A/N: And now we have goblins...and orcs! Once again I am using the Extended Edition of the movie for the scene with the Great Goblin. I'm also using some (a little) dialogue from the book as well. I hope I am successful at merging the two; please let me know if it doesn't work. This is going to be a long chapter as I just couldn't find a real good stopping place and I didn't really want to break this part up. So we come to the end of An Unexpected Journey. I hope I've done it justice. Next chapter we head into The Desolation of Smaug.
As always, the good stuff doesn't belong to me. That credit goes to Tolkien and PJ. :)
This wasn't going to end well.
That was all Rhae could think as they plummeted into the darkness. She could hear the cries from the other members of the company as they banged against stone. After what seemed like an endless tumble down a - tunnel? - they finally landed in a heap in a wooden cage. They didn't even have time to stand before hordes of goblin were upon them, yanking them to their feet, snatching away their weapons, and forcing them down a rickety wooden walkway. Fíli and Nori pressed themselves around her, trying to shield her from the grasping claws of their attackers. The group was lead through a huge network of tunnels and over numerous bridges, crossed and tangled in all directions. As they were pushed along she looked around in disgust; it seemed like the walls and walkways were covered with goblins. Thorin looked back over his shoulder at her and she caught the look of revulsion mirrored on his face. She began to hear what sounded like screeching and drumming as they approached the large platform that held the throne of the Great Goblin. It appeared he thought he was singing though Rhae certainly wouldn't classify what she was hearing as anything resembling music. When he finished he turned with a smile.
"Catchy isn't it? Its one of my own compositions."
"That's not a song, its an abomination!" Balin yelled.
"Abominations, mutations, deviations...that's all you're going to find down here." Rhae wanted to gag. She was sure she had never seen anything as disgusting as the massive creature that was before them. Pale like all the other goblins from lack of sunlight, the goblin king was twice the size of the minions scurrying around him and grotesquely fat with a chin that dangled far beneath where a chin was supposed to sit. His flesh was covered in boils and scabs, seemingly rotting away while still on his body. As their captors tossed their weapons into a pile the Great Goblin jumped from his throne, crushing several smaller goblin under his bulk, and approached the company.
"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"
"Dwarves and a Ranger, your Malevolence."
"Dwarves? And a Dunedain?" he leered at them, leaning in for a closer look.
"We found them on the front porch."
"What do you mean by it?" The Great Goblin eyed the group. "Up to no good, I'll warrant! Spying on the private business of my people I guess. Thieves, I shouldn't be surprised to learn! Murderers and friend of Elves, not unlikely. Come! What have you got to say?" When no one spoke up the creature motioned to his minions. "Well don't just stand there. Search them! Every crack, every crevice."
Rhae braced herself, hoping the filthy creatures wouldn't find all the knives she had hidden. With Fíli and Nori staying so close to her she was shielded from the worst of the groping, though they did find and take most of her weapons. The small daggers in her bracers luckily remained undetected though she wasn't sure what use they would be at the moment. They upended a large bag and Rhae watched in amazement as elvish candlesticks, goblets, and cutlery tumbled to the ground. The Great Goblin picked up one candlestick to examine it.
"Made in Rivendell? Bah - Second Age. Couldn't give it away."
Dori turned to his brother and Rhae looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Just a couple of keepsakes," Nori muttered. Rhae would have laughed if their situation hadn't been so dire.
"Might I ask what you were doing up in the mountains at all, and where you were coming from, and where you were going to? Let's have the truth or I will prepare something particularly uncomfortable for you!"
"Don't worry lads, I'll handle this," Oín offered, clapping a hand on Thorin's shoulder to keep him from speaking.
"No tricks! I want the truth. Warts and all!"
"You're going to have to speak up. Your boys have flattened my trumpet," Oin said, a hand to his ear.
"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" The mass of flesh began to advance towards them when Bofur spoke up.
"If its more information you're wanting I'm the one you should speak to." The Goblin turned his attention from Oin. "We were on the road, well, its not so much a road as a path. Actually its not even that, come to think of it, its more like a track. Anyway, the point is we were on this road, like a path, like a track, and then we weren't! Which is a problem because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."
"Visiting distant relations," Dori added. A few more of the company piped up with comments on traveling to Dunland.
