CW- character death. Do not read if this is triggering in any way. Thank you!


We cover many miles, refreshed from a couple of weeks of rest. During the day I talk with Oin and he quizzes me on herb mixes, swatting me with his ear horn if I am wrong. Fili and Kili think it's funny until I give them a solid thump with my partisan. At night we rotate watches, and I keep first watch with Dori and Bifur or third with Thorin.

Throughout the week, the trail has grown steeper and rockier, the air cooler. I'm grateful for the thick cloak and fur-lined boots given to me by the elves, though I would give anything for a modern day parka. And a hot massage for my aching body.

Perhaps an umbrella for the rain too. It never stops, the trail is slippery, and we cannot light any fires. The company is soaked, tired, and grouchy. We shiver endlessly in the night—we can't get warm. I don't talk to anyone, because I'm too busy trying not to tumble down the path. I cling to the sleeve or cloak of the nearest dwarf whenever I can. I'm not nearly as steady as they are, and more than once I slip on the path and skid.

Regardless of the rain, Thorin pushes us on. Even during the night, we walk for a few hours. We are traveling on a very narrow ledge, and my heart pounds in my chest. I can't see, my feet are slipping, and my hands are going numb. "Hold on!" Thorin calls, though his voice is drowned in the howling wind. "We must find shelter!"

"Look out!" Dwalin yells, and all of a sudden a boulder is flying towards us. It lands overhead, smashing into pieces and tumbling down the slope, nearly taking me with it. It wasn't like this in the book!

"This is no thunder storm, it's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin yells, pointing in horror at huge figures breaking off from the mountains. They stand as tall, if not taller, than the mountains. To them we would look like specks of dust.

"Well bless me, the legends are true! Giants! Stone giants!"

"What the fu—"

"Take cover you fools!" Thorin calls back to us, but there's only so much we can do. Hugging the side of the rock, we edge forward, desperate to get away from the battle and the flying boulders overhead. The ground beneath us rumbles, and the stone starts to split between Kili and Fili, separating the company.

We're on the leg of a stone giant. How are we supposed to survive this?

My panic only grows with each erratic movement, and I cling onto Bofur for dear life, tightening my grip the more we wobble.

The other half of the company collides with a solid section of the mountain, and they rush off. My group is still careening through the air, and we pass the others in a blur. I almost puke from the motion, but there's nothing to throw up. Something crashes above our head, and before I can even process it, my group is heading straight for the mountain.

We're all going to die. I close my eyes to brace for the impact.

We hit the mountain, and I'm thrown hard against rock. Someone lands on top of me. Thorin screams, "Kili!" My first thought is that we aren't dead, which seems to be a miracle in and of itself. The dwarf that landed on me rolls off, and I take a deep breath.

Hands grab my arms and pull me to my feet, and I open my eyes to the shaken face of Bombur, who engulfs me in a fierce hug that I return with equal fierceness. I look around, unable to believe that we're all alive.

Standing near the ledge, Fili and Kili are glued to each other's side, with Thorin hovering nearby. Someone shouts about a nearby cave, but before we can move, the ground shakes again, strong enough to send me to my knees.

My eyes land on Thorin, who stumbles and takes a step back into thin air to steady himself.

His eyes widen in terror, realizing his mistake.

His lips part.

He throws his arms forward, his fingers scrabbling at pebbles, but it's too late.

He falls over the side of the mountain, stealing the breath from my lungs.

As quick as it started it's over.

"Thorin!" Fili screams, collapsing at the edge with Kili, but Thorin is gone.

Gone, gone, gone.

"No! No! Thorin!" I scream, crawling towards the edge. I peer over, but there's no trace of our leader. The noise fades around me as a ringing invades my hearing. The world disappears, and it's just me out on that ledge, looking for any sign of my friend.

I don't know how long I'm there, screaming and calling for him, only moving when someone tugs on my arm. Stumbling away from the edge, I follow the company in a daze until we collapse in a cave. One of the dwarves speaks to me, but I don't hear him, still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Thorin, my employer and friend, the leader of our company, is dead.

Tears start to form in my eyes, and a sob bursts out. I slump down where I stand, curling into a tight ball and rocking back and forth while tears stream down my face. Images of Thorin flit past in my head. Never again will he scowl at me. Never again will I keep third watch with him, or listen to him sing.

