The weather did not improve.

By the next morning a light rain had begun to fall.

As Bilba had feared the pass over the mountain was a narrow ledge with sheer, jagged rock on one side and a drop on the other. The drop off was short at first but as they climbed higher it grew deeper until the ground was so far below them the trees looked like small sticks poking out of the ground.

The Company was forced to walk single file on the ledge. As the day progressed the rain increased and the rock grew slippery and even more treacherous. No one spoke as they were each forced to focus on their footing.

Thorin had planned to cross the pass in one day, starting that morning and getting down by evening. The rain made it impossible, slowing them so much that, by evening they were barely at the height of the Pass. The rain had soaked them through and they were all shivering from the cold. Bilba's body shook so hard she was pretty sure her bones would eventually give up and just snap. Thunder and lightning had started by then and, judging by the frequency, it didn't look like the storm would stop anytime soon. She stumbled and felt Dwalin grab her, steadying her for a moment until she got her footing again.

In the gathering dark Bilba felt a flash of fear with each footstep, terrified she'd place her foot into a shadow only to find no rock. Thorin led, as usual, with Dwalin right behind. Bilba was behind him, holding on to the back of his coat to steady herself. The Ri brothers were behind her followed by Fili and Kili and the rest.

From behind Fili suddenly yelled out a warning. Bilba turned to see him looking up. She followed his gaze and saw, to her horror, a giant boulder hurtling straight toward them. Her mind was so busy trying to comprehend what a giant rock was doing flying through the air she forgot to duck.

It was Dwalin who grabbed her and forced her down just as the rock shattered against the mountain just over her head. The impact vibrated through her and then giant shards were falling past her face. She cowered, pressing against the mountain.

Balin yelled something from farther back in the line and she risked a look, relieved to see everyone appeared to be accounted for and unharmed.

She peered out into the rain, trying to see what had caused the rock to go flying. Her eyes registered movement and she looked just in time to see a giant rock peel itself right out of the mountain several hundred yards away.

What?

As she watched it rose straight up and now she could see what appeared to be arms and feet and a craggy part on top that might be a head if you squinted.

"Giants!" Bofur shouted, "stone giants!"

Bilba wanted to thank him for pointing out the obvious but was too busy watching the stone...giant...or whatever it was rip a giant boulder right out of the side of a mountain.

It then turned and threw it straight at them.

Bilba screamed, ducking and throwing her arms over her head in a futile effort to protect herself. The boulder sailed over them and she turned to see it just as it impacted with a second giant coming around the corner of the mountain.

The blow knocked it down and the first giant gave a roar as though of triumph.

Bilba didn't see if the second giant got up because suddenly more debris was falling from overhead and she scrambled back against the side of the mountain. The falling rock hit the ledge and pieces began to break away, opening wide gaps in the ledge.

Terror brought a feeling of cold a thousand times worse than the rain and falling night could bring. Bilba felt her heart speed up so fast it was a wonder it didn't burst and her breathing was harsh and ragged, her chest heaving as it struggled to get in enough air.

It couldn't get worse than this, right? It couldn't possibly get worse.

At the head of the line Thorin roared something. Most of what he said was lost in the storm but she caught the word "shelter" and heartily agreed.

It was right about then that the ledge began to split in two.

Bilba watched in terror as the ledge split just behind Ori, Nori and Dori. The gap widened too fast to leap over and suddenly they were separated. Thorin, Bilba, Dwalin and the Ri brothers stood on one side and the rest of the Company on the other.

The ground under her feet vibrated and Bilba dropped lower, grasping at whatever she could to try and keep her balance. Something seemed to pass over her head and she looked up to see a wall of rock cresting over her. Her eyes widened and her breath stopped completely.

She was going to die right here. The rock would collapse on her and no one would even find her body.

She shut her eyes and lowered her head, offering a soundless prayer to Eru for mercy, and waited.

The ground continued to move, lightning and thunder kept crashing and the Company still screamed at one another but no sea of rock crashed down on her head.

Bilba opened her eyes carefully and saw the rock was RISING, not falling.

Oh, her mind supplied dumbly, she understood now. The way the ledge had split, the pile of rock growing taller and taller.

The ledge they'd been standing on had been the legs of a rock giant.

Bilba let out a moan of fear. She actually might have preferred the avalanche of rock, it would have been quicker.

The shelf of rock shifted as the giant stood up and she tried to cling to it, her fingers slipping on the rain soaked stone.

The giant took one step and Bilba saw the first giant again moving forward. It head butted the one they were on and suddenly the giant was spinning backward. Bilba screamed as the world rushed past her, pain pelting her face like small knives and wind rushing past with a great roar. Her stomach lurched with vertigo and she nearly threw up at the mad spinning.

A massive jolt vibrated through her body, so hard it made her teeth clack. Thorin began screaming something and she saw the giant had hit against a solid portion of the mountain. Thorin had already leapt to solid ground, so to speak, and Bilba scrambled to follow. She ran the few feet and jumped through the air, trying to clear the small gap already appearing as the giant continued its spin.

Strong arms caught her around the waist. Thorin swung her to safety and then turned immediately to help the Ri brothers get over. Ori barely made it as the giant regained its footing and moved to smash a fist into the first giant's face, shattering its head and knocked it back against the mountain.

The rest of the Company desperately tried to hang on through the movement. If only the giant would get near the mountain again they could leap off.

Another giant appeared and she felt her heart sink at the sight of the giant boulder in its hand. The giant with the Company on its knees hadn't noticed and Bilba found herself screaming out a warning, hoping desperately to protect the giant and, subsequently, her friends.

The giant turned, only to be met by the boulder thrown by the new giant. Its head exploded, part of it slamming into the mountain over their head and forcing them to duck again to avoid the debris.

Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. A series of scenes that would be burned into her memory the rest of her life.

The giant began to go down, spinning slowly to fall on its back.

It would fall straight down, taking her friends with it.

Bilba could see it, knew the outcome and knew there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

"No," she whispered, "please no."

It seemed as though all the sound went away making it deathly quiet, or perhaps she was just so focused she couldn't hear anything.

Fili grabbed Kili and shoved him against the wall of the giant's leg, wrapping his arms around him. Bombur grabbed his brother and cousin, squatting down and pulling them close. Gloin and Oin both pressed against the Princes, buttressing them with their own bodies as best they could. Balin simply stood still, looking up toward them. She would realize later he was looking at his brother, holding eye contact until the very end.

And then they were gone.