[General POV]
Moving swiftly, Aldril swung his right hand, followed by a diagonal move with his left. This combination decapitated one goblin while the second move slashed the chests of the remaining two, sending them tumbling into the void.
Aldril sighed; his accumulated fatigue was beginning to recede, thanks to the elven stone given to him by his great-grandmother. It glowed, accelerating his recovery and allowing him to keep fighting despite not having rested enough. With the path now clear, Aldril started running but turned around when he didn't hear footsteps behind him, only to see Glóin with a bewildered look on his face, as if he were stupid.
Aldril's quick movements had left Glóin stunned, as he could only see the black and white blur of swords before witnessing the goblins being easily slain. He had never seen such swordsmanship, leaving him dumbfounded. Fortunately, Aldril was there to snap him out of his trance. "Stop making that stupid face, Glóin. We need to go," he shouted before turning around and following the others.
"Who are you calling stupid?" Glóin roared as he ran with his short legs. He had made a grave mistake for a warrior by becoming stunned, and he knew it. That's why he didn't argue further, fearing Aldril would call him a "novice" again.
Fortunately, they didn't encounter any more goblins on their side, as the many hanging bridges made it almost impossible to face a goblin group head-on. However, this didn't apply to Gandalf's side, as they ran across a bridge only to encounter a group of goblins unaware of what had happened to the king.
Additionally, the pursuit proved fruitless due to the poor quality of the hanging bridges, many of which collapsed under the weight of the goblin horde. Nonetheless, this did not stop the chase. Blinded by hate and greed, they didn't care about their comrades' deaths.
The number of goblins chasing them increased drastically within minutes, making the expedition members nervous, prompting them to quicken their pace despite the risk of falling.
"Hurry up!" Gandalf shouted, slamming his staff into an incoming goblin and sending it tumbling down. He couldn't understand how these dwarves had such bad luck. First, they encountered a group of orcs, then fought trolls, escaped another orc pursuit, and now they were fleeing from goblins. He still couldn't fathom how the dwarves had gotten themselves into this mess.
"I think we'll die here," Glóin told Aldril, who slashed a goblin's arm that had attacked him and then kicked it off the bridge. "Don't be stupid, Glóin. We won't die here," he responded with a smile. Another goblin charged at him, but Aldril moved swiftly, stabbing the goblin in the stomach. With the sword still embedded, he forcefully threw the goblin, knocking down others charging at him.
"By the way, I'm up to eight," Aldril taunted, trying to dispel Glóin's negative thoughts with their bet. It worked, as Aldril's words lifted Glóin's spirits, making him roar, "That's not fair! You're ahead and not letting any through!"
With a smile, Aldril looked around. The entire goblin kingdom was in chaos; the lack of organization and the poor state of the bridges caused many goblins to fall. They were so foolish that they were reducing their own numbers.
"Hurry, we need to catch up with Gandalf." Both continued running, following Gandalf's group. A few meters ahead, there was an incline connecting to the upper path. With a shout, Kili pointed it out: "Aldril! Climb up here!"
Without wasting time, Aldril and Glóin rushed toward the incline. At one point, two goblins leaped up, raising their swords, ready to kill these bastards who had slain their king. Aldril saw this and impaled one goblin in the air with his left sword. The other fell behind, only to feel an axe buried in its back. Glóin, with a grunt of satisfaction, shouted, "That makes nine for me!"
With an exasperated laugh, Aldril continued on. The group was gathering ahead, Gandalf waiting with his staff raised, ready to cover them. "Quickly, more are coming!" Dwalin exclaimed, pointing to a new horde of goblins approaching from a side tunnel.
"Damn it, these bastards are endless," Bombur panted. Despite being the fattest of them all, he was one of the fastest runners, proving that despite his obesity, he remained the swiftest runner among the dwarves.
Wanting to delay the goblins further, Aldril cut the ropes holding the bridge, causing it to fall and create a large gap. This action would give them a few seconds of advantage, so without further ado, Aldril shouted, "This will hold them off for a few minutes, let's make the most of it." Nodding, Gandalf urged them to move, "Hurry up!"
The group was relieved not to encounter more goblins, making their escape smoother and faster. However, as they crossed a large bridge leading to a cave where sunlight could be seen in the distance, a loud crash stopped them. Ahead, the obese goblin king had blocked their path.
"Ha ha! Do you think you'll leave my kingdom without consequences? I'll kill you all and then claim the bounty for your heads!" He taunted, pointing his scepter at them. Everyone fell silent at the goblin king's declaration, unsure where he had found such bravery. They outnumbered him, and he was just one.
The goblin king quickly realized the folly of his actions, as he faced the gray wizard and the man wielding swords that cut his spirit with their mere presence. With an ironic smile, he said, "Ah, I think I'll let you go, yes, you can leave, besides…"
He didn't finish speaking because Aldril, with a swift movement, leaped and buried Anguirel in the goblin king's head. The price for his stupidity was death. After Aldril pulled the sword from the goblin king's head, the latter's body fell heavily, blocking their escape route for a few seconds.
