Hello there,
Onto the next installment! Once again, I hope to hear from you, hear your opinions, please review; it would probably make my day! Only 4 days here till BOFA, I'm literally so excited! They are showing the trilogy in my local cinema and I'm forcibly dragging friends to come with me!
Big Cheers to: OFBLOODANDROSES, FireFrost076 & 1Corinthians1313!
I do not own The Hobbit, I only own little Todd.
Cheers!
Chapter 3 – The Hunted Folk
Bilbo sat and waited patiently while the wizards secluded them selves to chat about what ever it was that wizards chatted about. His mind wandered over the past events of last night. The trolls and the dwarves getting almost cooked for dinner. He was quite proud of himself for thinking of his distraction. As soon as he had heard the hideous creatures mention being turned to stone, the idea hit him like a rock. Stall. The others had not realized at first, they had actively tried to fight against his words. Although really, he should of thought of something better than telling the Trolls to skin the dwarves first.
A few of the others though, Bofur Ori, Fili and Kili had all thanked him for his quick thinking, whilst the others were still not that keen. He sighed, his eyes falling to his feet. He was different, that much he knew. He was no adventurer, he didn't know how to fight, how to use swords like the one Gandalf had given him. Maybe this wasn't the best idea, but he was still proud that the Dwarves were only alive now because he stalled for time.
His eyes wandered then, to the fox that was laid with her head on her front paws at his feet. He noticed now that it was wearing a bag, quite literally a bag. It was quite a big one too. This fox was indeed extremely curious. Her eyes were a striking shade of emerald, not the usual brown. Her ears were tinged with a dark brown/black color, her fur a beautiful shade of deep red with a white chest and white spots on her paws an her tail. She really was a rare sight. Fox's didn't really come to the Shire all that often. Hobbit farmers saw them as pests and shoed them away with garden tools. He had never really seen one this close before. He had to admit there was some kind of sly and mysterious beauty to her.
He watched as her ears pricked at a noise, his brow furrowed as she stood slowly but kept hunched to the ground, her eyes scanning a ledge behind them. She growled a little and Bilbo turned to the others to see if they were watching her too, yet something broke his thoughts. A low howl, yet not just any normal howl, it was a vicious sickly noise, making it sound otherworldly. Bilbo's eyes flew wide.
"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" He asked, anyone that was willing to answer him. Bofur stood then, moving towards the centre of the group and he pulled Bilbo with him a little.
"Wolves, no that is not a wolf!" He stated, staring out into the woods surrounding them. When a loud crack sounded behind them. Bilbo turned in time to see a monstrous wolf like hound peering over the ledge, yet before any of the dwarves had a chance of arming themselves and raising their weapons, the fox had shot from her place beside Bilbo and rushed to intercept it.
The group gasped and readied themselves as the red blur shot up and launched straight for the neck of the oncoming creature. Bilbo watched his mouth agape, body trembling slightly as the fox sunk her teeth into the creature's neck, its body surging forward into the group before collapsing dead. The fox yelped slightly as the beast landed on one of her legs. Yet managed to scramble away, coming to crouch beside him as another sounded from behind Thorin.
"KILI! Get your bow!" Thorin shouted. His nephew grabbed his bow and notching an arrow, before sending it flying into the skull of the second oncoming creature. Bilbo flinched as it fell in front of Thorin, the sound of Dwalin's axe slicing into the back of its head, sent shivers running through him.
"Warg scouts!" Thorin shouted to the group, each one gazing at each other, an uneasy cloud falling on them. "Which means there is an Orc pack not far behind!"
"Orc pack?" Bilbo asked, starting to loose his calm a little, he was terrified. He had never even heard of a Warg before, let alone see one and now there was a pack heading their way. He glanced up at Gandalf then, trying to see some sense of calm, yet there was something in his eyes that set his teeth on edge. Gandalf was unsettled too, and angry?
