Angel jumped into the branches of the trees, climbing her way up faster than an elf. She lept forward from branch to branch, staying close to the river, never straying from her course. She ran with amazing speed, the arms of the trees were barely disturbed as she whizzed across them. It wasn't long before the orc pack came into full view. Angel went completely unnoticed, for their growls and shrieks muffled any sound she made, and the coating of their blood upon her masked her smell. She surpassed their feeble run with ease, and soon the land around her went quiet. Angel never stopped. Throughout the long hours she ran, pain raged in her side, and her vision threatened to leave. She shook her head in attempts to ignore all the elements that could stop her from reaching the dwarves. Her stubbornness to charge on proved useful, for the edge of the river was in sight. The dwarves could be seen far out on the lake, upon a barge holding the barrels they floated in. As the trees became scarce, Angel flung her head, releasing her bracers from her snout. They flew through the air, safely landing in a barrel on the barge, causing all to look in her direction. She jumped down from the trees, forcing herself to speed up as the rocks ended, leaping towards them, she reached an incredible height, though her distance wouldn't be enough to make it to the company. At the climax of her jump, she returned to a human form, soaring the required distance. Angel barely landed on the boat, crashing down beside the foot of a man, and tumbling past the dwarves, until her back smacked against the barge's bow. She collapsed onto her side, her injury facing upward, breathing heavy, exhausted from her marathon. Angel peaked out of the corner of her eye after hearing heavy footsteps dart towards her. The barge man aimed his long bow at her, hatred filling his pale face. Angel's brow twisted before she rested her head again, waiting to feel another arrow pierced through her. The cry of dwarves seemed to confirm a hit, though she felt no pain. She opened her eyes to examine her body to see no new wounds, all the dwarves were blocking his aim.
"Move, so I may slay this demon and put an end to it's evil reign!" He beckoned. They refused to move, though the man did not lower his bow.
"Demon? What do you mean, she is no demon!" Bilbo shouted from the edge of the group.
"The beast burned down our cities, leaving us all to die in it's flame!" The tall man argued.
"She is surrendering to you!" Bilbo's words went unheard.
"Only after your people mocked her, and beat her till she bled!" Balin countered.
"It deserved all that it got! It did not belong in the race of elves, nor men, it only brought misery and grief!" The man yelled. Angel wished she could stop them from their disagreement, she didn't want the journey to be jeopardized by her presence.
"So you're saying you wouldn't do the same?!" Bilbo snapped. Everyone went silent, and turned to him. "You're saying that, if your family, and all you cared about, abused you, you wouldn't seek revenge? Especially at the age she was, which we all know is very vengeful." The dark haired man slowly lowered his bow, unable to come up with a response to the hobbit.
"It is still a beast, and should to be put down where it lay." He finally spoke.
"You throw that word around a lot, but when I look at her, a wolf, or a dragon, is not the first thing I see." Everyone was quiet, even Angel's breaths slowed, she was speechless that he would defend her. "I see a young woman. Now you may not believe me, but you haven't spent near the time I have with her. She eats, like you and I do, she sleeps, once in a while." The barge man's eyes looked to her, though her bewildered gaze was stuck to Bilbo. "I've seen her cry." The hobbit stated after a pause, causing the man's eyes to shoot towards him. "She was so flustered with who people saw her as, sick of being forced to hide cause of, well, cause of this." He gestured to their surroundings as the bowman looked back to her.
"I have seen her scared." Dwalin added, looking towards her as she stared at him. "Placed in front of a king she once knew well, and having him see her for what she had become all these years later. The panic that rushed through her, the horror of returning to an elves grasp. A 'beast' would attack, not succumb to anxiety."
"I watched her get shot by an elf the other day." Fili's voice came from behind his uncle. "Though it was from far away, her scream of pain could be heard throughout the land. She did not attack those who crowded her after, as a wild animal would. She laid there, waiting to die in their arms, uttering final words that seemed to leave them speechless."
"She saved my life, all of our lives, risking her own without a second thought." Kili added.
"I Watched her tame wild beasts with a single stare." Balin spoke up, recalling their battles. "Surrounded by creatures, any that belonged to nature, would follow her command."
"I have seen her care." Thorin spoke in almost a whisper. A gentle smile grew on his face as he looked down to the ground, all eyes fixed upon him. "She tended to what would've been fatal battle scars. I've seen her laugh, make stupid jokes while life faded from her body." Thorin turned to her with a chuckle. Angel smiled and turned onto her back.
"I thought I was funny." She giggled. The rest of them laughed softly, even the bowman, who put away his weapon.
"Perhaps I have been too quick to judge you. My name's Bard, and I am sorry for my harsh words." Bard apologized. Angel struggled to stand, but with the help of the dwarves, she managed to.
"You do not need to regret your words. My actions have caused much pain and hardships throughout many lives, and for that, I give my sincerest apologies. I hope one day I can make it up to all those who I hurt. Thank you though, for not shooting me. One arrow is enough for me this week." Angel grinned, but few dwarves laughed while Bard smiled down at her. Angel looked to Thorin, who shook his head at her joke, though he still had a smile on his face, and that was good enough for her.