Kaia: Orcs/goblins probably don't know mermaids, cause the mermaids in my story usually hide. And for those who have seen a mermaid probably do not know what they are or what to think about them. What I've been thinking is that while underwater the mermaids look like the left side of the picture I use for the story, which makes them blue and they blend into the water. So they aren't usually seen when they don't want to be.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked afraid.

"Wolves," Bofur said, his voice shaking. "That is not a wolf." They all looked forward, in the same direction, not sure where the sound had come from. The sound however, had come from behind them. A low growling was heard before a warg leaped from atop the hill behind them. Thorin killed the beast with his sword, and heard the whizzing of an arrow shooting past his head and saw that Kili had killed a warg behind him.

"Warg scouts," Thorin declared. "Which means an orc pack are not far behind.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo said incredulous looking to see Fili had placed himself once more in front of Pearl. She had seen a few wargs as she swam through rivers, though they seemed to be the only creatures who could see her beneath the surface. She looked down at the bird in her hands to see him shivering as he tried to burrow deeper.

"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf demanded.

"No one," Thorin replied.

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf nearly yelled.

"No one I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," Gandalf said.

"We have to get out of here," Dwalin said frightened, though his steady voice did not show it.

"We can't," Ori said running down the hill. "We have no ponies, they bolted." They were all panicking as they heard several howls and dangerous growling drawing nearer.

"I'll draw them off," Radagast said holding his hand out to Pearl to which she returned his bird.
"These are Guldur Wargs," Gandalf said turning to his old friend to see him put the small bird back in his hat. "They'll outrun you."

"These are Rustibelle rabbits," Radagast said voraciously. "I'd like to see them try."

Pearl had left Fili's side to run by Bilbo's, urging him faster. She had not encountered danger such as this, hearing the many howls and snarls from the wargs as they chased Radagast.

"Come," Gandalf said. He led them from behind their cover, across the yellow plains. In the distance they could hear the excited screeches of orcs on the hunt, the terrible howls and yips of the wargs, as well as Radagasts whoops and cheers. They paused behind another hummock, and Gandalf leaned out, assessing the situation and planning. After a moment he motioned the group to keep running.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin demanded. His glare was dark when Gandalf did not answer, forcing the dwarf to follow behind blindly. Thorin, like many of the others, searched for the woman to see if she was fairing well and found her at Bilbo's side holding fast to his hand as she ran faster.

They had just pressed their backs against the sharp ridges of a large boulder when they heard the low growl of a warg above them. Thorin nodded to Kili and he readied his bow as the warg stepped closer to the edge of the boulder where they would be noticed. Kili loosed his arrow bringing the warg, and its rider, tumbling to the ground in front of them. The rider was thrown from the warg and the beast struggled to stand, nearly squealing from the pain. Dwalin with his ax and Bifur with his boar spear charged while Thorin went after the orc. The sounds of the warg's yelps and screams and the orc's cries as they were killed echoed around the large field.

Thorin looked to Pearl to see her eyes wide with tears as she stared at the dead warg, realizing she may not have ever seen death; wondering if Gandalf knew how much she would change before she returned home. He heard the oncoming chase and held his hand out for her to take, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes that told him he had been right, though she took his hand and he pulled her after him. There was no more ducking and hiding, they ran as if a fire had been lit at their heels. For all her newness to life, having never run before, Pearl held her own on her shorter legs. The company burst into an open patch of plain where here and there a lone scraggly tree grew, but otherwise no cover was found. The hunting party had closed in on them, coming from all directions and trapping them. Thorin kept Pearl behind him, keeping a firm hold on her as he turned to see they were surrounded. "Kili," he yelled not seeing his nephew.
Pearl settled against Thorin's back, searching for Bilbo but her eyes kept finding wargs instead. She pulled away from the dwarf as Bilbo reached her, grabbing her hand in a painful grip as they wondered what to do. Pearl had never liked wargs, with their monstrous faces and long sharp teeth; she had not liked the way they always seemed to find her beneath the surface of the river, her fin usually blending in with the water so she was unseen.

"Where's Gandalf?" Bofur yelled not seeing the wizard among them.
"He's abandoned us," Dwalin said gruffly coming to stand by Thorin's side.

The wargs and their riders slowly came closer, knowing the group had nowhere to escape to. "Hold your ground," Thorin ordered loudly.

Even Bilbo held his sword, arming himself as Pearl refused to; that was something Thorin had realized earlier, her heart was gentle and she would not take a life.

"Here, you fools!" they heard Gandalf's voice yell, seeing him stand from behind a rock. Thorin roared for them to follow Gandalf, seeing he had found a small cave. Bilbo helped Pearl stand and pulled her out of the way of the others who were still coming. Without much mishap they all stood safely in the cave, hearing the howls of the wargs above them. They stared up only able to hear as a loud horn blared and the orcs began screaming. They listened to the sound of horse hooves and screams, leaping aside as an orc fell dead into the cave.

"Elves," Thorin spit as he examined the arrow that had killed the orc, fixing Gandalf with a heavy glare.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," came Dwalin's voice from the other side of the cave. "Do we follow it or not?"

"Follow it, of course," Bofur yelled.

"That would be wise," Gandalf said. They all started forward, following the narrow passage through rocks, over a shallow stream, and finally out onto a cliff that wound gently down into a valley.

"The valley of Imladris," Gandalf said, seeing the dwarves staring in awe at the beauty. "But in the common tongue it is known by a different name."

"Rivendell," Bilbo whispered turning to see Pearl's eyes widened in wonder.

She stared at the beautiful place, feeling the water flowing near and wanting very much to swim in it.

"This was your plan all along," Thorin said to Gandalf, making Pearl turn at the anger in his voice. "To take refuge with our enemy."

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said reprimandingly. "The only ill-will you'll find in this valley is that which you bring yourself."

"You think the elves will give their blessing to our quest?" Thorin asked. "They will try to stop us."

"Of course they will," Gandalf said. "But we have questions that need to be answered." Upon seeing Thorin's understanding he continued. "If we are to be successful this needs to be handled with tact and respect, and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave all the talking to me."

Gandalf led them down the long narrow path leading into the city, Thorin following close behind so he could address the wizard on the current issue at hand. "I think she has been scared enough," Thorin said quietly. "I believe it is time she returns home."
Gandalf gave Thorin a long look before answering. "That is not a decision for you to make, we agreed she was my responsibility not yours."

Thorin nearly growled at the wizard not seeing his point. "Gandalf, she has never taken a life. Her heart is much too soft for what the rest of this quest entails."

"She has not seen a life taken beyond the ways of nature either," Gandalf mused.

"All the more reason to send her home," Thorin insisted looking over his shoulder to see her listening to Bilbo's animated speech, knowing the hobbit had great love and admiration for the elves.

"I do not think she would leave," Gandalf informed him. "Not with Bilbo still here, anyway. She has taken a great liking for our burglar, and a great many of your company. As they have for her."
Thorin walked by the wizard's side knowing this to be true, he himself being fond of her though he did not want to be. "You will burn all of the good out of her. How much of her are you willing to destroy before you deem her ready to go home?" Thorin asked trying to make the wizard see she could not continue where they were going.

Gandalf did little more than sigh and nod, knowing she would be forever changed before the end of their journey.

"Why did you really want her apart of this quest? She is much too gentle for what we will come to face, Gandalf," Thorin told him.

Gandalf looked down at Thorin, hearing that the dwarf king cared more for her than he would admit. "Perhaps her gentleness is what you need," the wizard told him before turning back to Rivendell. It was not but a few minutes longer before they finally reached the end of the path, and they stood at the stone step of the place of elves.