Chapter Eight
"Why are you all wet?" asked Tabitha. "We just got done taking a bath in the elves fountain, Miss O Hara." Kili replied. Suddenly an elf approached Tabitha. "Lady Silver Star, your parents wish to see you, and the dwarf leader." said the Elf. Tabitha rolled her eyes. "What do they want now?" moaned Tabitha. "They're most likely going to try and stop her from going with us." grumbled Gloin. "Apparently, I slipped and told them about me and Thorin courting." said Tabitha. "Oh no, Tabitha. You didn't!" said Balin. "I have a feeling this isn't going to end well." grumbled Dori.
Thorin and Tabitha left the dining hall and they entered the chambers of Tabitha's parents. "Enter, Tabitha, and Thorin son of Thrain!" said Tabitha's father, approaching them. "You didn't summon me here to stop me from going on the quest, are you?" said Tabitha. "Actually there are two things we're going to discuss, Tabitha. One, you will be not going on the quest with the dwarves, this quest belongs to them not to you. And another thing, its time you and Thorin end your courtship. It ends here tonight." said Tabitha's father, coldly. Thorin snarled clenching his fists. He had a feeling this was going to happen.
"You cannot do this to me! I'm a grown woman! I have every right to make my decisions! You cannot stop me for going on this quest, or courting Thorin!" Tabitha shouted. "Listen to me, woman. Don't make me have to force you into staying here!" snapped Telemarin. "Telemarin, that will be enough!" shouted a female voice behind them. It was Tabitha's mother, Elleniel as she approached them. "Tabitha is right. She is a grown woman, you cannot stop her for doing what she wants to do, if you like it or not." said Tabitha's mother.
"She just got here, Elleniel! And by right, no daughter of mine should be courting a greedy, selfish arrogant dwarf!" shouted Telemarin. Suddenly Thorin took out Orcrist. "You better take those words back, or they will be your last!" snarled Thorin. "THORIN!" shouted Tabitha. "Thorin, lets get out of here." Tabitha shouted angrily. Thorin nodded and the two walked out of the room. "We're leaving right now." said Thorin. "That will be a good idea." said Tabitha.
Thorin and Tabitha joined the rest of the Company, as Thorin announced to the others that they will be leaving immediately. "I was just about to send for you, laddie, because Gandalf just informed us the same thing." said Balin.
After everyone packed, Thorin, Tabitha and Company departed from Rivendell. As they left, Bilbo approached her. "I'm sorry you and your parents departed on bad terms, Miss O Hara." said Bilbo. "That's okay. I should have said my good byes to mother, though." said Tabitha sadly. And so the Company continued to move on in silence. Two hours later, they approached the Mountains, as they begin climbing. The weather had turned for the worst, as it began to thunderstorm.
"We must seek shelter!" called out Thorin, as they climbed. Rain pelted down in Tabitha's face. "Bilbo, Tabitha! Keep up!" Thorin called out to them. Suddenly, something caught their attention. Tabitha looked up and she could see two large stone giants throwing boulders at each other. "Bless my beard! The legends are true! Stone giants!" exclaimed Bofur.
Rivendell
Telemarin paced angrily back and forth in his chamber. "Now dear, don't do anything rash!" said Elleniel to her angry and enraged husband. "If she continues to defy me, she leaves me no other choice but to use brute force. I will contact your brother. Once the Company arrives there, your brother will do everything in his power to keep them there, especially Tabitha." said Telemarin.
"No! Telemarin, you know well as I do that I no longer speak to my brother. We had never been on good terms for years, so I highly suggest you don't contact him." said Elleniel. "You cannot stop me from doing this, Elleniel. I'm going to do this if you like it or not!" Telemarin shot back. "You are making our daughter very unhappy, Marin! And if you continue to sabotage our daughter, she will never speak to us again! Let her live her life. She is happy with the dwarves." said Elleniel. But Telemarin, angrily stormed out of the room. "Telemarin! Get back here!" Elleniel called out.
But it was too late. The Elf already had left, and he went to his study, as he began writing a letter to King Thranduil:
Your Majesty,
It comes to our attention, our daughter has returned to Middle Earth, but with a Company of Dwarves. She is traveling with Thorin son of Thrain and his people. If they to come your way, make sure you keep my daughter, your niece away from the Dwarves as much as possible.
Thank you,
Telemarin.
Misty Mountains
As they reached a cave nearby, the Company could hear a loud cry coming from Bilbo. "BILBO!" cried out Tabitha, as she and Dwalin come running towards the hobbit whom is now hanging at the ledge of the Mountain. Both Dwalin and Tabitha tried to help Bilbo up, but struggled doing so, since the surface is slippery from the rain. Suddenly, Tabitha slipped herself, as she found herself hanging right next to Bilbo. "Oh for the love of!" shouted Thorin, as he and Nori climbed down the Mountain and they rescued Tabitha and the hobbit, bringing them back up on the Mountain's surface.
"I thought we lost our burglar and Miss O Hara." panted Dwalin. "The little hobbit as been lost since he left his home. He has no place amongst us, and the she Elf has well." growled Thorin. Tabitha couldn't believe she heard this. After all the long talks she had with Thorin in Rivendell, and his apology to her, and now he turned around and said this? Suddenly, Tabitha threw back her hand, striking the dwarf king in the face. "I HATE YOU! You selfish, arrogant pig! You said you would never said anything harsh about me or Bilbo!" Tabitha screamed.
No soon as she was about to turn away, Thorin grabbed Tabitha by the shoulders.
