We all ran through the forest and stopped part the way down with Gandalf as he looked over everyone. I leaned forward and placed my hands above my knees as I caught my breath. I couldn't believe what we had just been through... I do not want to see another Goblin for a very long time.
"Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve...and Bombur - that makes thirteen! Raine is fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!" Gandalf called, I looked around the group and noticed that Bilbo was missing.
"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin yelled as my brow furrowed with worry looking around the group, I peered behind some nearby trees to see if he had passed out somewhere.
"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin yelled,
"Don't blame me!" Dori looked at Gloin,
"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf looked between the group as I sighed hoping that wherever Bilbo was, he was safe...
"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Nori explained, Gandalf looked towards the brown-haired dwarf.
"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf yelled; I could tell he was greatly worried.
"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin walked between us all, I frowned at him thinking that he was wrong but deep down some of what he said made sense... Bilbo did miss home...
But to everyone's surprise and my own Bilbo walked from behind a tree with a smile on his face.
"No, he isn't." Bilbo spoke, I grinned widely at Bilbo as Gandalf laughed,
"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf cheered as I walked over to Gandalf. Bilbo walked forward and patted Balin's shoulder,
"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili smiled,
"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?!" Fili asked, which is a good question.
"How, indeed." Dwalin frowned doubting the hobbit. Everyone went silent as Bilbo looked between the group and put his hands on his waist by his pocket, I walked around the group and up the hill slightly.
"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf smiled, I turned to look at the group and Thorin walked towards Bilbo,
"It matters! I want to know: why did you come back?" Thorin glared slightly at Bilbo.
"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo explained, I smiled at his answer as I felt dizzy, a funny feeling appeared in my stomach. Gandalf looked at me and his eyes narrowed,
"Raine... Are you okay?" Gandalf asked, I looked at him as the other dwarves looked at me.
I didn't have time to reply though as we heard orcs yelling and wolves howling. I took a deep breath and feigned that I was okay and well, but I could feel my head getting worse by the second.
"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin spoke,
"...and into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf spoke as everyone turned and ran down the mountain. I started running with them as we could hear the Wargs running after us. One of the Wargs caught up with the group and leaped at Bilbo. I tripped and landed heavily on the floor between two rocks where another Warg jumped on top of them and tried to ram its jaw between them, but it was just too tight for it to fit all the way down. I lay there for a second feeling its drool fall on my body.
"Go to hell..." I muttered and pulled my sword out and pierced its face with my blade. The Warg fell limp on top of the rocks, and I looked up to squeeze through the other side.
When I climbed out, I heard Gandalf call to the others.
"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" Gandalf called, "Raine, where are you?!" Gandalf yelled as I took off running for my life. I saw the dwarves climbing the trees up ahead, but another Warg jumped ahead of me and was quickly joined by two others. The dwarves could see I was blocked from reaching them.
"Raine!" I heard Kili and Fili yell,
"Run! Jump for the trees!" Bilbo called, but something overtook me, a sense of rage and aggression overpowered my senses.
I looked up at Gandalf who I could see looking at me intently, he nodded at me as if to say carry on.
"Embrace the power." Gandalf called at me. I ran towards the Wargs and they charged towards myself.
"Raine! No!" I heard Thorin call as I roared my body suddenly changed into a fearless white tiger which was twice the size of the Wargs. A loud roar escaped my mouth as my front paws collided with the middle Warg knocking him into the other. The third Warg jumped at my throat and climbed on my back; I felt its teeth dig into my shoulder a cry of pain escaped my mouth. I had no time to react to what had taken over my body. Rolling over I managed to shake off the Warg and jump down on top of the beast and bit down on its throat pulling it apart. Once the beast had died, I ran towards the trees where the dwarves were and stayed on the ground, I turned and faced towards the wargs and orcs as they were making their way through.
As the dwarves are safe in the trees some orcs on wargs appeared in front of us and one of them was a white warg with a Pale Orc upon it.
