As tired as Naerwyn was when she first got up, she was quite awake now when the ground trembled. She followed Fili willingly when he pulled her toward the others. She had abandoned her pack and her bedroll. As long as she had her bow, she didn't care about anything else. When the ground began to fall from beneath their feet, Naerwyn gripped Fili's shirt hard, as if it would save her from falling. No such luck. The elf plummeted right alongside the rest of them. She didn't make much noise as she fell, just a startled gasp as the last piece of solid ground slipped away from under her.

When Naerwyn hit the wooden walk way, she let out a tiny groan of discomfort, but it wasn't nearly enough to convey just how uncomfortable she was. She was laying face down, her head supported by an awkwardly bent arm. She had no idea who was laying across her back, but she guessed from the weight that it wasn't Fili. She had no time to figure out who was crushing her delicate little body before they were dragged off of her back and she was being dragged to her feet. Her bow was snatched from her grasp and her quiver was ripped off of her back. Goblins. Everywhere she turned. Nasty, ugly, smelly goblins. Naerwyn had tried to fight them off, but their numbers won out. There were simply too many of them.

She was dragged through the goblin city across rickety walk ways and bridges to the deepest part of the cavern where the largest goblin she had ever seen waited. Their king, she figured. Her heart was frozen in her chest when she was presented to him.

To say Thorin was annoyed at falling down a hole would have been entirely inaccurate. Thorin was beyond annoyed, sailing right passed irritated and right to down right pissed off. The worst part of it was, he had ended up in a dwarf dog pile! He had heard Ammie screaming, but wasn't sure where she was. He pushed himself up, letting whoever was on top of him slide off of his back. He caught a sight of platinum hair near the bottom of the pile and for a moment, felt bad for the tiny elf crushed underneath the pile. But he had another tiny body to worry about!

He didn't get to her, however. Not before the goblins did. Thorin was dragged away, his weapons stripped from his body, his hair yanked and pulled, his arms twisted painfully. He saw Ammie dragged away by the goblins ahead of him and struggled all the harder. He had to get to her. He had to save her before something awful happened. He was pushed, shoved, and dragged behind her, his men alongside and behind him. He was trying not to panic and keep a calm facade for the benefit of his comrades. If he panicked, they would panic.

When they were brought before the Goblin king, it was becoming harder not to panic.

The Goblin King was large and fat, but there wasn't a word terrible enough to describe just how ugly he was. He sat on his throne, gripping a staff made from the skull from a poor creature, eyeing the group as they approached. When they arrived, he looked to one of his minions, whom proudly announced they they'd found dwarves! Right on the front porch!

"Dwarves?!" he repeated with a sickening laugh. He stepped down off of his throne and examined them from the spot. "And what's more, your Malevolence. They brought women with them!"

That interested the Goblin King all the more. Grinning sadistically, he looked down at Ammie and Naerwyn as they were brought forward. He licked his cracked lips and let his eyes wander over them. The disgusting, portly King waddled forward and ran a hand down Naerwyn's front. She cursed him in Elvish and attempted to retreat, but the tiny (compared to the king) goblins held on tightly to her arms, causing her boots to slid across the old wood of the platform. His hand shot up and gave Naerwyn's mouth a smack, causing her head to snap back sharply. He muttered about knowing when to speak and moved on to Ammie. She was a bit short, shorter than the already tiny elf and he hesitated for a moment. Was he looking a child? No, it couldn't be. Too shapely to be a child. He hesitated, then snatched her chin between his fat fingers. He turned her head back and forth, trying to determine what she was. After deciding that he really didn't care, his hand trailed a little lower, grinning sadistically.

"Weeell, well. Dwarves on the front porch and they brought an offering! Been a long time since we've seen females this nice, huh, boys?! What should we do first, eh?!"

Ammie didn't know quite what to make of her surroundings this time. The goblins led the company deeper into the heart of the mountains, along the wooden walkway, until they reached a large platform. The platform was in the center of vast circular cavern lined with seemingly endless spiraling walkways that resembled the one on which they stood. All paths were crawling with more jeering goblins, leering down at them from above and pressing around them from all sides. The dwarves' weapons were flung into a pile in the middle of the platform, clattering uselessly to the ground. The outlook for the company was bleak, to say the least.

Ammie supposed that she ought to be scared, particularly since she no longer passed as a boy... But for some reason she found herself more intrigued. She'd never seen goblins or a goblin kingdom before. They were about the same size as dwarfs, except ugly and hunchbacked and with ratty faces—pointed ears, sharp chins, beady eyes, and elongated front teeth. Their skin was grimy and sometimes covered with orange boils. But as hideous as these beings were to look at, their hideousness paled in comparison to that of their king.

The Goblin King towered over the hobbit's tiny frame. He was fat with bent legs, large arms, and huge hands. He had this sagging, wobbly chin that made her sick to even look at, and more boils on his face than the rest of the goblins. Ammie found herself grimacing as he bent closer to Naerwyn and herself.

He ran a disgusting hand down Naerwyn's front and Elvish curses streamed from her lips. This earned her a savage slap across the face. The Goblin King then turned to Ammie and grasped her chin roughly. He turned her face from side to side, examining her. He clearly had no idea what sort of being she was... Or even whether she was a proper woman. Ammie wasn't sure if she ought to be offended or not. She wasn't much smaller than the dwarves! Did she really look that strange?

The king decided he didn't care, because he released her face and trailed his hand lower down Ammie's chest. She squeaked in alarm and turned bright red, wriggling against the goblins on either side of her holding her still. It wasn't so much that the hobbit was struggling to get away, but rather that she'd never been touched there by anyone in the first place and it was shocking. Furthermore, the fact that it had been done by the Goblin King of all people (instead of, say, Thorin) was greatly disturbing! Rather than striking Ammie in the same manner as he had Naerwyn, the King dissolved into deranged laughter... Such an innocent thing, this little creature! She'd be awfully fun, also, to taint...To spoil.

"Weeell, well. Dwarves on the front porch and they brought an offering!” He'd said then. “Been a long time since we've seen females this nice, huh, boys?! What should we do first, eh?!"

Fili, whose composure had already been hanging from a thin thread when the King struck Naerwyn, growled loudly. “HOW DARE YOU!” he screamed. His vision blurred with anger and he was overwhelmed with desire to harm all goblins in his vicinity—specifically the goblin king who'd raised a hand against the woman he loved and dared threaten her in front of him. With a sudden burst of energy, the blonde dwarf wrenched himself free of the goblins on his arms and began beating the living daylights out of them. He managed to knock down another three before four more took their place and subdued him. The goblins caught his flailing limbs, tackling him to the ground, and pressed his face roughly into the rotting wood of the platform. They effectively pinned his arms and legs down with their weight so he was unable to move. Fili's neck had been twisted into a very uncomfortable position...But despite his currently helplessness, his insides still blazed with rage.

“Oooh, it seems we struck a nerve!” the King taunted. “Look at the gentleman, risking his life to aid the ladies.” The portly goblin ruler stomped forward, stopping a within few feet's breadth of the blond dwarf, and prodded him sharply in the back with his skull-topped scepter. “I'm curious... What brings you dwarves to my kingdom anyhow? Why are you here, dwarf? Speak. SPEAK. If you will not, we have ways of making you talk. Starting with the women. ...Or the youngest.”

Naerwyn didn't speak after she was slapped. She was too stunned. She hadn't expected them to be polite and courteous, but she hadn't expected to get slapped. She took a gasping breath and was surprised to taste a little blood. Her tongue searched her lower lip, which stung a little, until she found the source of the pain. There was a small split in her lip. She wondered briefly if he understood what she had said. She cast that thought away, however. Had he understood what she had said, she wouldn't have gotten a smack. She probably would have been bludgeoned. She struggled when the ugly beast went for Ammie. Naerwyn tried as hard as she could to break free of the goblins, but she wasn't strong enough for all of them. She spat more curses when he dared touch the little Hobbit and swore on her life that she'd kill him if he hurt her. Ammie had saved Naerwyn's life in the woods. Naerwyn would do everything in her power to save Ammie's if need be.

Behind her, Naerwyn heard Fili's voice ring out over the commotion. She managed to turn her head enough to see a startling sight. Fili was beating down the goblins that held him. Some hope! That is, until more overtook him. Crying out, Naerwyn struggled to reach him, but her arms were twisted painfully in order to still her. It worked and she stood, trembling with pain and discomfort while the Great Goblin prodded Fili's back, demanding he tell him why they were there.

Thorin struggled hard when the two women were brought before the disgusting beast that reigned over the underground city. He knew what would happen to them if he and his men stood and did nothing. Even if he wasn't overly fond of the elf (and that was putting it lightly), he would not allow something so vile to become her fate. And then the goblin turned his putrid gaze onto Ammie. Pure, blind rage surged in Thorin's gut when the beast dared touch her. Thorin ripped his arms out of the goblins grasps and fought his way to the front of the group, spitting curse after curse. He saw red and wanted blood. If he did nothing else in this life, he would end the Great Goblin's life. No other would suffer at his hands.

