Answers to reviews:
Lil Bop: He'll have it for quite a while, maybe up to when the evebts of Lord of the Rings begins.
Rimmy: I see your point, and I am thinking of just keeping it OC/Arwen/Shelob. Plus, I doubt spiders would even know the concept of incest. Aragon will be with Eowyn since there was a romance bubbling between them. I bet if there hadn't been an established love interest in Arwen for Aragon, then he'd have fallen for Eowyn.
Ryu Otsutsuki: Hmm, interesting. I'm having the OC paired with just Arwen and Shelob.
Rider126: He'll be with Eowyn.
Artorias78: Good point.
Redhood1983: I will.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. I only own the OC Liante.
Gandalf made his way around the group, cutting the ropes tying the sacks around them before moving on, allowing each dwarf the dignity of escaping his sack on his own. Liante moved straight to the fire, kicking dirt over it and putting out the flames. He drew his dagger and began cutting down those tied to the spit, doing his best to avoiding catching their skin with her blade – a difficult thing when each was struggling furiously to get free.
Once he was done, he sheathed his dagger and moved on to look at the Troll statues, noticing Gandalf joining him to do the same.
"Where did you two go, if I may ask?" Thorin asked as he approached.
"To look ahead," Gandalf replied vaguely.
"Hunting." Liante said, not taking his eyes off the Trolls.
"What brought you back?" Thorin asked Gandalf.
"Looking behind." He looked out over the plains, then at the three dead bodies of the Trolls, now strangely shadowed in the light of the early dawn. "Nasty business. Still, you're all in one piece."
"No thanks to your burglar," Thorin huffed.
"He kept the Trolls stalling long enough for the sun to come up." Liante defended. Even he wasn't petty enough to claim the Hobbit didn't help. He really did. "I didn't see the rest of you doing something similar." Liante turned his attention to the Trolls. "They came down from the Ettenmoors."
"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin inquired.
"Not for a long time." Liante frowned.
"Not since a darker power ruled these lands." Gandalf said vaguely, expression shifting as he knew what that dark power was that used to rule. He shook it from his head before looking at the Trolls. "They could not have moved in daylight."
Thorin perked up. "There must be a cave nearby."
The smell was the first thing they came across. It was an unpleasant mixture of sweat, rotting flesh, and excrement. There weren't many who were able to keep a straight face when their noses picked up the stench.
Many decided facing an even stronger version of the stench wasn't worth whatever they may find in the cave, and so elected to stay outside, where the air was fresher – though only just.
Easily seeing in the dark, Liante walked into the cave first with several others following, Gandalf and Thorin with torches in hand.
"What's that stench?" Nori grimaced.
"It's a Troll cave." Was Liante's answer.
"Be careful what you touch." Gandalf warned the Dwarves.
Liante looked around, his boots stepping over gold and various objects the Trolls had taken for their hoard. He then saw a collection of several swords and walked over to them, picking one up as Thorin and Gandalf walked over to join him, checking the weapons out as well.
"These swords were not made by any Troll." Thorin said as he picked up one of the swords.
Liante picked up another and brought the blade out slightly, his eyes widening slightly as he recognized the make.
"Nor were they made by Man." Liante said. "These were forged in Gondolin. By the High Elves of the First Age." He handed the sword to Gandalf and noticed Thorin's disgusted expression aimed at the blade he held once hearing it was forged by Elves, and he went to put it back.
"You could not wish for a finer blade!" Gandalf barked, his eyes holding a warning. Swords of Elven make were well crafted and well made than swords of Man. Liante would know, his sword and dagger were of Elven make as well.
Thorin's glare was dark as he roughly yanked the blade from its sheath a few inches, his expression shifting from derisive to grudgingly impressed by the expertly smithed piece of metal.
Liante recognized the sword. It was Orcrist, also known as the Goblin-Cleaver. During the First Age, Orcrist was used by King Turgon or one of the Lords of the Gondolindrim in the Goblin Wars. Though the sword was said to be lost during the Fall of Gondolin.
He glanced at the sword Gandalf had and recognized it as Glamdring, another sword from the First Age that went missing after the Fall of Gondolin.
Seeing nothing else valuable in the cave, Liante left it and went off to scout for anything else that may attack them. Trolls this far from the mountains was concerning already. Back in the days when Sauron was still in power, it may have been normal to see Trolls this far south, but it had been many, many years since Sauron was vanquished.