"Azog?!" I heard Thorin up in the tree as the White Warg growled, I growled at it in reply. Standing in the middle of the trees where the dwarves where I wanted to protect them. I looked upon Azog with my green tiger eyes, he slowly stroked his Warg.
"Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast?" Azog spoke loudly, "Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob." Azog sat up as I growled loudly. I could imagine that look on Thorin's face right now.
"It cannot be." I heard Thorin up in the tree as Azog turned his head to the other wargs and riders.
"Kod, Toragid biriz." Azog pointed at Thorin, "Worori-da!" Azog yelled at the top of his lungs as the Wargs leapt forward and attacked some of the trees, I sprinted forward and jumped at a few of the Wargs who tried to get to the end tree. "Sho gad adol!" Azog yelled to them all. The Wargs all jumped on the other trees making them fall towards the last one. I stood protectively in front of the last tree as Azog started to laugh, but then seconds later a pinecone flew in front of me and landed on the ground causing a fire.
"Raine! Get back!" Thorin yelled as I backed up towards the tree,
"Think small, Raine!" Gandalf yelled as he started passing more pinecones to the others. Looking up I growled and jumped up, but I wasn't changing, I looked up at the dwarves and saw Thorin looking down at me. He slowly made his way down to me as the others carried on throwing the pinecones. I leaned up the tree as Thorin jumped down to the last branch and reached down for me. I reached my paw up and used my back legs to kick me for an extra boost. Closing my eyes, I landed in Thorin's arms no longer as a tiger but as a small white striped house cat. I held onto Thorin as he climbed back up, I looked over to the orcs as they were watching us closely and I could see Azog looking at Thorin with great interest. At least one Warg gallops away with its fur alight. Azog roars in anger and frustration as the dwarf's cheer.
Suddenly, their cheers turn into cries of fear as the roots of the tree we are in start to give way; the tree tips precariously over the edge of the cliff but comes to a rest sticking straight out away from the edge of the cliff. I managed to hang onto Thorin the entire time on his back by digging my claws in. Gandalf looks down and sees the ground far, far, below. The dwarves try to hold on as they get flung around. Ori loses his grip on the tree and falls but manages to grab on to Dori's leg.
Thorin, clinging to the tree, looks at Azog in hate and anger. Thorin pulled himself up and placed me down on the ground gently, drawing his sword, he walked down the leaning trunk as Bilbo and the others, hanging from the tree, looked on. Thorin ran through the burning ground at Azog and his White Warg. I wanted to chase after him but as I did my body grew back to normal and I collapsed on the floor at the base of the tree feeling incredibly weak. Azog spreads his arms wide with a smug grin on his face. Thorin ran with his sword up and his oaken branch shield held in front of him. Azog crouches, then roars as his Warg leaps at Thorin. Thorin tries to swing his sword, but the Warg hits him in the chest with its forepaw, smashing Thorin to the ground. The other dwarves in the tree look on in shock. I reached forward too weak to call out to Thorin, my vision was fading between darkness and reality.
As Thorin gets back on his feet, panting, Azog and his White Warg wheel around; they charge at Thorin again. Azog swings his mace and smashes Thorin in the face before Thorin can react. Thorin is brutally flung to the ground by the impact.
"Nooo!" Balin yelled at the top of his lungs, Azog roars in excitement. The White Warg clamps its jaws around Thorin and the dwarven prince yells in pain. I could hear the dwarves struggling to climb up behind me.
"Thorin! Nooo!" Dwalin called as the White Warg holds Thorin in its mouth, Thorin manages to hit its head with the pommel of his sword. Roaring, the White Warg throws Thorin several feet away onto a flat rock nearby. Thorin lands heavily, his sword falling out of his hand. He is almost unconscious.
