p class="MsoNormal"During his or her fall, all anyone could think was "Why me?" While they fell down the tunnel at a quick enough speed, the ride was anything but smooth. Every bump or rock they crashed into on the way down left its mark and were going to leave them sore in the morning. When they finally hit the ground, Bomber of course falling on top of everyone, their relief was short lived./p
p class="MsoNormal"Nola did not even have time to check for broken bones before the company was being dragged to their feet and shoved deeper into the mountains by a goblin hoard. Thorin tried to reach out for her but the disgusting little creatures only ushered them on. The company was forced in all directions leading them downward. However, they took so many turns Nola quickly lost track of where they were. All too soon she found herself at the center of a great opening, massive enough for her to guess that this would have been the goblin equivalent of a throne room. The ginormous figure sitting on his throne only solidified her guess./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fat and greasy, this abnormally large goblin towered above them even while seated. Nola was instantly repelled by his warts and could smell him from several feet away. The closer she was forced the more she had to concentrate in keeping down her last meal./p
p class="MsoNormal"The minute the goblin king laid eyes on the company, he rushed out of his chair. As he trampled a group of his subjects, he demanded: "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" "Dwarves, Your Malevolence." Answered a goblin./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Dwarves!?" The goblin king asked astonished/p
p class="MsoNormal" "We found them on the front porch." His smaller counterpart said eagerly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Furious and outraged the great goblin demanded that they be searched immediately./p
p class="MsoNormal"What little possessions the dwarves still had on their person after the fall was tossed violently about them. Even Oin's hearing trumpet was crushed by a goblin with evident anger issues. As his minions searched, the great goblin continued to interrogate the group./p
p class="MsoNormal" "What are you doing in these parts? Speak!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The dwarves responded with cold stares unimpressed by the display surrounding them./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" The Goblin king announces smugly. Throwing his skull tipped staff about he suddenly pointed it straight at Ori. "Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest."/p
p class="MsoNormal" "Wait!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thorin quickly stepped forward shoving the fear-shocked dwarf behind him. Nola managed to wiggle her way towards Thorin, stopping just behind him and prepared to protect her leader./p
p class="MsoNormal" The goblin king rose what was left of his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thrór; King under the Mountain." He lowered his head in an extremely exaggerated bow as Thorin looked on./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king stopped suddenly and met Thorin's gaze. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really."/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the goblins laughed as their king's smile grew. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached." He chuckled again. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc… astride a White Warg."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thorin looked at him in shock. His mood soon however turned to rage as he spat: "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." Thorin finished with certainty./p
p class="MsoNormal" "So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" replied the goblin king, dragging out the mockery for as long as possible. "And don't worry Nola Okar. We will inform your master of your location so that he may retrieve you."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone turned to Nola as the color drained from her face./p
p class="MsoNormal" "What do you mean?" she asked in horror./p
p class="MsoNormal""From your reaction I assume you are unaware of the bounty?" The goblin king replied, clearly pleased with his capture. "Fortunately for you, you're wanted alive"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He motioned to a goblin sitting next to him. A group rushed forward holding the dwarfs back as they quickly realized they were reaching for their female companion. Thorin managed to subdue to of them with a quick jab between the eyes before he was knocked to the ground. Nola herself was able to fight them off with roundhouse swings making contact with several noses before one goblin was smart enough to grab her foot./p
p class="MsoNormal"She fell down to the ground with a smash as the goblins worked quickly to bind her hands./p
p class="MsoNormal""My apologies my dear but it might get a little violent in that corner." The goblin king taunted with false concern. "Best keep you out of harm's way…"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She was strapped to a post sitting near the throne trying to remain conscious. Her leg was killing her and her fall didn't improve her stamina./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king laughed once more as he turned to his messenger and instructed him: "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The tiny goblin cackled as he zoomed away from the group in a basket. The dwarfs' misfortune continued as the goblin great torture instrument came forward as requested. They were great platforms ready for the victim to be strapped to as they were impaled by several rusty and mangled blades from all directions./p
p class="MsoNormal"The Great Goblin celebrated his victory by beginning to sing:/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt" "Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung!/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"You'll be beaten and battered; from racks, you'll be hung./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"You will lie down here and never be found,/p
p class="MsoNormal"Down in the deep of Goblin-town."/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the dwarfs could do was look on in horror and try to keep away from the goblins who continued to shove them about. Meanwhile one of the goblins had picked up Thorin's sword, Orcrist. Examining it for a few seconds, he suddenly recognized the sword and threw it down to the ground for all to see./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king instantly backed away in fear. "I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The rest of the goblins rushed forward in rage beating and whipping the dwarves into submission as they forced them to the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" The Goblin King ordered./p
p class="MsoNormal"One goblin rushed forward pressing his bone dagger to Thorin's throat. But, before he could make a kill, there was a blinding flash of light. The massive explosion sends a shockwave through the air, knocking everyone down. Nola could head the post crack at the base behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the smoke cleared everyone look up as a figure approached./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gandalf emerged and shouted "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Just then the post began to crack loudly, threatening to take Nola on a journey to the bottom of the great chasm beneath./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"CHP 14/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nola!" Thorin screamed as the thick post kept tilting downward./p
p class="MsoNormal" Blood drained from his face, adrenaline pumping faster and faster with every crack of the wood. He tried to get up but the weight of the goblins that fell onto of him was too heavy. Everything felt as if it time slowed to a crawl. Nola could see the look of desperation on his face while her own heart threatened to burst from her chest. She met his gaze and gave him on final smile before the post finally gave in to its fight against gravity and they both feel backward over the edge./p
