Complicated (Thorin Oakenshield x Reader) [Slow Updates]

Chapter Thirteen

(Y/N) keeps pace with the company pretty easily, even despite her injury, as they run across the platforms from the legions of goblins chasing them. The one thing she is having a harder time with is coping with the ridiculous amount of noise. The sounds echoing off the cavern walls feel so much LOUDER in her panther form; she can hardly hear anything else.

They've been running for what feels like an eternity, and it really doesn't feel like it's going to end. Leaping over massive gaps and swiping goblins aside, balancing on precariously narrow platforms; at one point Gandalf even breaks a boulder off from the ceiling and causes it to roll through the goblins that are blocking the path. As the group rushes forward to cross yet another bridge, (Y/N) catches a foul scent that's slightly familiar.

Suddenly, the Goblin King bursts out from beneath the platform. Everyone skids to a halt as the horrid creature climbs up onto the bridge, to stand directly in front of them. Gandalf is at the front of the group, and (Y/N)'s standing a couple of Dwarves behind him. Suddenly silence fills the air.

"You thought you could escape me?" the Goblin King sneers, attempting to smash Gandalf with his bone-club. When he dodges backwards, the Goblin King takes a sideways swipe at him, knocking him back into the group. The Dwarves at the front hold him up.

"What are you going to do now, wizard?" the Goblin King mocks. (Y/N) can't hold back her snarl, and the sound echoes off of the walls of the cavern. A few Dwarves give her warry looks, but she doesn't notice. Suddenly, Gandalf steps forward and pokes the Goblin King in the eye with his staff.

The Goblin King covers his eye, letting out a yell of pain. Gandalf then uses Glamdring to slice the Goblin King's stomach, causing the creature to fall to his knees.

The Goblin King looks off to his right, an almost dumbfounded expression on his face.

"That'll do it," he says, just a moment before Gandalf slices his throat. He collapses, dead. (Y/N) manages a small smirk of satisfaction, but the moment is lost as the bridge, only the section that the group is standing on, breaks. (Y/N) lets out a startled hiss as the platform plummets downwards, her ears full of the shocked shouts and screams of the others.

The scent of fresh blood becomes even more prominent when they crash into another lower platform, and the jagged corner of a plank scrapes against her wound. She roars in agony.

Can everything just STOP ripping apart my arm? PLEASE? she thinks furiously.

As they grow nearer and nearer to the bottom of the chasm, the falling platform wedges itself between two sheer walls of rock, slowing down considerably before reaching the ground.

(Y/N) pulls herself up to her paws with much strain, before clambering out of the rubble. She seats herself on a clear-ish patch of stone before looking back at the group. Gandalf had already struggled his way out of the pile of wood and debris as well, but the others are all still stuck beneath the clutter of planks.

"Well that could have been worse," Bofur says. Immediately afterwards, the corpse of the Goblin King crashes down and lands on the remains of the bridge, dwarves included. They all let out groans of pain as the massive weight is added to the top of the pile.

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin shouts. (Y/N) can't help but snicker.

Suddenly, a sound like roaring thunder reaches her ears, and her vibrant green eyes flick upwards, soon filling with dread. Kili looks up as well from his position on the pile, and the sight has a similar effect on him.

"Gandalf!" he exclaims, getting the Wizard's attention. Suddenly, everyone is rushing out of the rubble, in full realization that hundreds, if not thousands of goblins are rushing towards them.

"There's too many, we can't fight them," Dwlain says while pulling Nori up to his feet.

"Only one thing will save us. Daylight. Come on," Gandalf shouts, ushering everyone into the tunnels. (Y/N) rushes into the caves at the back of the group, nudging those in front of her in frantic attempts to speed them along.

However, as they're racing through the tunnels, she feels something call to her - a presence, a whisper. She pauses. I'll surely be able to catch up with the group, she thinks, branching off into a different tunnel.

Her ears twitch, the whispers growing louder as she dashes through the caves. Soon, she comes to a larger cavern. A copious amount of mushrooms are spread throughout, but she senses something else, too. The presence, whatever it is, calls to her from the cave floor.

Stalking closer, she spots a glimmer, a glint of gold. Shifting into her human form, she picks it up: a ring. She frowns. Is this what was making all of that noise?

As confused as she is, she cannot deny that, even now, the object is oozing malign energy. Shaking her head, she pockets it before shifting into her feline form. She sprints off into the tunnels, following her nose back to the group.