"Shut up!" the Great Goblin yelled. Apparently he didn't believe a word the dwarves were feeding him. His attention switched and he pointed at Rhae. "What is a Dunedain Ranger doing with a bunch of mangy dwarves?"
"I'm a guide. As they said, we were traveling to Dunland and somehow ended up on that poor excuse for a path. I'd like to continue on our way so I can get paid, if you please." She couldn't keep the repugnance out of her voice as she spoke. He leered down at them and then a sickening grin crossed his features.
"Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest...and the woman." Thorin had remained concealed behind Oin and Dwalin, listening to his friends in their attempts to stall but the Great Goblin's last words jolted him to action. Ori and Rhae were pulled to the front of the group but he quickly stepped forward, placing himself between them and the goblin king. He could feel Rhae's body behind him, barely touching his back.
"Wait."
"Well, well, well. Look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King Under the Mountain." The disgusting lump gave an exaggerated, mocking bow. "Oh, but I'm forgetting. You don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really." Thorin remained silent though Rhae could feel the anger rolling off him. She admired the self-control it most likely took for him to remain silent as she knew how painful those words were to him. The Great Goblin leaned in closer. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg."
"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." His surprise was clear on his face.
"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" He cackled and turned to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket. "Send word to the Pale Orc. Tell him I have found his prize." The little creature wrote something on a slate, laughed, and then pulled a lever, sending his basket down a wire into the darkness. Rhae wished she had her bow so she could take care of the nasty little thing before it reached its destination. The sound of creaking wheels began to fill the air and the company could see the massive instruments of torture the goblins were wheeling towards them. Thorin caught her eye and a moment of complete understanding flashed between them. There was no way out. He wanted to reach out a hand to her but knew if he showed any noticeable feelings she would be made to suffer for it.
One of the little goblins was pawing through their pile of weapons and Rhae cringed as he ran his nasty little clawed hands along her bow. He then picked up Thorin's sword, pulling it a few inches from its sheath, and let out a frightened howl, throwing it to the ground in front of everyone. As the collected goblins recognized the sword they all began to screech and clamber over one another in their haste to leave the platform. Even the Great Goblin himself was trying to get away, retreating back to his throne in fear.
"I know that sword! Its the Goblin-Clever, the Biter, the blade that silenced a thousand necks! Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all!" The goblins surrounding the company began whipping them with the ropes in their hands and slashing and clawing at them. He pointed a finger at Thorin. "Cut off his head!" A couple goblins pulled the dwarf king to the ground, holding him down, while another stood over him with a dagger made from bone. Rhae somehow jerked herself free from the goblin latched on her arm and threw herself at the dagger wielding creature, knocking him off the side of the platform. As she turned to confront the other goblins holding Thorin down there was a blinding flash of light and a shockwave ripped through the cavern knocking everyone off their feet. Rhae was thrown backwards into one of the railing posts lining the platform and Thorin was tumbled by the blast into her. Everything was dark for a few seconds and as some of the torches began to flare back up Rhae spotted a shadowy figure with a pointy hat coming through the smoke. Gandalf appeared before them, staff and sword in hand.
"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"
The group needed no more urging. Within moments they had tossed their still stunned captors aside and had pulled their weapons from the pile. The goblins quickly rallied and rushed them. The Great Goblin, rising from where he'd fallen, let out another shriek as he spotted Gandalf.
"He wields the Foe-Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!"
Rhae turned in the midst of the fighting when she heard someone yell out Nori's name. The dwarf had been knocked to the ground and the Great Goblin was rushing at him with his mace raised. Thorin spun around and managed to block the blow, the force of which caused the Great Goblin to lose his balance and tumble backwards - right off the edge of the platform.
