Disclaimer: J.R.R. Tolkien owns all save for characters not in his works. WARNING this chapter contains violence and almost rape.

I'm there in the water
Still looking for ya
I'm there in the water
Can't you see, can't you see?

I'm dead in the water

~Dead in the Water, Ellie Goulding

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Misty Mountains

Nuil was forced to her knees, the water in the ravine rising up to touch the middle of her thighs. She was already soaked, and it did not bother her much. What bothered her was the sharp pain that erupted in her knees as they were shoved in the rock beneath her. A hand grabbed a fistfull of her wet hair, yanking her head back so that her face was visible to the orc before her.

His startling icey blue eyes appraised her in the flashing lightning. Azog the Defiler. An orc that she had prayed for the longest of times was dead and that the fears she had of him being alive were unfounded. Nuil knew that he would probably kill her. That sent her heart freezing in chest. She couldn't! Not when she had just been brought back into the world.

The orc behind her pressed his face into the crook of her neck, running his nose up to her jaw. With disgust she felt the touch of a tongue. With a yell she jerked back, slamming her head into its face. The orc howled, pulling her head back even further and bringing a jagged blade to her throat. Nuil felt the metal cut her skin.

Azog watched with amusement glittering in his eyes. Then he spoke to the orc behind her, his harsh language sending shivers down her skin. Not the pleasant kind. Nuil did recognize one word though, 'kurv'. Killing enough orcs in her life had helped her pick up a few words here and there. Normally she didn't mind too much when orcs spat that word at her, whore, but hearing Azog say it . . . was another thing entirely.

The orc behind her was being a little too friendly.

"Master, wants to know," the orc behind her purred into her ear. "Why a woman would be in these mountains. So alone?"

Nuil would be lying if she didn't admit that she was surprised that one of them could speak the Common speech.

She looked at Azog, knowing that if she were to give away the true reasons for her being here, it would be very bad. But if he was here, and if that orc pack back near Imladris . . . then Nuil knew that Azog already knew that Thorin was here.

Which was not a good thing.

"I'm on my way to visit relatives," she spat. The blade at her throat pressed even closer to her flesh as the orc spoke to Azog. The next moment she was being dragged to her feet and shoved into Azog's grasp, his large hand wrapping around her throat, and lifting her up in the air. Nuil grabbed at his hand, trying to loosen his grip as her air was cut off. She kicked at him, and the feet times she met his flesh did nothing to deter him.

The orcs around them were muttering amongst each other, looking on with glee. Azog spoke again, his grip on her tightening before she was brought close to his face. Like the orc before him, he ran up nose up her neck, this time starting near her breasts. With their faces barely inches apart he spoke again and Nuil instantly recognized Thorin's name.

The orc who had held her spoke now.

"You are Thorin's woman," he said. Nuil's blood filled with ice. "His smell is on you."

Nuil drew in a sharp breath, gasping as only a little made it to her lungs. She knew that if Azog didn't kill her now, worse things would be done to her. Her would torture her, just for her ties to Thorin. And she was in no state to take on a pack of orcs with Azog leading them.

A screech filled the air, slightly drowned out by the thunder. Azog turned, his attention settling on a puny misshapen figure that was limping towards them. His large, yellow round eyes gleamed in the darkness. Seeing the creature out of the corner of her eye, Nuil knew it was a goblin.

"My king bids you, Pale Orc, he had found your prize, Thorin Oakenshield," said the goblin bowing deeply. Nuil stared at the goblin. No. Surely not? The goblin caught sight of her and grinned, his jagged and pointed teeth covered in grime and rot.

Azog looked at her them, a gleam in his eyes. He spoke once more to her, and Nuil caught words such as, 'gru', 'vras' and of course Thorin's name. When the orc who was translating spoke, Nuil already had an idea of what he had said.

"He will break, Thorin Oakenshield, by killing his woman before his eyes."

Azog dropped her then, into the water that was still rising in the ravine. Completely submerged she fought to sit up only for something to drop on her. A heavy weight with hands that began to paw at her jerkin and pants. Nuil lashed out, punching the offending orc while trying to sit up. The orc lunged for her, pressing his hand into her face and holding her head beneath the water as its other free hand still fumbled with her clothing.

