Braerka stumbled to her feet after the bridge had finally landed, she couldn't take much more of the battering she was getting; she had experienced more pain in the past few weeks than she had in all her life!
She looked to the mass of wood, through the gaps she saw the dwarves beginning to run in the opposite direction, she then looked behind her, wishing she hadn't. She saw an innumerable amount of goblins charging angrily down the hill.
"Just great!" She cursed, and started climbing the wreck, she wasn't getting left behind again!
Running down many tunnels, she followed the echoing shouts of the dwarves running ahead of her, it was hard but she was able to find her way out by following the cold blast of wind that became stronger with every stride she took.
She stopped suddenly hearing and ear splitting screech.
"Curse it! Curse the bagginses! We hates it forever!" She heard, 'bagginses? Bilbo?'
She sprinted up the tunnel to see a mangled looking creature which looked like it had seen better days. It screamed at her and grabbed and nearby rock, chucking at her head, she dodged it and smoothly slipped past as the thing screeched and spat at her enraged.
"It stole it from us! The bagginses stole it! Precious!" It squealed receding back down into darks tunnels of the goblin town. She ignored it and continued running straight out of the darkness and into the wild. She didn't stop, the wretched cries of the thing driving her on.
A short while later, while still sprinting down the incline, she dared a backwards glance to ensure she wasn't being followed, only to trip over a stuck out root and tumble some way down.
She rolled to a stop, and stared at the sky, it was a pale indigo with red hues and gold through it. It was evening, how long had they actually been in there she wondered.
She lacked the energy to want to get up, she simply lay there, her fatigued limbs throbbing in time with her racing heartbeat. She took time to reflect on the experience, a sickly feeling gripped her when she recalled Thorin's face, the look of betrayal and anger still fresh in her mind.
She would have some explaining to do when she eventually got back to them.
She got up, and took a deep breath. She dusted herself off, her clothes stained with the blood of many a goblin, and other unknown substances, and began down the hill. The crystal had seemed to work this time as she felt no pain now, but then maybe that was the sickly knots her stomach had twisted into killing her nerves.
As Braerka walked down the rest of the hill, she rehearsed what she would say to Thorin when she caught up to them. Maybe he thought she wasn't coming back, that she was running from the lies like a coward. Maybe she should.
'No! You have to do this, you have to!' she told herself. There was a constant battle in her head as she walked, would Thorin even want to listen? Would he even believe a word she said? Was there even any point in trying?
'Yes, there is a point, you have to!' her subconscious told her. She would confront him, and regardless of the outcome she would stay with him on this quest, even if it meant stalking them on their path, if only to protect him.
She spied them a short distance ahead of her. They were looking to Bilbo.
'He made it!' She gasped internally, quickening her pace, eager to see them and the rest of the company alive and safe, momentarily forgetting everything.
She heard Bilbo end their conversation as she approached.
"…that's where I belong that's home, and you don't have a home, yours was taken from you and I'll… I'll help you take it back…if I can…"
YOU ARE READING
A Place to Belong
AdventureBraerka was a daring young girl, who survived the wrath of Smaug and was adopted by Thorin Oakenshield. Now almost two centuries later as a trained assassin, and somehow still young, she has been tasked with ending his life. But will she? As she get...
