And so our dwarves arrive in Goblin Town. Actually, looking at the movie again, this scene got me thinking: who exactly is the youngest in Thorin's company?
In Peter Jackson's movies, I think it's Ori, especially given the way he dresses/acts, and the fact that Dori totally mothers him along all the time ("Try it, just a mouthful!" in Rivendell for example ^^), and he actually does come off as quite innocent and cute., well not the warrior type like Dwalin, to put it simply.
In the Appendinx C of The Lord of the Rings, where Tolkien put in a lot of family trees, I think there's one for the line of Durin. If that's the official source, then Kili would be the youngest, as his birth is given around 2864, five years after Fili.
However, in the original Hobbit book, in Chapter 8 (Flies and Spiders), Thorin and Company arrive at a river and can not see the other side. Bilbo tells the dwarves he can see a boat they could use to get across, and Thorin sends Fili to take a better look because "Fili is the youngest and still has the best sight". So it's kind of consufing. If you know who the youngest member of Thorin's Company is, do tell! It doesn't really have anything to do with the story, but it would be nice to know. :)
Thorin had just time to sense moving and a slight noise from somewhere underground and urge everybody out of their sleep when the ground gave way under them, and each lost their footing, falling down through dark tunnels and smelly caves.
They were all sent tumbling one after another, and for those who had still been sleepy when Thorin roused them, this definitely was the waking call. None of them knew what was happening, but they could all sense that whatever it was, it was not good, especially knowing they were now trapped in some underground connection of tunnels, being pulled further and further from the surface. After much tossing and turning in every way, in which the dwarves all seemed to lose their sense of direction, they all landed safely on some form of solid ground, or relatively safely, as Bombur fell on top of everybody, though luckily not harming any of them.
Thorin had been about to order them to run, just run anywhere, if it meant they could escape, knowing that nothing good would come from staying here. He wanted to see them manage to get out of whatever this place was unscathed, he hoped that they just may be able to go on their way. However rushing feet didn't leave any them enough time to get their senses back. Looking up, Thorin's hopes dropped as he came to the realization that they were circled by goblins, each bearing weapons as a warning sign should they resist, there was no escape this time, especially after having their own means of defense taken away from them in the haste. A feeling of immense dread fell in his stomach, whatever this was, it was not going to be good.
The dwarf tried to evade the clawed hands as they grabbed his forearms and shoulders, digging in painfully, but it didn't help, they were seriously outnumbered. Thorin however, wasn't one to go down without fighting, and he tried to honor his name as he struck maybe one or two of those foul beats, but his fists were swiftly under control after that. It was with a sick feeling that he followed at the tail of the company, only then noticing that Mister Baggins was not among them. Where was the hobbit? He thought anxiously, as he looked around, but no matter how keen his eyesight was, he couldn't spot their little burglar. It was confusion everywhere, with dwarves kicking out, trying to run away, goblins clawing at their clothes, dragging them to who-knew-where, Thorin hated the feeling of not being in control, he hated feeling powerless. He felt a small amount of pride however, seeing his followers put up some form of a fight, at least resisting the urging hands that were falling upon them.
Eventually, the goblins seemed to stop their prancing around however, as each member of the company (safe for Bilbo, Thorin reminded himself, the hobbit was nowhere to be seen… And maybe it was for the best) were dragged forth, and into the tunnels. Still, he tried standing up against them, pushing the goblins against the walls when he could, punching them even, but eventually, he found it was no use, and defeated, he followed, dreading what would happen next. Looking ahead, he could barely make out Bifur at the very front, with Fili following, he could also hear Dwalin not far behind him, they didn't seem to have suffered much, well for now. At least, Thorin knew he wasn't alone, but didn't know whether having the others around him would prove to be a blessing or a curse.
They kept on being pushed forward for what seemed like hours, going through a maze of passageways and little bridges. The smell of the cave was foul, and Thorin fought the urge to gag many times, as he felt his head spin while the goblins around him pressed him on between narrow passageways and dizzy paths.
