Chapter 3

How to Save a Life

Gandalf had a council to attend so I waited with Lin.

"Mother?"

I looked at her.

"Why did you leave?"

I sighed, for I did not know how to answer her.

"It is complicated Lin."

"Why?"

I smiled a little. She was still too young to understand.

"I left to teach someone a lesson."

She knew I would say no more on the matter. I saw the dwarves leaving and went with them.

"Be on your guard, we are about to step over the edge of the wild. Balin, you know these paths better than any, lead on."

"Aye."

Thorin seemed to be looking at me.

"Master Baggins…." I turned. "I suggest you keep up." he said.

This must have been the hobbit Gandalf spoke of. He turned away and walked with us.

When we stopped to rest that night Lin quickly fell asleep. I smiled and then I saw Thorin walking over to me.

"May I sit?" he asked.

I nodded slowly and he sat down.

"Where is her father? If I may ask."

I took a deep breath.

"There was never a father. Her blood mother died giving birth to her." I said quietly.

His blue eyes went wide and he looked at Lin.

"I did not know….."

"She knows I am not her birth mother. I may not have given birth to her, but she is still my daughter. And I love her more than my own life. She makes me so proud everyday." I told him.

He nodded.

"I am sorry. For everything I did back in Rivendell. I had no right to put my hands on you or to appear threatening to your child. Please forgive me." he said.

I smiled gently.

"I forgive you. If I may ask, why do you hate my kin so?"

He sighed.

"Do you not know?"

I shook my head.

"Your king abandoned us. A dragon took Erebor. That is where we are going, to take back our home. After the mountain was taken, I and my people went to your king begging for help, for food. He turned his back on us, left us to suffer." He said bitterly.

I closed my eyes and looked down.

"I am sorry."

"I do not blame you." I looked up. "You may be a wood-elf, but you were not part of this. Do not ask forgiveness, for there is nothing to forgive."

I smiled kindly.

"Thank you."

He nodded and looked at Lin.

"I will not let harm come to her. I promise you this."

I smiled more and touched his shoulder.

"Thank you Thorin."

He nodded and bid me good night.

The next morning we were walking along the slopes of the Misty Mountains. Thorin decided we would fill our waterskins here and take a short rest. Lin looked bored and I sighed.

"Lin, ruguo ni jixu yanxi xiang zheyang suo lin hui shengqi.." (Lin, if you keep acting like this Thorin will get upset.)

She groaned and I smiled in amusement.

"You wanted to come."

"I thought there would be more fighting."

I looked at her.

"Lin you are only fifteen! You do not need to be fighting." I scolded.

"So you wish to fight?"

I slowly looked up at the blond dwarf. I narrowed my eyes in warning.

"I would never hurt her my lady. I was nine years of age when I started my training."

Thorin stood now and walked over.

"Fili, if the Lady Caladhiel does not agree with this then the answer is no."

Lin looked at me with her big eyes.

"Please mother! Please?" She begged.

I looked at Fili.

"If she gets hurt I will tear you apart." I said.

Thorin smirked and Fili nodded. Lin smiled and hugged me before standing up. I gave her one of my dual blades.

"Be careful and do not get over confident." I said.

She nodded and then faced Fili.

Thorin's POV

To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The child was very fast and quite strong for her age. She used her fists and her legs as weapons as well. Her mother looked very nervous but Fili never hurt her. Lin soon had Fili on the ground and I smirked.

"Dwalin!"

"Aye?"

"It seems as though your training methods need improvement."

"What?!"

He came over and saw Fili pinned to the ground. He looked at me.

"Some of that was your training as well." he said.

I scowled at him and then looked at Fili.

"You are making the line of Durin look bad Fili." I said.

Lin laughed and then went back to her mother. I looked at Caladhiel.

"I assume you taught her everything she knows?"

Lin answered for her.

"Yes! Mother taught me everything since I was 5 years old. She could defeat you and the rest of the dwarves if she wanted! And I have studied Kung Fu since I was six."

Caladhiel's eyes went wide with shock and she pulled Lin back. She started to speak in that strange language and Lin looked at me again.

"I am sorry my lord. I meant no disrespect."

I had to give her a small smile.

"I have not been offended. I have no doubt that your mother is a formidable foe. I would hate to cross her." I told her.

Caladhiel smiled gratefully and nodded.

"We need to move on. I would like to make the journey through the mountain pass a short one if we can." I said.

Caladhiel looked worried.

"No harm will come to your child." I said.

She nodded, though I knew she was still uncertain.

Caladhiel's POV

As we made our way into the mountains, I could feel in my heart something was coming. I knew my daughter was in danger. As we went further, it began to rain. This made the rock slippery and loose. I kept a tight hold on Lin as we walked. I heard a shout from behind us and saw Bilbo almost fall. Dwalin grabbed him and pulled him back.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted.

"LOOK OUT!" Dwalin yelled.

A large piece of the mountain went flying in our direction. Lin screamed and I pulled her to me.

"This is no thunderstorm! It is a thunder battle! Look!"

The older dwarf, I believe his name was Balin, pointed into the distance. I gasped and tightened my hold on Lin. The dwarf, Bofur, stepped forward saying say something.

"….GIANTS! STONE GIANTS!" he shouted.

Another giant appeared and began to fight with the other.

"Take cover!" Thorin roared over the storm.

