CHAPTER FIVE
"I feel like death is coming soon, and all I wanna do is f*cking sleep."
-Highly Suspect: "Bath Salts"
It felt as if they had tumbled through a crevice into another hellish dimension.
Kili tucked his head in as best he could, feeling his body slam onto rock gravel and his companions. He would surely be feeling bruises from that later. The fall came to a sudden halt as he smashed into something, and he opened his eyes to see a cavernous space yawning up around him. It was hot and sticky, and stank of rot, filled with a flickering orange light, and a raucous din. Kili fought back a gag. What was happening?
The surface underneath him was roughhewn wood, and he could feel it swaying and creaking sickeningly as the others moved around, crying out. Kili had barely time to think before their gracious hosts were upon them. There were easily fifty of them, swarming over a narrow wooden bridge, small, knobby and clearly diseased.
"Goblins," he said, trying to shove his way to standing. They had fallen into a goblin trap.
They barely had time to take in their surroundings when the goblins reached them. The company struggled to arm themselves, but as many of them had just woken, or were recovering from injuries received in the fall, the tiny creatures had the advantage.
Fortunately, it didn't seem they were attacking. Rather, they were almost herding them, separating each of the dwarves from each other, and pushing them down the narrow walkway off of the platform. As they reached Kili, he tried to tear himself away from their rotting hands, but there were just too many.
Kili's gut dropped as they made their way out into the main body of the cave. Every inch of it was detestable. The walls seemed to be pocked and sick themselves, pulsing with movement as the goblins scurried about. The space echoed with shrill shrieks and cries, and of metal clashing on metal. The smell of flesh rotting only grew stronger in the thick, hot air, and Kili tried to hold his breath, his eyes watering.
It was sick. All of it. And they were entirely at the mercy of these nasty beasts.
The clashing metal grew louder, a great horn blowing a discordant tune, and Kili looked up to see the center of this plague. On some semblance of a throne rested a pile of fat and boils, which Kili realized with growing nausea, was alive. It seemed to react to their presence, hauling up out of the chair, bones cracking and crunching, and goblins screaming under his club feet. He convulsed, retching as Kili watched on in horror, the less disgusting beings at his side forgotten entirely. "I feel…a song coming on!" he announced, voice cracking and booming.
What proceeded was the furthest thing from a song he'd ever heard. And he'd known Bofur his whole life.
Clap! Snap! The black crack!
Grip, grab, pinch and nab!
Batter and beat!
Make them stammer and squeak!
The monstrosity lurched about, a sturdy scepter in one of his fists as he attempted a cruel mockery of a dance. His rolls and folds of fat swung as he moved, and Kili couldn't help but fear for the structural integrity of the platform they stood on. He certainly couldn't help not wanting to be pushed a single foot closer to the disgusting performance.
Pound, pound far underground!
Down, down, down in goblin town.
The whole cavern chanted after him, and Kili decided that this largest mound of fat was probably their leader.
Swish, smack! A whip and a crack!
Everybody talks when they're on my rack!
That didn't sound enjoyable at all. They would need to find a way out of this. Sooner rather than later if at all possible.
Pound, pound far underground!
Down, down, down to goblin town!
They were sickeningly close at this point. Close enough to discover that the king was indeed the center-point of the wretched smell of the place. A glance at the company showed that they were as dazed and horrified as he was. Upon a line about a "prong," in some sick show, the goblin king speared one of his minions with his scepter. The creature screeched in agony, flailing, but his misery didn't last long as he was flung off the point, smashing against the wall like a bug.
Clash, crash, crush and smish!
Bang, break, shiver and shake!
You can yammer and help,
But there ain't no help!
At this point, the company had been herded all together, packed almost too tight to move. As his hand went for his sword, Kili's heart dropped. It was gone. Had it fallen? A glance about showed that none of his companions were armed.
Despite their precarious circumstances, he was entirely relieved that they were all alright. He was at the front of the pack, something he wasn't overly thrilled about, but he stood next to Thorin. Gwen was tucked behind him, with Fili behind her, and Kili prayed that she would stay safe there.
Pound, pound far underground…
Down, down, down in goblin town!
The "song" ended at last, with a shuddering, clumsy spin, but at least it was over. To Kili's surprise, it was almost silent as the king turned back to his throne. The pitiful yelp of a goblin being used as a footstool echoed about them, but luckily, the massive creature was now far enough away that Kili could breathe without gagging.
"Catchy, isn't it?" the king offered, sounding smug. "It's one of my own compositions."
Kili fought the urge to scoff and kept his face stony.
"It's not a song," Balin said, his voice gaining courage and volume. "It's an abomination!"
A true statement if Kili had ever heard one.
"Abominations!" The king croaked. "Mutations, deviations. That's all you're going to find down here. Bring up their weapons!"
The goblins hurried to agree and pushed through and around the company in their rush. Kili watched with growing dread as all of their weapons piled up in front of him. Were they entirely helpless?
The goblin king lurched forward, his voice accusatory. "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies?" he guessed. "Thieves, assassins?"
"Dwarves, your malevolence," one goblin explained.
Yes, Kili said in his mind, backing up a little to make sure Gwen was still safely hidden. Only dwarves.
"Dwarves?" the king repeated, growing only more outraged.
"We found them on the front porch!" The goblin replied, proudly.
"Well don't just-" his shout cut off as his eyes fell on something. Something in Kili's direction. "What's that?"
A murmur went up and Kili backed up further, finding Gwen directly behind him. He grabbed onto her clothing, feeling himself shake a bit with adrenaline.