My body shakes and my breath comes in heaving gulps. I don't know how long I cry for, but when my tears run out, a voice croaks, "Aspen."

I turn and take in the sight of a wet and red-eyed Fili, a sleeping Kili curled up into his side.

Oh no. How could I have forgotten them? Where I lost an employer and friend, they lost an uncle, the closest thing they've ever had to a father.

Sniffing, I crawl over to them, the last two male heirs of Durin. I curl up on the other side of Fili, trying to provide what little warmth I can. "Are you alright?" he manages. "I should be asking you that question."

"Kili cried himself to sleep. I haven't seen him do that in forever. Not since—"he stifles a sob. "Not since Adad died." More tears slip out of his eyes.

"I cannot bear to see him like this, but there is nothing I can do." My heart aches in my chest as tears slip down my face, my grief threatening to swallow me again.

"Your uncle hired my services until the company reclaimed Erebor. But I will stay for however long you need, contract or no." Fili screws his eyes shut, pained at my reminder of his newfound responsibilities. "I accept." His arm wraps around my back and pulls me closer to him. "Though I wish I did not have to." He opens his eyes again and glances down at Kili.

"If Thorin truly is… gone… then I am King Under the Mountain, and have a duty to lead this company to reclaim Erebor for the dwarves of Middle Earth."

Fili looks at me, his eyes begging. "You must help me Aspen. I can't do this on my own."

Fili starts to cry again, and I gather him into my arms, allowing him to cry into my shoulder. His words echo Thorin's, spoken to me a couple weeks ago. I shiver, shutting my eyes and holding Fili tighter. "You aren't alone. You'll have Balin and Dwalin, and your brother. And me. I'll be here."

I hold Fili until he quiets, humming softly. I note that Kili has rolled over and curled in on himself.

"Sleep Fili," I whisper. "Sleep. I'll be here."

I look around at the rest of the company as Fili, still slumped against my shoulder, settles and his breathing deepens. Most siblings are collapsed against each together, sharing their grief. Dwalin and Balin converse in hushed tones, glancing every so often towards Fili and Kili. Balin catches my eye and gives me a grim nod that I return.

Shutting my eyes, I allow myself to drift off to sleep, hoping to leave behind this cursed place tomorrow.

I awaken when one of the dwarves shouts, a split second before the floor falls away beneath me. I scream, falling through the air with the other dwarves, hitting and sliding on rock. Dori manages to grab onto my arm, but he's ripped away a second later as we're tossed around. I hit something solid face first, which groans beneath me. A dwarf slams into my back, expelling the breath from my lungs.

We find our feet quickly, and it is only then that I notice that we're trapped. I hear goblin shrieks, and no sooner do I register danger than I'm shoved into the middle of the group and told not to draw attention to myself under any circumstances.

Dori and Nori stay close to my side as the goblins swarm us. My heart pounds as I gag at their smell. They take our packs and cloaks and start to herd our group out of our cage and down one of the rickety wooden paths. Inevitably, we are forced to spread out a little, though we fight to stay as close together as we can. As told, I draw no attention to myself, but I'm the first to feel a whip's sting on my back. I'm lucky my coat catches most of it.

My cry makes the goblins shriek with glee. How they haven't yet noticed I'm a woman I don't know, but I pray my luck continues to hold until we somehow escape this place. What they would do if they discovered me I don't want to think about, and more fear trickles down my spine, but maybe that's just blood.

Up ahead I hear a din of voices and noise, and I press closer to Nori, who's been ahead of me this whole time. We enter a large cavern in the mountain, full of goblins. The sight and smell of so many of them makes me even more sick to my stomach, but it is the sight of a huge goblin seated in the middle of the chamber that makes my guts twist and fear show on my face.

No.

I can't let them know I'm scared—they'd find pleasure in that. I manage to school my features into one of hostility shared by the dwarves, though my heart continues to pound a fast, steady rhythm in my chest.

Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Again.

The noise evolves into crude drums and instruments being played by a number of singing goblins, and up ahead Bifur presses his hands to his ears in an effort to block the noise out. The great goblin appears to be singing and perhaps dancing and flailing his arms.

