- Chapter 20 -

The short break had refueled them only a little as they ran down the side of the mountain together as more howls split the air behind them, filling them with panic.

Their luck was wearing out though, because the mountain seemed to end and they were forced to stop. A sheer drop off met them at the bottom of the mountain side and open air was all that would meet anyone for quite a ways down.

"To the trees!" cried Gandalf and he led the way to the tall, poorly grown pines that jutted out over a rocky ledge. She helped the dwarves scramble up the trunk so they could reach the taller tree branches before the snapping jaws of riderless wags raced towards them. She scrambled into the tree as quick as she could, the razor sharp teeth of a warg just missing her foot as she climbed out of reach.

She straddled the branch of the pine tree like the others, and held on tight as the wargs began their attempt to make the trees fall. The pines really had grown poorly; their roots not being able to dig into the earth properly. It didn't take long for the wags to begin uprooting them, and Shyloh and her tree companions held on as the first tree fell towards them. They scrambled to snatch up the dwarves that came with the fallen tree before they plummeted down into the jaws of the wargs below.

They were forced to jump from their own tree soon enough, and Thorin caught her by the upper arm just as her foot slipped and she grabbed a hold of the branch he was sitting on for dear life. One tree literally fell over the edge of the cliff and it disappeared into the depths below them. It was only a matter of time before that became them and she wasn't the only one thinking it.

Once the trees stopped falling, even though that was only for a minute, did she smell something odd. Smoke curled up from beneath them and then suddenly a flaming pine cone shot past her head towards the wargs below. Gandalf was setting the place on fire!

She had no idea how that was going to help keep them alive, because she was pretty sure trees were made out of wood and she was also pretty sure fire burned wood... To her it didn't seem like a good combination but apparently the dwarves thought it was great!

She knocked an arrow and fired at the closest warg. It fell with a yelp so she aimed towards another one and shot it straight through the neck but she didn't have many arrows left. Shooting Kili a look, he seemed to be thinking the same thing and his face hardened as he clung to the tree next to his brother.

The wargs were backing off and that was when she saw them. The mounted riders sat on top of their wargs, nothing but menacing looks upon their hideous faces. One in particular, caught her attention. Instead of the blackened skin of the orcs around him, the pale orc sat astride the snarling white warg like a king. He was positively huge and his eyes glinted with malice.

Thorin froze beside her and she twisted around to get a better look at him.

"Who is that?" she cried but Thorin didn't hear her. She had a feeling she knew the answer to the question anyway.

"It can not be," Thorin said so softly that she almost didn't hear him over the roaring of the flames and the snarling of the wargs and orcs.

Shyloh looked down and her heart sank. The flames were licking up the sides of the tree and it was growing awfully hot. She figured this must have been what it felt like to be a dwarf on a spit over a fire. More trees fell into the open abyss below them and the dwarves scrambled through the branches as best they could, attempting to save each other from falling.

Above her, just as their tree threatened to tumble, Oin slipped from his perch and tumbled down. She barely grabbed his hand just in time before he fell to his death and he clung to her for dear life. She wasn't strong enough to pull him back up by herself but when she turned to shout to Thorin he was no longer in sight. Frantically she looked around for him but never in a million years did she expect to find him facing off with the orcs one on one. She didn't have much time to look and watch or much less to call him every swear word in every language she knew, because Oin was slipping.

"Hang on!" she cried desperately.

For such a little dwarf, he sure weighed a lot and her already sweaty hand wasn't helping the situation as he slowly slipped from her grasp. He looked up at her terror stricken and she felt herself slip on the branch she clung to. She knew she wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer.

"Don't let go!" she cried to him but then suddenly a chorus of screeches filled the air and she couldn't help but realize how different these cries were to the wargs and orcs. Chancing a glance up, a huge bird descended down upon the wargs and orcs, scattering them in its wake as it stretched out unbelievably long legs and razor sharp claws, and she could hardly believe what she was seeing.

The eagles had come.

She tried to get a better grip on the branch she was holding but just then it gave way and they were suddenly falling. She screamed as Oin slipped from her grasp and she dived head first into open air; the tree branch already well on its way down.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Before she knew it, a flurry of feathers came up from under her and she landed on the back of an eagle surprisingly gently. Clutching onto the feathers, she held on as she watched the scene unfold behind her. One by one the dwarves were hoisted into the air or dropped onto the backs of other eagles and as they flew away from the mountain and away from the smoky air she saw them better in the darkness of the night.