"That's not a dwarf! Too tall!" The king said, pointing a meaty finger right at Gwen. "Bring it out!"
Immediately, he found goblins crowding around him, their prying fingers trying to pull him away from her. He stood his ground as best he could as cries of protest echoed up from the company. Kili tried to slap the goblins away, but they managed to shove him enough to the side and pin his hands down onto his body. Fili was trying his hardest to keep a hold on Gwen around the waist, but they managed to get themselves between the two of them, and silence fell as she was brought up in front of the company, at least four goblins holding tight onto her arms and legs. She struggled, but couldn't escape, and Kili bit back a curse. He'd lost.
The king leaned forward, squinting as he eyed her up. "All bones. What are you?"
"Get off of me," Gwen spat to the goblins holding her as she tore one of her arms free. These efforts proved futile as she was quickly taken hold of again.
"Angry little thing," the king observed. "Are you a…woman?"
Oh, Kili did not like his grin one bit. His stomach churned, but he watched completely helplessly, as the king reached forward, sending the goblins scattering as his fist closed around Gwen. She yelped in protest, trying to squirm free, but the king only squeezed her tighter. The cry she let out as he tightened his grip around her arms and ribs made Kili flinch. She was being crushed alive. "Well?" the king prodded.
Gwen gasped enough air in to get out, "Put me down you disgusting pile of—"
He squeezed tight enough that Kili could have sworn he could hear bones crunching, and the only thing keeping him from protesting was the hard look Fili sent him. "Enough," the king hissed, before resting his arm on the throne, as if Gwen wasn't even in his fist. "Now search them!" he cried out, sounding more satisfied than ever. The goblins leapt to obey. "Every crack, every crevice!"
Kili flinched away from the feeling of bony fingers reaching into his clothes, but couldn't tear himself away from Gwen. With the company occupied, the king had brought Gwen only inches away from his face, and was speaking to her in a voice too low for Kili to hear. Whatever it was, he punctuated it with giving her a shake, as if she was a doll of some sort.
"Kili."
Fili's voice broke him from his growing outrage, his tone cold and firm. Kili glanced over, and Fili just shook his head, in a warning.
Kili took in a deep breath, elbowing one of the goblins that was looking up under the back of his coats as hard as he could. He had to stay calm.
There was a great clattering sound, and one of the goblins spoke up. "It is my belief, your great protuberance," he said, holding something shiny aloft. "That they are in league with elves!"
It seemed to be a candelabra that Kili recognized from their table in Rivendell. Nori. They must have gotten into his stash.
The king threw Gwen down onto the throne as he stood, leaning forward to take the metal from the goblin. "Made…In…Rivendell," he read off slowly, turning it over in his massive hands. He let out a disgusted scoff. "Couldn't give it away." With that, he tossed it away, clanging down to the rocks below.
As he ambled backward to sit in his throat, Kili saw that Gwen had scrambled out of the seat, and onto the arm, seeing her opportunity in his distraction. Oin stepped forward to speak, and Kili hoped that he would stall for time. "No tricks," the king said. "I want the truth, warts and all!"
Kili held his breath as the goblin planted a hand down on the arm of the chair and slumped back, narrowly missing crushing Gwen with his elbow. She froze, trapped ten feet off the ground.
Oin complained of the goblins having crushed his ear trumpet, and Kili was almost grateful that this angered the king. "I'll flatten more than your trumpet!"
It got him back on his feet, stumbling towards them, giving Gwen the space she needed. The only issue was the smaller goblins now. She just needed time. Kili turned to catch Bofur's eyes for a moment. The dwarf gave him a knowing nod, before stepping forward, offering up in a bright voice, "If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to."
The king paused, standing up straight, and silence fell as Bofur tried to bluff his way into finding Gwen time. "We were on the road."
Kili's attention fell entirely to Gwen who was moving slow. Kili suspected she may have been injured by the rough handling of the king. She silently lowered herself off the arm of the throne, dropping behind a pile of dead goblins. A slight thud hit the air, and Kili cringed at the sound. It drew the attention of two goblins, who cautiously crawled to investigate. Kili couldn't see what happened, but the only noise that came from there was a small, choking cough. It didn't sound like Gwen and Kili hoped to Mahal that it wasn't.
As Bofur's rambling story continued, augmented by Dori, Kili could see the king's frustration was growing. That wasn't good. Finally, he roared, "Shut up!" Bofur fell dead silent and Kili's dread only grew. "If they will not talk," the king announced, his voice dripping with malice. "We'll make them squawk!" A roar of excitement started up in the cave. "Bring up the mangler! Bring up the bone breaker! Start with the youngest!"
Kili couldn't help but be relieved that the king was mistaken, pointing at Ori and not him. Thank Durin he was taller. They had little choice but to stand and await their fate as the cave exploded into movement and vicious chanting. Dori managed to get over to Ori, smacking away goblins as best he could to protect his brother. Kili kept his eyes glued to the king for the most part. The massive goblin had momentarily reveled in his power, but now Kili could see something was wrong. He was realizing Gwen was gone.
"Where is—" There was a clattering sound, and suddenly, the king was scrambling backward into his throne, like a dwarfling afraid of a spider. "I know that sword!" he howled. "It is the goblin cleaver!"
Kili saw that one of the Goblins had drawn Orcrist, and it laid, strewn and glowing in the orange light on the ground. With just those words from the king, the chaos turned into an absolute frenzy, and Kili had to duck to avoid a whip to the face as the goblins attacked blindly, prompted into a panic by the king's continued cries. "Slash them!" he shouted, waving frantically. "Beat them! Kill them!"
