Hello!
So the other day I woke up and suddenly found my inbox flooded and everything (because my timezone is probably way, way different from most of yours, so I'm like sleeping when you're awake) and I suddenly realised that there were more than 50 follows and stuff and I was just really happy you know because I was really writing this because this idea wouldn't leave me alone and the fact that there are people who really like it and stuff is just wow. Yeah.
So thank you so much! Took a bit longer for this chapter cos I've been out the past two days. I'm nearly done with chapter twelve though so that should be out soon! As y'all probably can tell, the storyline of 'An Unexpected Journey' is coming to an end, but will be continuing with 'The Desolation of Smaug' heh.
And would like to thank Lisse Mirelien for coming up with the ship name 'Elli'! It's super cute hahaha.
Anyway, so here's chapter eleven!
Tunnels, endless tunnels, swinging, creaky wooden bridges. Blazing torches, illuminating the darkness, the bones and body organs on the ground, goblins shoving, pushing, shrieking. Stale air, dank and musty, pressing in all around them.
Ella was quite sure her brain wasn't working properly.
She was still clinging to Fili like she would never let him go, and he still had his arm around her, holding her close, away from the goblins as much as possible.
She closed her mind to the dark, to the damp, the shrieking of the goblins and the endless pushing, focussing instead of Fili's arm around her, not letting her go. Protecting her. Taking care of her.
I'll take care of you.
Despite the screaming goblins waving their weapons around them, jabbing and prodding, not knowing where they were leading them to, she somehow felt safe.
And then: No. You don't need someone to take care of you. You can handle this on your own.
Don't be such a burden.
Slowly, she lifted Fili's arm off her shoulders, shooting him a reassuring smile when he glanced down, attempting to tighten his hold on her instead. Reluctantly, hesitatingly, he let her remove his arm from around her, but making sure she kept close.
Abruptly, they were shoved into a great cavern with a massive platform, a great throne in the centre with the largest, most vile, revolting being Ella had ever seen, with a swinging chin and warts all over his face, a crown on top of lank, greasy strings of hair.
She thought she might puke.
Noisily, still shrieking, the goblins tossed all their weapons into a pile on the platform, in front of the Goblin King, leaping and gnashing their teeth.
The Goblin King tumbled off his throne, squashing some goblins under his feet, as he approached them, his chin swinging.
"That is one ugly mug," she murmured, feeling panic slowly subsiding within her, recovering her wits. Somehow – that same feeling she had had, that first night when they had encountered the trolls – she knew that they would not die here, that they would not die tonight. And his face – his disgusting, ugly, slimy face was filling up her vision, taking over her head, and she couldn't pull her eyes away.
"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" The Goblin King was roaring. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"
"Dwarfs, Your Malevolence," hissed one of the goblins, moving forward.
"Dwarfs?"
The Goblin King's tone was disbelieving.
"We found them on the front porch."
"Well, don't just stand there!" the Goblin King shouted. "Search them! Every crack, every crevice!"
As the goblins swarmed them, Fili yanked her towards him sharply, wrapping her hand in his.
It was instinctive. As soon as the first slimy hand touched her, Ella was lashing out, kicking, wrapping her other hand around herself.
"Fuck you all, don't you dare put your slimy, disgusting, foul hands on me, don't even think of touching me, you disgusting little fuckers – "
"Is that a female voice I hear?" The Goblin King turned his head, eyes searching the crowd of dwarfs, and not for the first time, Ella cursed her high-pitched voice, her tendency to swear and raise her volume when agitated.
"Bring her forward!"
And three goblins yanked her forward, roughly, snickering and shoving their sickly faces near hers, Ella's hand slipping from Fili's grasp as she was dragged away, stopped only from following her by Thorin.
She was thrown onto the ground before him, thick strands of hair that had escaped the braid hanging around her face, pushing her glasses back on properly.
The Goblin King eyed her, put his disgusting warty face and his swinging chin close to her.
She tried to step backwards, only to be met with the sharp tip of a weapon pressing into her back.
"Will you tell me what you're doing in these parts, little girl?" he said, chuckling darkly, aware of the blond dwarf behind her being held back by his goblins as he attempted to reach the girl before him.
