Hello all,
Here is the next chapter.
When the goblin king fell on the bridge it was enough to weaken the very bridge the company stood on. Veirra tried to keep her balance as she almost fell over the side. For a moment she was certain she was going to fall off the bridge. Her feet were on the edge and her arms flailed out to try and restore her balance, then a firm arm caught her about the waist and she was yanked into the sturdy side of Thorin. For a split second they looked into each other's eyes and Veirra shivered at the feeling of being pressed to him. Just then the bridge gave out and they were falling. All around she heard the cries of those around her as they fell deeper and deeper hitting the other bridges and walk ways below them. Her heart took a leap into her throat as Thorin and she held onto each other for dear life.
Then they finally reached the bottom and Veirra found herself flat on her back on what was left of the bridge. Thorin lay above her and still gripped her tightly to him as he lay there too. For a moment Thorin and Veirra's faces were mere inches apart, his intense blue eyes made her tremble and her cheeks redden. For Thorin's part he enjoyed being pressed against her. Veirra's sweet breathe fanned his face, and her lovely scent invaded his senses. Without fully thinking Thorin touched her cheek and started to lean in but stopped short when her breathe caught. 'Why does this keep happening to us?' Veirra wondered. She quickly looked away nervous at how intimately close they were and saw Gandalf come to stand up beside the pile of wood. Just then Bofur peeked out, and said. "Well that could have been worse."
As though the Valar wanted to prove him wrong the dead body of the Goblin king landed on the wooded pile crushing some of the poor dwarfs more. Veirra felt a sharp pain slice through her ankle just under the wood under the goblin kings side. "You just had to jinx it didn't you! You just had to say it!" She yelled.
"You have got to be joking!" Dwalin groaned. Getting up Thorin turned back to her grabbing her waist to help pull her from the wood and dead king. Being pulled out she winced as she got to her feet, and looked down at her ankle. It hurt to stand on it, but she could tell it was not broken, if it was it would hurt a lot more then it did. A sprain or twisted ankle then. "Veirra, are you alright?" Thorin's rough voice asked gaining a few dwarves attention.
Before she could reply Kili yelled out. "Gandalf!"
Looking up they saw the hordes of Goblins coming for them. "There's too many we can not fight them!"
"Only one thing will save us daylight!" Gandalf said, as the dwarves got out of the wood and to their feet. Whether her ankle was up for it or not Veirra ignored it and ran forward with the others. Again she took up the rear and ignored every sharp pain her ankle gave. Not even when they ran from the cave did they stop, and the pain only grew. Once a safe distance Gandalf did a head count as they stopped, and Veirra leaned against a tree to take pressure off her ankle. "Where is Bilbo? Where is our hobbit? Veirra?"
The wizard looked to the one suppose to be safely guiding the company, opening her eyes she looked around. Throughout the intense situation of Goblin Town and escaping, Veirra had no time to do a head count or keep an eye on Bilbo. A fact she was now kicking herself for, all the others in their company could look after themselves; but Bilbo while armed had not exactly been trained as a warrior. "Bilbo? Bilbo where are you?"
"Where is our hobbit?!" Gandalf demanded.
"Do not tell me we left him back there!" Veirra replied looking around, "Bilbo!"
"Curse that halfling now he is lost!" Dwalin replied, Veirra pushed off from the tree.
"We can not just leave him back there! I'll go get him." No sooner did Veirra turn to go back, a hand caught her arm.
"Don't be foolish! There are too many goblins!" Dwalin said as he gripped her arm.
"I thought he was with Dori!" Another dwarf spoke up.
"Don't blame me!" Dori replied.
"Well where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.
"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." Nori spoke up.
"Well what happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf demanded.
"Oh I will tell you what happened." Thorin spoke up, "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his warm bed and soft hearth since first he stepped out his door."
"That hobbit came to help you retake your home!" Veirra snapped.
"Regardless we will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin replied, Veirra was about to tell him it was his fault for making the hobbit feel like he had no place there.
"No he isn't." Turning quickly Veirra's eyes fell on Bilbo, and a smile played across her face.
"Bilbo Baggins I have never been so glad to see someone in all my life." Gandalf replied.
"Nor I. It is good to have you with us again Master Baggins." Veirra spoke next.
"We had given you up, how on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili and Kili asked.
"How indeed." Dwalin added. Bilbo chuckled like it was his own little secret as his hands rested on his vest pockets.
"Well what does it matter? He is back." Gandalf replied.
"It matters I want to know. Why did you come back?" Thorin asked.
"Look I know you doubt me. I know you always have, and your right I often think of Bag end. I miss my books, and my arm chair, and my garden. You see that is home to me, that is where I belong. And that is why I came back because you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo replied, making Veirra smile more. For a moment they knew peace, and now understood. Bilbo Baggins may not be a fighter like them, but he was there to help them get the dwarves get their home back and that was what was required for this company. It was the only requirement needed. Looking back at Thorin she spoke up.
