Chapter 11
The Hunted
Just when Thorin were getting along, I had to go and have a nerd moment. Then again why should I care?
I do care.
I shook my head and took a deep breath. I sat down on a rock and Bifur came over to me. I smiled at him. Bifur only spoke in dwarvish, so I did not understand him. However when he held a sword out to me, I understood perfectly.
"Thank you Bifur!" I said.
He said something that seemed to be a your welcome of sorts. I smiled and he walked off. Then another voice reached me.
"DO you know how to use that?"
I looked up at Thorin. I sighed.
"Why do you hate me so?" I asked.
"I do not hate you…."
"You could have fooled me! The way you treat me, the way you look at me."
He did not answer. He just walked away. I sighed and then stood up. That was when someone or something came bursting through the trees.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
I jumped in front of my sisters protectively. It was only when I saw the rather large rabbits pulling a sleigh. I lowered my bow and smirked.
"Radaghast the Brown." I said.
He turned and looked at me.
"Do I know you my dear?"
I smiled and bowed.
"No sir. But I know of you. The brown wizard one of the Istari and cousin to Gandalf here."
Radaghast looked at me a bit surprised and flattered. He and Gandalf walked off to talk and I looked at my sisters. They looked as though they were about to laugh.
"What?"
They busted up laughing and Ann said,
"You are such a nerd!"
I smirked, but did not laugh. They stopped and looked at me sadly.
"You haven't laughed in 5 years little sister."
I looked at the ground.
"You know I do not laugh anymore. I know not how."
"Your laugh used to bring life to stuff." Ann lamented.
I sighed.
"You waste your breath and your time." I said.
As I walked away Rachel spoke,
"Someone will make you laugh again. Maybe not us, but someone will."
I did not answer nor did I look at her.
The sound of a strange wolf filled the air.
"Was that a wolf? A-are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked.
I noticed he moved closer to Rachel. Bofur walked forward.
"Wolves? No that is not a wolf." he said.
Then I saw it. He lunged forward at Thorin. Quick as lightning I drew an arrow and shot it between the eyes. It was a Guulderbrag warg. Thorin looked at me and then Kili shot another that was coming behind him. Dwalin finished it.
"Warg scouts! Which mean an orc pack is not far behind!" He said.
"Orc pack!?" said the frightened hobbit.
"Who did you tell about your quest? Beyond your kin." Gandalf asked walking forward.
Thorin looked at him.
"No one."
"Who did you tell!?"
"No one I swear!" Thorin said.
Gandalf sighed and I looked at the wargs.
"What in Durin's name is going on?" he asked Gandalf.
"We are being hunted." I said.
I looked up and found his blue eyes on me. He seemed worried and pissed off at the same time.
"She cannot run! She will be killed."
Is he actually concerned for me?
"I will draw them off. Give you and the lady a chance." Radaghast said.
"These are Guulderbrag wargs! They will outrun you!"
"And these are Rohsgobel Rabbits!" Gandalf smiled. "I should like to see them try."
"Be careful Radaghast." I said.
He smiled and bowed to me.
"They cannot outrun the Brown Wizard."
I smiled and nodded. He jumped on his sleigh and was off like an eagle on the wind.
"Quickly! And carefully we must go!" said the grey wizard.
I nodded and went as fast as I could. I noticed that Thorin was watching me carefully. He was subtle about it, but as I have said, you can hide nothing from my eyes. We made our way out into the fields littered with boulders.
"Keep near the rocks!" Ann said.
We did as best we could. I was amused by Radaghast as he taunted the orcs. Thorin suddenly grabbed Ori.
"Ori no!"
He yanked him back.
"This way!" Gandalf cried.
We followed him as fast as we could, well I did.
"Where are you leading us?" Thorin inquired.
Gandalf did not answer and we continued to run forward. As we hid behind a boulder one of the orcs seemed to have caught our scent. It was on top of the rock. Thorin looked at Kili. He nodded and then jumped out and killed the orc. I took and arrow and shoved it through the warg's eye. However all the noise had attracted the rest of the orc pack.
"Shit!" I hissed.
"Quickly!"
I knew I would have top run. I did so but with great pain.
"She cannot go on!" said a concerned Fili.
"Yes I can!" I said.
I ignored the pain and we kept running. Soon Gandalf disappeared and they were closing in on us. Thorin drew Orcrist.
"Fight!" He said.
I took the bow and notched an arrow. I aimed and took out another orc. Ori tried to use his slingshot, but it only bounced off the warg's head.
"Where is Gandalf?!" Bilbo asked.
"Curse that wizard! He has gone and left us again!"
"Over here fools!"
I whipped around and smiled. There was Gandalf.
"Quickly!"
We all ran forward. My sisters were farther behind and I refused to save myself until they were.
"KILI!"
I looked over and saw Kili still shooting at the wargs and orcs. He turned and ran back to us. I jumped in and then Thorin did as well. We stayed down and then we heard a horn call. I smiled, I recognized the sound. Though I did not say a thing to Thorin. Suddenly the body of an orc slid down. Thorin walked forward and took the arrow that had pierced its neck.
"Elves!"
He threw the arrow down and looked at Gandalf.
"I cannot see where the path leads!" Dwalin shouted.
"Well then we follow it!" Bofur said eagerly.
The others ran forward. Thorin hesitated.
"That would be wise." Gandalf said.