A/N: A big thank you to all my beautiful readers and followers for your continue support on my story, I hope I am meeting your expectations of me, and I hope you'll leave a comment in the reviews. Thank you all! Love CloneGirl 897
Chapter Twelve: Council, Giants and Goblins
Amara's POV
After a brief introduction, I stood on the sidelines away from Saruman as best as I could while watching and listening to the White wizard speak to Gandalf in a slightly condescending way, which just pissed me off even more.
But then, the voice of Lady Galadriel spoke out. "The dragon has long been on your mind."
"That is true, my lady." Gandalf said to Galadriel then to both Saruman and Elrond as he continued. "Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect."
"What enemy?" Saruman asked before continuing. "Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength."
'Wrong.' I thought as I recalled all the things that he was going to do in the future, while I was recalling the images the meeting went on without me as I stood by. Drowning out their words, especially Saruman's, while Galadriel slowly but gracefully walked around the table. Soon enough, Gandalf brought out the Morgul Blade and placed it in the table.
Of course, Saruman tried to deny everything even when there was proof placed right before him.
"You want proof?" I asked Saruman in annoyance before snapping my fingers and then the blue screen of my status file popped up over the dagger, but instead of my status it showed the status of the dagger. "There's your proof."
"How did you do that?" Elrond asked in shock as he looked over the screen floating over the dagger, that revealed all of it's information and such to the council.
"My appraisal skill. You get used to it after a while." I said with a shrug of my shoulders.
Saruman then tried to state that I was just faking the results of my appraisal before I turned to him and snapped at him.
"Your constant state of denial is really starting to piss me off." I said as I pointed a finger at the white wizard, who in turn looked up at me with an annoyed look as he was being lectured by a magic-user that was not only younger than him but also much more powerful.
I then watched as Galadriel turned to the look over the platform and down into the valley which made me believe that she and Gandalf were telepathically speaking about the dwarves. She turned to Gandalf who looked up at her like a guilty child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar by a gentle parent.
Before long, Lindir approached the council and turned to Elrond. "My lord Elrond. The dwarves, they're gone." He said, this caused both Saruman and Elrond to spring into action, and they left the Gazebo to look for the dwarves themselves. Gandalf the turned to me and spoke.
"Amara, go gather your things, we must leave quickly."
I nodded then bowed before racing off to my room to pack everything.
Bilbo's POV
We were climbing the steep path on the cliffside, all of us in a steady line along the path as Thorin called out from the front of the line.
"Be on your guard, we're about to step over the Edge of the Wild." He said before turning to Balin who was behind him. "Balin, you know these paths. Lead on."
"Aye." Balin responded, I turned around to see the beautiful scenery of Rivendell was slowly being bathed in the morning light. I recalled moments in my childhood when my mother would sit me in her lap and regal me with tales of her adventures, the tales of Rivendell seemed to have a magic in them but when faced with the real thing, words didn't do it justice. Amara was still there, and I hoped that she would rejoin us soon. 'Amara, stay safe.' I thought before Thorin called out.
"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up." He said as I turned to face him, he looked as annoyed and broody as always. I took one last look at valley before making my way with the rest of the company.
Amara's POV
As I stored the final item into my item box, I quickly changed my clothes into a fresh set of travelling clothes and did up my hair before I then heard a knock at the door.
"Come in." I said as I was busy strapping my sword to my waist, I turned to see the person to enter my room was... "Lady Galadriel." I bowed my head in greeting to her as she then approached me with so much grace it made me feel a little intimidated by her.
"Raise your head, young witch." She said softly, I raised my head, and my eyes met her own as I then felt a probing feeling in my mind and pushed it back. I knew that it was her trying to get into my head. "You and Mithrandir mean to follow the Dwarves." She asked.
"I made a promise to both Bilbo and Thorin. And I'm not the kind of girl to make promises I cannot keep." I told her as I then strapped a small dagger to my thigh. "And don't bother trying to talk me out of it, because it won't work." I turned to grab my bag and was about to leave before Galadriel stopped me.