"You said loyalty, honour, and willing heart were all you could ask for, Thorin. I believe Master Baggins meets that requirement several times over." Thorin looked over at Veirra and was about to respond when it happened.
It was then a howl reminded them they were not safe. "Out of the frying pan." Thorin replied.
"And into the fire! Run!" Gandalf yelled, Veirra again ignored the shooting pain in her ankle as they ran. However they could only run so far before reaching a cliff, they were trapped. The howls grew louder as some of the wargs caught up to them. As she ran she heard one behind her and spun around with her short swords, as she spun she knelt just missing the warg as it slid past her on the right she held one of her swords out as it cut the warg right open. Still her movements made her injury worse and she winced. "Up into the trees all of you!"
Rising to her feet painfully she rushed over to the nearest tree where the other dwarves, Gandalf and Thorin climbed. Rushing to the lower branch she no sooner got hold of the lower branch and tried to use her feet then another sharp pain ran through her leg and she let go of the branch. Falling back to the ground she landed on her feet then fell to the ground. A cry of pain forced it's way out of her lips which got a number of the dwarves attention.
"Veirra! What's wrong?!" Thorin called down.
"Veirra get in this tree now!" Gandalf shouted. Still Veirra gripped her ankle as she looked in the direction of the wargs and saw that Bilbo had pulled his sword from a warg. "Bilbo climb!"
"Something is wrong!" Dwalin called out as he looked down on the ranger. All around her she heard different dwarves yelling for her to climb. Slowly she rose but it only made it hurt worse. She could hear a warg running towards her, and turned to face it. She knew she would have no time to escape it and closed her eyes expecting to be warg food, then someone dropped from the tree down in front of her. Opening her eyes she saw Thorin cut down the warg that had started to come after her. Once the warg was cut down Thorin turned back to Veirra. Whether she wanted to not Thorin grabbed her and lifted her like she weighed nothing. Then again despite being a little taller then the dwarves she was not as wide or heavy as dwarf women, so to a dwarf like Thorin she probably was rather easy to lift. With Thorin's help Veirra managed to grab onto a branch where Dwalin began pulling her up, then Thorin climbed back up himself. Once high enough Thorin grabbed her waist again and held her close. "What is wrong?"
"My ankle..." Veirra started to explain, then the wargs were trying to climb the trees, "Maybe we can talk about this later when the threat of being a warg's supper is no longer a problem!" No sooner had she spoken the pale orc came into view, Thorin's grip on her tightened and the name Azog slipped from his lips. While few bothered to learn the black speech of Mordor, Veirra strangely enough knew it.
"Do you smell that? The scent of fear?" Azog sniffed as he looked on the dwarves in the trees. "I remember your father reeked of it...Thorin son of Thrain." Veirra's eyes widened, judging by the look on Thorin's face he either understood the orc or was shocked to see the foul beast again. "It can not be."
The pale orc straightened then noticing the way the human woman looked at Thorin and grinned. He pointed his mace at Thorin. "This one is mine, capture the woman; and kill the others!" That was when more wargs attacked clawing the bases of the trees, ripping and tearing the lower branches. It was these actions that were uprooting the other trees that their companions were in, and shaking theirs. Like a domino one tree toppled into the other and then came towards theirs. Their companions were forced to jump into the tree to avoid falling with their current tree. Even she and Thorin had to leap into the last tree before their own toppled over the cliff. Until it was there own tree the wargs sought to topple with everyone in it. Hearing Gandalf blow on something she was surprised to find him setting a pine cone ablaze then throwing it down below at the wargs. Lighting more up, the others followed suit lighting pine cones and hurling them at the wargs. Veirra took one and threw it to where it hit one warg in the face lighting him ablaze. It began trying to roll over and stop the flames, but it rolled into more flames then rolled over the side of the cliff.
Soon the area was awash with fire and the wargs sent running back to avoid being burnt. The pale orc roared in frustration, and the dwarves cheered at having won this particular battle. That is until the roots of their tree started to give and the tree now bent over the cliff. Veirra gripped the nearby branch next to Thorin as they held on. "Mister Gandalf!"
Looking over Veirra nearly screamed when Dori and Ori fell, and Gandalf held out his staff to keep them from falling to their deaths. Unfortunately she couldn't help them, and one of the branches to her right broke holding Balin, she caught his hand. "Hang on Balin!"
Braced against the branches her ankle throbbed as she tried to pull him up. She didn't notice Thorin stand up for a moment nor that he left her side. But when Balin looked at something she looked back. Thorin had just stepped off the tree to face Azog alone. "No! Thorin don't!" Veirra called out, but he didn't seem to hear her.
As he charged towards Azog she was forced to watch him get knocked to the ground when the warg jumped over him. Azog turned back towards her, "Watch him die, woman." Thorin was just getting to his feet when Azog charged forward and he swung his mace hitting Thorin. "No!" Balin cried.
