Victoria in Middle Earth

Chapter Sixteen

Before anyone can react, the floor of the cave collapses downwards; the floor is really a giant trap door. The entire Company falls down a chute, slides through a tunnel, and lands in a giant wooden cage. 

As they struggle to get up, a horde of Goblins attacks them, takes away their weapons, and drags them all away. 

As the Dwarves are lead away kicking and yelling, Bilbo somehow gets missed by the goblins; not seeing him they leave him behind. Nori, looking over his shoulder, see's this happen. Bilbo scampers behind some railing to hide as he watches the goblins proceed through the tunnels. Bats fly in the darkness. 

Bilbo draws his sword, which is glowing bright blue, and slowly follows the goblins. Suddenly, one goblin jumps out in front of him and rushes at him with his sword. 

After a brief fight in which Bilbo barely manages to keep himself alive, the Goblin and Bilbo both fall over the edge of a platform and fall through the darkness.

Meanwhile, the goblin horde brings the dwarves through a vast network of tunnels and wooden bridges to the throne room and platform of the Great Goblin. 

The Great Goblin is a massive Goblin sitting on a throne, holding a mace topped with a skull. He is far larger than any other Goblin, and he is incredibly ugly, with warts all over his swinging chin. The Dwarves weapons are piled together. 

The Great Goblin jumps off his throne, trampling several Goblins, and approaches the Company."Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" says the Great Goblin. 

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." says one of the Goblins. "Dwarves?" says the Great Goblin. "We found them on the front porch." says another one of the Goblins. "Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice." says the Great Goblin.

The Goblins search the Dwarves thoroughly, throwing away whatever they find. Oin's hearing trumpet is thrown on the floor and crushed underfoot. "What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" yells the Great Goblin. None of the Dwarves respond. 

 "Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." says the Great Goblin, pointing at Ori. However, Thorin steps forward. "Wait." yells Thorin. "Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." says the Great Goblin when he see's Thorin. 

The Great Goblin bows exaggeratedly to Thorin. "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 the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg." says the Great Goblin. 

Thorin looks up in surprise and disbelief. "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." says Thorin. 

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" asks the Great Goblin. The Great Goblin laughs, then turns to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket and holding a slate. 

"Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize." says the Great Goblin. 

The tiny Goblin writes down the message on his slate; cackling, he then pulls a lever, causing his basket to start sliding down a system of ropes and pulleys into the darkness.