Previously

"What about your family?" asked Kili, before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted it. Eve made a choking sound, and turned away from him. He had to strain his ears to hear her whisper,

"They're dead."

Chapter 3. Apologies And Injuries

The dwarves climbed onto their horses, and Bilbo looked tiny on top of his little pony. Gandalf sat on a big brown stallion, checking the camp to make sure you couldn't have guessed they had been there. Eve stood in the middle of the group, tying the last few items to her bag. She heard a horse trot up behind her, and saw Kili sitting on top. He smiled at her, but she turned her head away, thinking of their earlier conversation. She didn't see the look of disappointment evident on his face. "Are you ready Eve?" he asked her, climbing off Daisy. She nodded, putting her pack on Myrtle's back. He came over and gently pushed her away from Myrtle, tying the pack on himself.

"I can do it myself…" she objected, but stopped when she saw his expression. "Kili?" He turned to her, with a sad smile.

"I'm really sorry Eve, about what I said earlier. I wasn't thinking." She was surprised; after all, she hadn't expected an apology. She smiled mischievously.

"DO dwarves think?" Kili looked at her, slightly offended, then realised she was joking.

"I guess that depends on what they are thinking of." He replied slyly. She blushed, and was about to retort, when Balin rode over to them.

"Hurry up," he said disapprovingly. "We haven't got all day."

Kili jumped onto Daisy and held out his hand to her. Grasping it, she swung herself up behind him, holding on tight around his waist. He looked over his shoulder at her, grinning.

"I'm not going to let you fall, you know." She blushed again, loosening her grip slightly. He turned back towards the front, so she couldn't see the smile that lit up his face, and they trotted after the others.

Kili rode up next to his brother. Fili was ridding Bungo, a black horse with a silvery mane. Fili looked at him, then at Eve, then back at him, his eyebrows raised. Kili smirked, and looked down at the hands holding tight to his waist.

"Is she asleep?" Fili asked him, noticing Eve had her head lying against his brothers back. Kili nodded.

"I'm not surprised, she had enough adventure last night to last her a while." He replied.

"Kili…" Fili began. "You aren't starting to-"He stopped abruptly at the sharp look from Kili.

"Not the place nor the time brother." He growled. Fili smiled, his question answered by Kili's reaction. They rode on in silence, until there was a shout from the front.

"Stop! We shall camp here for the night." Kili looked around, not realising how dark it had got. They had reached a glade, and were sheltered from the wind. He felt Eve stir behind him, and he grabbed hold of her hands with one of his, so she didn't fall off. She sat up, yawning, and whispered in his ear,

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"We are going to camp here tonight." He replied, climbing off Daisy, and holding out his hand for her. Eve took it and slid off, landing unsteadily, and Kili grabbed her shoulders. She looked up gratefully, but the look of concern on his face remained.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his hands still gripping her shoulders.

"I am, honest." She replied. "Just tired, that's all." He reluctantly let go of her, and turned away to tie Daisy up.

There was a crash behind them, and something came whizzing through the undergrowth. On it was a very odd-looking man in brown robes that looked like they had been woven from twigs and branches. A band of rabbits were hooked up to the sled the man rode.

"Radagast!" Gandalf said, smiling, walking over to the wizard.

"Oh, dear, Gandalf! Something has happened. Something terrible has happened!" Radagast babbled, shaking his hands.

"Yes?" Gandalf asked.

Radagast opened his mouth but froze. He then opened his mouth again but closed it just as quickly. "Oh, the thought was there, on the tip of my tongue. It's just – oh, it's not a thought of all," he said, suddenly sounding very strange. Radagast stuck out his tongue for Gandalf to delicately take a bug out of his mouth. "Stick insect!" the wizard said happily. Kili wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Gandalf led him away from the group, and the more Radagast chatted, the graver Gandalf's face became. Radagast pulled something out of his cloak that was wrapped in a dark cloth. Kili looked over; trying to see it, but Gandalf had turned his back to them.

Kili grabbed his bow, running his hand along the soft wood. He aimed a few shots at a tree, hitting a knot on the bark. He turned, noticing Eve watching him, obviously impressed. He winked at her, and shot an apple that Bombur was about to take a bite out of. She burst out laughing as Bombur looked up in shock. He tightened his grip on his bow as he heard a distant growl. "That better just be a wolf." he murmured.

