Saphira helped cut the dwarves free from their bindings and made sure none were hurt. She put her bow on her back and turned to head back to the campsite to grab her sword when she was stopped by Thorin.
"Where did you get that bow?" He asked curiously.
Saphira looked at him in surprise. "You didn't hear my reply I gave the trolls?"
"I think there's more to that story then what you've said," Thorin continued. "Where did you get that bow?"
Saphira rolled her eyes. "Thorin, if I told you would you even believe me?"
Thorin frowned. "Of course I…"
"I don't think you would," Saphira said, interrupting Thorin. He growls irritably. "Until you learn to trust me, Thorin Oakenshield the mystery of this bow will remain hidden."
Saphira walks past the dwarf and back to the campsite. She felt the dwarf's eyes on her back as she walked. She found Alastor standing by the old home looking at her kindly.
"You rescued them I hear," He said bluntly.
Saphira nodded, grabbing her bag. "They were a bit startled about this bow, and now Thorin is trying to source out information about it."
"Your time will come Saphira, remember that," Alastor said, turning and walking off.
Saphira stood up with a frown. "Where are you going?"
Alastor halted and turned his head to look at her. "Home. There's an orc pack coming," He replied gently. "The ponies are likely to bolt and it wouldn't be fair if I stayed behind."
Saphira was genuinely surprised by the news. "Okay, I shall see you when this quest is done. Safe journeys my friend."
Alastor nodded and cantered into the forest. Saphira looked on longingly and turned to walked back to the dwarves with her sword. She finds them gathered in some underbrush chatting away.
"Hey Saphira!" Ori said cheerfully. "Thank you for saving us!"
Saphira smiled. "You're very welcome young dwarf," She replied gently.
"And that is a very impressive bow you have there," Balin compliments. "You easily outmatch an elf with that."
"Oh I definitely could," She chuckled. Saphira looked around, noticing a few dwarves and a wizard missing. "Where did Thorin and Gandalf go?"
"Oh they went to inspect a troll cave," Dori replied. "I don't know why, but it was Thorin's idea."
"What was my idea?" Thorin asked, walking over with a new sword in his hand.
Saphira chuckled softly. "Your friends were just telling me where you were," She said.
"How thoughtful of them," Thorin said sarcastically. "Where's Alastor?"
"With the ponies for now," She replied bluntly. "He can take care of himself if you were worried about him."
"He is your mount," Thorin states.
Saphira rolled her eyes and walked away.
They soon hear twigs snapping and everyone jumps into action. Saphira took her sword from its sheath, ready to fight. Thorin immediately noticed the design of her weapon but says nothing it as he, Gandalf and the dwarves ran towards the sound. Saphira ran with them.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" A shout came, and a rather, strange old wizard on a sleigh pulled by rather large rabbits appeared.
"Radagast," Gandalf said in relief. "Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you Gandalf," Radagast replied, gesturing towards the wizard with his hands. "Something's wrong, something is terribly wrong."
"Yes?"
Saphira puts her sword away as Radagast raised his finger to say something, then pauses as if he had forgotten his tongue. Then again, and pauses again. Saphira couldn't help but chuckle, he definitely didn't seem as smart as Gandalf.
"Just give me a minute," Radagast reassured hurriedly. "Oh! I had the thought and now I lost it! It was right there on the tip of my tongue!" Then the wizard gasped and muttered something before opening his mouth and Gandalf pulled a stick insect out.
Saphira wasn't pleased and she heard the dwarves around her murmuring. Gandalf gestured for the wizard to come over and talk in private. Saphira sighed and looked down at the rabbits. She knelt down at their level and began to pet them.
"Hello little bunnies," She said to them childishly. "You are so cute, yes you are."
"Really?" Saphira looked up in surprise to see Thorin. "Why are you talking like that?"
Saphira rose and eyebrow. "Because I can, and they are animals," She replied, crossing her legs and a rabbit jumps into her lap.
"I never heard you talk that way to Alastor," He continued roughly.
Saphira rolled her eyes. "He's an adult unicorn," She groaned. "Besides, I do talk to the foals like this. There are occasions where I have talked to the unicorns that way."
Thorin blinked in surprise. "You've met more unicorns?"
Saphira realized she had said too much. "Uh…yes I have," She stammers. "But I'm not going to tell you where to find them. Oh no, poaching for their horns is not in my best interest."
"I'm not asking for their location," Thorin growled. "You are strange girl, very strange indeed."
Saphira ignored Thorin, turning her attention to petting and cooing the rabbit in her lap. Thorin grunts and walks away, she sensed a shake of a head as well. They all jump when they hear a loud howl, and the rabbit in Saphira's lap jumped out in fright.
Saphira stood up, grabbing out her sword.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked, clearly alarmed. "Are there wolves out there?"
"Wolves, no that is not a wolf," Bofur replied, looking around ready to fight with his axe.
They hear a growl and turn to see a warg. It lunged forward, trying to pounce on one of the dwarves when Thorin hits it and sliced the warg's neck. A warg appeared from the other side, stalking as Thorin struggled to get out his sword from the warg's flesh in time.
"Kili! Get your bow!" Thorin yelled.
