I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius,this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.

Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged J

A great blast of pale blue light suddenly appeared, exploding through the giant cavern with a loud whoosh. All whom stood in its path were immediately paralyzed, falling over where they stood.

The goblins shrieked as the light burned their skin, their pale, grotesque flesh being unable to withstand bright light of any source. But their loud, pain filled shrieks were drowned out by the blast, as were the sounds of torture machines creaking as they flew through the air.

Within mere seconds, all was eerily quiet. The oil fed fires in their cisterns and torches slowly began to light again, illuminating the stricken goblins and bringing light to the massive destruction wrought by the wizard.

For Gandalf the grey, humble counselor though he was, was one of the Istari, emissaries sent by the Valar themselves to battle the growing evil in Middle-earth. And, though his own humility and compassion would not commonly allow his power to be displayed, the wizard was not just a cheap conjurer of tricks meant for the amusement of children, but rather one of the greatest and most powerful beings in all of Middle-earth during the third age of this world.

And he was furious.

XXX

As Cirashala was blinded by the light, she breathed a sigh of relief, even as that very breath was yanked from her lungs in the same moment.

Thank Eru, she thought to herself. He made it.

Her back hurt very badly, the throbbing pain dulled only slightly by the elvish pain tea she had drunk as they had climbed up the path outside. She was incredibly grateful she had done so, because she was quite certain the pain of a dozen lashes plus three serrated knife wounds would have caused her to fall into unconsciousness long before now, had she not had the pain tea beforehand.

She could feel the lightheadedness begin, her body reacting to the trauma even if her pain was slightly dulled. As the cavern began to light again, she rolled away from the great goblin, his grip on her neck having loosened in the wake of Gandalf's explosion. Pain laced up her shoulders as she stopped on her stomach, and her right hand met air.

The young woman froze, realizing that she was right next to the edge of the platform. As the torchlight returned, groans could be heard from dwarves and goblins alike, Gandalf's deep voice sounding above them.

"Take up arms," he said, looking over the group. "You must fight!" The disheveled dwarves began to stand on wobbly legs, recovering faster than the light sensitive goblins. Gandalf's eyes widened as clarity returned to the ugly, wrathful eyes of the evil creatures.

"FIGHT!"

XXX

Thorin threw the stunned goblins off himself as Nori growled, attempting to do the same. Several goblins rushed Gandalf as he hurried up the pathway to the great goblin's platform, his sword gleaming brightly in the dim cavern.

He hit an oncoming goblin with Glamdring in his right, using the tall staff in his left hand to knock another goblin over. He immediately swung back, stabbing another goblin deeply in his abdomen, the runes blazing brightly against the cool metal.

"He wields the foe-hammer!" the great goblin cried, cowering on the platform. "The Beater! Bright as daylight!" As he spoke, Bofur managed to reach the weapons pile. He began throwing swords, knives, warhammers, and a giant ladle behind him, trusting his companions to catch them.

Kili stood up, throwing a goblin off himself, before looking around frantically. He spotted his uncle fighting off two more goblins, seemingly unhurt, out of the corner of his eye. But he did not worry about Thorin- as long as his uncle was standing, and weapons were within reach, he could fight off his foes. Same with Fili- if his brother was on his feet, he could defend himself.

His eyes scanned the front of the goblin's platform frantically, trying in vain to spot the young woman. He heard his name shouted, and turned in time to catch the hilt of his sword mid-air just as Bombur used his massive belly to push several goblins off the platform into the abyss below. He pulled it forward, before spotting Grinnah.

Snarling as he remembered the sneering, gleeful expression on the goblin's face as he beat Cirashala, and then after as the same goblin began to whip his uncle fiercely after the revelation of Orcrist's presence, he charged the equally snarling creature.

Grinnah saw him and charged as well, but the goblin's strength was no match for the livid young dwarf, who immediately cut off his sword arm with a roar, followed by a shallow slash across his chest.

Feel that pain? The young dwarf snarled quietly as he drove his sword through Grinnah's torso, the goblin's mouth dropping open as his blood pooled on the wooden platform. That is the pain you inflicted on my friend. Remember it and die.

He withdrew his sword, watching with satisfaction as the impaled goblin fell to the ground, dead. He heard Nori shout Thorin's name, and saw the goblin king stand up, brandishing his club. He swung it at Thorin, who drew Orcrist from the sheath Nori was holding and swung against the massive club. The goblin king stumbled backward, and Kili's eyes fell on the platform near him, eyes growing in panic.

