A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

23. Goblin Town

I closed my eyes tight, gritting my teeth as I prepared for impact with the surely uncomfortable floor. Instead, I landed on something warm and very obviously well muscled, very well muscled in fact... I tried not to think that as I heard a very familiar voice grunt in pain from me landing on top of him. No matter how painful that was, I cannot deny where my hand lays is a very well muscled arm underneath that leather.

Why is it my luck to end up on landing on Thorin, pushing him face first into the floor? I hid my inner amusement at that.

I guess I finally did sock him in the face, in an unintentional way. More like the floor socked him in the face for me but I count it as a win. Also, not to be rude to the royal dwarf but I would much rather land on him then the floor or, lets say, Bombur. Probably because Bombur ate so much he would puke on me.

So I am glad it was Thorin. I could hardly move for a second, trying to gather my wits and ignoring the many sharp pains of newly developing bruises on my arms and legs from that fall. I hissed in pain as I rolled over onto... a wooden plank floor? I gripped my side as Thorin finally lifted his face from the floor to glare at me for a moment.

Ya, sorry, Thorin. I thought as I rubbed my side, hissing quietly, trying to push myself to my feet, the dwarves all groaning around us from the fall, standing and stumbling as they tried to catch their balance as I panted in my half sitting up position with the painful twinges in several places.

Suddenly, I heard an unnatural screeching, a roaring sound of more than a hundred creatures, a sound that was haunting, one I have never heard before myself because I avoided the mountains.

Only one other creature can make an elvish blade shine blue.

Goblins.

I looked up as I quickly pulled a knife free, only for my arms to be grabbed as I was roughly dragged to my feet by disgusting feeling hands, grabbing onto my hair and yanking the knife roughly from my hands. I was forced to look up as my hair was yanked back, not making a sound as I glared at the ugliest creature I have ever seen leering at me with a frighteningly excited look in its eyes.

I growled at the creature, shocking it and the others as they froze. I quickly used every bit of training the elves gave me, spinning and using my foot and the momentum of my spin to knock every single one of those goblins that held me into the abyss off the side of this roughly built wooden path, kicking the last one over the edge, panting from the exertion, and the pain in my scalp of my hair roughly being yanked on.

I didn't even wait to watch them fall, there are many more and I cannot take on hundreds on my own. I quickly ran to the dwarves, keeping my head low and hair out of the light of the torches as best I could to keep the goblins from knowing a female is among the group. The overwhelming numbers of goblins also helped keep the fact that I am female unknown to the goblins.

Suddenly, when I got close to the dwarves, a set of hands that are definitely not gross like the goblins pulled me into the group of fighting dwarves sticking closely together, dwarves yanking me quickly to the center to keep me out of sight. I suddenly found myself in the center of a tight huddle of dwarves.

This is the one time I am grateful for the dwarves over-protectiveness to females. Otherwise, I would no doubt be facing a pretty horrible end. I have heard stories and read in books of goblin horrific traditions enough to know goblins were much worse to females than males. I don't think I have ever been so overly grateful to be protected by a bunch of dwarves.

I do not want to go out the way I heard some have. I can't lie to myself, I am terrified, even if I am angry at myself for being terrified. The fear was so gripping my hands felt cold and my breathing was shallow and quick as I hunched my shoulders, ducking my head amongst the dwarves to hide as best I can.