"Not without you!"

It seemed to be by some bastard miracle that they'd eventually found the cave as they trudged on through the downpour, their somewhat good moods at their survival dampened by their king's vile temper while Nymeria seemed to be on the crusps of lashing out with eyes that flickered red. But she supposed it would have to do as she glanced around the small space that seemed so constricting, something brewing in her gut that felt an awful lot like a warning as she tasted something foul in the air but unable to put a name to it as she hovered outside the indented stone for a few moments.

However, eventually, she realized that the benefits of the cave outweighed the dangers of allowing herself another mere second to wait outside as lightning continued to flash across the sky, deciding against tempting fate with hands that glowed crimson in her anxiety as she strolled on in and instantly moved to where her hobbit had laid down their belongings in the far corner away from the others, obviously seeking solitude after his terrifying brush with death.

There was still some vengeful part of her, something that frothed at the mouth and clawed at her insides like beating wings made of steel that begged her to unleash chaos on Thorin as he ordered the company around, still fuming at the cruel words spoken at Bilbo for seemingly no reason but his own spite.

But although she'd desperately wanted too, she instead choose to abide to the halflings wishes and turned her back to the dwarves as she fussed over her hobbit in the safety of their temporary shelter, her hands boiling with unbridled rage pressing warmth back into his cheeks as she heard the others begin to get comfortable behind her, most falling asleep with an ease that she was jealous of as their loud snores suddenly filled the silence, no doubt feeling the tension heavy in the air like a band waiting to snap and deciding that they wanted no part of it when it finally did so.

And yet...once again, seemingly without her permission she found herself glancing over her shoulder over to Fili who was currently talking to his brother unaware of her soft gaze, conversing in low voices in their own language that she was only able to pick up a few words from here and there through passing, remembering the warmth of his arms around her, trying to shield her away from the sight of their death as it rushed towards them...and then had to force her eyes away, laying down beside her hobbit and trying her best to fall asleep alongside him.

However the exhausted faè felt like she'd only closed her eyes for a mere minute before she was awoken to the sounds of things being moved, something shuffling around beside her and she found herself slowly sitting up with confusion gracing her features at the sight of Bilbo stuffing their bags full of their belongings, his shoulders hunched and hands trembling as they worked quicker than she'd ever seen him move in his short life. "Bilbo? What are you doing?"

She watched the hobbit froze, slowly turning towards her with his face pale and bottom lip trembling, his mouth opening and closing as he desperately tried to form some semblance of an answer but finding himself unable to, not wanting to see Nymeria look at his any differently than she always did as he looked away...but the faè knew her Bilbo better than she knew herself most days, as she reached out with hands stained with chaos to place a gentle palm against his shoulder. "Do you want to go home, my dear hobbit?"

"Yes. Yes I do, I've tried- truly I have but-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, my friend. You know that I'd follow you anywhere." She interrupted him with a voice softer than silk, her eyes that were usually so hardened with hate and anger now warm as she stared at him with absolute adoration, stared at her hobbit that had more heart than anyone she'd ever met, who she'd be lost without, who'd saved her life that dreadful night and continued to do so with every painful day that passed. Her blessing, her saviour, her heart and soul, simply her Bilbo Baggins. "Now move along, I'll grab our things, you make your exit and I'll follow behind you."

Nymeria pretended she couldn't see the relief shining in his eyes as she gently pushed him out of the way, finishing what he'd started as he pressed a kiss to her forehead before beginning his rather trying journey across the snoring dwarves quietly, trying his hardest not to make any noise while the faè was having some difficulty rolling up the their beds, not noticing that her hobbit had been stopped by Bofur as she grumbled to herself quietly with her dark brows furrowed.

But when she finally had everything prepared, somewhat excited for it to be just her and her hobbit once more as she stood on shaking legs and danced over towards him, she found herself freezing when she noticed a certain dwarf wide awake, talking to the halfling with his voice low, and not looking all that shocked when she appeared next to him, fingers twitching with threat as he looked at the two with sympathy in his gaze.