"Cirashala!" he cried, seeing the goblin's giant foot stumble dangerously close to her prone form. Thorin heard his cry, and looked over, before diving down towards the young woman. He clasped Cirashala's left wrist just as the great goblin stumbled into the abyss, the goblin's massive foot missing her by a hair's breadth.

Cirashala stumbled as Thorin hauled her to her feet, before a sword was thrust into her hand. She looked down, seeing the familiar metal gleaming blue in the darkness in her right hand as she tried to hold her tunic to her front with her left, her body quivering slightly from the trauma. Thorin looked at her pale face for a moment, his blue eyes unreadable, before grabbing her and turning her around. She felt him grab the top corners of the back of her tunic where the goblins had slashed it in half, tying it in place to keep her tunic on and tying the bottom corners as well, before pushing her gently but firmly towards the open pathway ahead.

The dwarves and wizard finished slicing through the cluster of goblins on the platform, and Gandalf turned toward them.

"Follow me!" he cried. "Quick!"

XXX

The group began running down the platform leading away from the goblin king's throne, opposite the way they had entered the large chamber.

Thorin was in the front, running as fast as he could, followed by the rest of the company. Kili and Fili were in the back at first, but quickly made their way up toward Cirashala, who was stumbling along toward the front of the group, Bofur supporting her.

As the miner saw Kili's expression of fear and worry, he nodded to the young prince, but refused to release his grip on the young woman as they ran.

"You are a better warrior than I!" Bofur cried as they ran. "We need your sword! I've got her!" Kili looked at him, eyes narrowing, but Fili grabbed his shoulder.

"He's right!" Fili cried, swinging his sword at a goblin with his left. "You are the better fighter! He won't let her get hurt anymore!" Kili looked at his brother, then back at Cirashala, before focusing on the goblins.

"If anymore harm comes to her, it is on your head," he whispered to the miner as he passed, before swinging his sword at a goblin to the right. Bofur looked at him strangely, but nodded, pulling her down with him as he ducked a goblin swinging on a rope over them.

Why would the lad think I would even consider letting her get harmed more? The miner thought in confusion. He's known me since he was a babe. He should know me better than that. Unless….

The thought that entered the miner's head at that point was immediately dismissed.

No, that can't be it, the miner thought as he swung the axe he held at another goblin, this time from the left.

But that did not stop the lingering doubts in the miner's head.

XXX

"This way!" Gandalf cried to the company of dwarves as they fled along platforms as fast as they could.

The goblins on the surrounding pathways jumped on the one the company was on with angry shrieks and cries, the ones landing immediately near the company getting killed or pushed off. But the group of goblins that followed them grew in number by the second, hordes of evil creatures out for the blood of those who would dare to escape their realm.

Dwalin came upon a group of goblins blocking his way, and swung his twin axes, Grasper and Keeper, slitting their throats in one stroke. He looked up, spotting several more running towards him, their bent legs and long arms making them look even more grotesque than they already did. He looked over his shoulder, huffing.

"Post!" he cried, swinging his right axe down, delivering a mighty blow to the side rail. Effectively creating a makeshift battering ram, he, along with Nori, Fili, Gloin and Bifur picked it up.

"Charge!" Dwalin cried, leading the assault. They swung the great pole from left to right, knocking about eight goblins off with each stroke until their path was relatively clear. They continued to run, Bofur in the back with Cirashala as the former swung his axe at a lingering goblin.

Cirashala stumbled on the loose planks, and Bofur grabbed his arm to steady her. He looked at her seriously.

"Lass, I need you to fight as best as ye are able," he cried as they ran. "There are too many of them ahead." Cirashala nodded.

I hope that my skills at being able to be unanticipated are enough and that goblins are as lousy fighters as they seem to be, she thought to herself as she lifted her sword, swinging it at a goblin on the right, knocking it off the platform. Otherwise I may not survive this.

XXX

The company briefly got separated, one half of them running above as the other half ran below. Within moments of the separation, the pathways came together again, and the company was united once more.

Gandalf led the charge this time, swinging his staff in his left as he wielded Glamdring with deadly accuracy. Goblins fell before the wizard, each being foolhardy to take on the powerful being in their raw hate. But Gandalf, while angry indeed, remained focused, and his strokes remained controlled.