"I assure you I am not." She said as she looked at me, as if trying to evaluate me before looking at me with a soft smile. "You remind me of myself when I was younger and I pray that you remember this. You are not alone. And should you ever need help, my people will be there." She knew very well that the feud between the dwarves and elves would make any help they give seem a little suspicious.
"I'll keep that in mind." I said before bowing. "Safe travels to you on your way home, my lady." I then left the room and made my way down to the gates where Gandalf was waiting for me with a horse.
"Come along Amara, we got to catch up to the others." Gandalf said as he helped my mount the horse before getting on behind me, then once secure Gandalf kicked the horse into action and we then begam to make our way to the High Pass where the dwarves and Bilbo were no doubt heard.
Bilbo's POV
By the end of the day, we had crossed a long distance and made it to the High Pass. But the High Pass wasn't a very welcoming path as there was a fierce thunderstorm and heavy rains filled the sky. The path was very narrow on the cliffside, with the rain making it very slippery and the strong winds also didn't help much.
"Hey! Hold on!" Thorin called out from the front of the line as we all tried out best to walk along the path without tripping or falling over the edge, no sooner that thought I tripped over a rock and was about to fall over the said edge.
"Bilbo!" Dwalin cried before grabbing hold of me along with Bofur, they both pulled me back to the cliff wall. Gasping for breath as it was difficult in this weather and at the high in the mountains.
"We must find shelter!" Thorin called out to everyone before Dwalin, who stood beside me called out:
"Look out!"
Everyone turned to see a giant rock bolder flying toward the cliffside above up, and as it collided with the cliff wall it shattered into many pieces and began to fall like an avalanche. Everyone leaned against the cliff wall in hopes of avoiding getting hit with any of the debris that fell passed us and further down the cliff.
"This is no thunderstorm. It's a thunder-battle! Look!" Balin said as he pointed out to the scene where the surface of the mountains began to move in a somewhat slow motion and then stood tall in a human-like figure. Which then pulled off a piece of the mountains from under it
"Well bless me. The legends are true." Bofur said in awe before crying out. "Giants! Stone Giants!" The Stone-Giant then threw the piece of rock it held passed where we were and it hit another Stone-Giant that was slowly emerging from behind us, but it was then hit with the rock and fell back against the mountain.
"Take cover, you fools!" Thorin cried out as everyone leaned against the cliff wall yet again.
"Hold on!" Dwalin cried out as rocks fell, causing the path we were on to become much narrower as falling rock chipped away at the edges. Soon enough, I looked up and saw that the mountain cliff that we were standing on was actually the legs of yet another Stone-Giant that was starting to join in the fight with the other two.
But before it could fully stand, one of the other Stone-Giants the stepped forward and headbutted it hard enough for it to lose its balance and fall back. I could hear Thorin giving orders and figured that the first half of the group managed to get off the Stone-Giants leg before it then got up once again.
The Stone-Giant wasn't able to land a hit before it was the hit in the face, causing it to fall back on the mountain but as the first Stone-Giant turned to face the third Stone-Giant, it was hit with a large bolder that cause its head to fall off its body and crashed against the legs on which were standing on. The lags of the stone giant moved so fast that we passed the first group before the giant we were on then lost its balance and its legs then collided with the stone walls.
Fortunately, we were unharmed. However, I then tripped over one of the dwarves which caused me to tumble until I fell over the edge, but I was quick to grab hold of the cliff and soon enough I was hanging over the edge.
"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" I heard Bofur ask before they all spotted me on the edge and then tumbled atop of each other to try and reach me.
"Get him!" Dwalin cried as they all reached for me as I slipped but then grabbed hold of a gap in the cliff again, Ori took hold of one of my hands as Bofur then called out for me to grab his own. I tried to regain my footing, but the walls of the cliff were slippery in the rain.
Before I knew it, Thorin had swung over onto the cliffside and grabbed me by the back of my pack and lifted me up enough for the others to grab me and pull me back up, but then as Thorin was about to climb back up, he lost his footing but Dwalin was quick and grabbed Thorin's hand and then used all his strength to pull up his king.
