When Fantasy Becomes Reality Chapter 11, a hobbit fanfic

Hey guys! Oh my god, I am so, so sorry it has taken sooo long to get this out. Not only have I been going through some mental situations, but also physical.

For a while now, my eye sight has been steadily getting worse and worse, where it is now to the point I can hardly see, even with glasses. I am waiting to be assessed, as it is suspected I have cataracts and would probably need surgery, so I will be taking a break from writing for now untilt that point. I am hoping it won't tale more than a few months for the assessment, surgery and recovery, so with any luck, I will be back to writing before Christmas or shortly after.

I am so sorry to have kept you all waiting for long and hope you will forgive and continue to be patient with me. Thank you for your continued support through all of this, I appreciate each and every one of you xx

Review Responses;

Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967 – I'm glad you did!

LairaCapulet – Thank you again for another heartfelt review. I am really happy you are enjoying this story. And I can't argue with you about Aiden, I'm writing him and even I think he's absolutely adorable. I don't have kids myself, nor have I been around young kids much, so I don't have much to go from, so I hope I'm doing a good job with him.

As for answering you all, of course I would. I appreciate every single comment I get, (as long as they're not outright mean, rude and disrespectful that is) and love interacting with you all.

Agabriellafigueiredo - Muito obrigado pelas suas amáveis palavras! Fico honrado que, mesmo você não gostando das fics de Thorin/OC, você leu e deu uma lida nas minhas e está gostando! Aquece muito meu coração ouvir isso! Espero que você continue gostando disso e seja paciente comigo enquanto eu resolvo meus problemas e posso voltar a escrever. Também espero ter feito essa tradução corretamente, por favor me avise se não, o Google Tradutor às vezes pode ser um incômodo haha.

Ledhwen – I am really glad you are liking this so far, and hope you continue to do so. As for Goblin Town, you will have to wait and see.

Chapter 11

The next morning, we all get up at dawn as usual and after breakfast, Oin and I checs Aiden's wounds, changing the bandages, before I put some fresh trousers on him. Thankfully, there's no sign of infection so far, but we'll be keeping a close eye on that.

After offering to wash the dishes in the nearby stream, Thorin offers to come with me, much to the surprise of some others. He takes the half of dishes that Bofur had, who was going to come with me at first, but happily hands the task over to his leader. Together, Thorin and I go to the stream, which is still in the sight of the others, so we would still be relatively safe.

"How is he?" Thorin asks after a moments silence.

I smile, knowing he's talking about Aiden. "He is fine. He's a trooper, always has been."

He pauses in his task, looking to me in confusion for a moment at the word trooper. I assume he fixes another word that's similar to it as he nods in understanding and continues.

"Fili and Kili were the same at that age. Taking a tumble and getting up again. Although, to be fair, dwarflings are more resilient and sturdier than human children and are often not fazed by falls, unless it is serious."

My heart flutters as I watch the twinkle in his eyes, which is forever there when he talks about his nephews.

"Your nephews have grown into fine young men, dwarrow, you and your sister have done a good job in raising them. You must be proud."

He smiles. "We are. Even though they can frustrate me with their pranks, I will forever be proud of them."

I smile back before finishing with the bowl I had.

After a moment of silence, Thorin turns to me. "When we first met the lad, he was really afraid of us. I can understand being afraid of strangers, but I only notice he is like that with only strange males. I know you said you aren't ready, but, what you told me last night, is that part of it?"

I go quiet for a moment before turning to him. "Yes. Like I said last night, he was not a good man. . .to either of us."

He looks to me in surprise, his eyes glancing to the side of my face where the bruise once was. "Did he. . .?"

"Among other things. I might tell you one day, but like I said, not now. I'm not ready yet to reveal that."

He nods understandingly at this. "No wonder he is so afraid. I think any child would be in that situation.

I nod. "Yes, but I am happy he seems to be settling in well with you and the others. He really loves you all, I can tell."

He gives a soft smile at this. "We have grown to love him, too. He's a brave lad. You must be proud of him."

I smile. "I really am, admittedly, he's had to grow up more than a child his age should. But, since coming here, he's really come out of his shell a lot."