Kili tried his hardest to beat off his defenders but he was unarmed and there were so bloody many. Their blows were mostly useless, though Kili did feel one leave a split in his lip when it head-butted him in the face.
"Cut off his head!" The king screeched and Kili whirled to see Thorin pinned to the ground by a goblin wielding a wicked looking blade.
No—
A roaring silence and a blinding flash of light overtook him. Kili found he was on his back, breathless and entirely startled as the silence beat in his ears. The hush that followed was thick and dark, and it took Kili a moment to begin to sit up. It was like a breath of clear air had gusted through the stinking hollow, and a dark figure was barely visible in the flickering shadows. The goblins began getting up too, but Kili's head was still spinning.
"Take up arms," a raspy, grounded voice commanded him. "Fight," it said. Gandalf. "Fight!" he commanded.
Feeling fire flood through his every vein, Kili hauled himself up to his feet with a cry, using his burst of energy to shake the goblins off of him. The rest of the company were tearing free of their captors clutches too, pouring forward to reclaim their weapons. By the time the first goblin threw itself at Kili, he speared it through with his sword, tearing his body clean in half as he ripped it free. He caught action out of the corner of his eyes and turned just in time to see Thorin strike the king, sending him stumbling back, and off the platform entirely, pitching into the dark. Good riddance, Kili figured.
He made a quick mental count, and everyone seemed to be there, with the addition of Gandalf, which Kili was still wrapping his head around. Fili was a nightmare, his two swords flashing indiscriminately as they cleaved through flesh and bone. He was more than relieved to see Gwen had made it out of her hiding place and had found her blade. She was a whirlwind of steel and blood, and Kili was just glad that she was alive.
"Follow me," Gandalf called as the flood of goblins seemed to subside. "Quick!"
He took off running, and Kili would have followed, but it seemed Gwen hadn't heard the wizard's command. "Gwen," he said sharply, itching to escape after the others.
She whipped around to him, looking entirely feral and dangerous. He jerked his chin in the direction of the others, and Gwen understood instantly, running after them, Kili a footstep behind her.
"Are you alright?"
She afforded him a slight glace over her shoulder. "Aye."
Kili had a sinking feeling that wasn't true. She was favoring her right arm and flinching slightly every step she took. His stomach tied itself in knots, but there was nothing he could do.
It sounded and felt as if the very hounds of hell were after them. The walkways they ran on shuddered and swayed, boards cracking under their weight every few steps. Goblins crawled out of the woodwork at every turn, but they were all more than happy to cut them down or push them from the platforms. Kili and Gwen had ended up by Fili, alternating between dodging arrows and chopping almost blindly against their assailants. Their paths were precarious and Kili wasn't sure if he had ever sweat that much, but he ran on pure adrenaline, his blood thumping like fire through every inch of him. They had to get out alive.
He moved without thinking, on instinct, just following Fili before him. Sometimes, this meant bridging gaps in the path with loose ladders, or cutting ropes, sending the whole company swinging. He followed orders and stayed alive. It was all that he could really do in the intensity of their flight.
Just when Kili thought he might not be able to run any further, a bone-chilling scream drew his attention. He brought his eyes up to a few yards down the path where Gwen was being swarmed, half a dozen Goblins crawled up onto her. He was infuriatingly helpless, with a barrage of arrows pouring onto him. So instead of rushing to her aid, he just watched as her scream was strangled out, her sword wrestled from her grasp and tossed onto the planks below. She collapsed under the weight of her attackers, silent now, as Kili thought he could see one of the goblin's bony hands around her throat, choking out her cries. She almost managed to break free, but it was too late. Her eyes met Kili's for a flashing moment as her momentum took her rolling off the side of the platform.
It seemed oddly silent for a heartbeats as something in Kili snapped. The rocks were sharp, and it was an empty drop below, and her body just rolled over like a bloody ragdoll into the darkness. Gone.
Something seized him to the very bones and he charged forward through the rain of arrows, not even feeling as they grazed and nicked his skin. He cut without mercy, feeling bones crunch under the brute force of his sword, and blood splattered onto his tongue foul and wretched.
"Kili!"
One of the goblins screamed as he cleaved its skull in half, pinkish goo and blood spilling out across the floor. He barely saw it. "Kili!"
Tearing and blood and skin and killing—
His shoulder was gripped, his body was turned and a hard slap brought sound into the world and thoughts into his head.
He blinked away the blood to see Fili staring hard at him, his eyes ablaze blue with the hottest flame Kili had seen. His cheek throbbed suddenly. "Kili," Fili said again, his voice clear but gentle.
"She fell."
Something dark and dangerous flashed in Fili's eye and his jaw tensed, but he just shoved something into Kili's hand and said sharply, "Make it worth something."
Fili was gone and Kili looked down. Gwen's sword. He tucked it into his belt and found himself running after the others.
His heart pounded in his head and he thought he might fall unconscious, but he didn't stop. Never stopped.
A bright flash ahead of him signaled Gandalf's magic, and all of the sudden, a boulder had broken free of the ceiling and rolled down the path, crushing skulls as it went. The goblins screamed as they died. She couldn't.
Kili hoped that Gandalf knew what he was doing, leading them on these wandering pathways since Kili certainly had no idea where they were. It felt like a maze of stone and poorly built wood, and the onslaught of goblins seemed never-ending. At least now, he was hungry for blood. Every sliced gut, lopped head, screaming plummet gave him the sort of satisfaction that only made him feel sicker.
