Chapter Fourteen: Escapes, Orcs, Wargs & Eagles

Amara's POV

Gandalf and I finally reached the goblin caves, and I have to say it was even creepier than I imagined. I followed behind Gandalf as we spotted the Goblin king's throne and standing before him were the dwarves, all struggling to get away from the goblin's grip.

Looking over at the ramp pathways, I saw all the torture devices that the smaller goblins were working to deliver to the king, then as Gandalf also saw the devices, he motioned for me to follow as the king began singing in his horrible off-tune song.

Bone will be shattered
Necks will be wrung
You'll be beaten and battered
From racks you'll be hung
You will die down here
And never be found
Down in the deep of Goblin-town

Then suddenly, all the goblins began to panic as the goblin King then pointed out.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!" He said as the smaller goblins the began to scurry over the dwarves while Thorin was whipped by one before he was then ambushed by many that pushed him to the ground. "Slash them! Beat them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" He cried out, before the smaller goblins could do anything, Gandalf then set off a powerful spell that burst out a bright light and pushed the goblins to the ground along with the dwarves.

Then as the light faded and the cave was quiet, Gandalf and I made our way toward the group, Gandalf wielded Glamdring while I carried a pair of daggers that I infused with my magic making them four times as powerful and sharp as normal ones. As the goblins and dwarves looked up, I noticed Thorin and as our eyes met, I sent him a small nod before Gandalf then spoke out.

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" He shouted before all the dwarves then began to fight against the goblins, I began to slash through the goblins like they were nothing but butter.

"He welds the Foehammer! The Beater! Bright as daylight!" The goblin king cried in fear as I continued to slice down every goblin within my reach, I soon reached Orcrist and picked it up before turning to see Thorin not too far away from me.

"Thorin!" I cried as he turned to see me. "Catch!" I threw him Orcrist as the other dwarves gathered their own weapons, I stood and made my way over to Thorin and fought with him, and as the goblin king fell over the platform Gandalf then called out.

"This way! Come on! Run!" He cried as we all followed him away from the throne and down the pathways.

Bilbo's POV

I stumbled through the cave pathways as I looked for a way out, with Gollum on my tail I tried to hide in turns that wouldn't be seen easily. Then I came across a path that I thought was a dead-end until I turned back and saw Gollum crawl past crying.

"Give it to us!"

I turned back and saw a big enough gap for me to slip through and tried to do so before Gollum came back, sadly I got stuck trying to get through as my petticoat jacket buttons were getting caught.

Then suddenly, the sounds of Gollum's growls caught my attention as I saw the crawling figure appear again and turned to my direction, he then snarled as he crawled towards me and growled in his rage.

"It's ours. It's ours!"

I pushed harder to get through the gap, and after all the buttons on my petticoat came loose, I managed to get through but then lost my footing before falling to the ground. the ring I held slipped and flipped through the air, I reached out for it and soon it slid on my finger before Gollum came through the gap in the cave wall. I crawled aside as he jumped out and began to look around, 'He couldn't see me? How?' I thought in confusion for a second before Gollum then crawled off down the pathway as he cried out:

"Thief! Baggins!"

I stood up and followed him down the path, hoping that he was leading me to a way out that would lead me back to the others and away from this cave.

Amara's POV

I ran alongside the dwarves as well were trying to make our way to the exit, I never thought I would see so many goblins in my life as I cut down more and more as I ran. I also cast spells to help and protect the company as they fought.

Soon we reached the final bridge, but before we could cross it the Goblin king burst out from underneath and stood proudly before us as all of the goblins surrounded us, trapping us in on the bridge with their king.

"You thought you could escape me." The Goblin king mocked as he then swung his staff on the bridge, causing Gandalf to fall back to where a few dwarves and I caught him before the goblin king mockingly asked. "What are you going to do now, Wizard?" Giving Gandalf a boost, Gandalf then stepped forward and jabbed the tip of his staff in the goblin kings eye before slashing Glamdring across his fat belly, leaving a large gash that the goblin king covered as he fell to his knees. "That'll do it." He said before Gandalf then slashed Glamdring across the goblin king's neck, killing him instantly.

