Dark Side of the Moon

by Hobbsy3

When the peace of the Shire is shattered by a frantic wizard and Darkness falls upon Erebor, the patchwork family of Kili Baggins is thrown into chaos. Sundered by distance and duty, they must each play a part in the war revolving around the Ring that has long dwelt in Bilbo's pocket. But a conspiracy forms in the shadows and the Ring vanishes, putting the whole world at stake. T/M

61. Chapter 61: Of Fire and Flight

Hey there! Sorry about the stupidly late update this week, I've been really busy, and have found this chapter tricky to write, as it's all 100% new! I hope that means it'll at least be great for you guys, but of course, you are the judge of that!

Thank you to the lovely, wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate it more than I can say.

I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and as ever, I'm sorry for the typos that I will have inevitably made.

Chapter Sixty-One: Of Fire and Flight

The cave was eerily, unnaturally quiet. Just one week ago, it had been filled to the bursting, packed with Men and beasts alike, bursting with the noises of living. Sniffing and snoring, speaking and walking, laughing and crying.

The sounds of the lives of hundreds had filled the small space, but now the cavern seemed very large indeed, and the sounds of those who remained were like the soft buzz of insects on a warm summers night. All but unnoticeable.

Everywhere Fíli looked, he saw the empty spaces where people had been. There were scraps of sheet and fabric strewn across the floor, the fragments of meagre tents and shelters that had been left behind. Discarded clothes and housewares lay abandoned in the gloom, and littered throughout them were comforts, precious things that had been forgotten in the heat of the moment, or left behind to make room for more food, or water. There were instruments, finely made and beautiful, and intricately carved pipes and combs and whittling tools. Leather-bound books and journals lay tattered and forgotten, guarded by the lonely toys of long-gone children.

In one corner, a girl of ten was turning a doll over and over in her hands, a contemplative frown on her brow. There was something about her gaze that unnerved Fíli – it was empty. Hopeless. As he watched, she sighed, and squeezed the doll to her chest. Then she kissed its forehead, and its cheeks and nose, and then she rested it carefully against the wall, beside a small, cuddly bear toy, and a man's pipe. She got to her feet and turned away, her shoulders rising up and curling inwards as though she did not want the doll to see her leave.

Most of the children had gone now. There were only Grimbeorn's own children and nephew left, along with a small handful of orphans and warrior's children that would be among the last to flee. The little girl was one of them. But across the back wall were a small pack of young skin-changers, between the ages of twelve and twenty, who would not be evacuating with the others.

They would among be the lighting party, and it stung Fíli every time that he looked at them. By rights they were too young for this, but Grimbeorn had only managed to gather a hundred able-bodied troops, and they needed the numbers.

Over the past five days, they had managed to evacuate around two hundred and seventy people, slipping them out in groups of fourteen or fifteen at dawn and dusk, and carefully signalled moments at midday. Though the women and children had been prioritised, most of those who could not turn had also been sent northwards. Their skills in war were not lax, but Grimbeorn trusted their blades more than their legs, and favoured their odds against orcs over that of fleeing a forest fire. The few that remained owned fast, brave horses, and the dwarves had their wolves. All their ponies had been evacuated with earlier groups, save one.

Odo, stubborn as his master, had refused to leave Glóin's side, so he was being saddled now. Preparing to leave with the very last group of evacuees. The last of the Beorning children, and Grimbeorn's wife. Glóin was to go with them, in no small part owing to his still-healing injuries (though he insisted that he was all but well by now) and Nori and Vinca would also be accompanying them.

As would Fíli's parents.

He was glad that they were going, and relieved beyond words that they would be among those attempting to sneak to safety, but fear and uncertainty stirred in his gut. By her own calculations, Dís was now around six months pregnant, and things were more dangerous than ever. To watch her leave, to sneak into the unknown without him – it felt like the most cowardly thing he could do. Yet it was not, and he knew that it was not. He had the more deadly task – he would be the one running headfirst into danger. More importantly, so would Kíli, and Bragi and Ehren and Nori. He would not leave them. He could not.

This was his plan, after all.

As he looked around the emptying hall, he hoped that it was a good one. There were around eighty people left here, but they looked to be so few, and so young. Two days ago, Thana had taken thirty warriors south, so that they might reach Dol Guldur by the following morning, and warn any lingering survivors of the flames that were coming. The scouts had reported good progress, but every day Fíli feared that they would bring news of a massacre. Now, as he watched his parents and friends prepare to depart, that fear grew.