How could someone like her fall in a place like this?
They were crossing a wide crevice on a bridge when they were forced to a halt. Like a massive worm bursting through the earth, the king exploded through the bridge, hauling his jiggling body up onto their level. His smug look only served to stoke the flame of Kili's rage.
Gandalf stepped forward, sword in one hand, staff in the other as the king lurched forward. "You thought you could escape me!" He swung for Gandalf with his mutilated scepter, but the wizard stepped back out of the way of the clumsy strike. "What are you going to do now, wizard?" the king asked, mocking and taunting them.
In response, Gandalf moved too fast for the creature to respond, thrusting the sharp point of his staff up into the king's bulging eye. He howled in pain, clutching at the new wound, and Gandalf took this chance to slash his belly open with the sword. The sallow skin split easily, revealing yet more layers of fat and filth. The king cried out again, reaching for his gut, and falling to his knees. "That'll do it," he acknowledged before he was rendered unable to speak by Gandalf slicing his throat right open.
He fell forward hard, the wood splintering under his weight. The goblins, who were held still at the sight of this confrontation burst back to life, scrambling towards them, but Kili didn't pay them any mind. He was more occupied with their bridge which, weakened, was swaying sickeningly to and fro, wood cracking and creaking under them. The goblins had barely reached them when with a terrible rending sound, the bridge fell, and them with it.
Kili found himself wedged under one layer of the structure as the air whistled past them. There was a thick wooden beam next to him, and he held onto it with both of his arms as they crashed into stone. His eyes squeezed shut as he was pelted with splinters, his grip barely holding up to the collision. He cracked his eyes open to see another stone face hurtling towards him, but had little choice but to hold on and pray.
It felt like an hour, but it probably wasn't more than fifteen seconds when they slowed, and with one final crash, came to a stop. He fell flat on his back, as planks landed on him, and dust settled over them. It was dark where they landed, but he could hear the coughs and groans of his companions.
"That could have been worse," Bofur's voice said.
He was swiftly proved wrong as the king's body smashed down on top of them, throwing up more dust, and squeezing the air out of Kili's lungs with the added weight.
"You've got to be joking," Dwalin growled, and Kili turned to see that the dwarf had ended up only a foot away. They seemed to be in one piece. Except—
Down the cave sides, like a terrible rushing wave was a thick swarm of writhing goblins, only seeming enraged by the death of their leader. "Gandalf!" he shouted in warning, dragging himself to his feet.
The others were still struggling to free themselves from the debris.
"There's too many," Dwalin said to Gandalf as he helped Nori up. "We can't fight them!"
"Only one thing will save us," Gandalf warned. "Daylight!"
With that, they ran as fast as they could towards a crevice in the stone. Kili smelled a thin line of fresh air coming from it and could only hope that this meant it was a path to safety. It was a tight squeeze, and terribly dark and all of him hurt. He sheathed his sword to free up his hands for feeling along the stone walls, hearing the goblin's cries begin to echo into the cave. As he did this, he felt something different slid into his belt. His heart dropped back down into his feet and his eyes burned hot.
Gwen.
The cavern widened slightly, lit dimly by some distant sunlight, and Kili's eyes stung at the sight of it. It was too bright. He was exhausted and he felt sick. How could he be leaving behind Gwen in that hellish place? Mahal—
"'ello."
The voice seemed unreal, and Kili still couldn't see through the white light, but he stopped. By the time his eyes were adjusted, he had been shoved to the side by another dwarf, and he saw that the voice was Gwen.
Gwen.
He would have thought she was a ghost had she not looked awful. She was coated with a thick layer of grime and blood, bleeding from the mouth, her clothes torn. She was hunched over, clutching at her ribs, and Kili noted that she was keeping her weight off of her right leg, but Mahal above, there she was. And based on the exhausted smile that flickered across her lips, she wasn't dead.
"Gwen—"
"Give me a hand?" she asked, and Kili hurried to help her. He slung her right arm over his shoulder as best he could without hurting her further and together, they limped out after the company. They moved slowly, and Kili knew he was too short compared to her to be helping much, but they made it out in time, bursting into the daylight, herded by Gandalf.
A long sloping hill fell down in front of them, dotted with trees and stones and sparse grass. The sun was up, and Kili couldn't help but take in a deep breath of clean air. It felt like a fog over his brain lifted as the breeze cooled his sweat-slicked skin, and he let himself glance over to Gwen. She was flinching in pain every step they took and looked like she'd been dragged backward through a rubbish heap, but…she was alive.
He was still reeling over that one.
Their limping pace caught them up with Fili after a minute, and Kili called his name. He turned sharply, his expression of worry only taking half a beat to turn into a grin. "Bloody hell," he said, panting. Kili couldn't help but agree. "You look terrible," Fili told Gwen.
"You too," Gwen replied through grit teeth, biting back a gasp of pain as they stumbled a bit, her right foot landing too heavily on the ground.
At last, a good distance from the cave, the company came to a halt, Gandalf standing on a rock, and counting them all as they filed past. If he was surprised at seeing Gwen, he did not remark on it, which Kili was grateful for, for the time being, Gwen fell heavily on a rock the moment that she could, gasping in pain.
"We thought you were dead," Kili panted, handing her sword back as the others stopped around them.
She opened her mouth to reply, taking it back gingerly, but Gandalf spoke first, sounding terribly alarmed. "Where is our hobbit?"
Kili blinked, realizing that it had been a fair bit since he'd seen him. But surely—He wasn't there.
