The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 14

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We walked all day, it was very tiring but all the same, it was a nice change from not doing anything productive in Rivendell.  As the day passed, the terrain became more and more rocky and the shadows of the Misty Mountains came ever nearer.

The sun set but we continued up the path into the mountains.  I had been in a good mood all day, until the sky clouded and it started to pour.  We were walking along a narrow path, about two feet in width.  On one side, there was the sheer face of a cliff wall and on the other, a fall of several hundred feet.  I did my best to keep the water off me for I knew if one drop hit me, it would mean falling to my death.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin hollered over the thunder.

"LOOK OUT!!!!" Dwalin screamed.  I looked where he was pointing to find a huge boulder the size of the Rivendell fountain sailing through the air in our direction.  It shattered against the cliff above us and the debris fell towards us.

I was paralyzed with fear so Thorin had to pull me back against him.  He turned, pushing me against the wall and then pressed himself up against me, effectively squashing me so I couldn't breathe.  I became very aware of the hilt of his sword pressing into my side and how close our bodies were.  After what seem like hours, he pulled away.

"Are you alright?"  I nodded, not trusting my voice, knowing that he had just saved my life.  All of a sudden, my legs became a tail and I collapsed on the ground.

"Mereniver!" Kili called out, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine but there is no way for me to get my legs back now."

"I'll car-"

"No uncle, I think that's the last thing you need now." Kili was doing his best to hide a grin but I didn't have much time to think about it before Kili scooped me up.  I looked back at Thorin to see him blushing bright red.  I suddenly realized it had not been Ocrist's hilt pressing into my side but something else.  I  my tail turned bright pink with embarrassment.

"The legends are true!" Bofur shouted, "Giants!  Stone giants!"  He stood near the edge of the cliff gawking.  I looked past him to see a giant made of stone hurl another boulder.  It vaguely resembled a humanoid but if it were not moving, it would look like a pile of rocks.

The boulder flew past us and hit another giant that was coming around the corner behind us in the chest, causing it to fall backwards.  The debris came lying towards us again as Dwalin pulled Bofur back from the edge.  I saw Bilbo back up just in time as a rock took out the ground where he had just been standing.

At that moment, the ground between Fili and Kili separated, splitting the group in half.  I looked up at Kili, who looked just as frightened as I was.  The ground continued to move as the giant we had been walking on stood up.  One of the other giants walked over and basked it's head against ours and it shattered.  The giant began to fall, taking us with it.  The ground became unsteady as the cliff face got closer and closer.  I saw Thorin's group manage to run off onto steady ground but we had no such chance, we all tumbled off onto the ground and Kili dropped me onto the stones.  Fortunately, none of them were jagged enough to break my scales but it still hurt.

"NOOOO!" I heard Thorin yell.  I knew he could not see us, all he saw was the leg of the giant crash against the rock and come away without us, he must've assumed that we were smashed for moments later, he came running around the corner.  He visibly relaxed when he saw us all safe and sound but came over to me nonetheless.