I look around and try to figure out the best way out of here. But the only way out is the one we just came through, and it's heavily guarded by goblins carrying axes and bent swords.

The goblin's song finishes as our group approaches him, and I decide I appreciated the sight of him when I was much further away, if ever at all. He has many pus-filled boils on his body and a huge goiter covering his throat. His lanky hair falls into his eyes and he almost knocks Fili off his feet with the huge skull attached to his staff.

If possible, he smells more of decay and rotting things than even his compatriots do. I keep my head down, dry heaving all while trying to remain as still as possible and hoping his eyes will pass over me.

We are stripped of our obvious weapons, the hidden ones left for now. Unfortunately this includes my partisan and a dagger attached to my belt, but not the dagger I have hidden in my boot, or the one in my coat.

The goblin stripping me of my weapons screeches, his eyes fixed on my face. Nori manages to stick him in the stomach with a knife, twisting it and spilling the guts over my boots. The goblin dies with a gurgle and slumps to my feet. Nori winks at me, only to be swarmed seconds later by the creatures. I jump to his aid, pulling them off where I can and beating them with my fists.

"Who would be so bold as to come into my kingdom?" the great goblin growls. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" His voice climbs the octaves in a way I would find comical if not for our current situation. "Dwarves, your malevolence," one of the goblins replies. "We found them on the front porch."

"Dwarves?" the great goblin roars. "Well don't just stand there! Search them! Every crack! Every crevice!" The goblins do as he bids, taking Oin's ear trumpet and Bofur's hat; anything that looks remotely dangerous.

I shuffle around to avoid them, but before long a couple of them squawk and drag me towards the front. I try to fight them, but more goblins join in. I manage to bite one, but of course it doesn't do much. I'm knocked to my knees, my arms pinned behind my back. Someone yanks on my hair, pulling my head back. I yell, and the great goblin peers down at my stony face and dark eyes.

There's a loud clatter nearby as one of the goblins upends Nori's sack. All of his stolen Elvish wares tumble out in a heap. "It is my belief, your great protuberance that they are in league with Elves!" one says.

The great goblin takes up a candelabra and squints at the bottom. "Made in Rivendell," he reads. Scoffing, he tosses it over to the side as he says, "Second age. Couldn't give it away." From behind I hear Nori mutter, "Just a couple of keepsakes."

"What are you doing in these parts?" the great goblin demands. No one says anything, until Oin mutters, "Don't worry lads. I'll handle this," and steps up beside me. "No tricks! I want the truth! Warts and all," the great goblin shakes his finger at us.

"You're going to have to speak up," Oin drawls. "Your boys flattened my trumpet." For effect, he holds it up alongside his deadpan face.

This is the wrong thing to say.

Enraged, the great goblin bounds down from his throne of bones as he shouts, "I'll flatten more than your trumpet!"

The dwarves scramble, and Bofur comes to the front, saying, "If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to." The great goblin grunts, so Bofur continues.

"We were on the road. Well, it's not so much of a road as a path. Actually it's not even that come to think of it. It's more like a track. Anyway, the point is, we were on this road like a path like a track, then we weren't. Which is a problem, because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."

Having run out of meaningless words to spew off the top of his head, Bofur looks around for help, and Dori eagerly takes him up on his offer.

"Visiting distant relations," he clarifies, and the dwarves mutter their agreement. Bofur tries to continue, but the great goblin roars, "Shut up!"

The echo sounds around the cavern, silencing dwarf and goblin alike. "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the mangler! Bring out the bone-breaker! Start with the female!" He points to me, and I clench my teeth so that my fear doesn't escape me.

I slowly breathe out, letting go of my fear and breathing determination in. Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Again.

I'm going to die. I'm going to die, but that is a sacrifice I'm willing to make. If the company can make it to Erebor, I will be happy. I just wish I could have said goodbye to my family.

The goblins erupt into movement, pushing back the dwarves as they try to reach me, and the great goblin turns his attention to me.

"I'll make a bargain with you. If you'll tell me who your leader is, I'll spare you torture." I say nothing. "If you tell me I'll also spare your leader." My mouth to curl into a sneer, and I remain silent. I will not give this stinking creature the answer he wants.

