Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

EIGHT

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER EIGHT.

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The heavy arm of Great Goblin laid from Selene's shoulders to the top of her head. He smelled of rot and dung, it was a very unpleasant smell to her nose. A few other dwarves laid trapped under Great Goblin's dead body, they had it worse than Selene. The weight from the goblin and a the dwarves under him, made her legs go numb.

"Bofur..." Selene huffed out.

A small groan came from the dwarf as he replied, "Yes?"

"Please, stop jinxing everything." She managed to say, trying to push away the arm in front of her. "Somebody... Help us."

For the next minute or two, all Selene could hear was Gandalf and the dwarves removing the wooden parts away so the others could climb out. Then, Dwalin, Fíli and Kíli lifted up Great Goblin's heavy arm to let the others grab Ori out of the rubbish. Next was Selene, who laid facing up on the ground, after they pulled her out from under the goblin's dead body.

She really couldn't feel her legs at all, so she laid there. Waiting. Her blood was going to have to heal them and it would only take a few minutes. Something far up caught her attention. Goblins. There were hundreds of them climbing down the cave and they were coming in fast.

"Gandalf!" She called out. Everyone who was free, followed her gaze, shaking their heads when they got closer by the second.

"There's too many. We can't fight them." Dwalin told the wizard, holding onto Nori who looked dazed in Dwalin's arms.

Gandalf nodded, picking up Selene and wrapped her left arm over his shoulders. "Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on!" He waited for the rest of the dwarves, before they took off.

Selene tried her best not to limp too much as Gandalf ran with her arm over his shoulders. He often looked back to make sure the dwarves were still with them. It only took a few minutes until they found daylight at the end of the tunnel they were running through.

"Quick! Quick!" Gandalf shouted for the Company. He stopped right at the opening, letting all the dwarves run out first, counting each head when they ran by. Dwalin and Bombur were the last ones they waited on, before the both of them followed them in pursuit. Selene was able to run on her own this time.

The bright light from the sun almost blinded Selene, once she ran outside. She almost tripped too, not realizing they were running down a sharp hill, dodging tall tree, thorny bushes and rocks ranging from sizes big to small. The hair on the back of her neck rose, she looked over her shoulder and sensed something following them. She didn't think it was going to be the goblins, for she knew they would die the second daylight hit their skins.

Selene was not sure what it was, but it held a dark power to it. Not wanting to think of it anymore, she continued on running. She jumped up onto a log that intercepted their path, the others doing the same, and jumped off, landing perfectly on her two feet.

Once the Company knew they were far enough from Goblin Town, they stopped running. Gandalf went back to counting each head he saw as the others checked on each other.