The company waited in anticipation for an attack to happen, however what they didn't expect was a man and a sled pulled by rabbits bursting through the bushes screaming "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" The man seemed to yell out to no one, before stopping meters away from them. An awkward silence settled in the air as the company stared at the newcomer confused, they were unsure whether or not the strange man in front of them was a threat or not.
"Radagast! Radagast the brown" Gandalf spoke up, pushing his way through the dwarves to get to his friend "What on earth are you doing here?" He questioned.
Eleanor realised this was the wizard Gandalf was talking about, the one that loved to be surrounded by nature. Eleanor's eyes ran over the wizard, he was a little smaller in height them Gandalf, he had shoulder length brown hair with bird poo mixed within it. Radagast also had grey eyebrows and a long grey beard which also contains bird poo. Eleanor wondered if it was a wizard thing to have a beard, just like the dwarves have braids in their hair and beards. He also worn a rather dirty brown robe and a blue hat that sat a top of his head.
"I was looking for you Gandalf" Radagast says, his voice shook a little, Eleanors studies the brown wizard as he moved closer to Gandalf. If Eleanor didn't know any better she would of thought that Radagast was scared of something "Something's wrong" He utters out in fear "Something's terribly wrong"
Just like Eleanor, Gandalf studies his fellow wizard and picked up the fear that Radagast was trying to hide in front of the company. Gandalf moves closer to his friend so they were standing meters apart "Yes" Gandalf says urging him to continue but Radagast remains silent. Eleanor watches in amusement as the brown wizard opens and closes his mouth a few times, he looks on lost in thought; like he was trying to remember what he needed to tell Gandalf. "Um" He whispers to himself "Just give me a minute" Radagast tells Gandalf, trying to rack him brain for any answers on why he was here "Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it" The company watch the wizard in disbelief, some of them couldn't actually believe this fellow was a wizard, he seemed kind of crazy. Radagast sighs in annoyance "It was right there" He protested "Right on the tip of my tongue" Radagast mutters out, opening his mouth, and to Eleanor's surprise their was an stick insect in Radagast's mouth.
"Definitely not like Gandalf" Eleanor says to herself as she watches Gandalf pull a stick insect out of the brown wizards mouth. It was then that the pair moved away from the company to talk. The company watch the pair; curiously wondering what the wizards could be talking about and why Radagast needed to find Gandalf.
Eleanor froze in her spot as a new scent was picked up, it defiantly wasn't another troll but the scent was still foul, turning her head slightly she frantically looks around "Is everything ok my dear?" Balin asks the shifter with concern, the older dwarf made a move towards Eleanor as soon as he noticed her looking alert.
"I'm not sure" She replies, focusing on her senses "I caught another scent" Eleanor says looking to Balin, she felt the fear in her small body, something just wasn't sitting right with this scent.
"Do you think we are in danger?" Balin asks the lass in all seriousness, if Eleanor believed the scent was something dangerous the older dwarf was going to have to try and convince Thorin of the threat, without saying that the cat had picked up a scent and told him.
Eleanor goes to answer but once again froze as her instinct to flee became stronger, her eyes widen as she sniffed the air again, whatever it was it was close but where? A minute later a howl is heard in the distance "Was that a wolf?" Bilbo squeaks out "Are there wolves out there?" Eleanor turns her attention to her brother, he was scared as was she. She moves closer to her brother but kept glancing at there surrounding for a sudden attack. Eleanor knew for sure it wasn't a wolf; the howl was different, this isn't going to end well, maybe it's time to unleash her secret; who cares what the dwarves will think. It is for their safety after all.
Eleanor knew she would have to change forms but she didn't know which form to take as the shifter was uncertain of what she was going to be facing "Wolves. No, that is not a wolf" Bofur confirmed, the hobbit went pale making Eleanor sigh, she rubs her head against her brothers leg in hope to provide comfort. Bilbo gently strokes his sister head, grateful for the comfort, he knew she would do her best to protect him and to tell you the truth that was making him panic, he didn't want to lose his sister.
The company readied there weapons, Eleanor moves away from her brother and the others, giving her enough to quickly change into her wolf or tiger form. Gandalf and Radagast walked back over to the company, Gandalf nod their head in Eleanor's directions, she knew then it was time to reveal herself, the nerves were beginning to settle in, what if they didn't accept her?. It was then the strong scent of an animal entered her nose, she quickly look around hoping to spot it; suddenly a wolf like creature pops up out of nowhere and heads for Thorin "Watch out" Eleanor screamed to him; he turns around and plunges his sword through the warg, killing it instantly. Thorin breaths heavy and looks in the direction the voice came from, his face filled with shock and disbelief, the cat just spoke. All around her the company pay their attention to her.
Eleanor gulps nervously, she hated the attention on her, but she knew the focus won't shift from her until answers were given. A second warg appeared behind the group. Eleanor didn't think, just took action, she crouched down and pounced at the beast, shifting in mid air into her orange and black striped Bengal tiger.
The company looks at their feline companion in shock at the sudden transformation "What in Durin's name" Thorin angrily shouts, looking over at Gandalf and Bilbo the pair watched the fight between warg and tiger, the pair couldn't actually believe that Eleanor instinctively jumped into action.