A growl escapes him. He grabs me by the front of my clothes and dangles me in the air. "Speak, you worthless bitch! Before I toss you over the side!" He shakes me like a rag doll for good measure. I gasp and grit my teeth in pain as the dwarves cry out behind me. My hand creeps to my coat. A fury wells up in me and I stare at him with hate, willing my eyes to stab him. But as looks can't kill, I resort to something else.

I bring my foot up, pulling my dagger from its hidden sheath. At the same time, I wrench free the dagger from its sheath in my coat and use the momentum to slash at the inner arm of the goblin, who howls and drops me to the ground. Expecting this, I land in a crouch, daggers in hand and teeth bared.

Goblins swarm me and knock me flat on my back. They tear my weapons from my hands, scratching at my skin, pinning me down. Everything is blurry. The dwarves are yelling, the goblins are screeching, and my head and heart are pounding together.

I scream and thrash, but can't move. I glare up at the great goblin, and snarl, "You'll never find who you're looking for! I'll die before I tell you." "As you wish," the goblin growls back.

I let loose a stream of curses that would make my mother wash my mouth out with soap. A crude knife hovers over my throat, but before I can spit on it, a white light floods the room, knocking everyone over, including the goblins pinning me down. I struggle to my feet, still somewhat blinded by the light.

"Take up arms," a familiar voice calls. "Fight. Fight!" Gandalf yells.

With a roar, the company hauls themselves to their feet, grabbing their weapons. I grab my two knives and partisan, glad to have the weapon back in my hands. I follow the dwarves as we run for the exit, dodging goblins where I can. Distantly I hear the great goblin call, "He wields the Foe Hammer, bright as daylight!"

"Follow me! Quick!" Gandalf yells, and the company runs after him. We tear out of the cavern and through the goblin tunnels on those rickety wooden platforms. I stay on the right side, the place I'm best protected by the others and where my weapon will do the most damage. The goblins screech and hoot as they chase after us, but I don't look back. Always forward, concentrating on my breathing and footing.

Up ahead, Dwalin cuts through some goblins with his axe, clearing the way for the rest of us. Fili's dual swords flash as he beheads another, and Balin stabs one in the gut. I knock away a goblin trying to climb up the walkway and swerve to the left to avoid a sword swinging towards me. Thrusting my weapon deep into the goblin's gut, I wrench it back, twisting it as I do.

The goblin collapses at my feet, twitching a little. I stare at it in horror, and at the bloody weapon in my hand. "Aspen! Come on!" Kili says as he hurries past, and I follow, cutting and blocking as necessary. Behind me a walkway groans and soon after some goblins howl in anger.

Our company, which somehow separated, regroups and we run onto a path that dead ends. Someone cuts the ropes holding it in place and sends it swinging. I hear a "Jump!" and need no encouragement. Landing on the next walkway, I take a defensive stance, jabbing at the goblins coming near. Despite the reach of my blade a cut still manages to land on my arm. I growl and narrow my eyes at the goblin who caused my injury, and I jab towards him, but he's cut down by Kili.

We continue, and I can feel myself tiring. I manage to keep pace with everyone, but my breathing is heavy. Kili glances at me, then to the next opponent coming our way. Up ahead, a boulder appear to clear our path, probably Gandalf's doing. Just a little further, I urge myself as my panting grows heavier.

We round a corner, and there is the exit of the goblin caves. Dori and Gloin put on extra speed and are halfway across with Balin and Gandalf not far behind when the great goblin bursts through the walkway.

Gandalf takes head as the great goblin growls, "You thought you could escape me?" I glance behind us. We're trapped. Dwalin and Kili guard our rear, so I return my attention to the front.

"What are you going to do now wizard?" the great goblin questions, taking a couple of swipes at him with his staff. Gandalf loses his balance, but is quickly steadied by Nori and Dori.

In response, he jabs at the goblin with his staff, and then slashes his sword across his protruding belly. The great goblin howls and falls to his knees, looks at everyone, and says, "Well that'll do it." Gandalf strikes once more with his sword across the neck, and the great goblin falls over dead.

The wood creaks, and then our section of the walkway falls away from the other sections and down into the darkness below like a runaway sled that's on fire. I fall to the floor and hold onto a nearby post and my partisan for dear life.

Shutting my eyes, I listen to the screams around me and think for the second or third time today that we're all going to die. We crash into the ground, our walkway collapsing and crushing some of the dwarves below.