Panicked, Nuil swung her hands above the water, kicking and bucking. She would not let them, not while she could fight them. The few times she got her head above the water, taking gasping breaths, she could hear the orcs screeches of delight at her struggles. Azog watched from atop his warg, and then she was shoved beneath the water.

When a cool long fingered hand pressed against the flesh of her stomach she screamed, even as the water filled her mouth. How could this happen? She had to get to the Company, instead she was here and about to-

The weight on her was suddenly lifted, the hands were gone and Nuil sat up quickly, turning to retch in the water. Looking up when the feet of a warg filled her line of vision, Nuil didn't dare glare at Azog as he smiled down at her. She didn't dare look his warg in the eye.

All she could think about was being held under water as she was taken advantage of.

Azog reached down and lifted her up, turning her face side to side to peer at her with cold eyes. Setting her back on her feet, she gazed at him confused, until he drew his arm back and struck her. Nuil fell, landing in the water and black spots danced before her eyes. With a groan she lifted herself up on her hands and knees, feeling the side of her face swell from the hit.

Nuil barely heard the barked orders before she was being hauled to her feet, her wrists bound in coarse thick rope, and slung across the back of a warg. The orc riding in front of her, smelled like rotting flesh, spurred his warg after the others. The moment sent her head slamming down into the rear of the warg. Her nose blossomed with pain, and Nuil could feel the warm trickle of blood start to flow.

Her body felt so worn, the pain filling every part of her, that she was hard pressed not to make a sound. Nuil felt the blackness of sleep encroaching, and though she did not want to be attacked or fall asleep in the company of orcs, she felt her eyes shut.

The Goblin King cackled at the look of disbelief on Thorin's face. His Company began muttering, many still trying to free themselves of their captors grip. On another bridge, not far from the platform where they stood, Thorin could see several machinations being pushed towards them. He knew without even needed to ask that these were torture devices.

Glancing back at his Company, he was glad to see that Fili and Kili were together, the elder fussing over the younger. Even from where he stood Thorin could see the bruises left over from the Goblin King's hands. They were not dark, nor very severe, but they angered him nonetheless. He would not lose another member of his Company this night. He would not bare it.

His gaze passed over the rest, taking in their cuts and bruises. Swelling eyes, and split lips. Luck certainly was not smiling down on them.

A screech filled the air, followed by a clang and Thorin looked at their pile of weapons as a goblin flung his sword down. The elven one. The Goblin King gave a yell.

"I know that sword! The blade that cut a thousand necks! Kill Him! Kill them all!" he screamed, pure terror filling his voice. Thorin was punched in the gut, grunting as he dropped to his knees. Several hands grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him down on his back. He fought the whole way down, thrashing and head butting any who got near enough. Arms held down, he barely stilled as a long cruel looking blade was raised above his neck.

He heard his nephews yells and even Dwalin's, and his struggle renewed with increased vigor. Until there was a sudden blast and white light filled the cavern. Everything was completely still for the longest moment, not even Thorin dared to move. His eyesight slowly returned as a figure stepped out of the gloom.

Gandalf.

"Take up arms."

Slowly they began to move, the goblins still blinded by the pure light.

"Fight. Fight!" he yelled.

She was vaguely aware that they were stopped. The warg beneath her slowed, and Nuil forced herself to wake. Even though she still hurt as though she'd been pounded into the ground by an Oliphant. She would not even make a joke that she had in fact fallen from a height that had killed her. Nuil could not even remember her last moments very well.

One moment she was falling, reaching out and the next she was waking up in Irmo's gardens. Nuil knew that she wouldn't want to remember either. Falling to one's death was painful. Not always instant. If she had suffered, Nuil did not want to remember it.

Looking at her wrist, she found that the skin had been rubbed raw, red around the rope. There was little doubt in her mind that very soon they would be bleeding. But before she could even dwell further on these thoughts she was yanked from the back of the warg and to the ground. The orc standing over her, descended without a moments warning and she was fighting it off with her hands bound. But just as it had come, the orc was gone, in its hands holding her belt and sword.