Thorin nods, taking in what I said, before taking my hand. "I know we have said this before, but you know we would never bring any harm on you both. We value women and children above anything else."

I give him a grateful smile, squeezing his hand. "I believe you. I feel safe around you all, as I know Aiden feels the same."

His smile widens a little more at this, before looking down at the now washed dishes. "Come, let's go back. We have a big climb ahead of us."

I sigh as I look in the direction of the mountains through the trees. "One I am not looking forward to."

He gives a small chuckle. "Neither am I."

We make our way back to camp, passing Bofur and Nori who are filling the bottles and canteens; Once everything is packed up and we're ready to go, Fili and Kili offer to take it in turns to carry Aiden over the mountain, so that he doesn't fall again and to not cause him more pain by walking a lot. I'm thankful for this, so grateful by their kind nature. As Kili lifts Aiden into his arms, Thorin and I share a glance and a smile, both of us thinking of our conversation by the stream. Bifur takes Aiden's pack and once we're ready. begin walking again, making the start to the long and dreaded journey over the mountain.

Just when I think the walk can't get any worse, it does. The heavens open up and the rain just pours. After shouting up for it, Aiden's coat is passed down the line from Bifur, to Nori, to Dori and finally to Kili who zips Aiden into it, thankful that he's watched me zip up Aiden before. Once I know he is bundled in and his hood up, I slip on my own coat before we continue on.

We soon end up being in the middle of a storm, thunder and lightning as well as heavy rains. I worry for Aiden as he also has a fear for thunder storms. Keeping an eye on him, I see he has his head buried into Kili's shoulder. Fili, who is in front of me and behind Kili, reassures me that he's fine and Kili is trying to soothe him. I hear Bilbo shouting behind me and look back to see him almost falling.

"Bilbo!" I cry out.

Dwalin and Bofur thankfully grab hold of him and pull him back against the mountain, keeping him safe.

"Are you alright?" I call around Bofur to him.

He just nods back at me as we hear Thorin calling out from ahead about finding shelter.

"Well, no shit." I mumble to myself, causing Fili to chuckle as he heard me.

"LOOK OUT!" Dwalin suddenly bellows.

I look up in time to see a huge boulder hitting the side of the mountain, rocks falling down upon us. Fili presses me into the mountain, covering me with his body so I don't get hit, looking over his arm, I see Kili doing the same with Aiden. I thank Fili as he steps back once the rocks stop, after he makes sure I'm alright.

"This is no thunder storm! It's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin exclaims pointing ahead.

Looking up, my eyes go wide as a massive stone giant, which could have easily been a hundred feet tall, maybe even higher, rear up from a nearby mountain. It rips a giant chunk of stone from the top of the mountain across from us.

Bofur steps forward a little. "Well, bless me! The legends are true! Giants; stone giants!"

The stone giant throws the rock across the valley. It crashes into another stone giant, rising from the mountainside behind us. We all watch, all of us caught in the middle.

"Take cover, you fool!" Thorin shouts back.

I reach out and pull Bofur back just as the ground we are on begins to shake and crumble our path breaking away and a crack appear between Fili and Kili.

"What's happening!?" I hear Kili call out from ahead.

"Kili, grab my hand! Kili!"

"MUMMY!" Aiden cries out, reaching out to try to get to me, Kili keeping a tight hold on him.

I can only watch with fear as Thorin, Oin, Gloin, Balin, Bifur, Nori, Dori, Kili and Aiden begin to drift away from the rest of us. Looking up, I soon realise both groups are standing on the knees of a third stone giant, who slowly rises to join the fight. The second stone giant lumbers over, headbutting our giant.

As the giant falls backwards, we cry out as we are sent tumbling forwards, backwards, hanging the mountainside for dear life. As I hold onto Fili, I look to the others and see they have managed to jump onto the side of the mountain. I breathe a sigh of relief as I see Aiden is now safe.

Our giant rises back up again. Slowly, the second throws a punch, sending it falling back into its place on the mountain. We swing past the others and I glance up and see the look of utter fear on Aiden's face. His face is the last thing I see before I turn my face into Fili's shoulder as the mountain comes closer, the knee we are on crushing into it.

