Thanks again for all your support :) Sorry for the wait,but I think this chapter was worth it,even though part of it is quite sad.

The Witch of the North

The Company had been riding for what seemed like days,when in truth it had only been hours,across open plains and rolling hills in the baking hot sun.

"I wish it would rain,hail or snow even!Anything to get out of this god-forsaken heat!" Fili complained as he and Kili tossed a water skin between them.

"Careful what you wish for" Rina warned,a sparkle of mischief appearing in her eyes,so similar to that of Naule's silvery-blue.

The wolf in question looked at the brothers with what looked like a grin,showing a set of razor-sharp teeth. It was as if he had the same idea as Rina,oh how they would get a surprise later...

Kili eyed the large wolf warily,"I swear that thing understands everything going on" he commented,edging away from Naule when the wolf growled at him.

Fili and Rina laughed,"Of course he understands,it's not like he's stupid!" the woman exclaimed,almost appalled by how the prince still thought of her companion as a mere beast,"Unlike some people" she smirked,saying the last part in a hushed tone.

Fili had another round of laughter,hearing the snide remark and nearly toppled off his pony. Sadly,his brother also heard the remark.

"Now now,don't forget whose of higher rank" Kili teased,speaking quietly and using his and Fili's status as leverage against her.

Rina gaped at him offended,but then flicked her hair out of her eyes before scoffing,"Deepest apologies,my prince" she replied,sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Hmm" Kili hummed in thought before a smirk stretched across his handsome face,"Apology accepted,and I do like this 'my prince' thing you've started,I must insist you keep calling me that"

"Well played brother"Fili praised.

Rina fixed him with a glare that could melt solid rock,but she was cut off before she could retort,"Best you don't Lass" Balin's voice called back to them,"It would make young Kili think above his station"

That comment caused the dwarf to splutter and scoff,as well as mumble incoherant things under his breath before retreating into silence.

The night's chill began to settle in the air as the fifteen companions sheltered rocky outcrop. Thorin halted his pony,looking around and listening before deeming the area safe before calling out loud enough for everyone to hear,"We shall stop and rest here for the night"

The dwarves sighed happily at the declaration,glad to have a well earned rest and a chance to cool down after the scorching heat of the day. After tying the ponies to a fallen tree nearby,they settled themselves around the rocks and took the time to sleep or just enjoy being off their ponies' backs.

Rina took the time to take off Naule's saddle of his back and removed the bags he carried. There was no need to remove the bit or bridle due to the fact that there was none to start with. The massive wolf knew where to go and how to behave.

After being freed of the bags,the wolf rolled his massive shoulders before licking Rina's face and wandering to a large boulder nearby. Naule sat on his haunches,facing the boulder before holding up a large paw and began sharpening his claws on the smooth rock.

Rina smiled before gathering the bags in one place before settling against a rock face,near the Oakenshield brothers with Naule's saddle beside her.

"How did you manage to get a saddle for a wolf?" a curious voice asked.

The Ranger/witch (not that they knew that yet) smiled up at the curious hobbit tracing the designs on the black leather.

"A friend in Rohan" she replied,"Though it took some persuasion,I managed to convince him to take Naule's measurements and fashion a saddle large and strong enough to fit"

"He must of been a brave fellow" Bilbo said,glancing at the wolf still sharpening his claws on the rock.

Rina nodded,"He was" she confirmed,"After all,Naule's not a tame wolf"

That caused Bilbo,Fili and Kili to look up abruptly and glanced warily at Naule as he finished sharpening his claws and padded towards the four of them.

Bilbo gave way to the beast as he layed down beside Rina and placed his great head on the woman's lap. The wolf's gaze flickered to Kili before purposely turning away. It seemed like the two shared a mutual dislike.

Not five minutes later after Bilbo left to tend to his pony,a loud howl echoed through the air,waking every sleeping dwarf with a start. Naule leaped to his paws,facing the surrounding area before growling,searching for any intruders and sniffing the air for any unwanted visitors nearby.

"Uh, what, uh, what was that?" Bilbo asked nervously as he turned away from Myrtle,his pony, with the half eaten apple he was secretly feeding her still held in his hand.

