Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit
Chapter 18: Conflict of Interests
Kili cursed silently as the Great goblin looked Marie over.
"Proceed." He waved toward her, interest shining in his bulging eyes as his gaze slid over her lithe figure.
Slowly, she stood, back and shoulders held stiff and proud as she held her head high to meet the creature eye to eye.
"I am travelling to meet relatives in Gondor, Your Grace. I have been visiting friends in Rivendell for some time now, waiting for my escort to collect me so that I may return to my Homeland. You can imagine my surprise when this rag-tag band of Dwarves showed up to guide me." She gave a dainty snort of derision, casting a quick glance back at the group.
Kili's breath caught in his throat as her eyes roamed over them, as cold and hard as the shining gem they resembled. Her gaze met none of theirs and flew over them with barely a hint of recognition, and no caring whatsoever. In her long gown and with her hair tied up into a crown encircling her head, she certainly looked the part of a distant Lady of wealth.
She turned back to the Goblin, ignoring them once again. "As you know, the wilderness is a dangerous place, hence the reason we are so heavily armed. We were caught in a thunder battle and took refuge in a cave, suddenly we were here! "
"And why, Lady of Gondor, do you have Thorin Oakenshield King Under the Mountain in your little gang of Dwarves?" The Great Goblin asked her, leering around her to look his uncle's way. "I did notice you there Thorin Oakenshield. Although you have you mountain, which makes you no King."
Thorin tensed beside him, and he caught sight of Dwalin laying a restraining hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.
"You are quite right, My Liege." Marie spoke up once again, speaking loudly to be heard over the rumble of dissatisfied Dwarves. "That is exactly why he was hired as my escort. It's quite pitiful, really. For the once mighty King Under the Mountain to be in the service of a single young maiden traveling through the wilderness." She finished with a haughty laugh, taking a step closer to the Goblin King. "I am truly sorry for the intrusion. We would be quite happy to leave you as soon as possible."
The Goblin stared at her for a moment before breaking into loud laughter, as if Marie had just told the most hilarious joke he had ever heard.
"You want me to just...let you leave!?" he asked incredulously, leaping once again from his throne. "I think not. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for the head of Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. Just the head, nothing attached." He leaned close to Marie's face, and Kili felt himself tense. The monster was too close, she was in too much danger. The Goblin looked to Thorin, not moving from where he pinned Marie in with his giant bulk. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak? An old enemy of yours...a pale Orc, astride a white Warg."
"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." Was the only answer that Thorin gave him.
"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Great Goblin asked before turning to a mutilated and misshapen goblin. "Send word to the pale Orc, tell him I have found his prize. And you." He turned back and, with surprising speed, took Marie's face in one of his massive hands, turning it back and forth while he examined her. "I know a slave trader in the North who has a weakness for green eyes. I'm sure I could get an amazing price if he has need of a pretty trinket to warm his bed."
"No!" Kili shouted, fighting against the dozens of hands that held him in place. The others began fighting against the Goblins as well, shouting threats and insults at their captors. The only one who didn't seemed bothered by the threat was Marie. She looked down at her hands, mumbling something softly to the Goblin.
"What!" The giant asked, leaning in to be able to hear her properly.
Everything happened so quickly, Kili had trouble following the chain of events he witnessed. The moment the Great Goblin's face was within her reach Marie's arm struck out, quick as a viper, recoiling just as quickly as she dropped to the ground to avoid the swinging fist that came her way. The Goblin's pain-filled scream filled the air as he wheeled away from her, fist swinging, one of Marie's dainty Elven daggers plunged deeply into his eye.
"Kill them!" The Goblin King screamed in rage. "Cut off his head!"
/
Marie threw herself to the ground as soon as she felt her dagger meet flesh. The Goblin King's cry of pain ricocheted through her skull as he bellowed not very far from where she lie.
She chanced a glance up at the stumbling Goblin to find her dagger thrust into one of his eyes, causing her to feel nauseated at the sight.
"Kill them!" He screamed at his minions, setting them on the group. Marie's hands flew over her head in an effort to protect her head from the flailing whips, although not soon enough to prevent one of the ropes to lash into her cheek, stinging strongly. "Cut off his head!" He bellowed, covering his bloodied I as he pointed to where the Goblins had pinned Thorin to the ground.
"No!" She cried out, struggling to get to her feet. The moment she found her footing a brilliant white light swept through the cavern, knocking her onto her back. Goblins flew off of the platform as they were knocked back, the survivors laying on the ground along with the company.
She lay on the ground for a moment, disoriented and breathless. Turning her head gingerly she caught sight of a tall man emerging from the light, staff and sword held out to the sides to defend himself.
"Take up arms." He told them as they shifted around, testing limbs and regaining their bearings. "Fight, fight!"
Marie scrambled to her feet, rushing foreword to pluck her sword from their pile of weapons. She spun, striking out just in time to catch a Goblin about to attack her. For a short moment the world around her was filled with blurs of movement and shrieks of pain as she and the company slashed and stabbed at the creatures.
Marie felt her stomach roll violently as she plunged her blade into a Goblin; killing it instantly. She didn't like the idea of killing a living creature, and she certainly didn't enjoy the act. She knew, though, that in this instance it was a matter of kill or be killed...and they weren't going to be the ones to go, not if she could help it. She didn't fight for her own life as much as try to help her friends. These people were the only family she may ever have, and she would protect them or die trying.
She was doing pretty well for herself as well. The few lessons that Dwalin had given her helped her to at least have a feel for her weapon, and the instinct to avoid the most dangerous slashes of Goblin steal. What she lacked in experience and training were made up for by her friends. Any time a Goblin snuck past her defenses, or overpowered her, an angry Dwarf would meet them.