"Not to see your ugly shit excuse of a face, that's for sure."
The words were out before Ella even realised what she had said.
Oh god. Now she'd done it. This stupid quest was making her much too reckless. Much too thoughtless. What was she doing?
The Goblin King's face twisted into a feral snarl; and then, leaning back and moving away, he laughed, a long, loud laugh that was echoed all around him.
"Let's see just how insulting you can be," he said, as the goblins around him screeched eagerly. "If you won't talk, we'll make you squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker!"
"Ella!"
She was vaguely aware of Fili shouting her name, hoarsely, as the goblins burst into chatter excitedly, but the only thing she could see was the Goblin King's disgusting face, his slimy, warty skin, his evil, dark, twisted grin.
"Wait!"
Thorin's voice, Ella registered, in a distant part of her mind, as the goblins fell silent at this figure stepping forward.
"Well, well, well." The Goblin King was chuckling darkly again. "Look who it is. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the Mountain."
He bowed exaggeratedly as Thorin moved to stand next to Ella, and Ella felt the sharp blade of the weapon one of the goblins had been holding to her back move away.
"Oh," said the Goblin King, straightening from his bow and looking surprised, "but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain." His face twisted. "And you're not a king, which makes you – well, nobody really."
Ella's eyes flickered to her side, where she saw Thorin's face harden.
"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head." The Goblin King leaned forward again, his chin swinging. "Just the head, nothing attached." He moved away, gave a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak. An old enemy of yours." His eyes glinted in the flickering light from the torches. "A pale Orc, astride a white Warg."
Ella could see Thorin's face grow pale, saw his surprise and disbelief, felt her knees about to give way. Balin had told her the story one night, while she lay leaning against Fili, when it had been difficult for her to sleep. Azog. The Defiler.
She had seen Thorin's face when he had looked up after Balin had told her the story, had seen the haunted look in his eyes, remembering the war, his grandfather's death.
"Azog the Defiler was destroyed," Thorin said, his voice giving no hint of any emotion – except perhaps anger. "He was slain in battle long ago."
"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" A smirk growing on his face – Ella felt the greatest temptation to kick him, even though she knew that would probably do no good and only make things worse – the Goblin King turned to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket, holding a slate. "Send word to the pale Orc. Tell him I have found his prize."
Cackling, he gestured for Thorin and Ella to rejoin the group of dwarfs, yanked back sharply by the goblins, until Ella found herself being flung into Fili, who held her to him, refusing to let go of her.
"I expected you to start screaming and panicking long ago," Fili muttered into Ella's dark mess of hair that he had so painstakingly braided. He felt a pang of guilt as his eyes fell on Kili, who was standing glaring at the Goblin King, now dancing around his throne, singing, his younger brother looking so much like a miniature, beardless version of Thorin. Fili had been so focussed on Ella that he hadn't looked out for Kili, hadn't been on the watch in case anything happened to him.
"It was the shock of seeing their ugly faces," Ella muttered, having finally given in and wrapped her arms around Fili's waist, her head leaning on his shoulder. "And then his lousy excuse of a face made sure I stayed in reality and didn't freak out." She raised her eyes to glare at the Goblin King vehemently. "It's so ugly it was the only thing I could focus on."
And despite their predicament, despite the torture machines the goblins were slowly dragging in, Fili let out a low chuckle: "And here I thought it was my handsome face keeping you sane."
She laughed weakly.
And then there was a howl, gasps and shrieks, the clang of steel as something was thrown against the ground, a loud screech from the Goblin King as he practically flew to his throne, clambering up onto it, staring down at the pile of weapons taken from the dwarfs.
"I know that sword!" he was howling, pointing. "It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks!"
Whips came out as the goblins shrieked even louder, slashing the whips down on them, biting and clawing. Almost instinctively Fili bent over Ella, blocking her from the brunt of the whips as they sliced through the air, ignoring her protests.
Ella tried to wriggle out of his grasp – he could not do this, Fili was not allowed to take the brunt of the whippings trying to protect her – but Fili, with his dwarfish strength and stubbornness, refused to let her move, somehow managing to grin at her weakly as another whip struck his back, goblins clambering over him.