"Who did you tell about your guest beyond your kin?" He shouted at Thorin. Bilbo looked between the two then., feeling the fox jump slightly at the wizards tone also. Confused beyond belief, Thorin shook his head, stating that no one else knew but Gandalf wasn't having any of it. "Who did you tell?"
"No one, I swear!" He stated, his eyes wide with what looked like trepidation and fear. Bilbo swallowed hard then. What were they going to do? Bilbo rested his hand on the fox's head, as if that would calm him, looking down he saw her mouth was agape, panting with droplets of black blood still soaking her muzzle, she was snuffling at something in the air.
"What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin asked. The company nodding their heads, just as confused as their leader was. The fox moved to Gandalf's side then, leaning her head against his hand. The company looked between the two, as Bilbo noticed them having a moment like they had when Gandalf had given him his sword.
"Apparently, we are being hunted!" Gandalf finally spoke breaking away from the fox, whom everyone sent a funny look. Bilbo especially, what on earth was his fox? The next shouts of the group were completely lost on Bilbo as he gained the attention of the fox, the green eyes blinked at him a few times, she skirted over to him and nudged him harshly in the direction of the group. Then the next thing he knew he was being pulled away by Bofur.
"I will draw them off!" Radagast shouted to the group. The fox nodding its head along with the wizard, moving to stand along side him. Her tail low between her back legs. Radagast placed his hand on her head and nodded along with her.
"Those are Gundabad Wargs, they will outrun you both!" Gandalf shouted.
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits, I would like to see them try!" Radagast said before looking to the fox, both nodding to each other. Before howls started behind them, sending them rushing out through the undergrowth of the woods and away from the group.
Bilbo followed Gandalf then, sprinting in the other direction. The company broke free of the trees and headed out towards a vast open land with outcrops of rock and small cops of trees. Nothing substantial enough to offer them sanctuary. The howls and screeches of the Wargs were echoing around them. Mixed with the shouting and hissing of creatures that Bilbo had come to understand were Orcs. Fear was burning within the Hobbit as he fought to keep up with the Company.
They had just made it to the first outcrop of rocks, tall spiked rocks they were, offering them a temporary rest bite. Gandalf moved to the lead of the group and peered around, Bilbo following, he wanted to see what they were up against. Yet when he saw what was transpiring, he wished he hadn't. Wargs and Orcs riders were rushing across the brow of a hill, Radagast at the front laughing manically. Then from another outcrop across from them he spotted the fox dashing in a circular motion around a rock, three Wargs close on her tail. She was extremely fast, he would give her that, but she was panting already, there was no way she was going to make it.
"Come this way!" Gandalf shouted then, pulling Bilbo with him as they made there way into the open again. They spent what felt like hours running in all directions, just trying to dodge the fox, Radagast and their pursuers. Bilbo was beginning to feel extremely lightheaded by the time they reached the next outcrop. He gasped as Ori skidded to a halt just a little too late and almost ran into the direct eye line of the pack, yet Thorin had caught him and pulled him back.
Once again they waited, then ran to the next outcrop.
"Where are you leading us?" Bilbo heard Thorin shout to Gandalf, yet no reply came from the wizard as they ran and slammed their backs against a particularly low outcrop. They all stood there, as quiet as they could apart from the heavy breathing and gasping for air. Everyone was starting to lose energy and control of their shaky breaths. Bilbo was just about to ask where they were heading next when the sound of claws tapping on rock above them, the heavy inhuman breathing of an Orc sticking in his ears.
He turned to Thorin who was eyeing his nephew, giving him the nod. Kili sheathed an arrow and notched it, took a deep breath and then ran out from the shelter to take aim before letting it fly into the chest of the Warg. It shrieked as it fell to the floor in front of the company. Dwalin and Bifur jumping to action immediately, slashing and stabbing at the ward and rider until they feel silent and unmoving into the grass beneath them. Their stench clung to Bilbo's nose, but that's not what had his eyes wide and shaking. They were too loud, much too loud. He gazed out then and spotted two of the Wargs that were chasing the fox stop, turn their way and start racing again, heading right towards them.
