Unwanted Attractions

Chapter 14

"There's nothing here." Dawlin says coming from the back of the cave
Gloin drops a bundle of wood on the floor and rubs his hands together. "Right then! Let's get a fire started."
"No, No fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."
Balin walks over to him "We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan."
"Plans change. Bofur, take the first watch ."

The Company spares out to rest in the cave. Soon everyone but Bofur, Rosa, Thorin, and Bilbo are sleeping.
Rosa lays staring at the ceiling of the cave, thinking over the past few weeks and Thorin's comment. She eventually quietly groans shaking her head sitting up. She looks over the group for a moment, then decides to get up tiptoeing around the sleeping dwarves.

"Las, what are you doing up?" Bofur whispered as Rosa walks over to him
"I have a hard time sleeping in small spaces. Do you mind if I sit up with you?" she asks
He smiles "Of course not, Come sit, lassie."
She smiles back sitting next to him "Bofur can I ask something of you?" she asks pulling her knees to her chest
"Sure Las, what is it?"
"Could you please tell me more about the blue mountains and your people?"
"Well, sure lass" he smiles at her "I wouldn't mind at all."

Later as Bofur and Rosa talk more, she notices Bilbo packing her and his things she tells Bofur she'll be right back and goes to see what he's doing. They whisper so as not to wake the others.
"What are you doing dear brother?"
"I'm packing our thing we're going back to Rivendell."
"We... What makes you think I'm going with you?" Rosa crosses her arms
"You can't honestly want to stay?"
"Well, we can't just turn back now, we're part of this Company."
"Are we though, are we really? I don't get how you would want to stay with them, after the way they've been treating you."
"The dwarves need our help, Bilbo. I'm not going to just leave no matter how they've treated me and I don't think you should leave either."
"Rosa, you heard Thorin and he was right, we should never have come. I don't know what we were thinking. I should've never left and I shouldn't have let you leave either."
Unknown to the two Thorin, who's still awake, stares thoughtfully at the wall as he listens to the two argue. Confused by Rosa's words.

"You're homesick brother; I understand that. I miss Bagend too. I'm sure the dwarves understand too." Rosa gestures to the dwarves sleeping around them
"No, they don't, they can't understand! Their dwarves. They're used to - to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."
"Bilbo!" Rosa nearly shouts
Bilbo blinks realizing what he said, "I am sorry, I didn't..."
Rose shakes her head "No, you've said enough. Just go, but I'm staying here." She turns her back to him
Bilbo sighs putting Rosa's stuff back down turning and begins to walk away. Rosa looks down upset then realizes the sword Gandalf gave her is glowing. She turns to Bilbo and his was glowing too. 'Oh no.'
Bilbo takes his sword out and sees that it's glowing blue, he looks up at Rosa both realizing it meant orcs are near. At the same time, Thorin sees the floor of the cave begin to crack "Wake up. Wake up!" Thorin shouts to the other Dwarves

Before anyone can react, the floor of the cave collapses downwards. The entire Company falls down a chute, slides through a tunnel, and lands in a giant wooden cage.
As they struggle to get up, a horde of goblins attacks them, takes away their weapons, and drags them all away. As the dwarves are led away kicking and yelling, Bilbo somehow gets missed by the goblins; not seeing him they leave him behind. Nori, looking over his shoulder, seeing this happen. Bilbo hides and watches the dwarves and Rosa being taken away; he then follows them quietly with his sword drawn, suddenly a rogue goblin attacks him, and as the two fight they fall off the bridge and down into the deep cavern.

Meanwhile, the goblin horde brings Rosa and the dwarves through a vast network of tunnels and wooden bridges to the throne room and platform of the Goblin King. His a massive Goblin sitting on a throne, holding a mace topped with a skull. The goblins take dwarves' weapons and pile them together.