"Thorin!" Dwalin cried out trying to climb up and get to Thorin.
"Please stop I'll do whatever you want!" Veirra yelled in the black speech. Then the warg bit down on Thorin. "No!" So focused on Thorin, Veirra didn't see Bilbo get up. To try and get free of the wargs jaws, Thorin hit the warg with his sword. Immediately the warg threw him to land some feet away.
"Bring me the dwarf's head." Azog said to another orc, pulling Balin up she grabbed Dwalin to pull him up next. They had to get to him, now. Even as she did this she saw the orc dismount his warg and move towards Thorin preparing to take his head. Then out of nowhere Bilbo tackled the orc, and managed to drive his sword into the orc. Bilbo bought her a few minutes to pull Balin, Dwalin, and some others up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bilbo swinging his sword trying to keep them from Thorin. Which fortunately was just enough time for the other dwarves to act, however Dori and Ori still hung by a wizard's staff.
As much as she wanted to go to Thorin, she knew the others and Bilbo would keep him safe. Besides she was in no condition to fight, her movement was impaired by her injury. "Hold on Dori I am coming!" She called out as she swung onto a lower branch trying to reach them. Gripping the branch she stretched down to try and grab Dori's arm. But it was just out of reach, she saw him slipping even then. Then Dori could hold on no longer, the pair screamed as they fell. Veirra closed her eyes for a moment not wanting to see two of her companions fall. Then she heard an eagle's cry and looked, they had landed on an eagle and Veirra released a shaky breathe. Pulling herself back up she looked around as she saw the eagles in the sky. They were attacking the orcs, picking them up and dropping them over the cliff, one pushed a tree down on a group of wargs, another fanned the flames causing wargs to catch fire. However the most amazing part was seeing an eagle gently scoop up Thorin. For soon other eagles scooped up Bilbo and the dwarves and dropped them onto the backs of other eagles.
"Veirra! Jump now!" Gandalf commanded, never one to question the wizard she leapt from the tree just as an eagle flew underneath and caught her on it's back. Seconds later she heard the tree give and looked back to see Gandalf jump onto his own eagle. They were safely away from the orcs at least, and Veirra felt drained and sore. She tried to see Thorin as they flew as did his nephews and Bilbo but was too far away to get a clear look.
The sun slowly dawned as they flew and the long night was over. Veirra closed her eyes hoping Thorin would live, for she would never be able to forgive herself if she never got the chance to apologise for their earlier fight. It all seemed like a distant memory and she could not recall what they had fought over. She knew it involved Bilbo and Gandalf, but now that argument no longer mattered. As the eagles flew downwards she opened her silvery eyes to see Thorin being laid on the peak, then Gandalf landed and soon they were all being allowed off. Petting the eagle as she slid off she whispered in Elven. "Thank you." Then moved forward as Gandalf was checking over Thorin. Then the dwarf lord awoke after Gandalf used his power to revive him. "The halfling?" Thorin asked.
"It's alright Bilbo is here. He is quit safe." Gandalf replied standing, as Thorin sat up some of the other dwarves helped him to his feet. Veirra relaxed at seeing Thorin safe all thanks to Bilbo, she smiled over at Bilbo wanting to hug him.
"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Bilbo looked to Veirra thoroughly confused, but she was also confused and looked back at Thorin.
"He saved-" Veirra started as Gandalf gestured for her to stop, and so she held her tongue as Thorin continued.
"Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wilds? That you had no place amongst us?" As he spoke Veirra swallowed all the elven curses she wanted to scream at Thorin and started to turn away. "I have never been so wrong in all my life."
Those words stopped her and she turned to find Thorin hugging Bilbo. "I am sorry I doubted you."
"No I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, or a warrior. Not even a burglar." Bilbo replied.
"Not a hero huh? I don't believe you. You just saved Thorin's life you are definitely a hero and I am sure by the time we've finished this quest you will be the best burglar in Middle Earth." Veirra spoke up. It gained her a couple of laughs from the others, before the eagles flew off into the distance. Then Thorin looked passed Bilbo and Veirra followed his gave as she took a seat on a nearby rock to rest her ankle.
"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked.
"Erebor. The lonely Mountain." Gandalf explained. "The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth." Seeing Thorin's expressed as he looked on his home again was rather relaxing to see. Then she heard a bird and looked up, a Thrush to be precise.
"A raven. The birds are returning to the mountain."
"That Oin, I believe is a Thrush. Veirra?" Gandalf corrected then turned to her to confirm it.
"Yes it is a thrush."
"But we'll take it as a sign, a good omen." Thorin replied.
"You are right I do believe the worst is behind us." Bilbo replied. 'And now our quest is jinxed.' Veirra thought ruefully, but at least they were closer to the mountain.
Author's Notes:
Well here is technically the last chapter for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'. However it is not the last chapter for this story, I do hope you enjoyed the chapters so far and continue to enjoy them. Please feel free to review away.