"The call of a Warg" Kili said, his keen eyes looking around the landscape for any sign of enemies that the large wolf may have missed.

"Wargs?" Bilbo gulped,swallowing heavily before approaching the brothers and ranger.

"Oh yes. The low lands are crawling with them" Fili answered,both his face and voice void of any traces of sleep.

"They always attack at night. Its easier you see, for them to sneak in to a camp and devour all who lay within it" Kili said,his chocolate brown eyes regarding the hobbit and ranger with weight of seriousness.

"They crave the taste of flesh you see. They lay in wait to pounce on tasty morsels" Fili continued.

Rina fought to suppress a shiver that ran down her spine as an unpleasant memory resurfaced. If her memory served right,there was a pack of wargs being ridden by orcs when she and other rangers had been ambushed. She clearly remembered one of the foul creatures sinking it's teeth into her father. . . she quickly blinked away tears that threatened to surface,she couldn't afford to cry and show weakness.

"You think that's funny do you?" Thorin growled as he rounded on his nephews,"You think its funny, the notion of being butchered by wargs and orcs? You think its funny to torment someone who has never experienced such devastation and bloodshed when you have hardly stepped foot out of my halls yourself?"

"Sorry sir,we did not mean anything by it" Kili apologized quietly.

Thorin shook his head and stalked off,"You know nothing of the world" he turned his back on them as Fili and Kili hung their heads in shame with a look of guilt on their faces.

"Don't worry about him lad" Balin smiled kindly at the dark haired dwarf, "Thorin Oakenshield has more cause than most to hate wargs"

"What happened?" Rina asked curiously as she sat back against Naule,who slunk back to them and layed down behind Rina.

"It was when a legion of orcs attacked and devastated our stronghold of Moria" the elderly dwarf began,"We fought bravely all hours that the day provided, fought beside our King, Thorin's father. The battlefield was stained with blood and both sides were running thin, until he arrived. Azog the Defiler, the pale orc. A brute standing higher than the tallest of men, and thicker too, astride a massive white warg"

Kili's eyes widened a fraction before sneaking a look at the massive wold behind Rina. A wolf of silver,a warg of white. . .coincidence?Or unfortunate family resemblance?

He pondered the thought for a moment before being dragged back to reality by Balin continuing the tale,"The pale orc vowed to wipe out the line of Durin . . . and he started by removing the king's head" a quiet gasp escaped the woman,"Ravaged by grief Thorin fought the beast, using only a broken branch as a shield. He wounded Azog and sent him fleeing back to the hole he came from. It was new lease of life for our troops, and we came out victorious, but we had no cause for celebration for our number of slain matched that of the enemy. And that's when we saw him. . ." Balin looked at Thorin's silhouette at the edge of the rocks,". . . a blood stained prince, reclaiming a city and bringing his people together. That was when we knew we would follow him to the end, and we had found someone we were proud to call our King"he finished.

The entire Company that woke and listened to the story sat in stunned silence,watching silhouette of Thorin who stood broodingly as he looked out at the horizon.

"All of you,get some rest" Thorin commanded softly,keeping that certain memory at bay.

A group of at least a dozen Men glad in grey,brown and green cloaks traveled silently through the forests near the root of the mountains. Each one was armed with either bows,spears or swords and moved together quickly through the trees,appearing invisible within the thick foliage.

"Adar,why must we always travel?" a young girl,barely older than a child asked,tugging on the cloak of one of the Men. The young one,like her older companions,was cloaked and hooded,as well as armed with one long knife.

"Because,my daughter," the elder said,resting a hand on the girls shoulder,"It is our duty,as Dunedain Rangers to patrol our northern lands and defeat any enemies we come across"

The girl's brow furrowed,"But Adar,if we patrol the lands to the north,what are we doing this far south?"

The elder man smiled at his child's questions,"Not all enemies stay in one place. . ."

Just as he said that,one of the rangers up ahead cried out in alarm,"Ambush!" before a sword was thrust into his gut,spilling his life force on the grass below. The orc who had slaughtered him grinned evilly at his comrades,issuing the order for the ambush to begin.

The others who had heard the warning drew their weapons an readied their arrows,forming a circle facing the outside,waiting for an attack at a moment's notice. No sooner had they done so had the attack started.

