Hi!
Sorry for the little wait…have a longer chapter here : )
More hurting in this chapter (and it's not slowing down any time soon…)
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Enjoy!
Onwards….
'No! You foul creatures, leave my brother alone!' Fili roared as he hastened to untie his bound leg; he was now balanced precariously atop a small spike of rock and he carefully manoeuvred down. He could feel sharp fragments of stone and rock embed themselves in his fingers and could feel his rib bones jarring together, but he gritted his teeth and carried on; his brother needed him.
He squinted as he came to the bottom; all he could see were rocks and four of the trolls backs were turned to him- he couldn't see what they were doing, but he could hear Kili scream and that infuriated him even more.
'Kili!' he ran forwards, bent double by the pain of his ribs. Pulling out his sword, his swiped down the back of one troll, sending blood spattering to the floor. He roared as loud as he could and rushed forwards.
-x-
Kili moaned in pain as the mallet was raised again. The weight of the mallet had shifted and he could feel that at least his right leg was broken; he could feel ice cold pain just below his kneecap. He let out a pained gasp, eyes fluttering as the troll with the mallet gave a pain filled yell and turned abruptly, hitting out with the heavy instrument. He heard his brother shout in surprise and pain and he heard a body hit the floor. His arms and legs were being held…there was nothing he could do…his legs hurt so bad…where was Thorin?
'Fili!' he screamed, using the last of his strength to power his arms, flinging them in every direction to try and throw the troll's off.
'Stop moving!' one told him, pushing its ugly face into the youngest dwarves'. 'I don't like my meat moving…we should stop the meat moving'
Kili's face drained of what little colour it had left as the other trolls turned to agree with him. He struggled as hard as he could, but the trolls wouldn't let him go.
-x-
'This is getting really hot now'
This time, Thorin had to agree; the water seeping into his clothes and into his hair was definitely too hot for comfort.
'Help! Help us!' Bilbo splashed into the water, ignoring the bobbing vegetables. 'We're in here!'
Bilbo stopped as a scream echoed above them. Thorin recognised the scream and his blood boiled hotter than the water encasing him.
'Kili!'
He grabbed the sides of the cauldron, nails digging into the metal, making no dents. He shook his head, kicked his legs. Thorin Oakenshield yelled in anger, splashed his arms and frantically punched the metal.
Bilbo watched him, quite startled. 'Thorin…' he stuttered.
'No, Bilbo!' Thorin turned to him and Bilbo's first thought was that he had gone mad. 'They're going to kill my nephew! It's my fault!'
'How-?'
'I insisted we take this road- I should have said no…'
'Well, this is great isn't it?' Bilbo turned away from Thorin and looked up at the cavern ceiling. 'The Great Thorin Oakenshield, Prince of Dwarves, drowning in his own self doubt, losing control like a madman. I would never have thought it!'
'How dare you!' Thorin's dark eyes flashed with dangerous anger. He moved towards Bilbo.
'Oi!'
The Dwarf and Hobbit looked up into the face of a blackened troll, a face eaten away by some disease, so half its cheek was gone and teeth were barred.
'Let us out!' Thorin yelled, hissing as the water got even hotter.
But the troll didn't answer. But what it did do was reach into the cauldron with a large spoon, carved from the bark of a whole tree and stuck it straight into the middle of the cauldron.
Bilbo caught Thorin's eye just before the troll started mixing. The wood hit him in the side, pulling him under; he couldn't take a breath, all he could see was darkness. The Hobbit reached out and almost choked as his head hit the side of the cauldron; his mouth was filling with water. All of a sudden, he hit something large and solid. He coughed and he opened his eyes. All around was a swirling darkness, bubbles cascading out of his mouth. He could feel his head becoming heavy, his throat burned and his eyes closed…
A hand reached out and pulled him up, grabbing his wrist. The water still swirling, Thorin pushed upwards with his legs and his head broke the water. He took in a huge gulping breath, his voice ragged.
'Bilbo!'
He pulled up his arm and pulled the smaller Hobbit to the surface. Bilbo coughed, spitting water. They could hear the troll chuckling to himself above them and Thorin looked at Bilbo.
