Standing Still A Precarious Predicament & a Pinch of, a hobbit fanfic

AN: So bloody hell, this chapter veered off from what I had originally intended. The first page or so of events turned into about sixteen so, this little adventure will have to take place over two chapters instead of one but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same. Honestly, I'm not 100% happy with this one but I can't seem to improve it… my muses are on vacation.

And now, the weather:

Guest: I think the fading depends on the type of dye/color hue, the chemicals in the shampoo used to wash her hair and the temperature of the water… So that being said, I'll say that her dye was a good brand so it'll go an extra week or so and since there are no actual shampoos in our sense in Middle Earth as well as heated bathing opportunities on the journey (Ered Luin and Rivendell excluded), I'll say her hair's about a pale blue/ grayish color by the end of the quest. After some minor research, I read that hair grows, on average, about half an inch per month. With that in mind, and also the effect of stress stunting hair growth, I'll say Emily will have about an inch worth of dark roots by the time they reach the Lonely Mountain. Sigh… it's the little details that I'm anal about. :\

There were some things about DoS that bothered me but after I'd calmed down, I kind of could see past them. Like the romance… Even though I don't ship it, my main concern was that they felt the need to make Kili a damsel in distress just to showcase how strong Tauriel is. And also, it seemed really rushed and unnatural. I thought the beginning of the movie seemed rushed too. I'd have liked more time with Beorn and the Eagles… and not to mention in Mirkwood! What happened to the enchanted river? And the absolute darkness with glowing eyes? And the campfire party Elves? I'd have loved to see that… Aside from that, I think the other deviations from the book didn't take much away, like splitting the company. I was annoyed at first but we don't really lose much. While at the mountain, everyone is kind of blurred into the background anyway. But, yes, Smaug was easily my favorite part. Then maybe Thranduil; he seemed really intriguing.

My main train of thought was "I'm writing Middle Earth, I'm going to touch base with absolutely everything possible and hopefully in an orderly fashion" haha. So I'm quite glad you're enjoying the trip thus far!

Hehehehe *Cheshire cat grin* Your review made me so giddy, thank you!

ME: It's improbable that there's Christmas in Middle Earth because of origins/ difference in religions/ ect. But it'd be awesome if there was an equivalent like the Five Wizards gave out presents or whatever for a day. Gandalf would be all for it, bringing toys, setting off fireworks. Radagast already has the sleigh; he'd like give out berries or something. Sarumon would have to be questionable though like "I give you the gift of your life... use it while you can" or "Here's some dark curse on your family" or "Here's some advice, kids-submit to your parents' will, as they submit to MY will, as I submit to Lord Sauron's will, as he submits to Morgoth's will, but he's kind of out of commission so, really, I'm only submitting to one guy and I'm not eating your filthy human cookies! Go to sleep before I make it eternal!" And the Blues... they could do something related to blue because they're like that.

Chapter XII

A Precarious Predicament and a Pinch of Pandemonium

A small stone tumbled down the pile of rocky debris, its humble sound echoing in the darkness.

Klak…

Klak.

Ka-klak.

It landed somewhere beyond my head from what I could tell. But that was the extent of my senses.

My skull pounded with a mounting ferocity, and I felt that all of the blood had rushed to my head. I groaned as I forced open my eyes, the pressure in my head threatening to force them from their sockets. Blackness was the first thing I saw, unsurprisingly, and I merely lay there, partially covered by the rubble, waiting for things to make sense. My vision started to adjust finally and the world faded to shades of grey and black. Then a rather glaringly obvious fact struck me.

I was upside down.

My legs, as it seemed, were wedged under a good amount of debris, enough to anchor me to the steep side of the rock heap. At the realization, I squirmed, trying to wriggle my legs free and right myself. There was a sharp pain in my left leg and I prayed I hadn't broken it. It was a shooting pain that ran from my knee to my foot and increased whenever I moved. I gritted my teeth and curled my toes as I tugged myself out inch by inch. Once I came loose, I fell a little ways down the pile of rocks but not enough to reach the bottom. I wasn't even sure where the bottom was. It was frightening—sitting on an unstable mountain of rubble in a dark cavern. I sat there for a moment in silence, perched unsteadily on the slope, breathing heavily trying to calm down. And crap, my shoes were gone.