"Fili, you fucking idiot – "
"Aw, don't be like that, El," he managed to say as he winced.
"Fili – "
"Slash them!" the Goblin King screamed. "Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"
At this, Fili's head jerked upwards sharply. "Thorin!"
Grabbing Ella around the waist and pulling her up, covering her from the slashing whips as much as he could, Fili began to get to his feet against the swarms of goblins, trying to make his way to his uncle, when there was a massive explosion of bright white light, and they were knocked back flat onto the ground, gasping for air.
"Take up arms," a familiar, deep voice said, and Gandalf strode forth from the light, his staff in one hand and his sword in another. His gaze swept over them, the goblins staring in shock, the dwarfs stumbling to their feet. "Fight. Fight!"
The next thing Ella knew, weapons were being thrown back and forth, the clash of steel against steel, whirling and dodging, slashing and screams. Fili pushed her dagger back into her hands, keeping her behind him as much as he possible as he whirled about, blades glinting in the light of the torches.
He was trying to protect her and himself both at the same time.
Screw this.
Ella reached her arm out, thrust her dagger into the nearest goblin.
And that was all she could remember for the next few moments; stabbing and slashing whenever she could, running and running and running, not knowing if she was actually injuring them or only slowing them down. But she never stopped, twisting this way and that, biting her lip whenever a goblin managed to reach her with his weapon. She had to take care of herself.
Fili couldn't protect her forever.
Stabbing, slashing, whirling, slime and guts and screaming goblins in her face; she made herself keep moving, staying near the dwarfs as much as she could possibly could, as they followed Gandalf, all of them attacking, hacking at the goblins, the dwarfs roaring and expertly killing the goblins that came their way.
She could hardly remember what they did, aware only of the goblins, the sound of screeches and weapons slicing into flesh, racing across a makeshift bridge, keeping close to Fili.
And then a loud crash; and the massive, disgusting Goblin King broke through the wooden bridge they were crossing, leering at them.
"You thought you could escape me?" he roared, swinging his mace, making the old wizard stumble backwards. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"
Ella turned to see Gandalf jab the Goblin King in the eye with his staff; dropping his mace, the Goblin King let out a loud squeal, hobbling backwards as Gandalf strode forward and sliced him across his great belly.
Ella thought she might retch again.
"That'll do it," she heard the Goblin King say, as Gandalf swung his sword and sliced his neck.
A pause –
And then the bridge collapsed, the part that the company was on breaking away from the rest, sliding down the sides of the cavern at a terrific speed.
And Ella let out a scream, promptly dropped her dagger and reached a hand towards Fili.
He grabbed her, pulling her close to him, his arms tight around her as they continued crashing downwards, slipping and sliding. Ella was aware only of Fili's warm body, her head buried in his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist as they fell down, Fili's arms around her shoulder, around her, pulling her close, his blond head bending down on her shoulder.
Safe.
The world was crashing around them, the dwarfs shouting, yelling, holding on for dear life, but that was all Ella could feel.
Safe.
And Fili, his arms around her, only knew that he didn't want to let her go.
Not now. Not ever.
And, abruptly, they reached the bottom, the bridge breaking into pieces as the dwarfs and Ella all tumbled down, timber and wood falling over them.
And then Ella realised she was lying on top of Fili, her face only inches from his, his arms on the ground on either side of him, her hands on either side of his shoulders.
Fili looked up at her, part of his mind wondering how on earth her glasses had managed to stay intact, but the majority of his mind still trying to absorb the fact that she was pressed against him, the remains of the bridge over the two of them, pushing her ever closer to him.
He saw her face heat up at their position.
"Well, that could've been worse," he heard Bofur say.
And then, naturally, the dead corpse of the Goblin King landed on them with a loud thud, pressing Ella ever closer to him, as she winced at the added weight, her nose now practically next to his, face flushing furiously.
"Oh, god," he heard her say, as she attempted to wriggle out, not noticing Fili's face turning red as she did so.