"Follow me! Quick! Run!" They managed to grab a few of their packs as they ran after Gandalf. Rhae hoped he knew where he was going because the goblins would be after them in a heartbeat and they knew the passageways far better than even the wizard possibly could. What followed was chaos. They were fighting off goblins every step of the way, some attacking from above, some coming up from below. She never had a chance to use her bow, there were too many goblins close in that she had to take care of and her sword and dagger never stopped moving. At one point Gandalf broke off a piece of overhanging rock and they pushed it in front of them, mowing down any goblins in their path. No matter what they did or where they turned or jumped to there were hordes of goblins waiting for them. Rhae caught glimpses of some of the dwarves as they ran: Dwalin swinging his two axes and dropping numerous goblins with each swing, Oin taking out a crowd of them with his staff, and even Bombur was dispatching any of the creatures that got close enough to him with his long handled ladle. She truly hoped he wouldn't use that for their meals ever again. Thorin spun and slashed, his long coat and dark hair swirling around him as he moved.
As they sprinted across a wooden bridge there was a sudden roar and the Great Goblin suddenly burst up through it, blocking their escape. Thorin reached out and pulled Rhae into the middle of the group as hundreds of goblins began to approach them from all sides.
"You thought you could escape me?" he bellowed, swinging his mace at Gandalf, causing him to stumble backwards. Several of the dwarves reached out and caught him.
"What are you going to do now, wizard?" Gandalf leapt forward and thrust his staff upwards, jabbing the Great Goblin in the eye. Dropping his mace and clutching at his face the creature howled in pain. With the goblin distracted Gandalf again leapt forward, this time slashing his sword across the creature's immense belly.
"That'll do it." There was surprise in the Great Goblin's voice as he clutched at his stomach. Gandalf swung again, this time slicing across the goblin's neck. The goblin king fell onto the wooden bridge and Rhae shrieked, grabbing onto a railing, as she felt the entire structure give way under the added weight. It plummeted into the darkness, sliding down the sides of the cavern with increasing speed. All the company could do was hang on for their lives. It was but a moment before the section they were on began to slow, the walls narrowing on each side, then crashed into the bottom, sending splintered wood all over them. Rhae lay there face down and stunned for a moment, caught between at least two of the dwarves. When she finally opened her eyes she was met with the glacial blue of Thorin's underneath her, his arm tight around her waist. Her attempt to push herself off was useless because Gloin had landed across her legs and she smacked at his shoulder, telling him to hurry up. Gandalf was the first to get free of the wreckage and looked over the rest of the company as they worked their way out of the pile of wood.
"Well, that could have been worse." Rhae glanced over at Bofur with a smirk as she finally freed herself and helped Thorin to his feet. Suddenly there was a loud crash as the body of the Great Goblin landed on the remains of the bridge, further squishing the dwarves that hadn't gotten out.
"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin grumbled. Rhae almost laughed.
"Gandalf!" Kíli yelled, looking back up the cavern. Thousands of goblins were racing down the walls towards them.
"There's too many! We can't fight them!" There was a hint of panic in Dwalin's voice.
"Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come! On your feet!" Gandalf reached down to help the last few dwarves to their feet before running down one of the passageways. They maneuvered through the dark, helped by the glow from the wizard's staff. The sounds of the cackling, howling goblins seemed to get closer and closer. Finally a yellow glow began to appear on the walls, growing larger with every step they took, until they burst through a door in the rock, blinking in the golden rays of the setting sun. Rhae gulped in the fresh air as they hurried down the mountain, desperate to get the stench of goblin out of her nose. Gandalf finally slowed to a halt and began to count as each member of the company ran by. The Ranger was the last to reach him and heard his words with dismay.
"Where's Bilbo? Where's our hobbit?"
"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost!?" Dwalin growled.
Gloin pointed. "I thought he was with Dori!"
"Don't blame me!" the accused dwarf huffed.
"Well, where did you last see him? We need to try to find him. After all he is my friend and not a bad little chap. I feel responsible for him. I wish to goodness you had not lost him."
"He's been more trouble than use so far," Rhae heard someone mumble, though she couldn't tell who it was, and someone else cursed under their breath about having to go back and find him. She looked back up the mountain. She really didn't want to go back up there but there was no way she was going to just abandon Bilbo.
Gandalf turned on the group, obviously hearing the same complaining as Rhae. "I brought him, and I don't bring things that are of no use. Either you help me to look for him, or I go and leave you here to get out of this mess as best you can yourselves. If we can only find him again, you will thank me before all is over."
"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us," Nori spoke up.
"What happened exactly? Tell me!"
"I'll tell you what happened." Thorin took a step towards the wizard, his voice full of scorn. "Mister Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he first stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."