As they reached the end of the tunnel they'd been shoved through, Thorin arrived in a vast underground town, and to his dismay, there seemed to be goblins just about everywhere. How were they possibly going to get out of this one, especially knowing Gandalf wasn't there with them, not this time. The dwarves could only count on themselves, and it definitely didn't look like the odds were in their favor of escaping.
The more they went down platform after platform, the more dread he felt. As a leader, it was his job to make sure everybody was safe, at all times, and yet here he was, in the hands of goblins, not sure he could live up to the task. They had already lost Bilbo, before Thorin could have even thanked him for what he'd done for him. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else!
The menacing claws and screeching trolls finally halted when they arrived in front of one of the biggest thrones Thorin must have seen. It didn't compare with the enormous thing that was sitting upon it, which definitely counted among the most repugnant beasts the dwarf had ever laid eyes upon, it even competed with what he remembered of Azog, in terms of ugliness.
There was a silence, in which the goblins around them grabbed the remaining dwarves, lining them up so that their king could see each individual one of these foul intruders and throwing all their weapons at the bottom of the throne, before scurrying to the edge of the platform, unwilling to risk the wrath of their leader, knowing the consequences tended to be quite painful.
The Goblin King was not pleased, not in the slightest, when he laid eyes on the swords and knives on the floor. These insignificant things would dare threaten him with steel? He? The Goblin King? He needed answers, and fast. He would not stand for trespassers in his domain, especially worthless thrash such as this, the shabby clothes they were all wearing confirming his thoughts that they were most definitely things affiliated to dishonorable beggars or filthy peasants.
"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" he spat, looking viciously over the group of prisoners his minions had brought him. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" he tried, as he rose up so as to display how intimidating he was. He would get answers, no matter how unwilling the bothersome group would be about it. As he eyed them more carefully, he noticed they were small, so they weren't adult humans, yet they seemed too old to be human children too. They definitely weren't elves, with the size of beard some of them had, and they weren't any specimen of troll or orc he knew of, which only left… They were dwarves! Dwarves in his kingdom? What could they possibly want with him?
With a little information from his minions, he learnt that they'd found them on the front door to his kingdom, armed like this. Then they were definitely a threat! If they honestly thought they would be able to sneak into his domain armed like this, while he would be unsuspecting, then they were definitely wrong.
"Don't just stand there! Search them!" he bellowed, almost assured that the dwarves were concealing more weapons on their person. After all, dwarves were very foul creatures, the most awful type of spawns indeed. He would show the miniature beings no mercy, after all, they had come armed into his realm, it was what they deserved. However, the dwarves put up some fight as his servants tried to hold them steady, they would need to learn their place then, and there was no better way learning than by making them talk, especially if it was against their will.
"What are you doing in these paths? Speak!" He tried to get it out of them, the Goblin King wanted to know what threat these intruders were to him, and more importantly, what a bunch of armed dwarves were doing as to find themselves trespassing on his domain.
He had expected them to answer him immediately. After all, he was king, and nobody ever disobeyed him, be they goblin, dwarf, elf or man. He would show these impudents how to respect him!
"Very well, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" Truly, he didn't mind torture, it would be sport, as he liked to put it. Besides, the dwarves were free to stop the pain whenever they wanted, they just needed to answer his question. But hopefully, he and the crowd surrounding him would get a little fun out of it first, torture was an amusing game after all, especially when you could see what your victim feared the most with a simple look at it. Usually the eyes betrayed, always the eyes.
Thorin's heart was racing as the Goblin King ordered his minions to bring in device after device, knowing what each of them did, and already wishing he could somehow prevent any harm from befalling the company but he knew he couldn't afford to give their quest away. If they were to someday have a home, he'd endure any of the pain this foul thing would throw at him, from whipping lashes to hot poker burns if he had to.
"Start with the youngest!" the Great Goblin cried, as he made his way back to his throne, that was certain to get their tongues in action.
Ori forgot to breathe as all eyes turned to him. That was him: on top of being the youngest, he hadn't the build he needed to defend himself, he wouldn't even be able to resist once the claws would come grabbing for him, no matter how strong his willpower was. Oh no, he couldn't even bring himself to think of facing torture! He wasn't a warrior, he wasn't even half as strong as most of the dwarves he was traveling with. He wanted to be courageous, but right now, he couldn't, not when he knew what was about to happen to him. He knew Thorin wouldn't stand for any of his company to go through something like this, but he could see he was powerless to do anything, even if he was their leader. Yet, the hands that were clawed firmly around his shoulders never pushed him forward, the scribe was never separated from his friends.
