So close to Lake Town - I am so excited! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.

Thanks for all the follows and favourites, and an extra thank you for the reviews, they always make me so happy!

I do not own the Hobbit, just my OC!


Chapter 47 – Rapids

It was absolute carnage. The orcs had swarmed the riverbanks beyond the Elvish battlements in their desperate attempt to get at the Company.

As their barrels ricochet down the fast-flowing rapids and away from the wooden carved halls, there were moments where Orcs on either side of them were able to lash out. Swinging weapons and jumping to grab at them.

Thorin had all but dunked Todd's head under the water at one point to get a swift punch into the squawking face of an orc that had launched itself off the bank at them as they passed. She was useless and it was starting to frustrate her, and it was showing on her face. Todd wanted nothing more than to be able to get herself up onto the riverbank and shift, then she would be able to do some real damage and help. Yet with the infernal chain and collar locked around her throat there was nothing she could do.

She coughed out a load more water, her hand quickly moving to wipe her wet curls from where the last wave had plastered it all over her face. She needed to be able to see to get her bearings. She looked around and from either side of the riverbank there were orcs, yet what she did not expect to see were the Elves still in hot pursuit too.

"Thorin… the elves!" She stuttered and she looked over his shoulder as the blonde one who had acted as the leader of the guards that had taken them hostage in the woods chased them down, dispatching orc after orc as he went. He wasn't even breaking a sweat and his eyes were set on Thorin as he all but glided down the riverbank after them.

"Let the Orcs kill them!" Thorin barked as their barrel span around again and knocking against Dwalin's as they passed, Todd having to shuffle along to not get crushed.

"I need this off my neck..." She winced as she felt the sharp spikes within the collar pinch at her skin. She looked up to Thorin as another wave splashed over them and into his barrel. His eyes met hers and she could see the fire in him, feel the anger and frustration eating away at him. She wanted nothing more than to help her King in that moment. "If we can get it off, I can help!"

"NORI!" Thorin immediately shouted over the din of fighting and the crashing of water and barrels.

"Thorin?" Came the thieves shout from ahead of them.

"Can you get this off?" He shouted, pointing at Todd's collar.

"Maybe"

"Go!" Thorin ordered her then and she nodded to him.

She released his barrel and started to let herself speed down the river towards where Nori was bracing against Gloin's barrel so that they could both try and grab her as she sped past. The water was biting against her now, whereas shivering against the side of Thorin's barrel she was shielded a little. Now the water whipped right around her, and she could feel her toes and fingers turning to ice. She tried to remember everything her Mother had taught her about swimming. Her mother's words reverberating around her head. Feet first down fast water, keep your head tilted back, tuck your arms in.

Yet with the barrels in the water and the orcs chasing them and throwing spears and weapons in after them it was all she could do not to just scream and cover her head with her hands.

She was gaining on Nori though, over the top of a rapid she spotted him waving out to her as she approached him. Just as she was in reach, he used Gloin's arm as an extension and practically threw himself out his own barrel to reach her.

"QUICK!" She screamed as she flung her hand out towards him, his fist closing around her wrist and yanking her back over to him.

Immediately she latched onto the side of his barrel and coughed out the water that had made its way into her throat. She shivered against the side of his barrel as he grabbed the chain. Gloin remained attached to Nori's barrel to warn them of oncoming riptides, rocks and other company members.

"I should have a few pins…" Nori shouted to her over the din around them. His hand digging around in one of the points of his star shaped hair style. His brows furrowing in concentration. She watched with batted breath as his eyes widened and he flashed her a grin. "Here we go"

He pulled out a long needle like pin and immediately began pulling at the lock in the chain to set her free. It took what felt like forever, every now and again Gloin would shout and they would brace. Nori in his haste even pulled the chain a little too tight at one point and Todd choked a little before he realised and pried it open again for her.

"Come on come on come on come on…" He started to chant before there was an audible click. "YES!"

Nori chucked the padlock into the water behind Todd and started to pull the collar loose and over Todd's head. She sucked in a deep breath and immediately placed her fingertips to his forehead in thanks.

"I'm going up on the bank, but whatever you do… don't stop!" She shouted to him, their eyes locking, and she could see the argument in his eyes, but she merely tapped her fingers to his forehead again and pushed off his barrel.

It took all the strength she had, but she was able to swim herself up to the side of the bank where she had spotted the blonde Elven guard from earlier. She managed to find latch onto a rocky outcrop and pull herself up onto it, and from there it was just a jump up onto the riverbank. She could make it easily if it weren't for the orcs. She spotted one bee lining for her and she pretended she had not seen it and then when it was upon her she jumped up and grabbed at its arm, pulling with all her strength down to make it topple into the river behind her.