"You're homesick, I understand-"

"No! No you don't understand, how could you? You're dwarves, you're used to this sort of life- to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!" Bilbo snapped angrily as his frustration finally exploded, pointing his trembling finger at the dwarf as Nymeria winced at the prominent emotions radiating from him. Just for that rage that had suddenly encased him to quickly die down and leave regret in its wake when he noticed the hurt on Bofur's face, his small body sagging in on itself as he sighed. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, no you're right. We don't belong anywhere...I wish you both all of the luck in the world, I really do." Bofur whispered kindly, sadness shimmering still in his dark eyes as he stepped forward, clapping the hobbit on the shoulder, and then offering Nymeria his hand after a moment of hesitation, unable to help his wide grin when she took it within her own, shaking it with a barely there smile curling at the edges of her lips at the strange-hatted dwarf, before the two turned to take their leave...only to be pulled back by his voice once more.

"What's that?"

Bilbo glanced over his shoulder, eyes following where the dwarfs gaze seemed to be stuck, and felt terror form in the pit of his stomach when he noticed the way his sword seemed to glow...and it seemed that even Nymeria knew what it meant as her hands began to dance with crimson, but just as she opened her mouth to shout, to warn the others, it was already too late as the ground suddenly caved in beneath their feet and sent them plummeting down into the dark depths of the mountain, all of the company screaming and yelling until they hit the ground of a wooden cage, winded and terribly confused as they began to struggle amongst each other.

The faè let out a quiet groan, her hand instantly moving down to clutch as her stomach, wondering if she'd managed to break a rib or two in the dramatic fall as she felt someone move to help her, their warm palm against her lower back as they pushed her up, and she lifted her gaze to meet Bofur's as he smiled at her reassuringly...a moment that was quickly broken when she felt the ground begin to vibrate underneath them as something rushed towards them.

"Get them up! Take their weapons!"

She heard the vile screech that split through the air, and that's when they all saw them, goblins clambering towards them with disfigured faces, drooling teeth and gooey eyes, climbing all over them in their search for weapons with cold and almost slimy hands that scratched and groped, yanking them up with grips that hurt before pushing the company along a rickety and unstable looking bridge as they all fought and struggled, Nymeria instantly glancing over their shoulders desperately for any sign of her hobbit just to see him crouched in a corner, somehow ignored by the horrible creatures, and when he looked up at her with horror shining in his eyes she quickly mouthed for him to stay there, that she'd find him before she was pulled around a corner and he disappeared from her view.

Her chaos was winding around her body like a rope pulled tight, threatening to burst from the seams of her skin as she struggled against the masses of vile creatures that swarmed them, magic desperate to lash out to stop their putrid advances as they squealed and laughed in her ears...but she couldn't, she could hardly move with her hands entrapped tightly to her sides through being squished against the others, not even having to walk but instead practically being dragged, feet trailing behind her as she hissed and bared her teeth at everything and anything.

But as she and the dwarves were pushed further and further through the dark tunnels that seemed more like a maze, she realized very quickly that her not using her magic had been a blessing in disguise as when they finally came out from the other end...she was greeted by the sight of thousands of the nightmarish creatures festering all over like maggots to rotting meant, crawling across the walls, across the ground, not leaving one place untouched.

And finally, they'd reached a great platform on which a giant throne sat, adorned with skulls and other skeletal parts that made her insides squirm with unease, especially as her eyes happened upon the bone fragments of wings large and small, fledgling and old with the bones stripped clean of their feathers, of their magic that they'd possessed as they lay in piles upon piles at the large Goblins feet, getting a closer look as the company was pushed towards him...and Nymeria felt fear, cold and blistering swell in her stomach as she realized with mounting horror that Ezekiel had been right.

