(Gandalf)

The moon lights my path as I trek up the mountainside. Luckily the rain has stopped and there are still a few footprints left from where Elena had made her way up the pass. Up ahead I see something flapping in the wind at the mouth of a cave. Despite my aching feet I pick up the pace and remove the piece of fabric that's tied to the inside of the cave wall. My eyes widen noticing the torn piece of clothing is from Elena's jacket lent to her by Bilbo. As I cautiously step inside the cave, I see the hollowed floor where my companions have undoubtedly fallen.

"Goblins."

It's a long way down through the tunnels and undoubtedly a trap awaits me, but I have no choice. Turning back to Rivendell will take too much time giving the Goblins more time to kill the Company along with Elena and Bilbo. Taking tight hold of my staff I sit on the edge of the sliding tunnel and push off sliding down, down, down, into the dark. I can only pray I am not arriving too late.

My feet settle on the stone with my balance wavering for only a moment. In the dark my eyes adjust seeing the few torches lit along the way of bridges and trails. In the distance of the cave, I can hear the chanting of a thousand goblins. Quickly I hurry down the most dimly lit path towards the chanting and singing knowing that my friends will be in the midst of it all.

(Thorin)

The band of goblins begin playing their broken and battered instruments. The tune they play could hardly be called that. Whilst the goblin band plays on, the Goblin King sings off key to his own song "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!"

As the goblins keep us herded together, Elena clings to my arm tightly. Wildly she looks around as a group of goblins bring up different makeshift torture devices.

"Th-thorin, they're gonna kill us." She stammers as I look back at her frightened eyes.

I can feel my own dread washing over me and my brows furrow as I look worriedly to her "Elena, I-..."

Before I can get a word out, I hear the goblins shriek. They stare and cower away from my sword, orcrist, whilst the goblin king cries out "I know that sword! It's the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!"

As he speaks, the goblins pull out their own weapons and charge towards us. One by one they begin beating us down to the ground. A goblin grabs hold of Elena by the hair and throws her to the floor. Not a moment later I too am lying on the ground being pulled from the others.

"Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all!" the goblin king demands. He points to me "Cut off his head!"

I try pulling my arms from the goblins grip but to no avail. My eyes widen seeing the goblin with a jagged blade walking towards me.

"Thorin!" Elena cries out while watching through the chaos around her. However, I see the blade raise just above me. The goblin prepares to bring the blade down on my neck. The only thing I can hear in the midst of the shouting and screeching is Elena. The pleading and helplessness in her voice "No! Don't! Please, don't! NO!!!"

Just as the blade comes down a white light erupts shoving the goblins and dwarves alike to the ground. A powerful force that rattles the very stone and turns the throne made of bone to dust. The explosion passes and silence fills the air. I'm the first to look up and see a figure standing in the midst of us. My eyes widen seeing Elena with arms outstretched in front of me. A glowing white light radiates off her body like steam. Slowly as she turns her eyes and birthmark glow a radiant white hue. When she looks to me and blinks the light fades and her blue hues return. Weakly she falls to her hands and knees breathless. As the others begin to come to another figure emerges from the dark gripping his staff and sword. Gandalf's face becomes clear as he looks to us and the disheveled mess from Elena's magical explosion. The grey wizard takes a firm stance calling to us "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"

Quickly we all get to our feet taking hold of our weapons. Before the goblins can even blink, I grab hold of Elena pulling her to her feet. Her eyes come into focus of me and I hold her face in my hands "Can you stand?"

She nods gaining her wits about her and I smirk "Good. Now run."

(Bilbo)

"Give it to us!" Gollum shouts from the distance. I hurry down the tunnels deeper and deeper into the mountain. I come upon two separate caves. One leading to the right and the other to the left. Begin the closest I dive into the one on the left. However, as I hunker down to wait for the cave dweller to pass me by, I see his shining eyes in the dark. I jump up and try pushing myself through a crack in the wall, but my buttons catch.

I'm stuck.

Gollum rushes into the cave locking his eyes with mine. I can see the hate and fury within them as he hisses "It's ours! It's ours!"

I exhale and push with all my might as the buttons explode off my waistcoat. I manage to fir through the crack but fall back in the process. The ring flies out of my hands and into the air. As it descends, I reach up to grab it. However, the ring slides perfectly onto my finger, making me invisible. The world around me is blurry yet visible. All color is nonexistent except for a ghostly white. I watch from my spot on the cave floor as Gollum jumps into the cave. He looks around for me, confused and furious.