He fought for as long as he could, but like his nephew, Thorin was brought down by a few goblins larger than the rest. Thorin felt the sting of a whip through his thick leather coat and he stilled, trying to fight off the pain. His arms were twisted painfully behind his back and he swore one stood on his back to keep him pinned against the wooden floor.

The Great Goblin looked down at Fili, his patience wearing thin. When none of the dwarves spoke, he called to his subjects, his voice full of glee and excitement, "Well, then, if they will not talk! We'll make them squawk!" He took a half step back and called louder, "Bring up the mangler! Bring up the bone breaker!!" He let out a chuckle while he watched the dwarves start to panic. He gave Fili's back a particularly hard jab, "Start with the gentleman!"

It was then a voice called out, louder than the rest and looked to a dog pile of goblins atop a larger dwarf. He paused and motioned for the goblins to drag him up. They did so, to his knees and he looked quite astonished, "Weell, well well! Look who it is! Thorin, son of Thrain! Son of Thror!" He gave Thorin a dramatic bow, causing most of the goblins to shriek with over exaggerated laughter. "King under the Mountain!" He jolted slightly, then raised his head to look at Thorin, "Oh, but I'm forgetting! You don't have a Mountain! And you're not a king. ..Which makes you...no body, really."

The goblin noticed something, then, something Thorin desperately wished he hadn't. He noticed Thorin's long glances to Ammie. He turned slightly and gave Ammie a quick glance. He looked between the two, obviously contemplating something in his small mind. He then looked between Fili and Naerwyn. The elf stared in shock and worry at the dwarf, but it was more than how a friend would look. And Fili's reaction before spoke loudly to his true intentions. He looked between them, the same calculating look upon his features while examining the dwarf and the elf. What had he found here? Romance? Could it be? Had he struck gold?! His silence was menacing. He was conjuring something disgustingly evil in his tiny brain and it wasn't going to play out well for the four at the forefront of the group.

Sucking in an excited breath, he spoke in a low voice, "I've got a better idea, boys." He pointed to Thorin with his scepter, "Put him in the mangler. Just long enough to rip the fight from him." He looked down to Fili and gave him another jab with his scepter. "Hook him up to the bone breaker. He won't give you much trouble with a broken leg." The goblin stepped back and handed the scepter off to a minion behind him. He grabbed hold of Naerwyn and yanked her slender body over to him. She came easily against his strong grasp. Hell, she probably only weighed a pound and a half soaking wet. She was held tight, her back to the goblin and his hand around her neck. From his other side, he snatched Ammie's arm and pulled her to his other side. He ordered Fili's head yanked up from the floor and grinned. It was more disturbingly vile than ever before. "I want them to witness. Every. Moment." He stressed his words and without warning, angled Naerwyn's head to the side and snaked his tongue up along the outer shell of her pointed ear. He reveled the way her body shivered and the noise of utter and complete disgust that rang out from her throat.

Ammie's petite body trembled with fear, or anger, or even a mixture of indeterminate emotions. Curses came from all directions, from Naerwyn and from Thorin, and she heard the latter struggling through the horde of goblins to get to her. He made it to the front of the group, further than his nephew...But like his nephew, several larger goblins threw him to the ground. Ammie was angled in such a way that she could not see most of the scuffle, but she heard the crack of a whip and the king's subsequent grunt of pain. This sound should have been greatly upsetting, but the hobbit was too busy have a mental breakdown over the company's dire predicament. She'd never been under so much stress before this moment and was consequently spiraling into despair.

Her head drooped, wide hazel eyes welded to the floor. The dwarves were trapped deep within the mountains with no way out, they were greatly outnumbered, and Uncle Bilbo had disappeared. Gandalf was not with them. Both Fili and Thorin had already been beaten down for Naerwyn's and her sake, and now faced mangling and bone-crushing. The entire company would be tortured and killed following the females' abuse. Ammie had no fighting skills to speak of and thus she could not defend Thorin, Naerwyn, or the others...Much less herself. They had no hope of escape. They would all perish down here. To make matters worse, Ammie's pack laid in the pile of the others' weapons. It had been stripped away from her some time ago by the goblins. She didn't even have her rocks to die with now. The dwarves would never return to Erebor to defeat Smaug. Thorin would never become King Under the Mountain. Ammie would never be able reassure him with an embrace... And Thorin would definitely never kiss her again.

Most of what the Goblin King said sounded like gibberish in Ammie's partial state of shock, but when he mocked Thorin for the loss of Erebor and informed him that he was a nobody the hobbit snapped back to reality. She glared at the vile being with such malice it surprised even her. She sincerely wished the lumbering fool would trip on a crack in the rotting wood and tumble over the edge of the platform to his death. Hell, she would push him.

The smaller goblins cackled together. Some scuttled off the retrieve the Mangler and Bone-Breaker as their king had commanded. One of the goblins pinning Fili down wrenched his head up just in time for him to catch the Great Goblin snaking his tongue along Naerwyn's ear in the most wretched of ways while Ammie merely watched transfixed in horror. Fili shrieked angrily and struggled with all his might to get up, so that he might grab his swords and run the beast through, but to no avail. The goblins had a constricting hold on his limbs. No amount of wrathful energy could budge them.

Fili and his uncle were dragged closer to the Goblin King in anticipation of the torture devices' arrival. The fat creature stood in front his repulsive throne, grasping Naerwyn by the neck in one hand and Ammie by the other. The smaller goblins, some occupied with restricting the dwarves and others just spectating, broke into a horrible, jeering song. Their king joined in, stomping his great feet in what Fili assumed was a poor excuse for dancing.

“Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung! You will die down here and never be found! Down in the deep of Goblin-Town!”

An overly curious, particularly stupid goblin had began rifling through the amassed dwarf weapons...Perhaps looking for something that it could swipe for itself. It lifted the largest blade in the heap gingerly by the hilt. It drew the sword slowly out of the scabbard, before its watery eyes widened with fear. “A-Aaa-aaahhh!” it screamed, dropping the elven craft and scrambled away as quickly as it could manage.

This captured the Goblin King's attention. He recognized the weapon almost instantly and recoiled a few steps. “I know that sword!” he cried. “That is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter that has sliced a thousand necks!” His smaller goblin minions began shrieking in unison. They panicked over the mere existence of the legendary goblin-slaying sword. The dread in the king's tone transitioned abruptly to ire. His eyes went wild and he violently cast Naerwyn aside, shouting, “KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!”

The Goblin King had somehow forgotten to loosen his grip on Ammie in the midst of the chaos, so she took the opportunity to bite his hand gripping her arm as hard as she could. His dirty fleshed tasted abhorrent, and she regretted doing so even though he promptly yelped in pain and discarded her on the floor. The hobbit tumbled over to her hands and knees, but it barely phased her--the hobbit was single-minded in her mission. She crawled quickly towards the pile of weapons and her pack of rocks laid right on top. She needed those rocks!!!

A flash of blinding white light suddenly burst through the vast cavern. Everything went deathly quiet for an instant, and many goblins in Ammie and Naerwyn's radius were thrown off of the platform. The dwarves and the goblins restraining them were knocked over onto their backs. The Goblin King himself crashed backward into his throne; the structure was leveled beneath his enormous weight. When the light went out, Gandalf stood at the center of the platform beside Naerwyn, wielding his staff and a glowing sword he'd obtained in the troll cave some days ago.

“No, No, it cannot be!” the Great Goblin cried as he struggled to get back to his feet. “That is Glamdring, the Foehammer! The Beater, that burns brightly as blue flame!”

Gandalf whirled on the dawdling dwarves, and Thorin especially. “Take up your arms!” the Grey Wizard yelled. “Run! RUN!”

Ammie popped upright, her pack clasped protectively to her chest, and she glanced wildly from the Goblin King, to Thorin, to Gandalf. “G-Gandalf?” she blubbered. “GANDALF!” She'd never been happier to see someone in her entire life! Her lips split into a wide, goofy grin.

Fili sprang to his feet and dove directly for the pile of weapons. He tossed bows and quivers to both Kili and Naerwyn, and then snatched up his own twin blades. He immediately set to slicing frantically at the goblins in his vicinity and kicking any that wandered too close over the edge of the wooden walkway to their deaths. “Naerwyn!” he yelled to the elf, after stabbing one through the gut. “Come here, quickly!”

The Goblin King armed himself and charged towards Gandalf with a delirious roar. The wizard whipped his staff around to counter. Using his sorcery, he sent the Goblin careening over the edge of the platform.

Naerwyn had never been more afraid in her life. Not even at the hands of the Orc pack she had come face to face with not days ago. She watched the goblins drag Fili to his feet in anticipation for a machine they so named The Bone Breaker. She shuddered at the thought of it. She gave him a look of deep apology. He was going to get his legs broken because of her. Her chest tightened and hot tears spilled down her cheeks. She struggled against the goblin King, but she couldn't pry his filthy hand off of her neck. Sobbing openly, she continued to try to break free as the machines came into her view behind the dwarves and their captors.