A limp form hung from the clutches of one and she recognized the figure as Thorin. His arm dangled at an odd angle and he made no movement. Her heart dropped into her stomach, thinking the worst. What the devil had he been thinking going after the orcs by himself? Could he not understand the fact he was outnumbered? Whether he was dead or alive she didn't know.

"Thorin!" Fili cried out but there was no answer.

Gandalf soared above her on another eagle and he gave her a brief look before she twisted herself back around and got in a more comfortable position. There was nothing they could do while they were airborne.

She hated flying. Even back on earth she had only been in an airplane twice before and that was twice too many times. Flying on the back of an eagle was just as terrifying, and she hoped and prayed with all her might that she wouldn't fall off. The dwarves didn't look very excited about flying either.

What luck! The eagles saved them and she tried to grasp what had just happened.

She didn't know how long they flew but slowly the sunrise began creeping over the horizon, illuminating the world once again. They flew over green and gold roaring valleys, mountain tops that spiked towards the sky, gushing waterfalls that dropped hundreds of feet below. Her breath was literally stolen away as she watched the landscape fly by, marveling at the beauty that unfolded before her very eyes.

Slowly they began descending and before she knew it the ground was rushing up to meet them. She slid off the back of the eagle quickly and it took off again the second her feet planted themselves on the ground. Hurrying over to the others, Thorin's lifeless body was placed gently on the ground and Gandalf was quick to act. He placed his hand over the dwarfs face and after muttering words she couldn't make out, Thorin moved.

"The hobbit?" Thorin asked breathlessly after his eyes snapped open.

"It's alright, Bilbo is here, he's quite safe," Gandalf said as he stepped aside to give the dwarf room to get up. She thought it was odd he was asking about Bilbo but she didn't have long to wonder why.

Taking deep breaths, Thorin pulled himself up onto shaky legs, and then to her surprise he spun towards 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? That you had no place amongst us," said Thorin as he took a few steps forward. Shyloh watched in stunned silence like the rest of them. "I have never been so wrong in all my life."

To their complete surprise, Thorin stepped forward and squeezed Bilbo in a big hug. The dwarves clapped and cheered while Bilbo blinked in shock.

"I am sorry I doubted you," the king said as he stepped back and Shyloh found herself smiling

"I would have doubted me too," Bilbo said, still quite shocked. "I'm not a hero. I'm not a warrior. Nor even a burglar."

Gandalf chuckled. The eagles flew over them then, and from where she stood, Shyloh was almost glad to see them go. She had no intention of ever flying on the back of one again, no matter how grateful she was that they saved them.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Bilbo and they turned around.

Far off in the distance a single solitary peak rose up out of the horizon and she blinked in wonder. How beautiful the mountain looked in the early morning light.

"Erebor," said Gandalf. "The Lonely Mountain. The last great dwarf kingdom of Middle Earth."

"Our home," said Thorin gently and his face fell into a soft, happy smile that she didn't realize he was capable of. He caught her staring but he only smiled wider at her before looking back at the mountain.

Descending from the Carrock was not as easy as she hoped and for a little while she cursed the eagles for not just setting them on the flat ground instead.

"What was the point of sticking us all the way up there?" she grumbled mostly to herself but Kili shot her a grin.

"What's the matter Snowball," he asked jokingly. "Not your cup of tea?"

"I don't like heights," she snapped back and he gave her quizzical look

"Since when?" asked Kili.

"Since always."

"You never said anything before," Thorin said from ahead of her.

"I never knew elves were afraid of heights," Fili said from behind her and she rolled her eyes.

"Well I am," she snapped. "That's why I'm not so tall."

They laughed lightly at her little joke. So far, she hadn't met an elf that was as short as she was.

"You are rather short for an elf," said Balin but that only fueled Fili and Kili to pick on her even more.

"Not to mention your legs!" said Fili with a grin and she shot him a sour look.

"What's wrong with my legs?" she demanded.

"They're so bowed," shot Kili and she rolled her eyes.

"I fit better on a horse that way," she said and they chuckled.

"Up until now you've been surprisingly un-whiny for a woman," said Fili.