At last, Fíli knew that there was no more time to delay the parting. Dusk was descending upon them, and as soon as it cloaked their exit and the gate guards gave the signal, the final group of evacuees would make their flight. Already, the others were exchanging hugs and words of comfort, and with a heavy heart, Fíli joined them. He clasped Emblyn's hands tightly and bade her farewell, and smiled at the two quiet infants beside her. He told Aeron to be brave, and to trust to his instincts.

"After all, you fought off the monster Gollum when you were just a babe," he said, and the boy hugged him tightly, before falling back into his father's arms, and adding another ache to Fíli's heart. When Thana had left, Fíli expected that Jago would stay with their son, but instead, Aeron was being sent on with Emblyn, and Jago was to join Grimbeorn in the lighting party. Fíli did not know how they could do it, but he made no protest. This was their choice, not his.

Then, the time came to say goodbye to his kin. He came to Bofur first, and they exchanged a fierce hug and words of care for a long moment, before breaking apart. Then, he met Vinca, and she wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly that for a moment, he could not breathe.

"I'll see you soon, won't I?" she demanded, but her voice trembled.

"Of course," murmured Fíli, smiling when her arms grew even tighter.

"Promise me?"

"I promise," he said, pulling away to look at her for a moment. For the first time in a while, he wondered if they really had made a mistake by allowing Vinca to join them. While she was a capable tracker and swordswoman, she was still not that far into her tweens, and closer to childhood than adulthood. In age she seemed so similar to the young Beornings against the back wall, those of fifteen or sixteen years old. She did not usually look like a child – she carried herself with the poise of a lady, but now her eyes were swimming with tears, and concern had wrinkled into her brow. There was a look of uncertainty and vulnerability on her face, and for the first time, Fíli thought that she looked her age.

"It will be alright," he promised, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will," she said a wry smile creeping over her face. "My name is not Nelly, or Pippin. And don't worry. I'll look after your mother, too."

With that she turned to bid farewell to Ehren and Bragi, and Fíli was left to face his parents with a lump already in his throat. Kíli was enveloped in their mother's arms, so Fíli reached out to Bilbo, holding the hobbit as tightly as he dared.

"Now," said Bilbo, a croak in his voice, "you look after yourself, Fíli, do you hear me? You take care, and you catch up with us in one piece, alright?"

Fíli smiled. "Of course. And you know that I will look after Kíli-"

Bilbo pulled away slightly, and put his hands on either side of Fíli's face. "I do know that, and I love you for it, but I love you for yourself just as fiercely. Please, my lad, don't find any more knives to take. Look after yourself."

Fíli's throat stoppered entirely as his own mind went back to Weathertop. He nodded, but Bilbo shook his head and swallowed.

"We always call Kíli the troublemaker, and not without reason, but you seem to be the one we are always close to losing, Fíli. And I could not bear to lose you. It would – it would break my heart. So, the both of you, you need to take care of yourselves. Promise me."

Fíli swallowed and nodded again. "I promise, Bilbo." He fell forwards, wrapping his arms around Bilbo again. "But you and Amad must do the same."

"Of course," chuckled Bilbo weakly. "But oh, look at us saying farewell as though we were to sail across the sea – it will only be a few days, I am sure."

"I hope so," agreed Fíli, and his eyes closed tightly. "I love you, Bilbo."

Bilbo's hand ran through Fíli's hair. "Oh, I love you too, my boy. So, so much."

Slowly, they parted, and for a second Fíli caught a sight of his brother's glittering eyes, before they swapped places, and Fíli all but tumbled into his mother's arms.

"Oh dashtith," she murmured, her fingers sinking into his hair. "It goes against all of my instincts not to stay here with you."

"It goes against all of mine to let you go on without me," admitted Fíli. He wished he could hold her closer, but the baby was too big a bump between them.

"It will not be for long," Dís said gently, releasing him so that she could look him in the eye. "Look after yourself, my little lion. Be careful and be clever, and we will meet again, before too much time has passed."

"The same to you," insisted Fíli, his eyes trailing down to her stomach. With a small smile, he rested his hands on the bump. "You take care, too," he murmured. "Look after our Ama, you hear?"

To his absolute shock, something moved beneath Fíli's fingers, and Dís laughed a little. "I think they heard you," she said.

"That was the baby?" Fíli breathed, and as if in answer he felt it again – that pulse of movement, like a tiny, little kick. With a warm smile, Dís nodded, and Fíli felt a lump in his throat once again.

