Flies & Spiders

Spiders and Flies is a story about the love and hate relationship between Thorin and Thranduil. They are forced to go on a quest together and find out they have more in common than they thought. For more information, please go the 'about' page. If you want to ask Thorin or Thranduil something, don't hesitate to ask them. They are willing to answer your burning questions.

[spidersandflies]

The Elvenking noticed the disgust on Legolas' face. It made him angry somehow. "We all have a common enemy now, son. We are allies. Accept that," he said in a cold voice. The tension was rising, but Legolas nodded and turned his head. Thranduil sighed. I'm gonna go and find some water. We all need some. Give me your flask, Legolas." He reached out his hand and Legolas gave him the flask, without looking his father in the eye. The king glanced at Thorin before he left the cave.

Thorin looked at Thranduil’s shadow until it was completely gone from his eye sight. He was not the only one. The moment the king had disappeared, his son almost dived on top of the dward.

"I dont know what kind of game you’re playing with ada, but if hurt him in any way and I dont care which one, I will end your life before you can strike me yourself!" Thorin looked at Legolas with cold and hard eyes “Look ELF I have no quarrel with your kin now, we’re allies now. If we all want to get out of here alive then we should stop fighting!” The dwarf was breathing heavily out his nose, but he stayed put on his place on the ground against the wall. Legolas began to walk from one side of the cave to the other one. His eyes were speaking with a million voices.. he was still confused, angry, mad at his dad, and the dwarf. And that word ‘Friend’ with the pause when the dwarf spoke.. he did not trust him. Thorin looked at Legolas pacing around in the cave. “Better sit down boy, you need to spare your strength. ” Legolas gave him an angry look and before Thorin could say another thing the elven king had returned. He got water. It wasn’t much. It looked like he also cleaned his face, there was no blood on it anymore. Thranduil brought him the flask. “Here, drink some.” They goofily grinned at each other. “Thank you.” The dwarf’s voice was soft but full of gratitude. Legolas witnessed it all, and he could not wrap his finger on what was happening here.

[spidersandflies]

The noises stopped. Azog was gone. Thranduil sighed. Finally, they were safe. But when he looked at his son, it seemed as if he were not. "You owe me an explanation, ada! What are doing with this dwarf, why are you protecting him?" "Legolas, calm down.." "No I will not! Have you forgotten everything about yourself?" Legolas saw that Thorin wanted to speak, but he wouldn't let him. So Thranduil spoke again, and he felt anxious. "Son, Thorin is.. my friend now."

There was a silence in the cave. Legolas kept quite while he looked at his dad trying to process the words that just slipped over his ada’s lips. "Your dad speaks the truth, we’re…." Thorin stopped and his eyes glanced toward the elven king “..we’re friends” If looks could kill he would be definitely dead by now, for Legolas looked at him with fire in his eyes. “How on earth …. how?” The elven prince was full of confusion, two of middle-earth’s biggest enemies now bound together in friendship. "Look, " Thorin started. "Let me speak and it will be clear,’ he said with a annoying voice. The elf was a bit … how do you say it….uneasy. The elf prince nodded and let Thorin do his bit of the story "I asked Thranduil to go on a quest with me because my nephews were missing. I was his prisoner and he came with me." The elf grew more silent but his face didn’t change. “We fought wargs, spiders, orcs and Azog on this quest, and we had to work together to survive. Not that it was easy but we had to learn to trust each other, we became.. friends… in the end.” There it was again: the pause by the word friend. Legolas did not seem to like it when the dwarf nodded and gave his ada a little smile. It made him even more confused.

[spidersandflies]

"You did everything you could," Thranduil said while he stroked Thorin's hair. "They were brave, Thorin. They did not die in vain." He closed his eyes and for a moment they were entwined in a tight embrace. But then they heard a noise, a sound of breaking branches coming from the forest. They turned their heads and immediately looked at an arrow on a flexed bow. "Let him go, dwarf!" a voice said. Thranduil knew that voice and he was glad to hear it again. But not now. "Step away from him, ada!"