Faè were being hunted.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" The goblin king spoke, his voice loud and high, grating against the fae's sensitive ears as she glared up at him in contempt, feeling the company at all sides of her as they tried to inconspicuously box her in to keep her in their protective circle as the vile cretins constantly moved around them with their beady eyes nothing short of starving.

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." Another drooling goblin hissed, and at his words, the goblin king bent forward, and taking a long look down at the Company, so close that Nyneria could simply lash out with her chaos and swallow him whole...but before she had a chance to do something so drastic, she felt her gaze flicker for half a second, moving over to Fili as she felt his fingers brush her own as he shifted in place, hiding her from the large monsters view the best he could with his shorter stature, and she forced herself to breathe.

"Dwarves? Well don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice!"

Nymeria grunted as she was jostled in place, her eyes practically narrowing into slits as the creatures rushed at them all, slithering between the gaps of their bodies as they all yelled and struggled, beginning to grab and pull at anything the dwarves had to offer, but when they got to her she lashed out, kicking blindly with a growl as she felt those grotesque hands of their brushing over her scars, face shifting into a frightening grimace as she reared her head back and slammed it against a goblins face and grinning a feral grin at its squeal of pain.

But that smile was quickly dropped as more swarmed around her, grabbing at her arms, her legs, anything they could grab with their horrifying nails digging deep into her skin causing her to cry out, trying to shrug them off but there was too many as they began to grope her, digging their hands into her pants, around her thighs, under her shirt and she couldn't stop her scream when she felt those knife-like claws merely skimming over the gnarled skin of her back...and it was then that the creature was knocked away from her by a familar blonde lurching forward with a glare on his face.

"Get your disgusting hands off her!" Kili shouted from somewhere behind his brother, struggling to get over to the lass as they all heard her pained cry, heads swirling around to try and see her through the festering goblins that were taking them for all they had. But thankfully, after they'd been stripped of everything that could even be considered a weapon, the goblins moved away and Nymeria felt the two princes instantly clamber over towards her.

"What are you doing in these parts?" The goblin king questioned, staring at them all in disgust which she found truly ironic indeed considering his chin itself looked like a pair of testicles. "Speak!"

And then Nymeria almost wished that the disgusting creatures had killed her off the moment they'd laid their hands upon her as she was forced to listen to the dwarves seemingly take turns to make a mockery out of the Goblin King with stories that made no sense, speaking over each other with tales and excuses that went on and on and on while the faè began to slowly look around her, wondering just how much magic it would take to give her and the company a fighting chance...bust most of all hoping that wherever Bilbo had hidden, he was safe before she'd find him.

"SHUT UP!" The goblin king suddenly screeched as it grew tired of their games and Nymeria couldn't help her wince at the volume that burst through her sensitive ears like a horn, his voice echoing through the cavern as his subjects ducked away fearfully from it's dangerous wrath as he stood taller, cruelty glistening in his beady eyes as he look upon them. "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring up the mangler, bring up the bone-breaker! Start with the youngest!" And with that, he pointed at Ori who whimpered.

"Wait!"

"Well, well, well." The goblin king drawled, watching as Thorin appeared out from the dwarves with his grey eyes harder than steel, glaring at the vile creature who sat on his throne like he didn't have a care in the world. "Look who it is! Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the Mountain! Oh, but I forget, you don't have a mountain and you're not a king. Which makes you...nobody, really...and yet, I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, mind you, nothing attached, perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours...A Pale Orc astride a white warg."

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed." Thorin growled with his baritone voice low and dangerous, though Nymeria could feel his doubt heavy in the air like a dark fog as it suddenly played in his mind. "He was slain in battle long ago!"

"So, you think his defiling days are done, do you?Send word to the Pale Orc...Tell him I have found his prize." The Goblin king giggled shrilly, and as soon as those words left his mouth, four of his ugly subjects were rushing forwards, grabbing hold of the dwarf king and forcing him down to his knees as he grunted and cursed while the company cried out, trying to reach out to him but immediately being attacked by more of the goblins as their kings laugh rang out over them mercilessly.