I felt my leg and immediately found the hunk of stone jutting from the side of my knee. I gasped as I grazed it, the pain flaring angrily. I remembered hearing that you should leave arrows or knifes in wounds to prevent blood loss but I didn't think I could go on with this wedged into my knee. It was a joint so with each movement, the sharp rock would only cause more damage. I mentally cursed, realizing that it would have to come out then cursed again. With careful fingers, I felt around the stone, finding the angle at which it entered my skin then held it tightly. I took a deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut against the coming pain and pulled.

The scream that escaped me couldn't be helped. I felt a trickle of blood run down my calf but thankfully, it wasn't a constant stream. Had the rocks not have fallen with me, I'm sure I'd have been hurt far worse. I turned the stone over in my hand—it was about the size of a tennis ball with one incredibly pointed and narrow edge like an arrowhead. With a glare, I threw it down into the darkness.

Klak!

Ka-klak!

Klak-klak!

Son of a bitch rock! I pursed my lips, testing my knee out with a slow bend. It still hurt like hell but was loads better than before. Instead of a sharp electrical jolt of pain, it was now a flickering static. I think the stone had been hitting a nerve or something. Could've been worse, I told myself, it could've been worse. I grabbed the hem of my dress and began ripping at the seams with my teeth. The additional fabric that had been added tore off after a few good tugs and I carefully tried to wrap my injury. I admit, whilst bandaging my knee, I felt a little badass, like some action hero about to get shit done. But then that reverie was gone as I tried to stand and I yelped like kicked puppy at the pain.

There was a loud grunt then a shower of rocks as someone popped out of the wreckage farther up.

"Durinu-me turg!" I heard Gimli exclaim.

"Gimli?" I called and I could vaguely see him looking around for me. "Down here. Are you okay?"

"Bah! It'll take more than a tumble underground to shake me!" he boasted, fighting his way down to my level. With a sudden cry, he stumbled and I caught him by the shoulders which sent us both reeling down the mountain a few feet. Gimli looked at me with wide eyes, his mouth forming an 'o' of surprise as he realized we were quite close to falling all the down, had it not been for a particularly large stone slab.

"My thanks for that, Lady Emily," he breathed in relief, peering down into the darkness below us.

"Don't mention it. And it's just Emily," I replied before gasping. "The others! Where are they?"

Gimli froze, and we went still, listening for signs of the brothers. Silence. There was nothing aside from the occasional shift in rocks as they settled but they didn't seem to be caused by someone moving.

"Fili…?" I called, but only as loudly as I dared. "Kili…?"

There was no response.

"They could still be in the mine," Gimli whispered. I turned to him but even he didn't seem to believe his optimistic words.

"No, Fili was right with me," I told him. "He has to be down here."

"And Kili close behind... They must be buried," Gimli concluded grimly. "They could be anywhere."

"Fili grabbed me before we fell. He must be near where I was," I guessed. "Help me dig!"

"Aye!" he exclaimed. "No mine will take a Durin, that's for sure!"

We clambered up to about where I had landed. The two of us dug madly while also paying a great mind to not start an avalanche in our haste. My hands were scratched up from the rough stones but I kept going.

Please be alright. Please be alright, I silently prayed. If they hadn't been showing me the mine… If I hadn't been here…

A bright blue light shone out as I dislodged a large rock. We hissed at the brightness like vampires, having to shield our eyes or blink rapidly. I squinted to see what was causing it then I realized it was one of the glowing crystals. It had shattered on impact and fractured into much smaller pieces. I picked up a shard about the size of my arm and used it as a torch to see. Gimli did the same. He took another small fragment of crystal from the cluster and tossed it down into the darkness.

Klak-klak!

Ka-klak!

Kak-kak-klak!

Klak!

Klak…

Its glow disappeared before the sound of its descent stopped reaching our ears. I wasn't sure if it got to the bottom or just lost momentum, becoming stuck on the slope. Gimli let out a slow whistle which echoed around the cavern like a siren. We both cringed and he made an apologetic face.

"That's some way down…" he said in awe.

I nodded in agreement then turned my gaze upwards. I held the crystal high in the air, trying to see the ceiling. What drew my eyes immediately was the area just beyond the light of the crystal; I could just make out the faint suggestion of high arches and pillars.