The Hobbit breathed in deeply, trying to control his panic. The water was still hot; he could see bubbles bubbling in the corner.
'You're right' Thorin told him quietly. Bilbo looked up at him.
'I was wrong to doubt.'
Bilbo huffed, face red from the heat. 'I only said it to get you to think rationally.'
Thorin looked away.
'Where are the others?'
-x-
Breathing through his teeth, Kili tried to control his pain. After all, this wasn't the first time he had been injured and, provided he survived this encounter, it certainly wouldn't be his last. But he had never been subjected to such raw torture before.
'This is all skin and bones…no meat on it!'
Kili's eyes rolled up into the back of his head as a smaller, more 'intelligent' looking troll came towards him, large, flat nose sniffing.
'He's not like the mutton and the pork…he's not even a mouthful!'
'I found him and I'm going to eat him!' A huge, evil looking troll with round, bloodshot eyes and blood pouring from an earlier sustained wound to its forehead came crashing forwards, looking furious.
'I want to eat him!'
The large troll looked at the next troll, with greening teeth and moss growing from its ears.
'I told you he's mine!'
'But I want him!'
The huge troll gave a blood curdling yell and launched itself forward. The green-toothed troll didn't manage to put up his arms in time and the large troll's fist sank right into its face. Teeth and blood scattered everywhere and Kili shuddered as something hard struck his face and what could only be blood soaked his already blood-soaked cloak.
The troll roared and pushed forwards, savagely punching the other in the head, driving it to the floor.
The two trolls holding Kili let him go and Kili huffed out a breath before turning onto his front. He screamed in pain and looked down at his leg as it exploded with pain.
He could see the bone protruding through the skin, white and shiny was in stark contrast to the blood and stone around it.
'No…' he moaned and he crawled forwards, his ribs pushing into his lungs. He coughed and spat out blood, throat searing with pain, but he ignored it. He'd stay here and die if he stopped now.
'Kili!'
He looked up, eyes unfocussed as unconsciousness threatened to overcome him. His brother was there in front of him, a large ugly gash marring his handsome face.
'Come on, Kili…' Fili reached forwards and grabbed his arm, ducking down so they wouldn't be spotted by the warring trolls. The red mist had truly descended and the trolls were engaged in a fierce and dangerous battle. Their roars of complete hatred and anger echoed around the stone and agonised screams made the hair stand up at the back of Fili's neck.
He put a hand around his brother's waist and hauled him up.
'Aaah!' his brother moaned, pushing his face into his brother's shoulder. 'It hurts!' he cried, voice muffled.
'I know…hush' Fili pushed his face down and laid his cheek on his Kili's head. 'Just keep walking.'
'I can't!'
'Yes, you can!'
Fili, closing his eyes, pushed out the sounds of his brother's cries of pain and shuffled forwards. His brother leaned heavily on him and Fili could tell he was holding his breath.
He got them as far as a low boulder, just about fifteen feet from the trolls. He held his brother to him, rocking him. Kili was shaking, not from fear, but from pain; he was going into shock.
-x-
'We've got to help them!'
Balin looked imploringly at the other dwarves. They were squashed into this makeshift prison like sheep in a pen.
'We cannot leave them!'
Bofur looked out at what was happening, his eyes wide. He looked at the prison walls. There was no way they could get out…there was no room to even move.
'Perhaps…'
They all turned the best they could to look at the last person in the prison. Gandalf was sat awkwardly on the floor, his hat bent out of recognition.
'…We should use our heads?'
-x-
'Wait! Listen…'
Bilbo held out a hand to silence the dwarf next to him.
Thorin listened. 'I hear nothing.'
'Exactly' The roars of the trolls had stopped. Something was wrong.
Thorin almost choked on the hot water as a huge face loomed above them.
'If I can't eat that one…' it muttered, reaching in with a filthy hand. It scooped Thorin out the water and the dwarf let out an angry howl, Bilbo shrinking back.
'I'll eat this one'
Another little cliffy for you ;)
I hope you enjoyed this offering, please let me know what you think….thank you all so much for reading/reviewing/fave-ing/alerting so far- it means a lot to know you like it!
I'll be back soon….
X