The situation she was in became all too real at that point. She was jostled about as she fought to free herself. Fear slithered into her chest and gripped her pounding heart. Her entire body went cold with the realization of what was about to happen. Fili and Thorin would be tortured, mangled, and broken and then the unthinkable would happen to Ammie and herself. Naerwyn, for the briefest moment, was thankful for what she was. She would feel no pain, no shame from the goblin's vile acts for just before his slimy body would come in contact with her own, Naerwyn's spirit would leave her body. She would die and her soul would go to Mandos. She was surprised that it hadn't happened already, but then again, she still had the tiniest sliver of hope that she would be rescued.

Suddenly, there was screaming, which shocked Naerwyn and rattled her nerves. But it wasn't her friends (if she could even call them that) that were screaming. It was the goblins! From the angle the Great Goblin held her neck, she couldn't see what all the fuss was about and before she could get a solid grip on the situation, she was thrown to the floor. Naerwyn came dangerously close to the edge when she slid on the wood a little. Immediately, she turned her body over to see the goblins savagely beating the dwarves and screaming in anger and fear. She started to her feet, but she went still when a blinding light burst through the cavern. It knocked goblins back and off their feet, stunned the dwarves and destroyed one of their torture devices. Naerwyn turned, her eyes wide with alarm, to see Gandalf approaching them. Relief flooded through her cold body, warming her with hope and happiness.

Feeling renewed, she scrambled to her feet just as Fili was getting to the weapons. She caught her quiver when he tossed it and strapped it to her back as fast as lightning. When the bow touched her hands, she immediately grabbed an arrow and took aim at the nearest goblin. She was worried, for a moment, that she'd miss and was delighted when the arrow sailed through the air and sunk into the creature's neck. She went to Fili's side when he called for her and used the bow itself to whip a smaller goblin across the face just as he approached Fili from behind. Naerwyn knew she wouldn't be able to use the bow in such close quarters and immediately shouldered it. Reaching above her head, she drew the two short swords she was given and used them instead. She was clumsier with the swords than with the bow, but she had to trust them. Naerwyn stayed as close to Fili as she could while she fought off the endless onslaught of goblins. Adrenaline had completely taken over her body. It was as if she was an entirely different person.


Thorin felt no fear for himself. He couldn't have cared less about himself. It was Ammie and Fili he was worried about. They were going to suffer at the hands of this monster and he couldn't get free to save them! The already consuming rage in his gut burned brighter when the King announced that Fili would be hooked up to a terrifying device he dubbed The Bone Breaker. He struggled and fought as hard as he could. His muscles burned with fatigue and pain, but he didn't care. He would wrestle until his limbs fell off, he just didn't care. All he cared about was those he loved.

When the screaming started, Thorin wasn't sure which way to look. Every goblin in the place was going berserk over something. His sword! Of course! He felt a brief smugness take over, but the minute the whip came down on his back again, it was gone. The goblins beat him relentlessly and rolled him over onto his back. He struggled to get free, but they pinned his limbs down. In the confusion, he barely heard the Goblin King shriek to his minions to cut off Thorin's head. His heart pounded in his chest and he panicked, trying to get away.

Thankfully, just before the knife came down on Thorin, a blinding light shone through the cavern. It knocked the goblins back, destroyed the torture devices, threw bits of loose wood everywhere! It was magic! Wizard's magic! It was Gandalf! Thorin stared in disbelief when Gandalf ordered him to get up and fight. Thorin did just that, going right for the sword the goblins so feared. Thorin wasted no time in unsheathing the sword and taking out as many goblins within his reach. He fought through them to Ammie. He picked up a small knife from the pile of weapons and pressed it into her hand. He grabbed her arm, just above the elbow and gave her a little shake to make sure he had her attention. "Do not be afraid to use it! Follow me! And stay close!"

Thorin turned and took out a few goblins coming toward himself and his Hobbit. He rushed forward and followed Gandalf down a clear pathway. Reaching back, he grasped Ammie's wrist and took off. If they all stayed together, they could surely escape from this madness.

Truthfully, Fili had expected Naerwyn to know how to fight at least a little bit...But what he hadn't counted on was her level of skill. Between his brother's archery and her own, the group had quite the long distance advantage over the goblins. And any who wandered too close were immediately cut down by Fili and the others (specifically Gloin, Dwalin, and Balin who were the more seasoned warriors of the group). He'd wanted the elf nearby in an effort to ease their escape...And to keep an eye on her. He refused to allow anything to happen to her no matter how terrible the odds--not while he still drew breath! But, as evidenced by the manner she handled her short swords, Naerwyn also had sufficient ability with hand-to-hand combat and managed well enough on her own without his leaping to her rescue. The dwarf prince surged with pride, grinning despite the dire circumstances. He hoped his uncle and the others were paying attention, because the girl could do battle!

Before Gandalf set off towards a clear pathway with the others trailing in his wake, he listed off the names of the dwarves and tried to match them to their names to make certain they were all present and accounted for. Ori, Nori, Dori, Oin, Gloin, Bifor, Bofur, Bombor, Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, and Thorin. He also saw the elf, Naerwyn, who'd apparently tag along for Fili's sake... And the hobbit Ammie. The Grey Wizard's gut twisted in alarm when he realized that Bilbo was not present among their company. He called to Bofur, nearby, who was occupied with a couple of short, hunch-backed goblins. “Where is Bilbo!?” he cried.

Bofur smashed his mattock into the throat of one of the goblins before swinging it over his head and delivering a blow to the back of the other's head. Both dropped like flies. “He wasn't captured with us!” he yelled back in reply. “The goblins missed him and he crawled off! I don't know where he is--maybe he got away?!”

Gandalf cursed under his breath and then shouted loudly for all to hear. “This way, everyone, MAKE HASTE!” He frantically gestured with his staff, indicating a relatively unoccupied wooden walkway, and tore off hoping the dwarven company would follow.

Ammie had scarcely time to shoulder her pack before Thorin was pressing a dagger into her hand and shaking her with the instruction to use it if necessary. It was more like a short sword, really, to someone of her size. But the prospect of using it, actually plunging it into a living creature's flesh, frightened the hobbit. Ammie flapped her mouth uselessly, wanting to protest, but the king was preoccupied with oncoming goblins. He fought like a man possessed. With a few deft swings, Thorin had terminated the remaining creatures in their vicinity. Ammie's eyes practically sparkled with admiration. He was so...So amazing! Her knight in shining armor...Literally!

The dwarf king seized the hobbit by her free wrist and dragged her with him after Gandalf, bidding her to stay close. She hurried along as quickly as she could with her stubby legs, and other dwarves closed in after the pair. She stole a glance over her shoulder as they ran and she saw Kili, Fili, and Naerwyn bringing up the rear. Fili made Naerwyn run in between himself and his brother so they should could be well-protected from the onslaught of any more goblins. They would have to get through him and Kili first! The other experienced warriors were someplace in the middle of the procession. She recognized Dwalin by his scalp tattoos and Balin by his snowy white hair and beard.

As they ran, Gandalf would alternate using his staff and sword to bat goblins aside and off of the rotted wooden path. At one point the group came across a hefty wooden ladder, which many of them helped to lift and used as a makeshift battling ram while running to knock goblins over the edge before any could get near enough to be a threat. Ammie clearly couldn't assist with that, but she giggled whenever it was used. The situation was serious and yet it was silly to see something like a ladder being treated as an effective weapon. Improvisation, right?

Naerwyn ran as fast as she could, cutting down any goblins that came into her reach. Fili had put her between himself and his brother, but she found it difficult to keep up with them. Naerwyn wasn't used to running so hard or for so long. She was used to small bursting sprints and light jogging while she played in the woods of Lorien. This was almost too much for her and several times, she found herself falling behind, Fili easily over taking her. Her chest burned and her legs ached, but she would catch sight of a goblin out of the corner of her eye or hear their awkward squawks behind her and adrenaline would launch her forward again. The group seemed to be going further down into the mountain, which worried Naerwyn. The further down they went, the less likely of finding an escape, right? At that point, she was truly operating on the last of her nerves. She had no idea how much more she could take.

They weaved in and out of hoards of goblins, fighting off dozens of goblins at a time. Naerwyn had somehow managed to sheath her short swords and grasped her bow once more. She had the advantage of distance now that they weren't closely surrounded. She readied an arrow, but waited until she had a clear shot of a group coming straight at them. She saw the dwarves ahead of her part suddenly and realized too late that it was a fallen goblin they were going around. At the last second, Naerwyn thrust her foot up and jammed it onto the goblin's back. She pushed hard and launched her small body up into the air. It was the only way to avoid tripping and completely wiping out on the rotted wood of the rickety walkways. In the air, things seemed to go by in slow motion and Naerwyn realized that she had a clear path. She released the arrow and watched it sail over the heads of her companions as she plummeted the short distance back to the ground. She didn't see the arrow hit, but judging by the pig squeal from ahead of them, she was willing to bet she hit something. Unable to contain her manic joy, she let out a short laugh. The sharp sound rang out in the dark cavern and bounced off the rock walls as she skidded around the corner after the group.


