Action, fighting, and Dori (+Ereborians galore)! Enjoy!

Rated-T

Warnings

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

Things you need to know

"Lydia/other Ereborians speaking in Khuzdul"

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

Here We Stand United

Chapter 6

The darkness of the night was all-encompassing, and she saw very little as she attempted to peer through the mists over the water. They could have easily sailed right past their own boats if not for single lights on each ship and silent signals each dragon seemed to communicate to each other that only the young dragon rider, Fishlegs, could understand.

Lydia's grip tightened on the hilt of the axe she'd borrowed, and Frerin nudged her with his snout. Absentmindedly, she patted him, and he withdrew with a huff since she had not given him the proper attention. It was a miracle he even fit on the boat, because of how heavy his body was he could not soar the way was needed for the stealth attack, and Lydia did not feel like holding her breath underwater until she passed out.

In all honesty, it had been a nightmare to convince Stoic the Vast that she was trustworthy, and strong enough to go on this mission. But she was a Durin and the people of her line did not sit by idly when there was a fight to be fought for the greater good. So she strengthened her resolve. If she wanted to return to her family, this was her first stepping stone, because she would not leave until she had helped the people who helped her. After Hiccup and the others were free, her and Frerin were off in search of the other Ereborians, and then she'd be having a serious talk with her 'adad. In Lydia's...humble...opinion, it was high time they returned to Middle Earth and reclaimed the Lonely Mountain.

With her resolve firm and her face grim, after the Berk boats touched the shores of Outcast Island, she was the first to leap out, not even making a single sound as she landed in the shallow water. With a mighty down stroke, Frerin lifted himself into the air enough to soar over the helm of the boat to land on the ground near her. Lydia said nothing as she slid onto the dragon's back and it started to waddle inland stealthily like a snake, Fishlegs and his dragon Meatlug walking behind. Lydia knew it was her job to lead Fishlegs right to the cells so they could break the other dragon riders free while the Vikings dealt with Alvin and his Outcasts. The two dragons were just there as extra protection should they encounter any guards.

They crouched in the shadows, until they heard the distinct sound of fighting as battle calls rang into the night, and Lydia felt a twinge of longing for her own family, her fellow Ereborian warriors. However, she shook her melancholy off as she slipped off Frerin's back and hissed in Khuzdul, "Stay here. Guard silently." The Scauldron gave her a reproachful look, as though he thought she was foolish for telling him something so obvious, but she just shrugged and slipped into the tunnels that led to the Outcast dungeons, with Fishlegs close behind after giving his own dragon similar instructions.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

"Thorin! There are other boats here! It sounds like they're fighting the island's inhabitants!" Nori reported as he slipped back aboard the ship, his cloak wrapped around him to practically hide him from even their sights. Ori was fretting in a rather worried fashion that was eerily similar to Dori, obviously terrified he was going to lose his other brother as well, and a murmur spread through his subjects. However, the King in Exile knew they could use this to their advantage.

"Whatever the reason they're fighting, it can work in our favor. Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, and Nori, I want you all to go free Dori. The rest of us will deal with the enemy." The four nodded in agreement, and then Bilba spoke up rather quietly,

"And please, keep an eye out for Lydia." Thorin nodded in somber agreement with his wife. Dwalin grimaced at the pained expression on her face, Bifur gave a respectful nod to show he'd understood what she said, Nori said nothing and simply turned away, retreating back into the night after waving Ori off, and the other two followed, Bofur following last and offering Bilba a reassuring smile, then she shouldered her mattock and followed her cousin, the thief, and the warrior.

Nori was exceptionally sneaky, being a thief, and he had no trouble sneaking his three companions in. Bofur didn't even marvel at said skill anymore. Nori thought rather highly of himself, as evidence by his star-like hair and constant preening, but he was a damn good thief, she'd give him that. The dark passage he led them down was narrow to begin with, and wove deeply underground, widening just enough for them to slip through it. When they exited the passage and stepped into a dimly lit cavern, Bofur honestly never would have seen the crevice they'd just come out of as an actual path if Nori hadn't of led them through it.

"Wait," Bofur hissed, grabbing at Nori and Dwalin's shoulders as they tried to continue further in. The paused and looked at her, Dwalin puzzled and Nori annoyed. Best friend or not, he didn't appreciate when anyone told him how to sneak about. "There's a guard, you idiots." Then she turned to Bifur and in Iglishmêk told him to take down the guard, quietly.

Bifur blinked once, twice, and then nodded in comprehension, edging around them, and then in a move he'd perfected in his youth, he'd yanked out one of his small throwing axes and chucked it as hard as he could, hitting the burly guard smack in the forehead and knocking him off his feet.

Bofur let out a slight chuckle as she moved out of the shadows and stepped over the large guard. The irony of this man's head wound was not lost on her, but the poor fellow had never seen it coming. If she had to guess, he was put on guard at this point because he was incompetent but strong. This worked to their advantage. If he had been competent, he would have heard the axe whistle through the air and have had the sense to dodge. The fool was better off dead as he was now. Bifur, Dwalin, and Nori followed her lead, not a care in the world as they stepped over the corpse. Nori was still scowling and Dwalin was grim-faced.

