The dwarves on the split had been safely rescued. Bella wandered over by the fire pit, where the trolls had piled their weapons and found hers. Thorin had already gathered his sword and couple daggers and went to have a little chat with the wizard. "Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked as he approached the wizard.
"To look ahead." The wizard declared, not giving any specifics.
"What brought you back?" The dwarf questioned, wondering if the wizard would at least give him a straight answer this time.
"Looking behind." Thorin huffed under his breath, he should have known better by now that he would never get a straight answer from this riddle speaking wizard. "Nasty business. Still, they're all in one piece."
"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin stated, recalling the trouble this hobbit had caused since he joined this company. He still didn't see if this halfling was all this wizard was making him out to be. The young woman, had earned his trust, that she could at least hold her own, but he still remained suspicious of who she really was.
"He had the nous to play for time." The wizard pressed.
"And let us not forget: that none of the rest of you thought of that." Bella interrupted, causing Thorin and Gandalf to look to their side to see the young woman sheathing her sword that she had picked up from the pile the trolls had made them make when they were first captured.
"He nearly got us killed." Thorin challenged, as he stepped over to Bella, who didn't find his demeanor at all intimidating what so ever.
"You're alive, aren't you!?" She barked back and then walked away. Leaving the Dwarf King muttering under his breath as he looked back at the wizard, somewhat annoyed that he had brought this woman amongst his company. Gandalf, rolled his eyes,wondering when these two would get over their issues they had with each other, as he looked over at the statues. These trolls had to have come from somewhere.
"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." The wizard said calmly.
"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far South?" The leader wondered. Finding it quite odd as well.
"Not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands." The wizards voice trailed off as his mind went somewhere else, remembering a time when darkness had nearly covered all of Middle-Earth but they had managed to defeat it.
"They could not have moved in daylight." Bella called out. "We should search the nearby area's for any sign of their hideout."
The dwarf raised an eyebrow at the wizard, this woman clearly liked to take charge and it was making his insides boil, but neither the less she did have a point, they should look around for where these nasty creatures could have been staying during the day. It wasn't long before they realized they were getting close, when a foul smell reached their noses, making it hard for most of them to breathe, without choking on the fumes that dwell in the unpleasant place that laid just before them.
Gandalf led a small group of dwarves - Thorin included, into the cave. Bella waited outside with the hobbit and the rest that did not wish to enter such a foul place. The woman glanced at the entrance when she heard the commotion that was coming out of it. From what she could make of it, they had found lots of gold coins; something dwarves couldn't resist, she assumed they were burying some away for later and she rolled her eyes at the thought. She could hear the wizard talking about weapons - two swords that were forged by the High Elves of the first age. That disturbing news would have disgusted the dwarf immediately. He hated anything that had to do with elves. The next thing Bella heard was Gandalf's overpowering voice shout at him, basically calling him a fool he were to leave it behind.
Thorin and the others soon came back out of the troll cave. Both Thorin and the wizard carrying a brand new sword. Gandalf appeared to be carrying two. "Bilbo." Bella wandered over to the others, while the wizard had a word with the hobbit. " Here. This is about your size." The hobbit looked almost petrified when he saw that it was a sword the wizard was handing to him. Bilbo took the blade with shaky hands.
"I can't take this." Bilbo sighed.
"The blade is of Elvish make, which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby." Gandalf explained, but the hobbit doubted himself having the strength and courage to wield such blade.
" I have never used a sword in my life." The hobbit pressed, trying to talk his way out of accepting this, but the wizard, believed in him more then he knew.
"And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life...but when to spare one." The hobbit allow this to sink in, but it wasn't enough time as he hoped.
"Something's coming!" Thorin shouted.
"Gandalf." Bilbo stuttered.
"Stay together! Hurry now! Arm yourselves!" The wizard yelled. The dwarves and Bella all pulled out their swords and axes and made hast into the bushes to face whatever it was that was coming towards them through the trees. The dwarves had formed a circle around the area, so whatever was coming would have to go through them, if it wanted to get passed them. The noise was getting closer as something shot out of the bushes just before them. It appeared to be over-sized rabbit's pulling a sleigh with a short, odd old man wearing a ragged hat.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" The strange man, yanked on the reigns when he saw he was surrounded at sword point all around.
"Radagast." Gandalf sighed. "It's Radagast the Brown!" The wizard stepped forward from the group towards his friend. Bella and the dwarves, slowly lowered their weapons but kept their eyes on this strange man. He was quite short for a wizard. "Well...what on earth are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you, Gandalf." Radagast pressed urgently. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong." He repeated. The dwarves and even the woman were beginning to grow flustered with this wizard to get to the point already.
"Yes?" Gandalf, said calmly; encouraging his odd friend to continue on and hopefully spit it out whatever it was he had a difficult time saying. Radagast inhales sharply to say something, but nothing calm out.
"Just give me a minute. Oh. I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue. " The wizard stressed. He went to try again when he finally realized what was wrong. " Oh, it's not a thought at all. It's a silly old..." The short wizard stuck out his tongue, Gandalf slowly reached forward and grabbed what appeared to be some sort of insect. "Stick insect."
Bella, cocked an eyebrow. She had a hard time believing this was a wizard at all. He certainly didn't act like one, although he somewhat spoke an awful lot like Gandalf did. Feeling intimidated with all the eyes on him, Radagast insisted the two of them speak in private on certain matters. Some time went by when a howl of some sort was heard in the distance.
" Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo questioned, in a startled voice.
"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur informed, the dwarves knew that sound all to well. Low growls were heard behind them and the snapping of branches. They all turned around to see a giant warg stalking towards them. The beast leaped at the company; knocking a few onto the ground. Thorin plunged his new sword; Orcrist into the foul creature. Just as the leader killed the first one another one was already there. The warg charged at Thorin. Kili, being a skilled archer, release an arrow, bringing the beast to the ground, only wounding it, and Bella stabbed it in it's throat, putting it out of it's misery.
"Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack is not far behind." Thorin declared.
"Orc pack?" The hobbit repeated, but everyone paid little attention to the hobbit's hysterics.
"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf questioned.
"No one." Thorin said.
"Who did you tell?!" The wizard shouted.
"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted." Gandalf pressed.
"We have to get out of here." Dwalin informed.
"We can't! We have no ponies. They bolted!" Ori cried as he came running down the hill to tell the others. Numerous disappointed sighs were heard throughout the company. Their was no way they would be able to outrun the warg's and orcs on foot.
"I'll draw them off." Radagast suddenly offered.
"These are Gundabad Warg's they will outrun you." Gandalf hissed.
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits. I'd like to see them try." The wizard challenged, with a smirk.