Thorin frowned when he saw the arrow, directly pointing at his head. “Lower your weapon, elf!” He spat out the words towards Legolas but did not let Thranduil go. The elvenking gave his son an angry look and demanded that he would put away his weapon “But.. you’re captured by.. a dwarf!” said Legolas. Still he slowly lowered his arms when his dad’s face did not change at all. “Thranduil, we have to camp somewhere else for tonight before the orcs are coming this way” He gave him a little smile and stood up, he could not take his eyes of the beauty before him. Legolas pulled at his dad’s bloody clothes and looked at him with a staggered look. He did not get this at all. What had happened when he was away? Thorin walked through the forest towards some mountain cracks in the wall, they could camp there for tonight. He searched for a cave in the stone wall and led them in. “No fire tonight, not here.” And he sat against the wall. Just before the ygot in they heard some sniffing, howling and growling noises outside the cave. Azog was on the loose, trying the find the last of the Durins. Thorin did not show his fear, because his grief was too strong for this quest already had broken him, he looked at the image of Thranduil and his son, the image was getting blurry, tears falling from his eyes, he felt more miserable then ever.

[spidersandflies]

The elf was standing there, shaking and still bleeding. He looked at Thorin fighting Azog. But when he called his name, the dwarf looked at him and smiled, he ran towards him and wanted to hug him, but the elf stopped him. "There's no time, we need to get out of here now! This is a fight we cannot win." And they fled the room. Thorin helped the elf, because he was still weak and in pain. Azog was right behind them. They found the way to the entrance and could finally see the night sky again.

Thorin helped the elf as fast and as far as he could from Moria, into safety. He didn’t want to take the risk of losing Thranduil again, not a second time. He helped him as far as he could until the elf literally dropped on the ground."Thranduil.. I am sorry, let me see your wounds" The elf whimpered, but didn’t work against the dwarf. He let him care for his wounds. His body still felt sore and ached. “Are we… safe tho…" The dwarf did not even let him finish his sentence and nodded “We’re safe, for now.” Tears were running down the cheeks of the dwarf, he didn’t even try to hide his sorrow. He knew it was not the time but he couldn’t do a thing about it, the elf saw his tears and closed him in his arms. “I am…sorry." The dwarf hugged the elf back, his hand grabbed his gown, not a intension of letting them go. “I failed to protect them, Dis will kill me for this" he sobbed while he heard the soft words of Thranduil in his ears.

[spidersandflies]

Azog held the head of Fili high in the air and screamed “THE LINE OF DURIN WILL NOT SURVIVE THE DARK!" He laughed hard and tossed the head towards Thorin’s feet.

Thorin’s blood was boiling and his tears were flowing, his swords were ready to attack. He would cut down everthing and everyone in his path to wipe out Azog for once and for all. Even if it meant giving up his own life. “For my kin and the ones I lost.. You, Azog the defiler are going to die for the crimes that you hold against my kin!" He screamed as loud as he could and ran towards the throne. Every orc that was between them was torn to shreds, there was blood everywhere. In his thought there were only his nephews and the lifeless body of the elven king. Azog stood in front of his throne and started to fight with Thorin Oakenshield. Both their swords cutting in each other’s flesh, blood gushing down from their wounds. Screams, pain, blood.. but they did not stop until one of them died. "Thorin!" He heard the voice of someone he thought he was not amongst the living anymore.

[spidersandflies]

With a cold shiver running through his spine, the elf sat up. He had never felt so much pain before. The floor was covered in his blood and his back was hurting. An arrow was sticking out of a terrible flesh wound, with blood still dripping down his silver robes.

[spidersandflies]

[spidersandflies]

"Ally?" Azog repeated in a loud voice and he grinned. "I did not think you would lower yourself like that, Elvenking." And he stepped down from the throne and walked towards him. Thranduil had to look up, for Azog was much taller than he was. He started to answer "I do not see it as -" But he could not continue, for Fili ran forward and attacked the giant orc. He screamed his brother's name and stabbed Azog in his side. The orcs tried to stop him. "GO!" he yelled to his uncle and the elf. "RUN!"

