Chapter 8
The reactions varied from confusion to shock to fear on the thirteen dwarves that had no idea what she was.
"The Magi Elf is just a story!" Gloin rebuffed immediately.
Eldona smiled gently at the red haired dwarf. "And where do the stories come from, I wonder? All stories have some truth in them, some base on which stories are told. I have been here since the fall of Sauron, I watched as the human king Isildur failed to toss the ring into the fiery depths of which it came. I have made friends and alliances with most, if not all, of the kingdoms and races of Middle Earth that Valar brought into being. Is it really that farfetched that I am not the Magi Elf?"
"I believe you." Fili spoke up, immediately earning a glare from the older dwarves. But he ignored them. "There is something about you that causes even Tharkun to look to you in times of crisis, and I doubt he does that with any other elf. You are important to not just this quest but also to Middle Earth if Tharkun reacts like that. So, to me I believe that you are in fact the Magi Elf, because I don't know about the rest of you, but I've never heard of an elf to have the ability to shapeshift into a wolf."
The dwarves grumbled their agreement. "And I don't think it should matter anyway. Lady Eldona is a dwarf-friend, Magi Elf or not." Balin reminded them all. They were interrupted by Gandalf whom had grown impatient.
"These trolls couldn't stay in the light."
Eldona looked at him. "There must be a cave nearby."
Thorin nodded. "Everyone spread out and look. Find that cave." He commanded. Soon everyone was looking for it.
Soon they had found it. Eldona scrunched her nose up at the stentch coming from the hole.
"Don't know about you lot, but I'm not stepping a foot closer, let alone inside, of that cave. I have my fill of it right here." Bilbo, Fili, Kili, Dori, Ori, Oin, Bombur, Bifur, and Balin stayed outside with her while Gandalf, Thorin, Dwalin, Bofur, Nori, and Gloin entered the cave. Eldona sat on a large boulder and leaned her head back, allowing the early morning sun rays to shine down on her face.
None of the males watching her would admit it, but they all found her very attractive at that moment when she did that and their eyes rested on her longer then was appropriate.
Eldona then shot up, opening her eyes just as their companions were coming out of the cave.
"Gandalf, something's coming." And a minute later, the others heard it too, the trees and brush moving, something clearly heading their way.
"Everyone get ready!" Thorin roared, raising his new sword at the ready while the others raised their choice of weapons in preparation for anything that would pop out of the trees.
"Stay together! Hurry now! Arm yourselves!" Gandalf ordered at the same time as Thorin.
They all heard the shouting at the same time. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" A brown cloaked man on a sleigh being pulled by rabbits burst out of the trees. Eldona and Gandalf immediately recognized the man.
"Radagast." Gandalf stated. Eldona let a faint smile cross her face, Gandalf and Radagast had been her favorite of the Istari ever since she had been introduced to them and Saruman all of those years ago. "It's Radagast the Brown," Gandalf informed his companions, causing them all to lower their weapons even as they eyed the brown wizard warily. "What on earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked his fellow wizard.
Radagast's whole entire attention turned to Gandalf, not even noticing Eldona standing in the background by the dwarves and hobbit.
"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Somethings wrong. Somethings terribly wrong."
"Yes?"
Radagast opened his mouth to state what it was when he seemed to lose his train of thought when his eyes landed on Eldona. His eyes widened.
"Actually, I need to tell you and Lady Eldona something! Radagast moved past Gandalf to greet the female. Eldona moved forward to meet him. "My lady! It is so good to see you. But I shouldn't have expected anything less! You and Gandalf have been joined at the hip practically for almost 1500 years!"
Eldona smiled and threw an arm around Gandalf, the action seeming natural to all watching.
"Indeed we have, Radagast. Now, what has caused you to seek Gandalf, and by extension, myself out?" Radagast's joyous expression turned serious and frightful once more. Eldona carefully drew Radagast away from the company with Gandalf following close behind and until they were slightly out of earshot of the others.
"Oh. I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue. Oh. It's not a thought at all. It's a silly old…" By this time, Gandalf had pulled the insect from the brown wizard's mouth. "...stick insect." Radagast opened his hand for the insect to be placed there. "The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore. At least, nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worse are the webs." At this, Gandalf whom had been smoking his weed pipe with his back to the other two, turned around to look at Radagast.
