The 15th Member

7

"What do you mean?" Bilbo asked.

I too was a little shocked that Thorin proposed we leave Gandalf behind, but after what Gandalf pulled yesterday I wasn't exactly surprised.

"They will try and stop us from finishing our quest." I interrupted, "I could see it in King Elrond's eyes that he feared we might actually get in and what it would entail."

No one said anything.

"Then we move out." Thorin finally said, "hobbit you're welcome to come or stay, it's up to you."

The fifteen of us went on our way without a word to anyone.

'Good luck my child, and don't deny your heart.'

I lifted my head and trudged on as The Lady Galadriel's voice came and went like the wind.

We walked as much as we could but soon we found ourselves on the side of a mountain in a harsh thunderstorm.

The dark nights sky flashed with white lightning every now and again, painting the sky dark blue. We stayed as close to the wall as we could, but then Bilbo lost his footing and luckily those nearest him caught him.

"Look out!" Dwalin shouted through the violent rain.

We looked up and saw a large boulder come flying through the sky, striking the mountain we all stood on.

We all crouched down and Thorin turned and shielded me as he buried my face into his beard covered neck, instinctively i wrapped my arms around him, not wanting him to fall off the ledge in an attempt to save me from the now falling rocks.

"This is no thunder storm," Balin confessed. "It's a thunder battle!"

Instantly I remembered the old tales my nanny would tell me on rainy nights about how the mountains were really giants and that the rain was the only thing that could wake them. Once awake the stone giants would find contentment in rough housing with each other and that's what made the loud crashing sounds we call thunder.

"So the stories are the then?" Someone said.

The men must have forgotten that they were still in the middle of the battle as they stood their looking in awe, Thorin had to shout "take cover you fools!"

More shouts came as did more rocks and Thorin stood us up, still hugged against his chest I both felt and heard the Mountain under my feet shake severely, we weren't on a Mountain at all, we were also standing on a stone giant.

"Fíli, grab my hand!" Kíli's voice full of fear shouted.

I turned my head, mortified as I watched Fíli and Kíli being separated as the mountain split into two, we were all standing on one leg or the other.

The giant stepped out and his leg went wide, as it did this it took us right next to a mountain that wasn't moving so Thorin and the rest of the dwarves with us on this leg took our chances and we ran off.

The creature began battling with the other giants and Thorin pushed me gently behind him so that my back was pressed against the wall and he drew his large axe.

We all watched in horror as the other half of our group tried to escape, but to jump would be suicide for them.

The giant stumbled and his leg with the others crashed into the mountain.

"NO!" Thorin screamed in agony. "NO!"

Tears fell from my eyes as I watched over half of our men being crushed and then the giant went down.

"NO, FÍLI!" Thorin yelled once more before we all ran over to where the giant had collided with the mountain.

And there, miraculously, there they were. Shaken but unharmed.