Chapter 37
The two weeks flew by with planning and getting our forces ready. Before I knew it, we were marching out at night with Dain's forces with us. Thorin's people were able to provide two hundred strong against several hundred of Dain's men. Fall was starting to show its signs of arrival when we had left the mountain. It was starting to get colder at night, and the days weren't as warm. It was a week's march to Gundabad itself, and we met with Lord Elrond's forces when we got close.
Thranduil had met us as we had left, and the numbers we had were at least over a thousand strong. We had sent word that two days after we left, that the second force follow which consisted of wagons, food, drink and other supplies. That was mostly for the journey back home. I rode quietly next to Thorin, staying in my human form so that we didn't tip anyone off. He glanced at me as we arrived at our destination early on the seventh day. Looking over the large rock formation, and knowing what lay behind it, I felt my hands tighten on the reins of my horse. It had been well over 65 years since I had laid eyes on this place.
"Arina," Thorin said lowly.
"I'm fine," I replied in a whisper, as we marched forward. "I...I can hear them in there."
"Good," Lord Elrond said, from his spot next to Thorin.
Fili and Kili were beside me, followed by Dwalin and the others who had joined us. We halted the horses, and I stilled my shaking hands as memories flashed in my head, making my close my eyes tightly. A hand reached out and laid on my leg, so I looked over to see Thorin looking at me seriously. He was in battle armor this time, unlike when he had fought in the winter we had arrived at Erebor. Everyone was in armor, which helped me relax a little.
"I'm here," he rumbled.
"I know," I murmured, grabbing his hand tightly.
As I looked over the place, and the dead field where this battle would take place, I paused when I saw a figure suddenly standing there. One moment there was nothing, and the next I was looking at a tall man who stood about fifty feet away. Everyone stilled, unsure about what that was all about.
"If you come any further, you all will die!" the man shouted.
The voice had my whole body shaking, and my breath left me in a gasp. I knew that voice, there was no denying that. Thorin glanced at me in concern, and I pushed my horse forward to come in front of our forces.
"Says who?" I demanded loudly.
"I do," the man sneered.
I focused my powers for a moment, and changed my eyes to that of an eagle. It was a delicate task, but I had to know if who I spoke to was who I thought. When I looked at him, I had to force the shock back.
"Kegan," I whispered, as his name hit me.
Memories flooded my head, and I flinched at the pain of it. How had I not known he was alive? Had he truly been here the whole time?
"Who?" Thorin asked, as he rode forward, jerking me from my thoughts.
"That...that's my brother," I choked out, my eyes growing wide in horror.
His jaw clenched suddenly, and he looked at me. "The shadow you saw..."
"It was him," I whispered.
"Arina," he said softly, and I shook my head and got off my horse.
Walking several feet forward, I stood firmly where I was. "You will not kill them," I said to my brother.
"You seem so confident," Kegan smirked, tilting his head.
He was not the same as I remember all those years ago. He was all muscle, and taller than he used to be. He had short hair, and his green eyes did not look like what I remembered either. They had a sick look to them, and as he looked at me, he didn't seem to know who I was. The Kegan I remembered had always been kind, like my father. But where my father was a warrior, Kegan had chosen to be a healer instead. He was not made for fighting, just as I had been. However, he he had learned to fight just like my father.
"Kegan," I said to him. "Stand down, please."
"I think you'll find that it'll be you who does," he smirked, glancing behind him. "When you are dead."
I watched as the army came forward, the Orcs well suited for battle but their numbers were exactly as I had thought. Small enough that we wouldn't lose that fight, but that wasn't what worried me. Kegan shifted and looked at me with a tilt of his head.
"It's a pity, really. When I had heard of a shifter that was present at the battle last winter, I was quite sad that I wasn't there," he smiled. "Had I been there you all would have died. But it matters not. You will die on this battlefield."
He transformed suddenly as the army behind him charged forward, so I ran forward to take on a new form. I heard Thorin sound the battle charge with the others as I took my dragon form. I wasn't expecting Kegan's transformation, and I snarled as I had to lift into the air to escape one of the three heads he suddenly had. It was such an impressive transformation, that I felt my stomach clench.
He was a three headed dragon, with no wings and solid black scales. Each of his heads sported long head horns and his tail was long and spiked. His claws were just as impressive as my own. He spun to face me as I moved away from my people so that he would focus on me. Kegan roared and his tail struck out, smacking me full in the chest as I landed and I snapped my jaws on it and yanked. One of his heads snaked around to snap on my neck, but I moved back out of range.
I felt fire gather in my belly and I let it loose against his chest as he came at me, but the fire did little to his scales and I roared as he flipped me onto my back. One of my wings crunched painfully, and I hissed and dug my claws in to his shoulders and bit him on the muzzle as a head snaked down on me. It proved to be useless since with my jaws distracted, both of his free heads dug deep in to my shoulders and he ripped back.
I roared, and ripped my claws down his chest ripping scales out and I kicked him off me with my back feet. He flew off me, and landed painfully on his side as I struggled my feet. I spun to rise up on my hind legs to catch two of his heads with my claws, and then I snapped my teeth on his other, unguarded head. Kegan snarled loudly and struck with his claws and broke my other wing as I went to lift us into the air.
"Kegan!" I snarled at him, as I had to let go and move back. "Kegan it's me! Your sister!"
"Filth," he snarled. "You are no sister to me. You are dead!"
"No!" I cried.