"By my beard," Gimli breathed. "This is no mere cavern under the mine."

"Gimli… where are we…?"

"If only I could tell you. It seems like we're in some kind of room or carved hall… It's very possible that this place was here long before Durin's folk."

I shut my mouth which had been hanging open. "So, you guys have been mining overtop of this without even knowing it…? It could be a whole city down here for all we know."

"Aye… but it doesn't look to be well populated in the least."

"Yeah… It must've been abandoned…"

"We can only wonder why…" he mused darkly.

We shared a nervous look and chose not to entertain our wild imaginations; thoughts of ghosts and ghouls would only slow our progress and confuse our senses. I directed the light right above us and was able to see that we had fallen about thirty feet or so, and that the hole we had fallen through was now thoroughly sealed up, closing us off from Silver Deep. I held back a sigh. The gap between the mountain peak and the ceiling was too great to hope to climb out. Well… maybe if we built up the rocks or used each over as leverage… I shook my head. First thing's first: find the princes.

"Let's keep looking," I said softly, setting the crystal next to me in order to dig.

I moved the stones aside, some of which were too heavy to lift so I had to roll them away, and hope that they didn't keep rolling. It seemed very bleak that we'd find them in the massive pile and with each rock I shifted, my resolve dwindled a little bit more. But still, I refused to stop. I was not going to give up until I—

There was something on my fingers… and on the rocks where I had been digging. My brain went slack. I stared at my hands in the blue light, each splashed with a dark substance—warm and slick. I turned to Gimli, palms up and shaking, my breathing, just ragged pants as I felt a chill creep over me.

"G-Gimli…?"

The young Dwarf looked to me with concern then saw the blood on my hands. He looked absolutely horrorstruck but rushed over to my side and began digging fervently. His hurried movements were enough to snap me from my shocked and terrified state. I started helping him, begging and praying to whoever'd listen that they'd be okay.

Bwrooroom.

The cavern gave a mighty rumble, sending more stones raining down on us. We covered ourselves as best as possible, leaning close to the debris heap but it was inevitable that we'd get hit with a few falling rocks. Fortunately, it was only pebbles that found their way to us. Once the quake had subsided, we began again in our search, more ardently than last time.

And then, moments later, Gimli gave a cry of delight. "Here, Lady Emily! Help me pull!"

He had uncovered an arm, clad in a leather vambrace and sleeve of royal blue. I wasn't sure who it was but I quickly cleared off as many rocks as possible before helping Gimli heave the prince loose.

"Fili!" I cried then nearly choked at the sight of him.

He was unconscious with blood splattering his forehead and hair. His jaw was slack, his eyes unmoving behind his lids, and not a sound escaped him.

"Oh, god. Oh, god, no."

There was so much blood. I put my cheek close to his lips, trying to hear or feel his breathing but in my state of panic, I couldn't distinguish mine from his. I put my middle and forefinger under his jaw, right in the crook of his neck like I'd seen on TV. I was shaking so badly, I had to use one hand to steady the other. Focus. His pulse beat against my fingertips, strong and clear, saying to me one word—alive, alive, alive.

"How is he?" Gimli asked, seeming afraid of the answer.

"He's okay! Well," I laughed but my grin faded quickly. "We have to stop the bleeding. Quick! Gimme some light!"

Gimli grabbed one of the crystals and held it over his head as a spotlight. Tentatively yet swiftly, I searched Fili's head for the source of his bleeding, gently parting his hair, trying to see through to the scalp. Fili groaned at the contact, scrunching his face up in discomfort.

"It's okay, Fili," I said even though I doubted he could hear me. "We're here. You're okay."

Good god, I couldn't even think of Kili and how he might be in a similar situation as his brother, bleeding to death under the mountain of rubble. I couldn't think of him now. As much as it pained me, I had to concentrate solely on Fili and hope for the best.

"I need to turn him over," I told Gimli. "Towards you, towards you."

Gimli carefully placed a hand on Fili's shoulder, rolling the unconscious prince onto his lap so I could access the back of his head. Sure enough, there was a spot of his blonde hair matted down and covered in thick, dark blood. I sucked in a breath at the sight. I wasn't a nurse but I knew that injuries to the back of the head were very dangerous.