"Curse that Halfling," Dwalin spat. "He's lost again?"
Bloody, bloody hell in a handbasket. How in Mahal's sweet name was he so easy to lose?
"I thought he was with Dori!" Oin called, accusatory.
"Don't blame me," Dori squawked.
"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked urgently.
"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us," Nori offered cautiously.
"What happened exactly? Tell me," Gandalf demanded.
"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin snapped, pacing. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since he stepped out of his door."
Kili hated the malice in his uncle's voice. That wasn't true. That's not the kind of talk Bilbo deserved.
"We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin finished bitterly.
Kili's eyes cast down and met Gwen's. She looked somewhere between panic and deep thought. A look at Fili showed him to be equally unhappy about the proposition. Mahal. Could they not finish this day without losing someone important?
"No," a clear, strong voice said. "He isn't."
Kili looked up in shock to see Bilbo, standing feet away, bruised and dirtied, but largely unharmed. It just seemed to be a day filled with miraculous resurrections. He felt a weight against his leg and looked down to see that Gwen had practically collapsed onto him, eyes closed in relief. Kili let a hand rest on her head over her scarf, patting her hair gently, grinning.
They had all made it.
"Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf chuckled. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"
"Bilbo," Kili called, holding back a relieved laugh. "We'd given you up!"
"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" asked Fili, awed.
"How indeed?" Dwalin repeated.
To Kili's confusion, Bilbo seemed almost…nervous to be asked that. He chuckled, swaying on his feet as he looked around their faces, as if for an answer. His hand found his pocket as the silence stretched on uncomfortably.
Gandalf interrupted it, saying, "Well, what does it matter? He's back!"
"It matters," Thorin protested harshly. "I want to know." He stepped up to Bilbo. "Why did you come back?"
Bilbo paused at the question, but didn't take long to answer, turning to speak directly to Thorin. "I know you doubt me. I—I know you always have. And you're right," he agreed. "I often think of Bag End," he said with an assenting shrug. "I miss my books," he explained matter-of-factly. "And my armchair, and my garden. You see, that's where I belong. That's home." Kili felt Gwen's hand squeeze gently onto his ankle, and he pat her hair again, enraptured in the hobbit's words. "And that's why I came back. Because you don't have one. A home," he clarified. "It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."
Warmth swelled in Kili's heart and he suddenly realized how grateful he was for Bilbo. He was the only one there who didn't have any reason for coming. The only one who had just…decided to come along this madcap adventure. To risk his life because a few dwarves ate him out of house and home and said they could use a burglar. Bilbo may have been small and awkward, but there certainly was something…else about him. They were a lucky company with him.
As a sudden sound rose up from up the bluff, Kili couldn't help but feel like someone very, very wicked had it out for them. Could they find no rest?
He heard shouting, and then howling roars, and looked up to see dark shapes flashing through the trees.
Gwen sighed heavily, and Kili silently agreed as he helped her up to her feet, dragging her arm over his shoulders to try and take some of the weight off of her injuries.
"Out of the frying pan," Thorin spat.
"And into the fire," Gandalf finished. "Run." The sound of footsteps beating the hard ground rained down to them. "Run!"
Kili didn't need to be told twice. He had gotten a head start but was already falling behind, with Gwen only being able to limp. He heard a loud growl behind him, but upon turning, saw it was Dwalin, not a wild beast. "Give her to me!"
"What?"
He was ignored and shoved out of the way as Dwalin took his place, wrapping an arm around Gwen's hips and almost carrying her down the hill. The dwarf was only half a hand taller than Kili, but his strength seemed to give him the advantage here. Kili couldn't protest. As long as Gwen was safe, he couldn't complain.
The dusk came on quickly as clouds crowded the sun, the light turning silver around them. Their suitors were upon them much too quickly. The fell beasts leapt over rocks, clearing yards with a single bound. They were huge masses of muscle and fur and snarling teeth and Kili drew his sword, striking the one closest to him hard. His blow cut deep into the shoulder of the beast but seemed to do barely any damage, only serving to enrage it. Kili held his ground as the creature charged at him again, and landed a long blow across its snout. This brought it recoiling back momentarily, but soon, it flew at him again, a whirlwind of spittle and burning hot rage. Kili raised his sword, but the beast snapped its jaws, locking the blade between his teeth.
Damn.
Kili had barely begun to formulate a plan, when the beast yelped sharply, freeing Kili's blade as it collapsed, whimpering. Dwalin stepped back, yanking his axe free from the back of its neck with one hand, Gwen still half-slung over his shoulder. "Must I do everything for you, laddie?"
Dwalin was off down the hill, Gwen gasping in pain with him. Kili had little choice but to follow, the snarls only growing louder at his heels. Their flight came to an abrupt halt as the company found itself at the edge of a steep drop. They were on a cliff. Kili swore and went to Gwen, who had been dropped at a tree so Dwalin could fight better. By the time he had reached her, Gandalf was calling out, "Up into the trees, all of you!"
Gwen visibly paled, as Fili jogged to a stop by them, grabbing onto a tree branch and swinging himself up onto the limb. "Gwen," he said as he got himself a few branches higher, reaching a hand down to her.
She began to shake her head, but Kili wasn't having any of that. "Haven't got a choice." He grabbed her around the hips. "Get ready."
Not hesitating a moment, Kili hefted her into the air, bringing her close enough to Fili to catch his hand. She cried out in pain, but Kili pushed past it, helping her get a foothold on the branches. The pack was nearly upon them when Kili managed to lift himself up onto a branch on the opposite side of the tree. They were still too low. "Can you climb?" he said to Gwen, leaning around to look her in the eyes.