But it was when a whip was raised high in the air, aimed straight for the unsuspecting Thorin who was far too busy struggling did Nymeria finally lash out, her hand swirling with chaos as she grabbed hold of the creature with her magic and sent it soaring over the edge with a sharp yell...before it suddenly went quiet, so much so that she could hear a pin drop as the Goblin king slowly stood with delight in his large eyes. "I thought I smelled your disgusting stretch the moment you and your little friends came before me. Grab her! Bring the faè to me! Now, now now!"

There were hands grabbing at her body once more, forcing her hands to her side as they dug their nails it deep and all around her the dwarves showed their protest, trying to fight against them, swearing at them, trying to pull her close but it was all for naught as she was brought to her knees in front of their King with her head bent low, forced to listen to his low and spiteful chuckle as he looked upon her and noticed something missing. "Oh, but you're not a real faè, are you?...you're lacking the certain parts."

"Why don't you come a little closer and find out?" Nymeria grinned darkly, eyes flashing as they churned with the very chaos that played dormant under her skin, winding through her hollow bones and desperate to come forth...but then the whip came back down onto her back, and she cried out with her magic forgotten, blood blossoming between her shoulder blades, dripping down as she heaved and the company yelled, struggling against the goblins holding them as they watched with horrified eyes as she spat crimson onto the dirty floor with a grunt.

"I can't wait to break you in faè, it's been such a long time since the last one came into our humble abode. Bring back the bone-breaker!"

The goblins began to squeal with excitement, and she could see out of the corner of her eyes that vile instrument of torture being wheeled towards her, just for the whip to crack through the air once more and she screamed and slumped down in the creatures grip, biting hard on her tongue to stop the painful sobs that wanted to slip through her bleeding lips...and it was then that Fili finally broke, rearing his elbow back and slamming it into one of their captors heads and then lurching forward with his eyes wild, only just held back by the goblins before him as he looked up at their King.

"Take me! Take me instead, please!" He shouted with his voice raw and rough, ignoring his uncle's sharp look as he did so as he continued to fight against the creatures holding him with a certain desperation on his pained features, wanting to get to Nymeria, wanting to do something, anything other than just stand there and watch as she was ripped apart in front of them and more than happy to take her place, he would ruin himself into tiny little pieces if it meant she was safe...and if they touched her again he'd kill them, he didn't know how but he would.

"Oh, now isn't this sweet. What do you say little faè? How does that sound?" The goblin king cooed as he watched them closely, and Nymeria honestly thought that his high-pitched voice was the worst form of torture the bastard could bestow upon her as she lifted her head and snarled, gaze drifting for half a second over to Fili who met her eyes, a certain look in those oceanic blues that begged her to say yes, to let him help her, to take her place...but in her own hesitation she found her answer as she looked at him, truly looked at him, and then she turned her head to the pathetic creature they called king and spat at his feet.

"You touch him...and I'll paint your throne with your entrails."

She heard Fili scream her name in frustration and terror...but that was the last thing on her mind before agony struck her body like a bolt of lightning as the large goblin reared his staff back and then slammed it down onto her back with such a force she was afraid it would go right through her, sinking into her flesh and opening up the old wound of phantom wings and her howl of pain was nothing short of haunting as it echoed around the mountain cave, leaving her breathless and wounded and clawing at the earth underneath her fingernails.

"All this talk, all of this delicious pain that I should be gleefully taking...but yet I still can't help but wonder-" The goblin king purred, digging the staff in deeper as wells of morality began to seep all around her like a river threatening to drown them, so focused on her misery that he didn't see the lithe fingers that had begun to shimmer crimson, that had begun to glow as she focused on the pain and the hate filling her up like a hollow shell of nothingness until it was all she could feel, the dwarves suddenly becoming quiet as they slowly moved towards the ground, wide-eyed and ready. "-What is a faè without her wings?"