"We have to stop the bleeding," I said aloud, more to myself than the poor ginger who seemed rather frozen in shock at the sight of his bloody and battered cousin.

I tried ripping another piece off of the bottom of my dress but it wouldn't give; the seams were stronger than the recent alteration's. I growled in frustration and untied the fabric from around my knee. He needed it—his wound was much more serious than mine! I bunched it into a ball and pressed it to the back of Fili's head. I held it there as he started to moan and squirm, probably starting to wake up.

"Stop moving, Fili," I told him, unsure if he was lucid.

It wasn't working. His blood soon seeped through the cloth and I cursed so colorfully it snapped Gimli from his petrified stupor.

"What is it? What do we do?" he questioned.

I hated that he was looking to me for answers—I was scared out of my mind and clueless. "Uh, here, keep applying pressure!" I ordered, deciding that the wound had to be wrapped.

This was way too dire a situation to be shy so, I turned my back on the pair and shimmied my dress down so that I could get at the bandages around my waist. They had been done in three layers so the outer layer was the cleanest and free of the salve for my bruises. I unraveled it, pulled up my dress then swung back around.

"Okay, sit him up slowly," I said to Gimli who complied without question, grateful that I had taken leadership and seemed to know what I was doing. If only he knew all of my medical knowledge was based off of fictional stories I saw in shows and movies…

I stretched the long strip of cloth in my hands and encircled it around Fili's head, making sure to hold the fabric in place as well. I wasn't sure how tight it should be so I made it snug enough to not slip but loose enough not cause any more discomfort than necessary. Fili slurred a few words as I was tying off the bandage and I glanced at his face to see his eyes open but clouded over. He rolled over onto his back, dazed.

"What in Durin's name…?" he mumbled, finally coming to.

"Cousin! You're awake!" Gimli exclaimed, his voice causing Fili to flinch at the loudness.

Fili propped himself up on his elbows but I laid a hand on his chest to stop him from fully sitting up. Only then did he seem to notice me despite my being right in front of him. "Miss Emily?"

"Hey…" I greeted softly. "Stupid question but… how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been trampled by a Mûmakil," was his dry reply.

I gave him a weak smile.

"Just relax," I told him. "You hit your head pretty bad on the way down and lost a lot of blood."

He put a hand to his forehead, feeling the bandages and then the back of his head. Fili hissed in pain and glared at the blood on his fingers. "And what of you? How do you fare?" he questioned, deciding to take charge.

"I messed up my knee a bit," I told him. The pain kept flaring then dulling down but I tried my best to ignore it.

"I'm no worse for wear," Gimli said. "Only had to pop my shoulder back in, that's all."

Fili nodded at us then froze. His eyes went wide with fear as he glanced between myself and Gimli. He shot straight up. "Kili!" he cried, his cool resolve slipping. "Where's Kili?"

Before I could even answer, Fili jumped to his feet then immediately doubled over as dizziness took him. Gimli and I steadied the prince before he could lose his balance and topple over the side of the rocky pile.

"Easy, lad," cautioned Gimli.

"Kili… Where is my brother?" Fili asked again, his voice desperate for an answer.

"We don't know," I admitted guiltily.

Fili's expression was one of utter despair; he looked almost ready to cry at the thought that his brother was hurt or lost in the rubble. That he may be dead.

"We'll find him, Fili," I promised. "We found you, didn't we?"

The blonde hardly seemed convinced.

"Lady Emily's right, Fili," Gimli said, giving him a pat on the back. "He's as strong and stubborn as stone."

Fili scanned around us as if he could sense his brother's presence. It took some convincing and a lot of arguing but Fili finally gave in to our request that he rest while we sift through the wreckage. I watched the prince from the corner of my eye; he sat miserably with his head in his hands, only looking up to inspect the surface of the makeshift mountain as if expecting his little brother would appear. His hope didn't seem to waver; however, only his patience as the minutes ticked by. Whenever a stray tremor would strike, we all would have to abandon what we were doing and take cover. It only happened on a few occasions but the last time sent a boulder as big as a Smart Car careening towards us. It missed Gimli and me by about six feet but hell! That was too close for comfort!