"Never speak to me that in tone of voice, woman!" hissed Thorin darkly, as he tossed her to the ground. Balin glared at the dwarf as he witnessed their argument. "We'll camp in here!" Thorin announced. And the company followed Thorin inside the cave. Tearfully, Tabitha walked away from the Company, as she had chosen to sit alone after her and Thorin's dispute. Maybe I should have stayed in Rivendell, thought Tabitha, as she laid down in her bedroll.
"Laddie, that wasn't necessary what you had done out there!" Balin scorned his friend. "Balin, save it on your lecturing. I'm in no mood for this right now." grumbled Thorin. "Why do you keep taking your anger out on Tabitha for? She had done no wrong to you, nor the hobbit. You are allowing your temper get the best of you, Thorin, and it eventually its going to cost you." said Balin, and he walked away from Thorin. Thorin sat alone, and he looked over in the distance as he saw Tabitha curled up in her bedroll, and he still could hear some sniffling coming from her.
Thorin could feel the sting in his heart as he looked her. I know she'll never forgive me this time but I better go and talk to her, thought the dwarf, and he stood up, walking towards Tabitha's direction. "Is this place taken?" spoke up Thorin as he looked down at Tabitha.
"Go away! I have nothing to say to you." mumbled Tabitha. "Tabitha…I could have lost you back there-that's why I reacted the way I did." said Thorin, as he sat down beside her. "Oh really, Mister High and Mighty? If you really cared so much, you would've never said those crappy things about me and Bilbo!" snapped Tabitha. Thorin closed his eyes. "Tabitha, I never had meant to say those words about the two of you. Tabitha, if you lost you, I don't know what to do. I nearly lost you in Rivendell." said Thorin.
Tabitha remained quiet. "Its okay, Tabitha. You are safe now." whispered Thorin, as he wrapped his arm around Tabitha. "You're an ass, you know that?" said Tabitha, as she laid her head on his chest. Thorin softly chuckled. "That you are right." said Thorin, as he kissed her cheek. It didn't take long for Tabitha to fall asleep in Thorin's arms. Thorin, however remained awake and he can hear a conversation going on between Bilbo and Bofur. Thorin sighed as he listened to Bilbo telling Bofur he is leaving to Rivendell and going home from there.
Maybe its for the best he went on home, thought Thorin. Suddenly Bilbo noticed his sword is glowing, and Thorin also took noticed. Thorin also saw his sword is glowing as well, and Thorin knew that danger is approaching. "Tabitha, wake up-wake up!" said Thorin gently.
"What's going on?" murmured Tabitha. "WAKE UP!" Thorin called out to the rest of the company as they could feel the floor of the cave rumbling. Suddenly the floor gave in, as everyone fell through, and they landed in a large underground cave, surrounded by thousands of goblins. The goblins confiscated the Company's weapons, including Tabitha's bow and katana, and they grabbed every member of the Company, and taking them to their leader, the Great Goblin.
Tabitha made a face as she looked at the large creature. And she hated the smell of the place as well. "Whom have come and disturb my kingdom? Thieves? Assassins?" demanded the Great Goblin. "Dwarves, your malevolence, and a she elf!" said a goblin. The Great Goblin moved towards Tabitha first. "This is quite unusual having an elf among dwarves! She would make a fine wife for me!" snickered the goblin king. "I would never be your wife, you filth!" snapped Tabitha. "Oh really? We'll just see about that! Calcok grab her and tie her to my throne, after you do that, strip her!" The Great Goblin demanded to the goblin.
Tabitha's eyes widened in horror, and in anger hearing this. She had to sit there, tied to this beast's throne, naked in front of the dwarves. After that was done, the goblin stripped her clothing, and Tabitha threw a punch at the goblin.
Suddenly, the Great Goblin angrily spun around and slapped her. "I will not have you mistreating my family members, woman!" barked the Great Goblin. "ENOUGH! LET HER GO!" shouted Thorin, as he stepped forward. The Great Goblin turned towards the dwarf. "Well, well, well! Its none other than Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under The Mountain! Oh, wait! You don't have a mountain-you have nothing-well, so I've been hearing. I also hear a certain old foe of yours have a pretty price on your head!" snickered the Great Goblin.
"YOU LIE! That orcish filth died within his wounds long ago!" bellowed Thorin. "Well, so it seems!" sneered the Great Goblin, and then he turned to his messenger. "Send word to the Pale Orc that we got his prize!" The Great Goblin demanded to the messenger. And suddenly the messenger soon went away. Now, the Great Goblin demanded the Company to be tied to a torture tool. "THORIN!" screamed Tabitha. And at the same time, the Great Goblin started to sing:
Clap! Snap! The Black Crack!
Grip, Grab! Punch, Nab!
And down, down to Goblin Town
You go, my lad!
Crash, crush! Crush, smash!
Hammer and tongs! Knocker and Gongs!
Pound, pound, far underground
Ho, ho! My lad!
Swish, smack! Whip crack!
Butter and beat! Yammer and bleat!
Work, work! Nor dare to shirk
While Goblins quaff, Goblin's laugh
Round and round far underground
Below, my lad!
Soon as the Goblin finished singing, the goblins continued to torture the Company, until Gandalf arrived, brandishing his sword. "Recover your weapons quick!" Gandalf called out to the rest of the Company. Once Thorin released himself, and he ran over to Tabitha, releasing her from being tied up. "My clothes! I need my clothes!" Tabitha cried out. "We have no time for that now! Here is your bow and katana!" said Thorin. "I can't fight like this!" shouted Tabitha. "Just do as I SAY!" demanded Thorin, gently.