As we all fall onto a ledge with a groan, I hear Thorin shouting in heartbreak, calling out Fili's name, and I swear I heard my name from him, before he comes around the corner and seeing us alive and well.

"It's alright! They're alive!" Gloin shouts out.

I feel a squeeze on my shoulder and look up to see Fili's concerned face.

"Are you alright?"

I nod. "That's something I'm not planning to do again any time soon."

He gives a breathless chuckle before we stand as Thorin rushes over and hugs his nephew. I smile as I watch the exchange, knowing just how worried Thorin must have been. I look up as I hear Aiden crying out for me and barely have time to brace myself before Aiden throws himself at me, causing me to stumble back into Thorin and Fili, both of them keeping me steady as I wrap my arms around Aiden and hold him close. As I am about to say something to comfort him, Bofur speaks up, worry in his voice.

"Where's Bilbo?"

Looking up, I see him look over the edge, looking in his direction, all I see are fingers gripping hold of the side of the cliff.

"There!"

The dwarves clamour around the cliff, trying to pull him up. Keeping hold of Aiden, I stand back, wanting to help but knowing I can't do anything. Suddenly, I panic as Thorin swings down on the cliff next to Bilbo and boosts him up. The others haul him onto the ledge.

"Thorin!" I cry out as he suddenly drops, Dwalin grabbing hold of him.

Handing Aiden off to Fili, I drop down beside the bald dwarf and reach out my hand. Thorin looks to me in surprise for a moment, before he reaches his free hand up to grab mine and together, Dwalin and I pull him up onto the ledge with us.

"Are you alright?" I ask Thorin, breathing heavily.

Also catching his breath, he looks to me, a grateful look on his face. "Yes. Thank you."

I smile and allow him to help me onto my feet.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin says, relief in his voice.

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." Thorin says with anger.

I look to him in disbelief as I welcome Aiden back into my arms. Looking at Bilbo and seeing the hurt in his face, I wonder how Thorin could be so cruel with his words. It wasn't his fault he fell, it could have been any one of us.

Thorin and Dwalin then walk into a cave they find.

"It looks safe enough."

"Search to the back; caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied."

Dwalin searches the back of the cave, lantern in hand. After a brief investigation, he returns to the us, all of us having got inside, away from the storm.

"There's nothing here."

Gloin drops a bundle of wood on the floor. He grins, rubbing his hands together.

"Right then! Let's get a fire started."

"No. No fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light." Thorin orders as everyone settles down.

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan." Balin says to our leader.

"Plans change." Thorin turns to Bofur. "Bofur, take the first watch." Bofur nods at this.

We all find our places in the cave and I sit down, taking off my pack and my wet coat, along with Aiden's. I do struggle to do this as Aiden clings to me, which he has been doing since he came back into my arms. I convince him to let go of me so I can get him into dry clothes, thankful that Gilrean packed him three pairs of trousers and two tops. While I'm changing him, Oin checks his wounds over to make sure there were no more damage done by the giants, luckily there isn't so he puts fresh poultice on and wraps his knees and hands in fresh bandages. Laying down together, he quickly cuddles back up to me, sniffling into my chest.

"Shh. It's okay, carino. We're safe now."

He just continues to sniffle as I start brushing my hand through his hair.

"Is he alright?" Kili asks as he and Fili lay on either side of us.

I smile at the young dwarf. "He will be. Thank you for taking care of him."

He smiles back. "Don't worry about it. He's a strong little lad, nearly knocked my head off trying to get back to you."

Fili and I chuckle as I kiss Aiden's head. I then begin to sing his lullaby quietly, which puts him to sleep, and calms the others, sending most of them to sleep as well, including Fili and Kili. I smile as I also go to sleep, unaware of Thorin watching us, before he also settles down.

It doesn't feel as though we have been asleep an hour when I am suddenly woken up.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Thorin's voice suddenly bellows.

We all bolt up but are unable to do anything more before the ground beneath us gives way. I cry out as I hold onto Aiden and we fall down a giant hole, bumping and rolling along the walls.

We all slide down a chute, sliding through tunnels and passages, all of us screaming. I hold Aiden close to me, curling myself around him, to keep him from getting injured by the walls, grunting in pain as I hit and slide against the wall.