"I don't—"
"If you say no, then I'll carry you," Kili told her before she could disagree. She hesitated, but Kili wasn't having any of it. "Come on," he said, beginning his way up.
She climbed slowly, and she was clearly hurting, but to Kili's relief, her ankles were out of the reach of the beasts when they flooded between the trunks of the trees, snarling, snapping and clawing at them, rendering the lower branches they had inhabited a moment before to splinters in their terrible jaws.
Once they were all safe, tucked up into the branches, they could catch their breaths. "What—"
Gwen anticipated Kili's question, responding tersely. "Cracked ribs. And my ankle's gone out."
"Broken?" Fili asked, eyes widening.
She shook her head. "Sprained, I think. I wrenched it in the fall."
Kili tensed at the memory of her plummet, but played it off with the best smile he could muster. "Well, Gwen, perhaps this is a good cause not to go jumping into endless stone caverns again."
Fili's laugh was hollow, but it was the best he could do. Gwen just clutched at her side, looking nauseous as the tree swayed under them. Kili quickly realized that they weren't as safe as they seemed. The loss of their prey seemed only to enrage the beasts further, and they threw their massive bodies against the trunks of the trees, the worst of the tremors almost making Kili lose his grip. Fili took ahold of Gwen's arm, trying to avoid bumping her ribs as they all braced themselves. With a bone-chilling ripping sound, Kili's looked to the roots of the trees. They were tearing out of the ground. Their tree was falling.
"Valar," Gwen breathed as their tree slanted further and further back with every blow.
"We have to jump," Kili said, as he turned to the tree behind them. They were only a yard away from its farthest branches, and lurching closer with every passing moment.
Fili nodded, getting up into a crouch, and turning, leaping towards the new tree. Once he was stable, Kili turned to Gwen, who was looking steadily more horrified. "He'll catch you," Kili assured her.
She opened her mouth as if to protest, but Kili hauled her up by the collar, shouting "Now!"
She had little choice but to obey, and Fili caught her, just as Kili said he would. It was Kili's turn, then and he made the leap to the new tree just as the one he'd been on collapsed to the ground, beasts covering it the moment it drew low enough.
They still weren't entirely safe. Now next to Gwen, Kili brought an arm around her waist, careful to avoid her ribs, and turned around to face their next tree. "No," Gwen said, her voice trembling with pain or fear.
"Yes," Kili said, keeping his voice steady. "Come on love. Jump…now."
Their second leap was easier, only a few feet, but Kili could tell Gwen was losing energy quickly. They only had a moment to recover before their tree lurched dangerously. There was only one tree left standing other than the one they were on, and most of the dwarves were already there. Fili was, waiting. Gwen eyed the jump only for a second before her whole body tensed. "Kili, no."
"Yes," he said again. He tightened his grip around her, drawing her eyes to meet his. Mahal. The look in her eyes was something he'd only seen in a rabbit looking up at its hunter.
"I can't."
"You can," he said. "Trust me."
She started to shake her head, but Kili wouldn't take this. "You're jumping with me." There was no question in his voice. They didn't have another moment to waste, so he simply said, "Now."
It seemed his encouragement had done some good, but it was a long jump, and while Kili made it, she landed on her bad foot, sending her gasping and sliding forward off the branch. Kili only had one hand and one foot secure, but he wasn't about to let her go. He kept his arm locked around her hips as she doubled over, hoping beyond all hopes that he wouldn't slip. While he knocked the breath out of her fairly well, his grip held, and with Fili's help, they managed to get her safely sat on the branch, her arms looped around Kili's legs to keep her steady.
It was only then that Kili let himself breathe, his blood thudding in his veins. They were all up in the tree, teetering over the drop. This was it. Nowhere else to run.
He surveyed the ground grimly. The beasts were hardly discouraged. Now, they just spent out all their collective rage on the last remaining tree. It shook hard, leaning further and further out over the darkness.
Kili felt a rush of heat streak before him suddenly, and a bright orange light flashed through his vision. Whatever it had been hit the ground rolling, spreading flames through dry debris as it went. The beasts snarled, cowering away from it, their ears flattening to their heads as the heat and light grew. Kili looked up to see that of course, it had been one of Gandalf's tricks. The wizard was using a spark from his staff to usher flame to life inside of the large pinecones hanging in the tree all around them. Nothing short of brilliant, that wizard.
He dropped one down to Fili, who helped Bilbo to light his own, and then the pinecones that the others had taken up, and soon they were all armed. Kili had taken Gwen's projectile, not trusting her throw to be worth anything. She didn't protest.
Both of Kili's shots landed with painful accuracy, one in a nest of dry branches, which went up in flames like a torch, the other hitting one of the larger beasts square in the snout. In only a few moments, they had set the ground ablaze, leaving the beasts infuriated, but helpless. Their leader, a pale figure astride a beast became visible in the flickering light, and he roared in frustration. They burst into a cheer. The enemy was being held back.
Their celebration was cut brutally short as the tree shook, suddenly tilting, falling all too fast. It bumped and lurched to a halt, leaning entirely over sideways, and Kili barely found a grip for himself, clutching tight to a tree branch with one arm. "Gwen!" he said, as soon as he could get the word out. She could have easily—
"I'm fine," her voice was shaky, and low but there. He hoisted himself up far enough to look over at her and found she'd hooked both an arm and a leg around branches, as she had been sitting when they fell. Lucky.
