An Unexpected Journey

Chapter Twenty-Five: Escaping the Caves

“Wait,” Thorin shouted as the goblins reached for the youngest member of his company, he forced his way to the front knowing that he would have to put his grief behind him for now.

Thalia would always have a special place in his heart and he wouldn’t forget her sacrifice, he would truly grieve for her loss later; he would do something special for her when he reclaimed the Lonely Mountain.

“Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór. King under the mountain,” the Goblin king said bowing dramatically, he smirked at the look of annoyance on the dwarf’s face; he knew that the loss of the mountain of Erebor was a sensitive subject for its former residence.

Thorin glared up at the large fat goblin, he didn’t know why he thought that he would get away with that comment; he was going to win back his home and do so in Thalia’s memory.

“Oh but I am forgetting, you don’t have a mountain and you are not a king… which makes you a nobody, really,” the Goblin king said smugly, he didn’t hold back with his harsh words; his eyes steadily watching Thorin as he leant close, he knew someone who would be thrilled to be reunited with him.

“I know someone who would pay a pretty penny for your head… just your head, mind you nothing attached,” the Goblin king said watching the dwarf, he could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface; he felt a thrill of excitement knowing that the white orc would do if he handed him Thorin.

The dwarf stared at him confused wondering what he was talking about, he wasn’t in the mood for these games and he wanted nothing more than to get away from here.

“Perhaps you know of whom I speak… a pale orc astride a white warg,” the Goblin king said making Thorin stare at him, he felt the company took a deep breath as they realised just who the goblin was talking about; the one foul creature that was set on destroying the Line of Durin.

***

“Who does that wizard think he is? Telling us to wait here like that,” Cornelia spat furious as she paced up and down in front of Thalia, she was far from pleased that they had been forced to stay behind; she wanted to get in on the action.

Thalia watched her as she leant back on the rock, she wasn’t surprised that Cornelia had taken a dislike to the wizard just like she had; Gandalf had a way of rubbing people up the wrong way.

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Thalia agreed pushing herself away from the rock and looked around the cavern that they were stood in, they were beside an underground river and the blonde felt slightly relaxed by its presence.

Cornelia snorted in agreement, she huffed moving to sit down and looked over the water; her hand moving to grip her sword as she thought about what was going on.

“Where did your sword come from?” Thalia asked carefully, she watched as Cornelia smirked and pulled it from its holder; she twirled it in her hand as she admired it for a moment.

Cornelia knew that there were things that their parents wouldn’t have told Thalia, there was one that the Gods seemed determined to keep from them and something she’d only just discovered for herself.

“It was a gift… it was forged in the underworld,” Cornelia said shortly, she watched Thalia who nodded her head knowing that Thalia had been left unprepared by what was going on by the Gods; she hoped they fixed that problem soon.

Thalia opened her mouth to ask another question, she heard a whisper from the water; she swallowed as she stood and looked across the river.

“Can you hear that?” Thalia asked as she brushed some hair from her face, she was sort of relieved that she wasn’t wearing the dress that Aphrodite had put her in; she was back to wearing her grey cable jumper and skinny jeans paired with rust ankle boots.