"It is time to ready to leave," said one of the scouts suddenly. "Dusk is nearly upon us."

The smiles fell away from Fíli and Dís, and they collapsed back into a fierce embrace.

"I love you, Fíli," she whispered in his ear, kissing him on the cheek and pulling away even as Fíli replied, "I love you, too."

The hobbits and dwarves mounted their wolves, and Grimbeorn guided the Emblyn over to Dís and Bilbo. She would be turning, and running with them as a fox, for it offered her heightened senses that could help make up for her blindness, but her two children were too young and too small to keep up, so Vinca would be carrying baby Bryn, while little Beron was to ride with Bilbo.

Now, however, Beorn was wrapped around his father, his little face pressed into Grimbeorn's shoulder, and his hands gripping his father's coat so tightly that they had gone white. Even his legs were locked around Grimbeorn, and even as Emblyn eased Bryn into Vinca's waiting arms, Beron gave a little whimper, and held on to his papa.

And when Fíli looked to the right, he saw that Kíli was still wrapped around Bilbo as tightly as Beron was around Grimbeorn. Both hobbit and dwarf had their eyes closed, and Kíli's face was buried in Bilbo's neck. He was shaking a little, and Bilbo's hands were running through his hair.

With a heavy sigh, Fíli hoisted a smile onto his face and took Kíli's arm.

"Come," he said gently. "It's time."

Starting slightly, Kíli nodded, and then stepped back with a weak attempt at a smile. Fíli wove his arm around his brother's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Beron, look," murmured Grimbeorn. "Look at the little bunny! He's going to give you lots of cuddles for just a little while, and then Papa will come back, alright?"

Beron looked suspiciously at his father's face. "Papa back?"

"Papa will come back," nodded Grimbeorn, his voice almost too quiet to catch.

Beron paused, thinking of this for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up. "Grandpa back?"

Grimbeorn drew a sharp intake of breath, his eyes screaming his pain, but he managed to shake his head and whisper, "No, baby boy. Grandpa cannot come back. But Papa will see you in just a few days, alright? Just a couple of sleeps. A tiny little while. In the meantime, you be good for Bilbo, and your Mama, alright? Can you do that?"

Beron considered for a moment, and then nodded once. Then he leant up, and kissed his father once on the nose. "Love you, Papa."

"I love you too, my little cub," said Grimbeorn, kissing his son's forehead and passing him to Bilbo. "Look after him, Master Baggins."

"Of course," murmured Bilbo, cuddling Beron to his chest as Grimbeorn carefully secured a sling around them both to keep the toddler safe, and allow Bilbo to use his hands. A similar sling already bound Bryn gently to Vinca's chest, and already the baby girl was dozing.

Taking a deep breath, Grimbeorn leant down and embraced his wife tightly. On other days, Fíli found the sigh comical, for while Grimbeorn was easily seven feet tall, it would be generous to call Emblyn four and a half feet. It was a height difference the size of a hobbit, something that even the couple themselves laughed about. Today, it just made Emblyn look smaller and more vulnerable, and drew attention to the obvious youth of Grimbeorn's face.

"Time to go to," said the scout, opening the door. "Dark has come. The signal will come very soon."

Nodding, Fíli stepped back, gently pulling Kíli with him. He raised his hand with a sad smile and waved, watching his family and friends until the door closed behind them.

And the cave felt even emptier.

Beside him, Kíli shivered, and rested his head on Fíli's shoulder. Grimbeorn let out a slow, shuddering breath, and hung his head. His hands were shaking, and Jago put a hand on his shoulder.

"They will be alright, Grim," he said firmly. "But now, it's time to go and get ready."

Time passed slowly that night. It was like the soft drip of a leaking roof, at first frustrating and then infuriating, but slow as it was it did pass, and when midnight came around, Fíli felt like he had run out of time. He did not know what more he could do to prepare for this mission, but he was sure that there was something he had missed. If they failed, if he led these hundred men and women to their deaths, Fíli was not sure that he would be able to forgive himself. It was his plan, after all. His responsibility, if things went awry.

But no – such thoughts would help no one, and he knew it. He had done all that he could, put forward the best plan that he could think of, and he had to concentrate on fulfilling it. If he focused on the possibilities of failure, he would steer straight towards them, and he knew it.

