Chapter 16: The Hunted
"He seems a little…mad, doesn't he?" Kili questions, shrivelling his nose as he peers at the Brown Wizard over his shoulder. Edyth hums in half-agreement while Fili snorts.
"That's one word that comes to mind," the older brother muses, also looking slightly over his shoulder.
Edyth had wandered over to a tree, leaning against it to rest slightly as she still hasn't found any sleep since the night before last. But the brothers had missed her hints and joined her. "I'm sure he's nice enough," Edyth says through another yawn. "But the bird faeces in his hair is a little unsettling."
Gandalf and Radagast have gone just out of earshot, though still visible to the company. The company themselves have settled down, either sitting or standing around in the small clearing. All Edyth wants to do is lay down and take a long nap, but she knows that if she is to lay done, getting up would become much harder.
Thorin and Balin saunter past the trio, not even glimpsing at them, but Edyth's eyes latch onto their leader. Pushing off the tree, she brushes past the brothers who only raise their brows at her and calls out his name.
Thorin slowly turns around, eyes looking her up and down. "Halfling?"
Edyth bites her tongue – literally and figuratively – and swallows thickly. Apparently, she does not even deserve the decency of her own name. "I was just wondering if we are going to stop early today. Since we haven't had any rest is all."
Thorin huffs slightly through his nose, sharing a look with Balin. "We do not rest until nightfall is almost upon us. The same as every other day."
Edyth's shoulders drop slightly, her brows pinching together. "But…w-we're tired," she gulps. "No one has had rest."
"You seem to be to only one affected. If you cannot keep up, you will fall behind." He takes two threatening steps towards her. "And if you fall behind, I will not be retrieving you. Understood?" Edyth doesn't nod; she doesn't do anything but drop her eyes to the ground. It's true that no one else seems to be as tired as her, even Bilbo is handling himself fine. Thorin eventually steps back into line with Balin and continues on to wherever they were first headed.
Edyth glances over her shoulders to Fili and Kili who are already looking at her with pity. She lets out her own huff, hating that emotion being pinned on her. She does not want pity – their care, yes, she will admit that she does crave their affection, but pity is pathetic. It is worth nothing to receive and it is worth nothing to give.
So instead of retreating back to them, she finds Bilbo, eyeing off his new sword. "I see we had the same idea," she smiles, placing her hand on her own. Bilbo frowns, obviously confused, but quickly makes the connection.
"Ah, actually Gandalf insisted," he grumbled. "I assume that means he didn't give you yours?"
Edyth shakes her head. "I picked it out myself. But he probably would have found me something if I hadn't either." She smiles at Bilbo's hesitant look down at his own. "Try not to cut yourself, dear brother. I do rather enjoy having my family around."
Bilbo glares teasingly, pulling it out of his sheathe and points the tip at her. His is a much finer design then her own. Hers looks more like something a hunter would use – as Kili said, whereas Bilbo's looks like it belongs at the waist of a military officer. But she prefers her rugged design "I'll bet that I'm better than you with one."
"And who's going to teach you?" she goads. "Because I already have an offer."
"Who?"
"So you can steal him from me for yourself, I think not," she smirks but then drops it to something more serious to match her next words. "But I do recommend that you at least practice with someone here before you attempt to use it in a fight."
Bilbo's face drops, the sword's tip also dropping until it is pointed at the ground. "I'm not sure if I do want to ever use it. T-taking someone's life, I…"
"Would you prefer they took yours?" Edyth counters. Bilbo gives her a look; that is not what he meant, it says. "Did you not feel useless with the Trolls? This isn't the Shire, Bilbo. You are going to have to use it, there's almost no doubt."
Bilbo doesn't respond, and Edyth can see that he is becoming lost in his own thoughts, so it is time to leave him alone as well. Edyth looks around, catching eyes with Kili once more who smiles partially at her, holding her eyes. Feeling pulled towards him, her feet begin to move once more in his direction, but a small sound halts her movements.
A small chirp sounds from her left; over and over, in distress. Edyth frowns, looking around for the animal that makes it since no one else takes notice. Not finding it straight away, she lets her ears guide her towards it instead. Step by step closer it becomes louder to her ears. It sounds like a baby bird.
Finally, she finds it. It is indeed a baby bird, young and fresh from its egg. Its grey feathers are fluffy, encasing the small form. The baby chick continues to chirp, sitting helplessly on the ground, out if the nest.
Edyth's shoulders sag as she pouts slightly, making her way over to it but her features drop into dread as Dwalin stands just behind it, his boot raising as though to take a step backwards. "Don't move!" she commands, capturing the attention of not only Dwalin, but the entire company.
They watch her rush forward before Dwalin can turn around and potentially squash the chick. Thorin opens his mouth to demand an explanation, but his words don't leave his mouth as she drops to the ground, scooping up the small critter. Edyth rises back to her feet, hands cupped in front of her chest. Her eyes trail up to Dwalin's sheepishly, but there is no regret in her actions.
"You might have killed him," she defends, smiling softly at the bird. Dwalin nods, not giving two rats about her actions. He had no desire to kill a baby bird either. Edyth looks up to the tree above them, searching for the nest it fell out of. She finds the small clutter of sticks on the third branch above. Within climbing distance, but a difficult task, nonetheless.
Another presence appears by her side, also looking up.
"Its nest is there," she mumbles, pointing up towards it. Kili brings a hand up to his eyes, shielding the sun that she squints through.
"I'll take him back up if you want."
Edyth's eyes widen, dropping her gaze to the Dwarf beside her. "Really?" she whispers. Kili nods, shrugging nonchalantly. She glances once more to the tree than back down to him. "He can sit in your hood," she decides. Kili chuckles, puffing out the bowl of his hood and Edyth carefully places the chick inside its warmth. "Be careful please."