But soon as the goblin king fell, the bridge began to creak before finally giving way as we then road it down the cave. "Hold on, everybody!" I cried as I grabbed hold of one of the polls for dear life. I then felt an arm wrap around me and secured me closer to the poll as I turned and saw it was Thorin as he held me close as we fell, then when we finally reached the ground, and I turned to look over everyone.

"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur said, and three seconds later, the dead body of the goblin king fell on top of us all, nearly crushing us with his dead weight. 'Well, Bofur did jinx it.' I thought as I helped some of the other up.

"You've got to be joking." Dwalin groaned, as the others began to crawl free Kili called out Gandalf's name which caused us all to turn and look up as a hoard of Goblins were descending the cave walls. "There's too many, we can't fight them." Dwalin said before I then clarified.

"And my magic can only do so much too." I said, granted I could probably stall the goblins but a spell like that would use up large amounts of magical power which I was going to need soon.

"Only one thing will save us... daylight." Gandalf said as he helped a few dwarves before leading us through the caves with the goblins on our tails, I felt someone take hold of my hand and pull me along, I looked up and it was Thorin, again he was helping me even though he knew I could take care of myself

Bilbo's POV

I watched as Gollum crawled out to a pathway, crying out "Wait! My precious, wait!" Then began croaking his name, I slowly made my way down the path I was in now before Gollum looked down the path and then hid behind a rock.

I watched as Gandalf and Amara along with the dwarves ran past, I wanted to rush over but if I did that now, I would alert Gollum to my presence. As the final dwarf ran past, I watched as Gollum then turned to look around. I quietly sneaked up and held my sword at Gollum's neck and as I was about to swing my arm, Gollum turned around and I watched as the look on his face showed sadness in them.

I looked at this creature and I thought about how long he must have hidden away in this cave, hunting whatever he could to survive and with no other company. It made me think of my life before I met Amara, how I had lost my parents and was close to becoming a hermit as well.

This creature couldn't help being who or what he was.

I lowered my sword, took a breath and stepped a few feet back, by then the sound of my feet had alerted Gollum and his face then went from sadness to anger before I then ran forward and used the two rocks to leap over Gollum, hitting him by accident but I was too determined to catch up with the other to look back.

As I ran out the cave, I could hear Gollum cry out with a snarl:

"Baggins! Thief! Curse it and crush it! We hates it forever!"

I ignored it and ran down the steep hill, hoping to catch up with the others.

Amara's POV

I ran with Thorin holding my hand, as we jumped over rocks and twigs, I looked around and saw that this was the wooded area where Azog and his pack were going to arrive soon. As we reached a safe point away from the goblins, Gandalf then started counting the members that were here.

We all gathered and allowed ourselves a breath, Kili and Fili followed closely followed by Bombur whom Gandalf counted. "And Bombur, that makes 14. Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf asked as everyone then looked around for him, though I knew where he was, I acted like I didn't. "Where is our hobbit?!" Gandalf bellowed, I could see he was also worried about Bilbo.

"Curse that Halfing! Now he's lost?" Dwalin sneered in anger.

"I thought he was with Dori." Gloin said before Dori the turned to him.

"Don't blame me." He cried before Gandalf then turned to him.

"Where did you last see him?" He asked concerned.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us." Nori said, I knew that it meant that Bilbo went through everything that he was supposed to and that he was most likely right here under the veil of the Ring.

"What happened? Tell me!" Gandalf demanded before Thorin then stepped forward.

"I'll tell you what happened." He said as he pointed out to the mountain, "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again, he is long gone." I looked to Thorin and realised that even though I told him the truth about the end of the quest I had forgotten to mention Bilbo's part in them too.

I was about to say something before turned and saw Bilbo emerge from out behind the tree and then announced his presence. "No. He isn't." He said causing everyone to turn and see him which caused them to be both surprised and happy.