Thorin had looked towards Ori immediately, fretting they would harm him. He was only slightly younger than his nephews, but he still looked years younger than all of them, everybody knew it, it was often a topic they joked about, actually. Ori was a gentle soul, he didn't deserve this, Thorin didn't want to let them do this to their scribe, but he'd tried kicking out already, he'd even tried biting, nothing worked, and so he could only watch as they would bring Ori up to the seated goblin. He couldn't bear to think of the poor lad's screams of pain. But even if it was useless, he could still try and do something.
"Wait!" Thorin screamed, desperate to be heard, and wanting to keep Ori safe from harm for as long as he could. Weaving his way, even forcing a little, through the crowd, he got to the front, and stood protectively over his fellow companions, letting their "host" know that should he want to harm any of them, they would have to pass over him, Thorin, first.
"Well, well, well…" The Goblin King started, taking a few steps back and admiring the prize his minions had actually been able to bring him, this was more than a good turn of events in his books. "Look who it is!" he cried to the crowd around him, eager to have them intimidate the dwarves further, knowing they would break more easily that way. "Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thròr, King under the Mountain." And a mock bow came to emphasize just what he thought about the whole title. "Oh! But I'm forgetting! You don't have a Mountain, so you're not a king, which makes you… Nobody really." Still, he was not getting the reaction he wanted from Thorin, who had kept still and silent ever since he'd started mocking him. That would just not do would it?
Fili hadn't really been listening into the conversation until now, as he'd noticed that somehow, Bilbo wasn't to be found among them. Heart hammering in his chest, he looked around wildly, trying to see over the sea of goblins surrounding them and evading the painful grip one of them had on his arms, just hoping he'd spot the hobbit there somewhere. Yet despite all his efforts to make out a mop of curly brown hair of a little red coat, it was not to be found. It was as if a block of ice had settled itself deep into his stomach: they'd lost Bilbo!
He could almost say he was willing to curse himself just about any foul word he knew of. Looking out for the hobbit had been what he'd sworn himself to do ever since they'd left Bag End and Bilbo had been given Myrtle to ride along with them. Even though it hadn't been asked of him, Fili had wanted to do it, he'd wanted Bilbo to feel at ease among them, and he'd learnt that Bilbo was genuinely a really nice fellow, and was even better as a friend. And yet, he was lost to them right now, probably somewhere deep within the caves and tunnels surrounding them, at the mercy of some foul goblin or creature lurking around, and the idea of Bilbo being alone to face such foes was definitely not comforting, especially knowing that the hobbit had very little skill at using a blade to defend himself. Yet each time the blonde tried escaping the grip on his arm, tried moving away, the claws would just close in tighter, and the pressure was soon becoming painful. He couldn't do anything for Bilbo this time, and it was an awful truth he'd just come to realize. Maybe if Uncle managed to bargain a way out? Although it seemed most unlikely, seen as how the talk with the horrendous Goblin King was going.
"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head" he grinned, leering down at the would-be King under the Mountain. "Just a head, mind you, nothing attached…" Still, he was getting no response whatsoever from Thorin, which was getting quite frustrating now. He'd need to speed thing up then. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours…" Thorin looked up at this, at least he was sparking some interest in the dwarf, because things were definitely going to get better from now on. "The Pale Orc, astride a white warg."
Fili felt his Uncle tense just in front of him, and although he would not show it, he knew the words had set off something in his Uncle, Thorin didn't just lose composure of himself like that. He'd heard stories of the Pale Orc, from Thorin himself, but he'd never thought they'd been anything more than that, just stories. Seeing his Uncle's reaction however, Fili knew this Pale Orc was much too real for any of them to be comforted, and judging by Thorin's expression, even he, the fearless descendent of Durin, was afraid.