She was slashing and stabbing at the Goblins around her, pushing a few from the wooden platform they all fought on when the Great Goblin staggered into her peripheral vision, arms cartwheeling as he staggered toward the edge. He fell into a group of his subjects as he went over the side, taking them all down with him.
"Follow me." Gandalf stood before them, shoulders heaving from the exertion of their battle. "Quick!" He shouted before turning and running down the path to Marie's right.
She followed soundlessly, along with the others, focusing all of her energy on running and staying alive. Her lungs burned as she exerted herself, being pushed and kept toward the middle of the company. Every time a Goblin was within the range of her weapon she struck out.
The agility and grace of the Dwarves was amazing to watch. As they ran through the Goblin halls the warriors were jumping to and from platforms, fighting with surprising strength and speed. Even the eldest members of the group spun in graceful and deadly maneuvers, taking heads off of some Goblins and shoving others to their doom.
Still they pushed through, leaving a trail of death behind them as they searched for an exit out of the tunnels. They had just made it onto another branching platform, when Marie skidded to a halt, heart in her throat. The platform stopped in front of her, leading out into the yawning cavern beneath them.
"Go back!" She shouted out. As the words were leaving her the sound of snapping ropes could be heard from the rear of the company. The entire scaffolding under them began to swing as it was released from the rest of the rickety structure.
"Jump!" Thorin shouted out from behind her, giving her a forceful shove off of their giant pendulum, into the empty space beneath her. She barely allowed a gasp of shock to leave her before she landed on another path bellow them, Bofur and Balin landing next to her, followed by Kili and Ori as the others swung back toward the horde of Goblins.
"Fili." Kili gasped next to her as his brother knocked Goblin's from the swinging platform as they made their way back. Marie watched, holding her breath as the rest of the group joined them on the walkway, Fili barely making the jump as he cut the remaining ropes and sending their swing and a few Goblins to the depths of the mines.
Once the group was reunited they continued on with their frenzied escape, running and fighting as they followed Gandalf to what Marie could only hope was an exit. And it looked as if they had just found it!
Gandalf was leading them across a particularly unsteady looking bridge, toward a cave with some dim daylight shining through, when the ground before him exploded. Shards of wood rained down as the Great Goblin burst up in front of them, one eye swollen and bloodied as he pushed up through the hole in the floor.
"You thought you could escape me?!" He roared as he swung his staff at Gandalf, knocking the elderly wizard back into Ori and Nori. The brothers kept him on his feet as the giant Goblin continued on in his rage. "Your wench will pay for my eye, one way or another." He leaned foreword, glaring at Gandalf with his good eye. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"
Nori and Ori decided to take that moment to push Gandalf foreword. Gandalf used the momentum to jab his staff into the Goblin King's good eye, causing him to rear away from them in pain. Gandalf took his chance and swung his sword, slashing the Great Goblin across his stomach before he could recover.
The Goblin fell to his knees, his eye wide in surprise as he looked at the wizard. He nodded, seemingly admitting defeat. "That'll do it."
Marie watched in shock as Gandalf brought his arm back around, slicing through the Goblin's throat, killing him instantly. His great body fell to the wooden floor, shaking the planks underneath them for a moment before the sharp sound of snapping wood was heard from beneath them.
Screaming errupted from Marie and the others as they went careening into the chasm below. The wooden planks splintering and shattering around them. Marie had been standing near Gloin and Bofur when the floor went out from beneath her. As soon as they had started their terrifying descent Bofur had thrown Marie and himself against the cliff face, keeping her from the edge as they flew down the cave wall.
The entire trip took about a minute, before their wooden shelter came crashing down to the bottom of the mountain. The force of the crash sent Marie off of her feet, pushing her onto her belly, just before the wooden section above her came crashing down onto them. The groans around her told Marie that the rest of her friends had arrived safely...more or less.
"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur spoke out from next to her. The moment he finished his declaration a giant weight came crashing down above them, breaking and crushing the scaffolding onto them. Marie screamed out as the heavy weight broke the wood around her, pain flashing through her right leg as the wood crashed onto her.
"Marie, you alright lass?" Bofur asked from next to her as her shoved wooden planks from off of her.
"Yes, I think so." Marie caught the disbelieving glance he cast her way before she continued. "I think a splinter cut into my leg. I'll be alright once we're out of here."
"Gandalf!" Kili's panicked voice came from somewhere below her, catching her attention at the same time that an almost deafening roar of growling and hissing lead their attention toward a Goblin horde coming straight toward them down the side of the mountain.
"There's too many, we can't fight them!" Dwalin shouted up to Gandalf.
"Only one thing will save us, daylight!" Gandalf told them. "Come on!" He shouted, reaching into the pile of wood pulling Dwarves from the rubble.
"Bofur, hurry!" Kili shouted out from under them. He stood before Marie, arms outstretched to catch her as Bofur eased her the rest of the way down. Kili looked at her closely for a moment, before the group continued in haste down a dimly lit corridor.
Marie's leg and shoulder ached as she ran to keep up with the others. The roar of Goblins was increasing behind them at the same time the light was becoming brighter in front.
"Come on, hurry!" Gandalf called out as he stopped just before a small opening in the path. Daylight and fresh air surrounded them as one by one they burst out of the cave and into the light of day.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! Work has been crazy lately and I've been super busy! I'm not sure how I feel about parts of this chapter. I think some of the writing may be a bit forced or rough, and I apologize for it. Thanks to everyone for the reviews and support! I hope you all continue reading, even through the rough patches. ;)
-My beta reader asked me why Marie mentioned Gondor. Although Marie will never remember anything about the quest and most of her life before meeting the group I wanted to sprinkle very light knowlegde of Middle Earth into her brain. Just random names of people and places that mean nothing to her.