"Bilbo!" I cried as I ran up and hugged him, grateful that he was alright even though I knew he would be, but it was still a scary thought that he could have been hurt or worse killed.

"Bilbo Baggins, I have never been glad to see anyone in my life." Gandalf exclaimed as I pulled away from the hug and allowed him to walk a few steps forward.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up." Kili said before his older brother then asked.

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?"

Everyone was hoping to hear the answer, but I noticed Bilbo slipping something into his pocket and instantly knew that it was the One Ring, I turned to see Gandalf had noticed as well but decided to turn the attention away from Bilbo.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back." He said trying to seem calm and clueless.

"It matters." Thorin said before he then turned to Bilbo and asked. "I want to know. Why did you come back?" I had thought to go slap that stubborn dwarf upside the head, much like Gibbs in NCIS tv series with Mark Harmon.

But I turned to Bilbo who then sighed and said to Thorin:

"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." He said with a shrug of his shoulders before continuing. "See that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back. Because..." He looked over all the dwarves, knowing what they were fighting for before turning back to Thorin. "You don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back, if I can." He looked at the dwarf king with the same amount of determination as any of the other members gave for this quest.

I felt a warmth of pride as I was watching the quiet and timid hobbit start to become the hobbit I knew he was destined to be. I looked around at all the proud and loyal dwarves as they were contemplating Bilbo's speech, but then the sound of howls filled the air causing everyone to turn and look.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin started.

"And into the fire, run. Run!" Gandalf bellowed as everyone began to run further down the hill as we could, I turned and saw a warg getting a little too close for comfort causing me to pull out a few spells.

Casting spells as I ran from warg was not easy even with many of the dwarves fighting them, as We reached a cliff's edge Gandalf turned to the other and shouted for us to climb into the trees. I looked over at Bilbo who was struggling to pull Sting out from a warg's head, I wanted to go help him but I was then I was pulled into a tree by Gandalf. I climbed as I as I could before turning back to see Bilbo looking like a deer caught in the headlights and the warg pack grew closer.

"Bilbo!" I called out before seeing him being pulled into a tree by one of the dwarves, sighing in relief I turned to see a moth in the pine. I slowly reached out and let it perch on my fingers before turning to Gandalf. "Gandalf, call the Eagles! We're gonna need their help!" I said as I handed him the moth before turning to the others as the wargs were beginning to attack them by trying to climb the trees.

But then I looked over and saw the one figure I feared to see and I knew that Thorin was haunted by:

"Azog." I whispered as the pale orc riding a white warg stared at Thorin, before smelling the air as if he could smell things we couldn't like a warg himself.

"Do you smell that? The scent of fear?" He said as he turned to another orc behind him, and after taking in another deep breath. He looked over at Thorin as he then sneered mockingly "I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain." He looked at the rest of us and then pointed his mace at Thorin before saying. "That one is mine. Kill the rest!" He bellowed as all the unridden wargs the attacked the trees that held members of the company, I looked down and saw two wargs trying to reach both Gandalf and I in our tree.

"Drink their blood." Azog said as the wargs continued to attack, the tree shook with each hit as the weight of the wargs and the powerful strength of their attack was starting to become too much for the trees to hold against.

Soon enough, the trees began to buckle, and the dwarves then began jumping from tree to tree before they landed in the one Gandalf and I currently occupied, I watched as the final tree tumbled over the cliff and the wargs below began to gather.

Hearing the sounds of Azog's cold laughter and the wargs attacking the tree I looked around and saw the pinecones and sighed. "I've had enough of this." I said as I took the pinecones and used magic to light them before throwing it down to the wargs, who backed away from the fire. Gandalf seeing my plan ten got to work on pinecones of his own before calling out to Fili below and dropped a pinecone to him.

Fili then helped the others light pinecones of their own and as they were lit each member threw their pinecones at the wargs, causing the fire that surrounded us to grow bigger and the wargs to back off more. One of the pinecones hit a warg who then caught on fire and ran away yelping in pain. I felt a little sorry for the creature as it wasn't their fault that they were taught by cold-bloodied monsters like Azog.