Using her frozen muscles then, she was able to pull herself up and she immediately channelled for her shift. Her first skin exploding into her mind as the shouts of the Company zoomed past her.

What she had not realised though as that Orcs had spotted her throw one of their own over the side and clamber up. A great number were converging on her, with the elves still in hot pursuit. Just as her bones were breaking and warping, three Orcs burst through the undergrowth and raised their weapons to her.

She hissed in pain, unable to protect herself in that short instant. Yet the attack never landed, before they had a chance to war cry, there were arrows protruding from their heads and they were crumpling to the ground before her. The blond elve had crashed through the bushes after them in time to see her backbone break and her transformation complete, the elven dress that she had been given back in the woodland realm fall as tatters at her paws.

She bowed to him as he eyes her warily, then without a second more to waste she tensed and darted off after her company.

It felt so good to have the earth under her paws again, she found the quicker she ran the warmer her body became. Shaking off the ice of river water below. It took her mere seconds to catch up to the litany of Orc assailants and she picked them off one by one. Launching upon their backs and dispatching them with her bared teeth. Not wasting any time to finish them off if her initial blow didn't do the job of ending their pathetic lives, she figured the woodland sprites could pick up the slack as they chased behind her.

"YES LASSIE!" She heard Dwalin shout to her as she pounced onto the backs of two orcs at once as they had been taking aim at him. She ravaged their necks before darting off once more.

She was getting the hand of this. She was starting to run out of Orcs on her side of the river when she spotted a part of the river further down that thinned out enough that she could make it across if she had a good run up. Todd barked out and rushed forwards, her legs pumping moving her faster and faster towards the clinch point.

She gained on it in an instant and before the company could warn her against it, she had leapt in one graceful arch over the river and onto the opposite side of the freezing rapids. There was an energy in her, that she had not felt for what felt like years. She could fully realise now that there was no itch, there was no presence of darkness rolling over int eh back of her head anymore. It was just, gone. She could breathe easy, she didn't feel sick, she didn't feel hunted any more. Which was a bit silly, because she was currently literally being hunted by a pack of Orcs so large it could have been a battalion.

She took that time then to pause and face the oncoming Orcs and snarled at them. The company was starting to move ahead of their assailants now. A little further up the riverbank she spotted Bombur rolling to a stop on her side of the river bank, before grabbing a few orcish blades and spinning in marvellously lethal circles, slicing at any orcs that dared to approach him before he jumped back into a barrel.

The orcs that he missed ran on, heading straight for her now. There were a lot and she could feel her hackles rising as her teeth bared. Spittle flew from her jaw as a deep and resonating growl escaped her chest.

"TODD RUN!"

His voice had her eyes darting across before her down to the river, emerald eyes meeting chocolate brown as Bofur flew past in his barrel. He was pointing behind her, eyes begging her to just run, so she did. Just as the Orcs were charging down on her she turned tail and sprinted alongside her company.

It wasn't easy keeping up with them, they were dropping at speeds that she was panting to keep up with. She knew she was moving quicker than the orcs though, because the further she chased the river, the further and further away from the gurgles, shouts and cries of the Orcs she became. She had not been able to run like this in her first skin since acting as a distraction for the Company with Radaghast the Brown below the ettenmoores. It felt good, her muscles were stretching nicely, and her chest was heaving with the effort, but it was great to move in her first skin again.

It didn't take long before she realised that the side of the river, she was on was leading to high up and away from the water, so she doubled back on herself, causing a few confused shouts. Yet she was able to run back up to a thinner pass and leap back over to the left of the river without even coming across a single Orc.

She reached the company finally as they were approaching the great lake before them. The river starting to slow and open up. She slowed to a trot and ended up padding along nicely panting with her lopsided grin at the absolutely soaked dwarrows.

"Anything behind us?" Thorin called out.

"Not that I can see!" Balin called from the back of the floating barrels.

Todd huffed too and yapped at Thorin to catch his attention. Once he had caught eyes with her, she shook her head to let him know that they had lost the pack of Orcs for now. They were all really slowing down now, settling to using their hands and stolen orcish weapons to propel themselves faster through the water.

"Head to the shore!" Thorin ordered them then, and Todd huffed in relief that they would be out the water and closer to her. She trotted herself down onto the rocks that they were now paddling themselves towards.