Thorin was stunned. He saw his nephew stabbing Azog and he didn’t want to leave him behind as well. But he didn’t even got the chance to help him for Thranduil dragged and pushed him out of the throne room.“Come on Thorin, keep running!” The dwarf felt the cold fingers of the elf around his wrist and he forced to run faster through the corridors. They heard orcs running behind them. Thorin took the lead again and ran across the stairs and gaps. He cut the pass of come orcs and tried to hide in one of the old chambers he knew from the past.“Are we safe?” he heard the elf’s whisper close to his ear. “Are we ever safe?” His eyes were glaring at Thranduil. “But for now we are. “ He looked around and sat down on the ground.” The dwarf thought about Kili’s death body downstairs in the chambers, and Fili.. he didn’t know if he was still breathing.Thranduil saw the grimas on the dwarf’s face and kneeled in front of him. “Are you okay, Thorin?” He gave him a little smile. “Everything is going to be –”But even before he could finish, there was blood everywhere. Thranduil fell right into Thorin’s arms and did not give any sign of life anymore. The arrow that hit him in his back had made a nasty wound.Thorin broke in that very moment, tears were streaming down his face. He had to cope with too much grief for one day. “This is not over yet,” he said into thin air with a voice full of sorrow and hatred.

[spidersandflies]

Thranduil, Thorin and Fili did not speak. Even the orcs were getting quiet, as if they were scared. They were getting close, everyone felt it. The elf lifted his head, he saw lights burning in the room ahead and the lights grew brighter. They finally entered the room which was filled with torches. It was also filled with orcs, screaming and cheering. They stepped aside to create a path, with at the end a giant throne of stone, and on it sat the pale orc Azog, who smirked at the sight of Thorin.

"Thorin son of Thrain, the maggot that escaped out of my claws on the battlefield of Moria" He grinned evil towards Thorin, his eyes full of anger. “But not this time" His laugh filled the entire room. Thorin felt his anger rising, he wanted to tear his enemy in tiny pieces. Azog looked at his companions “So you managed to escape you little worm," He spoke directly to Fili. “Its such a pity that the other one became such a nice meal for my men." Fili screamed and ran with all his force towards Azog to cut his head of his body. But before he could even reach his target, he was held back by some orcs while he heard his uncle scream his name. "Fili, its not worth it" he heard a soft and gentle voice of the elf whispher in his ear “SHUT UP" his voice loud filled with anger and sorrow. “You dont understand, you're not our kin, you know nothing" Fili turned against the Thranduil now and wanted to slash to him. He would if his uncle would not jump infront of him. "Dont harm him, he is our ally"

[spidersandflies]

"We have to defend ourselves!" Thranduil shouted. "There will be a time to grief, but it is not now. Take up arms!" The dwarves did as he said but their thoughts were elsewhere. The screams came closer. It didn't take long before the orcs swarmed in and attacked them. The elf saw Thorin fighting with so much rage while there were still tears in his eyes. They killed many orcs and in a short moment of hope of victory, suddenly everyone stopped and an orc was holding a knife to Fili's neck.

"NO" Thorin breathed heavily through mouth. “Let him go" the tears were filling up his eyes again, he was trying to hold back not to break. He knew what was coming, to rescue his nephew he let Orcrist fall to the floor. He heard the orcs laugh when he did not even fight for it, but Thorin was not planning to lose more of his family. They let Fili go and Thorin grabbed the younger dwarf's arm and pulled him in a hug “I am not letting you go, not until you're save" he whispered, Fili hugged his uncle back as a answer that he knew. "Walk you maggots" a orc pushed them up the stairs, they could not escape anymore. With each step the took they walked towards evil.