The call sounded strong and clear, the first signal to move, and a large man with a great beard led a group of twenty out of the caves. They were going south-west, to ride up the side of the Misty Mountains and set light to the woods there if they saw any significant movement from goblins or orcs.

Then, less than half an hour later, it was Fíli's turn to leave. He was among the smallest party – a group of only ten, with Grimbeorn at their head. Jago went with him as his advisor and guard. At least that was the official reason – Fíli suspected that Jago was there as a brother-in-law before all else. There were also three young skin-changers among them – triplets from the northern mountains, who had the ability to turn into sleek, grey wolves. By all accounts, they were the fastest and most stealthy of Grimbeorn's surviving warriors, though Fíli doubted that had seen more than fifteen summers.

Yet they were not the members of the group he was most concerned to see there. No – Fíli's conflict arose from having Kíli, Bragi, Ehren and Nori with him. Their target was to be the deadliest, for they were to make it as close as they could to Dol Guldur. They were the ones to get close enough to cause the orcs a problem, and there was no doubt in Fíli's mind that they were running into battle.

Fíli had long considered ordering his brother and friends to join the third group, that would be targeting the spider-webs of south east Mirkwood, or even the fourth party – the largest, and youngest – who would leave a few hours after Fíli, and be lighting the more northern fires, and have the shortest distance to flee once the blaze began.

In the end, though, he could not bear to be parted from them. Not when they begged him to stand by his side. All he could hope now was that he could protect them. If something happened to any of them, if he lost Bragi or Ehren or – heaven forbid – Kíli, Fíli knew that it would crush him, and if someone else took a knife for him –

If anyone else made themselves a shield for him, if anyone else died like Soren –

Fíli did not know that he would be able to carry on.

Sensing his master's discomfort, Sokka leant his head back with a soft whine, rubbing it against Fíli's hand. With a smile, Fíli fondled the wolf's ears. "Good boy," he murmured. "You ready?"

Sokka gave a huff of agreement, nodding his head.

At the signal of the guard, Grimbeorn led them out into the dark of the night. There was no moon, and clouds shrouded the stars, and but Fíli could see a fair bit in the dark, and he knew that they would not be relying on sight.

At least – not their own sight.

They travelled only for a few minutes before stopping, and Fíli felt a thrill of excitement and fear rush through him. This part of the plan had certainly not been his – Grimbeorn had suggested and arranged it, and Fíli had thought it very clever. Kíli thought it was absolutely wonderful.

But when the great eagle soared down, and ensnared Sokka and Fíli safely in its talons, Fíli nearly had a heart attack. They moved with such silence, such grace, and though he had expected it, he had not heard it coming. Higher and higher they rose, flying above the black world beneath them, until they could see lights twinkling in far distances, and the air around them grew harsh, and cold.

It was far from comfortable, but Fíli had no complaints. This way, they would be all but on Dol Guldur's doorstep when the sun rose, allowing them overtake Thana and her group. The eagles of the mountains had also agreed to set a watch over the fires, in case any of the groups cut each other off with the flames, something that was a great relief to Fíli.

For endless hours they flew, south in a line as straight as an arrow, until the darkness grew deeper, and then began to give. To their left, a warm, red glow kissed the horizon, and the far reach of Mirkwood was silhouetted by the rising sun.

Then, the eagles began to descend, soaring silently down to deposit the charges at the edge of the woods.

"You are as close as we will bear you to the Back Fortress," said the eagles' leader, in a voice as quiet as the wind. "It is directly to the east, in a line as straight as you can reckon it. Good luck."

With that, they took off again, their great wings sending a rush of air over Fíli. He dismounted, letting his feet touch the ground and allowing Denahi to stretch and wiggle around for a while, and the other dwarves did the same. They shared a bite to eat outside the trees, and stared apprehensively at the sickly woods. Here, in the south, Mirkwood seemed even more ominous than it did in the north – its trees were withered and twisted or smothered in oozing fungus or moss. And there were webs – thick, grey cobwebs veiling the trees. Fíli gave a light shudder. He did not want to encounter giant spiders again. But then Grimbeorn gave a growl, and began to stride towards the woods.

They followed.

There was no path to take this time, and no road to stray from. They were guided by Grimbeorn and the wolves, who wound in and out of the trees and avoided the worst of the webs with great care.