"That is no wolf," Bofur shouted, pulling his hammer out.

Suddenly another snarl pierced the clearing. Kili whipped his head around to see a Warg leap over him in an effort to reach Eve. She jumped to the side, but the Warg slashed her leg as it landed. Dwalin, Bofur, and Thorin immediately jumped into action, hacking at the vile creature. Kili was about to run over to Eve, when he noticed another one hiding behind the trees and eyeing his uncle, Kili swiftly drew the bowstring back and fired right before the Warg reached Thorin; it fell and skidded to a stop right in front of him.

Kili ran to Eve, who was struggling to get up. He looked up at her, silently asking if it was ok to check the wound, and she nodded. He peeled away the cloth covering the wound on her calf, and examined it. It wasn't too deep, but it would take a while to heal. Ori came over with some medical supplies, and they bound it, Kili trying to tune out the gasps of pain Eve made every time he touched the cut. She tried to get up, but went white as a sheet, and passed out. He caught her, and lay her down again.

"A scout," his uncle hissed, looking at the dead Warg. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Gandalf was back, standing next to Gloin, looking at Eve and then Thorin.

"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin," he demanded.

"No one!" Thorin answered.

"Who did you tell?" the wizard yelled again, apparently not satisfied with the answer.

"No one! I swear!" Thorin replied angrily. He looked around before asking Gandalf, "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted."

Dori ran towards them, skidding down a slope.

"Th-the horses! They're gone!" He cried. The dwarves all groaned.

"The pack is getting closer, Thorin." Gandalf said, "We are wasting time!"

"We must move, now." Thorin shouted.

Kili looked up in shock, glancing between the wizard and his uncle.

"But, what about Eve? She can't walk, and we have no horses! We can't just leave her!" Thorin glared at Eve, as though wishing he had been more adamant about her not coming.

"We need to leave, now! If she cannot walk…" he broke off, as Kili lifted Eve over his shoulder. She was light, and Kili knew he would be able to keep up. They grabbed the packs, and were about to leave when Radagast ran over to them.

"I'll draw them off!" He prattled, climbing on his rabbit drawn sled. "Nothing can outrun Rhosgobel Rabbits!" He sped off, and the company stared at him for a moment, before Gandalf called them to their senses.

"Let's go." He said.

Kili was holding his bow, with an arrow drawn. Fili had taken Eve for now, as his uncle had demanded Kili be ready to shoot. They were standing behind some boulders, checking to see if the coast was clear, before running across the wide plain to another rocky outcrop. Radagast was leading the Orcs away for now, so they risked it. They reached the boulders, and Thorin stopped suddenly. Ori nearly ran past him, but Thorin grabbed his back, pulling him back. The Orcs were in front of them! They pressed themselves against the rock, trying to hide. Suddenly, there was growling, too near for the pack of Wargs, and Kili realized there was an Orc above them. He ran out from the protection of the rocks, and shot the Warg. It wasn't his best shot, and the Orc raised a horn to its mouth, so he shot it again. It crashed down in front of them, and the others finished it off. Looking behind him, Kili saw that they were surrounded.

"Where's Gandalf?" cried Bilbo, looking around in terror.

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin growled, as Kili shot one of the Orcs. He readied his bow, aiming at the closest Warg as he heard the wizard call, "This way you fools!" There was a small tunnel behind one of the boulders, and one by one, the dwarves went through. Naturally, Bombur got stuck, and it took Bofur pulling and Dwalin pushing him to get him in. Meanwhile, Kili was keeping the Orcs at bay, and he checked to see if Eve was okay. He saw Fili carry her down, and he felt a pang of guilt. If he had shot that Warg, she wouldn't be hurt. He heard Thorin calling him, and realized he was the last one out. He quickly turned and jumped down the hole. They were in a cave, and there was a passage leading to Durin knows where on the opposite wall. There was the sound of a horn blowing, and a few moments later, a dead Orc rolled down and landed in front of Balin.

Bofur went to look down the passage.

"Do we follow it?" he asked.

"Of course!" replied Dwalin; and the company made their way along the tunnel.

A/N Sorry this isn't a very good chapter... I haven't seen the Hobbit for a while, so I'm finding it difficult to remember what happened. I know I changed the horses bit; it was mostly an accident leaving them in the previous chapter. I promise it will get better!

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