"Azog the Defiler..." Thorin allowed himself to spit out the name, cursed to the line of Durin as it was. Enough horrors and scars were linked to the name alone, having to suddenly remember everything he and his people had endured because of the Orc was more than enough, and he was unwilling to let any member of the company ever experience anything close to what he had while the beast had been alive, knowing the orc had scarred him already."… Was destroyed, slain in battle long ago!" Thorin added harshly, whether it was to convince himself or those behind him he didn't know, but it was the truth, the beast was dead, had ceased to exist decades ago, bless Mahal.
Oh, so Oakenshield didn't know of the inaccuracy of his words then? Well all the better for him, the Goblin King thought. He'd be unable to save any of his friends (or family for that matter) once he informed his dear pale friend, who would no doubt be more than glad at receiving such news: the Durin scum was back for him to take whenever he wished.
"So you think he's defiling things then, do you?" he sneered down at the pathetic dwarf. Oh! But this was a perfect opportunity for him, really. He just had to send any of his minions off and keep the dwarves here long enough, and the prize he'd get in return was certain to be worth it. Laughing as he once more regained his full height, trying to intimidate his prisoners as much as he could, he ordered his minions to be on their way knowing the quicker he'd get word to his acquaintance, the quicker he'd get rewarded for it. "Send word to the Pale Orc. Tell him I have found his prize!" And he was well intent on keeping it too. None of these dwarves were ever to see the light of day ever again, not if he could stop them.
Thorin tried to remain calm, it would do no good panicking now, especially as he was the leader here, he was the one who had to show the others how to react now, keep calm. Being separated from Bilbo was bad enough, and he knew his eldest nephew would have much rathered the hobbit be with them than off somewhere on his own, where he was more prone to danger. But having had most of his weapons taken away from him, there was just nothing he could do, he couldn't even move and just allowed himself to hope nothing worse was about to happen to them.
Fili had given up trying to get away from the grip on his arms, each time he so much as flinched, the sharp claws of whatever was holding him would just go in deeper, and while his clothes hadn't torn yet, it was getting quite painful. But he just had to get away, at least try and look for Bilbo, who he finally realized was not among them, the mop of curly brown hair was nowhere to be seen in the sea of creatures and dwarves around him. He'd failed in looking out for their burglar.
Still unable to move, the thirteen dwarves could only watch as the goblins brought forward device after device, each looking more painful than its predecessor, and the aim of having them brought forward was quite clear, it didn't need to be said. Thorin's blood ran cold, realizing that they were no doubt going to be tortured into telling what they were doing here, and while he could withstand pain, he'd never tell what they were intending to do, he knew he'd blame himself forever should any member of his company suffer one of those instruments under questioning. They were trapped here, and no help was possibly going to come for them. Even Bilbo right now would have been a welcomed face to see.
They'd all begun struggling, having caught sight of the pain inducing machines brought forward with the only intention of harming them. While some of the dwarves pulled, others tried stomping on their restrainer's feet or simply pushing backwards on the hopes of unbalancing them, but nothing seemed to work, nothing at all. Fili's breathing had already caught in his throat: how were they possibly going to get out of here unharmed and whole on top of finding Bilbo? A part of him was glad the hobbit couldn't be found. Indeed if they were to suffer any of the devices that had been brought forward, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself should his little friend be forced into one of them. Maybe it was for the best if they got separated… Even if it meant that he'd never see their burglar again, it was better that he live a long life than be trapped here with them, forced to face pain he was not ready to endure. Bilbo didn't even deserve it, not withholding any secret the Goblin King could possibly be interested in, and should he ever manage to come back ,the blonde swore to himself he'd see to it that no harm ever befall Bilbo, even if it mean going through all of the devices that were currently being lined up a hundred times over. Bilbo just couldn't be forced into them.
The panicked frenzy suddenly came to a stop as Thorin's sword was sent crashing down at the Goblin King's feet, as one of his minions had tried to grab it, but had let go of it instantly, recognizing the crafting of the weapon as elvish. As the weapon hit the ground, the gathering of minions surrounding the dwarves all reeled back, as if burned by the shiny blade, some even cursing in their own tongue.