Like whilst searching for Fili, I refused to let despair take hold. Kili had to be okay. He had to be.

"Stop! Quiet!" Fili shouted suddenly and we paused, both looking at him for an explanation. He held one finger up to his ear, indicating for us to listen.

I strained my ears, trying to hear something, anything. I shut my eyes and held my breath as if blocking that out would help me hear better. There was the sound of shifting rocks but… it seemed distant. Almost like… it was coming from—a pebble broke loose from the ceiling and plopped down onto the pile—above us! And right as the thought clicked into place, a shower off rocks fell on us, leaving a decent sized gap in the cavern ceiling. We shined our crystals upwards and a moment later, a person appeared in the opening.

"Hello…?" a voice called down to us.

"Kili!" all three of us shouted in unison.

"Are you all well?" Kili inquired, peering down at our blue illuminated figures.

"Minor injuries," Fili answered with a sigh of relief. "And you?"

"I've had worse," Kili said simply, a smile present in his tone.

"Well? Is help coming or are we supposed to rot down here?" Gimli prompted. "Send us a rope!"

Kili hesitated. "I am certain someone is coming but… the way is blocked," he told us sullenly. "The tunnel leading into the mine has collapsed; I can only go farther in."

I heard Gimli groan.

"Couldn't you move the barricade?" I suggested. "Maybe you could get passed."

"I am not sure… I've been trying to get through to you this whole time and that has taken longer then I'd have liked."

"The only help that can come to us is from the outside," Fili said firmly. "You'll have to try and get through the passage, Kili."

He nodded. "So long as you can wait… I will get through and bring aid."

"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" Gimli grunted, choosing to plop down upon the rocks.

Kili disappeared from our sight, going to try and break through the blockade, and we did all we could—we waited. I moved over to Fili who looked so much better than before; the knowledge that his brother was safe took a real weight off this shoulders.

"How's your head?" I asked him quietly.

He looked up from his feet with a lazy smile. "It's as if a smith is hammering away at my skullcap… but I will live. Did you…?" He pointed to his bandaged head.

"Yeah."

"Thank you," he told me, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Yeah, course," I shrugged. "It's nothing; just repaying the favor."

Fili raised his brows in question.

"For pushing me out of the way up there," I explained. "I'd have been dead meat."

"Ah," he said, nodding. "Think nothing of it, Miss Emily."

"It's just Emily."

He smirked at my request, looking thoughtful. "Emily."

The three of us waited, mostly in silence, save for Gimli's occassional impatient moans. I mostly kept an eye on Fili, worried that his injury wasn't out of the danger zone yet. I wanted to make sure he didnt nod off and slip into a coma or anything. The bandages near the back of his head were spotted with blood but there were no signs of his wound still bleeding.

I also had decided to re-bandage my knee and instead of attacking my dress again, Fili insisted that I take a strip of his tunic which he cut off with one of his knives. I looked away as he tied the final knot, feeling somewhat awkward (mostly because of my hairy legs- yuck) but Fili didn't seem bothered (he's a Dwarf, duh).

"I guess this means I owe you again," I joked. "You push me outta the way, I fix your head, you fix my knee..."

Fili chuckled once. "Well... I hope you don't find an oppurtunity to repay me, to be honest," he smirked.

Then Irony called:

Bwrooroo—kak kak—roorooroom!

"Watch out!" Fili cried as the ceiling started to cave in.

Almost everything came crashing down as the tremors shook the mine. With the hole Kili had dug out, the rocks above needed very little encouragement to shift position and topple down upon us. Fili tried leading me out of harm's way but a massive rock came between us, forcing us to separate. We all scattered, having to dodge and duck and luck our way out of the path of falling stones. I had some close calls with larger boulders but, along with pebbles, a few basketball sized ones got me (twice in the shoulder, once in the back and once on my damned injured knee when I had tripped)!

The last one caused me to cry out and collapse. For a moment, I forgot about everything but the burning daggers shooting up my leg and simply sat there, squeezing around my kneecap in a sad attempt to lessen the pain. But in my moment of pause, the rumbling didn't cease and the whole rubbish pile kept shaking and quaking, causing me to slip under the writhing rockslide. It was almost like quicksand, pulling and clawing me beneath its surface. I was only knee-deep in the pile but I was terrified beyond belief. I couldn't move easily which meant I couldn't get out of the way of falling rocks!