Thorin ran as fast and as hard as he could, keeping a grip on Ammie for as long as he could. After a short while, though, he was forced to release her in order to cut down a wave of goblins. He would turn and check on her after every group they encountered and between slashing and stabbing, he'd pull her along behind him. They fell to about the middle of the group, Dwalin leading for a time and taking out more goblins than the rest of them. That man truly was a beast and Thorin found himself smiling while he watched Dwalin beat the goblins down like they were nothing.

Thorin forced his way through another wave of goblins, slashing necks, stabbing guts, and just plain lopping off heads with such ferocity that it may have looked a bit scary. The goblins dispatched, they continued down the paths, Gandalf leading them most of the way now. Just passed Gandalf, Thorin could see more goblins coming their way. Would this never end?! Thorin noticed an arrow go whizzing over his head and toward the goblins. He had at first thought it was his nephew, but he glanced over his shoulder and took in a surprising sight. It was the elf landing heavily upon the wood, looking quite crazy compared to a normal elf's calm, composed demeanor. She bolted slightly ahead of him and skidded around the corner, her platinum hair whipping wildly behind her. Had Thorin had time to speak, all he would have been able to muster was 'Well, alright, then.'

Gandalf had directed the group to run across a wider bridge between the rock. The path looked promising and Thorin grabbed Ammie's wrist once again, pulling her along behind him, only they didn't get far.


The Great Goblin came crashing up through the bridge from below, snarling and growling like the giant beast he was. he blocked their path and brought the entire company to a halt. He looked quite pleased that he had caught them and stomped forward onto the bridge with a low growl, "You thought you could escape me?!" He snarled and swung his mighty scepter at Gandalf as he rushed forward to protect the dwarves. He knocked Gandalf back with the blow and advanced on him again. With a triumphant smirk, the Goblin looked down on Gandalf and snarled, "What are you going to do now, Wizard?!"

Fili noticed how Naerwyn labored to keep up with his brother and himself. He never let her fall too far behind and slowed down as much as he could given the speed of the group. He understood the elf's plight; dwarves were excellent sprinters but certainly not the best at long distance in addition to agility. They ran this vigorously only out of necessity; adrenaline fueled by the pursuing goblins kept the group plowing forward. His lungs struggled to bring enough air into his body. They burned fiercely. His legs, meanwhile, felt like lead weights. It became increasingly harder to lift them with each passing second. He continued on simply because his and his comrades' survival depended on it. If they made it out of this situation alive, he would sleep like the dead.

Fili groaned inwardly whenever the group encountered a platoon of goblins. He'd slash and stab any that came his way, and fought even harder to keep them clear of Naerwyn's path. The procession of dwarves parted around a fallen goblin, and for an instant, Fili thought Naerwyn would trip and lose her balance. He readied himself to pluck her off the ground by her coat, but she surprised the prince yet again. Her swift feet stepped onto the cadaver's back and she used it to catapult herself into the air. She launched an arrow her bow while she was airborne. Her platinum hair flowed into a marvelous halo around her lovely head. Fili's lips spread into a fanatic grin. What an amazing woman! The arrow struck one in an incoming wave of goblins, and the creature squealed horribly as it dropped off the edge of the walk into the dark depths below.

Ammie also witnessed Naerwyn's impressive shot. She pouted her lips while running, Thorin dragging her along by the wrist most of the way. All of the others, including Ori with his slingshot, were skilled fighters. Everyone except for her. The hobbit watched their leader take a goblin's head clean off with one smooth swipe from his sword. He cut down several more with equally graceful, but brutal, maneuvers. While Ammie admittedly despised violence (all hobbits were well-versed in the art of hiding and running away to avoid conflict), she admired her companion's abilities just the same. Her lack of contribution depressed her immensely. In fact, Thorin protected her more frequently than he did himself, and he was already exhausted enough without having to worry about that. Ammie did not, from the very depths of her being, want to be a "damsel in distress". She wanted to do something helpful!

Unfortunately, her tiny body refused to cooperate and proved to be an inconvenience again despite her best intentions. Ammie had never ran so hard in her life and she could barely breathe by the time the bridge came in sight. The company reached the stone bridge high hopes, only to be blocked from advancing by the Great Goblin. Ammie dropped to her hands and knees panting right as the dwarves halted in front of him. He pale, freckled countenance was flushed pink and she perspired heavily. She mopped her brow with the sleeve of her shirt. "I can't," she gasped. Tears of frustration streamed down her reddened cheeks. "I can't run anymore."

At the Goblin King's reappearance, Fili shoved Naerwyn behind him protectively. The other dwarves held their weapons aloft and at the ready...But it was Gandalf who charged forward to meet the creature's onslaught. He swung Glamdring around the parry the King's scepter, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling back a few steps. The mass of goblins swarming behind the Great Goblin on a stone ledge hopped about and cheered him on obnoxiously.

"What are you going to do now, Wizard?!" he'd snarled, after knocking Gandalf back a second time.

The Grey Wizard considered for a moment, and then suddenly lashed out with Glamdring. He sliced several deep lacerations into the Goblin's fat, drooping chin.

The King glanced down at his newly-inflicted wounds, clearly astonished. "That'll do it," he said, and collapsed over onto the bridge either dead or otherwise indisposed.

The creature's immense body striking the unstable bridge caused it to crack, and the cracks grew and branched out underneath the dwarves' feet. Without further warning, the stone structure gave way, and screams erupted from the dwarves' throats as the group found themselves falling again. Another wooden walkway below broke their fall, and clinging onto it for dear life, the dwarves rode it down the side of a stone wall to the bottom of a chasm. They piled on top of one another--each added individual resulted in a cacophony of pained grunts and groans--until the mountain of bodies was topped with Bombur's massive frame. The wooden walkway was wedged against the walls of the chasm just above them.

"Well, it could have been worse," someone said.

As if on cue, the Great Goblin's corpse landed on top of the walkway and smashed it in half, sandwiching the group further. Here they were...Lying in a great heap of of bodies again. Ammie felt more broken than before, if that were possible. She wasn't sure how many dwarves were crushing her. She felt physically exhausted, entirely spent, bruised, and battered. She could not have moved if she wanted to. One by one the dwarves pried themselves out of the dogpile pinned beneath the piece of walkway and the Goblin King's dead weight. Fili stumbled onto his feet after wiggling free. He rubbed the back of his neck with a disgruntled groan. He turned to assist Naerwyn. Eventually, the only person left sprawled on the floor was the female hobbit.

Bofur squatted beside her and prodded her shoulder gently with the end of his mattock. "You all right, lassie?"

Ammie's mouth produced nothing but garbled nonsense. Her head was spinning and her vision kept swimming in and out of focus.

"We need to keep moving," Gandalf said. "We are nearly out of the mountains. There remains one stone passage...Up ahead." He gestured with his staff, frowning.

Naerwyn let out a startled gasp when the great goblin appeared and went willingly behind Fili. Her body trembled with fear and she gripped her bow hard, her knuckles turning white. There were goblins everywhere. There was no escape for them. Naerwyn's heart sank in her chest as she felt hope sail away on the breeze.

But before she could really succumb to her despair, Gandalf cut the great goblin down! A wide grin broke out across her face....until she felt the bridge crumbling from beneath her feet. She shouldered her bow as quickly as she could and grabbed the only solid thing she could find. Fili. When the bridge began to fall through the chasm, she abandoned her grip on Fili, he wasn't sturdy enough, and grabbed the side of the bridge for better support. Somehow she managed not to scream, choosing to instead hold her breath and shut her eyes. She tried to brace herself for the landing, but it was no use.

They hit the ground hard and the bridge collapsed around them. Bodies were entangled, piled on top of each other, and there were groans from all around. And then the icing on their little cake; the great goblin's dead carcass falling on top of the pile. From somewhere in the middle of the pile, a tiny voice rang out in the dark, "THIS IS HORSESHIT!" Naerwyn struggled and wiggled until she was half out of the pile, then graciously took Fili's hands as he helped pull her from the wreckage. She heard from somewhere beside her, Thorin crack a small joke about her 'dirtying her mouth with such foul words.' Naerwyn, on her very last nerve, brushed some dust and dirt from her coat, then looked over at the great Dwarf King, "Oh, will you just SHUT UP?!" Naerwyn turned and helped whomever would take her hands out of the pile. At the moment, no one seemed to care that she was an elf and gladly accepted the help. Once the dwarves were free, Naerwyn noticed a lone little body left. Ammie!

Naerwyn hurried over to her just as Thorin approached. She shooed Bofur away and knelt down next to the Hobbit. She batted Thorin's hands away, muttering something about poor Ammie not needing his negativity. Ignoring the King's disgruntled response, Naerwyn took Ammie's arm and hauled her up to her feet, "Come on, now. We have to get out here. Just a little more and I will let you rest." Naerwyn hurried as fast as she could after the party of dwarves with Gandalf at the head of the group.