Out of the bushes leapt a monstrous beast with a putrid orc on it's back. They were followed quickly by others leaping at the rangers from all sides. Blades from both sides clashed an arrows flew through the air,aiming true as they hit their target.

Though they were outnumbered,the rangers fought valiantly,slaying and beheading any enemies that came at them. The father and daughter fought side by side,with the elder man cutting down any orcs that came within five feet from his daughter as well as any near himself. Despite being so young,the girl was holding her own surprisingly well and fending for herself,dodging and slipping in between the orcs in a flash,catching their unawares.

Having the advantage of surprise,the orcs were able to cut down their opponents,though having much trouble. One by one,each ranger fell,each death seeming more gruesome than the last.

When it was only ten orcs and their mounts against the leader of the rangers and his daughter,the battle seemed lost,even though the pair still battled on with their hearts thudding so hard it seemed ready to jump out of their chests.

The fight was ended when the largest warg lunged at the leader,sinking it's teeth into his flesh. The orcs grinned hideously at each other before running off,leaving the leader of the pack to deal with the remaining two.

An ear-spitting scream of despair tore from the young girls as the warg turned it's head away from it's latest kill,baring it's teeth at the girl and showing the red stain of her father's blood on it's huge fangs. She shook with anger and grasped the hilt of her only weapon tightly,intending to run the savage beast through. A howl sounded in the distance and the warg whipped it's head to where it came from before snarling once more at the girl before bounding off.

Another agonized scream came from the girl as she threw down her weapon and raced to her father's side. The ground all around them was stained crimson by the blood of the rangers that died that day. Tears poured freely down her face as she held onto her father.

"Adar!Don't go!Don't leave me like Mother did!" she pleaded as the man's breathing got shallower and shallower.

"Do. . .not cry. . . dear one" her father said,lifting a shaky hand in an attempt to wipe away the child's tears as more blood poured from his wound,"You. . .are stronger. . . than that"

"Adar. . ." she sobbed,clinging to tightly to her father. In her despair,she failed to notice as dark clouds rolled in as rain began to fall,cleansing the crimson stains on the ground and mixing with the girl's tears. Lightning lit up the sky,followed by a clap of thunder.

"Hush dear one. . ." her father murmured,willing himself to hold on for a few moments longer,"My time. . . is almost up" he hugged his daughter to him,allowing her to cry freely,"Do not fret. . . I shall give your love to. . . your mother. . . shall I?"another sob escaped the poor girl as she clung on to the dying man,"Promise you will. . .stay. . . strong. . .make me proud. . .we will always. . . love you,Rina" and with that,the ranger's breath faded and he ceased all movement.

"I promise" she whispered,sobbing when all sign of life exited her father's eyes,"Adar,Adar no!" Rina cried,choking sobs escaping her every now and then as she continued to plead for him to come back,"Please Father,don't leave me!Adar!Don't go!You promised you wouldn't leave like Mother!You promised!"

"Adar!" Rina cried,her forehead covered in cold sweat and her heart beated wildly. When she tried to move she found herself being restrained and out of instinct,attempted to fight whoever it was off.

"Hey,hey!Calm down,it's just me!"

Rina stopped moving,recognizing Kili's hushed voice,so not to wake the others. When she turned her head,she found herself peering into the dwarven prince's dark eyes that held a look of concern.

"Oh,sorry" she apologized,her heart still beating fast from her dream then blushing when she realized he had wrapped a strong arm around her waist and had pulled her against his chest to restrain her when she had panicked.

"It's fine,it was just a dream" he soothed,coaxing her to relax before releasing his hold on her and resuming his previous position keeping watch.

She found herself missing Kili's warmth,finding it relief from the night's chill but didn't object,instead opting to burrow further against Naule's thick fur.

"It wasn't a dream" she sighed softly,"It was a nightmare"

Kili fixed his dark eyes on her lithe frame once again,"Nightmare?Or memory?"

Rina remained silent. To that she couldn't bring herself to answer. The pain was still to much to bear,she had to stay strong.

She promised.

I hope that was worth the short wait,but the sad part didn't turn out as well as I'd hope :( but it had a tiny bit of fluff at the end :) Please keep reviewing!

-MidnightRaven323