She moved to the edge of the water and waiting, looking to see if any of them needed help. Dwalin was the first out of his barrel and set to tipping the rest of them out of theirs when they reached the rocks and shallow rivers edge. It was then that Kili tipped himself out of his barrel and tried to make his way out the water and onto dry rock. He had only made it a little way before his foot slipped making him crumple to his knees.

Todd was by his side in an instance. She nudged herself right under his left arm so that he could lean on her and not have to put his full weight on his injured leg. Kili winced with every step but he was glad that Todd was there for him to rest his weight on. He leaned into her as she led him over to a high enough and dry enough rock for him to rest on.

"Thank you, Todd" He whispered down to her, his voice was so sincere. She understood then that he was saying thank you for not only helping him to walk now, but for helping him open that gate back up at the Elven battlements, and for pushing him back down into his barrel. It could have been a lot worse, and she was just thankful that she had been able to get to him in time to get him to safety. Her only regret was that she wasn't quick enough to stop him from getting shot in the first place. She huffed at him and rubbed her head into his stomach making him smile briefly down to her.

They paused by a rock and Kili manoeuvred himself down to sit. Todd snuffled and sniffed at the wound and the smell of infection was already starting to show, a sticky and mould smelling infection. The cold had done nothing to stop the spread. She whined up at him as Fili made it to his side, Bofur coming up to stand with his hand on Todd's back. She heaved a sigh when she felt his touch and turned her worries eyes up to his.

"I'm fine… its nothing" Kili then bit out, noticing that he was causing worry. Both Bofur and Todd looked to him as he trained his face into a frown, hiding the pain that they all knew he was suffering. Todd huffed and shook her head at him, Fili was not having none of it as he was leaning down to try and assess the damage.

"On your feet, we must keep moving!" Thorin called, voice clipped as he strode past them, his eyes moving over each of them as he counted to make sure everyone was accounted for.

"Kili is wounded, his leg needs binding!" Fili called out to his Uncle. Todd could see the worry in their Kings gaze, but as soon as it had flashed across his features it was gone again and he was turning to look back up the river banks from where they had come from.

"There's an Orc pack on our tail" He reasoned. "We must keep moving"

"To where?" Balin interjected as they all started coming to stand before their King. Soaking wet and in only their under shirts and leggings. All of them looking frozen.

"To the mountain, we are so close!" Bilbo all but stuttered as he stood with his shoulders hunched up.

"A lake lies between us and that mountain, and we have no way to cross it"

"So then we go round" Bilbo offered.

It was impossible, Todd knew that going all the way around the lake would cost them precious time. The quickest way to cross would be through, but how they would do that was a mystery. It's not like they could all swim. Dwarves were a heavy race and swimming was not really one of their strongest skill sets. A quick dip in water was fine, but a lengthy swim across a huge lake that would more than likely be just as freezing as the river water, if not more was just impossible.

Todd huffed and moved herself away from Kili as Fili tended to his leg with Bofur pestering over them both. Even though she was worried for her friend, her heart was feeling warm and tender at the fact that they were all once again safe and together and all in one piece. It also felt beyond amazing to be far away from that sickening forest. Even though they were technically still in it, they were on the outskirts and Todd could smell and sense nothing, but fresh and healthy nature and it made the world of difference.

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes and she took deep breathes. On the third breath however, her nose tensed, and she snuffled at the air around them. Something was close, but not an Orc, that foul stench had been left behind, not to mention she could not hear the rushing and shouting of the pack from up the river. No, this was something else.

She trotted further up the outcrop of rock that the Company had settled on to get a better look at their surroundings and upon cresting the top she spotted him.

A tall man loomed up over the ledge a few metres away, unaware of her presence as he had his eyes trained on Ori further down by the river as he was emptying his shoes of the river water. Todd could see the tension in the man's face and panicked, she started to move towards him but caught movement. The dark-haired man reached behind him and pulled out an arrow as his opposite arm pulled out a bow. Todd eyes bulged as he took aim at Ori and she exploded into action.

She darted to stand before Ori, a low rumble of a growl escaping her chest as the Company took notice. The man dropped his aim straight for Todd's head and she bared her teeth at him.

Dwalin was up in an instant and threw himself between the both Todd and Ori and the newcomer, wielding nothing but a piece of driftwood. He raised it and before he even had a chance to step forward, the man had launched an arrow into the centre of the drift wood and then taken aim at Kili, who had raised his hand to throw what looked like a rock.

"Do it again… and you're dead!" He levelled them and the whole Company froze.