[spidersandflies]

The elvenking grabbed Thorin and Fili and pulled them away from Kili's body. "I'm sorry," he said with a shivering voice, "but there's no time.." And as soon as they left the hallway, orcs entered it and they started chasing them. They ran for their lives, crying and shivering and knowing there was no way out. The orcs were everywhere, and the mines were dark and cold and to Thranduil it seemed like a great maze. "We need to shake them off, Thorin! We've lost enough today, I will not lose more."

Thorin looked with a angry glare toward the Elvenking, he would never leave his kin in this place with all those filth walking around. But he knew Thranduil was right. If they wanted to tell the tale then they had to leave now. "We have to go" he pushed Fili towards the stairs “COME ON RUN" he screamed towards his nephew who didn't want to leave his brother behind “Come on Fili, RUN" Thorin still could not forgive himself for letting Kili left behind in the cells of Moria.The three creatures ran up the stairs and through corridors until they arrived at the crack in the wall, this would be their salvation of safety for a little while if there would not be a invasion of orcs coming down the stairs towards them screaming and with sword and crossbows. 

[spidersandflies]

The orcs came out of nowhere and before he knew it the elvenking was surrounded. But help was on the way. Thorin and his two nephews ran into the corridor and started fighting along with them. They were ferocious and angry and they yelled dwarvish battle cries as they chopped off heads and limbs. "We need to leave!" shouted Thranduil. "We're outnumbered! More will come!" Thorin wanted to answer, but suddenly they heard a loud scream and when Thranduil looked, he saw blood spreading on the floor.

“NOOOOOO” Thorin screamed as loud his voice would let him when he saw Kili standing straight with a crossbow arrow in his belly. Thorin ran towards him to protect him but he was too late. A second arrow flew through the prison cell and hit Kili right in his chest. The youngest dwarf collapsed onto the floor and breathed heavy. Thranduil and Fili were trying to hold force to five more orcs. Thorin was frozen and fell down on his knees next to Kili “Noooo please Kili stay with me, don't leave us.. we need you” his voice was not even clear for someone to hear. The two dwarves cried and Kili looked upon his uncle's face while he was coughing up blood. Thorin knew he was lost and he could not forgive himself “Uncle… I wanted… to help..and be … together.. with you..and Fili…as .. in old….times with ….mom” he said between the coughs of blood. Fili was getting on the other side of Kili and his tears were flowing over his face “Brother.. Kili don’t go. Don’t leave me alone, don't you dare do that” he sniffed while he held Kili's hand in his. 

“Please don’t leave me” Kili looked at Fili while the blood was dripping over his lips. “Fili..Brother.. I will… never let …you be…alone..I will always…be beside…you” He coughed again and he cried over the pain that his body had taken “And… I will..never ..leave you.. too uncle” he said. He looked at Fili's face that was covered in tears and gave him a little smile while he breathed for the last time. His eyes were getting ice cold and lifeless and Fili grabbed the liveless body of his brother. “Don’t go brother, DONT GO” he screamed to it. 

But there was no time for grief right now, Thranduil heard metal running down the halls seeking for one thing The line of Durin.

[spidersandflies]

They neared the bottom of the stairs and entered a corridor. At the end was a door. They heard loud voices and noises of orcs. "The prison cells must be here.. There's four of them," whispered Thranduil. "We can take them, Thorin. We should not hesitate. More will come eventually." And they drew their swords and entered the room and slaughtered the four orcs who were there before their screams could warn others. But there were other screams as well, which did not come from orcs.

When all the orcs fell in their own blood and were as dead as they could be, then he saw his nephews. His grumpy face was gone in a second and he smiled brightly towards them. “Finally” He said with a relief while he hugged them tightly in his arms. He felt their arms on his neck and back, He felt their warmth and heard their hearts in their chests. “I am so glad that we found you two still alive” his smile would not disappear from  his face and he even let a tear. “We’re glad to be still alive too uncle” said  Kili with a goofy smile “Thorin!” he heard Thranduil screaming in the hallway and heard the noise of metal against each other “Take up arms” Thorin said with a sad smile.