"Webs? What do you mean?" Eldona and Gandalf exchanged alarmed glances.
"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."
"Huh? Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned." Eldona protested, not wanting to believe what her friend was implying.
"No, Eldona. 'Tis not." Radagast seemed to be sucked into a nightmare as he remembered what had happened the two days before. "A dark power dwells in there… such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits… of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness… a Necromancer has come."
Eldona gasped loudly and covered her mouth at Radagast's words. Her actions were loud enough for the others of the company to glance over at the two wizards and Eldona but they turned their attention back to their private conversations. Eldona and Gandalf did not want to believe him but what he showed them next, alarmed them and proved that he was telling them the truth.
"Radagast. You're alright now. You're not there anymore." Eldona said, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Try a little Old Toby. It'll help settle your nerves." Radagast held it in, his nerves and muscles relaxing immediately. "And out." the smoke from the pipe went out of his ears and nose. Perci knew that if this wasn't a very serious, very dark matter, she would have made a joke or laughed, but now was not the time. "Now, a Necromancer. Are you sure?"
Radagast didn't say anything as he produced a sword wrapped several times in a thick cloth and tied in several places. Gandalf began to unwrap it around the hilt of the sword, and when it was revealed both Gandalf and Eldona locked eyes upon Radagast.
"That is not… from the world of the living."
Before they could continue, everyone heard the faintest of howls.
"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there, well, besides Eldona?" Bilbo asked, frightened, trying to keep the memory of his parents corpses bleeding red on the ground from a wolf attack.
"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur said, stepping a little bit in front of Bilbo as they all heard the growling get louder, which meant they were getting closer. Then they heard leaves and sticks breaking behind them all and turned around just in time to see a warg scout lunging at the closest of the group. It was as if in slow motion, just as the warg jumped towards, Bifur, a large black, white, and orange blur rammed into the warg and snapped it's neck with a snarl.
The tiger was easily as big, if not bigger, then the wolf.
"Eldona!" Bilbo cried with relief. Eldona in her tiger form growled, smelling more wargs and even orcs on the wind.
But as soon as she did, another warg scout lunged at the backs of Thorin and Dwalin.
"Kili! Get your bow!" but before Kili could even draw an arrow, Eldona was there again in between the dwarves and the warg, snarling at the warg that looked wary at attacking but knew its masters would kill it anyway if it didn't do as it was raised to do. The warg lunged but soon met a similar fate to it's fellow scout. Thorin and the other dwarves looked at her shocked as she came to stand beside Bilbo whom leaned against her. Bilbo had grown up knowing Eldona when he was young and knew her tiger and wolf form well, having played with her in these forms numerous times throughout the years.
"You… You saved my life." Thorin said. Eldona huffed and rolled her eyes but did nothing as Gandalf and Radagast joined the group finally.
Before Thorin could speak, Gandalf interrupted. "An Orc pack is not far behind, for these be warg scouts."
"Orc pack?" Bilbo said. He couldn't help but remember the night when he was told of how Thorin came by the name Oakenshield. Bilbo was almost shaking with fear until he felt a heavy weight pressing into his side. He looked and saw Eldona looking down at him. He knew that she would protect him with his life, like she had promised his mother all of those years ago. He relaxed into her even more then he had done before. Seeing how Bilbo attacted around the tiger form of the elf, the younger dwarves Ori, Fili, and Kili moved closer as well, trying to seek whatever had Bilbo relaxing even at the danger they were about to face.
They all watched as Gandalf questioned Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"
"No one."
"Who did you tell?"
"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said, coming to the obvious conclusion.
"We have to get out of here." Dwalin said.
"We can't. We have no ponies." Nori exclaimed, looking over his shoulder along with Dori as they heard more howls from wargs getting closer. "They bolted."
"I'll draw them off." Radagast spoke up. Gandalf looked at him with slight panic, walking over to his friend.
"These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you." Gandalf said.
Radagast smirked at Gandalf. "These are Rhosgobel rabbits, Gandalf. So I'd like to see them try."