How could the dwarves allow the girl to be tortured instead of them? The Istari thought as he cut down the goblins. They should have ensured she remained hidden from the goblin's sight!

The wizard glanced to where young Kili was, seeing the dwarf swing his sword at the goblins with fire in his dark eyes.

I would have thought that young Kili at least would have stopped them, the wizard thought to himself. He seemed to be quite curious about her in Rivendell, but perhaps his uncle's prejudices within him ran deeper than I thought.

Not for the first time did he curse the foolishness and stubbornness of dwarves.

XXX

Thorin swung his great sword around, slicing goblins left and right as Balin did the same, their experience as warriors showing in the complicated maneuvers and intricate steps each took.

Thorin spotted an archer, and, knowing that archers could be some of the deadliest foes in battle, striking unexpectedly and killing silently, swung Orcrist at its arrow before it had a chance to fire. He roared as he continued on, leading his half of the company, for they had gotten separated again in the tangled pathways of the goblin city.

Bofur moved so that the young woman was between him and the wall, slicing through the goblins to the side as Cirashala swung at an oncoming goblin. He could tell she was tiring, but she kept going, sheer determination in her eyes even as her face paled even further.

The lower group broke through the tunneled part, Ori swinging Dwalin's large warhammer and sinking in the skull of a goblin. He was very thankful that Fili had trained him with the warhammer in Rivendell, the weapon having been the only one that came Ori's way in the chaos that had ensued on the great goblin's platform. Now that he had begun to strengthen on the journey, with his daily weapons training as they had traveled by pony, the scribe could defend himself fairly reasonably.

Perhaps there were advantages to be gained if he would branch out from the slingshot. A warhammer would do very nicely as a secondary weapon, he decided as he swung it again.

XXX

Thorin swung his sword as six goblins surrounded him, beheading one as he shoved Orcrist into two goblins at once. Not for the first time did he grudgingly thank the high elves of the first age for making such a fine weapon, though its length had taken some getting used to.

He stabbed another goblin, fist swinging as he pulled his sword off it and landing his blow on the goblin behind. He glanced behind him, smirking slightly as he saw Oin swinging his staff in a circle over his head, effectively smacking any goblin within a ten foot perimeter down before it got even close to him.

Let it never be said that healers do not make formidable foes, Thorin thought as he turned to face more goblins. Oin might be a good healer, but he is deadly as an enemy.

He was very grateful the healer had chosen to come along, because, between the sheer numbers of goblins, their initial fall down the sharp goblin tunnel, the cliff smashing incident, and Cirashala's injuries, they would need him when their fight was over.

If only his pain draughts didn't taste so horrible, the dwarf king thought with a grimace.

XXX

A group of goblins suddenly shouted, and several of the dwarves looked up in horror as the vicious creatures mounted large ropes and swung down towards the platform they were standing on. Looking upward, then at the goblins, Thorin turned toward his men.

"Cut the ropes!" he cried, and they went to comply. The platform above them creaked and groaned, before falling straight into the goblin's path. Their momentum caused the goblins to swing around wildly as they were effectively 'tied' to the falling wood.

As soon as the dwarves knew they were out of immediate danger of an attack from the side, they continued on.

XXX

Kili growled as he swung his sword down at an oncoming goblin, before looking up in fear as his keen ears distinctly made out the noise of bows being drawn. His eyes widened as the crude black arrows were released in his direction, and he swung his sword up instinctively, not knowing what else to do.

The first arrow glanced off his sword, and he glanced down in surprise.

That worked? He thought to himself. But he had no time to ponder on his new method of defense, for two more arrows followed in quick succession, each blocked by his sword. Not confident that his sword could block them forever, he reached over and grabbed a ladder standing nearby.

Swinging the ladder in front of him, he heard the distinct sound of three more arrows imbedding into the wood, thanking Mahal above that goblins were lousy archers. He glanced at the young woman behind him with concern, still next to Bofur, before looking forward at the oncoming goblins. Bifur grabbed the other side, and they tilted the ladder forward, Bofur released her arm, and pushed behind Bifur, aiding them as they used the ladder as a battering ram.

Kili saw the opening up ahead in the platform, and as soon as they had pushed the goblins off, he threw it down to complete the gap and allow them to cross. He lingered behind as the other dwarves crossed, keeping an eye on Cirashala. He watched as she stumbled, her face deathly pale, and his eyes widened.

He pushed past the others, grabbing her arm even as Bofur insisted she would be fine with him.

