Chapter 24: Protecting One's Heart

I watched the arrows fly towards the dwarves seeing they had been well prepared for just an assault sending a spinning mechanism towards the elves causing the arrows to fly back to them. They became locked in battle as Gandalf stayed by Bilbo and my side clearly worried for our safety but my sole focus was making sure Bilbo was safe. It didn't take long for a large rumble to start to vibrate under our feet hearing the fighting slowly start to die down as our eyes all moved towards the hills.

"Wereworms…" Gandalf said in horror seeing giant worm's breakthrough the earth causing me to shake with fear watching them towered almost as high as the mountains themselves.

They roared before retreating back into the earth seeing orcs come flooding out of the holes they left ready for war. Not caring about the elves anymore the dwarves focused all their attention on the new enemies at hand. It didn't take long for the elves to join in because despite their hatred for one another they could all agree that orcs were the true enemy.

I looked around hearing a horn in the distance seeing more orcs and trolls start to make their way to Dale knowing that's where all the women and children were saying, "We must help Dale, they will be slaughtered."

I grabbed onto a horse grabbing Bilbo as we rode with Gandalf and Bard towards Dale with a few elf soldiers. Once making it into the city I stood on my horse jumping onto the back of a troll stabbing him with my daggers hearing him roar in pain before dropping to the ground. Bard left to find his children while Gandalf, Bilbo and I tried to hold off the orcs so they women and children could escape.

After a while of fighting, I turned to see that Thorin and the other dwarves had finally left the mountain and were joining their kin in the battle. With a newfound hope rekindled in us all by their move, Bilbo and I fought harder deciding if they were willing to die for this world we would too.

I was covered in sweat, dirt, and blood but I didn't care seeing that we were slowly outnumbering the orcs. I was panting lightly beside Bilbo looking around not seeing any more orcs while Thranduil was pacing around the inner city looking at all his dead men.

"Thorin has gone to face Azog at Ravenhill but it will surely be a trap." Gandalf said turning to Thranduil saying, "My Lord, disperse this force to Ravenhill. The Dwarves are about to be overrun and Thorin must be warned."

"By all means, warn him. I've spent enough elvish blood in defense of this accursed land." Thranduil said spitefully beginning to walk away despite Gandalf calling out to him.

Bilbo looked towards me while I nodded knowingly both of us saying together, "We'll go."

"Don't be ridiculous you two will never make it." Gandalf said protectively while I replied, "Why not?"

"Because they will see you coming, and kill you." Gandalf said worried as Bilbo shook his head saying, "No they won't, they won't see us."

Gandalf shook his head replying, "It's out of the question, and I won't allow it."

I approached Gandalf placing my hand on his shoulder saying, "We are not asking you to allow it, Master Gandalf."

He gave us both a defeated look knowing he truly couldn't stop us turning back to Thranduil to try and convince him as Bilbo and I walked behind a pillar.

He took the ring out of his pocket stroking it for a moment before looking up at me with worried eyes saying, "One last time."

I nodded placing my hands over his agreeing as our fingers laced together once the ring went onto his finger. Getting through the battlefield was easy being cloaked by the ring but it left a heavy feeling in my soul that I didn't care for. Once we made it to Ravenhill Bilbo took the ring off placing it back into his vest giving me a comforting smile before we climbed the stairs.

"Thorin it's a trap!" Bilbo yelled coming up onto the battlefield seeing Fili being held by Azog with a sword to this throat.

"I will destroy all in your bloodline starting with this one!" Azog said stabbing Fili making me clasp my hand over my mouth from crying out as his body fell resting at Kili's feet.

That was enough to send Thorin, Kili, and Dwalin into a frenzy as more orcs began to spill in around us causing us all to split up to take them out. Dwalin ran ahead of us as Bilbo and I followed behind him taking out any orcs that he couldn't get to. Eventually, we lost Dwalin in the fray as I stabbed another orc through the throat hearing a small noise behind me.

I quickly turned watching Bilbo fall to the ground his head bleeding badly making my eyes widened running towards him to check if he was okay. I saw he was still breathing turning around to see a bunch of orcs laughing at me causing my body to tremble with anger. A few made a pass at his helpless form but as swift as the wind I stabbed them kicking their bodies out of the way pointing my dagger towards them all.

"I will kill every last one of you before you touch him!"

Orc bodies rained down from the ruins but it mattered not for all I saw was Bilbo and my will to protect him at all costs. No matter how many came, the adrenaline in my body kept me moving taking them all out until they all lied around my feet.

I heard a deep growl to my side averting my eyes to see the great white Warg eye at me slowly climbing down until he stood in front of me making me smirk, "You and I have unfinished business."

It growled in response as we began circling one another seeing it had no eye for Bilbo just for me feeling my body follow his never breaking eye contact. It lunged first making me sidestep out of the way stabbing my dagger into his side earning an angered growl turning quickly trying to push me over but I kept my balance. Lunge after lunge I stabbed at it but he kept coming clearly not affected by my daggers.

I saw a few orcs approaching seeing two go to Bilbo feeling my heart clench in my chest throwing my daggers towards them pinning them dead against the rocks beside him. It was then I felt a sharp pain grip onto my arm crying out as the Warg gripped my arm tighter in its powerful jaws tossing me into the rocks beside Bilbo. I tried to move my arm but winched at the pain that shot through it reaching desperately for one of my daggers hearing the Wargs large footsteps approach slowly.

I moved back putting my body over Bilbo's protectively as it crawled over the both of us seeing saliva drip from its mouth as it bared its teeth. I closed my eyes for a moment as it went to come down finishing the job but my hand gripped tightly to Sting thrusting it deep in the belly of the beast. It roared in pain as I twisted the blade slicing open its stomach watching it back up falling over seeing its guts splay across the ground. It then began twitching until no more movement was seen from it making me collapse in pain on the ground beside Bilbo.