"Help!" I shouted but over the roar echoing throughout the cavern, I couldn't tell if anyone had heard me. "Help me! I'm stuck!"

I gave up yelling and focused on prying myself loose, a large chunk of crystal nearly impaling me.

"Yikes!" I breathed, momentarily stunned at my fortune. Had it been a few feet over—!

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and tried crawling to get my legs free; one was now buried up to my thigh, despite my struggling. A pair of arms wrapped around my middle and heaved me up, up and out! We fell over and rolled far down the hill.

"Are you alright?" my rescuer asked, finally releasing me as the tremors began to lose energy.

I whipped around to look at him. "K-Kili?"

"I asked if you are hurt."

"Am I—you're supposed to be up there!" I cried. "Getting us help!"

"I heard you scream; you were in danger! I leapt down to save you!" he defended, seeming taken aback at my lack of immediate gratitude. "A little thanks would be appreciated."

I growled in aggravation. "Thank you."

Kili grinned cheekily. "You're very welcome."

"Emily?"

I craned my neck back. "Fili? I'm over here!"

Fili came crashing over to us, Gimli right on his tail.

"Oh! What are you doing with us?" Gimli asked the brunette. "Has help arrived?"

"He is the help," I deadpanned. They looked ready to snap on him like I had but I cut them off. "Kili only jumped down to help me. It's not his fault."

Fili studied his brother. "You weren't injured when you jumped?"

The younger prince smirked. "My dear brother, you know I've fallen from greater heights and have walked away unharmed."

"Yes, but you normally land on your head," Fili said with a smirk.

The brothers paused a moment in their banter before embracing. I smiled at their display of affection and turned away, wanting to give them some privacy.

"I heard you calling, Lady Emily, but didn't know where you were," Gimli confessed, looking shamefully at his boots.

"It's cool," I shrugged. "We're all okay… relatively."

"You look awful," I heard Kili say to his brother.

Fili snorted. "My wounds will heal yet you'll still be a beardless babe."

"Hey!"

"So... no one's coming?" Gimli asked, sounding put off.

There was a sigh from Kili who looked at his feet. "In time, cousin. We must wait for the others to find us."

"Aye but I'd rather not be here when another tremor strikes," Fili said, eying the ceiling. "I am not sure how long our luck with stay with us before turning sour."

The rest of us nodded in agreement, deciding it was best to at least get off the rocky pile. We descended slowly and carefully, Gimli trying to make up for his previous 'failure' in helping me by seeing that I got down alright and offering to carry me a few times (I declined). Once at the bottom of the massive rock heap, I realized just how monstrous it was. It was like looking up at a skyscraper, an ugly, distorted, rocky skyscraper.

Fili shone a glow crystal around; he was the only one of us that managed to keep hold of one. It was then that we took notice of the floor. Instead of a rough, gravelly ground that was expected in caves and mines, it was a paved stone floor, delicate designs etched into the tiles.

"What is this place?" breathed Kili.

Gimli crouched and ran a hand over the floor. "These were made by no Dwarf…"

Fili narrowed his eyes, glancing around. "Elves," he said bitterly.

I glanced at him swiftly. "Elves?" I repeated, noting the vine-like patterns on the tiles. Yes, I suppose they did look Elvish… "What happened to them?"

The question hung in the air as none of us had an answer. I leaned heavily on my right leg and rubbed my arms, the cold air raising goose-bumps on every part of my exposed skin. I was incredibly thankful for Kili's coat now and crossed my arms over it as I shivered.

"So, what now?" Kili asked, looking between us three. "Shall we explore a bit?"

"We shouldn't wander far," Fili said sternly. "Once the miners get through, here will be the first place they will look."

"But you said yourself that we shouldn't stay," protested Kili. "Who knows how long it will take the others to reach us—we may find another way out!"

Fili snorted and turned his head. "That's unlikely."

"But we must try."

