Let's Go to the Big Rock!

Chapter 5

Bilbo's pov

We camped for the night near the edge of a cliff. As Bombur slept, tiny flying insects got sucked into his mouth every time he inhaled, and they are expelled when he exhaled. I watched in disgust, then finally decided to get up and walk around. Most of the dwarves were asleep. Tia, Gandalf, Fili, and Kili were awake. I walked over to my pony and gave her an apple, after checking to see that no one was looking.

"Hello, girl. That's a good girl. It's our little secret, Myrtle; you must tell no one. Sh, sh"

I hear a scream in the night air and became worried. I ran over to Fili and Kili.

Kili's pov

"What was that?" Bilbo asked.

"Orcs." I replied, deciding to have a little fun.

Another scream was heard. Thorin, who was dozing, jerks awake upon hearing the word 'Orcs.'

"Orcs?" Bilbo asked.

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili joined in.

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." I said dramatically.

Bilbo looked away in fright; Fili and I looked at each other and began laughing. I saw Tia was nervously looking around and laughed softer and half-heartedly.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin says.

"We didn't mean anything by it." I said with my head down.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin said.

Thorin walks off to the edge of the cliff and looks out over the valley; Balin walks up to Fili and me.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That's when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent...wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King."

Thorin turns away from the view beyond the cliff; the entire Company is awake and standing in awe, staring at him. Thorin walks between them toward the fire.

"Wow." Ruby said under her breath.

"But the pale orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin spat.

"Awwww! I was looking forward to another story." Ruby complained. No one laughed or even smiled.