He roared as he charged forward dug a set of head horns into my side. My body shuddered in agony as I reached forward and snapped my jaws on his neck. I couldn't go against him if he had three heads, there was just no way. He'd kill me before I'd make a dent. Clamping my jaws shut tight, I managed to wrench him from me and threw him into the side of the mountain, and then spit fire over him making him shriek.
Turning my head I looked at the battle, and I blew fire over the last part of the Orc army before I spun to face Kegan again as he charged forward. He roared furiously as I aided the dwarves and elves. Focusing my healing powers, I pushed it to heal my wings as he charged and I lifted in to the sky to jump over him and I grabbed him by his tail and dragged him back. He roared and spit at me as I slammed myself down on his back and bit down on the base of his neck. I tore into one of his heads, and ripped it clean off, but it cost me.
Kegan shredded both of my wings again and blood splattered to the ground, both his and mine as I threw his now useless head to the ground. It disappeared and I watched as the wound healed instantly so he could keep this form. Rearing back, Kegan spun and threw me from him and snaked a head forward, and went to snap shut on my throat. I spewed fire at him to save me, but his other head pierced my other side. He yanked it up, dragging his head horns along my side. I gasped and screamed out, the roar hurting my ears as Kegan then bit down on my leg and snapped the bone with a sickening crunch. My whole body shuddered and smoke shot from my nostrils as I shrieked again.
"I'll take great pleasure in killing you," Kegan hissed.
I heard Thorin shouting as both of Kegan's heads came down, their jaws open wide. I let loose a tongue of flame and covered both of his heads. He roared and stumbled back as I shoved myself to my feet, and slammed my tail into him. Panting, I stood there as he crashed into the rocks and laid there for a moment, stunned. Turning my head, I watched Thorin take on several Orcs and Dain ran to his rescue as one knocked him down. I couldn't fly over to save him, but at least I didn't need to. Thranduil joined in on helping him, and I relaxed seeing he was all right. He spun to face me after taking down the next Orc and our gazes locked for a moment.
"Arina," I heard him breathe as he struck down another enemy, and I rumbled loudly.
THORIN
From the moment he had arrived at Gundabad, Thorin had known something was wrong. Beside him, Arina had been tense and closed off from him, like she had been preparing for something huge. His feeling was rightly placed when they had encountered another shifter, and worse off it was her brother. The moment the Orcs had charged, so had Arina and Kegan, she had called him. Putting his mind into battle, Thorin made quick work of many of his enemies. He had never seen such a battle that was going on not far from them. They were both in the form of dragons, with Kegan being a larger, more deadly looking enemy. Arina's gold scales were soon covered in blood, and a few times he had been caught off guard by one of his attackers. However, he noticed that many couldn't help but look over at the battle going on. It was something rarely seen, and wouldn't probably never be seen again. One of them was going to die.
For a brief moment, as Thorin cut the head off his enemy, he felt his heart clench painfully. He couldn't lose her now, not when they had just accomplished so many things. Grunting in anger as he tripped an Orc and stabbed him in the chest, he listened to the mighty roars that were going on. There was so much going on, but Thorin always prided himself in his abilities to fight. Ripping through Orcs, he rushed to aid Fili who had been knocked down. Kili appeared beside them in seconds, making sure that his older brother was up and moving before he continued his fight.
"We have the larger numbers, this will be easy," Kili smirked, as they all managed to take a moment to breathe.
"It will be worth nothing if she doesn't win this fight," Fili added gravely, making Thorin grunt.
"Hush the both of you," he snarled, when a piercing roar cut through the air.
The brothers didn't want to risk looking, so they took the opportunity given to start killing Orcs who were distracted by the noise. Thorin swung his head toward the fight, and saw Arina on her back, and the head horns of one of the dragons dug deep into her side. He flinched at the screaming roar, and the grip on his sword turned his knuckles white.
"ARINA!" he found himself screaming, as Kegan went in for the killing bite.
Fire spewed from her jaws, taking the other dragon by surprise and suddenly, he couldn't focus on them anymore. Two Orcs rushed him, and knocked him to the ground, causing profanity to pass his lips. He kicked one, and stabbed the other in the neck before shoving himself roughly to his feet, when he was surrounded by four. He knew they all wanted him dead. If he died, the mountain would surely fall into the hands of Sauron. He glared as he gripped his sword and met the attackers all at once. When two more joined, he winced as a blade sliced across his shoulder briefly and he was kicked back.
Before anymore damage was done, two brilliant swords glinted in the sun and he glanced up as he killed one Orc. Thranduil had come to his aid, and soon followed was his cousin. Dain swung his hammer viciously across the head of the Orc in front of him. It pushed Thorin into action again, and he aided them, just as they had done the same. He had to give the stupid elf credit when it came to the sword. The elf lord was extremely gifted in what he did, even if Thorin hated him. As he killed one last Orc, he managed to spin around and watch Arina slowly get up. Her eye fixed on him, and he locked gazes with her for just a breath.
"Arina," he whispered, aching.
He wanted to be over there to help her, but he was so small compared to such beasts. Her loud rumble told him that she had heard him, before her eyes glazed over into something he wasn't sure he was going to like. Her eyes would often get that look when she gave into the instinct of the animal she had taken the form of. He knew just from that look, that the fight was far from over.
I usually never do Thorin's POV so this time I had to fit it in. It came to me this morning and I couldn't resist writing down down. Was shorter than I wanted, but it's good to me none the less. Enjoy.
Thank you for all the favorites and follows! I'm so glad you are enjoying this! I'm thinking of ending this in a few chapters, as I am running out, but we'll see what you guys think.