A/N ... Just a quick single chapter update

Beasttamer99 - You're going to have to keep reading to find out, won't you?

Hidden Beneath

Chapter 4

Kili ran through his kinsmen, cutting them loose with the throwing knife he had been provided by Valisilwen when she had dragged him away from the trolls. He then freed the five on the spit over the fire as Bilbo doused the flames beneath them.

Once completed he looked to the Lady Ranger, she stood before the troll statues, seeming to take great interest in them. He walked over to join her, looking up at them.

"Yes, Kili?" she asked without even looking away from the trolls. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, not sure how she had known it was him.

"Uh, your throwing knife," he said holding out the small weapon. "My lady," he added quickly, as an after thought. He saw her balk suddenly, looking down and glaring at him.

"Do not call me that." She took the knife from his hand, putting it back into a harness that ran along the outside of her right thigh. "Thank you."

"Apologies," he murmured, taken aback by her reaction. She turned back to look at the trolls again. "Is something on your mind, Valisilwen?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked down at the dwarf again, he felt his cheeks beginning to heat as her two tone gaze fell upon him. "Just thinking about how curious it is," she answered looking back to the trolls. He took a deep breath subtly, trying to calm his nerves.

"What is curious?"

"I've not seen trolls this far south in a long time," she answered as Gandalf and Thorin joined her, drawing her attention to the pair.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors," Gandalf commented looking to the three trolls statues as well, with a frown on his face.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked as Gandalf poked one with his staff.

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Kili glanced at Valisilwen and saw her and Gandalf exchange a meaningful look. Clearly there was something further to this subject he knew nothing about. "They could not have moved in daylight."

Thorin furrowed his brow looking between Gandalf and Valisilwen before a look of recognition embraced his features. "There must be a cave nearby!" He began looking around, nudging Kili and directing him away from the Lady Ranger.

Valisilwen, took a look around the ground and soon spotted what she was looking for. Troll tracks. She looked up from the ground where she had found the troll's tracks and could make out where they had come from, beginning to follow the disturbed ground. The stench was very pungent now, they were very close to the cave.

"There," she said motioning to the cave opening just hidden in the side of the rocks. She stood aside as the dwarves and Bilbo hurried inside. Troll caves were usually filled with a lot of hoarded treasures and weapons, which would explain why all the dwarves were so eager to find it.

Kili stopped at the entrance with his brother and looked back to her. "Aren't you coming inside? There's sure to be a lot of treasure in here."

"Trinkets are of no use to me," she answered curtly. It was true, she had no use for them, she kept only enough money on her to purchase supplies or repairs. She looked away from the two dwarves and crouched beside the rock formation, keeping watch on their surrounds. She saw Fili drag Kili into the cave.

She let go of the breath that she had been holding. The troll stench was rancid, it was giving her a headache due to her heightened senses. She tried to breathe from her mouth, but she could still taste it. If she lingered too long, she might actually be sick. She leant her back against the rocks, her face upwards, hoping to catch a cool breeze or at least a little less stench.

"Valisilwen?" came Bilbo's voice, laced with concern. She opened her eyes and looked down to the hobbit. His face was writ with the same concern that she had heard in his voice. "Are you well?"

"The stench is a little overpowering, if I'm honest," she replied with a small smile. She noticed he now had a blade at his side. "What have you got there?"

He looked down at the blade in it's sheathe by his side. "Oh, this? I found it. Gandalf said I could keep it."

She motioned for him to show it to her. He pulled it carefully from the sheathe, before handing it to her with even more care. She took it and looked it over. It was an Elven blade, a dagger to them, but would serve well as a small sword for Bilbo. "It is impressive, Bilbo. We shall have to teach you to use it at some point."

"Would you?" he asked eagerly. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at his eagerness. "I mean, if you had the time."

She gave a small smile. "I'm sure we can manage to teach you a little." Bilbo smiled bashfully, amusing Valisilwen as his ears seemed to go slightly pink.

The dwarves and wizard started exiting the cave. Gandalf walked towards her, a sword in his hand, as had Thorin. "Quite a stash?" she asked. Before Gandalf could answer, Valisilwen's ears picked up the sound of something large and fast headed their way. "Something is coming!"