Thorin knelt next to Ammie when she collapsed, crying that she couldn't go on. Thorin's heart felt like it was in a vice and his lungs were on fire. He knew what she was going through, but she had to get up. "Ammie, you have to! If you don't, you'll die!" Thorin jumped up when the King beat back Gandalf. He had to be ready to fight, even if Ammie wasn't able to move.

Only, he didn't have to. Gandalf slayed the goblin! Thorin felt a bit of relief flood over him, but that aaall went away when the bridge cracked and fell away from the rock it was anchored to. Cursing loudly, Thorin crouched down next to Ammie and threw an arm around her, protecting her as best he could. When they reached the bottom, he cursed again and groaned painfully. The goblin carcass on the top did not aid his mood. He wriggled and clawed his way out of the pile, assisting Ammie after he got free. He turned to assist his kin, grumbling and grunting about the ridiculousness of the situation. He was surprised to hear the elf shout a curse word and smirked as he helped Dwalin pull Bombur from the wreckage, "Well, well, look at that. Prissy elf dirtied her mouth with a curse word. Shocking."

He was more surprised when she sassed him, but he chose not to say anything about it. They had more important things to worry about. Like Ammie! She was down on the ground and wasn't moving. Thorin rushed to her aid, but the elf made it to her first. He growled at her, but she slapped his hands away, grumbling back about this 'negativity'. Thorin almost grabbed the elf by the neck, but she was already hoisting Ammie up and he didn't want to risk hurting the Hobbit in the process. He watched her carry Ammie off after the party following Gandalf. He caught Fili and hurried alongside him. He grumbled to him as they ran, "You want to keep that elf? You better put it on a leash!"

Ammie's legs felt like jelly, and they nearly gave out under her again when Naerwyn yanked her up by the arm. Her vision continued to blur in and out of focus and the hobbit wondered if perhaps she'd gotten a concussion from landing so violently. She did want to lie down and sleep but that probably had something to do with all the running they'd done. She could not focus well on any conversation going on in her vicinity, even when the speech was directed at her. Predictably, Ammie did not hear Thorin's quip at the elf's expense nor her outburst against him in return...But she understood that Naerwyn had blocked him from helping her up so that she could do so instead. Right now, all the hobbit wanted was to be out of goblin territory and back in the fresh mountain outside. She did not care who assisted her in making that a reality. Her only concern was repeatedly placing one foot in front of the other without tripping or passing out.

The other dwarves, however, had broken into laughter when Naerwyn cursed. Fili included. Moreover, he hated to admit, he found it arousing when she told his pompous uncle to shut up. He'd deserved it after such a rude comment. She even dared to deny him Ammie because of his “negativity”, taking it upon herself to lead the hobbit towards the stone passage on her own. Fili trailed behind her and Ammie with a smirk. His uncle fell into stride with him and informed him that he needed to keep his elf on a leash. The blond prince snorted at the suggestion. “Somehow I doubt that would be helpful; Naerwyn is very strong-willed.” His blue eyes flitted to Thorin and he fought down yet another smirk that threatened to overtake his lips. It was almost too easy to put his uncle in his place at the moment. He knew something the others didn't—that he had already partaken in a kiss with Ammie. He debated whether or not to taunt Thorin, but in the end, his mischievous nature won. He wanted to see his uncle squirm for once. “Do you say that because she stole Ammie away from you? Hmm? Relieved you of your duty to protect and impress her with your battle prowess?”