"Bofur, go!" Kili cried, pushing the miner ahead of him. He shoved Cirashala in front of him, glancing in fear over his shoulder at the goblins following them. She hesitated at the ladder, and planted her feet as Kili nudged her, looking over her shoulder with panic.

"My balance isn't that good!" she cried. He looked at her, his eyes widening at the fear in hers. Dwalin behind him broke him out of his hesitation.

"Lad, move!" he cried, shoving Kili ahead onto the ladder. Without hesitation, the burly warrior grabbed the young woman, carrying her with one arm across the bridge, before setting her down on the other side. He kicked the edge of the ladder, knocking it down, before turning to her.

"Next time, wobbly or no, you WILL cross," he growled. "Hesitating will get you killed, and those who protect you as well!" His gaze went from Cirashala to Kili, his message clearly for both. He shoved her ahead into the young dwarf's arms, and Kili grasped her hand with his left and continued on running.

Cirashala looked with wide eyes at the goblins around them, wishing in that moment that she were anywhere but there.

XXX

Gandalf jumped down into a tunnel of sorts, slashing and hacking at more goblins. He looked back, seeing the entire company behind him, before rushing ahead. The company mounted what appeared to be a swinging bridge, and once they were all on, Kili reached up and slashed the rope holding it in place, allowing the swing to move towards the other side.

As the swing began to move, he went toward Cirashala, grasping her waist tightly as he planted his feet (being the only way he could hold her without placing more pressure on her wounds). The bridge approached the other side, and half their company jumped off, Fili and Thorin included.

Before the rest of them could jump, however, it began to swing back towards the other side. As more goblins jumped on the platform, Kili was forced to let go as they rushed against them. Cirashala raised her sword as well, her arms shaking with the effort.

When did this sword become so heavy? She thought to herself as she swung at a goblin, slashing it across the torso. But there was no time to ponder it, as those still on the bridge began to run to the other side to jump off.

Everyone else was off and running, and as Cirashala and Kili jumped, several goblins also swung down to the platform ahead, cutting them off from the company. Cirashala landed on the platform with a thud, and as she began to stumble to her feet, a cry reached her ears. Turning her head sharply, her heart seemed to leap into her throat.

For all she could see were four fingers quickly slipping off the edge of the platform, Kili struggling to maintain his grip so as to avoid falling into the abyss below.

XXX

"Kili!" The bloodcurdling scream rang out in Thorin's ears, and he turned back, eyes widening as he saw a flash of grey dive toward the edge of the platform. The goblins behind them rushed towards her, before being forced to turn at the cries of the company behind them.

Thorin and Fili surged through the goblins, slashing and cutting as the others protected their flank. As they grew closer, Thorin could see above the goblin's heads, eyes widening in horror at the sight before him.

"NO! KILI!" he cried, and both he and his nephew continued their onslaught, praying they would reach the two in time.

XXX

Kili's eyes widened as he flew towards the edge of the platform, immediately knowing that he would just barely make it, if at all. As his fingers hit the edge of the rotting wood, he tightened his grip as much as he could, his sword clattering on the slanted rock faces below as he cried out.

He looked down in horror, seeing the cave wall come to a slant about fifteen feet below, but beyond that was darkness as the abyss went deeper, the bottom invisible to even his keen eyes in the darkness. He looked up again, seeing his hand begin to slip. His eyes widened before they tightly shut as his grip faltered.

"Goodbye, brother," he whispered as his hand slipped off.

XXX

Kili's eyes flew open as he felt something grasp his wrist, and looked up into terrified blue eyes.

"Kili!" the young woman cried, both her hands holding his wrist in a tight grip. "Grab my wrist!" A slight scraping noise reached his ears, and his eyes widened even further as he saw the toe of her boot poking through a slit in the wooden platform behind her, slowly sliding out. The young dwarf looked back at her, terrified brown eyes locking with equally terrified blue.

"Cirashala, you have to let me go," he said quietly, trying to keep his voice even. He failed miserably, and the tremor in his voice was quite audible. "If you don't, we will both fall to our deaths." She looked at him, and despite her terror fire sparked in her eyes.

"Like HELL I will!" she growled. "Now grab my damn wrist, you stubborn idiot!" A stunned Kili's eyes widened and he stared at her in shock, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Pain contorted her face as her foot slipped further, snapping him out of his surprise.