Now wasn't that a question? What was a faè without her wings? What was a faè when everything she had once known had turned to dust between her trembling fingertips? What was a faè when she had been ripped apart from the inside out only to be found unsightly and left for rot? What was a faè when she had been forged in chaos and pain and rose from the ashes with murder and mercy battling their war inside her? What was a faè who'd longed to be the girl she once was with glowing hair and healing caresses, but beneath it all with her blood still boiling fiercely, born with heaven and hell already inside her...What was a faè without her wings?

Her eyes snapped open, and the red glow of her chaos would take no prisoners as it curled around her hands like a threat, like a promise as she etched her gaze upon her own wretched face, and became her own devastating god. "Dangerous."

And then her magic exploded from her mortal body as she sat up on bended knee, the haunting glow like nothing they'd ever seen before as it flared out, her chaos running free as it burst from within and struck the ground they stood on, making the walls shake, the sky ache and rumble as it bowed to her disastrous power, the goblins sent soaring through the air from the dangerous blast of pure hatred spawned into chaos as she raged and raged and raged in the dying light, her screaming swallowed by the singing heavy in the air before it became too much, and she fell onto the floor with a pained sob.

"Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! CUT OFF HER HEAD!" She heard the Goblin king scream as he ordered his disgusting minions to do his bidding, but she could barely find it in herself to lift her head, exhaustion lacing through her body to the point the nearest twitch of her fingers made her grind her teeth together as nothing but pure agony wreaked havoc across her still breathing corpse. But she wanted to do something, wanted to try and help others but there was nothing inside her that could, she just wanted to sleep.

Nymeria could feel the dwarves presence, could hear them fighting the horde, could even feel the great Gandalf as he shouted at them to fight and wondering when he'd managed to join their fray, before a rumbling high-pitched snarl danced over her ears, and with the last of her energy, she lifted her half-lidded eyes to see a goblin rushing towards her with his jagged sword raised, about to slice off of her head like her magic had no doubt did to his brethren...but then she heard a sharp cutting noise that whizzed through air, and then watched as an arrow was lodged into its eye and it fell.

"Fili! Get Nymeria!"

However, it seemed that Fili was already way ahead of them as he landed on his knees right beside her, quickly supporting her shoulders as he lifted her to slot against his chest in a protective embrace while his rough and warm calloused palm cupped her face gently, thumb swiping over the forming bruise on her cheek as she whined lowly, staring up at him with a pained grimace as she tried to push him away weakly. "You- you've got to go- I'll- I'll try'n hold them off. Get out of here."

"No. Not without you." He snapped, holding her gaze with his blue eyes shining with fear...and Nymeria gave herself a moment just to feel, feel his emotions like they were her own and felt her heart skip a beat because she thought she'd known that kind of hunger before...and she'd found it unbearable, to witness and to want, because desire was ugly, incessant, shaped like two hands wrapped tight around your throat...but his desire was like nothing she'd ever felt, it felt almost pure, and after a minute of staring, she weakly nodded her head and allowed him to slip his arm around her waist and pull her up beside him.

"Follow me!" Gandalf called over the sounds of violence as the dwarves fought valiantly, seeing the opportunity to flee through the corner of his ancient eyes and fighting off more and more of the vile goblins that seemed to keep coming from nowhere as he made his way through them, trusting the Company to follow after him and kill off any of the stragglers as he did so, his booming voice somehow managing to echo over their dying screams. "Quick! Run!"

Nymeria let out a pained grunt as they began to move and rush off after him, feeling Fili bring her closer with his arm secure and gentle around her back as he tried not to panic at the feeling of her blood seeping into the fabric of his tunic, suddenly reminded of her morality that had always seemed so far out of reach, carrying her weight with ease while she struggled just to hold onto his shoulders, limping beside him with every step practically setting her bones alight with agony, eyes filling with cursed tears as she panted and cried, just to have the fair-haired prince look up at her desperately.

"Don't let go of me."