"Well that could've been worse," Bofur quips, and I have the absurd idea of finding out whoever our good luck charm is and gluing myself quite literally to their side. No sooner have the words left his mouth than the great goblin crashes down on top of us. His leg lands on my body, and I gasp for air, groaning and wrinkling my nose. I dig myself out, pulling myself free and falling a few feet to the ground below.

I embrace Bombur and Bifur and do a quick head count, noting with a frown that Ori is nowhere to be seen. Starting to panic, I whip my gaze around, but before I can ask anyone where he is, Kili shouts, "Gandalf!" More orcs are swarming down the rocks, and quickly. "There's too many! We can't fight them!" Dwalin yells.

"Only one thing can save us. Daylight!" Gandalf responds, and points us to our escape exit.

We start to run again, though much more slowly than we could before due to the tight walls on both sides. We run for what seems like forever, but a door in the side of the mountain appears, and we spill into the bright daylight outside. Down the slope, away, far away from the horror of the goblin tunnels. Only when Gandalf deems us safe for the moment do we stop.

I do another headcount, my heart sinking at the low number. We're still missing Ori. And we've lost all of our bags and our provisions. My stomach churns.

My wallet with my family pictures is lost forever. Ori's drawing is also gone. Tears sting my eyes, knowing there's no way I'll ever recover them. I want to scream. Am I destined to lose everyone I love? Every little keepsake and memento that I have? Every reminder?

A tear slips down my cheek as Gandalf looks at Balin and asks, "Where are Thorin and Ori? And Bilbo?"

A hush settles over the company, and it is some time before Fili answers, "Bilbo chose to stay in Rivendell. I don't know where Ori is, and Thorin—" his voice cracks and a tear escapes his eye, though he makes no effort to wipe it away.

"Thorin is dead. He fell from a great height in the mountains."

Gandalf's face falls and he lowers his eyes to the ground. Leaning hard on his staff, he exhales heavily, suddenly seeming much older and worn. We stand in silence for a few moments, and that is when I hear running feet. I look back the way we came, setting my partisan in a half-hearted defensive position, but a familiar voice calls.

Gasping, I run towards the dwarf running towards me, and collide in a hug with tears in my eyes again. "Ori, Ori, you're safe! You're alive! You're alive." I pull back and look at the dwarf, who looks no worse for wear than the rest of us. Ori grins at me. "Aye, I'm alive."

His brothers arrive and knock heads affectionately with him, and Dori begins his customary fussing. The looks of relief on everyone's faces as they approach lightens my heart and I try to smile, taking off my harness to strap in my partisan.

"Where were you Ori?" "How did you get past the goblins?" The questions stream in from all sides, and Ori holds up his hands, causing the dwarves to quiet.

"When we were first taken by the goblins, I was pushed off the pathway by one of them." Dori growls, but Ori puts his hands up again. "I fell to the bottom of the mountain and there I met a creature with large eyes. Skinnier than an elf and hunched over almost to the ground."

My eyes widen as I look to Gandalf, knowing Ori met with the creature known as Gollum. Gandalf looks gravely back at me as Ori continues to speak, fiddling with his sleeves. "He was of a mind for riddles, but seeing as he tried to eat me after I won, I knocked him unconscious with my hammer." He indicates the weapon on his back, and I see several impressed looks from the company.

"Something fell out of his loincloth when he hit the ground," he says, rummaging in his pocket for an object. My suspicions are confirmed when Ori pulls out a ring, displaying it.

Time stills as the temperature around me drops. Whispers echo in my mind. My hand twitches. I can't stop staring at the ring. Blood rushing through my ears. "I thought to wear it, but I don't like the feel of it," Ori says, snapping me out of my trance.

"Ori, give it to Gandalf," I tell him, my voice strangled and sounding strange. Ori glances at me, and then at Gandalf, who says, "I think that would be wise," holding a covered hand out for the ring. Ori drops it in, and Gandalf secretes it to one of his many hidden pockets.

I sigh in relief when the ring's hidden, turning my attention to Fili. Before he can say a word, howls split the air, and Fili pales. "Out of the frying pan," he mutters. "And into the fire," Gandalf finishes. "Run!"

So we run.