I was relieved when we ran over a bump in the hill, finding all of the others stood around in conversation. Bilbo was talking as we raced over.

"Thorin!" Fili shouted desperately, stopping just short of his Uncle.

"You took your time." Thorin said deeply, giving me a disapproving look, as if I'd intentionally fallen down the cave, willingly playing the damsel in distress. Idiot!

"It's Azog! He's heading this way from the north, he must have received the Goblins message." Fili said quickly between breaths.

"It can't be." Thorin muttered, frowning at the ground and gripping his sword in his belt. With that a growl sounded from behind, a familiar Warg growl.

"Out of the frying pan."

"And into the fire." Gandalf said flatly.

We each turned, Kili drawing his sword as I renderer him useless for the bow which Fili still had. Then we saw them, more Wargs than there had been before with yet more Orcs and the most terrifying Orc I'd ever seen at the head of the pack. The Pale Orc; Azog.

"Run!" Gandalf boomed in his unmistakable voice. We turned quickly and started down the hill further, but the growling and snarling grew louder as they shortened the distance. I felt ridiculous, sat on Kili's back as he ran, impressively fast for a person laden with my extra weight. The sky was fading fast as we ran for safety.

"Kili, I'm slowing you down."

"What, and leave you for dead? Sure." He snapped back sarcastically. His voice hurt, he'd never snapped before. But he does still think I'd rejected his confession.

The others ahead slowed, they looked around panicked. We caught up and realised what their fears were about, we had somehow run onto a cliff on the hillside, to high up to jump down and to far out to run back and around the cliff. Doomed.

For some reason we all turned to Gandalf.

"Up in the trees! All of you, come on!" He rushed to the nearest tree and jumped up. For a split second I was completely astonished by the agility of the near ancient man, that was until Kili rushed us to another tree.

"Dwalin!" He shouted up at the dwarf who'd already climbed up onto the lowest branch.

"Help Eska up." I reached up to Dwalin who took my hands and tugged me up to the branch with amazing strength. I looked up, further up hill and saw fast moving blurs of fur swiftly weaving through the trees.

"Quick!" I ushered Kili looking down I just about saw him catch his bow from Fili before jumping up to the branch, easily swinging himself up next to me. He didn't look at me as he steadied me on the branch while I reached up again for Dwalin who again helped me up the next branch. We repeated this until we were at the highest strong branches. I hugged the tree while I perched on one foot next to Dwalin. I noticed Bilbo barely made it into his own tree with a few of the others before the Wargs burst into the space below.

That's when Azog came into view. He was as horribly gruesome as the stories told him to be, even with the fast diminishing light he was clear to see. Tall and broad with soulless eyes. His near white skin was covered in scars which almost made a pattern across his muscular body. And his mouth twisted into a cruel smirk.

He started to speak in what must be the Orc language, looking at Thorin the whole time. Thorin seemed like he was still coming to terms with the Orc being alive! Azog's voice sent a stone cold shiver down my spine, it was a horrible emotionless voice, although I didn't understand what he was saying the way he said them told me he was taunting Thorin. I snuck a peek at Kili who was staring angrily at the Orc leader, of course, it had been his family too that Azog the defiler had killed so viciously.

The Orc's smirk grew before he seemed to command something, with which all the Wargs without Orc riders tore forward, jumping at the trees. I clung to the tree as they ripped at the branches, rocking and pushing against the tree trunks to try and shake us off. Although they were strong and large, so were the trees and none managed to climb high enough up the trees to get to any of us. They snapped angrily at us as they got the closest they could, which was still too far away, thankfully.

The world around me was filled with shouts from the other dwarves growls from the wargs below, evil laughter and sneers from the Orcs and occasionally my short screams as we sat defenceless in our trees.

"Look out!" Dwalin shouted. I looked up just in time to see one of the other trees slowly falling towards our own, Bilbo, Oin and Dori all wore terrified expressions as they fell with it towards us. I braced myself, digging my fingers into the bark as the tree fell against ours, shaking the others onto the branches we stood on, I tried to help Bilbo up, but he grabbed my arm right were the Goblin had bitten me, I hissed out through gritted teeth as his desperate hands clung to my arm while he found his footing.

"Let go!" Kili bellowed at the hobbit who was still clinging to my torn skin. He pulled Bilbo's hands from my arm and I sighed.

"I'm so sorry!" Bilbo rushed out, looking genuinely terrible for hurting me more.