Once again Rhae felt anger bubble up inside at the dwarf king's arrogant words and she wasn't able to keep them in this time.
"How in the would could you think that Bilbo would abandon us now of all times? He could easily have stayed behind in Rivendell ... or not come at all! He has put up with your scorn again and again on this quest but yet has stuck with you. How do you explain that, Master Oakenshield?" He stared at her, wincing at the formal use of his name. Rhae wasn't finished yet though. Months of frustration on Bilbo's part were finally breaking through. "You hate the fact that so many are unjustly prejudiced against dwarves but yet hold your own prejudices against many others, never once considering their true worth or feelings. You cling to those unjust prejudices when someone doesn't fit into whatever preconceived notions you have in your head." Tightening her grip on her sword she whipped around and headed back up the mountain, cursing the stubbornness of dwarves. They all stared after her in amazement. Thorin couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Where are you going?"
"To find our burglar, Master Oakenshield!"
"Here's the burglar," a voice called out and Bilbo stepped from behind a tree. Everyone looked up in shock. Rhae, being the closest, grabbed him up in a tight hug, relieved that he was safe. She had not wanted to go back in that mountain but she was not going to leave a man behind if she could help it.
"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life," Gandalf sighed with relief. The hobbit stepped towards where the dwarves were standing, the Ranger close behind him.
Kíli looked at him with a smile. "Bilbo, we'd given you up!"
"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fíli asked. Rhae glanced down at Bilbo, curious on this fact as well. It had been sheer luck that they had made it out. He was quiet for a moment and then laughed, nervously she thought, slipping something into his pocket. She noticed Gandalf's puzzled expression and shivered; that look never meant anything good.
"Well, what does it matter? He's back," the wizard finally stated with a smile.
Thorin wasn't satisfied. "It matters! I want to know. Why did you come back?"
"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag-End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, because you don't have one - a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Rhae had never been so proud of someone as she was at that moment. She glanced over the group, the dwarves all seemingly affected by the hobbit's words. Thorin had the sense to look rather abashed at his previous comments after hearing what Bilbo had to say. He glanced up and caught her gaze and sighed when she smirked knowingly at him.
The silence surrounding the company was broken by a howl. They turned to see wargs tearing down the mountain towards them.
Thorin gripped his sword tighter. "Out of the frying pan -"
"And into the fire," Gandalf finished for him. "Run! Run!"
They sprinted down the mountainside, the sounds of their pursuers close behind them. As they ran Rhae felt something just was not right about their location, that the landscape around them was going to somehow hinder their escape. She was pushing Bilbo ahead of her when there was a loud snarl behind them and she felt the creature lunge at them. Shoving the hobbit to the ground behind a rock the warg leapt over them, landing just beyond where they were crouched. It turned and charged. Rhae reached for her sword but Bilbo was somehow faster, pointing his tiny sword at the approaching warg. It couldn't stop its forward momentum and impaled its head on the tiny blade, its body collapsing to the ground. Bilbo stared at it in surprise, unable to believe what he'd just done. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, trying to pull it from the corpse but it wouldn't budge. The Ranger yanked it out in one motion, grasped his arm and pulled him after her, hurrying the last distance to the trees. That was when she realized why she hadn't felt right about where they were running to: it was a cliff. They were once again trapped.
"Up into the trees, all of you!" Gandalf shouted. "Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!"
Bifur threw an axe at a warg that was charging him before scurrying up the nearest tree. Bofur leapt off of a rock to grab a low tree branch, using Dwalin's bald head as a stepping stone. The hobbit scrambled up a tree but didn't move fast enough for Rhae's liking. She tossed him up almost one handed and vaulted herself up after him, her feet rising out of reach just as the first wargs converged on the trees. She continued to climb until she was even with Thorin and Balin. They watched as the wargs circled the base of the trees, snarling. She hoped Gandalf had some miracle up his sleeve for getting them out of this one. Thorin reached out and placed his hand over hers where it was gripping the trunk of the tree.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For getting you into this." There was something she couldn't explain in his eyes.
"Thorin -" She paused when the wargs beneath them suddenly went silent. Looking down she wondered what in the world could have caused their strange behavior. Then she heard a sharp intake of breath next to her.