"Biriz torag khobdudol." Azog stood to the side with his White Warg, I wanted to scream out, call him a coward. One of Azog's Warg Riders jumps off his Warg and approaches Thorin. Bilbo passed me on the ground and ran forward towards Thorin. The orc approaches Thorin and places its sword against his neck; raising the sword, the rider prepares to decapitate Thorin. As he swings his sword down, Bilbo throws himself at the orc and knocks him over. As they fight, Bilbo manages to stab and kill the orc. As Azog growls in anger, Thorin goes unconscious. Pulling his sword out of the dead orc's body, Bilbo stands in front of the unconscious Thorin and protects his body. He waves his sword wildly at Azog and the other Wargs. Azog smiles in hatred and speaks in the Black Speech to his Orcs.
A couple of Wargs and Riders approach Bilbo, snarling. Suddenly, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, who have managed to get off the tree, plow into the Wargs from the side and start fighting them. In the confusion, Bilbo yells and leaps forward, wounding a Warg. The White Warg hits Bilbo with his head and sends him flying, however. As the fighting around them continues, Azog and his White Warg approach Bibo to kill him. Fili, Kili, and Dwalin have been surrounded by Wargs, and Bilbo is at Azog's mercy.
I looked to the sky as I heard some of the dwarves scream and saw an Eagle fly overhead. Several more Eagles appear and join the fray. Some grab Wargs and Orcs and toss them over the cliff. Others knock down trees, which crush the Wargs below them. Another Eagle fans the flames with its wings, causing an inferno which burns the Wargs. Azog snarls in frustration. One Eagle gently grabs Thorin and his sword in its talons and flies away. As Thorin is lifted off the ground, his oaken branch shield slips off his arm and lands on the ground. Azog roars and jumps back as an Eagle fly by him; the Eagle heads straight for an alarmed Bibo and snatches him off the ground. It then throws Bilbo, and he screams as he falls toward the ground, only to land on the back of another Eagle. The rest of the Eagles proceed to snatch the dwarves out of the tree and fly away. I looked up and saw an Eagle was carrying a few silver items, they were my bow and sword, another Eagle flew down and wrapped its talons around my body carrying me away. When only Gandalf is left in the tree, the roots give way, and the tree falls off the edge of the cliff. Gandalf leaps clear of it and is caught by an Eagle. As the Eagles fly away with all the Company, Azog and the few Warg Riders left growl in anger and frustration.
After many miles of flying through the air I kept falling in and out of consciousnesses hearing Bilbo call to me every now and again along with Ballin.
The Eagles approach a massive rock structure shaped like a bear; it is the Carrock. The Eagle carrying Thorin gently deposits him and his sword on a flat area on top of the Carrock. Another Eagle lands on the Carrock and Gandalf slides off its neck, running toward the unconscious Thorin.
"Thorin! Thorin." I heard Gandalf yell, I managed to gather some of my strength and stay awake. An eagle rested me at the back of the group as the others ran to Thorin's aid. Gandalf places his hand on Thorin's face and whispers a spell. Thorin's eyes flutter open, and he gasps for air. He speaks weakly.
"The halfling?" I heard Thorin speak as I stayed sitting on the floor and smiled to myself,
"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe." Gandalf spoke and gestured towards Bilbo,
Dwalin and Kili help Thorin up. However, once he's up, he shrugs them off and approaches Bilbo.
"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" Thorin advances until he is face to face with Bilbo, who looks worried and frightened. "I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin grabs Bilbo and embraces him deeply. The other dwarves cheer loudly and slap each other on the back. Gandalf smiles. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugs Thorin back. "I am sorry I doubted you." Thorin left his hand on Bilbo's shoulder.
"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar." Bilbo smiled, as everyone chuckles, the Eagles fly away, screeching. Thorin looks beyond Bilbo and sees something; he strides forward, and the others follow his gaze. I could see in front of them the lonely mountain. Though I stayed quiet and turned away from the group, what happened to me back there? I placed my hand to my forehead and closed my eyes,
"Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle earth." Gandalf spoke,
"Our home." Thorin spoke proudly, birds were heard flying by as I looked up. I wish I could be a bird right now and leave before they all turn on me...
"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain." Oin pointed,
"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf corrected Oin and I saw him look back at me, he quietly made his way by the group and over to myself.