The others did not fare quite as well. Based on their cries for help, Ori and Dori were in danger, but they were too far up the tree to be helped by anyone but Gandalf. Movement caught in the corner of Kili's eye and he turned his head just enough to see Thorin starting up onto his feet, standing on the trunk of the tree. He was looking at something. Through the flames, Kili thought he may have seen the leader of the pack, standing still, facing them through the flames. Thorin's sword was drawn and he advanced as if dragged by some invisible force, and Kili felt panic well up in him, even greater than before.
No. What was Thorin doing? He was alone. He couldn't face that terrible pale creature alone.
Without any foothold, though, Kili had no leverage. His arms were simply too drained to haul him up. His heart pounded in his throat as he watched Thorin break into a run—no, a charge. What in Mahal's—
The flames parted enough for Kili to see the figure clearly. A massive white orc, riding a white warg, one hand missing.
The pale orc. Azog the Defiler. His blood ran cold, and he could only watch as Thorin raised his shield and sword, and Azog's arms opened in a taunting welcoming gesture. Before Kili could blink, the pale orc let out a war-cry, his steed launching itself from its stony perch, leaping over Thorin, and knocking him down hard along the way. He felt the weight of his uncle hitting the ground as if it was himself and flinched. This was not going well.
By the time Thorin had hauled back to his feet, Azog had circled around. Kili's eyes flinched shut as Azog landed another crushing blow with his mace, right to the center of Thorin's chest. Damn.
Balin cried out, but Kili found himself suffocatingly silent as he watched his king—his uncle—be defeated.
Bilbo rose to his feet, trembling as Thorin was crushed in the warg's mighty jaws, and his cry of pain made Kili's insides curl up, his eyes fogging in frustration or sorrow, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was watching his Uncle Thorin be killed. His body was flung hard, standing on a rock with a crunching thud, and Dwalin screamed out Thorin's name, his voice cracking in pain. Pain. Oh, Mahal. Durin. Someone help.
Azog said something incomprehensible to one of the other orcs, and the orc drew a wicked looking blade, advancing slowly. "No," Gwen said softly, her voice written with horror. She scrambled to move, but she was slow and slipping.
A light clang of metal on metal brought Kili's attention back to Bilbo, who had just drawn his small sword. Oh, no. They weren't losing Bilbo too. "Bilbo—"
The hobbit was unhearing, and with a shaking of his head, he was off, sprinting through the darkness towards the heart of the flames. He arrived just in the nick of time, tackling the smaller orc half a breath before he could lop Thorin's head off. This only renewed Kili's struggled to stand, but he couldn't get his body up. Bilbo won the first fight, driving his blade through the orc's chest a few times, but was soon left standing, waving his sword in a pitiful attempt to seem dangerous. He was—
"Come on, Master Dwarf."
Kili blinked, turning to see Gwen on her hands and knees on the tree trunk, offering him a hand. "Come on," she insisted, looking at him like was stupid. "You probably don't need a translation, but they were just instructed to kill him."
Kili took her hand and with a groaning heave, she managed to drag him up onto the trunk. He was on his feet in a moment, heart already blazing, sword in hand, but stepped over Gwen to grab Fili by the collar, heaving him up enough to be on his feet. "Go," Gwen said, sliding herself out of the way. "I'll get Dwalin."
Fili and Kili didn't need any more urging, as they flew down the trunk towards their uncle and their burglar, their swords longing to bite flesh.
Truly, they were sons of Durin.
Kili was a whirl of steel, cutting into whatever he could find, and his brother was just as fierce. Dwalin joined them shortly, his axe raised, a battle cry on his lips. They were outnumbered, but Kili decided not to think of this. If this is where he died fighting, he would enter the halls of his father's with nothing but a grin and a fine story to tell. Kili raised his head as a high screech echoed down from the skies. A dark shape swooped over them, its massive wings whipping the flames up into a frenzy. The orcs too were distracted by these sudden intruders and Kili gripped his sword tighter. What was happening?
It soon became abundantly clear whose side these giant birds-eagles were on. Their attacks were frighteningly precise, plucking up orcs and wargs in their talons to fling off of the cliffs, or felling trees to crush a line of them. They were devastating.
Kili watched in awe as one swung low, scooping up Thorin as gently as imaginable in its claws. It took off, using only a few flaps of its mighty wings to climb back into the dark skies, and as it rose, Kili saw Thorin's shield fall, barely a speck off of his arm and down into the flames. Kili was gasping for breath, and covered with sweat, but a wave of relief, bright and warm burst out of his gut, flooding him. It was over. It was done.
He exchanged a grin with his brother, as their attackers were long since fled and they stumbled back to the tree, awaiting their turns to be carried off to Mahal knows where. Gwen stood hunched, her hood slipped off, hair whipping in the breeze. She looked thin and pale and broken, but Kili couldn't help but sweep her up into an embrace. She gasped in pain, and Kili loosened his grip. She was warm and solid and breathing and alive against him. He didn't quite believe it to be possible, but if she was impossible, he was bloody glad about it. "Thank you."
She shook her head as they parted, shooting a nervous glance at their allies above. "What's wrong?" Fili asked, easily catching up her worry.
"I'm afraid of heights," she admitted in a low voice.
Fili laughed outright. "I knew it."
Gwen bristled, but Kili set a hand on her elbow. "It'll be alright," he assured her, tone light.
"I don't want to go up," she said, eyes wider than saucers as a bird behind them swept into the sky, presumably bearing one of their companions.