"You mean compared to the rest of you who whine and complain more than anyone I've ever met in my entire life?" she said but Gandalf was the one who laughed instead of the dwarves. Even Thorin grinned at her comment.

"Given the fact that I've been as you say, un-whiny, I think I'm allowed to whine this once and repeat the fact that I hate heights," she said. "And as much as I appreciate the eagles for saving our asses back there, they could have set us on the ground instead of hundreds of feet up in the air on a rock that looks like it could tip over any second."

"That rock is sturdier than you are at the moment," Fili grinned and grabbed her arm to steady her as a few pebbles shifted under her feet making her slip.

"Dwarves like heights, don't they? I mean, living under mountains and all that, I suppose a four hundred foot drop is nothing to you," she said, peering over the edge of the narrow path they were following. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies and she pulled her eyes back to the path.

"More like six hundred feet," Dwalin corrected and she moaned.

"Don't worry Snowball, we won't let you fall," Kili shot her a grin over his shoulder and she playfully shoved him forwards.

"How comforting," she grumbled.

The outcropping of rocks they hid behind offered them quite a bit of protection, but as Shyloh crouched next to Bofur and Ori she licked her lips nervously. They sat and waited for their scout to return and she gripped her bow tightly in her hands. Days after descending the Carrock, the company once again found themselves seeking hiding spots from wags. Off in the distance, some ways off, they could scarcely see the running figures of wags and orcs along the crest of the mountain. Ducking down, they kept as quiet as possible as the orc pack ran north, searching for their trail.

She didn't know why she thought the eagles had killed the orcs and wags. The flash of white amongst the dark browns and blacks of the other orcs was enough to tell her that Azog had survived and they were clearly still being pursued.

Poor Bilbo was dubbed the scout only because they were reminded once again by Gandalf how hobbits were light on their feet and could pass unseen if they wished. Therefore, Shyloh's eyes drifted to the gap in the rocks Bilbo disappeared down only an hour ago and she pressed her lips into a thin line, anxious for the hobbits return.

The dwarves sat quietly, which was unusual for them, and even Gandalf looked worried as he rested against the rock. Not long later, a shower of pebbles tumbled down from the path and her heart leapt into her throat until she saw it was only Bilbo.

The little hobbit was breathless as he came to a sliding stop in front of them.

"How close is the pack?" asked Thorin.

"Too close," said Bilbo. "A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it."

"Have they caught our scent?" asked Dwalin.

Bilbo shook his head. "Not yet, but they will."

"Did they see you?" asked Gandalf. "They saw you!"

"No they didn't," said Bilbo.

"What did I tell you, quiet as a mouse," smiled Gandalf and the dwarves grinned. "Excellent burglar material."

"Will you just listen!" cried Bilbo. "I am trying to tell you there is something else out there."

Shyloh's hopes faltered and her shoulders sagged.

"What form did it take?" asked the wizard. "Like a bear?"

"Y-yes, but bigger, much bigger!"

"You knew about this beast?" asked Bofur incredulously. "I say we double back."

"We'll be ran down by a pack of orcs," Thorin snapped.

"There is a house," Gandalf said slowly. "It's not far from here, where we might take refuge."

Thorin rolled his head. "Whose house? Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither," said Gandalf. "He will help us, or, he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" asked Thorin and Gandalf fixed him with a look as a loud roar filled the air and rattled their bones.

"None."

"Great," Shyloh mumbled to herself but Kili nudged her with his elbow and gave her a wink.

They gathered their belongings quickly and followed the wizard once again at a run. Unlike the last time they ran for their lives from the orcs, they didn't stop to hide and instead ran full out as fast as they could. Their feet splashed through a shallow creek and then he led them over wide open plains before diving between trees.

Legs burning, Shyloh gripped her bow in her hand just in case. Another roar pierced the air and they stepped up the pace. Some of the dwarves dared a glance behind them but there was no way Shyloh wanted to see if they were being followed. The last thing she wanted to do was get eaten by a bear.

At first she thought it was an odd looking hedge with a strange looking arched door way in the middle, and thought perhaps it was another little forest they were running to. But then, Gandalf stopped at the archway just as another roar split the air and he ushered them through the opening. One by one they ran and only once they were through the arch did she see the makings of a large home. Bombur surprised them all and was the first to reach the tall double wooden doors, but instead of stopping like any sensible person would have done, he slammed right into them with such force that he bounced backwards and landed on his backside.

