Dwarrowdam Warrior

Thunderst...battle

As the company made their way out of Rivendell both Bilbo and Nell stopped to look back. She let out a heavy sigh almost wishing they could stay there. While she wanted to reclaim Erebor and have vengeance be done upon Smaug she feared what would happen to her family. She feared Azog would find them and her nightmares would become reality. At least in Rivendell they had been safe, they could relax and laugh freely. That's what Nell wanted more than anything for them. And yet she hadn't said a word to Thorin when they left. How could she? How did she tell him that the vile creature he thought dead, the orc that had killed his grandfather and drove his father to madness was still alive. She didn't think she could and so she kept her mouth shut deciding her fears were best kept to herself.

The further they traveled the worse Nell’s nightmares got to the point she barely got any sleep and both her husbands were worried about her. As she walked along she would yawn and her eyes would drop close. Every time someone asked her what was wrong she told them she was just having trouble sleeping. It was partial the truth, but she didn't tell them the reason behind her restless nights. After much thought she had decided it best to keep her fears to herself lest she cause anyone else to have horrible sleep. She didn't think it would be a good idea for all of them to be sleep deprived.

Nell didn't think things could get any worse than her stumbling along because of how tired she was, but then she thought about all the things they had been through already. That was why when the storm hit she wasn't in the least bit surprised. A grumble let her as she walked along trying not to fall of the edge of the cliff to her doom.  Bilbo slipped and Dwalin caught him just in the nick of time. “We must find shelter,” Thorin called out.

“Watch out,” Dwalin yelled as a boulder came flying toward them. She let out a screech and fell back against the stone wall. Kili reached out to steady her as she stood in between them. “It's alright we got you.” He held onto her tightly knowing she wasn't feeling the strongest right now. Closing her eyes Nell took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. It wasn't even the storm itself that she feared, it was all of them falling because the rocky path they were walking on grew slippery. And the harder the rain came down the more dangerous things got.

“This isn't a thunderstorm it's a thunderbattle,” Balin called out. All the company looked up seeing the stone giants beginning to battle it out. “Bless me, the legends are true. Giants...stone giants,” Bofur said standing too close to the edge gawking. Thorin pulled him back just as another rock crashed over head “Get back you fool,” he grumbled. Fili moved to cover Nell afraid that she would get hurt. She hated that her husbands were having to protect her all because she hadn't gotten enough sleep and was now a risk to the company.

A crack sounded beneath them and Nell looked down seeing that the path they were standing on seemed to be moving apart. “What's happening?” Kili asked.  Nell looked to him and paled not knowing what to do. “Kili take my hand,” Fili reached toward his brother. As they moved further apart Kili looked terrified and it broke her heart. “Fili! Nell!” he yelled, but they were now too far apart for anything to be done. Nell turned and buried her head in Fili's chest as they began moving. She clung to him tightly. Hearing something crash into the mountain she looked up and saw that the others were safe.

But her, Fili, and whoever was with them didn't seem to be. The giant they were on just had its head knocked off and it was falling quickly toward the mountain. She thought for sure they would be crushed. Or they would fall to their death. Nell really couldn't see a happy ending for them. With a grunt she felt her body collide with the others. Opening her eyes she looked up at the sky and realized not only was she on solid ground, but she was alive. A nervous laugh left her and she moved to get up just as Thorin and Kili rounded the corner.

Two sets of arms wrapped around her as she cried hysterically. Her mind was in overdrive, nerves fried, and she really had no idea how else to handle all the crazy things they had suffered since coming on this journey. Part of her was wishing she was back home, that all of them were back home safe and not facing another peril everytime they turned around. But then part of her was glad she was with them. She felt that despite everything they had went through she would be more worried, more sleep deprived, and more on edge than she was now.

“Where's Bilbo?” she heard someone call.

Looking to the edge she saw the little hobbit barely hanging on. “Oh Mahal help him,” she muttered. Ori dove forward making Bilbo slip. A whimper left her as she thought she was going to lose her new friend. She went to help, but Kili pulled her back as Thorin hopped over the edge and shoved Bilbo back up for Bofur to grab, but then he slipped as well. Dwalin grabbed him and pulled him back to safety. Now that everyone was safe Nell let out a sigh of relief.

Dwalin sat Bilbo straight. “I thought we had lost our burglar.”

Thorin then surprised her with what he said as it was so cruel. “He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us.” He looked forward. “Dwalin.” They moved into a cave where the tattooed dwarf looked around. “It looks safe enough,” he said turning toward the entrance. “Search the back. Caves in the mountain are seldom unoccupied,” Thorin told him.

Nell, Fili, and Kili moved inside and found a spot to huddle up in together. “Bilbo didn't deserve what he said. It could have just as easily been me or Fili, or one of the others hanging on that ledge,” she whispered. Kili rubbed soothing circles into her back as Fili played with her hair. “It could have been, but you know how uncle is,” the golden dwarf whispered back. She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I know and I love him, but that doesn't make it right,” she grumbled.

Looking over she watched Balin and Thorin argue. With a heavy sigh she tried to get comfortable in her wet clothes and with no fire to help warm them. She knew her dreams would be unpleasant once again, but she knew trying to stay up was even more dangerous. And so she curled up in a ball leaning on Kili as Fili curled up behind her trying to offer her at least a little bit of warmth.