"Grab. On," she said through clenched teeth, and after hesitating one last moment, he twisted his wrist and grasped hers. He saw the raw pain in her face, jaw clenched even as her face went white. He could see the angry red marks through the gaping hole in the back of her bloody tunic, the crimson liquid still seeping from her wounds.

She began to pull, face twisted and red with effort as Kili visibly saw the muscles in her back flex. She pulled as hard as she could, panting, but the young dwarf was just too heavy, and he didn't budge any further up.

His eyes widened as he saw a goblin raise his sword behind her through the crack in the wood her boot was sliding out of.

"Behind you!" he cried, and as she looked up over her shoulder, the goblin shrieked, the familiar curved tip of Orcrist protruding through its stomach.

XXX

Thorin and Fili watched with wide eyes as the dead goblin fell on Cirashala's foot, dislodging it.

"NO!" Thorin's cries intermingled with his eldest nephew's, and he lunged toward the edge, Orcrist clattering at his side on the wooden platform as his gloved hand grasped air. He smacked down on the wooden platform, chest and torso just over the edge, and right arm dangling down as Fili grasped his legs.

But this time he wasn't fast enough.

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A response to guest reviewer-Guest- Here ya go! You're welcome :D Thanks for reviewing!

A response to guest reviewer Ari- Thank you! I pride myself on detail-stories that don't have much detail do not appeal to me. I am glad you like my story and it keeps you enthralled-it makes me feel good as a writer :D I am glad you liked my deviations in GT with the presence of my OC. Yes, her spirit and fire did kick in. She is very slow to anger, but when her friends were threatened, the volcano erupted. Yes, the company will view her differently now, because she did not divulge anything of their quest to the GG even after being cruelly beaten-she simply responded with an insult they perfectly well understood- which (after hunting for ages online) I finally found the translation to- I spit on your grave. Very fitting. The company will realize that she not only meant her oath, but just HOW respectful she was of them-even if they clearly angered her (as Gloin and Nori seem to be particularly good at) she barely even raises her voice, and even then only once when she told Thorin to stay put on the cliff. For her to scream, yell and growl VERY serious insults at the GG (even if the dwarves only understood half of them, as they are insults from our world) there was no mistaking the intent-or the utmost respect she has shown them. I hope you enjoy the change in the relationship dynamics which will occur after this event :D

A response to guest reviewer Ri-chan- Glad to relieve your stress :D Fili will be very concerned later, but at the moment (with the stone giants) he didn't have time to ponder whether it was right, wrong, acceptable or indifferent. It was a time when a split second decision had to be made, and he will deal with the specifics later on-but trust there WILL be talk between them about this (and just for the record Fili does not care for her in the same way Kili is beginning to-his is more of a "big brother" and friendship vibe). Yes, Kili bears a strong resemblance to her husband (but obviously considerably shorter-she is loosely based off me, and my husband, while 6 foot and not as stocky as a dwarf, does bear a striking resemblance to Kili-he looks far more like Kili's brother than Fili does!) and yes it will become important later on, because anything Cirashala may even remotely feel for him as far as affection extending beyond friendship she will attribute to that resemblance. She will basically think her moments of heart tugs are the result of her seeing the shadow of a ghost in him….if that makes sense.

A response to guest reviewer Claire- Glad to give you plenty of chapters after your vacation :) As for the beard touching-Tolkien emphasized that dwarves are very proud of their beards, very meticulous, and they are only shaved in shame. Plus, their women are few and very precious, so all of that combined led me to believe something like that would be very plausible and very intense. I am glad you liked it :D No, the dwarves didn't understand all of her swearing (though they definitely understood by her tone that they were major insults regardless) but they did understand some of it (though there will be a humorous moment later when she sheepishly explains just exactly what motherfucker means lol ;) And yes she was pissed off because they threatened her dwarves and her friends and her king (plus, why would anyone want to torture someone as nice as Ori? Oh, right-goblins ;P ) and she doesn't care about appearances with the GG, not like she does with the dwarves. And she's cranky because they are losing sleep…and she's tired. Yes, the current predicament is causing her to think less on her family, because her anger is pushing her sadness to the back. She is most definitely not done grieving, but she is beginning to finally feel other emotions again, and will begin to heal as they go through their journey. I have been distracted from writing by winter prep and the new (AWESOME) Desolation of Smaug trailer, but I will hopefully write another chapter in a few days :D

Thanks to all who review, favorite, and follow- seriously, you guys are the best! :D :D :D