Nuil cursed under her breath in Khuzdul. Even in her state, she should have made a run for it. Even without a sword she was still armed. She had knives in her boots and in her coat. But now that her sword was in their grasp, she didn't want to leave it.

She was picked up, dragged along by her tunic and thrown at the feet of Azog. Nuil lifted her eyes slowly, clenching her jaw together. She wasn't too fond of him, or the fact that he had struck her. The side of her face where he had hit her still throbbed. Without even looking she knew she had a black eye.

He leered down at her, speaking.

"He wants to know where they are," snarled the orc standing on Azog's right. Nuil's eyes flicked over to him. Surely, the Pale orc didn't need everything said to be translated? If she were not their captive, she might smile.

"I don't know where they are," she replied honestly. "Shouldn't the goblins know?"

The orc gnashed its teeth at her, translating to Azog what she said. Azog stepped forward, smacking her. With a cry, Nuil fell backwards, her face stinging. She tasted copper on her lips. Azog was speaking again, this time there was fury in his voice.

"The door is shut. The goblins do not bring us our prize, gru kurv," the orc sneered.

"I do not know," she said, staring defiantly at the orc. Azog growled at her before turning and stomping away. The orc approached her, grabbing her by her hair before slamming her into the ground. Her vision swam, the sun overhead swaying back and forth over her head. When the orc was convinced that she wouldn't be moving anytime soon, he lumbered away. Nuil was aware of more orcs moving around her, hissing and muttering. But she was too exhausted to care.

"You thought you could escape me?" howled the Goblin King, as he advanced upon Gandalf. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Gandalf lunged forward, thrusting her staff out to poke the Goblin King in the eye. While he howled, Gandalf drew back Glamdring and sliced the air. The Goblin King clutched his throat, staring down at them with wide eyes.

"That'll do it," he breathed before collapsing. For a moment the Company just stared while the other goblins gaped at them, shocked that their great King now lay dead at their feet. Gandalf turned to looked at the dwarves when the bridge they stood on began to creak, the wood snapping.

"Hold on!" Dwalin roared at them when the whole platform dropped a foot. Another groan and the whole bridge dropped. They yelled as they plummeted down the cavern, the edges wedging in between two walls of stone before dropping to the very bottom. The wood collapsed, and several groans filled the air. As the dust settled, Gandalf stood.

"Well," he breathed, leaning on his staff.

Fili began to pull himself out of the wreckage, a large beam falling from his back and clattering to the ground. He held out a hand to help his uncle out of the rubble.

"It could have been worse, lads," Bofur said cheerfully.

No sooner had he spoken when the body of the Goblin King fell on top of the wreckage. Dwalin roared, severely unhappy at being crushed.

"You just had to say something!" Dori shouted, having to be pulled out with the help of his two brothers.

"Gandalf!" Kili shouted, scrambling out of the wood. Gandalf followed the dwarfs train of sight, taking a slight step back at the sight of thousands of goblins scrambling down the walls.

"This foe is beyond you . . . run!"

Bilbo could not believe it. He'd found the way out, the light from the sun filling the doorway. The only thing in his way now was this creature before him. Peering out into the gloom and halflight while muttering under its breath.

"We's kills it we will, precious," it hissed. "Thief!"

The only thing that was keeping this creature, this 'Gollum', from venturing further was the dwarves running past their little side passageway. Bilbo so desperately wanted to call out, let them know that he was still here. But he didn't. It would give away his position to Gollum. So he waited until the last dwarf, Bombur, ran past.

He would have to kill Gollum to get out. Bilbo raised his sword, leveling the point on Gollum's neck. Bilbo made the mistake of looking the creature in the eyes. A mistake, or mercy? Seeing the hopelessly lost look in his eyes made pity fill Bilbo and he hesitated.

Just because this creature was in his way, didn't mean he had to kill it. Gollum couldn't see him. It would be . . . murder, right?

