Wow, I really can't keep away….
Enjoy….
Thorin looked up as the Goblin-King started to laugh once more. It leaned forwards as if to share a secret just between them. 'I don't think the youngest is going to make it- what a shame….' it growled, chuckling darkly as Thorin spun round, eyes wide as he looked upon his nephews.
Fili was trying to grab his brother's attention, but all he seemed to be able to attract was the attention of the goblins surrounding them; he growled and winced as the whip came down once more upon his bare skin, but the pain just seemed to roll off him- he had a new priority now, not just worrying about his own body.
'Kili! Kili look at me!' he yelped, biting back a cry as one of the goblins hit him in the back, it's scaly fist scratching his already scarred skin.
Kili tried to lift his head; it hurt his muscles in his face and his back to do so- the skin seemed to be tightening and crusting, it was agony to move. 'Fili….' He breathed, relaxing one hand from the permanent fist he had moulded it into to fight the pain. He flexed his fingers, moving them into the direction of his brother as if to grab his hand. He closed his eyes when his hand met air and not flesh; he sank deeper into the floor, eyes closing once more.
He felt tired; he wanted to rest, not to hurt.
Thorin growled deep in his throat; the goblins surrounding him seemed to sense this new, darker anger from their prey- they looked up to the Goblin-King, who offered the dwarf a genuine frown.
'Why do you care so much if you aren't doing anything? Why do you care so for their fate?'
Thorin didn't answer- he grabbed the nearest dwarf with renewed strength, snapping its neck like a twig- the other two went down almost simultaneously, shrieking.
The King sat back, whether feigning shock or really feeling it, Thorin didn't know- he was too busy dispatching those surrounding him.
Seconds later, however, more goblins came- one held a wooden club in its grasp; Thorin tried to duck, but the wood smashed into his face, sending him careering backwards with blood pouring from his nose.
The other goblins jumped on his suddenly prone body; he was surrounded once more; what seemed like hundreds of filthy hands seemed to clamour and grip him.
He yelled as he was forced to his feet and dragged closer to the King; he tried to sniff up the blood- he could feel himself start to choke on it.
'You are reckless, I'll give you that! You risk much for yourself….' The King roared, eyes now dark with malice as it gazed upon the ground that was littered with his dead- true, he didn't care much for the lesser goblin; he had plenty of other helpers, but the dwarf had gone too far this time.
'I should kill you were you stand! Throw your body to the rats along with each of your company!'
'Then why don't you? Go on, do it- if you dare!' Thorin spat, before casting a look back at his nephews; Kili seemed to be unconscious, and he could only see Fili's back.
He felt anger and hate bristle inside him as he watched blood flow lazily from the lashes that the goblin's had inflicted.
'Do it, you say? Kill everyone you seem to hold dear….alright, seeing as that's what you want….' The Goblin-King flicked his hand- Thorin watched as a large goblin returned with the knife.
'NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! STOP!' he roared as the goblin advanced from behind Kili, blade raised high.
'Stop? But I thought-'
'Please! Please have mercy!' Thorin gasped. 'Whatever hatred you have towards me, don't take it out on them!'
'…..Why shouldn't I? What do they mean to you?' the Goblin-King queried; however he gave the order for the goblin to stand down. It retreated, blade now behind it.
Thorin opened and closed his mouth like a fish. If he told them of his relations, it could well guarantee their freedom- the Goblin-King seemed more lucid now, more forgiving…..unless it was looking for a new angle, and new way to hurt him.
He realised that it was the latter- but it seemed he had taken too long to answer.
The Goblin-King growled impatiently. 'Let us loosen his tongue too- it seems liars run in this group! Pull out three more of those creatures!' he ordered, pointing at their fellow dwarves.
'What? No….' Thorin muttered, turning, eyes wide, heart plummeting, as Bofur, Nori and Gloin were pulled, fighting and yelling, from the group.
'Leave them be! Leave them!' he yelled, shaking his head.
The Goblin-King ignored him, chin high. 'Hold them over there in a line- one of you get the oil. Let's see how much of a risk-taker Thorin Oakenshield really is….'
Thorin shrank back in utter shock. What was going on here?
He looked across at his fellow dwarves; Bofur was growling and trying to push back his attackers, Gloin was being held back by three of them as he tried to fight his way free, and Nori was curled into himself, shaking as he was held tight by the goblins.
'Leave them alone!' he repeated; he didn't know how he could feel this much hatred toward a fellow being.
'Tell me what connection you have to the ones in the stocks, and you shall all go- I have tired of these petty games.' The Goblin-King reasoned.
'There is no connection! We met on the road and became close, is all.' Thorin lied, trying not to snatch a look at his nephews as he spoke to them.
'Then you won't mind if we do this-'there was another crash, but only a single grunt; Thorin heard Fili shout in shock, and new Kili couldn't take much more.
He choked back a sob. 'Stop it! Stop it!' he roared, every fibre of his being wanting to run to his nephews, to bundle them up like children and cradle them and never let them go.
His eyes stung; he didn't know if it were from the smoke from the torches or the emotion- he also didn't much care.
'Then tell me how you are connected!? Tell me or I flay them till they are each an inch from death and their skin litters the stone!' the Goblin-King boomed.