"It's fine!" I shot back in pained anger. There wasn't much time to dwell on the pain as our tree started to fall as well, under the weight of the first tree and the strength of the Wargs it had no hope of staying up right. I stared wide eyed as our tree started falling towards another.

"Jump!" Dwalin boomed. With that all 5 dwarves jumped from our tree to the top branches of other, landing in between the others who had already occupied the tree. I jumped soon after, having to put pressure on my injured ankle I swung after them, landing almost entirely on top of Fili. But he'd seen me and readied himself for me. Catching my elbows as I slumped against him from the new throbbing pain in my foot.

Soon enough that tree too was dropping, descending towards the last tree on the cliff, perched right on the edge of the rock.

"You ready?" Fili asked, knowing there really wasn't a 'no' answer to that. It was either yes or willingly feed yourself to the Wargs. I wasn't ready in honesty. My foot felt like one more jump could damage it for life, the cuts on my hands that never had a chance to heal were torn freshly. My arm stung to no end thanks to Bilbo and I was almost certain that if nothing else had killed us yet, this would.

But I prepared myself anyway, holding loosely to the tree trunk then jumping a split second after the others, just so I knew the timing was right. I landed a little more gracefully the second time around, but it didn't hurt any less. In fact this time the landing on my foot was joined by a sickening boney crunch, causing me to scream. I was on my own branch, one next to Balin and just under Kili.

"Eska?" Balin asked worriedly as he gripped to the branch.

"My ankle, I'm fine." I lied taking short sharp breaths and leaning wholly against the trunk.

It seemed we'd all made it to the last tree, but that just made an easier target for the mass of Warg who now threw themselves at the base of the tree, pushing and snarling as the roots ripped from the ground and the last tree started tilting towards the open space at the end of the cliff. The ground looked minuscule below and now probably wasn't the best time to voice my fear of heights as I clung tighter to the small amount of safety the tree gave.

It was then that I noticed something small and bright fly over my head towards the Wargs. I looked down and saw a small fire lighting up the ground around the creatures' feet. Looking back up the tree Gandalf was lighting pine cones and passing them out to the others, each throwing them towards the animals, the ground around them was soon covered in thick flames, some of the Wargs were burnt in their stubbornness but the others had the sense to back away from the danger, clearing a space between us and the Orcs. But the roots continued to snap, one by one until the tree was held by only one thick root, we hung on it precariously at the end of the cliff. I squeezed my eyes shut so it was easier to pretend the vast open space far, far below us didn't exist.

If it hadn't been for the shouts of protest from the dwarves around me, I never would have seen Thorin climb up from his branch and walk down the now vertical tree trunk, towards the fire and Orcs. But there was no fear in his eyes, nor his walk. He strode powerfully and valiantly towards one of his most feared and hated enemy, through a gap in the fire.

With an almighty shout he started to run at the Pale Orc sat on his White Warg. We all watched on as our King, Friend, Uncle, Comrade charged at the repulsive monster. No fear in Thorin's stride as he raised his long sword ready.

Azog kicked the ribs of his Warg, roaring as it jumped forward, knocking the brave Dwarf leader to his back with a painful blow. We all yelled angrily, half of us in no position to help the King, and the other half knowing that Thorin's pride couldn't take needing help from another. This was a revenge battle between old foes.

I looked back and Thorin was stood upright again, moments later being knocked down again by the vicious White Warg and its rider. My heart couldn't take this much fear and heart break. The others shouted out for their fearless leader, shouts of worry and encouragement as I stared on at him, not able to voice my fear as I mentally cheered him on, willed him to get up and slay the Pale Orc for good.

Out the corner of my eye I saw someone begin to fall from the tree and my heart dropped for a moment, hearing the terrified shouts of Dori, in great speed Ori put his arm out and grabbed onto his brother, but the pull of his weight seemed too much and he too fell for a split second. Only for Gandalf to stick out his staff, Ori grabbed onto it and Dori managed to take hold of his brothers ankle. My heartbeat didn't slow down, it was hardly comforting, although they were safe for the minute I highly doubt they could hold on much longer.

Suddenly Bilbo rose on shaky feet from his place on the tree. Stepping slowly down the trunk as all our attention turned to the little Hobbit with big bravery as he hurried towards the fight.

'Stupid Hobbit no!' I shouted in my head, my throat too dry and sore from the thick smoke of the still blazing fire to say anything at all.

As Bilbo hurried the White Warg had taken Thorin in its mouth crunching down a little and shaking the King before throwing him to the side. Azog spoke in the foreign language and an Orc stepped forward, pulling his sword out as he drew nearer to Thorin's near lifeless body.