The woods were horribly quiet, and the silence made Fíli's skin crawl. He shivered, praying that it was fear, and not spiders, tiptoeing up and down his spine. With every step they took east, the woods seemed to close tighter around them. The stench of rot and refuse was thick in the air, and great, bulbous black mushrooms sprouted from between the tree-roots, letting out a putrid, white pus if they were so much as brushed up against. The air itself was stuffy and close, and uncomfortably warm. A bead of sweat was slipping down the back of Fíli's neck. The wolves' mouths hung ajar, and they panted, but it was quiet. They kept quiet.

And then they jerked to a halt, and the heads of the wolves turned to stare at a darkened spot between the trees. Fíli drew his sword, and in the same moment a great spider lurched from the shadows, throwing itself at Ehren and Bragi. To Fíli's horror, the beast was far larger than any they had seen in Mirkwood before – it was easily as large as Smaug's face, as big as the monster by the gates of Moria.

Terror wracking through him, Fíli threw himself back towards his friends, desperate to reach them before the spider did, but before he could an arrow sank deep into the creature's eye. It let out a horrific, gargling shriek, and with a flash of silver, Ehren's knife was flung into another eye. It staggered back and Bragi dove forward, driving the sword that he had bought from the Beornings deep into the spider's underbelly. It gave another hideous shriek, and shuddered to the ground, its legs curling beneath it.

Fíli let out a slow breath, raised his hand, and signed, "Are you alright?" to the two dwarves behind him.

"Of course," Ehren signed back, rolling his eyes, but Bragi was frowning, heavily.

He signed with fast, punctured gestures. "Keep your eyes ahead, Fíli. You are too worried about us, you are leaving yourself open. Focus."

Fíli nodded, once, and turned back to the front. Grimbeorn bowed, and then carried on.

Half an hour later, the trees began to thin, until at last they parted to reveal a scorched and barren earth lying at the feet of a fortress so evil that it had to be Dol Guldur. Great, grey turrets rose violently into the sky, and an aura of horror clung to the place like a thick mist. Even a couple of hundred meters away, hidden by the trees, Fíli could hear the howls and cackles and clamour of the orcs within.

They had made it.

"Right," Fíli murmured, though his throat felt very tight. "You know what to do. The oil should make the flames stick, but wait until the fire is high before you throw the flash flames. We do not want to give away our position before we have cover."

The others nodded, and like shadows in the moonlight they slipped out of sight. Fíli led the dwarves clockwise, while Grimbeorn led his kin the other way. Every hundred paces or so, someone fell back and stopped, so that by the time Fíli reached the other side of Dol Guldur, he was alone.

If he squinted, he could see Kíli through the trees, a couple of hundred feet to his right, and the bulking figure of Grimbeorn the same distance to his left. They were all in place, and Fíli's heart began to beat very fast. Dol Guldur was encircled by enemies, bound in a slight siege. Raising his arm, Fíli waved once at Kíli, and then turned, waiting until the signal reached Grimbeorn. By the time it did, Grimbeorn was already in the form of a man, his pale hand waving once at Fíli.

Without hesitation, Fíli dropped to his knees and took one of the sacks from Sokka's back. Full of dried leaves and twigs and scraps of paper, it was all they had in the way of kindling, and he built it up against the tree before him. Next, he reached for the Flame Powder in his pocket. It was not even as good quality as the cheapest of powders in Erebor, having been made with what accelerants that they could get their hands on from the Beornings, but Glóin had sacrificed his own Flame Powder to cut through it, and they knew that it would burn well.

Fíli sprinkled it first on the ground to the front of him, and then flung it as far as he could manage, casting it out into the chasm before the fortress. He lined up his flash flames behind him – they were not what would be considered war standard by any dwarf, but they would explode, and they would send out flaming oil as they did. They would do some damage.

Fíli took a deep breath, and glanced at his brother. He could not see him – Kíli's head was down, but the wolves had not howled. The wolves would howl if anyone was attacked. Trying to force his thoughts to his own feet, Fíli pulled the tinder box from his pocket. A thrill ran through him – terror or excitement, he did not know, but he knew that his hands were trembling as they struck the flint to the rock.

A spark danced through the air onto the kindling, and it caught with a soft hiss. For a moment, Fíli thought that he might have to strike the flint again, but then a small flame flickered up, and it began to devour the leaves, doubling in only a second, and within moments there was fire leaping up the tree. He could smell smoke in the air, and see flames out of the corner of both of his eyes, and he grabbed the first of his flash flames.