"I'll try not to." She chuckled wryly, smiling down at him for half a second that just made him panic more, thinking that she was obviously delirious as he fought of the goblins coming towards them with his free arm, his sword that swung around with deadly accuracy nothing short of absolutely lethal now that he had something valuable to protect, to keep safe in the comfort of his warmth and ready to do anything to keep her that way...but the disgusting creatures kept coming towards them, and he felt like with every one he killed, two more too it's place as sweat gathered across his forehead and his grip tightened against his faè.

And then a goblin that had got too close suddenly got an axe to its head as Dwalin appeared from behind it, a snarl upon his lips and danger in his eyes as he nodded to Fili, quickly moving around so that Nymeria was placed between the two protectively as they fought them off, more and more of the others beginning to join them, Kili with his arrows pulling up the rear, Bofur to the front of them making sure that nothing got to close until finally almost the whole company was working around the faè, keeping her safe just like she'd had done with them.

However, as they reached another bridge, finally catching up to the tall wizard, their crossing was thwarted as the Goblin King broke through it from beneath, sending wooden planks flying through the air as his horrible stench wafted through the hot air as the company was forced to halt in front of him while his subjects swarmed behind them, his wheezing breaths reaching the faè's ears as she slowly pulled her head away from where it was resting against Fili's to glare towards him, a certain glimmer of dark red passing over her eyes as she bared down on the brewing hate spilling inside of her.

"You thought you could escape me?" He laughed, swiping at Gandalf with his mace who only just managed to duck in time, pushing the others further back behind him as he squard off against the great beast standing between them and freedom...but just as the Goblin King went to open his vile mouth once more, he was interrupted by blood suddenly sputtering out from his ugly lips as his chest expanded and his throbbing heart became visible through his stretched skin...a familar red glow encasing his body and with a disgusting squelch, his rather small heart was pulled out of his skin...and into the waiting Nymeria's hands as the company slowly turned to look at her with wide eyed horror.

But they didn't really have time to comment on whatever that was, as the dead body of the king collapsed before them, the wood creaking under his weight and only a second later, the damaged bridge gave way completely and sent them plummeting down the depths of the cavern on the broken wood at rapid speeds, the dwarves and faè screaming as the wind rushed through their hairs and their lives flashed before their eyes, falling further and further down until they finally crashed into the ground with a mighty bang.

"That could of been worse." She muttered quietly, groaning in pain at the body on top of her, and when she opened her eyes it was to see Fili's apologetic ones staring back at her as he sat up, elbows aching her in at either side of her face while her bloodied hand rested against his side, the two of them somehow managing to have rolled away from the others that were laying in a pile of broken planks, complaining amongst each other like children as they squirmed.

"I'm sorry-

"It's okay, I'd rather have you on top of me than anyone else." Nymeria grunted deliriously, tilting her head back so it rested on the ground in an effort to stop it aching...and not seeing the way Fili's face turned red as he stared at her wide-eyed, his whole body freezing in place as he stammered for what to say, what to even think about that comment and it was only when he heard a sudden whoosh of air did he begin to function once more, turning his head to see the others being crushed under the Goblin king's corpse and almost snorted.

Yet he didn't have time to laugh at their misfortunes, he barely had time to give himself a moment to breathe before he caught sight of the goblin hoard crawling down the walls like insects and heading straight towards them. Fili cursed, looping his sturdy arms around Nymeria and instead of just helping to keep her on her feet, he picked her up soundlessly, holding her close to his chest where his heart skipped a beat at feeling her breath curling over his neck as she whimpered, and then they were moving once more, running after Gandalf with the Company bringing up the rear behind them.

The screeches of the goblins echoing through the caverns behind them as they ran and ran and ran, but thankfully, it didn't take too long before they could finally see it...the glow of the evening sun shining through an opening in the mountainside. And the sun on their faces had never felt so blissful than when it did when they finally tumbled out of the cave mouth to freedom.