I would like to clarify that Asta has remained in her human form since the fight with the spiders-so sorry for any confusion! I should really be careful how I describe her, as I use 'wolf' 'werewolf' and her name in equal measure to describe her in either form. Typically though, I will have some brief description of the shift, and I will usually try to have some of the wolf-half's POV. Also, I would greatly welcome feedback for an upcoming scene. A few chapters from now, I'll need to decide whether Asta stays back with Fíli, Kíli, Oin and Bofur in Laketown, or if she travels on with the pack to Erebor. Right now, I'm leaning towards the latter. Thoughts? Thanks for the wonderful reviews, and to all who have read/followed/favorited/you know the drill. Always very much appreciated! Enjoy!
Asta gasped for air, dragging herself to the shoreline alongside Ori, coughing violently to expel the excess water from her lungs. The ride down the rapids followed by the fight had been almost too fast to follow, and the werewolf was exhausted and furious with herself in equal measure. She had seen that arrow, heard the creak of the bowstring, and had she been even a fraction of a second faster, the alpha's sister-son would not now be smelling of poison and suppressing whimpers of pain.
Orcs, everywhere. Kíli struggling towards the gate's lever, risking his life to save the Company. The creak of the Orc-Second's bow as he released a poisoned arrow towards the Durin prince. Asta leapt, exploding from the water, only to go down on one knee as an orc emerged from the bushes beside her, stabbing her beneath her bottom rib with a wicked blade. The distinct thudding sound the arrow made as it struck Kíli's knee. The death gurgle of the orc who had stabbed her, his esophagus steaming on the ground beside his recently eviscerated throat. The look of shock on Kíli's face as the pain began to register, as he stumbled. Fíli's cry for his brother.
Asta blinked, focusing again on Ori at her side, who resembled nothing so much as a drowned rat. Dwalin stepped up beside the lad and helped him onto dry ground with a firm shove before making his way to the alpha. Asta finished hacking, took a breath, and then forced herself to her feet, grateful that the river had washed away the lingering blood from her side wound. It had already healed to a thick pink line, and by the time the pack was together and assembled, she knew it would be as if the wound had never existed.
It took the Company several moments to orient themselves, but even as Fíli began to swear at… apples?, and Bofur and Bifur worked to re-orient Bombur, Asta's focus was dragged to Dori as he hustled to his youngest brother's side. The wolf casually edged away, dropping her eyes and lithely dodging to one side when it appeared that the elder dwarrow would brush against her. She stumbled over towards Bilba, who was looking none too happy about their little river ride, but mightily pleased with herself for having managed to burgle thirteen dwarves and a skin-changer away from the King of the Woodland realm. Asta resisted the urge to shake herself as she would in her other form, and instead settled for sneezing several times and then promptly falling over.
Bilba glanced at her in concern, but the wolf waved her off, taking only a moment to catch her balance again. A great deal of water had found its way into her nose and ears, throwing off her senses of hearing and smell, as well as her balance, and it was likely due to this that it took her much longer than it should have to realize that they were not alone.
As Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, and Bilba began to discuss, and then argue, as to their next course of action, Asta tilted her head, attempting to catch a more defined scent that had begun to drift past her. A single creature drew stealthily nearer to the pack, and past the overwhelming stench of orc that came from the opposite direction, Asta determined that the individual was human. An adult male, whose scent seemed somehow… familiar…
It was the sound of a booted foot on stone, much, much too close for comfort, that finally drove her into action, and before the human half of her brain had time to think, Asta found herself standing in front of Ori, her shoulders drawn back protectively to shield him as well as possible as she bared fangs at the threat before her. In the span of that same second, Dwalin had found his feet as well, and stood beside her, helping to shield Ori as well, and he lifted a large branch as a makeshift weapon threateningly.
The human instantly released his arrow, his aim true enough to bury the arrowhead in the exact middle of Dwalin's 'weapon', without even a scratch on the dwarrow holding it. Half a blink later, and the rock that Kíli had raised to throw was shot cleanly out of his hand, and a third arrow was nocked in the bowman's string. "Do it again, and you're dead."
The sound of the man's voice jarred Asta's memory, and in her surprise she found herself dropping out of her defensive stance despite the weapon still pointed at the Alpha's Second. It was the human, the father of the girl she had saved from a warg pack several years ago. "Bard, of Laketown…" Asta hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud until the human's sharp eyes suddenly darted to her, and then went wide in identical surprise as he recognized her. "You-!"
"Excuse me…" Balin's calm, reassuring voice cut through the odd tension that had settled between the two, each watching the other with the wary caution of any predator when faced with an obvious threat. Bard's gaze moved to the elder dwarf as he spoke, but his bow remained leveled with Asta's throat. "…but, you're from Lake-town, if I'm not mistaken? That barge, over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?" Balin's clever eyes bored into the human's own, and Asta watched curiously as the archer slowly lowered his bow.
He moved to prepare his boat for travel as he answered Balin's query, although Asta noted that the human remained watchful and wary of the pack in general and her in particular. A strange emotion had flashed through his eyes when he'd caught sight of her, and though he hadn't made to address her since Balin had spoken, Asta could only watch and pray that he wouldn't bring up her 'condition' in front of the pack.
"What makes you think I would help you?" Bard asked, though despite the callous words, his tone was oddly soft and resigned, as though he already knew how this would play out. Asta quietly began to make her way towards him, watching in mild amusement as he noted her approach with growing discomfort, muttering something about the dwarves' boots having seen better days, before trailing off as the werewolf moved to stand before him. The archer's fingers twitched towards his bow, but he made no move to lift his weapon, clearly knowing full well he would never make it in time.
Asta made certain to catch and hold his gaze for a moment before deliberately dropping her eyes, lowering her head in a slight, respectful bow. "Bard. I trust your remember me from our last encounter?" The assembled dwarves and hobbit watched in surprise as the tiny human spoke to the Man, but they made no move to interrupt. For his part, Bard nodded, eyes wary, but he didn't make to interrupt, so the wolf continued. "You asked me then, what I would demand in payment for the life of your daughter, and I told you there was no debt, that it was merely human decency."
There. That had gotten a tiny spark of humor in his gaze, as he glanced her over once, pointedly, and she offered the smallest of grins in return, conceding the point. "Despite your misgivings as to the accuracy of that statement, I would ask the same of you this day. I know you risk much to aid us, but this would be an act above and beyond 'human decency', and it is gravely needed, for there are powers at work here beyond my ability to circumvent. I beg you."
The Man looked more closely at her, and then cast his gaze about the Company once more, before sighing heavily, his shoulders slumping, and Asta knew she had won. "Regardless of your reassurances, my debt to you is one that cannot be repaid. I will do this thing for you, for the debt I owe you for saving my Sigrid's life. But-" and here Balin stepped forward again to meet the human's gaze, Asta gladly stepping back now that her part was over. "-I would like to know who you are, and what you are doing in these lands."
Balin smiled reassuringly, and replied, "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains, journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills." Bard and Balin went back and forth for a short time after that, the pack growing increasingly more restless as precious moments were lost, before finally Bard was satisfied with their answers, and the Company was hurried on board his boat with the promise to smuggle them into Laketown. Far behind, and inaudible to all but Asta's ears, the orc pack bayed out their hunting cries as their quarry made their way to the questionable 'safety' of Laketown. They had escaped.