"I know that sword!" The Goblin King was crying out to those around him, as he was scrambling up his throne, no doubt trying to keep some measure of decency and still appear threatening to the group of dwarves at his feet "It's the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced us out!"
Whatever had been in the words, it seemed to have sent the goblins into a fury, as they all took out weapons of their own and Thorin could only watch as they started coming down on his company, beating some to their knees and striking others across the face if they could. Maybe it's best that Bilbo isn't here a part of him thought, not even wanting to imagine the poor hobbit whipped till his back bled.
Fili tried reaching out to his brother, Kili being the only one he knew he could look out for right now. Trying to make his way across to his brother wasn't easy, especially under the lashes the creatures were pouring down on them of the occasional sharp claw that would strike his face, but Kili was the one who needed him right now. It was his duty as an elder brother to make sure nothing would befall his younger sibling, they needed to make it out of here alive and in one piece if they were to ever find Bilbo again.
"Kill them!" the Goblin King was raging, only encouraging his minions to keep lashing out at the dwarves, who were now run over, trying to get the burdens off their back or escape the painful strikes aimed at them. It was a mess, nobody could really see anything, each trying to make their way through the sea of bodies, dwarves desperate to find a familiar face, goblins eager to keep their prey separated from each other, diminishing the chances of them allying and defending themselves efficiently.
Thorin had been pushed onto his back, and his head had smacked painfully into the wood beneath him. The world was spinning and somewhere, he really wanted to just give up. But the thought of those fighting behind him, Bilbo lost somewhere in those caves at the mercy of any creature he may encounter soon fueled the energy he needed, and the dwarf tried again, pushing the oppressing goblins off his body, desperate to just get up.
"Cut off his head!" The Goblin King was raging then, eager to feast on Dwarf flesh and see the would-be King under the Mountain dead and sprawled out just in front of him. A very good prize indeed, it would be, and the reward he would get for it was certainly appealing.
As Fili caught sight of his Uncle, pinned down with a sword bare inches from his face, he tried making his way over to him, knowing Thorin would not be able to push the weapon away with his arms trapped underneath the firm grip the goblins were holding. They needed a leader, without Thorin the Quest meant nothing, and if someone didn't interfere soon, Uncle was sure to meet a quick end down here.
He tried pushing his way through, desperate to come to his Uncle's aid, knowing he needed it, but the grip on his shoulder was too strong and he himself was too weak to dislodge any of the goblins in front of him. Was he supposed to lose Uncle so soon after having lost Bilbo? Was that what the quest was supposed to cost them? If so, Fili never wanted to set eyes on Erebor, actually he'd rather stay here than even set a foot out, knowing reclaiming the Mountain would have already cost them too much.
He could only watch, as the blade held above his Uncle's face was being pushed down, getting closer to scar Thorin as the seconds rolled by. If only Bilbo were here! The hobbit had proven his quick thinking already, were he among them, surely he would have managed to get to Thorin thanks to his small size and discrete manners, but despite wishing for a mop of curly brown hair to show up and push the knife away from his Uncle, Fili never saw it. No, they were going to be run over, and probably be put through whatever the Goblin King had made his minions bring forward, and meet their end here. He'd never get a chance to thank Bilbo properly for what he'd done for him, he'd never get the opportunity to make it up to him, at least find a way to repay the hobbit's concern, he'd never even get a chance to say goodbye to Bilbo.
He knew it was useless to wish in such a situation, but still, Fili hoped that somewhere out there, something would help them. Whether it was fate, a good turn of events or just luck he didn't care, but please, spare Uncle!
Thorin had been trying to push the strong arm away from him, but despite his best efforts, it was still coming down, and the reality of what was about to happen was creeping in, quickly. He didn't want to die, not yet, not when there was so much more he wanted to do, not when he knew he was leaving so many to torment behind him. But he'd been beaten down, and the dwarf could only watch, defeated, as the sharp weapon would slam down and end his own short life.
However, the sudden eruption of a bright white light somewhere above him forced his eyes closed, and Thorin could only allow himself to hope, that somehow, they were all going to make it out of here, including the hobbit. If they had to search the whole caves, he'd make sure they would. They were not leaving here without Bilbo.