“Quickly,” Gandalf urged. The angry cries of vengeful goblins could be heard from somewhere above them. “Our only chance is to reach daylight.” He was right, Fili thought. They'd been underground for hours, and dawn would be approaching quickly. Goblins hated light as much as trolls, even if it didn't turn them to stone. The Grey Wizard hurried down the tunnel, then, expecting the rest to follow.

~~~

Meanwhile, Ammie's uncle had been struggling with hardships of his own. After winning a game of riddles with a wizened, hunched, and frail creature he'd dubbed Gollum (on account og the vile, guttural noise it occasionally produces with its throat), the hobbit had somehow landed himself a magic ring. The prize for winning the game was Gollum leading him out of the depths of the mountain, but the abominable being had gone back on its agreement when it noticed its “Precious” was missing. The “Precious” turned out, in fact, to be the ring...Which rendered its owner invisible when worn. Bilbo disappeared suddenly, and Gollum assumed he was heading for the exit...An assumption that turned out very convenient for the halfling indeed. The creature pursued him, effectively leading him out of the mountains after all.

Bilbo's lost dwarven party passed his corridor just as he caught sight of daylight streaming in from the outside. His heart leapt at the sight of both Gandalf and his niece Ammie safe and in one piece. He could catch up with them if he moved quickly! The only problem lay in the fact that Gollum's crouched form was blocking his path. He resolved to use Sting, even though'd he preferred to avoid blooshed up to this point, and strike the creature down... But one, solitary tear flowed down the wrinkles on Gollum's pallid cheek. Its face was twisted with such agony and despair that the hobbit found he pitied him... Even if was a fallacy on his part. Instead, he backed away quietly down the corridor, taking a deep breath, and sprinted towards Gollum. He used a boulder jutting out of the side of the path to launch himself over the creature. His feet struck Gollum's face, who tumbled down and started screaming profanities at his unseen attacker.

“Fithly, hobbitses!” Gollum shrieked, scrambling back to its feet. “We hates it! We hates it forever!”

Bilbo Baggins could have cared less about Gollum's feelings—his heart soared as he passed through the exit and into the blessed sun! Now, he thought, to catch up with the dwarves!

Naerwyn was having trouble helping Ammie along. The poor Hobbit was exhausted and was barely doing okay putting one foot in front of the other. Naerwyn tried to ease the burden by putting Ammie's arm across her shoulders and her own arm across Ammie's back, but it wasn't helping either. When Naerwyn heard the shriek of angry goblins behind her, she went into full survival mode. Dwarves whizzed passed them as Naerwyn bent down some and pulled Ammie's body across her shoulders. She had carried Alauriel like that once whilst they were playing. With an arm around Ammie's leg, Naerwyn braced herself and picked the Hobbit girl up. And then she took off. She wasn't running nearly as fast she normally would, paired with the extra weight and her own fatigue, but she wasn't doing half bad.

She followed the dwarves and the wizard out of the tunnel and into the open air. Into the warm sun. They did not stop, however, and bolted down the hill. Naerwyn feared that she would trip and made sure to take careful, but quick steps. They ran for what seemed like an age before finally stopping to catch their breath. They had put plenty of distance between themselves and the mouth of the cavern. They were, for the moment, safe.

Coming to a gentle halt, Naerwyn knelt down and turned her body so the Hobbit could slide off of her shoulders. She helped Ammie to sit on the ground and gave her a warm smile, "I promised you that you could rest. Stay here until you are well." Naerwyn stood and started over to Fili. She wanted to make sure he was alright.


Thorin wanted to be outraged by Fili's comments concerning Ammie, but he didn't have time to argue with his nephew. As he ran, the elf just in front of him, he wondered if Fili was right. Naerwyn had taken his chance to impress Ammie away. He felt very sour as he watched her hoist Ammie up onto her shoulders. He grumbled and called up to Naerwyn, "Do not drop her!" Thorin ran harder when he saw a flash of daylight. Relief flooded him. They would be safe in the daylight.

Thorin ran down the hill with careful steps, trying hard not to fall and go tumbling down the side of the mountain. Out of the corner of his eyes, he counted each dwarf as they passed. They were all present. Thank the gods. The safety of his men and Ammie, of course, was all that he cared about. When they stopped, desperate to catch their breath, Thorin watched Naerwyn kneel and put Ammie down. He felt a stabbing pain in his gut. Naerwyn had ensured Ammie's safety. Not that he couldn't have handled it, but she had saved Ammie's life when she picked her up and carried her out of the cave. He remembered his treatment of her in the night and he found himself nauseated as he stomped over to the elf.

Thorin reached out and grabbed Naerwyn's shoulder, but didn't apply any pressure. She turned and looked at him, but remained silent. He grit his teeth and glared fiercely at her, but she didn't budge. She wasn't like other elves. Stupid Naerwyn. He ground out a tiny phrase, hoping that she was the only one that heard it, "Thank you."


Naerwyn stared the Dwarf King down, her ears picking up his low, growling words of thanks. The corners of her lips turned up in the faintest of smirks. She put a hand on her heart and glared into the King's eyes, "Ta nae seasamin"

At some point Naerwyn lifted Ammie, draped her over her shoulders, and bolted. Ammie struggled to maintain consciousness. But, if she truly had a concussion like she suspected, she needed to keep her eyes open. It was exceedingly difficult to do. Since her legs were no longer moving, her body had no reason to stay awake. She kept pinching herself in a struggle to maintain awareness. Once the dwarven party had put enough distance between themselves and the mountain passage, everyone collapsed. Many of the dwarves sprawled themselves across the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Some remained standing and merely bent over to catch their breaths. Others propped themselves against the trees in the vicinity, wary of their surroundings lest some other enemy spring out at them from the shadows. It was just one hardship after another in the wilderness.

Now that everyone else was safe, Gandalf fretted over the loss of Bilbo. “Maybe he went back to Rivendell?” Bofur offered helpfully. “He knew the way back. If he got out of the mountains safely, he could have gone there.” A small, masculine voice sounded from behind the kind dwarf, causing him to jump a couple of inches into the air. “I'm right here, actually.”

The entire group was astounded by Bilbo Baggin's reappearance. All conversation between the other members of the group died, and they fixed the halfling with disbelieving, skeptical stares. How had he escaped the hordes of goblins? How had he found his way through the bowels of the mountains? What was more, how had he caught up with them?!

“How indeed,” Bilbo said, fidgeting with something in his pocket. Gandalf's eyes wandered down to it suspiciously. “A testament to my skill as a burglar. I'll have to regale you with that tale later, though. How is Ammie?” His brow creased with concern.

Fili moved towards Naerwyn, who had just finished setting the hobbit female down on the floor. He reached her just after his uncle whispered words of thanks to the elf and therefore remained ignorant to them. It was just as well—had Fili known Thorin would have never heard the end of it. “She's fine,” he said, placing his hand gently on Naerwyn's shoulder and smiling serenely. She had been so amazing and helpful during their escape from the goblins. He couldn't wait to sing her praises. “Thanks to Naerwyn and my uncle. They took good care of her. She was roughed up a little, though.” The blond prince glanced to Ammie, who was holding her head in her hands.

Ammie, too, was relieved to see her uncle in one piece. Had she been in better health, she would have immediately leapt up to fling her arms around Bilbo. He could have perished in the mountains, same as them! But, seeing as how she battled with her body to remain upright, her enthusiasm was a bit subdued. “Uncle Bilbo...You're okay...That's good...” She was vaguely aware of Thorin beside her. “I'd hug you, but I can't get up...We took a tumble earlier and I believe I have a concussion. Not sure, but...Most likely.” Ammie spoke surprisingly well for someone weaving in and out of coherency.

Naerwyn looked to Fili and gave him a soft smile. She stepped closer to him while he sang her praises to Bilbo and began to check him over. She looked for cuts, scrapes, gashes, anything. She was relieved, though, when she found just a few minor scrapes and cuts. They were from the goblins holding him down. A shudder went down Naerwyn's spine at the thought of it. Her heart clenched in her chest and she swallowed a terrible lump rising in her throat. She was going to be sick.

She took a step back from Fili and pressing a hand to her stomach. She looked up to his eyes and turned slightly, "Excuse me. For just a minute."

Naerwyn turned and headed into the woods quickly. She took a bit of a zigzag pattern and hid herself behind a large tree once the company's voices died off. Not able to hold it any longer, Naerwyn collapsed to her knees and vomited. There wasn't anything more than water and a bit of lembas in her stomach. Hot tears gathered behind her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she got shakily to her feet. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and gripped the tree bark for support. She had come so close to death in the mountain. She wasn't taking it very well and she wondered that if this was her response, could she handle a brush with death in the future? Did she belong on this journey?

There, to catch Fili before he moved, was Balin. He gave Fili a look and shook his head. It was a look that simply said 'Stay here.' He saw the look on the elf's face. He wasn't sure if he was concerned, but he wasn't going to ignore it. He wasn't sure how he felt about her yet. Though she had been quite impressive in the mountain. She could fend for herself.

Thorin knelt next to Ammie the moment Naerwyn stepped away. He checked her over for cuts or gashes, but they were minor. She was complaining about her head. He frowned deeply. There wasn't much he could do about her head with such limited supplies. Thorin turned slightly, to his men and called out for water. Dwalin was the only one with a full water skin slung around his midsection. He offered it to Thorin, who them offered it to Ammie, "I do not think it is a concussion. I think you are dehydrated. Here, drink. You'll feel better."

Thorin turned and ordered whomever had a water skin to find running water and fill them. They would all need water. Once they found the water and brought it back, they could lead the Company to the river. There, they would set up camp. There would be plenty of water to drink and more importantly, bathe in. "Where, exactly, does your head hurt? And does anything else hurt? Amrs? Legs? back? Anything at all?"

Fili had been more than confused when Naerwyn suddenly excused herself from the group and tore into woods by herself. She'd touched a hand to her stomach and the dwarf wondered faintly if she was fatigued enough to be sick. If that was the case, she needed her privacy. He could always comfort her when she returned. Besides, Balin was being nosier than usual, blocking his path... Fili frowned and decided instead to follow his uncle's orders to find more water. None of the group seemed to have any save for Dwalin, and that made sense given all the running they'd just done.

“Kili, Bofur,” he said, approaching his brother and Bofur with a sly grin. “Shall we find water?” It had just occurred to him that, with such an excuse, he could easily give Balin the slip and ensure Naerwyn was all right.

In addition to that, most of their supplies had been lost in the mountains when the cavern collapsed under their feet. It was really quite inconvenient. No doubt many of dwarves wondered how they would survive in the wilderness without finding another town or settlement of some kind to replenish their supplies. Dwalin, he knew, could easily live off of the land. Nori could, certainly, as he was always on the run from the authorities. But for less-experienced members, like Ori, or the toymaker brothers...It would prove difficult, to say the least.

'Dehydrated?' Ammie thought faintly. Well, that could always be a possibility. She'd never been dehydrated like this, though. Even the hangover in Rivendell had been bearable. “Thanks,” she murmured, bringing the skin to her lips and taking a drink. Water had never felt so wonderful going down her throat. She tried not to be greedy with it. It wasn't her water. She returned the skin to Thorin so he could give it back to Dwalin. Dwalin, the awesome warrior. She cracked a smile when she thought about how intensely he'd fought in the mountains. She was surrounded by amazing people.

“Mostly on this side,” Ammie said, indicating the right side of her head. “I'm having some trouble staying awake and my vision...” She squinted at the dwarf king, “...Keeps swimming in and out.” She moved her arms and wiggled her fingers to ensure nothing hurt more than usual, then did the same with her legs and toes. “I don't think anything else is giving me trouble. I'll probably be bruised for days, though.”

She fixed Thorin with an intense stare, however, (as intense as it could be considering her inability to focus on anything currently) and chewed on her lip. “Thank you for protecting me...From the goblins. I wouldn't have survived without you.” The hobbit laughed suddenly, her mouth spreading into a grin. “Would someone please train me to fight already? This is getting ridiculous.”

Naerwyn wandered further still and settled herself down on the ground by a large tree. She'd never felt so physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted in her entire life. She brought her legs up, wrapped her arms around her thighs and put her head down on her knees.

She sat there, quietly weeping by herself. She had a mind, then and there, to pick herself up and sneak off. She longed for her home. Her family. Her father was right. She should have never left Lothlorien.

Kili nodded to his brother and began collecting water skins from the others. He wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep for days, but his Uncle had given an order. He would see it done.

Thorin watched her drink, then took the skin back. He offered it to Dwalin, but he waved him off, muttering that the Hobbit needed it more. Thorin thanked him and corked the water skin. He laid it beside Ammie and checked her head. He very gently parted her hair, looking for a gash or a cut, a bump, even.

He glanced down when she wiggled her toes and fingers. He nodded when she reported no other injuries. He smiled when she thanked him for protecting her, "You need not thank me. I was glad to do it."

He chuckled lightly when she begged someone to teach her to fight, "When you are well again. For now, just rest."

Fili was at the same level of exhaustion as his brother... If he stayed still he'd likely pass right out. Gathering water was important for everyone to recover, just as it was needed to cook if anyone managed to find something edible out here. Right now Fili doubted he could stomach anything, but in a few hours he knew his appetite would be ravenous. He assisted Kili in collecting the remaining water skins and tucked them under his arm. Based on the terrain, the prince guessed wandering downhill would eventually lead Kili and himself to some of the mountains' drainages...And thus a stream or river of some kind.

“This way,” he said, jerking his head in the direction he wished them to take. When Kili drew nearer, he clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “I am so glad, brother, that we got through that whole affair alive. We ought to do something nice for Gandalf, to thank him. I don't know how we'd get on without that wizard, I swear.”

Said wizard was quizzing Bilbo Baggins on his whereabouts before rejoining the group. Moreover, he wished to know how he'd passed through the mountains unscathed. Bilbo wasn't keen on revealing the existence of the magic ring to the others, so he left that part out. He told everyone seated around him that cared to listen about how he'd ran into a goblin after they'd been captured...How he'd managed to fend them off with Sting somehow, but that in doing so he'd been thrown over the edge of a wooden walk. Nori remarked about how often the lot of them seemed to fall and joked that hopefully it wouldn't be a reoccurring theme throughout their journey.

Bilbo continued his tale, describing how he'd woken up in a dark gulley someplace, and that a strange creature had carried off the unconscious goblin while singing a song about eating. The goblin came to and the creature promptly bashed it's head in with a rock. By then, Bilbo had been peeping from behind a rock...And the creature—Gollum, from the noise it made with its throat—discovered him shortly after. He used Sting to threaten Gollum into showing him the way out, but the creature suffered from some sort of violent split personality. Eventually he coaxed Gollum into playing a game of riddles. If he won, Gollum would lead him to the surface. If Gollum won, he got to eat him.

The long and short of it was that Bilbo won the game and Gollum kept his end of the deal. It wasn't a blatant lie, but Bilbo had left out all details involving the ring. The dwarves marveled over Bilbo's cleverness and congratulated him warmly. Gandalf frowned. He could sense the hobbit was keeping something secret, but decided to let the subject go for the time being.

Ammie groaned with exasperation. “'When you are well again' is becoming my catchphrase! It seems I am always recovering from something or other.” She stayed still while Thorin checked her head for bumps or scratches, but continued to lament her lack of know-how. “I know for a fact that, if I were to be trained, I would manage a whole lot better than I have been! Honestly, I don't know how Uncle Bilbo has survived this long, either. He knows even less about what to do in a scuffle than me!”

“I resent that!” Bilbo called over. “I happened to be quite the little tyke when I was young!”

“I'll believe it when I see it!” she quipped back. When Thorin finished his examination, Ammie had an epiphany. The hobbit still had her pack of rocks strapped on! The female wiggled it off and opened it hurriedly to make certain her belongings remained intact after all...And they had! Rocks! Food! Oh, blessed heavens, fate had decided to be kind for once! “My rocks!” she rejoiced. Tears of joy formed at the corners of her eyes. What a silly sight it must have been, to witness an individual crying over rocks of all things.

Naerwyn sat, shuddering and shaking with quiet sobs. She picked her head up and looked, through blurry eyes, in the distance. She wanted to get up and go to Lorien and beg her father's forgiveness for running off after a wild dream of freedom. But did she even know where she was? No. Not at all. She wanted to go, but she knew that she would never make it to Lorien. If the road was this dangerous between Greenwood and Rivendell and the road to the mountains, she would surely succumb to something on the road to Lorien. Something worse, even.

But what else could she possibly face that she hadn't faced yet? She had come face to face with orcs once already! Falling rocks! Terrible goblins AND their King! And she proved, below the stone of the mountain, that she could fend said terrible creatures off! She reached a shaky hand up to her back and fingers the arrows in her quiver. Nine. She had nine. And she still had her short swords. Could she make it? She had no food. And no water. She had no direction. Was she brave enough?


Kili walked with his brother, looking this way and that for any signs of water. He glanced to Fili when he mentioned doing something nice for Gandalf, "Like what?" Kili stopped when he thought he heard the sound of a babbling stream. He gave Fili's arm a light smack and grinned, "This way." He darted off toward the sound.


Thorin looked down at her when she groaned. She was sounding like an impatient child. He looked a little surprised, but his expression softened, turning wise, "Wounded warriors who take up a sword in training fight like lame ducks in battle. You will learn when you're well."

Thorin barely listened to Bilbo's tale. He would have been interested had it not been for Ammie's condition. He smiled when she dug in the bag. She dug passed her food and supplies, though, and went straight for her strange collection of rocks. Thorin chuckled and shook his head, "Of all the things that should excite you now. You go for the rocks." Thorin glanced up and looked into the woods where Fili and Kili went, "I hope they come back soon and don't encounter any trouble."

Fili pursed his lips in quiet contemplation. He, too, heard the babbling of creek and followed his brother toward the sound. “Well, there's not much we can do out here,” he said as he walked. “But if we ever find a town...Or survive long enough to get to a town...I, for one, am going to buy him an ale.” Beyond a scattering of closely-packed trees, the pair encountered a stream as expected. The blond prince grinned and stooped to begin filling up the water skins. The serene scenery made quite an impression on him—greenery, trees, gray moss-covered stones—after all the “excitement” in the mountains. “Actually, I could use an ale now,” he remarked with a sigh. “Or mead. Gods, I would love some mead.” He would fantasize about it for the rest of the day now that he'd put it in his head.

Fili had filled about four out of five water flasks before something prompted him to glance downstream. The running water pooled some meters away after twisting around a corner. His sharp eyes made out a pile of mossy boulders and a small alcove with waterfall. And, astonishingly, beside the alcove, crouched a familiar individual with platinum hair that gleamed brightly in the sunlight. “Found you,” he mused under his breath. He filled the final flask and capped it as he stood up again. “Brother, I admit I had an ulterior motive coming out here.” He jerked his head in the direction of the elf. “She disappeared suddenly earlier. I wanted to make sure she was all right, but Balin interferred.”

He set down the filled flasks and angled himself towards Naerwyn. “Will you be all right carrying these back by yourself, or should I assist you and then return? There are quite a few.”