Someone pulled Bofur back and we tried to go faster. As we were going on, the mountain moved. We were standing on another Stone Giant.

Thorin's POV

My first responsibility was to ensure the safety of Lin and Caladhiel.

"Caladhiel!"

She moved up and I put her in front of me. The giant was hit by another and it started to fall to the side. It's knee collided with the mountain and I rushed them forward. Only half of the company made it. Fili, Bombur, Oin, Dori, Nori, Ori and Bilbo were trapped on the other knee.

"Fili!"

I was not the only one who had shouted. Lin had become close to Fili. There was nothing we could do! They were falling towards the mountain and all we could do was watch them collide.

"NO! FILI!" I shouted.

I rushed forward and as I got closer, I saw them. I sighed in relief and ran forward.

"Where is Bilbo? Where is the Hobbit!?" Bofur shouted.

We all looked around.

"There!"

The hobbit was hanging onto the edge of the cliff.

"Grab him!"

Several of them went forward but the hobbit slipped again. I jumped over the edge, making sure I had a good grip of the side and grabbed the hobbit. Once he was up I slipped. I heard the girl scream and she reached for me. Dwalin caught my wrist and pulled me up with her help. Caladhiel held onto her child and Dwalin sighed in relief.

"I thought we lost our burglar." he said.

I stood up. He had almost cost me my life and worse the life of the little girl's. I had promised her mother I would keep her safe.

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." I said.

I walked over to a cave opening.

"Dwalin!"

We walked inside and started to look around.

"Search to the back. Caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied." I said.

He went to the back.

"There is nothing here."

I nodded and put my coat around the girl.

"Stay warm now." I said.

She nodded and Caladhiel smiled gratefully. She took her child to the side of the wall and sat her down. She started to sing softly in their language and the girl soon fell asleep. Caladhiel took some rest as well. I did take a liking to her child. She was strong for one so young, she was brave and fiercely loyal to those she cared about. And her mother, she was dangerous but gentle. She had a kind face and wise blue eyes. She was indeed a rare beauty.

Later that night I heard someone walking away. I opened my eyes and found it was only the Hobbit.

Let him leave if he wishes it.

"Where do you think you are going?" Bofur asked him.

"Back to Rivendell."

I heard Bofur move.

"No! You cannot go back now eh? You are part of the company."

"I am not now am I? Thorin said I should never have come and he was right. I am not a Took I am a Baggins. I do not know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

"You are homesick! I understand…"

"No you do….see none of you do! You are dwarves. You are used to this life, living on the road, never settling in one place! Not belonging anywhere." said the hobbit.

His words hit my heart like an arrow.

"I am sorry I did not mean…."

"No you are right. We do not belong anywhere." Bofur said.

I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the conversation.

"I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do."

I heard someone start to walk away.

"What is that?" Bofur asked him.

I heard someone unsheathe a sword and then I heard something odd.

"Wake up! All of you!"

I ran to Caladhiel and Lin just before the ground opened beneath us. Lin fell from her mother's arms and I grabbed her. I shielded her from the fall and we all fell into a cage. I saw the goblins running towards us and I looked for Caladhiel.

"Mother!"

I looked at Lin.

"Stay low to the ground! If you can find a place to hide! Do not come out for anything." I said.

I was dragged away from her before she could do or say anything.

Caladhiel's POV

Lin fell from my arms and I saw her and the others swarmed by goblins. I saw them take Thorin from her and then they took her as well. I dropped down but by the time I made it down they were gone. I drew my sword and made my way through the goblin tunnels.

Thorin's POV

We were brought before the great goblin. Lin looked frightened and I kept her behind me. Fili kept his arms around her.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?!"

"Dwarves your malevolence and this!"

A goblin took Lin from Fili and dragged her forward.

"No!"

Fili, Kili and the others all tried to get her back, but there were too many goblins.

"Ah a little girl? And what are you and your dwarf friends doing in these parts?"

Lin spit in his face and twisted out of his grasp. She ran and jumped as high as she could She climbed up a pole and there she stayed.

"Bring me the fire!"

My eyes widened.

"WAIT!"

I walked forward.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is! Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror King Under the Mountain!"

He mock bowed to me but I remained calm.

"Oh but I am forgetting! You do not have a mountain, and you are not a king. Which makes you nobody really."

I watched in horror as Lin jumped down onto him. She had a knife in her hand. She stuck it into his shoulder before jumping off again. However she landed wrong and cried out in pain. I ran forward and picked her up.

"Lin it will be alright." I said trying to reassure her.

I knew she was fighting back tears. She was a strong one.

"Search them!"

I held Lin close and the rest of the company gathered around us. They took my sword and the second they took it a goblin shrieked.

"It is the Biter!" the great goblin shouted.

They started to whip me to the ground and Lin stood up and caught one of the whips.

"Cut off his head!"

"ENOUGH!"

All the goblins stopped and I looked over. Caladhiel was slowly coming forward. The rage on her face even made me flinch.

Caladhiel's POV

"I have not see you since you were much smaller and less….no my mistake. You have always been ugly."

"Ah the wood elf. Interesting to see you still alive."

I smirked and walked forward.

"You will not be alive for much longer. Especially after what you did to my daughter."

He looked at Lin and then there was a flash of light. When it cleared Gandalf was there.

"Take up arms! Fight! FIGHT!"