'True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one', Gandalf had told him, outside the troll caves. The words rang through him. He was a hobbit, not a dwarf. He didn't kill defenseless creatures. Bilbo wavered, lowering his sword.

The air shifted, and Gollum glared into the gloom as if realizing he wasn't alone. A hiss tore from his throat as Bilbo ran, jumping over him and into the passageway. The sunlight drawing him to the fresh air, Gollum's anguished cries following him.

All Bilbo could think about was that he was free.

"Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf demanded looking around the ragged group of breathless dwarves. "Where is our hobbit?"

They were silent, casting their eyes about for their missing companion. Bifur made a strange guttural noise, clutching at his streaked grey hair with panic in their eyes. Fili and his brother searched around them, panic setting in.

"We've lost him too?!" Bofur cried looking back the way they had came.

"What do you mean 'lost him too'?" Gandalf asked stiffly, eying the Company with a look that made them all cringe. Even Thorin who turned to look out over the land with slumped shoulders. Gandalf counted again, noting that they were now two members short.

"Where is Nuilweyil?" he asked softly.

He was met with silence.

"What has become of her?" he demanded, approaching Thorin with anger filling his voice. Thorin turned and regarded the wizard wearily.

"She fell," he said softly. "Down the mountainside." Gandalf let out a breath of air, looking away and at the forlorn faces of the dwarves. "Nuilweyil lies in a ravine to be eaten by crows and carrion." Bitterness filled Thorin's voice, the sting of angry tears filled his blue eyes. Yet no one saw, for he had turned to face away from them again.

"She's dead, Master Gandalf," Balin spoke. The old dwarf sighed heavily. "She saved Bilbo's life."

"And look what Mr. Baggins has done now!" spat Thorin whirling around. "Left! He has thought of nothing but his home and the comforts it provides. He will return to his land thinking nothing of her sacrifice! He is long gone."

"Thorin-" Balin said trying to calm the rage filled dwarf, cut off when another voice filled the air.

"No. I'm right here," Bilbo said, stepping out from the trees, breathless and covered in mud. "I haven't gone anywhere."

"Bilbo!" Ori exclaimed beaming. "We thought we had lost you!"

"No," Bilbo said smiling slightly, although it looked strained. "I can assure you that I'm right here."

"You're not leavin' then?" Bofur asked.

"I don't plan to." There was confidence in the hobbits voice. Newfound, and hard to miss. Bilbo looked at Thorin, who was glaring at him. "I know you blame me, but I would never think less of what Nuil has done for me, I would not shame that memory."

At the mention of her name, the dwarf King flinched slightly. He sighed heavily and looked away, gazing back up the mountainside with a look of sorrow in his eyes. "Don't forget it," he murmured.

Gandalf sighed heavily, noticing however, that Bilbo was slipping something in his pocket. It shined in the setting sun before disappearing beneath the fabric. Frowning he decided not to pry as to what it was. He already was surprised that the hobbit had made it out alive, and on his own. But, he reminded himself, hobbits were light on their feet, and stealthy.

"I think we should find somewhere to camp for the night," he said breaking the silence. Fourteen heads nodded in agreement. Turning away, a howl rose into the air, sending chills down Bilbo's spine and thirteen dwarves turned slowly to look at each other.

"Wargs," Fili breathed.

Looking up to the ridge, a warg appeared at its crest not a moment later. Followed by another and then another. Riderless, but still no less dangerous. The air stilled and Gandalf turned to them.

"Run! Make for the trees!"

There was so much going on, I didn't want to write separate chapters, but I also couldn't fit everything in, so hopefully this suffices. I know that not everything that happens, especially to a certain someone, will be pleasing. She did in fact die. And unfortunately orcs are not pleasant beings . . . yeah.

Black speech translations(not entirely acurate?)

kurv- whore

gru- woman

Thank you to my amazing reviewers: Deceptive D Minor, Just4Me, KingofTruands, and Lalaithiel. I seriously love getting feedback :) Makes my day :) :) (bonus XP points for triple smiles!)

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~filimeala