"Azog?!" Her head snapped up, catching the shocked expression on Thorin's face. Turning quickly she looked back up the hill and her heart stopped for a second. There, astride a white warg, was the huge Pale Orc. She suddenly remembered the look shared between Gandalf and Balin so long ago after the elderly dwarf had told them the story of the Battle of Azanulbizar. How they had known the orc was alive she knew not but there was no doubting now. She cringed at the menacing grin that spread across the creature's face as he stared at the dwarves in the trees. He stroked the head of the warg beneath him and began uttering something in his language. Rhae didn't understand what was being said but she did catch Thorin and Thrain's names. She felt the hand on hers jerk in shock and she gripped it tightly.
"It can not be," he whispered, his voice tight with pain and grief.
The Pale Orc said something to the orcs surrounding him sending the wargs beneath the trees into a frenzy. They began throwing themselves against the trunks, jumping and snapping at the branches, breaking them off one by one. The trees shook violently and the company gripped their handholds tighter. There was a loud popping sound and Rhae watched in horror as one of the trees began to topple over into the one next to it; it couldn't hold up against the weight of the wargs. Slowly each tree began to tip over, the dwarves in each one jumping to the next, until the entire company was huddled in the last tree on the edge of the cliff. She pressed her face against the bark, not wanting to glance down at the emptiness beneath her; she'd always had a slight fear of heights. At the sound of a malicious laugh she looked up at the huge orc, a hatred of the creature growing inside.
There was a sudden flash of fire beneath the tree, causing some of the wargs to retreat. Rhae looked up and saw Gandalf igniting pinecones and tossing them to the dwarves. They began throwing their flaming missiles at their tormentors, establishing a ring of fire around their tree which the wargs backed up from. Azog roared in anger and the company cheered. Rhae didn't. This was only a momentary respite; she still could see no way out of their predicament. Well, no way out alive. In the midst of their cheers there were more loud popping sounds and the dwarves cried out in fear as the tree began to tip over. There was a split second of weightlessness and then a sudden jarring as the tree stopped, sticking straight out from the cliff. The motion threw some of the dwarves from their spots and Rhae watched in horror as Ori slipped off. He somehow managed to grab his brother's leg and dangled helplessly.
"Mister Gandalf!" Dori screamed as the extra weight caused him to loose his grip on the tree. The wizard swung his staff down and Dori clasped the lifeline. Rhae managed to swing her legs up to clasp another branch so she could begin to haul herself further onto the tree trunk. Movement across from her caused her to pause. Thorin had pulled himself up and was standing, Orcrist in his hand, glaring at Azog in hatred and determination. His hair whipped around him in the wind and the glow from the fire created terrifying shadows on his face. She knew what he was intending to do before he even moved and yelled out his name, hoping he would stop. Her effort was in vain. He charged down the trunk of the tree, running through the flames towards Azog. There was a smug smile on the orc's face as Thorin raced towards him, sword up and his oaken shield in front of him.
Rhae heard the hit when the White Warg's paw crashed into Thorin's chest, knocking him to the ground. He was quickly on his feet though panting through the pain shooting through him. Azog turned his mount and rushed back at the dwarf, swinging his mace and smashing Thorin in the face. He was flung to the ground again.
"Nooooo!" Balin yelled, his face contorted in fear as he watched. The warg clamped its jaws down on the dwarf, shaking him around like a child's doll. Rhae could hear his scream of pain. He managed to raise Orcrist and slam the pommel down the warg's head, causing it to fling him several feet. He landed with a sickening thud and didn't move.
"Thorin! No!" Dwalin struggled to get off the tree but some of the branches he grabbed snapped and he had to cling to another to keep from plummeting into the night. Rhae's heart was pounding and she felt a scream trying to break from her own lips. She had to get to him. She might not be able to stop Azog but she would be damned if she was going to let Thorin lie there and die alone. Summoning strength from goodness knows where she heaved herself onto the tree trunk and pulled her sword out. It was then she noticed Bilbo standing next to her, his small blade in hand and the same determination in his eyes. He looked up at her and she nodded at him before the two charged down the tree towards their fallen leader. As they raced towards where the orcs were surrounding Thorin Rhae saw one pull out a sword and raise it over his neck. He slashed it downward but at that moment Bilbo threw himself at the orc, knocking him off his feet. While the hobbit struggled with his opponent Rhae stood over Thorin, gripping her sword in two hands as Azog turned towards her.
