Six - Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

“There’s movement into the cave, but not out,” I said as we entered an empty cave. We had been tracking them for a day, reading their movements through the rocks. One of the special things I can do, lucky for us.

“This is the doorstep of a goblin city,” Gandalf said, examining the floor. “Is there another way in without being caught?,” I said and waited for his response “Do you know another way?” I asked he stood “follow me,”

~~~

“I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!” The Great Goblin shrieked and told the rest to kill them. “Stand back,” Gandalf told me and I listened as he muttered an incantation and sent an explosion of a blinding white light and wind. 

After it passed, Gandalf and I moved closer. “Take up arms. Fight. Fight!” Gandalf commanded the semi-conscious Dwarves. I unsheathed my twin blades from my back and struck them together, making them ignite in flames as the Dwarves scramble for their weapons as we fight the goblins.

“He wields the Foe-hammer, the beater, bright as daylight!” The Great Goblin yelled as he noticed Gandalf's sword. “Follow me! Run!” Gandalf yells and I am slightly ahead, cutting through the goblins and clearing the path.

We ran from the goblins and fought our way through the cave across bridges and pushed most of the goblins to fall into the deep chasm below. As we were about to get across the last bridge, The Great Goblin jumped out and blocked the way. “Back!” I yelled and the Dwarves complied. 

“You thought you could escape me!” He shouted, fighting Gandalf. “What are you going to do now, wizard?” Gandalf stabbed him in the eye with his staff, then cut his belly open with his sword. 

The Great Goblin fell to his knees and looked at Gandalf. “That’ll do it,” Gandalf cut The Great Goblin’s throat. 

As he died, he fell, breaking the bridge, plunging us into the deep parts of the cavern. “Hang on!” I shouted, grabbing Ori’s shirt before he fell off the inconvenient boat for a slide.

Fortunately, we survived the fall and landed safely (as safe can be in a cave full of goblins) on the ground. Gandalf and I dug our way out of the debris and I put my swords on my back in their sheaths. “That could have been worse," Bofur added. 

Suddenly, the Great Goblin’s body landed on top of them. The Dwarves groaned at the added weight. “You’ve got to be joking!” Dwalin shouted as they struggled to dig their way out and I helped them.

“Verena!” I looked at Kili, then up. Oh shit. Goblins were running down the walls. “There’s too many, we can’t fight them,” Dwalin yelled as he pulled Nori out. “Only one thing will save us. Daylight,” I quickly pulled Gloin and Dori out. “On your feet!” Gandalf yelled and we ran to the exit.

~~~

“Five, six, seven, eight. Bifur, Bofur, that’s ten. Fili, Ki­li, that’s twelve. And Bombur, that makes thirteen," Gandalf counted. “Where is Bilbo?” I asked. “Where is our Hobbit? Where is our Hobbit?!” Gandalf yelled. 

“Curse the Halfling! Now he’s lost! I thought he was with Dori!” Gloin exclaimed “Don’t blame me!” Dori shouted defensively. “Where did you last see him?” I asked, concerned. “I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us,” Nori answered. “What happened exactly? Tell me!” Gandalf demanded.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Thorin started. “Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He’s thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he stepped out of his door. We will not see our Hobbit again, he is long gone,”

I felt a presence behind us, like we’re being watched. I turned to see the halfling. “Bilbo!” I shouted with a wide smile and everyone turned to look at him. “No, he isn’t,” he stated and everyone took a breath of relief.

“Bilbo Baggins. I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life,” Gandalf told him. “Bilbo, we’d given you up!” Kili said, surprised. “How did you get past the goblins?” Fili asked directly after.

Bilbo laughed nervously and put something in his pocket. Something golden. “What does it matter? He’s back,” Gandalf stated. “It matters. I want to know. Why did you come back?” Thorin demanded.

“I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you’re right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, my armchair, and my garden. See, that’s where I belong. That’s home. And that’s why I came back, cause…you don’t have one, a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can,” 

Wargs growled from afar. “First goblins, now Orcs,” I huffed. “Out of the frying pan-” “And into the fire. Run. Run!” When the wargs caught up, Bilbo was cornered against a tree. I ran toward him, my swords drawn, but he killed the warg himself, letting the blade slip from his hands and remain in its head. 