~~~

Ammie kicked her legs around impatiently, as if throwing a silent tantrum to herself. “I knooow, that makes sense, but... I hate feeling useless! I want to learn! Ugh, body, hurry up and recover!” She dropped back on the grass with an angry groan, hugging her pack of stones and supplies to her chest protectively. Thorin's comment, however, made her giggle. “I'm excited about the food, too! What hobbit isn't excited about food? It's just... I picked the best rocks I found on the way up the Misty Mountains. I went through a lot of trouble to keep my collection safe.” She sat up again and pulled out some parchment and charcoal, and started to sketch. It appeared to be a poor rendition of her uncle Bilbo looking overly anxious about something or other. When she finished the image, she snorted, made a paper glider with it, and then flung it at Bilbo's head.

He hadn't been paying attention to her for a bit of time, so when it caught in his hair, he immediately whirled around and glared at her. Ammie began to laugh. The laughs turned to coughing and she grimaced, uncapping the water skin and taking a sip from it to soothe her throat. Her vision had repaired itself, and from her recovered spirits it seemed that she felt better than she had a bit ago...Perhaps from having the opportunity to sit still and rest.

“I also brought paper, in case I wanted to record anything,” Ammie continued, “Just like what Ori's doing for you. His sketching abilities are better than mine, of course.” She glanced at Thorin when he mentioned his nephews. “I'm sure they'll be back quickly.”

In her moment of despair, Naerwyn hadn't noticed the brothers upstream. The last of her tears fell, lost in the streams down her cheeks. Her heart twisted painfully in her chest and she slowly got to her feet. Lothlorien. She could make it. Haldir taught her to be brave.

Ah, Haldir. She hadn't thought of him. Naerwyn eased backwards until her backside in the tree and she leaned heavily on it. If she went back, it would start all over again with the Marchwarden. And her father. Greenwood, then. She would go to Greenwood. Rilien was kind, he would take her in at Alauriel's request. She could help with the baby! A fine idea, she thought to herself. But that would be going backwards. Passing the dwarves. Ah, what did they care? Fili was the only one that wanted her around, anyway.

...Fili. ....What would Fili think? And there again, she was trapped. She slid down the tree until her backside hit the dirt again. She pulled her thighs against her chest, put her head back down onto her knees and wept.

Kili grinned at the mention of ale, "Alright, then I'm in. We'll buy him the best ale they have." Kili filled half of the skins while his brother filled the other half. He sighed dreamily at the mention of mead. His mouth began to water as he corked the last skin. Kili glanced up when Fili admitted having an ulterior motive.

Kili stood up, grasping the straps of the skins he held. He looked downstream to where the elf sat. Kili tried to stop it, but his face fell at the sight of her. She looked terribly distraught. He felt for her, but he was disappointed for a different reason. Fili had always been there for Kili. They were brothers, after all. But now Fili had someone else to be there for. Kili knew this day would come, but he was still bitter about it. He took the skins from Fili, wrapped his fingers around the straps and grasping them as tightly as he could, "No, it's fine. Go." He started back toward the Company and tossed a quip over his shoulder, "I'll tell Uncle you went after a pretty bird."


Thorin chuckled again and shook his head. He sat with his back against a tree, watching her play around. She was improving. That was a good sign. When Kili got there with more water, she would feel better still. He motioned to her pack, "Quit messing around and eat something. You'll feel better."

Thorin stood and moved to the others. They were busy building a fire and deciding who would go hunt for food. There had to be rabbits or other small critter around. Thorin snorted and made a snide comment about elves not eating meat and glanced around to find Naerwyn. When he didn't find her, he frowned and turned back to the men. She probably trailed after Fili.

At first Fili hesitated to leave his brother. When Kili caught sight of the elf, his face immediately fell. Fili's stomach flipped uncomfortably in his gut because he thought his brother might be upset he was abandoning in favor of a woman again. However, on closer inspection, it seemed Kili might have made the face because of Naerwyn's current posture. She was seated against a tree, her face buried against her knees. Something was terribly wrong, and he could see it even from this distance. Kili's change of mood fled the blond prince's mind altogether, then, out of worry for Naerwyn. Perhaps it was unfair to forget his brother, but she really didn't look good.