'They are my nephews!' Thorin cried, emotion overcoming him; he just wanted it to be over for them.
The King sat back, eyes wide. He then began to chuckle once more, low and dark and long. 'I see.' He started, steepling his fingers once more, his gaze passing from the three dwarves to his left, Thorin in the middle, and Fili and Kili to his right. 'That wasn't so hard, was it?' he grinned, his sneer wide and cruel.
Thorin stepped back, feeling sick. What had he done?
The Goblin-King leant forwards, elbows resting on the fat of his knees. 'Give him the whip.' The four words cut like knife blows.
Thorin felt the breath leave his body; he was surely dead- dead and in the worst hell anyone could imagine.
'W-what? You said you would let them go!' he stuttered, shaking his head.
'Did I?' the Goblin-King pretended to look confused. He shrugged, 'Ah well, we'll do this….' He chuckled darkly as the whip was passed from goblin to goblin, until it reached Thorin.
The heir of Durin looked down at it; the sick feeling rising to his throat. 'I won't do it. You can't make me.' He growled, looking toward his nephews.
Kili was awake now, his head better supporting him now he had regained a little strength. He was watching with wide eyes, his eyebrows meeting as he looked at the scene before him.
'Fili…' he muttered- his brother hadn't taken his eyes off him, for he couldn't look behind him, only listen. Fili nodded, equally dumbstruck.
'Turn the other one around- I want to see their faces when I tell them their fate!' the King roared.
Fili growled and kicked out as two goblins dragged him around; he heard Kili shout his name in protest, and it hurt him not see his brother, even for that split second.
They were now both facing their uncle and the three other dwarves.
His eyes widened when he saw the whip lying close to Thorin. Thorin noticed this and kicked it away; it skidded to the feet of the Goblin-King's great chair.
It looked down at it, and smiled. 'Where's the oil? It seems the only way to provoke action from these creatures is to give them a choice….'
Thorin's stomach dropped; he was sure of what was coming next, and it chilled him to the bone.
A goblin had arrived, clutching what looked like a large, dirty black bucket. It screeched and shrieked as it walked, wide eyes maliciously looking over Gloin, Noir and Bofur.
All three shrank back as it drew close; suddenly, it threw the contents over them- thick, glistening liquid splashed into their faces and onto their clothes; the vile smelling concoction made them struggle and retch.
The Goblin-King reached out and plucked a torch from the side of his chair, holding it deftly but lazily in its hands.
Thorin watched as it laughed, before it kicked the whip at him. The weapon flew through the air, before landing with a thud next to his feet. He looked down at it, eyes dark.
'Pick it up.' The Goblin-King's voice now held no humour, no joke. It was deadly, coldly serious.
Fili looked between the whip and his uncle, eyes wide with fear. 'Uncle….' He didn't know what to say. What were a few minutes of pain worth, when compared to the lives of three dear friends?
'Do it- do it to me, you must!'
'Fili I would never-'
'They will die if you don't!'
'You can't ask me to do this!'
'But I am! I'll even let you have this one free- I promise I won't get you back.' Fili said, supressing a smile.
'Fili….' He knew what his nephew was trying to do, but he wouldn't do it. Nothing was worth inflicting pain on his own kin.
'Your nephew is right- but he is also wrong; in order to save your friends, you must punish the liar. The youngest one gets the whip- or they burn.' The Goblin-King growled.
'NO! TAKE ME! Uncle take me, not Kili; he will not- he won't…..please Uncle!' Fili gasped, eyes wide as he looked across at his brother. Kili was silently shaking, his skin a pallid, grey colour- he wouldn't last another whip.
'I said pick it up!' Thorin jumped at the Goblin-King's words. He slowly bent, and picked up the whip, turning it over in his hands- he could see congealed and drying blood still upon it.
'….I won't do it.' He muttered, resolute.
'Then you have made your choice. Now they die….' The torch looked nearer to the three dwarves covered in oil.
'Wait! Please!' Fili yelled. 'Let me take it! Don't kill the others- I'll take it all!' he yelled, nodding to the King.
'Fili…' Kili murmured; his head was starting loll against the wood of the stock.
Thorin thought his heart would break, although he didn't see how that was possible. He gripped the whip in his hands, feeling the knuckles pop as he put pressure on them. What choice did he have?
He supressed a sob once more; he wanted to run.
He looked over at Kili, at his youngest nephew- if they didn't get out soon; he wasn't going to be getting out. This needed to be over- fast.
He took a deep, steadying breath, nodded to his oldest nephew, and turned back to the Goblin-King.
'I'll do it.' He growled, before stepping forwards just a little, and raising the whip to above his head.
'The youngest?' the Goblin-King barked.
'….the youngest.' Thorin nodded, eyes fixed on Kili.
He swallowed, heart beating so loud he could feel it in his ears.
Everything and everyone seemed to be holding their breath. Fili was looking on, horror-struck.
'I'm so, so sorry…'Thorin muttered, before he made his move…..
To be continued….
A/N- don't hate me! All is not what it seems…
Please review, I would love to know what you thought!
No chapter till at least Monday, as I'm seeing the Hobbit again tomorrow!
Thanks for reading!