We soon drop into a wooden cage, all of us piling on top of one another. I roll away to keep Aiden from getting crushed, especially when Bombur lands in the place we were in. Checking on him, and apart from trembling, he seems fine.

"Look out!" Dori suddenly yells out.

Looking up, my eyes go wide as I see about fifty or so pale, half naked creatures that I could only assume are the goblins I have been told about while travelling.

They rush in and grab hold of everyone, the dwarves try keeping Aiden and I in the middle, to keep them away from us, but it is of no use as I feel Aiden being ripped out from my arms.

"Mummy!" Aiden cries out.

"Aiden!" I call, trying to fight my way to him, but getting grabbed by the goblins.

The dwarves also try to get him, which Thorin manages to do, punching the goblin in the face who has him and taking my boy into his arms. As we are lead away, I see Aiden wrapping his arms and legs tight around Thorin, his head buried in the dwarves shoulder. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he is safe with him.

As we are dragged and pulled through the tunnels and along the rickety wooden bridges, we soon come to a large cavern and my stomach drops at the thousands of goblins scuttling around. I stagger slightly as I feel an intense headache coming on, and not just from the shouting and the music that begins to play. That strange feeling I've been getting a few times has hit me even stronger this time, I'm not sure why.

The goblins lead us to a large platform where a throne is and when I see what is sitting in the throne, I almost throw up. A giant goblin, about seven or eight feet tall, maybe ten. He is large and fat, his chin swinging low, covering his neck and reaching his chest. And his large belly barely covering the only scrap of clothing he wears, a loin cloth covering his lower regions – which I am eternally grateful for – his whole body is covered in warts and boils, some looking to be infected as the skin around them are inflamed.

"I feel a song coming on." I hear the goblin say.

I internally wish he wouldn't, but he does sing as the music continues.

"Snip snap, the black crack,

Grip, grab, pinch, and nab.

Batter and beat, Milk 'em, stammer and squeak!

Pound, pound, far underground,

Down, down, down in Goblin Town!"

"Down, down, down in Goblin Town!" the other Goblins join in.

"With a swish and smack and a whip and a crack!

Everybody talks when they're on my rack!

Pound, pound, far underground!

Down, down, down in Goblin Town!"

"So much for goblins hating music." I think to myself as I'm reminded of the Princess and the Giblin.

We are all brought forward and huddled in a group in front of the Great Goblin. The dwarves make sure to put me right in the centre, and I end up behind Thorin, Aiden comes straight to me as soon as he sees me. I give Thorin a grateful smile as I hold Aiden close, causing him to nod at me and place himself in front of me to keep us hidden.

Feeling a hand on my back, I turn and see Gloin right behind me, keeping himself between me and the goblins at the back. He gives me a reassuring smile and a pat on the back before we turn our attention back to the Great Goblin. I also see Fili, Oin and Bombur putting themselves around us too. As I look at the goblin and the song continues, the headache continues. I can suddenly picture myself sitting at my desk, typing away on my computer as I dance in my seat. . . why?

"Down, down, down in Goblin Town!"

"Hammer and torch, get out your knockers and gongs!

You wont last long on the end of my prongs,"

At this line, he stabs one of the goblins with his stick and swings it around before flinging the goblin over our heads, all of us ducking just in time.

"Clish, clash, crush and smash.

Bang, break, shiver and shake.

You can yell and yelp, but there ain't no help!

Pound, pound, far underground!

Down, down, down in Goblin Town."

As he draws out 'Town' he spins around a few times and we have to duck to avoid getting hit by his stick. He moves back to sit on his throne, using some goblins as a step to climb onto his throne.

"Catchy, isn't it?" says the Goblin King, "It's one of my own compositions"

"That's not a song, it's an abomination!" Balin cries out, a few of the dwarves agreeing.

"Abominations, mutations, deviations…that all you're gonna find down here." the Goblin King replies.

The goblins begin searching us, our weapons thrown into a pile in front of us. I keep holding Aiden close as they search me, taking my sword from me.

The Great Goblin jumps up and leans towards us. "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." one of the goblins answer.

"Dwarves?"

"We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice."