"I don't know," started Gimli. "It's awfully dark…"

"Dark?" laughed Kili. "Since when is a Dwarf afraid of the dark? This place may have once belonged to Elves but it is our domain now. Who knows what kind of treasure could be down here…"

"Treasure?" Gimli repeated, sounding suddenly interested. "Well… it'd be a waste to just let it sit here…"

Kili grinned turning back to Fili and I. "Well? What say you?"

"I'm not sure…" I said, twisting my lips to the side. "I've got fifty-nine feelings about this place and they're all bad."

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure?" Kili prodded with a grin.

"I left it back above ground," I replied wryly.

He tsked and looked expectantly at his brother who sighed. "Why am I even letting you vote on the matter?" Fili asked, more to himself.

Kili smirked. "You're not a king yet, brother. Until then, you'll have to manage. Looks like we're going!" he smirked, walking ahead.

"Aye!" Gimli whooped, charging after his cousin.

"But I didn't vote!" I called.

"I took your indecision as a 'yes'!" Kili replied smoothly. "Too late to reconsider!"

I groaned and shared a look with Fili. He took a deep breath but didn't sigh. "Come on," he said to me. "They won't last long without our aptitude." Fili strode forward to catch up. "Slow down. I'm the one with the light, dimwits."

Very reluctantly, I followed, half wanting to lag behind out of spite but too nervous to actually do so. I'd seen enough horror movies to avoid doing something that so blatantly said 'I'll be killer clown victim No. 1, please'. I walked beside Fili who had taken the lead, resisting the urge to grab onto his arm. I never pegged myself as a Scooby or Shaggy but zoinks! This little experience was pretty damn telling. I need to reevaluate my life now.

The room we were in, because it was most definitely a room and not a cavern—perhaps a cavernous room, to be fair—had a side passage that led to another area, just was spacious as the last. We walked farther into the room in silence, each of us wearing similar open-mouthed expressions as we took in its features. Tall columns spiraled upwards forming vined arches that met and domed over us. Throughout the circular room were a number of what looked like shelves, many of which were either knocked over or broken. The floor was littered with scrolls that had fallen from their places, most of the parchments still rolled up tight.

"It's a library," I breathed, a smile just beyond my lips.

"A library?" Gimli barked, ruining the peaceful moment. "What sort of treasure would be in a library?"

I ignored his remarks and bent to pick up a scroll. Carefully and slowly, I unfurled it, the others peeking around me to get a look. The parchment was yellowed and inscribed on it in swirling, black ink was Elvish writing.

"Does anyone happen to know Elvish?" I asked, raising a brow.

Fili and Kili snorted simultaneously and Gimli let out a 'humph' of disdain. They spread out, now uninterested in what the scroll might have told us.

"Guess that's a 'no'..." I said to myself.

I rolled the scroll back up and placed it on a shelf, with all due respect—I was the sort of person who couldn't stand to see books mistreated or neglected… I'll go as for far to admit that I apologize to books when I drop them or forget to finish them. That's normal.

"There's a door on the other side," Kili called to us. "Hurry up, brother, bring the light."

"Oh! Of course, I'll hurry," Fili grumbled. "I'm only sporting a head injury."

"Is the great Heir of Durin whining?" the brunette teased, earning a small glare from Fili.

I caught Kili sneak a glance at the back of Fili's head as he passed, no doubt assessing his injury. When he found me staring, I gave him a reassuring smile and nod that hopefully said, "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

The sound of our footsteps carried ahead of us as we ventured into the connecting room. We came upon a landing, overlooking a hall nearly as spacious as the first. On either side of the platform where we stood where duel staircases that circled the perimeter of the room, leading down to the lower level. This room was less intact then the library as there were a few crumbled pillars and cracks in the floor. Fili held his arm out farther, trying to illuminate more of the area but the crystal's glow only elongated the harsh shadows of the broken architecture. We paused at the top of the landing, the dark room below us foreboding.

"Should we…?" I asked in a low voice.

"Probably not," Fili answered quickly.

"What?" Gimli blinked, looking between us. "We've come this way just to turn back?"

"Gimli's right," Kili agreed. "An exit could be no more than a room's distance away. Are we to give up at the sight of a disheveled hall? Or are you afraid there are Elves lurking nearby." He shot Fili an impish smile before snatching the crystal and dodging his older brother's attempt to grab his hood.