As I leaned against the cliff wall, gasping for breath, I looked up as Dwalin spoke.
"I thought we lost our burglar." He said before Thorin then turned to glare at me in a very enraged look.
"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He had no place amongst us." He said before leading everyone to a cave in the cliff, as I entered the cave with the others Dwalin went to check the cave before Gloin began to prepare a fire but Thorin then said not to and looked to the others.
"Get some sleep. We start at first light." He said exhausted before Balin then said.
"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf and Amara joined us. That was the plan."
"Plans change." Thorin said before turning to Bofur. "Bofur, take first watch." Everyone then chose a spot and began to settle for the night, I laid out my roll and laid down as thoughts of Thorin's words filled my head.
I didn't understand why Thorin was still so hesitant and against me being here, even after proving myself against the trolls and in sparring matches that I wasn't weak. But he seemed to still see me as a burden to the company.
As I laid in my roll trying to sleep, I couldn't help but believe everything that Thorin said. Maybe Amara was wrong about this being my destiny.
After waiting until I was sure everyone else was asleep, I then began to pack my thing back into y bag and grabbed my walking stick before I slowly made my way to the cave's entrance, before I was stopped by the hushed voice of Bofur.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.
I turned back and stared at him before answering. "Back to Rivendell." Bofur then scrambled to his feet and walked over to me as he said in hushed tones.
"No, no, you can't turn back now, eh? You're part of the company. You're one of us."
"I'm not, though, am I?" I asked, looking Bofur's confused look before continuing. "Thorin said I shouldn't have come, and he was right. Even with all of the training Amara gave me, it's still not enough. I'm not a Took. I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."
"You're homesick. I understand." Bofur said as he tried to show that he did, but I knew that he didn't and snapped.
"No you don't. You don't understand. None of you. You're Dwarves. You're used to this life, to living on the road never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!" I said before realising what I said as Bofur's face began to show sadness and guilt. "I am sorry. I didn't..." I tried to apologise but was then cut off before I could finish.
"No, you're right." Bofur said as he turned around and looked out at the other dwarves who were sleeping in their rolls. "We don't belong anywhere." He turned back around and looked at me as a soft smile formed on his face. "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do." He then placed a hand on my shoulder as I gave him and smile, before turning away he then asked me in a curious tone. "What's that?" I looked down to my sword before noticing there was a blue glow from the sheath, slowly I withdrew the handle of my sword as it revealed the bright glowing blue blade. Recalling what Gandalf had told me about this blade's abilities, 'Oh no.' I then knew what it meant as I looked up at Bofur in a worried way before the sound of Thorin's voice then cried out.
"Wake up! Wake up!" But before we all could respond the floors of the cave then gave out and we were all falling down through a slide of caves before landing in what seemed to be wooden cage. But that wasn't the worse part.
"Look out!" Bofur cried as goblins then soon swarmed around us, pulling each and every member away and down a path all the while snarling and growling at each of us. Many of the dwarves tried to fight them off but the goblins were too many and they passed each of us to another and down the path. I stopped and knelt down, making myself as small as possible as the goblins just walked past and seemed to ignore me. As soon as I was out of the swarm I crawled over to a hiding spot and watched as the goblin took the dwarves away somewhere, leaving me behind.
Once they were gone and the sound of bats could only be heard, I stood up and drew my sword out. The blade's glow was still bright blue as I then made my way across the wooden paths, following behind the goblins. 'Here's where Amara's training comes in handy.' I thought as I remembered all the stealth training that Amara had me do while back in the Shire, but before I could catch up to the group, a single goblin appeared in front of me. Snarling as it looked at me with its beady eyes, blistering skin and rotting teeth before charging at me.
I managed to block most of its attacks with my sword and moved quickly in my own attacks, but soon as I managed to knock the goblin's weapon out of its hand it then crawled onto my back and bite my ear hard that I let out a cry of pain.
I swung hard to get this nasty creature off but in doing so I lost my footing and the two of us then tumbled over the edge of the path and fell into a dark chasm, as iI was falling I somehow hit my head and lost consciousness...