The young dwarf armed his bow quickly and shot the warg's shoulder when it pounced. It fell in between the group and Dwalin killed it before anyone out.
Thorin finally yanks his sword from the warg's flesh. "Warg scouts! That means an orc pack is not far behind."
"Orc pack!" Bilbo exclaimed nervously.
"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf demands firmly, walking towards the dwarf.
"No one," Thorin replied.
"Who did you tell?!"
"No one I swear!" Thorin insisted. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted," Gandalf replied firmly.
That wasn't good. Saphira began to think they were being watched by someone, or these orcs have been stalking them for a while.
"We have to get out of here," Dwalin said urgently.
"We can't, we have no ponies!" Ori yells, Bilbo gasped and paced nervously. "They and Alastor have bolted."
"I'll draw them off," Radagast said confidently.
"These are Gundabad wargs, they will outrun you," Gandalf told the wizard, turning to look at him.
"These are Rhosgobel rabbits," Radagast replied confidently, making everyone look at him in surprise and uncertainty. "I'd like to see them try."
Saphira chuckled softly at his confidence as the wizard gets back on the sleigh as the howls grew louder.
"What a strange wizard," Saphira states, as the company starts to run.
Everyone followed Gandalf out of the trees as Radagast lead the pack away from them. They hide behind a rock while Gandalf checks for a clear run. It took a few minutes before Gandalf ran again.
"Come on!" Gandalf commands.
Just one of the few things no needed telling twice. They ran a few more metres until they spotted Radagast and had to hide against some more boulders. Saphira growled and rolled her eyes irritably. He was seriously going to let the orcs find out should he keep showing up in front of them.
"Stay together," Gandalf said softly, gesturing to move again.
If only she could just change right now, Saphira would have those orcs running for their lives when she rains fire and ice down from the sky. She had no idea what the right time actually was. Perhaps when they reach the mountain. Thorin takes the lead soon and they have to halt again when he sees Radagast. He pulls Ori back who failed to stop in time. They waited until Gandalf instructs them to go whatever direction he was taking them.
"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asks suspiciously, now realizing this was a route.
Saphira was curious about this too. She had to think silently about this until they ran to hide against another boulder. This time, they were in trouble. An orc and warg leaped on top of the boulder and began to sniff the air. Thorin looks to Kili and gestures towards the bow for him to shoot. Saphira was about to say no when Kili jumps out and shoots the warg. The warg screeches loudly with an impaled leg, loud enough for the orcs to hear. It lost its footing and fell in front of the company. The dwarves quickly kill the orc and warg, but it was too late.
They all hear the howls again coming towards them. Saphira shook her head, very displeased by the choice Thorin had made.
"Move! Run!" Gandalf barks, turning to run towards some pine trees.
Saphira glanced over her shoulder, seeing the wargs and orcs gaining on them quickly. Grabbing her bow, she quickly arms it, aims it at the first warg she sees and fires it. She didn't have to look to know it will hit the warg. The dwarves glance back in surprise when they hear a warg cry loudly and they saw it falling to the ground. She arms her bow again when they spot a group trying to cut them off.
"There they are!" Gloin shouts, pointing towards the pack.
"This way!" Gandalf yells, gesturing with his hand. "Quickly!"
Saphira groaned, shooting another arrow this time at the group in front of them and ran after the company. They continued running until they came into a clearing with a very odd boulder. They all quickly notice the orcs surrounding them and the group ready themselves to fight. Saphira arms her bow, not noticing the wizard disappearing.
"There's more coming!" Kili yells, glancing at the wargs behind him.
Saphira fires two arrows this time, one hitting a warg and the other the orc. The dwarves were still impressed, but had little time to compliment.
"Where is Gandalf?" Ori asks loudly noticing the wizard's absence.
"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin growled.
The dwarves group up, glaring at the orcs and wargs as they stalked towards them. Saphira felt a pinch of magic, but couldn't fathom where it was coming from.
"This way you fools!" Gandalf yells from behind the company.
Saphira sprints over, but doesn't jump down yet. She fires several more shots at the orcs as the dwarves slid down, one-by-one along with Bilbo. Saphira soon jumps in after Thorin calls Kili over and waits for them. When the dwarves jump down, they prepare to fight again when they hear loud horns, the sound of bows and hooves. Everyone listened to the sound of the arrows flying and orcs screeching as they were attacked by a group of beings. An orc is soon hit and the force was strong enough to send it rolling down in front of the company. Thorin bends down and pulls out the arrow.
"Elves!" He said in disgust, throwing the arrow back down.
Saphira smiled, the elves most definitely did help them this time. It's been some years since she's had any conversation with an elf. The last elf she talked to was blonde, and was a prince of a forest. She couldn't quite remember his name though.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin calls after checking the path. "Do we follow it or no?"
"Follow it of course!" Bofur replied eagerly.
The dwarves walked the path eagerly and Saphira could definitely feel the magic coming from down the path.
"I think that would be wise," Gandalf said softly.
Both Saphira and Bilbo caught the words and looked at Gandalf curiously. Saphira widened her eyes when she put it all together. They were going to see the elves.
