Hello! Wow this has been quite a ride…. ^^ I've just got a little note before this chapter begins… I may have spelt Azog's name wrong in the previous chapter, sorry! I have used the PROPER name in this chapter. ^^
Onwards…..
'No….' Thorin muttered, shaking his head as he looked between his nephew and Azog, eyes wide.
He knew there would be no negotiation, no words shared this time, unlike before in Goblin-Town; Azog the Defiler was not a beast for clever words and discussion.
Without a second's thought Thorin raised his blade and ran to the Pale Orc; Azog seemed to have anticipated his move, as he stepped deftly aside, swinging down the mace he had concealed in his working arm; Thorin's eyes widened as the weapon came close, too close to duck- he roared in pain as the mace connected with his chest with so much force he was thrown backwards; he hissed in pain amid a backdrop of cruel laughter as his head hit the floor.
'THORIN! KILI!' Fili looked between one and the other, not knowing what to do, who to help.
He looked down at the enumerable Orcs that stood below the trees waiting for the other dwarves to make their move. He growled low in his throat, casting wide, desperate eyes to his brother.
Kili was locked in the foaming jaws of the great White Warg, desperately trying to prise the thick, long teeth that were impaling his legs; he felt warm blood soak his clothes, and an almighty pain caused him to cry out, voice cracking. He tried to crane his neck to spot his brother or uncle- he had heard the cry of pain from somewhere behind him, recognising the voice to be Thorin's.
He beat the Wargs nose and pelt with his arms, but it was like hitting stone- nothing made a dent at all.
He cried out in frustration and pain as the beast's answer was to clamp down harder on his body, he felt tears erupt in his eyes as a different pain to what he had ever felt before enveloped him; he had never been in a beast's large jaws like this.
Thorin laid still, eyes closed on the ground, as he tried to regulate his breathing- something had cracked as he fell, and it was all he could do not to scream continuously as he lay here; he surmised it was his ribs, how many he did not know.
He heard Fili's voice as if he were far away and knew he had to get up- his Kin depended on him. He breathed shakily out as he put a hand on the ground to stand up; suddenly he felt a presence behind him, and yelped as he felt a kick to his exposed side- he felt himself being thrown to the ground again, Azog's laugh sounding in his ears.
'THORIN!' Fili screamed, shaking his head as he surged to the edge of the tree- to close to the edge. With wide eyes the branch he was standing on snapped, and he fell to the floor, landing with a cry onto the Orcs that were beneath the tree.
He stood and ran to his stricken Uncle, standing in front of his fallen leader with blade in hand, eyes steely. 'Leave him alone!' he roared, knowing Thorin could only take so much. 'Release my brother!' he added, looking to Kili before his eyes returned to the pale Orc.
Azog grinned, an animalistic growl escaping him- he spat something in a language Fili could not decipher, but seconds later he knew the meaning.
He yelled as Orcs started to come forwards, teeth bared and weapons raised. Five against one was most definitely not fair, but Fili swung his blade handle in his hands, readying himself for a fight-
He didn't have time to look anywhere else but the face of the first Orc that came his way- flashes of iron and metal permeated the night as Fili roared a battle cry, his blade arcing and swinging and jabbing at the Orcs as they all came near.
All too soon, Fili could tell he was fighting a losing battle- more and more Orcs were rushing to the aid of their comrades, weapons ready.
Fili felt sweat on his brow coupling with the blood of the creatures as he did his best to stave them off his uncle; chancing a look behind him he saw Thorin rise weakly, growling and clutching his side- something bad must have happened to him, Fili knew, or he would have been straight up, blade ready.
Azog seemed to have stood back from the fight, eyes trained on Thorin- the Dwarf Prince growled and cursed his body as he tried to stand; pain flourished in his side, and to his horror he found himself falling back the ground, unable to even breath properly.
In the jaws of the Warg, Kili felt blood bubble into his mouth as the beast bit down ever harder on his body; his eyes closed, pain clouding over him. It suddenly dawned on him, as if on a peak of realisation- he might die, he might actually die before the journey had even begun….
'Fili…..' he breathed, before wincing and hissing in pain, his body contorting as the Warg's jaws put more pressure on his body; his bones would not break, however- and for that Kili was grateful, he tried to turn his head again, to look for his brother, for he could hear him shouting and yelling behind him; but the beast would not move it's head.
Fili whirled around as more Orcs came closer- he could hear the shouts of the others up in the trees- but why had they done come to join the fight? After dispatching an Orc he took a look behind him, and with a trill of horror he saw his friends beating off the remaining Wargs- they had their forelegs on the trees, trying to grab the dwarves and pull them off; none of them could get close to coming down to aide them.
Fili had been looking away for too long- an Orc arced his blade forwards and Fili yelped in pain as he felt the blade cut into his side; he fell to his knees, gasping as blood seeped into his tunic, but he did not stop fighting; he drew his sword with a yell, standing up with all the strength he could muster- and this time he wasn't alone.
Thorin advanced with his weapon, eyes narrowed and pain in his body, and together the two of them forced the Orcs back to their master; Azog watching as his minions fell like flies beneath the twin fury of the dwarf princes.
He narrowed his eyes, before motioning for more Orcs to advance, uttering more words in the language not of the Dwarven world.
These Orcs had different orders- they ignored their comrades as they fell, blood gushing and spraying everywhere, even steadfastly ignoring the wounds they themselves sustained- they grabbed Fili, punching him to the floor, pushing their feet into the wound in his side.
Thorin's eyes widened; he roared a battle cry as he saw his nephew being dragged to Azog- this was not supposed to happen…..he wouldn't let it happen.