He lifted his sword high into the air, eyes on Thorin's exposed neck as he started to swing down, only to be barrelled out the way by Bilbo in the nick of time.

"We've got to help them!" I found myself able to shout to the others desperately.

"For Thorin!" Gloin boomed, standing suddenly and hurrying down the tree trunk.

"Right!" Bofur nodded to himself, brows furrowed as he lifted himself off the branch as the others did now, drawing their weapons as they went.

I felt familiar hands grab hold of me and yank me up from the branch. I looked up at Kili who staring intently at the the fight as the others charged on ahead. He hooked my arm around his shoulder and leant my weight on his side as I hopped along on one foot with him down the trunk. He quickly set me down on the ground near the broken roots of the tree.

"Stay here, hit what you can." He said bluntly. Swinging his bow and arrows off his shoulder and handing them to me.

"But-"

"Stay there, Eska!" He shouted over his shoulder as he ran to help the others.

I sat, arrow at the ready for a clear line at any of the Orcs or Wargs. But in the back of my mind I knew Kili's bluntness wasn't souly because he was in a rush to get to the fight.

I sighed angrily, glaring at what I could see of the fight. An Orc stumbled into view, I aimed and fired, hitting him threw the thigh. He fell with a screech and was quickly stabbed in the chest by what looked from here to be Bombur.

There was suddenly a cry of fear from behind me on the tree, I turned and leaned over the edge of the cliff, ignoring the sick sensation the view of the low ground below gave me as I watched in shock as Ori and Dori fell from the tree. They were falling. They were going to die.

"No!" I shouted and screamed as their bodies grew smaller in the distance below. But something so fast and blurred flew past below them, scooping them up. They'd disappeared and so had whatever caught them before I'd even thought to look for what it was.

"Ori?" I shouted into the air, not noticing at the time that Gandalf wore a complete look of relief as I shouted desperately into the sky for the lost dwarves.

I turned around to warn the others, but another blur of what seemed to be feathers flew down between them and pushed 2 Wargs off the cliffside. This time my eyes caught up with it and I was stunned to see a a giant Eagle gliding around and coming back, just as another took out an Orc.

There was a new screech. It wasn't a horrible ear piercing sound, but it was a soft almost melodic noise. I looked into the sky and saw more Eagles heading towards us. As I watched them soar down I noticed one had Ori and Dori sat on it's back. They're here to save us!

"Eska!" Gandalf suddenly shouted, ripping me from my awe, I looked back toward the fight and noticed a Warg running at me. Quickly I raised my bow, but in my heart racing panic I missed, firing it just past it's ear and into the flames behind. Shit.

I crawled backwards, grabbing another arrow, I was about to fire again but one of the huge eagles swooped down and picked the Warg up in it's massive talons, carrying it just past the cliff edge and dropping it down to the valley far below.

The others were all starting to be carried off by the eagles, picked up in their talons they'd fly around and hover over another Eagle, then dropping each dwarf onto the others back. Ori, Dori, Gloin, Bilbo, Bombur, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur and Bofur had all been saved so far. I watched another Eagle gently float down and pick up Thorin tenderly, knowing the King was injured he didn't drop Thorin onto the back of another Eagle, instead he carried him in his talons safely.

Another two came down, picking up Bofur and Nori. I tried to watch for to see that Fili and Kili were rescued. But I heard the gently swoosh of feathers pushing against the wind and felt the air it created. I was all to soon in the Eagles talons, only seconds to be released and sat upon anthers back. I looked back at the cliff and only found Orcs there. My panic grew as they were no where to be seen. I can't loose them!

"Eska!" I voice burst through the air I whipped my head around and was greeted by Fili's smiling face and Kili's frowning concerned one.

"Fili!" I shouted happily at the older brother, Kili looked away, the simple action hurting more than it should have.

I looked down and saw Gandalf droop from the now fallen tree onto an Eagles back.

We were all out, all safely away. The eagle I was upon sailed through the air calmly. Flying around the others in a weaving dance through the sky, I closed my eyes and relaxed into the feeling of the wind rushing through my hair. The complete safety I felt for the first time in weeks.

'I wonder if you can by these birds?'

"Is he alive?" I heard Bilbo ask fearfully. Looking over, I felt completely guilty for forgetting about Thorin and his fragile state. He could be dead!

"I don't know." I replied flatly.

The rest of the flight we all spent in silence, not knowing what to do when we landed.

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