"Stay together! Hurry now!" Gandalf ordered, ushering the dwarves away. "Arm yourselves. Come Valis!"

She turned and followed the company of dwarves. They had not been running long when she stopped dead, looking off to her right with a puzzled expression. "Radagast?"

A sled pulled by what she recognised to be Rhosgobel Rabbits, appeared, on the sled stood a short and wild looking man clad in brown robes similar to what Gandalf wore.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" he shouted drawing the sled short of the company. Valisilwen rolled her eyes and sighed. Radagast was a wizard, like Gandalf, but possibly a little bit mad. He spent most of his life in Greenwood, rarely associating with anything other than the wild creatures that also called Greenwood home.

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?" Gandalf said, moving hastily towards Radagast who looked around wildly for Gandalf.

"I was looking for you, Gandalf." Radagast stepped off of the sled. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?" Gandalf asked, he began to lead Radagast away from the curious eyes and ears of the dwarves. Valisilwen moved to stand atop the rock formation, crouching so as not to draw too much attention, looking out over the plains that lay between them and their next destination.

She enjoyed the warmth of the sun's rays while she watched over the dwarves and hobbit. Suddenly, she caught a scent on the breeze, it was a familiar scent to her. "Gandalf!" she shouted standing upright and looking over the plains, narrowing her eyes.

oOOo

Bilbo saw the Ranger stand suddenly, turning to look out over the plain as well. "Gandalf!" she shouted, pulling her bow from her back.

There was suddenly a howl off in the distance. Bilbo's eyes went wide. "Wolves? Are there- Are there wolves out there?" he asked, fear evident in his voice, even though he had tried to hide it.

The dwarves were moving into cover, Bofur grabbed Bilbo and dragged him under the rocky crag that Valisilwen stood on. "Wolves? No, that is not a wolf."

Kili drew his bow and knocked an arrow. Unlike his kinsmen, his skill lay in his archery. It was a rare gift among the dwarves. He and Fili looked around the side of the rock formation, in the distance he could make out an Orc pack making their way towards them and quickly.

He was about to call his companions attention to them when he heard a shout coming from above him. He stepped out from cover to investigate, but the cause of the noise soon fell. A Warg had attempted to attack Valisilwen, they both landed on the ground in front of Kili.

"Get off of me!" she growled, before rolling it onto it's back with her atop it. Kili tried to line up a shot, while other dwarves tried to find an open area to strike, but the Lady Ranger drew her dagger quickly, plunging it into the Warg's skull. She looked up from the now still Warg at him, her duel coloured eyes appeared to be shining like they had never before.

She looked behind him, alerting him to another Warg approaching from beside the rock formation. He shot an arrow into it, halting it's charge, however it clambered back to it's feet, only to be killed by Dwalin with a swing of his axe.

"Warg scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind!" Thorin shouted. Dwarves launched into action, readying their weapons

Kili moved to the side of the rock formation again, knocking another arrow, ready to defend against the approaching Orc pack. Gandalf hurried to Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond kin?"

Thorin looked at him incredulously. "No one."

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf demanded. Kili could hear fear in Gandalf's voice.

"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin replied in frustration at Gandalf.

"You are being hunted." Kili looked above him, Valisilwen stood tall behind him, her own bow and arrow ready and aiming. It was an impressive sight to behold. Although they had been travelling for days, she seemed to give off a sweet smell of the forest on a new morning. It was pleasant.

"We have to get out here!" Dwalin shouted, cutting through Kili's sidetracked thoughts.

"We can't,"Ori argued. "We have no ponies, they bolted."

"I'll hold them off," Radagast said, hurrying back to his sled.

"These are Gundabad Wargs; they'll outrun you," Gandalf objected to Radagast's plan.

"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits!" Radagast retorted with a grin. "I would like to see them try."

"He will be fine," Valisilwen called to Gandalf, without taking her eye from the enemy before them. "Not even I can catch a Rhosgobel Rabbit without cunning tricks. Cunning is not something Orcs are renowned for. Good luck, Radagast," she called.

"You too, dear Valis," he replied. Kili was intrigued by the term of endearment used by Radagast towards the Lady Ranger and Gandalf.