'NO!' He roared as more Orcs grabbed his arms and held him back. He shook his head, sweat-laced hair clinging to his face as he looked upon the scene; Fili was being held by two Orcs at the feet of the Great Defiler, whilst Kili was in the jaws of the Warg, lying limply in its grasp.
'Azog- release them!' he shouted, before growling and trying to move. Where was the Wizard this time? He couldn't turn to the trees to see what Gandalf was doing, but suddenly he could hear him, yelling incoherently, the noise coupling with the sound of pained wines and yelps of injured Wargs- it seemed he was being of some use, after all.
He turned as he heard Fili from in front of him- he struggled ever harder as he saw he was being held by the throat by Azog, the Pale Orc sneering into his face.
Fili felt his eyes roll back into his head as Azog gripped his neck, tightening his grasp and then releasing him like he was playing a game; his sword dropped from his grip and fell to the floor with a thud. He peered round to Kili, saw he was barely conscious…..maybe this was it? Maybe this was the way they were going to go…..
Suddenly, Azog dropped him- he fell to the floor with a gasp, one hand to his neck, the other to the wound on his side; drawing back his palm he saw scarlet, but he couldn't care about that now.
'MAKE HIM KNEEL!' Azog roared to his Orcs- two of them came and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel at the feet of the Pale Orc. He looked up, hatred in his eyes, as Azog looked down at him.
'Obey me, and you will not die.' He said simply, eyes not leaving the dwarf's.
'Never!' Fili spat, already consigned to his fate. He heard Thorin yell behind him, but couldn't see him.
He felt fear, real fear, rise in his chest, and for the first time in his life…..he wanted his mother. It was an absurd, wondrous thing to think of when he was just about to die; but he wanted to see her, to hug her one last time…
Azog laughed as tears filled Fili's eyes. 'Bring me his sword!' he barked, and held out his hand as an Orc took up Fili's sword, the one he was given by his father for when he came of age, and handed it to him. Fili watched as the great Orc toyed with it, before his eyes, glinting, looked upon Thorin once more.
'Thorin Oakenshield- I see fear in your kin's eyes…..you have the same look in your eyes- give yourself up, and he does not die!' he roared, wielding the blade in the air.
'You will die long before you can bring any of my family to harm!' Thorin growled, struggling in the grasp of the Orcs that held him tight.
Azog laughed, looking down at Fili and then back up- I think not!' it roared, before nodding his head- the Orcs forced Fili to bend his head, and with a thrill of panic, he knew what was happening; he was about to be executed.
He squeezed his eyes shut, dry sobs forcing their way from his body. He heard Kili groaning and moaning out his name, but could not offer any comfort…what would happen to Kili when he was gone? Who would look after him the way he did?
The unknowingness of it all made Fili feel all the more worse- his eyes were still shut as he heard Thorin shouting his name; he wanted it over with now, if it was going to happen.
Silence. It was a wondrous thing; the noise of peace, of sleep, and of the night. Now it was filled with anticipation, unbearable suspense and waiting.
'What are you waiting for?' he shouted, suddenly feeling brave. 'Get on with it!' he heard Kili sobbing loudly from somewhere beside him, moaning 'No…' over and over.
Azog laughed, long and deep. 'Die as scum who would not bow to greatness….' He roared, and Fili could almost hear the sound of his own sword rising.
It would be over soon; he reasoned- two more seconds and he would be at peace.
Only….it wasn't over….
He opened his eyes at the sound of the first yell of pain from the Great Defiler- he looked up at the second, and watched as it clutched at his side as blood poured from a wound; where had the blow come from?
Suddenly, another stab wound formed on the body of the Orc, blood gushed from the wound to its side- now Azog had too many wounds to stem with both hands; it stepped backwards, looking around high and low for the attacker, but nothing could be seen; the other Orcs screeched, jumping away in fear as this unseen attacker continued its rampage.
Roaring in pain, Azog called to its Warg, Kili still in its grasp- the beast growled and spat out the dwarf, Kili falling to the floor, listless and limp.
Thorin watched as Azog, the Great Defiler, fled with his minions, blood pouring from numerous wounds, into the night. He couldn't quite believe it….what had happened?
At this moment in time he didn't care for answer, for as soon as the Orcs were gone he and Fili ran to Kili, with Fili falling to his knees, his tunic saturated with dark blood.
Fili rolled Kili round, shaking his head as he saw the extent of his little brother's wounds; the teeth of the Warg had punctuated the flesh of his legs and lower body.
'Gandalf!' he screamed, before hoisting his brother to his level and clutching him to his chest, rocking him slightly as he hugged him tight-Kili's head fell onto his shoulder, his forehead slipping down.
'No, no, no no no no…don't start this again, don't you dare…' Fili muttered, picking Kili slightly up before pressing his hands into his wounds; he heard his brother moan in his ear.
'Come on, you're strong….stronger than me, or even Thorin….' Fili looked, eyes wide at their Uncle; tears were tracking down his face, smearing the blood, sweat and mud caked on his cheeks.
'He's going to make it? Gandalf?' Fili breathed as the Wizard crouched next to him, not liking his uncle's expression.
'Gandalf?' he repeated. 'He- he's going to make it, isn't he?' he asked.
When the Wizard didn't answer he clutched Kili ever tighter against his chest, rocking him back and forth- he could feel his breath on his cheek; surely he would survive if he could hear him breathing?
'Don't you do this…..' he whispered into his brother's hair.
'…..Don't you leave me.'
To be continued….
Thank you for reading- sorry about the evil cliffie- I hope you enjoyed it!
Final chapter up next!
Please review!
Xx