Liante came out of his thoughts when he heard a distant noise and looked sharply around, his senses on high alert.
"Something's coming!" Thorin shouted.
"Stay together!" Gandalf ordered. "Hurry now. Arm yourselves."
The group then ran off into the woods, each armed with their respective weapon. Liante drew his blade and quickly adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword in preparation for an attack.
Suddenly, a loud shout was heard, fast approaching. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
A strange man in tatty robes and a hat on his head suddenly burst into view. It was Radagast the Brown. Liante felt the tension leave him slightly, though the Wizard's sudden appearance did leave the son of Morgoth more cautious as to why he looked frantic.
"Radagast! Radagast the Brown." Gandalf said with relief as he approached his friend. "Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"
Radagast looked up at the grey Wizard. "I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."
"Yes?"
Radagast opened his mouth to say something, but then paused. He repeated the action, yet seemed to have completely forgotten what he was going to say. "Oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue!" Radagast suddenly widened his eyes. "Oh," he said, sounding as if pleasantly surprised. "It's not a thought at all! It's a silly old" - Gandalf, with a calm face, pulled a wiggling bug from the wizard's mouth - "stick insect!"
Liante suddenly walked up to them and whispered to the grey Wizard. "I suggest, if this is private, you take this elsewhere. These dwarves aren't good at restraining themselves. They'll likely be listening."
"Good, this also concerns you as well Liante." Radagast said grimly, causing Liante to frown but he followed Radagast and Gandalf a bit away from the company. Once they were sure they were alone and wouldn't be disturbed, Radagast began. "The Greenwood is sick. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worse are the webs."
This caught Liante's attention as he turned to the Wizard. "Webs?"
"Spiders, Liante." Radagast said seriously. "Giant ones. The spawn of Shelob to be exact."
Liante's eyes narrowed. "Now what would my sister's children be doing so far out here?"
"I know not. But I followed their trail. They came from... Dol Guldur." Radgast said, tone grave.
Dol Guldur was was an abandoned old fortress. But before it was abandoned and left to rot, it had been the capital of Oropher's Silvan realm. It didn't seem like a place for Shelob's children to dwell in.
"But the old fortress is abandoned." Gandalf pointed out.
Radagast shook his head, a grave expression over his face. "No Gandalf, 'tis not. A dark power dwells in there. Such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf, Liante, from out of the darkness. A Necromancer has come!" Radgast then jumped, looking quite shaken as if experiencing whatever happened again. "Sorry."
Gandalf offered him some pipe to calm his nerves. Liante got them back on track though. "A Necromancer? Are you sure?"
Radgast took out a folded up object and handed it to him. Liante could feel the evil coming off it as soon as he laid eyes on it, and he hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. He unwrapped the cloth and opened to see what was inside, his eyes widening as his fears were confirmed.
It was a Morgul blade.
Memories of War of the Last Alliance flashed through his mind. He had seen many be slain with these blades. But Morgul blades haven't been seen, made nor found since before Sauron was defeated on the slops of Mount Doom. So how did Radagast come to find this?
"That is not from the world of the living." Radagast said with a almost terrified tone.
Suddenly, a loud howl split the air. Liante snapped his attention in a direction, eyes narrowed.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked shakily. "Are there... Are there wolves out there?"
"Wolf? No, that was not a wolf," Bofur informed him, grasping the handle of his mattock strongly.
From above them, a horrific creature lunged onto one of the Dwarves. It had a squashed face, snarling and growling at them. A Warg. Before it could touch anyone, Liante's dagger was buried in it's neck and the son of Morgoth ripped the blade out, watching the Warg fall down, dead.
"A Warg scout." Liante told everyone.
"Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Thorin said, venom in his voice.
"Orc pack?!" Bilbo squeaked.
Gandalf moved forward, an urgency to his voice when he spoke. "Who did you tell about this quest, beyond your kin?" he demanded.
"No one."
"Who did you tell?!" Gandalf snapped.
"No one, I swear!" Thorin stepped forward, as if to emphasise what he said. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You're being hunted," the grey wizard said solemnly.
Dwalin narrowed his eyes. "We have to get out of here."