The dwarves gather tightly around Aiden and I as the goblins search us thoroughly, throwing away whatever they find. Oin's hearing trumpet is thrown on the floor and crushed underfoot. One of the goblins empty out a large bag of what appears to be elven cutlery and candlesticks.

"It is my belief, your great protuberance, that they are in league with elves!" one of the goblins says as he hands the Great Goblin a golden candelabra.

The Goblin King examines it. "'Made in Rivendell?'" he says "Bah – Second Age, couldn't give it away!" he exclaims, and tosses it aside.

Nori has a guilty expression on his face as Dori turns to look at him.

"Just a couple of keepsakes." Nori explains to his older brother.

I suddenly give out a yelp as one of the goblins gets a little more handsy during his search, his long and sharp nails digging and nipping into one of my breasts. This causes Thorin to shove him aside as he turns, but my yelp caught the attention of the Goblin King and he turns to look to Aiden and I.

"And what do we have here? A woman and a child? How fortunate for us."

He gives a command and goblins suddenly surround the both of us, pulling us forward at the objection of the dwarves. As the Goblin King inches towards us, I put Aiden down and push him behind me, protecting him from the giant goblin. Aiden grips hold of my top, burying his head into my back.

The huge goblin grips hold of my chin, not gently might I add, and lifts my face so I'm looking at him, lifting me up so much, my toes barely touch the ground.

"My, aren't you a delicious and welcoming sight. It's not often we get to snack on women and children. If you tell me why you are here, I may be nice enough to save you and the welp for last."

I don't say anything as I glare at the goblin, keeping a tight lip on any information.

He sneers and lets go of my chin, roughly as I stagger back slightly.

"Keeping quiet is not such a good thing to do, girly." he then turns to the dwarves. "If you want to save these two, what are you doing in these parts?"

"Don't worry, lads, I'll handle this" I hear Oin say.

The goblin steps back to sit on his throne. "No tricks! I want the truth! Warts and all!"

"You're going to have to speak up," Oin says as he holds up his bent trumpet, "Your boys have flattened my trumpet."

"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" the Goblin King roars as he strides towards Oin.

I step back, picking up Aiden as he cries out in fear and hold him close, he holds tight to me, tight enough to almost choke me, but I don't care. Oin is quickly pulled back as Bofur steps forward.

"If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to!" The Goblin King pauses, as does Bofur as he tries to make up an excuse. "We were on the road. . .well, it's not so much a road as a path. . .actually, it's not even that, come to think of it, it's 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 relations!" Dori puts in as he stands next to Bofur.

"Some inbreds on my mothers side."

"SHUT UP!" the Goblin suddenly roars, making everyone, including the goblins, jump violently. "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the boy!"

The Great Goblin points at Aiden. I'm suddenly shoved back into the dwarves and Aiden taken from my arms, screaming.

"MUMMY!"

"NO! AIDEN!" I scream as I struggle with the goblins holding me back.

"WAIT!" Thorin suddenly calls out.

Everything suddenly goes so quiet you can hear a pin drop as Thorin steps forward.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." The Great Goblin bows exaggeratedly to Thorin. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really. 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."

Thorin looks up in horror and disbelief.

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago."

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Great Goblin laughs, as he turns to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket. "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize."

The tiny goblin writes down the message on his slate; cackling, before pulling a lever, which causes his basket to start sliding down a system of ropes and pulleys, right down into the darkness.

Seeing he has been let go, Thorin picks Aiden up and comes back to us, allowing me to take him into my arms, holding him close. Feeling a protective arm around my shoulders, I look up to see Thorin standing close beside me, an arm around me and his other hand on Aiden's back as he sobs into my shoulders.

"We'll get out, I promise. I won't let anything happen to him, or you." Thorin says quietly in my ear, pressing a kiss to my head.

Even though I don't know if we will get out, his words bring me some comfort as I stand a little closer to Thorin, the other dwarves gathering closer to protect the three of us.

There we have it, chapter 10 is done and are in trouble with the goblins. Poor Aiden, can't imagine how the little mite is feeling right now. If you enjoyed that, please stay tuned for the next chapter and please keep leaving me your reviews, I love hearing from you all x

Translations'

Carino - Sweetheart