HOBBIT X OC - Elastic Heart

Chapter 6 ~ The Golin King

"Wake up. Wake up!" I hear Thorin call and before anyone can react, the floor of the cave collapses downwards. I reach out to grab hold to anything as I fall and suddenly feel Fili's arms wrap around me. I cling to him as we all fall down a chute, slide through a tunnel, and land in a giant wooden cage.

When we reach the bottom I feel Fili release me and say, "Are you alright?" Before I am able to reply, a horde of goblins attacks us, and takes our weapons away. As they grab Ithildin I find myself in the midst of a panic attack. "No! Give him back!" I scream out as I reach unsuccessfully for him. I suddenly feel hands grab and pull me back making me start to claw for Ithildin like a wild animal as the goblins drag us all away kicking and screaming.

The goblin horde leads us through its halls, a vast network of tunnels and wooden bridges until we reach the throne room and platform of the Great Goblin King. The Great Goblin King is a massive Goblin sitting on a throne, holding a mace topped with a skull. He is far larger than any other goblin, and he is incredibly ugly, with warts all over his swinging chin. The dwarves' and my weapons are piled together. The Great Goblin jumps off his throne, trampling several goblins, and approaches us. "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" The Great Goblin King says as he eyes each of us.

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." Another Goblin says as he presents us to his king. I kneel slightly beside Bombur to make myself look more dwarflike.

"Dwarves?" The Goblin King cries out as he turns toward us.

"We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice." The goblins search us thoroughly, throwing away whatever they find. Suddenly one grabs me and I feel it jerk me to my feet. "An Elf, Your Malevolence." The Goblin clutching to my arm says as he tosses me to the ground before the King. "NO!" I hear Fili yell and I quickly climb to my feet and stare daggers at the Goblin King. "What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" He says and I clench my jaw closed not responding.

"Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." The Great Goblin points at Ori. I am about to argue when Thorin steps forward and says, "Wait."

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." The Great Goblin bows exaggeratedly to Thorin. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg."

Thorin looks up in surprise and disbelief I mimic his expression as he says, "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago."

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Great Goblin laughs, then turns to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket and holding a slate. "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize." The tiny goblin writes down the message on his slate; cackling, he then pulls a lever, causing his basket to start sliding down a system of ropes and pulleys into the darkness. I turn to see dozens of goblins carry massive instruments of torture on their shoulders, bringing them to the Great Goblin. Meanwhile, the Great Goblin is dancing and singing lustily. "Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung. You will lie down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblintown."

One of the goblins, is examining the weapons the dwarves brought with them. He picks up Thorin's sword, Orcrist, and slides it a few inches out of its sheath. Recognizing the sword, he gasps in horror and throws down the sword. It lands in view of all the goblins. Recognizing it, the goblins howl in fear and rage as they retreat from it. The Great Goblin runs rapidly to his throne, trampling many goblins on his way. He speaks loudly, pointing at the sword.