"Oops, sorry," Aldril said with a shrug, never imagining that the goblin king's obese body would block their escape route. Fortunately, they had Gandalf for such situations.
"Ahh," Gandalf sighed exasperatedly, murmured a spell, and cast the goblin king's body into the abyss, clearing the way. "Let's hurry; the exit isn't far now." Nodding, everyone moved quickly.
"Thanks, Gandalf, I owe you one," Aldril said, embarrassed. However, the gray wizard shook his head, "You owe me three now, Aldril." With a mocking smile, Gandalf led the group. 'Is it really three already?' Aldril thought.
The group got closer to the exit, and at that moment, they heard roaring and hurried footsteps. The goblins had arrived, charging with more fury, angered that these people were nearing the exit. Because it was still daytime, the goblins wouldn't dare to step outside and expose themselves to the sunlight, as they had never ventured out during the day and their bodies weren't accustomed to sunlight.
"Hurry up!" Bombur shouted and ran, being the first to reach the exit. Soon, everyone followed and ran toward the exit. After a few seconds, everyone sighed in relief—they had finally made it out, greeted by the sunlight.
However, they didn't trust the safety yet and continued running down the mountain for an hour, following Gandalf's suggestion, who had advised them not to stop as there was a slight chance the goblins might still pursue them despite the sunlight.
After hearing and seeing no signs of goblins chasing them, the group finally stopped and sighed in relief, having all survived the goblin kingdom. Gandalf, wanting to ensure no one was missing, looked around at everyone, who were all seated due to exhaustion.
Counting them, he began, "One, two, three, four… fourteen." Frowning, he counted again, only to discover a small figure was missing. "Bilbo is missing," he said, frustration in his voice, still looking left and right, trying to find the little hobbit.
This clearly caught the dwarves' attention, who felt bad, each having the same thought that Bilbo might not have survived. The group's mood darkened.
Seeing his team's spirits drop, Thorin, who despite having grown a bit fond of Bilbo, said, "There's nothing we can do. If our hobbit didn't make it, we have no choice but to move on." Thorin's words didn't have the desired effect, as the group became even more depressed.
"Ahh," Balin sighed sadly, looking at the others who had their heads down. "We should have a moment of silence for our dear hobbit."
"Yes, it's the least we can do in his honor," added Bofur, bowing his head and closing his eyes in respect.
"The hobbit earned my respect. I'll surely drink in his honor when we have time," Dwalin said, joining the others in offering their respects to Bilbo.
Even Aldril began to panic. Bilbo was missing, and he feared that he might indeed be dead, in which case Gollum would still have the ring, and all subsequent events would go awry. But fortunately, his chaotic thoughts didn't last long, as a cheerful voice was heard.
"What are you talking about? I'm not dead!"
Everyone quickly looked up, their once somber mood replaced by one of joy. The dwarves rushed toward Bilbo. "You bastard, we thought you were dead," Dwalin said, punching Bilbo's arm.
"Damn it, Bilbo, you gave us quite a scare," added Bofur, who threw his arm around Bilbo's shoulder and shook him cheerfully. "It's good to see you're alright, lad," said Balin, approaching with a smile. Bilbo felt a tingle throughout his body; he never imagined he would be so appreciated by the dwarves. After all, just a few months ago, they ridiculed him. But now, being appreciated by future friends didn't seem so bad.
"It's good to see you alive, Bilbo. I was about to go back and look for you," Aldril said as he approached and patted Bilbo on the shoulder. Bilbo smiled at Aldril's words, very grateful to have a friend like him.
"After all, I did say I need to tell my adventures to the young folks back in the Shire, and for that, I need to be alive," Bilbo said, laughing along with the others. It was a very harmonious scene that made Gandalf smile.
While the other dwarves continued teasing Bilbo, Thorin, with a tired face but energetic eyes, approached Aldril. "Aldril, thank you for saving me. Without your arrow, I probably would have died." Despite his pride, Thorin knew when to be grateful, especially when someone saved his life.
Placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder, Aldril smiled. "That's what companions are for. I cover you, and you cover me." Aldril's words brought a small smile to Thorin's stoic face.
"You're right." This scene was noticed by Gandalf, who smiled with amusement. He wondered if Thorin would say the same if he knew Aldril was half-elf. But knowing Thorin, he would likely still be grateful to Aldril, as he wasn't a pure elf.
After everyone celebrated Bilbo's return, Gandalf approached and asked, "Where were you all this time, Bilbo?" Everyone fell silent, waiting for Bilbo's response, as they were also curious.
A bit nervous, Bilbo was about to begin recounting his adventure when a distant howl made him forget what he was going to say.
"Auuuuuu!"
Everyone recognized this howl, and their faces changed. They hadn't been able to rest properly, and now those damned Wargs were coming. The only thought they all had was, "You have to be kidding."
*****We are in the top 10!!! I never thought I would reach that position, I am very grateful to you filthy orcs! This proves that we are the best race in Tolkien's universe!! hahaha!
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