"When am I not?"
She doesn't bother answering that, letting Kili march forward to the tree and search for a foothold. A few other Dwarves watch him, the rest returning to their activities before her distraction.
"Can't remember the last time he climbed a tree," Fili declares, appearing beside her.
"Well he's doing alright," she notes, watching the brunette prince climb higher towards the third branch. She smiles softly as he takes care to not tip too far one way or the other. "It is very sweet of him."
She glances over to Fili who hasn't yet answered her or given a further remark. Fili was watching his brother too but looks back down to her. They stare at each other, as though trying to decipher the others face. Swallowing, she breaks the contact and looks back up to Kili once more who has made it to the nest and is carefully taking the chick out of his hood. But Fili's eyes are burning into the side of her face.
Sighing, she crosses her arms. "What?" she snips, though not with a malicious tone.
"Nothing," he mutters, finally turning his head away.
Kili leaps back to the ground with a thud, grinning. Edyth grins to match, taking a few strides up to meet him. "Thank you," she says. "Now I hope it will stay in there until its ready."
"It was nothing," Kili shrugs again.
Breaking any further conversation, a long howl echoes through the air. Edyth's eyes widen, head snapping towards its direction. Shamefully, she stumbles backwards slightly, bumping into one of the brother's shoulders.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo gulps. "Are there…are there wolves out there?"
They could handle wolves, right? Edyth glances up to Kili but his eyes are pointed towards the horizon, scanning it, which does the opposite of settle her nerves.
"Wolves?" Bofur repeats. "No, that is not a wolf."
His words confirm her growing fear. Edyth's hand moves towards her swords, resting on the hilt, readying to be pulled out at a moment's notice. "If it's not a wolf then wha-"
Once again, she is cut off by the sound of an animal. Unlike moments before, it is not a howl in the distance, but rather a low growl of something near, and very vicious. The company's attention snaps in the direction her back is originally facing. Edyth stumbles again, becoming face to face with something much larger than a wolf.
The animal only stands over them, perched on the rocky side for a second before leaping down in one swift movement. Dori cries out as the animal jumps onto him, his shoulders being pushed down into the ground by the oversized paws. By now, the sword in Edyth's hold is fully unsheathed, held low but at the ready. The beast is slain by Thorin with another moment, his sword slashing through the fur-covered throat.
Another appears from the opposite side, coming from behind Thorin. Before Edyth can ever raise her sword, Kili has loaded his bow, releasing an arrow into the neck of the second beast. It begins to fall immediately and Edyth wishes she had the moment to praise Kili's skill. Instead, she places her hand on his left elbow, standing close.
"Warg scouts!" Thorin declares in his rough voice, pulling his sword out from the first beast. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."
"Orcs?" Edyth repeats, looking around, first at Kili, then to Thorin and finally on Gandalf.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf demands, ignoring her cry.
"No one."
"Who did you tell?!"
"No one, I swear!" Thorin growls. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted," Gandalf answers.
"Hunted?" Edyth repeats. "Why on earth are we being hunted by Orcs?"
Gandalf purses his lips, gripping his staff tightly. "I'm not quite sure of yet, Miss Baggins." Edyth gulps, turning her attention to their leader. She has no idea what to do; they are the ones experienced in the wild, not she.
"We have to get out of here," Dwalin snarls, holding his axe.
Ori and Bifur who had run off early return. "We can't!" Ori cries. "The ponies; they've bolted!"
As if her heart couldn't sink any lower. Would it be possible to outlast them – to fight them off? Her fingers unconsciously grip the material between them tighter, the sword resting in her left hand, dropped by her side. Not to mention the little amount of sleep she is running on is already a burden.
"I'll draw them off," Radagast declares.
Gandalf immediately shuts down the proposition. "These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you!"
"These are Rhosgobel rabbits," Radagast counters, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. "I'd like to see them try."
Gandalf eyes off the sled, where the rabbits are still waiting patiently. Nodding, Gandalf finally agrees. "Very well," he grumbles. Thorin marches forward into the middle of the group.
"Prepare yourselves. Leave anything not essential behind. We will need to move fast."
Everybody seems to scatter around, their minds already having exactly an idea of what to do. Edyth, however, is still lost. But she is dragged along as her hand is still clamped around Kili's sleeve who tugs her in the direction of their packs. Fili is already there, pulling extra chunks of fabric out of both Kili's and her own. Their spare blankets. "We'll keep mine," he explains. "If we survive," he adds under his breath. Kili also falls to his knees, once again, forcing her down next to him. The brothers move quickly, without speaking to one another yet work in unison. Edyth lets them do as they please.
Within a minute, her pack is shoved onto her back by Fili who hastily does up the extra ties for stability and ease so she can run without having to hold on to the straps.
"Do not fall behind, Miss Baggins," Thorin warns as he marches past them, his own belongings ready. Edyth spares a second to be stunned as Fili pushes her hands out of the way to finish tying the strap around her chest. He used her name, well, her last, but still, a name given to her. She can't tell whether his words are a warning of their earlier conversation – that they will not return for her – or a sort of well-wishing, a final push of encouragement. Either way, she has no intentions to do so. "Let's move!"
"Ready?"
Edyth gulps, nodding to Fili then flicks her eyes over to Kili. His pack is smaller than hers and Fili's but he makes up for space with his bow and arrow. She reminds herself to ask if he needs any supplies later – if she survives. Kili gives her a confident smile, quickly looking in Thorin's direction before falling on her again.
"Let's run, sweetheart."