Before he could mention it, he felt her yanking him backwards. "Thorin, hide your men against the rock formation, wait for my word." Kili fell on his backside as she took his place, kneeling against the rock formation.

oOOo

The Orc leader and his Wargs searched through the forest for the Company of dwarves. In the next moment, Radagast and his rabbits shot out of the forest, and the Wargs took chase, with Radagast jeering at them as they sprinted away.

"Come and get me! Ha Ha!"

Gandalf watched carefully from behind the rock formation they were using as a hiding place.

"Go!" Valisilwen hissed from in front of him. She stepped aside so they could run by her, while she continued to aim at the Wargs, should they turn and notice the Company making a break for it.

"Come on!" Gandalf led them past and down across the plain. "Stay together."

"Move!" Thorin ordered as they ran. Valisilwen followed up the rear. Thorin stopped behind a rock to ensure they were not seen by the Wargs with the rest of the company, but Ori breaks cover. "Ori, no! Come back!"

"Quick, go!" Valisilwen ordered, pushing them onwards upon her arrival at the rock they hid behind. Thorin caught up to Gandalf, a look of suspicion on his face.

"Where are you leading us?"

Gandalf did not answer, continuing to run after the rest of the dwarves, who took cover within another rock formation in the middle of the plain. Valisilwen took cover at a separate rock formation, a short distance away, hiding as a Warg scout stopped and sniffed the air. The dwarves and Bilbo watched on with apprehension.

She was somewhat exposed, but they could see no fear on her face as she drew a sword carefully and quietly. The Warg scout appeared on the rock above her, but still she waited and did not move. Thorin looked to Kili, who had his bow and arrow ready, nodding.

Kili stepped out from the shadows of the rocky outcrop, shooting the Warg. It fell before Valisilwen, who quickly disposed of rider and Warg. The sound of the struggle carried to the rest of the Orc pack, who stopped chasing Radagast, turning their attention to the screams of their fallen comrade.

"Move!" Gandalf shouted as he heard the Warg Scout leader shout, directing his pack back towards them. "Run!" He ushered Bilbo along, who was beyond terrified.

The company ran, through the grassy plain as Wargs began to surround them on all sides.

"There they are!" Gloin shouted, pointing as they continued to run.

"This way, quickly!" Gandalf directed, motioning towards another rocky outcropping.

"There's more coming!" Kili shouted as they continued running, halting in the clearing before the rock formation.

"Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin shouted. Valisilwen appeared behind one, leaping up behind the Warg rider and driving her sword through it. She reefed it out before knocking the rider off. The Warg reared, trying to shake her off, while Kili fired arrows at the others, killing some riders and wounding Wargs.

Bofur and Nori stood, protecting Bilbo as the Wargs continued to circle them.

Gandalf looked around and saw the rock formation, running toward it before disappearing .

"We're surrounded!" Fili cried as the dwarves formed a circle around Bilbo, while Valisilwen stood before the dwarves, having disposed of several Warg riders and the steeds already, evidence of her work on them splashed on parts of her face and hands.

"Where is Gandalf?" Kili asked as they backed towards the rock formation.

"He has abandoned us!" Dwalin growled, causing Valisilwen to turn her head and glare at him.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin ordered.

"No, down the crevice!" Valisilwen ordered, running past the circle of dwarves, grabbing Bilbo and throwing him ahead of her. He gave a shout as he fell.

"What?" Fili asked incredulously as Bilbo disappeared through the crack. Gandalf's head appeared from where Bilbo had disappeared.

"This way, you fools!"

Thorin motioned for them to follow Bilbo. "Come on, move!" he shouted as Valisilwen took up a position with her bow and arrow beside Kili, shooting arrows at the Wargs and their riders. "Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!"

The dwarves slid down the large crack, sliding into a cave, landing heavily and some landing on their kinsmen. Thorin tailed his men, killing a Warg that got to close, while Kili and Valisilwen shot at another one, both arrows impaling its head and killing it instantly.

"Nine, ten," Gandalf counted as the dwarves continued to slide into the cave. "Come on, you three!"

"Kili, Thorin, go!" Valisilwen shouted, pulling a throwing knife from her thigh and killing a Warg rider with a well aimed throw. Thorin and Kili jump into the crack, just as an Elvish horn sounded in the distance.

Valisilwen grinned as she recognised the group of mounted elves who appeared over the hill. She continued firing her arrows as they approached.

xo

Krayzee