The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 15

Sometime during the night, I felt Thorin tense up next to me.  It woke me up and I was about to sit up when he stopped me.

Bilbo was just about to leave but Bofur confronted him.  I'm curious to see how he responds.

"- should never have run out my door."

"You're homesick.  I understand."

"No, you don't!  None of you do, you're dwarves!" Bilbo's tone was steadily rising, "You're used to this life, to living on the run, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!"  Thorin inhaled sharply, that was a low blow.  I snuggled closer to him, in an attempt to take his mind off it.  He pulled me as close as he could and buried his face in my neck.  His breaths were deep but not really controlled, I could feel him tremble slightly every time.

Thorin, it's ok.  Bilbo just apologized.

I know...  We both fell silent just in time to hear Bofur ask Bilbo what something was and the quiet sliding of sand.  The latter startled me and I felt Thorin look up at the ground behind me.

"Up!"  He shouted, "Get up!"  The dwarves all jumped at the rude awakening and started to move around but it was too late.  The ground collapsed beneath us and we tumbled downwards.

We fell onto a sort of rock-slide, it was not completely smooth but also not jagged enough for any of our gear to catch on it.  After several harsh turns, two giant drops, and a loop-d-loop, we were all dumped in a pile.  Goblins swarmed us, snatching our weapons and hauling us to our feet.  In all of the confusion, I lost track of my weapons and bag but managed to keep my necklace hidden.  The goblins hauled us to our feet and ushered us along several long brides before we reached a pathetic excuse for a throne room where a gigantic, fat goblin used about ten normal-sized ones as a footstool to get up to his 'throne'.  His skin was covered in lumps, moles, and sores and he was clad in next to nothing.  On top of that, he looked like he'd been sitting and piggin out for decades!

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" He demanded as our weapons were dumped in a pile unceremoniously at his feet, "Spies?  Thieves?  Assassins?!"

Don't flatter yourself ugly.  I commented, Thorin snickered.

"Dwarves, your malevolence."

"Dwarves?"

"Found 'em on the front porch." The servant sounded rather proud of himself.

"Well, don't just stand there!  Search them!"  I was suddenly very glad that my hair was hidden by Thorin's coat (which I had somehow ended up wearing) and that the goblins had yet to discover I was female.  I had heard horrible stories about what they do to girls they catch.

"WAIT!" Thorin shouted as he walked forward.

"Well, well." The Great Goblin cackled, "Look who it is!  Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!  King under the Mountain!"  He pulled a mock bow but Thorin wasn't fooled, if anything, it just made him even more mad. "Oh!  But I'm forgetting you don't have a mountain, and you're not a king.  Which makes you....nobody, really.  I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head.  Just a head....nothing attached.  Perhaps, you know of who I speak?  An old enemy of yours... The Pale Orc astride a white warg."

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed." Thorin said flatly, "He was slain in battle long ago!"   

"So you think his defiling day are done, do you?" The Great Goblin giggled like a little girl and turned to a tiny creature sitting on some sort of swing, "Send word to the Pale Orc, tell him I've found his prize!" He turned back to us, "Let us not lose the topic of defiling."  He nodded at a servant and pointed to me, "She will be first, bring up the mangler and bone-breaker but first-"  His voice was drowned out by the dwarves shouting for him to spare me.  Thorin remained silent, which I was grateful for, if the Great Goblin learned of my tail or our relationship, it would only strengthen his resolve to use me as an example.

Where is Gandalf?

I don't know Mereniver, he should've been here by now.  I promise to do all I can to stall him.

Thorin, I highly doubt that will be long so I might as well tell you this now.

What?

I- A goblin shrieked and dropped Ocrist, it was part of the way out of it's scabbard, just enough for the name to show.

"I know that sword!" The Great Goblin scrambled backwards onto his throne, "It is the goblin cleaver!  The beater!  The blade that slashed a thousand necks." As he spoke, the goblins began to whip us and more than one attacked Thorin.  "Slash them!  Kill them!  Cut off his head!"  The goblins tackled Thorin and one of them held a rusty dagger in front of his face when the cavern was filled with a blinding light that pushed the goblins away from us.  The light receded and the silhouette of Gandalf walked forward.

"Take up arms.  Fight.  Fight!"  We all reached for our weapons as the goblins recovered and rushed us.  Gandalf drew Glandring.

"He wields the foe-hammer!  Bright as daylight!"

We began to follow Gandalf through Goblin-Town, fighting and killing the goblins that attacked us.  Thorin lead the way with me close behind and the dwarves clustered around me, as if for protection.  It was well-warranted, considering the threat the Great Goblin had issued.  It was not long before we reached a narrow crossing near an exit but as we went, the Great Goblin blocked our path.

"You thought you could escape me?  What are you going to do now, wizard?"  Gandalf slashed his stomach, forcing him to his knees. "That'll do it." He said grimly.  Gandalf finished him by slashing the blade across his neck.

We didn't have much time to celebrate though, the bridge collapsed beneath us and we all went tumbling into the abyss.  We landed on uneven ground, causing Gandalf, Thorin, and I to tumble off the wreckage while the other dwarves began to squeeze out.

"Well, that could've been worse." Bofur said frankly.  No sooner had he said that, did the body of the Great Goblin crash down on top of them.

"You've got to be JOKING!" Dwalin growled.  The three of us went forward and started to dig the others out when Kili shouted in alarm,

"Gandalf!"  He was looking up in horror.  I followed his gaze to see legions of goblins crawling down the cliff face like spiders.

"Only one thing will save us, daylight!"  We hastened our effort and sprinted after Gandalf.

Yes, you will be getting your regular update tomorrow