"Thief! Baggins!" Gollum screeches. The sound of his voice seems to be compressed and almost distorted. Gollum darts off, going deeper into the tunnels. I get to my feet and look down at the ring. I'm completely amazed and somewhat terrified of what just happened. Regardless, I'm thankful but a part of me feels as if I shouldn't.

Following not far behind Gollum, I hope and pray he's absentmindedly leading me to the exit of the mountain as I follow his cries.

"Wait, my precious! Wait! Gollum, Gollum!"

(Elena)

The wave of goblins had descended down on us. As the dwarves and I pushed through slicing and stabbing, Thorin kept me by his side. While we run and Thorin slashes through the goblins that stand in our way, he keeps an iron grip on my wrist pulling me through. Wielding Galadriel's axe I cover Thorin's flank keeping an eye out for any unseen goblins from sneaking up behind. All the dwarves band together keeping close following behind Gandalf who leads the way. Up ahead there are lines of goblins heading up the only path to freedom. Gandalf extends his staff shooting a beam of magic that causes a boulder to drop from the ceiling and roll down the path ahead of us. It crushes every goblin in its path until we reach the wooden bridge. Before we can descend down the stairs the goblin king bursts through the wood grinning while releasing a low rumbling growl.

As we all stare up the goblin beast he sneers to Gandalf "I can't let you go so easily. I will not meet with the pale orc empty handed."

"You will not be the one to take the life of Thorin Oakenshield!"

The goblin looks from Gandalf and then directly to me "Who said the Dwarf was his ultimate prize?"

I feel my stomach drop as the monster's eyes pierce into my soul. Thorin's grip on me tightens and pulls me to him glaring back at the monster "You'll die first."

The goblin king erupts in laughter "The Pale orc will catch up to you Oakenshield, and even the great Wizard will not be able to save her. The darkness is coming, and she will not be the one to save you."

(Thorin)

Swinging his giant skull made staff out at Gandalf, the wizard fumbles. Getting back on his feet the goblin grumbles "What will you do now then wizard?"

Immediately Gandalf retaliates sticking the goblin in the eye, cutting his fat belly, bringing him to his knees. Looking up clutching his stomach the goblin accepts defeat "That'll do it."

Slicing out Gandalf cuts the goblins throat, and the creature falls on his face dead. As blood pours from his neck the wooden bridge jolts under the weight of the goblin. My feet waver and the dwarves hold one another as the bridge begins to give way. Dwalin takes hold of Elena and I as the bridge begins its swift descent down the cave.

Some of the dwarves cry out in fear as the rest of us hold on. The bridge falls hitting the floor but is slowed just in time by the tightening cave walls. As the bridge hits the floor, I lose my footing falling onto the broken bridge followed by Elena. With a thud Elena lands directly on top of me knocking the wind from both of us. Groaning she lifts up her head looking down at me pulling a piece of wood from my hair. The bridge platform is in splinters. As the company begins to stir and peeking out from the woodwork Bofur speaks first "Well that could have been worse."

The body of the giant goblin lands on the bridge crushing us all in its heavy weight. All of us exclaim and Elena is sandwiched back onto my torso.

Dwalin groans "You've got to be joking!"

Wincing I begin sitting up and helping a very dirty faced Elena up off of me "Are you hurt?"

"Mentally or physically??" She asks as we both get to our feet "I think I should be asking if I broke any of your ribs."

I snort "Just the two."

Helping her out of the woodpile she smirks with a blush but quickly it fades as she takes a step back. I myself recoil away from her remembering the conversation outside of the cave. A part of me is still angry but no longer with Elena or even the absent Hobbit.

From behind I hear the shrieks and thumps of feet above us. Quickly I whirl around as my nephew Kili cries out "Gandalf!"

The entirety of the goblin hoard comes racing down the cave walls towards us. The dwarves make hast getting out of the broken woodpile as Gandalf commands us "There is only one thing that can save us. Daylight. Run!"

Quickly we hurry after Gandalf down the trail shimmering with light at the end of its tunnel. We all run as fast as we can from the darkness of the cave hoping to make it out into the light.