“Thank you, brother. I owe you,” Fili said. He laughed at Kili's quip and watched him head back in the direction of camp before turning in the elf's direction. He approached quietly, but not so quietly as to catch her offguard and cause her unnecessary panic.

Some paces later, Fili reached the alcove and halted just to Naerwyn's left. Fallen dried leaves crunched faintly under his boots. Up close, he saw the elf's body shuddering with quiet sobs. “Fair one...” he said gently. His light brows furrowed. “...Why are you weeping? Have I done something wrong?”

~~~

Ammie smirked when Thorin told her to eat something instead of fooling around. He was so serious, sometimes! “Yes, your highness,” she laughed. What, was she teasing him now? When had they gotten on such friendly terms? Ammie blushed, suddenly embarrassed of herself, and then dug around in her pack for some jerky. She munched on a few pieces and finished the rest of the water in the skin beside her. Within twenty minutes or so her headache had dissipated completely, and she felt well enough to stand and walk around a bit.

Thorin eventually moved off to the others to discuss what to do about food. Bilbo was preoccupied, conversing quietly with Gandalf some ways away. This left Ammie on her own beside the tree. She frowned, her eyes scanning the woods for lack of anything to occupy herself with, and it was then she caught Kili slinking back to camp...Alone. Without Fili. Come to think of it, Naerwyn had wandered off as well. Perhaps they were together again? Those love birds!

However, Kili's facial expression was one of displeasure. It dawned on Ammie that for the majority of her time on the journey with the brothers, they'd been joined at the hip. Now that the elf had come into the equation, Kili spent more time by himself. She saw him talking to Bofur and Ori occasionally, but often he sat quietly staring off into space. It all made sense now. Well, that was about to change! He'd promised her fighting lessons, after all! She could discuss those with him to distract him from whatever loneliness he felt in his brother's absence.

Ammie approached the young dwarf with purpose. “Kili!” she said, pointing at him. “We need to talk about those fighting lessons you're supposed to give me! It's been days and we've accomplished nothing so far! I'm tired of almost dying!”

Naerwyn hadn't heard him approach. She was too enveloped in her own little bubble of sorrow. So much had gone wrong all because she refused to listen to her father. What would he say now? He would probably disown her for galavanting after dwarves!

When a voice broke out, Naerwyn gasped and shot up. Through blurry eyes, she saw Fili's figure and launched herself onto her feet. She sniffled, trying to regain her composure and turned away from him. She rubbed her tears away feverishly with her hands and her sleeves. "No! Of course not. I'm not weeping." She sniffled and tried as hard as she could to steady her voice, "I fell, is all. Knocked some dust into my eyes." Naerwyn immediately felt like kicking herself. Wonderful excuse, Naerwyn. Yeah. He'll totally go for that. She felt like weeping just over her sudden stupidity.

Kili looked quite alarmed when Ammie marched up to him, raving about fighting lessons. He scrunched his nose up, trying to remember if he made such a deal. And, ah, yes. He had. Shortly after she joined their group. He looked down at the Hobbit and huffed a little sigh. He wanted to say no. He was in no mood to train anyone. Really, he just wanted to be alone. But the longer he looked at her, the softer his heart became. She really did look so determined.

Kili huffed again and nodded firmly, "Alright, alright. I will teach you. Just as soon as I speak with Uncle." Kili moved away from her and took the water skins back to the men. He let them sort out which one belonged to who and then explained to Thorin where the water was and, sadly, that there wasn't enough flat ground to build a camp on. It was too rocky or wet from the stream.

Thorin was gearing up to go into the woods with Dwalin to hunt when Kili came to him. He was disappointed to hear that the land by the stream wasn't suitable for camping, but he wouldn't let it bother him. After supper, he would send the men down in shifts for a bath. They could all use it. He thought, suddenly, about Naerwyn and Ammie. Looking over to the Hobbit, he thought he might as well send them together. He gave Kili a firm nod and let him go off to rest. He gave Ammie a small nod and turned toward Dwalin once again, the two just about ready to go.

“You're weeping,” Fili stated flatly. “Your eyes are red, and I saw you sitting here for a few minutes before I came by. You certainly did not fall.” He squatted down beside the elf, his hand falling atop her head and stroking back rebellious strands of her platinum hair. His heart weighed heavy in his chest.

Perhaps Naerwyn had been thinking about the Goblin King and what had almost transpired. Fili had been helpless to stop it. If it hadn't been for Gandalf, then he'd... She'd—no, he did not want to think about it. He would never allow something like that to happen to Naerwyn again. He would die first. He would tell her so, if she'd only let him. But she insisted on keeping her thoughts secret.

“Please, Naerwyn,” the dwarf pressed, although gently. “I wish you would tell me what is the matter. I am here for you, if something ails you... I have asked you to be mine and it is my responsibility to protect and comfort you now.”

Fili pulled the woman into his arms and simply held her against his chest. He would be patient until Naerwyn was ready to speak about what troubled her.

~~~

Ammie pressed her lips together at Kili's reaction. She almost regretted accosting him when he returned. Maybe he had preferred to be alone? But... Really, if he was upset, she didn't want to leave him drowning in his emotions. She bore the same attitude towards Thorin. If he or Kili shouldered too many burdens at once, eventually they would collapse under the weight. They would break down at very inconvenient times in the future. Stress had that power.

She believed it was up to cheerful people like herself to ease stress and lighten difficult situations. Even if she had no other value in the company, at least she could provide that for her new friends! Smiles. Laughter.

Ammie caught Thorin's gaze. She nodded back and dared flash him a shy smile. Her hero. When Kili finished talking to Thorin, she waited for him to come back in her direction.

Naerwyn tried to argue, but she found it difficult to speak over the lump in her throat. She tried swallowing it, but it kept coming back. He, of course, didn't believe her lame excuse. She knew he wouldn't and tried to think of something else to say. She couldn't admit to him what she was thinking. She had wanted to leave. Go running off home with her tail between her legs, sore and defeated.

She found herself pulled against the dwarf's chest. It wasn't the first time he'd comforted her. She had thought, perhaps, he'd get tired of it. She always seemed to end up crying, but here he was. Comforting her. Again. Her heart twisted painfully and she heaved a sigh. She gripped his coat in her slender fingers. She owed it to him to tell him what she was feeling. What bothered her to the point of tears. She said, in a tiny, distraught voice, "All I am is a burden. I have ruined everything."


Kili walked back over to Ammie after his Uncle left with Dwalin to go hunting. He took a careful breath and forced a smile. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but he couldn't think of what to say. He had never been in charge of training before. He was always getting lessons from other people, being the baby and all. Fili was always in charge. He forced out the only thing he could think of. "..What....do you want to learn first?"

Naerwyn's fingers gripped Fili's coat tightly. His brow knitted at her words. They were, to put it bluntly, nonsensical. He did not understand how she considered herself a burden. Moreover, he certainly could not see how she'd ruined anything. Was it because of Thorin's attitude towards her? Curiosity and wonder ate away ate him.

“Shh, it's all right,” he said softly, combing his hands through her hair and resting his chin atop her head. “What do you mean, fair one? How are you a burden? I do not understand.” He struggled over what to say, without knowing the reasons for her anguish. “You've ruined nothing, as far as I am concerned.”

~~~

Ammie blinked. She hadn't expected Kili to ask what she wanted to know. She knew practically nothing, so it hardly mattered where or how they started. She fished around in her mind for ideas. “Well,” she said, “I would prefer not to fight, if possible. My size is a huge disadvantage. I can't really overpower my enemies. Maybe something that relies on agility? It might be helpful to know how disarm others...” She chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. “...Your uncle gave me a dagger earlier, so I may want to know how to use that, eventually.”

Naerwyn trembled in Fili's arms, gripping his coat tight. She whined and let out a tiny sob. She took a shaky breath. "I wasn't supposed to go to Greenwood. My father said the road was too dangerous. I proved that when I took the arrow," she began, "I have put my father through so much unnecessary stress by not coming home, I am sure. He's going to be furious when he finds out what happened. I came close to death at the hands of that monster under the mountain. What will my father say? 'I told you not to go. Now look what you've done." She sighed, "I never do what I'm told. And all I EVER seem to do around you is cry! What sort of companion can I possibly be if all I do is cry?"

Heaving a sigh, Naerwyn pulled away from him slightly and rubbed at her eyes, "I spend too much time trying to be something I'm not."


Kili nodded and scratched his beard in thought. He learned similar things when he was growing up. He, too, had the disadvantage of being short. He smiled suddenly and rushed away to pick up a stick. He snapped it in half and offered Ammie half of it, "Well, then, disarming, it is! We'll use the sticks until you're certain not to stab anyone by mistake." He offered her a large, goofy smile. He looked rather excited! "Disarming is pretty easy when you're small. No one expects it and suddenly, they're left without a weapon!"