Ch 9: Dropped to the Depths
The storm continued into the late night thunder rumbling as flashes of lighting filled the clouded sky. The dwarves had drifted off to the sound of rain pattering on the rocks. Bofur was assigned the first watch of the night, he tucked himself into the corner closest to the caves entrance, biting at his nails due to being bored. Bilbo in the meantime was gathering up his pack as he carefully threaded through the line of sleeping dwarves. Walking up to the entrance way he was thrown off by Bofur, "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, leaning forward.
"Back to Rivendell." Bilbo answered with a stern look on his face.
"No, no, you can't turn back now, you're part of the company. You're one of us." Bofur said, standing up to chase after him.
"I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should have never ran out my door." He said to the hatted dwarf as he twiddled with the walking stick. Unknowing that Thorin was awake, staring thoughtfully at the walls. Listening in on the two conversations. Himself feeling an unknown emotion he hadn't had since leaving his own home.
"You're homesick; I understand." Bofur said, trying to convince him into staying.
"No, you don't! You don't understand, none of you do - you're dwarves! You're used to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere." thrown back Bofur gave a slightly offended look. Bilbo gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"
Bofur gave him a small headshake, looking down at his sleeping companions. "No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere." Turning he looked at Bilbo giving him a soft smile while placing a hand on his shoulder. "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do." The two exchange one final look, before Bilbo turned to exit. Bofur noticed something glowing from his belt, "What's that?" Bilbo looked down slowly pulling the sword part way out of its sheath. It glowed a bright blue, just then the sounds of gears came from the ground below. Thorin raised his head, seeing the sandy ground beneath begin to crack apart. "Wake up! Wake up!" He yelled out to the company. In a second the floor beneath them parted and the dwarves went dropping down into a tunnel. Sliding down with faint hues of fire light hiding them unwillingly to the drop point. Like water poor from a fountain the dwarves piled on top of one another in a poorly made wooden cage. As they struggled to rise onto their feet, a horde of goblins came charging at them. The creatures viciously pulling and tearing at the dwarves, they attempted to fight back, to no avail. Dwalin swung slugging a few away till he was tossed forward. Shail panicked being surrounded by the boiled infested creatures, grabbing the knife from her pocket she went stabbing one off from behind, another came disarming her and shoving her forward into the back of Bifur. Nearly making the two fall off the rickety wooden bridge, she tugged at his jacket, steading them both, "Sorry, sorry you-" she went to ask till the goblin screeched into her ear. Hundreds upon thousands of goblins watched as the group was forced through the disheveled town, rope barely holding it together with bones and other foul things hanging. What started out faint raised into a horrible sounding tone played by broken instruments. The clanging of metal pans and blowing of hollow out horns. A flemmy voice spoke aloud as they walked up the path.
"I feel a song coming on." It bellowed out through coffs. A massive goblin holding a staff and wearing a makeshift bone crown stepped down from a grotess looking thrown. The squeals of a goblins rang out from being crushed under his weight.
Clap, snap, the black crack
Grip, grab, pinch, and nab
Batter and beat
Make 'em stammer and squeak!
Pound pound, far underground
Down, down, down in Goblin Town
With a swish and smack
And a whip and a crack
Everybody talks when they're on my rack
Pound pound, far underground
Down, down, down to Goblin Town
Hammer and tongs, get out your knockers and gongs
You won't last long on the end of my prongs
Clash, crash, crush and smish
Bang, break, shiver and shake
You can yammer and yelp
But there ain't no help
Pound pound, far underground
Down, down, down in Goblin Town
"Catchy, isn't it?" Goblin King boosted while twiddling his sausage fingers, "It's one of my own compositions"
"That's not a song, it's an abomination!" cries Balin.
"Abominations, mutations, deviations…that's all you're gonna find down here" he laughed as the goblins began to search the party. "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" He spat glancing over the crowd.
His second in command stepped forward. "Dwarves, your malevolence. We found them on the Front Porch."
The Great Goblin banged his staff down, "Well, don't just stand there! Search them! Every crack, every crevice. "
The goblins rush forward, searching thoroughly through each bag. Whatever they found the goblins tossed on the ground and destroyed. One goblin grabbed ahold of Oin's hearing trumpet and crushes it underfoot. "You bastard!" Shail cursed, shoving the creature away as Oin went picking up his instrument.
"What are you doing in these parts?" The king asked as the goblins kept searching the dwarves for weapons. They empty out a large sack full of elvish cutlery and candlesticks. The Goblin King examines a gold candelabra that his second in command handed over,"Made in Rivendell? Bah – Second Age, couldn't give it away!" he exclaims, tossing it off the platform
The other dwarves turned their attention to one member. Nori had a guilty expression on his face as his older brother Dori shot him a look. "Just a couple of keepsakes'', Nori simply answered.
"What are you doing in these parts?" The goblin king asked.
As thorin went to answer he was held back by Oin, "Don't worry, lads – I'll handle this"
"No tricks! I want the truth! Warts and all!" He demanded.
"You're going to have to speak up", Oin says, "Your boys have flattened my trumpet".
"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" the Goblin King roared, smashing a pile of bones.
"If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to!"Bofur offers to make The Goblin King pause. "We were on the road…well, it's not so much 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, and then we weren't! Which is a problem, because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."
"Shut up." The king whispered under his breath, becoming annoyed by the chattering. Bofur kept going till the king slammed down his staff, "SHUT UP!"They all went silent. "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the mangler! Bring out the bone breaker! Start with the youngest." He pointed to Ori.
"That would be me! Ey…ey be the youngest." Shail said, stepping forward past the others. "So if yer gonna start it with me."
"Is that so?" The king evilly smiled, scooping her up briskly by the neck. The she-dwarf gripped onto the sides of his large hand. She dangled like a martini glass gasping in breaths of air. " Well, well it's been some time since I've had a volunteer. Let alone a she-dwarf. Quite the rarity among these parts." He laughed, pulling her in close to his face. The strong moldy cheese breath burned her nostrils,"Hearing you cry will be most satisfying. Have her prepped." He commanded his second hand, dropping her onto the floor.
Shail coughed rubbing her neck trying to get the air circulation back. Dwalin pushed far enough to pull her back into the huddle. Himself, Fili, Kili, and Gloin created a barrier protecting the lass as Oin examined her over. The Goblin laughed as he threatened Thorin's head, ready to sell him out to the white warg rider. The group became concerned this is where their journey ends.