Eleanor collided on top of the beast, the warg quickly pushes her off, Eleanor body lands harshly on the ground. She quickly jumps up, growling at the beast in front of her, her claws dug into the ground for grip. She eyes the warg waiting for it to attack, letting out a roar Eleanor stood tall, her form was slightly bigger then the warg. The warg wasted no time in charging at Eleanor, the pair collided, biting and clawing each other, Eleanor pants a little not use to fighting, taking in a deep breath Eleanor pins the warg down; hovering over the warg she went for the kills and ripped into the warg's neck, making her first kill "I can smell more" Eleanor says looking the warg over, she cringes at the taste of the creatures blood, her instincts were wanting her to rip them all apart.
"Which means a orc pack is no far behind" Gandalf adds on, the companies attention was still on Eleanor. Gandalf turns to Thorin with a frantic look "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" He questions the dwarf king.
"No one" He answered.
"Who did you tell?" Gandalf asked once again.
"No one" Thorin repeated, looking a little lost "I swear" he pauses a moment "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted" Gandalf admitted, Thorin looks at his company concerned.
"And her" Thorin says pointing to the tiger, he wanted answers but Thorin knew now wasn't the time, his company was in danger.
"Not now Thorin" Dwalin pipes up, he too wanted answers about Eleanor, he felt a connection with her "We need to get out of here" Dwalin says as Ori and Bifur appeared, looking rather panicky.
Both dwarves eye Eleanor weary "We can't! We have no ponies, they bolted" Ori said, Eleanor groans, things just keep getting better by the minute.
"I'll draw them off" Radagast piped up, earning a look from the company.
"These are Gundabad Wargs, they will out run you" Gandalf says concerned for his friend.
"These are Rhosgoble rabbits, I'd like to see them try" Radagast said walking over to his sled, Gandalf finally agreed and with that the animal loving wizard rode off. Eleanor looks in Radagast direction, concerned for his safety, she took off after him.
"ELEANOR" Balin, Dwalin, Bilbo and Gandalf shouted but she ignored them and headed straight for the brown wizard; together they distracted the wargs and their riders away from the company. It wasn't until a whimper of a warg did the plan fail, Oh no the company where in trouble.
Radagast stops his sled, Eleanor comes up beside him, she watches as the wargs run in the direction the whimper came from "Go" The brown wizard orders her. Eleanor nods and sprinted to the company, hoping she gets there in time, all that was on her mind was her mate and brother. Once close enough she spotted the dwarves and her brother backed up near a rock and a load of wargs and riders surrounding them. She quickly but slyly went around them and walked up on the rock, growling lowly warning the beasts.
Without hesitation she jumped over the dwarves growling, and pounced on the closest warg and rider. Eleanor dug her claws through the orcs throat killing him. Before turning her attention to the warg, Eleanor was more confident in her fighting skills after her first fight with the warg, she crouches low waiting to pounce. In that moment the Warg jumped at her knocking her over, she picked herself up, letting out a dominant roar and charged at the beast; causing it to fall to the ground. She stood over it, lowing her jaw and snapped her teeth in the Warg's face before going for the kill.
Eleanor turns her attention to the dwarves to see the look of shock on there face, rolling her eyes she growled softly and walk over to them. The fighters of the group apart from Dwalin, gripped their weapons, she simply shook her head at them "Seriously" she says sending them a look, ignoring their weapons Eleanor goes over to her brother and sniffs him, checking for any wounds.
Bilbo places his hand on her head and scratches her ear "I'm alright" Eleanor let out a sigh in relief, she snuck a quick look over at Dwalin to see him staring at her, he bows his head, Eleanor bows back then turned back around facing the other wargs and riders. She stood tall and growled telling the enemy these dwarves were protected.
"This way you fools. Quickly!" Gandalf shouts from a gap in the rocks. Without argument the dwarves and Bilbo headed to Gandalf with Eleanor following behind them. One by one they jumped down the hole, Eleanor sighed in relief knowing that they were going to be safe, however her body froze and her head snapped up as she hears a scream behind her.
Eleanor turns around to see Kili on the ground, struggling against a warg. She lets out a threatening growl and sprinted to him "KILI" Thorin shouts, Eleanor shots a quick look to Thorin "I'm on it" Eleanor calls out and races over to the warg and jumped on him, freeing Kili and bit down on his throat, ending the warg's life.
Kili sat up panting, he looks over at the tiger "Thank you" He says, Eleanor let out a purr, she gently nudges him in the direction of the company and together the pair ran for the gap.
Hope began to fill Eleanor's heart as they came closer to the gap, she had to admit the fight had tired her out, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She watches a Kili slides down the gap she was about to join him but whimpered as something heavy landed on her, pinning her to the ground "NO!" The company called out, Eleanor was seriously getting annoy with these wargs, all she want to do was rest and wash her mouth out "I'm alright" She whimpers out as the warg bit down on her front right paw, taking a deep breath and using all her strength, Eleanor roared and scratched the warg in it face; not giving it the chance of attack again she went for the throat and ripped it out. Blood dripped down her chin, giving a satisfied growl, she limped to the gap and fell down it earning a gasp from the company.
Her vision began to blur, she tried to inspect her wounded paw but her focus began to fade, without warning she shifted back into her human form, the company look at the young lass not knowing what the hell was going on.
"Eleanor" Bilbo whispers rushing over to his sister "Your going to be ok" He softly says to her, that is the last thing she hears before her world faded away.
A/N: Hey guys; I hope you enjoy the big reveal and that Eleanor has proven to be useful, it took me all day to write this, between doing uni work. Have to admit didn't focus much on the uni work, my attention was more on getting this chapter right, I would have had it out earlier but I wasn't happy with the chapter.
Let me know what you think of the chapter
Angel Wings