An Unexpected Addition (Fili Fiction)

Chapter 29

An hour went by. There was no sign of hope coming from Thorin as we all lay about behind the wall of stone. Time was torture and I tried to keep my mind off the number of people dying just outside our gate.How could I? The ringing sounds of screams, horns and metal clashing filled my ears even though the sound it's self was only faint from where we sat. At one point Kili stood up and started to pace, his brows furrowed and his hands pulling at his own hair. He was clearly going absolutely mad. We watched. At least I did.

Fili sat beside me and every now and then ran a shaking hand through my hair but everyone was silent. Has anyone ever said to you that the silence was deafening? This hour was a prime example and that.

"How much longer will we loll about in here?!" Kili rushed over and picked up a sizeable rock and flung it over his head at the wall. I looked at the floor, gulping and keeping my eyes off of Kili. Fili did the opposite. 

"This is getting ridiculous. Are we not going to fight?!" Fili stood up, finally incapable of going another second without crying out. 

"It would seem not," Dwalin and Balin returned from a far off corridor and sat beside the others on large boulders. 

"What did he say?" Kili asked, not very hopeful or cheerful. Obviously.

"He wanted to move the gold down further."

"What!" I huffed, on my feet now as well. Like the brothers I'd lost all self control. "I've had enough of this horseshit! Whether you lot choose to follow me or not I'm off. See you again, I hope." 

I stormed off to the stairs where I would slide down the gate, making my way into the action. 

"No!" Fili shouted and I wouldn't turn to meet his eyes. "Pilda, come back here now."

I had my first foot on the steps. 

"Do not be a fool and get over here!" His voice was full of rage and I did not want to turn and see his eyes. I'm not sure if fear would make them up or anger. Perhaps both? "Remember what I told you."

I stopped in my tracks, feeling a little conflicted as I stood at the base of the stairs. "I remember."

"Then for the love of god, come back here," Fili asked, pleading now resonating in his tone. Slowly, I turned on my heels to face the lot of them, all of their eyes on me. I had to make my point.

"So help me, if I am not out of this mountain soon enough with you, I'll go without you." I spat, "Mark. My. Words."

~+~

"I will not hide behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us!" Kili shouted at Thorin who had just emerged from a hall, sword in hand. His armour and robes had been removed, along with his petty crown. Thorin and Kili approached each other, both at a strong speed. "It is not in my blood, Thorin." Kili's eyes were turning watery as he yelled at his uncle. 

"No, it is not. We are sons of Durin. And Durin's folk do not flee from a fight." Thorin gave Kili a soft smile as he laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder. Kili smiled back, hopeful, through his tears. Thorin held his kin and they pressed their foreheads together, making peace.

Thorin then turned to face the rest of us and I sighed, growing aware of what was to come.

"I have no right to ask this of any of you; but will you follow me one last time?"  

We raise out weapons, ready for a fight that was long overdue to start...

~+~

Butterflies were becoming a permanent part of me now as I heard the horn sound at the top of the gate. Bombur had the instrument slung around his body and blew it for all to hear across the battle field, everyone stopping in their tracks. As it rung across the field, we prepared and pulled back the bell, all of us holding ropes attached the the massive gold bell. I wondered what sound it would make when we released it.

"Now!" Thorin commanded and we released the bell and it swung forward, smashing into the stone wall. It crumbled away and stone rolled forward, just as we'd hope they would. The oversized bell created an ear deafening sound once, twice as we ran beyond it, full speed into battle. Some of us shouted battle cries as the dwarves in front of us shifted, letting us through. Others just snarled, pushing on into the Orcs. 

"TO THE KING! TO THE KING!" Dain rallied his kin as we sprung together into a run and I took note of the dwindling numbers we worked with. There were few of us left to fight for our home but would that stop us? I doubted it very much.

"Du Bekâr!"  Thorin's voice was like an animal's roar as his sword clashed into the first Orc, mine soon following. One might say we were fighting with anger, perhaps emotion? I would describe it as vigour.

My long sword slit the arm of a short Orc and he stumbled back, a little dazed. I took the opportunity to jab my sword into it's neck, then noticing another Orc appearing behind me. Quickly, I tore the point of my sword through the side of the dying creatures neck and met the other's mace with my sword. The sound was refreshing coming from my own weapon. At last I was no longer useless. Dropping down low, I slipped my sword away from it's mace and cut through it's rotting leg. As the beast howled in pain I snarled, giving it a kick with my foot, fending of an Orc behind me with a defensive parry.

The fight went on and I almost met my maker a few times in the hand of an elf who dared to approach me. While it wasn't me who finally slayed the elf, a clever use of an Orc's jab at me turned into the defeat of the elf. He'd cut me on the arm and cheek, now with blood seeping down my chin. There was little I could do now but I was certainly glad that it hadn't been any closer to my eye.

I was forced to use one of my throwing axes to take down a man who tried to separate my head from my body and I wondered if it would have been any different for the man if we had been aligned. Who he have still died in the blood soaked hands of an elf or Orc? Perhaps even a troll which I was yet to encounter?

At one point I saw something that made me almost vomit. It wasn't a severed head or a broken corps, In the distance, I watched as KIli, Fili, Thorin and Dwalin ride goats of some sort up towards Azog. Where they really going up there? I knew I wanted to follow them but I would be too late... I could't go up, could I?

There was no question that when I spotted a living creature, I jumped on it, riding it to the top of the mountain. What would I do at the top, I didn't know. How could I find them? I didn't know. 

I held my breath and mounted the weak ram that was barely living with cuts and bruises knotting it's fur into a bloody mess. 

Off I went.