"I'm afraid you've got no choice," Fili told her grimly.
She began to shake her head and Kili leaned in, catching her eyes with his. "It'll be fine, love. I promise." Before she could respond, he darted in, placing a playful kiss on her grimy cheek. While the gesture was enjoyable on his part, he mostly did it to distract her, as an eagle set its trajectory, snapping her up off the ground the second Kili stepped back from her. He only felt a little bad about that.
Fili sighed once she was gone, letting worry sink back into his shoulders. "I hope uncle's alright."
"He is," Kili assured him. He didn't know it was true, but his heart couldn't handle the idea that it wasn't.
Before Fili could fret further, their eagle swooped down, plucking them up off the ground. They only remained a moment in the claws of the creature, as they both were gently dropped onto the back of another eagle. Kili preferred this. Its feathers were soft, its body wide enough that Kili wasn't afraid of falling. The air was swift and cooled the sweat on his brow, and Kili breathed the fresh air in deeply, praying to everything that the nightmare could be overnow.
Fili leaned forward sharply, shouting through the skies, "Thorin!" There was no response. He seemed limp in the eagle's claws. But he couldn't be dead. Not after all they'd been through.
Kili tamped down the worry that tried to bubble up in him. There was nothing worrying could do now.
Instead, he occupied himself looking about for the eagle that held Gwen. His search proved unsuccessful. She could have been any of the figures cradled in the talons of the eagles. Besides, he had even finer things to look at. The skies had split open around them, the darkness slipping away as the sunrise was revealed, bursting golden across the horizon. The light spilt like molten gold across the landscape, painting the mountains and valleys beneath them bright, clear colors. Kili had never felt anything quite like this before. It was exquisite. He was flying.
They coasted around a mountain peak, and a wider green laden valley, with a river picking a path through the center, opened like a book before them. At its center, a huge pillar of stone rose up from the ground. The carrock. Kili had only ever heard it spoken of.
The eagles circled it neatly, waiting for turns to drop off their cargo atop the stone. Thorin was the first, and Kili's relief and peace flagged to see the way he rolled, unmoving and unconscious. Gandalf was next and rushed to kneel over Thorin the moment his feet hit the stone. They all followed in suit, Gwen lowered down shortly after Kili and Fili. He stood by to make sure she got down safely, helping her up into a sitting position once she had rolled to a stop. "Not so bad, aye?" Kili teased, trying not to think of the battered and unconscious Thorin only feet away.
She only shook her head, trying to stand. Kili, and Fili on her other side lent her their arms, helping her up onto one foot as they all moved in closer to Thorin. Gandalf had been murmuring over him, and as the wizard's hand passed over Thorin's face, he woke with a sharp breath inward, his eyes snapping open.
Kili let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Alive. He was alive. That was all Kili needed.
Thorin's voice was weak, but certainly audible as he choked out, "Bilbo. Where's Bilbo?"
"It's alright," Gandalf assured him, as the hobbit in question recovered from his drop-off. "Bilbo is here."
The hobbit looked dazed, but his expression quickly shifted to one of upset as Thorin staggered to his feet with the aid of Dwalin and Fili, fuming. "You," Thorin started, his voice little but a growl. "What were you doing?" Bilbo opened his mouth to defend himself, but Thorin continued, sounding little but accusatory. "You nearly got yourself killed. Did I not say that you would be a burden?" Thorin was advancing on Bilbo now, who looked somewhere between worry and frustrated tears. Kili's chest hurt. What in Mahal's name? Had Thorin lost his mind? "That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us? I have never been so wrong in all my life." Suddenly, there was a warm smile in Thorin's voice. The dramatic shift in tone was accompanied by Thorin surging forward to wrap Bilbo in a firm embrace.
Kili blinked, hardly believing his eyes, but based on the cheers of his companions, he wasn't the only one seeing this.
A grin broke onto his face. Thorin had finally seen Bilbo for what he was. A part of the company. And a damned valuable one. When Thorin stepped back, he added, "I am sorry I doubted you."
"No," Bilbo said, shaking his head. "I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero," he admitted. "Or a warrior. Not even a burglar," he addressed to Gandalf, who couldn't help but smile.
With an airy sound, the eagles circled back one last time, before soaring out away from the rising sun. Beautiful.
"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked, his voice bringing them all to turn.
They followed Thorin as he made his way to the top of the carrock, Kili taking Gwen's arm firmly to help her limp along.
The hazy horizon was green, yet flat, except one strong, solitary peak breaking into the sky.
"Erebor," Gandalf said, and the word hit something deep in Kili's core.
"The lonely mountain," The wizard continued. "The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth."
There it was. Kili had wondered for decades how this moment would feel, but he had never imagined it would feel like this. His fingers tightened on Gwen's arm, that sharp, warm feeling only growing in his gut.
"Our home," Thorin said, completing Kili's thoughts. There it was. What he had been searching for, longing for since the day he learned to know what home was. They were going to make it.
"A raven!" Ori called out as the bird fluttered overhead. "The birds are returning to the mountain."
"That my dear Oin," Gandalf began as the bird fluttered and chirped off towards the mountain. "Is a thrush."
"We'll take it as a sign," Thorin said. "A good omen."
"You're right," Bilbo assented. "I do believe the worst is behind us."
9,000 words that was. Well, over 9,000 words. That's the longest chapter you're going to have to slog through, luckily. I hope you enjoyed, though! Let me know what you thought! Reviews make me really happy. Next chapter, we all get to recover from this craziness a bit, so stay tuned until Sunday. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!