All Thorin felt was pain. There was a blackness trying to creep in from all sides and he knew he was loosing consciousness. He saw the orc stand over him, blade raised, and he prepared himself to meet his ancestors in the Halls. Suddenly a small figure darted into his limited field of vision, knocking the orc away from him and he became aware of someone else standing over him. Focusing his eyes, he realized it was his Ranger. She had her sword drawn and was facing the Pale Orc alone. Panic ripped through him at the sight. He wanted to say something, anything, call out her name, but he just didn't have the strength. The last thing he saw before the darkness overtook him was the flash of her sword as she slashed at the White Warg.
Her blade connected with the warg's nose and it jerked back in shock. Bilbo rose to stand next to her again, both of them protecting the unconscious dwarf at their feet. Azog growled something and several other orcs began to close in around them. She hoped her family was waiting for her on the other side as it seemed her time had come. However, before they reached the Ranger and hobbit the orcs were attacked from the side. Dwalin, Fíli and Kíli had managed to finally to struggle from the tree and raced in to help their comrades. Their addition to the fight caused Rhae to feel a surge of energy pulse through her and she threw herself at the nearest orc, a Dunedain battle cry on her lips, slashing her sword down across its chest. She moved with instinct alone, wanting to bring down as many of the disgusting creatures as she could, feeling glorious satisfaction every time she heard the gurgle of blood from their lips as they fell to the ground. The outcome was never in doubt though. They were outnumbered and soon the three dwarves and Ranger were surrounded. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the White Warg advancing on poor Bilbo. A sudden loud call in the air above them caused dwarf, orc, and human to glance towards the sky. What Rhae saw next took her breath away. Huge eagles swooped down at them, grabbing wargs and orcs in their talons and dropping them off the side of the cliff. Some caused trees to come crashing down on their prey while others fanned the flames, sending wargs scattering. Rhae noticed one eagle fly low to the ground and watched as it gently picked Thorin up in its talons, flying him high above them and away from danger. As the rest of the company were gathered up by the eagles Rhae turned towards the Pale Orc with a smirk. He growled in anger. She felt a gust of wind against her skin and then she was lifted from the ground. The eagle called out. Before she knew what was happening the talons holding her let go and she was falling only to crash into the back of the bird that had appeared beneath her at the other's call.
She slumped against the feathered body beneath her in relief. The sound of the Pale Orc's howl echoed behind her; they had escaped this time but he would not give up his pursuit. But they were safe - for now. When her heart and breathing had returned to normal she sat up, scanning the eagles around hers for the rest of the company. They all seemed accounted for except - Rhae's heart stopped when she realized Thorin wasn't sitting on any of the eagles. She had seen one of them pick him up from the cliff so where was he? She searched the birds again, panic coiling in her stomach, when she finally spotted him, his body laying limply in the talons of the one at the head of the pack.
"Thorin!" Fíli yelled from the bird nearest hers, his voice laced with concern. She met his gaze briefly, knowing the fear she saw in his face was reflected on her own. After that she never took her eyes from the dark haired dwarf ahead of her, whispering quiet prayers to the Valar, to Mahal himself, to any god that might be listening, to please spare him. She could not imagine never seeing those blue eyes again or hearing his deep voice. She could not imagine a world without Thorin Oakenshield in it.
They flew through the night. While grateful for the distance this put between them and Azog, Rhae was impatient to land so Gandalf could check on Thorin. He had certainly sustained some serious injuries in his fight and she hoped he was only unconscious. She wouldn't allow herself to think anything different. Finally, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, the eagles started to descend. Rhae could see a large rock outcropping rising high above the tree line and figured that was where they were headed. She recognized the Carrock though it had been many years since she had seen it. The lead eagle gently laid a still unmoving Thorin on the rock. Rhae was the last to be set down.