"Move… RUN!" Gandalf shouted then.
The whole company burst form the rock and into yet another sprint. The scenery becoming more and more hilly. In the distance Bilbo could see mountains and he prayed to the Mother of Middle Earth that, they did not have to run all that distance, he would never make it. He would become a Warg meal for sure. They made it to the crest of the hill and in the distance before them Bilbo spotted more Wargs chasing them down from ahead. They were ambushed, no way around it. His heart sank to his feet, he should of never stepped out his front door.
"This way… QUICKLY!" Came Gandalf's booming voice once more, urging them on in another direction. There was no hope though in Bilbo, just pure terror and fear at what the end was coming to. They rounded and twisted around the small grassy hills before reaching a bowl shaped dip. Wargs appeared on the tops of the hills all around them. The company stopped then to ready their weapons and take deep breaths before the onslaught.
"There's more coming!" Kili shouted to the others, as he pulled his bow free and notched an arrow ready.
From to the right Bilbo saw the Fox round a tree and launch at an Orc rider, knocking him off the Warg and biting furiously at his head before rushing into the bowl to join them. Bilbo noticed that she was bleeding from her back right leg, a nasty gash gushing warm sticky blood. Yet she was not limping and it didn't hinder her when she came to a crouching stance in front of him, almost as though she was protecting him.
"KILI!" Thorin yelled, from somewhere to Bilbo's left. "SHOOT THEM!"
So he did, Bilbo watched as he notched arrow after arrow, he hit his targets every time. Sending Wargs to the ground. Bilbo figured Orcs were a lot easier to kill when they weren't on top of those beasts. The company started bunching together then, pulling in tightly to protect each other. The fox paced before them and growled to the creeping Wargs and riders. Bilbo hadn't even noticed the missing member until Dori spoke up.
"Where's Gandalf?" He shouted.
"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin bellowed angrily.
The fox tensed a little, her shoulders rolling before she flew in the direction of Ori. Bilbo saw him shoot a rock at the Warg and rider, to no effect, they were bearing down on him by the time the fox got to them. She darted sideways, trying to confuse the Warg, before diving below it, teeth sinking once again into its neck, obviously the most effective way for her to bring the beasts down. Then, as the Orc fell to the ground she crouched protectively in front of Ori, snarling at it. Turning she barked at him, Ori scrambled around and ran to Bilbo and the group.
"This way you fools!" Gandalf's voice sounded from behind him. Bilbo turned to see him appear from behind a rock. So he ran, ran as fast as he could. Yet before jumping down into the cave below behind Bofur he turned and spotted the Fox engaging with the orc, the blade slicing extremely close to her. He wished she would follow, for he didn't want her to get hurt because of them. Thorin roughly shoved him down the slope and into the cave, where the rest of the dwarves began pilling up.
The last two in were Kili and Thorin. They wiped themselves down and Thorin took a mental head count as Gandalf counted out loud. They were all here, safe and sound.
"What about the Fox?" Bofur shouted, yet no one paid any attention apart from Bilbo, he nodded and looked to Thorin. As if to answer their question, there was a pain filled screech and a yelp sounding from above, then a horn. The noise was like no other Bilbo had heard before. Hooves sounded in the distance too then, shouting and howling pursued until an Orc came hurtling down the slope into the cave, lying dead by their feet. The dwarves had all scrambled out the way, raising their weapons just in case.
Thorin pulled an arrowhead out form its neck and threw it back down again after inspection. Bilbo frowned at the reaction; surely he should be glad of the help from who ever it was.
"Elves…" He spat. His followed his outburst with a glare towards Gandalf. Gandalf merely eyed him cautiously and turned to the rest of the group, letting out an uneasy breath.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads, do we follow it or no?" Dwalin shouted from further down the caves pathway.
"Follow it of course!" Bofur shouted, before they started trundling down the path. Bilbo was still breathing heavily from the exhaustion of the day and the fear still bubbling deep within his veins, but for now they were save, and he was extremely glad, if only the Fox was safe with them too, he thought.
