16.
Thunder Battle

Heavy rain fell down on them as the Company made their way through the mountains. All Aninth could think was that their luck must have run out after leaving Rivendell because rain was the opposite of what you wanted when you were climbing across narrow ledges on what was now slippery rock. Ryvniss had hidden himself in her bag once more to escape the rain.

Thunder rumbled in the sky overhead, always closely followed by a flash of lightning in the distance. If it hadn't been for the treacherous path that they followed and the cold that had seeped into her very bones, Aninth might have almost enjoyed the storm.

Ahead, Thorin called for them all to hold on. If only there was something to grasp, Aninth thought bitterly, everything is wet. She kept one hand against the rock to her left, though, more to make her feel better than to actually help at all.

She heard a shout and looked up to see Bilbo leaning dangerously over the edge of the ledge they were walking on. Aninth's eyes widened in alarm, but before she could react, Ygritte reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back against her chest. The blonde let out a sigh of relief that they hadn't lost Bilbo.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted from up ahead.

"Look out!" Dwalin yelled.

They all turned their attention forward, seeing a massive boulder flying at them. Aninth didn't have time to wonder how a boulder that big was flying through the air because it crashed into the rock above their heads and splintered into smaller pieces. Those smaller pieces than began to fall down over their heads.

Everyone pressed themselves back against the rocks to try and shield themselves from the falling debris. Aninth felt the rush of air as the larger chunks of rocks fell past her.

"This is no thunderstorm," Balin said, stepping forward once the rocks had mostly stopped falling, "it's a thunder battle! Look!"

Aninth turned her eyes to where Balin was pointing to, squinting to see through the rain. In the distance, she could make out a large shape that looked like it was made out of the rock. Her heart stopped in her chest as she watched it rip out a chunk of rock from the mountain and turn towards them.

"Well, bless me," Bofur said, stepping up to the edge, "the legends are true. Giants! Stone Giants!"

The Stone Giant threw the chunk of the mountain in his hand past them and they followed it's trajectory. It hit another of the Stone Giants as it was attempting to get up, knocking him back down again.

"Take cover, you fool!" Thorin shouted to Bofur before Kili pulled him back.

"Hold on!" someone yelled.

Flattening themselves against the rock once more, Aninth watched in horror as their narrow ledge began to crumble away. She idly wondered if their situation could get any worse.

Apparently, it could. And fast.

Kili was standing next to her and as he suddenly shifted half a step closer to her, she looked over to see the ledge splitting open between him and his brother, Fili. This was not good, this was not good at all.

"What's happening?" Kili questioned.

"Grab my hand!" Fili shouted, but it was too late, the gap between them was too big.

Aninth's panicked eyes met those of Ygritte across the gap as the other blonde looked between Kili and Aninth. She thought of how close they had gotten, how she thought of the woman as a friend. Whatever was happening was not good and she hoped that it wouldn't prevent her from being able to continue experiencing that friendship. Something caused the Dragonkin's eyes to turn upwards, where she discovered the cause of the ground splitting apart. They were standing on a Stone Giant of their own, and he was waking up.

One of the other Stone Giants headbutted the one the Company was standing on, causing him to fall backwards and them to go hurtling through the air. Everyone was yelling as they gripped the slippery rock behind them, hoping it would make them more secure.

The other group, the one Thorin, Ygritte and Fili were in, was lucky, for as the Stone Giant's leg rammed into the mountain, they were all able to jump off and to safety. Well, perhaps with the torrential rain and the flying boulders safe was relative, but they were safer there than they had been.

But the fight continued on above them regardless. Now they were not simply throwing chunks of rock at each other, but throwing punches. Which, in Aninth's opinion, was so much worse. This made their narrow little ledge seem so much smaller, for now, they were in fear of being thrown off instead of slipping.

As if things couldn't get any worse, a third Stone Giant threw a chunk of rock at the head of the one they were on, knocking it clean off. Aninth's heart dropped into her stomach as she realized what that meant for them.

They rocketed by the other group, the leg they were on swinging wildly. Everyone's eyes were panicked, Ygritte and Thorin's most notably to Aninth. Over the sound of the rain and the battle still raging on, she heard Thorin shout for them to jump, but she doubted whether that was even possible.

To no one's surprise, it wasn't.

They were never given the chance since the leg never swung back the other way. Instead, they began to fall very quickly, towards the ledge on the other side. Everyone's eyes widened as they realized what was happening and that there was nothing they could do about it.

With a thunderous crash, the Stone Giant's leg collided with the mountain. For a moment, all Aninth could feel was pain as she fell and rolled over the rock. Distantly, she heard Thorin's voice, shouting, and maybe Ygritte's voice, too. Aninth rolled onto her back and groaned. She was barely healed from her last injury, so this was... well, not good.