"I'll head around the other way. You lot come from the front. If there are other guards than the ones we saw before, they would be the smart ones, and you all will need to cause a distraction," Nori commanded, and Bofur didn't argue because Nori needed this sense of purpose. She knew her friend well enough to know he was still upset he'd lost his brother, and she was more than happy to let him take the lead. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't add her own ideas to the plan without telling Nori of them. It was always funny to see him get irritated, and it didn't happen often enough, unless of course you put him and Dori in a room together for more than fifteen minutes.

The thief disappeared around another side tunnel that no one had noticed before then, and Bofur smirked at her friend's predictability before she led the way further underground. It broke her heart to travel underground though, and knowing it was not Erebor's dark tunnels she wandered. Bofur paused when she heard voices, and asked in Iglishmêk if the other two heard it. Dwalin and Bifur confirmed that they did, and then Bifur drew one of his small axes, intent on chucking them into the fray, and that was all good and well, until Bofur heard the princess's voice. Frantically she sighed to Bifur to put the axe down as she peered around the final corner.

"Mahal damn it all!" she swore as she quickly pulled herself back, leaning against the wall. There were seven men in the room, all of them larger than her, Bifur, and Nori, and, what really made her blood boil, was that there were a bunch of kids in cages! While she did not recognize the six teens in the one cage, she recognized Dori and Lydia in a second cage...and Dori didn't look so good. She was no field medic, but it sure looked like he might've been poisoned. One said something in Norse and the others burst into laughter, jeering at Dori and Lydia. Norse was not her best but...

She thought about it. Whoever the leader was seemed to favor brawn over brains, and men with simple brains...

Oh, Nori was going to be pissed with her since this was NOT part of his plan.

Without consulting Dwalin, she threw off one of her coats and handed it to Bifur, before placing a seductive smile on her face and sauntering down the hall, ignoring Dwalin's angry hiss and Bifur's puzzled grunt.

She leaned on her mattock and called out in Norse, "Oh boys~. I seem to be quite lost. Care to point a girl in the right direction?" All of their eyes went wide, and they froze for a moment, unable to comprehend what was right in front of them, and Bofur just kept smiling. She was pretty, and she had to act like she believed it while they were trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Finally one of them stepped toward her, and a sick grin had spread across his face. As a couple of his friends followed with sickening intent in their steps, Bofur inwardly flinched. Perhaps she had overestimated their stupidity, but she would not back down. The leader only had to take four more steps...Three...Two...One. As soon as he was in range, with surprising grace and speed, she swung her mattock up into his skull, knocking him over flat on his back.

His two friends blinked in shock and paused in their approach. However, as the other guards moved forward, one passed too close to Lydia, and the princess of Erebor grabbed fistfuls of his hair and smashed his head repeatedly into the bars of her cell until his blood had spilled over the floor and he collapsed as nothing more than a corpse.

Dwalin and Bifur burst forth from their hiding place in the hall behind Bofur, roaring with rage and slamming into the remaining guards with all the force of a hurricane. With a smirk, Bofur leapt into the battle as well, swinging her mattock and humming a merry tune all the while. The men were not very experienced, which was a shame because they were slaughtered. The lead guard though, was bigger and stronger than the others, and knocked her off her feet when he snuck up behind her.

She heard Dwalin roar as she glanced up at the man towering over her. It was like some kind of twisted accompaniment to what she was certain was her death as he sneered down at her. However, he turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Nori was right behind him, and as soon as they were face to face, the thief's fist connected with his face, and the man fell, clutching his nose which was surely broken now. Nori shook out his hand as he glared down at the man writhing in pain as he snarled, "That was for my brother." Then he stepped away and over to the cage holding Lydia and Dori.

Nori gave Lydia a teasing bow before he reached up to his hair and withdrew one of his lock-picks. Moments later the door to the cage sprung open and Lydia rushed out, snatching the lock-pick from Nori and going to the other cage while the middle brother of Ri retrieved his older brother, who was still out cold.

"We gotta get Dori to Oin. He mighta been poisoned," Bofur said as she stood, adjusting her hat on her head.

"We got bigger problems, Bofur. Before they through me in a cage I saw their leader snatch a paper from Dori. I hope to Mahal I'm wrong, but I'm probably not," Lydia said as she held the cage door open while Bifur and Dwalin threw the guards in.

Bofur felt faint as the implications of what the leader of these ruffians could have taken finally sunk in, and she asked quietly, "You think...?"

"Highly likely."

"Are you guys talking about the map that Alvin took from him? He really wanted it. What makes it so important that your friend there would rather die that give it up?" the skinny red-head asked, nodding at Dori, still out cold in his brother's arms and breathing shallowly, his weakness speaking volumes of his condition.

All the Ereborians froze at that. There was only one map that any of them would ever carry on their persons. It was a hope and a promise and a dream all at once. Should they all ever get separated, they would return to the map's destination. It was a map that would lead them across countless seas, past the rolling hills of the Shire, over the Misty Mountains, and through the Greenwood. It was a map that would lead them home...to Erebor. As one, they all roared in their secret language,

"Mahal damn it all!"

I just had to end this chapter like that. It amused me.

Anyway what did you think of the longest chapter?

Review please!