She stopped at the landing and spun around, only to see a massive form break through the trees. It was huge and she felt a wave of terrified numbness flow through her limbs as she watched it cover the distance between the edge of the forest and the arched doorway they just came through.

"Open the door!" Thorin cried as he rushed forwards.

Despite their attempts, the dwarves couldn't seem to figure out the fact that the door had a latch that lifted, and she could have smacked them all for being so ignorant.

"Hurry!" she cried.

Thorin pushed his way through and within seconds the doors flew open and they tumbled inside. They barely had the doors closed when a massive snarling snout pressed against the opening, doing its best to reach inside. It took all thirteen dwarves to close the door and finally it latched shut.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped her lips. The bears fangs were as long as her fingers and the image of them made her skin crawl. Thinking about what those teeth could do so quickly and simply made the wags look like puppies.

"What was that!" cried Nori.

"That is our host," said Gandalf calmly, and his eyes scanned the company, gauging their reaction. "His name is Beorn. He's a skin-changer."

They stared at him in disbelief but Shyloh shook her head.

"A what?" she asked but no one heard.

"He's leaving," Ori said quietly as he peeked through a hole in the door frame.

"Get away from there," said Dori and he pulled Ori back from the doors. "It's not natural, none of it is. It's obvious; he's under some dark spell."

"Don't be ridiculous, he's under no enchantment but his own," said Gandalf with a lazy wave of his hand. "Now, get some rest, we will be safe here tonight."

"Will we?" she asked quietly as he stepped to her side. The dwarves took to looking around curiously at the over sized furniture around them.

"I hope," he said quietly and then he gave her a hard look. "How are you holding up? We have not had much chance to talk since before Rivendell, and that has been weeks ago already."

"Seems like yesterday," she said with a huff.

His eyes shifted to her neck, noting the oddly colored bruises the goblin king had left upon her skin that she probably didn't even realize were still there. For the most part, the princess looked worn out much like the dwarves, but otherwise unharmed. Her hair was sticking out in all directions from the messy bun she pulled it back in days ago, and various scrapes and scratches dotted her hands but her eyes looked worried as she stood next to him.

"I'm fine," she said finally, but her eyes lied and he looked at her under his bushy eyebrows.

"You look worried," he said, keeping his voice down so only she would hear.

She shrugged and her eyes landed on Thorin's backside as he and Dwalin eyed the massive dining table and chairs.

"Care to share what's on your mind?" he asked in a hushed tone, and she peeled her gaze off of the dwarf and turned away.

"He's changing," she whispered. Gandalf must have known what she meant because he gave a slow nod. "I don't think I've done a good job doing what you wanted me to do. I barely get the chance to talk to him."

He raised his eyebrows. "I think you've done a fine job. He does not trust easily and yet he has taken a liking to you. Now is when he will need you the most, especially the closer we get to the mountain."

"His eyes change Gandalf," she said as they moved towards a corner. "Sometimes it's like I'm seeing one person, and then someone else a second later. What was he thinking going after Azog by himself? He could have been killed if the eagles hadn't come."

Gandalf nodded. "Revenge is a dangerous thing Shyloh," he said thoughtfully. "The time will come when they will have to face each other and he will either defeat his enemy or be destroyed by him."

"How am I supposed to help him with that?"

He tilted his head down to look at her more. "You don't."

She opened her mouth to say something but was stopped when someone behind her said her name.

"Shyloh."

Turning on her heel, Thorin's dark brown eyes looked up at her. "Get some rest. You still do not look well from the goblins."

She nodded once, and the dwarf gave them a suspicious look before following after the others to the far side of the house where there were big mounds of straw. Long horned cattle stood in their stalls and a few goats munched on hay. She thought it was strange how the skin-changer lived in a house full of animals on one side but she didn't notice much of a smell.

Leaning towards Gandalf, she frowned. "Do I look that bad?"

Gandalf gave a bemused smile but then gestured to her neck. "The goblin king did a number on you I would say."

Reaching a hand up to her throat, her fingers trailed her neck and she winced a little. "I didn't even notice," she mumbled and he laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

"For a healer, your quite unperceptive of yourself," he said.

"It wasn't myself I was thinking of," she said, and he nodded slowly.

"I know."