The Dwarves ran around us as I pulled Bilbo’s sword out of the warg and handed it back to him. “We have to go!” He nodded and we ran to the edge of the cliff. “Into the trees. All of you! Climb!” I went up first, then pulled Bilbo up and made sure he got his footing on a branch before continuing. The wargs howled as they got closer. “They’re coming!” Thorin yelled. 

As the wargs circle the trees, Azog the Defiler revealed himself. “Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain,” He said in black speech. 

Azog pointed at Thorin. “That one is mine. Kill the others!” The wargs start jumping up to catch the Dwarves hanging off the trees. “Drink their blood!” Azog yelled “Do shut up!” I yelled back, making him laugh.

The wargs managed to knock the trees over until we were all on one. Gandalf lit pine-cones on fire and threw them at the wargs. I followed suit, throwing balls of fire. Gandalf dropped pine-cones to the rest and some lighting them up. 

Once the wargs were scared enough, we cheered and the roots in the tree started to give out and I put my hand on the tree to deepen its roots. “Verena!” Thorin demanded. “The damn tree is dead!” I shouted back.

Dori hung over the cliff with Ori clinging to his leg. “Mister Gandalf! Aah!” Dori let go and Gandalf managed to catch him with his staff. I sent a gust of wind to Dori and Ori, pulling them back on the tree. 

Thorin ran at Azog with his sword drawn and an oak branch in his other hand. Azog defeated Thorin and threw him aside, knocking him out. “Bring me the Dwarf’s head,” Azog commanded one of the other Orcs.

“NO!” I screamed, struggling to pull myself from the branches. As the Orc is about to behead Thorin, Bilbo rushed in and attacked the Orc, pushing him away. He killed the Orc, saving Thorin. 

I pushed the branches off of me and I got up as Azog commanded the Orcs to kill Bilbo. I attacked the Orc that approached him with Kili, Nori, Fili, and Dwalin not far behind. I stayed in front of Thorin and pushed Bilbo behind me as Azog approached him. “You want him? Come and claim him!” I ignited my swords as he smiled sickly at me. 

There was a screech like a bird flying towards us. The eagles. They grabbed Orcs and wargs, throwing them off the cliff and used their wings and spread the fire. 

Two of the eagles came straight for Bilbo and Thorin. One picked up Bilbo and the other grabbed Thorin while I stood smirking at Azog. 

Azog charged at me and I turned and ran, grabbing Thorin’s sword and jumping off the cliff to land on an eagle's back.

As we flew away, Azog screamed in anger.

~~~

The eagle laid Thorin down and I slid off the eagle’s back and immediately went to Thorin’s side. “Thorin!” Gandalf yelled and rushed over to us. “Thorin,” he said a bit calmer.

I watched as Gandalf put his hand over Thorin’s face and moved it down, whispering a spell and Thorin woke. “The Halfling?” Thorin breathed out quietly “It’s alright. Bilbo’s here, he’s safe,” I whispered and he got up with Dwalin and Kili’s help and looked at Bilbo in anger. 

“You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the Wild, and you had no place amongst us,” He slowly approached the Hobbit who is looking down. 

“I have never been so wrong, in all my life,” Thorin quickly walked the rest of the way to him and embraced him and the Dwarves cheered and I smiled. 

I looked out into the distance. The Lonely Mountain. “Thorin,” I said and he looked in the direction I was and walked toward the edge of the cliff with the others following him “Is that what I think it is?” Bilbo asked. “Erebor, The Lonely Mountain. The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth,” Gandalf announced. 

“Our home,” Thorin whispered “A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain,” Oin said and we looked at the thrush flying overhead. “That, my dear Oin, is a thrush,” Gandalf clarified. “We’ll take it as a sign, a good omen,” Thorin said just above a whisper “You’re right. I do believe the worst is behind us.”