Somewhere, she heard Ygritte calling her name and managed to push herself into a sitting position. Thorin came into view, rushing over to Kili. Behind him was Ygritte, who rushed over to Aninth and helped her to her feet before immediately pulling her into a tight hug.

"I feared the worst!" Ygritte cried in relief. Aninth wanted to assure her that she was fine, but her voice wasn't quite working yet. Her heart was warmed in her chest as she fully realized just how close they had gotten, for if they weren't, Ygritte wouldn't have been so panicked. It had been a long time since she had been that close with anyone.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur asked suddenly, sounding panicked. "Where's the Hobbit?"

Aninth looked around, not seeing their burglar among the group of Dwarves still yet to rise to their feet after falling. She didn't see him anywhere, where could he be?

"There!"

Looking down, Aninth saw the Hobbit hanging by his hands from the ledge. Panic gripped her heart like a vice as she saw his small form hanging there against the backdrop of the steep fall he would be facing if his hands were to slip.

"Get him!" Thorin shouted.

Both Ori and Bofur launched forwards to grip Bilbo's hands but this only caused him to slip further down the ledge so that he was only hanging by one hand on a small handhold.

"Grab my hand!"

"Bilbo!"

"Use Ryvniss!" Ygritte urged.

"In this rain?" Aninth replied, "there's no way! He could never fly!"

In her mind she could see the image of Ryvniss, large and hovering over them, protecting them from the rain so it was easier to grab Bilbo. Or perhaps him grabbing the burglar himself and lifting him to the ledge. But each image came with one of him barely able to fly as heavy rain pounded into his wings and then falling out of the sky, out of her reach, to the ground so far below. No, she could not help, for there was no way she wouldn't lose her companion if she tried and it would be terribly inconvenient for the Company if they were to lose two at once.

Luckily for her, she didn't have to agonize over the fact she couldn't help for much longer. Thorin jumped down to a narrow ledge below the one everyone else was on and grabbed Bilbo, taking advantage of the Hobbit's small stature and light weight to throw him up to Ori and Bofur, who began to pull him over the edge.

A cry fell from Aninth's lips as Thorin himself slipped. Luckily, Dwalin was there and was able to quickly grab his arm and stop him from falling. Without any thought to the pain that she was feeling, Aninth flattened herself against the rock and extended her arm to Thorin.

"Take my hand!" she shouted to him.

Thorin looked hesitant, but with the way that Dwalin was groaning against his weight, he seemed to decide another hand was needed. Thorin took her hand and she put all her strength into pulling him up and over the ledge.

Within moments, they had pulled him up far enough that Aninth shifted to her knees as they kept pulling. A minute later, the momentum they had gathered was enough to get Thorin over the ledge. As Dwalin let go of his arm, that momentum shifted and Aninth fell back, Thorin falling on top of her.

As his heavy weight settled suddenly over her, Aninth found the air pushed from her lungs. Sucking in another breath of air, her eyes shifted to Thorin's face and found him looking back at her. Their eyes locked and once more everything seemed to stop. The rain seemed to stop, to quiet, and the sounds of the Company around them dimmed to barely audible. She could feel her heart beating in her chest and all of a sudden, his weight over her was almost nice, comforting.

Dwalin pulled Thorin to his feet and Aninth blinked as Ygritte appeared in her vision and pulled her to her feet once more. Strangely, Aninth felt almost dazed, confused by what had just happened.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar," someone said as Aninth shook herself from her daze.

"He's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin scowled. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us."

Feeling as though the atmosphere had drastically shifted, Aninth turned away from Thorin as he called for Dwalin to follow him. Looking up at Ygritte, she noted the curious look on her face, causing Aninth to look away once more.

"I wonder what's put Thorin in such a foul mood," Aninth said. "One would think that after thinking he lost his family and not doing it and also not falling to his death he would be in a more grateful mood."

"Who could say. Keep in mind that this is Thorin we are talking about after all," Ygritte answered.

Behind her, someone called that they were going to camp in a cave they'd found up ahead. Aninth turned and walked inside of it with Ygritte close behind her. She was thankful to be out of the rain and the cold, finding that once everyone had piled inside, the cave was even quite warm.

Gloin dropped some sticks to the ground. "Right then. Let's get a fire started."

"No," Thorin said. "No fires. Not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us," Balin pointed out to Thorin. "That was the plan."

"Plans change," Thorin said. "Bofur, take the first watch."

Ygritte didn't seem to like this idea and Aninth couldn't blame her. She approached Thorin. "What, may I ask, have you changed of my father's plans?"

"That is of my concern and not your own," Thorin answered harshly. "I suggest you rest, Ygritte, we have much journey ahead of us."

Without another word, he pushed past her and went further into the cave and Ygritte came back over to Aninth. Great, she thought, just what we need. Thorin changing all the plans.