Ori, having crawled out of the rubble, could only watch them, his eyes flying from Ella to Fili and Fili to Ella.
Fili was immensely relieved when Gandalf aided Ella out, and he was free to scramble up and grab hold of his weapons.
Falling asleep hugging Ella was one thing.
Lying on the ground with Ella pressed on top of him in a confined, dark area was another matter entirely.
"Gandalf!" Kili yelled, suddenly, digging his way out from under the rubble.
Fili looked up. Goblins, hundreds of goblins, all swarming towards them, screeching, howling, screaming.
"There's too many!" Dwalin called out. "We can't fight them!"
"Only one thing will save us," Gandalf said, his brows furrowed. "Daylight! Come on! Here, on your feet!"
And they were running, running and running, through the tunnels, winding their way through the dark, until, finally, Ella saw a warm, yellow light before them.
Sunlight.
And then they were out of the mountains, out of the caves, scrambling down the mountainside, running and running until Gandalf finally deemed it safe enough and stumbled to a halt in a small clearing.
"Fili, Kili, Ella, that's thirteen," Gandalf murmured as he counted them, eyes only briefly taking in the fact that Ella was standing so close to Fili she was leaning into him, "and Bombur – that makes fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit?"
No answer. Ella looked around frantically, gaze sweeping over the company.
"Where is our hobbit?" Gandalf demanded again, raising his voice.
"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?" Dwalin had turned his gaze to the mountain, glaring up at it with more ferocity than usual.
"I thought he was with Dori!"
"Don't blame me!"
"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked, frowning, his face upset.
"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us," Nori offered.
"What happened exactly? Tell me!"
And then Thorin stepped forward, his face hard, his voice cold. "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."
Ella didn't even know what she was doing.
The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of Thorin, a loud crack resounding in the air as Thorin put a hand to his face, to the red palm print she had left on his cheek.
"Don't you dare," she hissed, angrily, "don't you dare speak of him that way! He may miss his home but he's left it for you, hasn't he? He didn't sign up for trolls, or Orcs, or goblins – he signed up to be a burglar, to deal with a dragon, which is already as terrifying as it can possibly get. And you – you – he's lasted this long, hasn't he? I don't care if you're the bloody fucking King under the mountain, you cannot just – "
"Ella," Fili cut in, moving forward and grabbing her by the waist, pulling her back towards him. "Ella. Calm down. Calm down. It's okay," he said, as he pulled her nearer to him. "It's okay."
"Don't you – I haven't forgiven you yet – stupid, stupid dwarf, what were you thinking, when those goblins were whipping at us – I can't believe you – do you know how injured you could have been – "
"Ella," Ori said, softly, and she came to a stop, breathing in deeply, closing her eyes.
"We must move," Thorin said, sharply, a hand still to his face. "The hobbit is not coming back."
"Actually, he's here."
And Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree, hands in his waistcoat pockets.
"Bilbo Baggins!" A smile broke out over Gandalf's face. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"
"Bilbo, we'd given you up!"
Fili looked up from Ella long enough to say: "How on earth did you get past the goblins?"
"How, indeed." Dwalin's voice, deep, wondering slightly.
Ella managed to smile at Bilbo from her position leaning on Fili, his face lighting up slightly at seeing her smile, as he paused, thinking how to answer. Bilbo. Bilbo was here. He wasn't leaving.
"Well, what does it matter?" Gandalf said after a short, awkward silence. "He's back!"
"It matters!" Thorin strode forward, giving the briefest of glances to Ella, before turning his eyes back to Bilbo. "I want to know."
Bilbo looked at him nervously.
"Why did you come back?"
Bilbo looked at him for a long moment, swept his gaze over the company, his eyes seeking out each of the dwarfs.
"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home." He looked at Thorin, looked right into his eyes. "And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."
And Ella couldn't help but smile, leaning her head against Fili's shoulder as he tightened his arm around her as they took in his words, hearing nothing but the sincerity in his voice.
Then the howls – loud, echoing howls, and they looked up to see Wargs running straight at them down the mountain.
Thorin's face was grim. "Out of the frying pan – "
"And into the fire," Gandalf finished. "Run. RUN!"