Rue (A Thorin Oakenshield/Hobbit Fanfiction)

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The dwarves jumped to their feet, heeding Gandalf's instruction and fending off the goblins. Bofur and Bombur took to wrenching the Company's weapons out of the goblins' grip and tossing them above their heads as Fili and Kili defended them from harm. Now, with Orcrist back in his hand, Thorin killed goblin after goblin with ease, while Talia used her close-combat daggers and had some fun of her own. In an attempt to reach the Company, Gandalf unsheathed Glamdring and sliced through the oncoming goblins, fighting as if he were ages younger.

Being as useless as usual, the Great Goblin gasped upon seeing the wizard's blade, falling back and cowering on his throne. "He wields the Foe-Hammer! The Beater, bright as daylight!"

At this point, the dwarves had gotten ahold of all of their weapons. Axes, swords, and hammers were returned to their rightful owners, and they knew that now they were prepared to fight. Together, Thorin and Talia led the charge into battle, shouting war cries as the Company followed behind them.

The fight to escape Goblin Town was a messy one. Kili sliced through goblins, spraying black blood everywhere as fell to his feet, dead. But in his haste, Kili tripped over the bodies himself and fell to the floor. Seeing the opportunity, the Great Goblin rose to his feet, charging forward and bringing his mace down on the prince. But before he could, Thorin intervened, deflecting the Great Goblin's blow.

In the meantime, Talia was decapitating her own foes alongside the sons of Fundin, keeping a close eye on the older of the two. Though Balin was a seasoned fighter, just as she was, he was the eldest of the group. Despite his best efforts, his movements were not as quick as they used to be, and she would be damned if she lost the closest thing she had to a brother to a goblin. She screamed as she threw her dagger at one directly behind Balin, killing the threat before it could even pose itself. The dwarf whirled around and pulled her dagger out from the goblin's skull, tossing it back to her and nodding his thanks.

Talia smirked as she whipped to her left to gut another goblin, protecting Dwalin from it's attack. "It seems like all I've been doing is saving your asses, boys!"

"Mind yourself, lassie!"

"Or what? You'll—"

"No, mind yourself!" Balin pulled her back by the hood of her jacket just as the Great Goblin came thundering past, falling back from Thorin's prior counterattack.

With a frightened howl, the Great Goblin fell backwards and off the wooden platform, screaming like a coward as he sailed into the abyss below. But before he could plummet to his death, Talia watched as some of the lower levels caught his enormous body, stopping his fall. He now lay directly in between them and their exit, for the dwarves could see a small light glinting from the caverns below the Great Goblin's body.

"Thorin!" Talia cried, pointing down to their route of escape. "Take them and go!"

His head whipped around as he fought off another goblin, grunting as he split it open at it's stomach. "What about you?"

"I'll meet you there!" Talia returned her gaze down to the Great Goblin, who was slowly coming back to his senses after his disorienting fall. "I've got to kill this son of a bitch first."

The Great Goblin looked up, seeing the platform that held his throne from the depths below. But then, his eye caught on one figure standing at the edge of the wood, grinning at him menacingly. Still, he refused to let one puny dwarf intimidate him, and so he stood tall, chuckling and narrowing his eyes at her.

"Talia Rue! How valiantly you have fought. But I am out of your reach! What will you do now, runt?"

The insult had caused all battle around them to cease. Both sides listened to the voice from below as it taunted the dwarven lass, waiting expectantly. The goblins had stopped their squealing and cackled at their leader's words. However, the dwarves stayed silent, looking to Talia for a response.