Soon all the wargs were a good distant from the tree and this caused Azog to become angry, we all cheer for a few moments before the treen then began to shake and fall back over the edge of the cliff. I looked down to see the roots were starting to give way but knew that they would hold strong for a bit, just long enough for the Eagles to come to our rescue.

Many of the members were close to falling off their branches, I heard Dori and Ori cry out before Gandalf then used his staff for Dori to grab hold of while Ori held onto his oldest brother's leg for dear life.

The tree then buckled again, causing more cries of panic in the company. I held on to my branch near as I then looked over at Thorin who then stood up on the trees, with sword and shield in hand he then began to walk down the tree until he reached the roots.

"Thorin, don't!" I cried but he ignored me and marched past the burning flames on the fallen trees and toward the pale orc, I couldn't help but watch as Thorin ran faster but then Azog roared as his warg jumped off the rock, knocking Thorin to the ground without any trouble. Then as Thorin was trying to get up, he was hit under the chin and on the chest by Azog's mace. Cries from the company as Thorin fell to the ground again, I then turned to see Bilbo standing on the tree as he watched Thorin get bitten by Azog's warg.

His cries of pain reach us as Dwalin cried out: "Thorin!" Then the branch he was hanging by snapped and bent but it didn't break, I looked up at Bilbo who then drew Sting from his hip before looking over at the sight of Thorin being picked up in the warg's mouth as if he was nothing but a chew toy for it.

while the Pale Orc was too cocky with this, Thorin then hit the warg's snout with the hilt of his sword, but then the warg then tossed him over to a rock where Thorin landed on his back. I watched as Azog turned to another orc holding a sword in his hand and said:

"Bring me the dwarf's head."

Then the orc got of its warg and made his way towards Thorin, I looked up and saw Bilbo draw Sting from his hip and prepared himself before he began to run towards the orc. Just as the orc was about to behead Thorin, Bilbo charged at him and knocked the orc over with his body.

The orc tossed Bilbo aside and was about to attack him before Bilbo then stabbed in the chest and then as he rolled the orc over onto his back, he then stabbed it in the stomach which caused him to go limb. Once back on his feet he stood between Azog and Thorin.

"Kill him." Azog said as other warg riders gathered, they began to advance on Bilbo who still stood between them and Thorin. Many of the dwarves then began to charge and as they did, I joined them. As we fought, I turned to see Bilbo fighting against Azog before being tossed to the ground. With this image, I began to see red as I then conjured up a bow and arrow made of pure ice before shooting and Azog's warg in the leg, this caused them to turn to me.

"Get away from them, you freak!" I shouted as I stared Azog in the eye, seeing the surprise in his face to see a witch fighting with the dwarves. I ran to Bilbo and stood strong, even though my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest in fear as Azog and his warg slowly began to get closer.

I held my daggers ready to fight off this monster if I had to, but then the sound of an eagle's cry filled the air as I looked up and saw the very eagles I had read about swarming the skies before swooping in and picking up the orcs before dropping them over the edge of the cliff, tilting over burning trees on to the riderless warg. All in all, causing destruction for the Orcs.

I then turned to where Thorin was and saw a great eagle land and began to pick Thorin's unconscious body and Orcrist in its talons before flying off into the night sky, I saw Thorin's shield fall to the ground as he was lifted off and raced over to grab it before turning around to see many of the dwarves being picked up by the eagles and tossed onto another's back before being flown off.

I clutched the Shield in hand as I then Raced back to Bilbo before we were both grabbed by an eagle and then dropped onto the back of another, I turned to Bilbo as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hold on tight, Bilbo." I said as I felt him nodding his head before placing Sting into its sheath, I turned to look at the burning cliff as I could barely hear the raging roars of Azog the Defiler. 'This won't be the last time we see that orc.' I thought as I turned and focused on the flight.