p class="MsoNormal"Nola did not even have time to check for broken bones before the company was being dragged to their feet and shoved deeper into the mountains by a goblin hoard. Thorin tried to reach out for her but the disgusting little creatures only ushered them on. The company was forced in all directions leading them downward. However, they took so many turns Nola quickly lost track of where they were. All too soon she found herself at the center of a great opening, massive enough for her to guess that this would have been the goblin equivalent of a throne room. The ginormous figure sitting on his throne only solidified her guess./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fat and greasy, this abnormally large goblin towered above them even while seated. Nola was instantly repelled by his warts and could smell him from several feet away. The closer she was forced the more she had to concentrate in keeping down her last meal./p
p class="MsoNormal"The minute the goblin king laid eyes on the company, he rushed out of his chair. As he trampled a group of his subjects, he demanded: "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" "Dwarves, Your Malevolence." Answered a goblin./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Dwarves!?" The goblin king asked astonished/p
p class="MsoNormal" "We found them on the front porch." His smaller counterpart said eagerly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Furious and outraged the great goblin demanded that they be searched immediately./p
p class="MsoNormal"What little possessions the dwarves still had on their person after the fall was tossed violently about them. Even Oin's hearing trumpet was crushed by a goblin with evident anger issues. As his minions searched, the great goblin continued to interrogate the group./p
p class="MsoNormal" "What are you doing in these parts? Speak!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The dwarves responded with cold stares unimpressed by the display surrounding them./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" The Goblin king announces smugly. Throwing his skull tipped staff about he suddenly pointed it straight at Ori. "Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest."/p
p class="MsoNormal" "Wait!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thorin quickly stepped forward shoving the fear-shocked dwarf behind him. Nola managed to wiggle her way towards Thorin, stopping just behind him and prepared to protect her leader./p
p class="MsoNormal" The goblin king rose what was left of his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thrór; King under the Mountain." He lowered his head in an extremely exaggerated bow as Thorin looked on./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king stopped suddenly and met Thorin's gaze. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really."/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the goblins laughed as their king's smile grew. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached." He chuckled again. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc… astride a White Warg."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thorin looked at him in shock. His mood soon however turned to rage as he spat: "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." Thorin finished with certainty./p
p class="MsoNormal" "So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" replied the goblin king, dragging out the mockery for as long as possible. "And don't worry Nola Okar. We will inform your master of your location so that he may retrieve you."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone turned to Nola as the color drained from her face./p
p class="MsoNormal" "What do you mean?" she asked in horror./p
p class="MsoNormal""From your reaction I assume you are unaware of the bounty?" The goblin king replied, clearly pleased with his capture. "Fortunately for you, you're wanted alive"/p
p class="MsoNormal"He motioned to a goblin sitting next to him. A group rushed forward holding the dwarfs back as they quickly realized they were reaching for their female companion. Thorin managed to subdue to of them with a quick jab between the eyes before he was knocked to the ground. Nola herself was able to fight them off with roundhouse swings making contact with several noses before one goblin was smart enough to grab her foot./p
p class="MsoNormal"She fell down to the ground with a smash as the goblins worked quickly to bind her hands./p
p class="MsoNormal""My apologies my dear but it might get a little violent in that corner." The goblin king taunted with false concern. "Best keep you out of harm's way…"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She was strapped to a post sitting near the throne trying to remain conscious. Her leg was killing her and her fall didn't improve her stamina./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king laughed once more as he turned to his messenger and instructed him: "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The tiny goblin cackled as he zoomed away from the group in a basket. The dwarfs' misfortune continued as the goblin great torture instrument came forward as requested. They were great platforms ready for the victim to be strapped to as they were impaled by several rusty and mangled blades from all directions./p
p class="MsoNormal"The Great Goblin celebrated his victory by beginning to sing:/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt" "Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung!/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"You'll be beaten and battered; from racks, you'll be hung./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"You will lie down here and never be found,/p
p class="MsoNormal"Down in the deep of Goblin-town."/p
p class="MsoNormal"All the dwarfs could do was look on in horror and try to keep away from the goblins who continued to shove them about. Meanwhile one of the goblins had picked up Thorin's sword, Orcrist. Examining it for a few seconds, he suddenly recognized the sword and threw it down to the ground for all to see./p
p class="MsoNormal"The goblin king instantly backed away in fear. "I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The rest of the goblins rushed forward in rage beating and whipping the dwarves into submission as they forced them to the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal" "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" The Goblin King ordered./p
p class="MsoNormal"One goblin rushed forward pressing his bone dagger to Thorin's throat. But, before he could make a kill, there was a blinding flash of light. The massive explosion sends a shockwave through the air, knocking everyone down. Nola could head the post crack at the base behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the smoke cleared everyone look up as a figure approached./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gandalf emerged and shouted "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Just then the post began to crack loudly, threatening to take Nola on a journey to the bottom of the great chasm beneath./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"CHP 14/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nola!" Thorin screamed as the thick post kept tilting downward./p
p class="MsoNormal" Blood drained from his face, adrenaline pumping faster and faster with every crack of the wood. He tried to get up but the weight of the goblins that fell onto of him was too heavy. Everything felt as if it time slowed to a crawl. Nola could see the look of desperation on his face while her own heart threatened to burst from her chest. She met his gaze and gave him on final smile before the post finally gave in to its fight against gravity and they both feel backward over the edge./p