Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

THIRTY-THREE

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE.

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Clanging metal, war cries and the shrieks of goblins and orcs could be heard from several yards away. The dwarves rallied against the goblins and orcs, swinging their hammers and large swords around, killing each monster that came in their path.

Thorin fought beside his nephews, using all the pent up anger he had in him against the orcs. The dragon sickness got to him, and it got him bad. He remembered the things he did, he remembered the things he said; how he accused his own kin of traitors, how he almost killed Bilbo and Selene.

Selene.

The memory of what he did to her just a night ago replayed in his mind. Over and over. He felt guilty. He was ashamed of what he did. He had never laid his hands on a woman before, but the dragon sickness clouded his mind so badly, he ended up doing the one thing he promised he would never do. He hurt Selene.

Now, in the amidst of the battle, she was nowhere to be seen. Because of him, he drove Selene away. He knew she would not come back after what he'd done. He couldn't blame her.

Thorin watched the large goblin, whose eyes were chained and pulled back like the reigns of a pony, swing its arms around killing the dwarves that his cousin, Dain, had brought with, with the sharp mace attached to its hands.

He heard the screams from a few of Thranduil's elves and he watched in horror as a large goblin grabbed two elves and ripped their bodies in half. Their insides spilled out, leaking with fresh blood and the goblin brought the bodies to its mouth and ate the insides of the elves. The goblin laid its eyes on Thorin, growling and baring its blood-stained teeth at him. It dropped the bodies of the dead elves and picked up its mace, before charging at Thorin.

The Dwarf King looked over his shoulder to make sure his nephews were still with him, but they weren't. The three had been separated and he was now alone.

"Thorin!" He heard Fili yell.

"Thorin?!" He heard his other nephew yell.

The Dwarf King ignored their cries and gripped his sword with both hands, ready to defend himself against the large goblin making its way toward him. The goblin screeched, raising its mace above its head and swung it back down, but Thorin dodged out of the way, blocking the blows left and right from the goblin.

He suddenly lost his footing, after backing into the dead corpse of one of Dain's dwarves and fell onto his back, landing roughly on a stone. He groaned in pain and tried to stand but a large boot stomped on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. The goblin sneered, showing off its disgusting, rotten teeth. The goblin raised its mace again, ready to kill the dwarf but was interrupted by the powerful and sudden gust of wind that pushed the monster off of Thorin.

All the dwarves, elves, men, orcs and goblins paused mid-battle at the thunderous sound that was soon followed by the ground shaking violently under their feet. They all stood in silence, waiting for whatever it was to show itself.

A wave of absolute terror spread through them all at the sight of a massive, black shape crawling over the mountain. And even more fear drowned them when they realized it was a dragon.