivendell Elves had used upon surging their attack upon the Orc and Warg scum that had been hunting them all those months ago now. It was sharper though and each Dwarve looked panicked from the source of the noise to before them. They rounded a bend in the river, only to spot a wall before them with what looked to be a gate open at the base of it. Elven centuries stood upon the wall and at the sound of the horn all turned and spotted the Company floating towards them in barrels.
Todd could feel her hope fall to the pit of her stomach. Their escape was right there, within their grasp and once again, it was slipping away. Todd couldn't help but feel like they had had no good luck the since the Dwarves had left Bilbo's Hobbit Hole.
She could barely see what was happening anymore as her and Bofur's barrel span round in the water as they rushed towards the rapidly closing gate. She tried to turn to take a look, but the chain in her hand pulled and she hissed in pain as she tried desperately to loosen the collar.
"We need to get that off you!" Bofur sighed as she ran a hand over it, looking for any type of latch or hinge to work open.
Todd looked up to him and nodded with a roll of her eyes.
"I hate elves" She deadpanned.
Their barrel span back round then, giving Todd and Bofur just enough time to see one of the elves on the stone arch way above the now closed gate lurch forwards and topple into the water. Both of their faces twitched into immediate frowns of confusion, followed by utter horror as from over the other side of the wall crawled an orc, bow in hand and knocking another arrow right for the next nearest elf as they scrambled to react.
"ORCS!" Came the warning Todd had been hoping she would never have to hear ever again.
"How do we open the gate!" Todd screamed, her eyes searching for anything to help. Right as her eyes fell on it, Kili began to move.
There up on the stone archway was a wooden carved lever. A lever of which Todd and Kili had both realised simultaneously, must be how the gate is opened and closed.
Kili was a step ahead of Todd and was up and out of his barrel before the one she was in with Bofur had a chance to smash into the others. She waited for their barrel to come to a stop in the huddle of the company before she started scrambling out.
"Todd!" Bofur shouted, his hand coming up to hold her in place as she began to push up so she was stood on their barrel rim.
"I need to help Kili… I'll be fine!" She shouted back as she pushed off and managed to hop across Dwalin and Bombur's shoulders.
She launched herself up onto the riverbank, the chain still in her hands as she sprinted off up the bank after Kili. She was mere inches behind him, the world around her exploding in shouts, growls and guttural snarls that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Her eyes were wide as she pushed her frozen limbs as fast as they could go. She was vaguely aware of the orcs swarming over the wall, but all she could concentrate on was getting closer to Kili to provide back up.
She had just reached the bottom of the stone stairs up to where Kili was rushing the lever when he lurched to a stop. She almost paused in shock as Kili reached down to feel out the arrow that was now imbedded into his leg, just above his knee. In unison, both Kili and Todd's eyes flew in the direction the arrow had come in. A giant white orc was appearing from out the bushes, his bow raised straight towards Kili once more.
"KILI GET DOWN!" She shrieked as she rushed towards him, her eyes darting between him and the orc as it eyed her now, his aim changing.
She got to Kili, just as another Orc appeared over the wall. She cursed under her breath and could hear the company shouting to her and Kili from below. The orc snarled as it snarled at them, its attack being cut short as an arrow slammed into its neck causing it to crumple before them. Todd wasted no time in looking for their saviour, she immediately began assessing Kili. The shaft was stuck deep in his muscle and she knew that pulling the arrowhead out would only cause bleeding that she could not stem in the heat of the moment.
She looked dead in Kili's eyes and both of them knew it was them or the whole company. He started to move and she shook her head.
She jumped up as another orc rushed over the arch way towards them, falling limp as another arrow made its mark in his side.
Todd was able to reach the lever, jumping up to pull it down with all her weight. There was a moment where the lever budged the barest millimetre. Even with all her weight hanging from it, it wasn't enough to budge it and she felt her heart fall out her feet as desperation kicked in.
Kili watched with wide eyes between the graceful red headed elf who had been taking out their adversaries and his dearest red headed friend try with all her might to save the company. As he realised, she wasn't heavy enough, he gritted his teeth. With one hand bracing his leg, he moved forwards towards Todd. With a grunt sound behind her Kili started pulling Todd and therefore the lever down. Both of them crashed down onto the stone archway, Kili crying out in pain.
"You need to get back in the barrel now Kili!" Todd urged desperately as she span around and started helping him towards the edge of the archway. "This is going to hurt… I'm sorry!"
With that she shoved him off the edge with his feet first. Thorin and Fili were waiting below with Kili's abandoned barrel that they had moved in line with her frantic pointing. She watched with wide eyes and a now shaking body once more as he fell into the barrel, the arrow shaft snapping with the impact of the rim of the barrel. Kili's pained cry made her wince for him, but she knew that it had to be done. She needed to cause him that much pain to get him to safety.
"Todd!" She heard Thorin call back up as he shoved his nephews' barrel out under the archway and out to freedom. "Get back down here now!"
She didn't waste a single second before flinging herself down into the freezing water once more. There had been no time to line up another barrel, orcs were baring down on them once more, and she knew there was only a limited amount of time before she too got an arrow lodged somewhere it didn't belong.
Her head dipped under the freezing water at her impact back down from the stone arch way. Upon breaching back up through for air, she was grabbed by Thorin. His large hand around her arm as he hauled her up, so she was clinging onto the outside of his barrel. He grabbed the chain from around her neck and pulled it gently inside his barrel, so it didn't get stuck on anything around them as they set off after the rest of the company.
"Thank you!" He whispered, knocking his head against hers before he pushed off from the wall to follow the rest of the company. "Hold on"
She didn't need to be told twice, she clung on for dear life as they started flowing down the river. Her eyes constantly trying to search out where the river was taking them. Immediately from under the archway there was a small drop and she was reacquainted with the sickly air born feeling of freefalling before smashing back into the water.
She felt Thorin's firm grip on her upper arm the whole way down, and she knew she would probably have let go by now if it weren't for him. Down and down they went, drop after drop.
Before long they caught up with other barrels. She spotted Kili again, his face searching hers out against Thorin's barrel, skin looking pale and a little sickly already. A thought blossomed in her brain then, her eyes widening and then looking back up from Kili to the Orcs that were still giving chase along the rivers edge. Poison… that shaft will have been poisoned.
Todd was then acutely aware of the amount of time it was taking them to get out the reaches of the orcs. They needed to create distance between them, so that they could get out the wretched cold water and sort out Kili's leg before infection took hold. The only plus of the freezing cold water was that hopefully any infection was frozen for now.