The timing was difficult – in minutes the flames would be too hot and force him to retreat, but it was not until they could hide him that he dared to lob his missiles. The first landed in no man's land, exploding with a burst of light and fire that leapt at the dead trees by the fortress walls. The screeches and horns of the orcs rose into the air, and Fíli heard crashes and explosions, and the sound of Ehren whooping at the top of his lungs. With a cry of his own, Fíli threw another Flash Flame, and this time it crashed into the wall of the fortress, shattering with a burst of blue fire.

Another he threw, and another, and then he took the final missile in his hand. The fire before him was raging, spreading from tree to tree more quickly than he had imagined, and Sokka was whining, cowering backwards with his tail between his legs.

Fíli hurled the Flash Flame with all his strength, and it sailed up into the air.

And then it came down, inside the walls of Dol Guldur, and a pillar of flame shot into the air with more ferocity than Fíli had ever seen. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open, and he began to stagger backwards himself as the shrieking of the orcs grew louder.

"Yes, Fíli!" roared Kíli, and despite everything, a smile flickered onto Fíli's face.

"Must've hit a lamp," he muttered to Sokka, and the wolf gave a whine that even Thorin could have translated. Fíli nodded, jumping back as the flames leapt closer. Already, the heat was immense. "Yes, Sokka, we can go now."

Fíli threw himself onto the wolf and at once Sokka lurched sideways, speeding back the way they had come. The fire chased after them, and as Fíli collected Kíli and Bragi and Ehren and Nori, he saw that they had all set the flames well themselves. The forest was burning.

Mirkwood was ablaze.

Grimbeorn and Jago came running out of the trees towards them, both in the form of bears once more, and they charged northwards, leading the way with powerful strides. The dwarves cast out Flame Powder behind them, like arsonist flower-girls, until the fire began to get too close.

"I think it can survive on its own now!" yelled Nori, his voice barely reaching them over the fury of the flames.

The wolves ran faster, the triplet skin-changers weaving between them. One had a scorched tail, but they all seemed to be more or less alright. But the faster they ran, the faster the fire pursued them, and Fíli's mouth went very dry at the thought that they might not actually be able to outrun the flames.

He looked over his shoulder and the breath left his lungs. Ehren and Nori looked to be only inches ahead to the flames, and their wolves' eyes were bulging in fear. Instinctively, Fíli urged Sokka to slow, but the wolf howled and poured on speed instead, pulling him further away.

"Nori!" he yelled, "Ehren!"

"What?"

"We're – a little – preoccupied!" bellowed Ehren, shielding his eyes with his hand. "What d'you want?"

Kíli's voice came from his side, "Eyes ahead, Fee!"

Grimacing, Fíli obeyed, and as he did he saw Jago and Grimbeorn lurch sideways. The wolves followed, and within moments they burst out of Mirkwood and into the plains of Wilderland. Beside them, the forest burnt, but the fire was not catching on the grass outside – not yet at least.

They slowed, and the wolves panted so heavily that Fíli could feel himself rising and falling with Sokka's chest. He scratched behind the wolf's ears, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I gotta admit," said Ehren, a grim smile spreading across his face. "That was kind of fun."

Huffs of laughter and agreement came from dwarf and beast alike, and Fíli found that it was his own turn to roll his eyes.

"Come," he said, though he grinned himself. "We should keep moving. There's a long way to go yet, and we don't know how long the flames will keep the orcs at bay."

Kíli gave a rather unconvincing pout. "Honestly Fee, you take the fun out of everything. All we're trying to do is outrun the blazing fires of death and enjoy it."

"We can enjoy it on the move," insisted Fíli, and Grimbeorn nodded. They began to move again, more steadily and slowly, but at a decent pace.

A thrill was buzzing through Fíli, and there was on odd lightness to his chest. They had succeeded – they had actually scored a victory. Mirkwood was on fire, and they were unburned. And in a twisted, terrifying sort of way, it had been an awful lot of fun.

But as they rode, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and Fíli glanced over his shoulder. There was a smudge on the horizon, one that he could not make out at first. He narrowed his eyes, and then they flew open, wide.

Orcs – dozens, hundreds, not coming from Dol Guldur, but from the south west, from the mountains.

They were riding.

They were gaining.

And they held something, a flag that they raised up high.

The torn banner of the Beornings.

I hope that you enjoy that chapter, and that it didn't taper off too much to the end! It was an awful lot to think about and work out, but I think I'm glad with it now. Please, please let me know what you think – what is happening, what has happened, what will… I adore hearing from you guys, it really is fantastic!

Anyways, thank you very much for reading, take care!