Erebor's Guardian

Chapter 16

By nightfall we had made it to the Misty Mountains on a sheer mountain side trail in a roaring thunderstorm. All seventeen of us pressed against the mountain rock biting into our shoulders wind blinding us with rain and my body soaked. The dwarves pulled us girls along carefully not to let us fall and I had put little Bilbo between us.

"Don't fall!" Thorin shouted back from the lead of the group barely audible though the storm.

Bilbo's foot slipped causing some of the ledge to crumble away and the little hobbit nearly fell down into the crevasse. Kylie and I pulled him back, my nails hooked into his cloak like a lion pulling on prey. Dwalin had a sure grip on my shoulder ensuring I would not fall as well.

"Look out!" Dwalin cried.

Lighting lit up the sky as a boulder the size of a car flew over our heads smashed into the mountain sending shards raining down upon us.

"This is no thunderstorm!" Balin cried out from a ledge bravely looking out. "It's a thunder battle! Look!"

Across the canyon a creature made of stone and rock emerged from the mountain breaking away from the rock.

"Bless me the legends are true!" Bofur dared to near the ledge. "Giants! Stone giants!"

My stomach dropped seeing the giant toss a boulder like a ball of paper across the canyon hitting another giant emerging from the shadows.

"Take cover you fool!" Thorin warned as more rocks tumbled down on us.

Suddenly, the mountain we stood on began to quake and move under our feet. The path split into two separating the company on the legs of a giant. The creature stood and took an immediate blow to the head nearly falling back against the mountain. Our giant swung, knocking one giant back before breaking off a part of the mountain killing the first giant. The battle cries deafened our ears as stone nicked our faces.

A massive mountain piece was thrown, taking off the head of the giant we stood on. The creature spun us around before leaning towards the mountain threatening to crash into it. My heart pounded in my chest as the mountain face raced towards us. At the last second Dwalin jumped from the ledge pulling me with him. The others made it across before the creature fell down into the abyss. The rain subsided as I sat on my knees near the ledge realizing how close I came to not making it. I scanned the group to find Jenna and Kylie both tucked under Fili's arms against Bombur giving me a thumbs up.

Thorin appeared around the corner of the path with Gloin behind him shouting to the others letting them know we were alright. Dwalin helped me to my feet before bowing away as Thorin approached. The king came over brushing my bleeding cheek. I flinched away from the sting of his touch on my cut cheek.

"Are you alright?" Thorin leaned his forehead on mine, calming me.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur began searching for our burglar. "Where is the hobbit?"

"There!" Ori cried seeing Bilbo's fingers clinging to the cliff ledge. Ori dove for Bilbo's hands as the hobbit's grip slipped.

My breath hitched in my throat. Bofur dove as well trying to reach for Bilbo screaming his name. Thorin leapt into action dropping down to a ledge of the cliffside and hoisted Bilbo up to Bofur and Ori who pulled him over. Thorin moved to pull himself when his grip slipped and Dwalin swiftly caught Thorin's arm sliding down the cliffside from the weight. I gripped the straps holding Dwalin's axes and pulled him back slowly working our way back to safety.