"May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks," she whispered in thanks to the eagle. It dipped its head slightly in acknowledgement and flew after its mates. She hurried to where Gandalf was kneeling. From the looks on the faces of the company she knew the situation was not good. For the first time she wished she'd been lead to receive training in healing. Perhaps she'd be able to help instead of feeling useless. Standing off to the side with Bilbo she waited in silent agony, a few tears trailing down her cheeks. Sensing the agitation in the Halfling she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He simply reached up and covered it with his own, knowing she was just as much in need of comfort.
After many moments there was some movement and she heard Gandalf speaking in a calm voice. "It's alright. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe."
She felt her body sag in relief when she saw Thorin struggling to stand. He staggered to his feet, shrugging off Dwalin and Kíli's helping hands, and faced Bilbo who took a couple steps forward. Her relief quickly sparked into anger as she heard his words to the hobbit who had risked everything to save him.
"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Rhae could see the confused and hurt expression on Bilbo's face and she had the urge to punch the dwarf for his ungratefulness. "Did I not say you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" She was simmering with rage as Thorin advanced towards the hobbit. From the astounded looks on the faces of the other dwarves they were just as surprised at his words. Bilbo had saved his life and this was how he was to be thanked? With further ridicule?
"I have never been so wrong in my life!" With those words Thorin embraced Bilbo, a grateful smile on his face as he did so. The other dwarves cheered and Rhae took a deep breath to calm herself. Poor Bilbo was so confused and surprised he didn't know what to do besides hug Thorin back.
"I am sorry I doubted you."
"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...or even a burglar." As everyone chuckled at the hobbit's words Thorin turned his attention to Rhae. He remembered everything - the fight to escape the goblins, their desperation in the trees on the cliff, and her standing over his broken body with the hobbit, defending him from Azog - and her body plainly showed what she'd been through. Most of her hair had come loose from its braid and was matted with dirt and blood. There was a large scratch across her forehead, disappearing into her hairline, and her face was smeared with ash from the fire on the cliff. He could see where the arm of her tunic had been ripped and was stiff with dried blood all the way to where the fabric was covered with her bracers. Her sword was sheathed at her side but even the scabbard was streaked with blood. Mud and blood were splattered over her body, the bottom of her cloak was thick with gore. She had fought as ferociously as any dwarf, saving his life in the process, and he thought she had never looked more beautiful as she did then. And then he met her gaze and caught his breath at what he saw there. He reached up, gently wiping away the few tears that remained on her cheeks, and then brushed a quick kiss across her lips. Thorin didn't even care that there was a group of nosy, gossipy dwarves and a meddling wizard watching.
"You are alive," she breathed when he laid his forehead against hers. The relief was clear in her voice.
"Thanks to you."
"No, thanks to Gandalf."
"I wasn't completely unconscious on the cliff. I saw you throw yourself into that fight and then stand guard over me with Bilbo."
"I had to. I knew the probable outcome of my actions but I couldn't let you die alone. If that was to be your fate then we would share it." His heart leapt for joy at the words she didn't utter, at the meaning behind what she'd just said. There was so much he wanted to speak to her about but it was not the right time. After they'd cleaned up and rested there were things he had to discuss with her. Lifting his uninjured hand he wiped some of the blood off her forehead.
"You are injured. Let Oin tend to you."
"No more than usual. I'll be alright. You need tending to more than I do." He smiled, opening his mouth to say something but froze, staring intently over her shoulder.
"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked and she turned to see what they had spotted. There, on the horizon, glowing pink and gold in the rising sun, was a single, solitary peak.
"Erebor," she whispered in awe.
"Erebor - The Lonely Mountain," Gandalf echoed. "The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth."
Thorin took her hand and pulled her closer to the edge of the Carrock with him. The rest of the company followed silently, overcome with emotion at seeing the mountain.
"Our home," he breathed, his voice full of joy.
"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain!"
"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush," Gandalf corrected.
"But we'll take it as a good sign - a good omen," Thorin responded with a smile, never taking his eyes from the distant mountain and not releasing his Ranger's hand.
"Yes," Bilbo agreed, coming to stand next to Rhae. "I do believe the worst is behind us."
She remained silent, not wanting to crush the fellow's hopes. There was a long road still ahead of them and they had a lot to endure before they ever reached the Lonely Mountain. For now though they would enjoy the short reprieve the eagles had given them.
Revised/Edited April 2016