[spidersandflies]

It was silent and dark and Thranduil didn't like anything about it, but he needed to trust Thorin. He would not leave him, he didn't dare, not in the mines. Thorin didn't say a word and the silence was driving the elf crazy. "What is down here?" he asked with a shiver in his voice. "How do you even know something's down here?" And he grasped Thorin's shoulder even tighter. "Do we even have a plan?" He heard the dwarf laugh, but he still didn't answer him. "I'm serious Thorin!!" he yelled.

“Keep your voice down you pointy eared elf” Thorin whispered with a sharp angry voice “They could hear you, just keep calm even if I don't answer” He glared over his shoulder towards Thranduil and walked further but he still could feel the hand of the elf digging in his flesh. He had a little smile playing on his lips because the King of Mirkwood got to attached to a dwarf but his smile faded soon. “We're going to the prison cells” he said “Not my greatest plan but I think they hide them in there. If not then they are in the Great hall of Moria with Azog..” his voice faded away as he walked down the stairs.

[spidersandflies]

Thranduil stood up but the ceiling was low so he had to stoop a little. "Ugh.. " he said. "What's that terrible smell here.." Thorin ignored his remark. He walked proudly through the stone corridor, which lead to a winding staircase. It was pitchblack in there. "Wait," Thranduil said with a shiver in his voice, when he stared into the darkness before him. "We cannot go in there. We have no light, we do not know what's down there. I have no desire to get lost in these mines." He saw Thorin smile.

“So the king of Mirkwood is afraid of the dark, very interesting!” Thorin said with the biggest smile on his face “So you’re afraid of dark places, scared to get lost?” he said mocking towards the elf but when Thorin turned around he saw a scared face, he sighed deeply. “Okay fine, I am not making a light because we can get seen that way. Just lay your hand on my shoulder and don’t let go” He felt Thranduil placing his hand on his shoulder but instead of laying it he grabbed it, the fabric was entirely in the elf's hand. He sighed but started to walk carefully down the stairs.

[spidersandflies]

Thranduil looked around discretely and searched for weapons. The orcs walking in front of them both had swords. It would be risky, they were surrounded, outnumbered but maybe it was the only chance they had. He poked Thorin in his arm. "There," he whispered. "On my mark." You better know the way in these mines.. he said to himself in elvish, and then he said: "Now!" and they attacked the orcs in front of them and stole their swords. Then they ran for it, into the mines, chased by screaming orcs.

The both of them ran through the big hallway. Thorin lead the way towards the crack in the wall where he thought he had seen it many years ago. They ran for several minutes with a angry orc pack behind them screaming towards them and shooting arrows “Go left!” screamed Thorin in a heavy panted voice. They ran for a couple of meters and then Thorin pointed at the crack in the wall “There, hurry up …and climb in it” he said while he tried to control his breathing.Thranduil pressed himself inside the crack and got himself nearly stuck, Thorin hurried to climb in as well. In that moment the orcs passed by and did not see them, they got lucky. Thorin smiled a little toward the elf and said “Lets go… we have to hurry.”

[spidersandflies]

"GET UP!" shouted one of the orcs and he grabbed the both of them and pulled them on their feet. "START WALKING!" He pushed them into the line of orcs and they marched in a quick pace. Thranduil and Thorin walked next to each other but could not discuss their plans anymore, the orcs would hear them. So they kept quiet. Thranduil did try to get Thorin to look at him, but the dwarf didn't turn his head towards the elf. And the king felt horrible and lonely, and wished he could take his words back.

They walked on the solid earth of the road towards Moria and Thorin felt the gaze of the elf burning in his face. He knew Thranduil was looking for some attention, but he could not forget and forgive that kiss from last night. His first priority was getting his sword back or just any sword. As long I am armed I can free them.

After hours of walking on the road to their destination, he saw the doors of Moria coming closer with each minute passing by. He poked the elf in his rips to get ready to take arms as soon as they could. They walked towards the big stone doors that opened slowly and he was preparing himself for the battle that had to come.