"We can't!" Ori cried from the top of the hill. "We have no ponies; they bolted."
Liante wasn't worried. Shadowmere knew not to abandon him and mot likely knew they were close to Rivendell and would meet him there. The horse always managed to find his way back to him, no matter what. it's how he's been with Liante for so long and will continue to remain with him.
"I will draw them off," Radagast suddenly piped up.
Gandalf looked at his friend, wide eyed. "Those are Gundabad Wargs! They will outrun you."
Radagast smirked. "These are Rhosgobel rabbits; I'd like to see them try."
Gandalf watched as Radagast disappeared, before motioning to the company. "This way."
They escaped the confines of the trees and ran across the plains. As they ducked behind a rock, Liante watched Radagast weave in and out of the rocks, the Wargs following, snapping their jaws and snarling at him. The mad wizard was whooping joyously, as if this was the most fun he'd ever had.
"He's mad." Liante muttered, watching as he ducked below an overhanging rock and then laughing gleefully when the Warg rider right behind him was knocked from his perch on the Warg's back.
"Move," Thorin ordered, and they ran again. They moved quickly and quietly, darting from rock to rock. At the next boulder Ori almost gave away their position, running further than the rest, but thankfully Thorin was able to reach out, grab the dwarf but the hood, and pull him back. Liante watched as the Orc pack continued to chase Radagast, wondering when they were going to realise it was just a distraction.
As they paused again, Liante heard the deep panting of a Warg, as well as the wheezing breaths of an orc coming from above his head. Liante gave the Dwarves a look to remain quiet as he moved to go around the rock theyw ere hiding at. He crouched low, like a spider ready to pounce. Seeing the Warg nor the Orc had detected his presence, he leaped and tackled the Orc off the Warg, dragging them both down to where the others were.
Liante stabbed the Orc with his sword as the Dwarves dealt with the Warg, but the damage had been done. The Warg had managed to squeal loud enough that the rest of the pack will have heard it.
"Move! Run!" Gandalf cried. And they were on the move again. Liante had a feeling she knew where Gandalf was leading them, and his suspicions were only increased when the wizard refused to answer Thorin's question of where they were going.
They stopped at a clearing, not able to run any further. "We're surrounded!" Fili cried, his head whipping from Warg to Warg in desperation.
"Stay together!" Thorin ordered, gripping his sword hilt tightly.
Liante unsheathed his sword and held it at his side, his body tensed, ready. They may be too many, but it was nothing Liante couldn't handle. He just had to try and keep the Dwarves and Bilbo alive.
Kili, shoot them!" Thorin ordered.
Kili obeyed and fired arrows at the Wargs as fast as he could manage, but they seemed to be endless in their numbers, and every time he shot down one, another would take its place.
"Where's Gandalf?"
"He's abandoned us!"
"Hold your ground!" Thorin shouted.
"This way, you fools!" Gandalf shouted, emerging from the rock face behind them.
Liante followed the Dwarves towards the cave hidden behind the rock, however paused when he reached it, refusing to go down until he was sure everyone was down there.
He saw Kili was still shooting the Wargs and Orcs. "Kili! Move!" He shouted to the Dwarf, whirling around to slash a Warg's throat when it had been trying to attack him from behind.
Kili made it and slid down to join the others. Thorin then went down after him. Seeing everyone was down there, Liante slid down to join them just as a horn blasted the air, accompanied by the pounding of many horse hooves. There came many high-pitched squeals and cries of dying orcs, before there was a long an noticeable silence.
A body rolled down the slope, causing the dwarves to jump back in case it sprung up to attack them, but it remained motionless. Liante reached down and pulled the arrow out, recogizing the make.
"Elves." Thorin spat, seeing the arrow. Liante glanced at him briefly before looking at the arrow then dropped it. He knew the make this arrow came from. Which means they were very close to Rivendell.
"i cannot see where the pathway leads." Dwalin called from up ahead. "Do we follow it or not?"
"Follow it of course!" Bofur said as the company started moving.
"I think that would be wise." Gandalf said with a mysterious smile.
Liante gave an amused scoff at the Wizard, knowing he had planned for them to visit Rivendell the moment they left the Shire...
And that's it for this chapter everyone. I hope you all enjoyed it. So, I'm going to just have Liante paired with Arwen and Shelob.