Kili bolted down the stairs with more grace than I'd have ever given him credit for and called over his shoulder, "Come along, Gimli! Miss Emily! Fili!"

Gimli gave a stiff look to either of us then shrugged, "We might as well humor him, eh? He could be right."

I heard Fili mutter something under his breath as we dogged after the bouncing brunette. As Kili was the least injured out of us four, he seemed to be making up triple for our lacking energy and enthusiasm.

"Elvish craftsmanship," Kili scoffed, turning a dislodged brick in his hand. "It's rather shit, isn't it?" He shrugged, tossing the brick to the floor. "I'd imagine even Men could build more withstanding structures."

"He doesn't mean to offend, Emily," Fili told me, giving Kili a warning look. "My brother's just unaware of what spews from his mouth."

Kili's head snapped in our direction, a look of confusion on his face. "Emily?" he repeated, almost laughing. "Brother, since when have you two become so close?"

"Kili," the elder Durin warned.

"I suppose Grandfather wasn't the only one to find Emily worthy, eh?" he winked.

"Enough, Kili," Fili growled, growing annoyed at the brunette's teasing.

"There's no need to be defensive," Kili grinned. "After all, you'll be expected to have heirs of your own some day."

I went bright red, thankful that we were in the relative dark. Fili, on the other hand, simply rolled his eyes, probably well versed in his brother's baiting. The blonde shook his head, sighing, "You're insufferable."

Then just as my face started to return to normal, Gimli blurted out, "I thought she was to marry King Thorin."

"No," Fili answered for me. "She isn't."

Not convinced, Gimli turned to me in question. For some reason, my face was twice as hot than when Kili brought up me getting wed to his brother. As if Thorin was more blush-enducing than Fili. Thank god, the Dwarf-king wasn't here to overhear that.

"No," I confirmed. "I'm definitely not marrying Thorin or Fili or anyone… Well, I mean, not like, not ever. In the future, maybe… Maybe to like Tom Hiddleston or…Ahem. I-it doesn't matter."

I cleared my throat nervously.

"I cannot help but notice, Emily, you did not mention my name in the list of those you would never consider a husband," smirked Kili. "Is this Tom Hiddleston courting you? Must I best him in battle to win your heart and hold it over Fili's head? Figuratively speaking, of course," he added after a moment.

"I.. Y-you…uh... He... he might be courting me," I said seriously. Yes. Definitely, yes.

Fili took the crystal from Kili, who still looked all too pleased with himself. With a swift motion, he struck the crystal on a downed pillar and it snapped cleanly in half, much to my surprise. He handed one half to me then glanced around. "Let us scout the area for a door," he instructed. "Gimli, you're with me. Emily, Kili—enough, Kili—you two search that side. If you find anything-"

Twack.

Shurrrrrl.

Whack!

The four of us went still at the sounds. It sounded as if a large slab of stone was moved… like it slid along the ground or…

Fump…

"That sounds like…" Gimli began but Fili cut him off with a 'shh'!

Footsteps, I finished with a gulp. Big footsteps.

"Fili," I hissed and he glared at me to shut up. But I wasn't about to. "Can I borrow one of your knives?"

"You could probably borrow his sword," mumbled Kili who got elbowed in the gut by his brother.

Fili pulled a blade from a sheath at his waist and, wordlessly, he handed it over.

"Thanks," I squeaked as the footsteps drew nearer.

Fump…

Fump.

Fump!

It was in the room…

I could hear it breathing, heavy and labored. On instinct, we crouched down. Kili slowly drew his sword and Gimli unstrapped a small hand-axe from his back. I raised my blade, watching it shake in my uncertain hands.

Sniff.

I held my breath and I could see the guys doing the same. We faced each other silently, the tension in the air mounting as the thing kept sniffing the air. Fili motioned for us to creep back the way we had come, low to the ground and quietly. We had yet to even near the staircase when—

Gwraaaaaah!

A monstrous roar ricocheted through the hall. The coldness of the room was suddenly upon me and I gripped Fili's knife tighter. I caught Kili's sleeve in a panic, turning to him with wide eyes, "Was that a…?"

Kili looked back at me warily, all traces of joking gone from his features. He nodded, fear evident in his brown eyes, and confirmed my dreaded suspicion. "Troll."