"But we'll take it as a sign - a good omen." Thorin looked towards the mountain, as I looked up at Gandalf, he offered his hand to me to help me stand,
"You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us." Bilbo agreed, I took Gandalf's hand and slowly stood.
"Careful, my lady. You fought very well." Gandalf spoke gently, the dwarves turned around and looked at myself, I could barely stand. Bilbo and Thorin walked over to me and Gandalf,
"What are you?" Thorin asked me, I shook my head,
"One minute I was human... Next... I do not know." I sighed and then winced placing my hand at the back of my neck Gandalf looked and placed his own hand on my shoulder near my neck. I pulled my hand over and saw my own blood, looking to Thorin I saw... Fear in his eyes?
"No, Raine..." Bilbo spoke, Gandalf started muttering some spell under his breath and I cried out feeling a burning sensation on my back, Thorin leaned forward and grabbed me in his arms as Gandalf stood back. I felt Thorin holding me as Bilbo gasped, "It's... Healed?" Bilbo looked to Gandalf,
"She is not destined to die just yet." Gandalf smiled as I stood back and looked Thorin in his eyes, I wanted to push myself away from the dwarf, but he held me still,
"You protected the entire company." Thorin looked at me, I nodded and looked down as he still held me,
"I just... I felt angry... I couldn't let them hurt any of you. I had to do something to protect you all as best I could." I looked over Thorin's face. "You aren't angry?" I asked,
"Why would I be angry? You know as much as we do about your past. I was wrong about you too, Raine." Thorin admitted as he released me from his arms and stepped back. I smiled at the dwarf and then looked around at the others,
"I'd do anything for you lot. I know what it's like to miss home, and with the fact that you still have a home to go to I'd rather help you get there, this will give me some peace." I smiled and looked back at Thorin, on his face was a very warm smile.
Thorin stepped towards me and lifted one of my hands in his,
"You are very welcome to stay at Erebor, once we reclaim it." Thorin spoke, my eyes darted between his own as I thought about his offer. I looked up at the other dwarves and saw some of them were smirking at us both... I felt my face warm up immensely as I looked back down at Thorin,
"Why is your face going red, Raine?" Ori asked genuinely, most of the other dwarves started laughing and Gandalf suddenly started moving them off towards the stairway to head back down the cliff.
"Live with you?" I asked quietly as the others were making their way down, Thorin smiled gently and bowed his head slightly to nod, "I like that idea." I smiled, but deep down I knew I probably couldn't because of my past, I need to find out who I am. But maybe I could give it a rest for a few years and then maybe head out. Thorin smiled at me as he stood back, I thought about the last few months and frowned curiously at Thorin.
"Thorin," I started, he looked at me suspiciously as I was looking at him curiously, "When we found my weapons in Rivendell you carried me back to my room didn't you?" I asked, Thorin's posture suddenly changed to be upright and slightly defensive,
"I did." Thorin nodded,
"Thank you." I smiled, I could see Thorin looking slightly uncomfortable, I smiled gently towards the dwarf. I walked towards Thorin and leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek gently, "You've risked your life for me on many occasions and have helped me through quite a bit so far. I do appreciate it." I smiled and turned to leave.
I started to walk towards the stairs heading down the cliff side, I reached the top of the stairs and Thorin had quickly caught up with me and pulled me towards him. I found myself in Thorin's arms feeling a soft pressure on my lips, as I blinked in shock I saw/felt Thorin kissing me. After a few seconds I moved my hands to Thorin's face and leaned in to return his kiss. I cared for this dwarf greatly and over the last few months those feelings have gone from dislike to something I haven't felt in a very long time.
"Uncle, where are yo-?" Fili called and stopped as he saw us both, Thorin and me looked towards Fili who after realising what he walked in on turned around with a big grin on his face,
"Fili!" Thorin quickly moved after his nephew as I soon followed him downstairs, I guess Thorin wanted to tell the company himself then have Fili do so.
Either way, I have never been happier than I currently a right now.