Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

I'd never been so glad to see sunlight in my life, as we rushed out of the mountain and onto the hillside. We stopped to catch our breath and Gandalf started counting us.

"Five, six, seven, eight…Bifur, Bofur…that's ten…Fili, Kili...that's twelve…Bombur and Anduin-that makes fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit?" Gandalf looked around.

"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin seemed annoyed again.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin said.

"Don't blame me!" Dori shot back.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us" Nori answered.

"What happened exactly? Tell me" Gandalf pressed.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it!" Thorin answered.

I refused to believe that Bilbo would just leave "why would he do that, did you forget that he saved us from the trolls!" I spat at Thorin.

"He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone" Thorin was mad.

"No, he isn't" Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf was relieved.

Bilbo walked forwards and patted Balin on the shoulder.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili said with a smile on his face.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?" Fili asked.

"How, indeed" Dwalin narrowed his eyes.

Bilbo looked slightly uncomfortable in the awkward silence that followed.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf said.

"It matters!" Thorin replied "I want to know: why did you come back?" he looked at Bilbo intently.

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. That's why I came back, because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can" Bilbo looked at Thorin and I saw an understanding finally pass between them.

Suddenly howls echoed down the mountain side "out of the frying pan…" Thorin said looking up.

"…and into the fire! Run!" Gandalf replied.

We ran down the mountain as quick as we could; not quick enough. A Warg leapt over Bilbo's head and stopped in front of him. I wanted to help but was soon faced with my own Warg. I looked back and saw Bilbo had killed his Warg; but there were more coming. We reached a copse of trees on the edge of a cliff, we had nowhere to go.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" Gandalf yelled leaping into the branches of the nearest tree.

I climbed the nearest tree to me and found myself sharing with Kili and Nori.

Bilbo was soon the only one left on the ground; trying to pull his sword out of the Warg's head.

"Come on Bilbo! Hurry!" I yelled at the hobbit. I sighed in relief when he made up into my tree. The Wargs started circling around underneath the trees, growling up at us.

I saw a huge white Warg appear and my stomach clenched at the sight of the Orc sitting on it.

"Azog?" Thorin sounded alarmed "it cannot be".

After Azog spoke in a guttural language, the Wargs started leaping at the branches of our trees. The weight of the Wargs trying to climb up, my tree suddenly started falling backwards into the next tree. Soon all the trees were falling down and we had all jumped to Gandalf's tree.

Gandalf did some quick thinking and started setting fire to pine cones. He tossed them to all of us and we started showering the Wargs with fire. We started cheering as the Wargs retreated but soon started crying out in fear as our tree started falling over. We just managed to hang on as the tree stopped precariously on the edge of the cliff. I heard a scream and looked around to see Ori hanging on to Dori's legs.

"Mister Gandalf!" Dori cried out as he began losing his grip as well.

Gandalf quickly thrust his staff at Dori, who grabbed on for dear life "hold on, Ori!" he called to his brother.

Thorin looked at the unfolding scene and a grim determination settled on his face. He stood up with his shield on and his sword drawn; and made his way down the burning tree trunk. He raised his sword and started running at Azog. Azog roared as his Warg leapt at Thorin; knocking him to the ground. Thorin got unsteadily to his feet only to be smashed in the face by Azog's mace, before he knew what was happening.

"No!" Balin cried out.

I could feel tears start welling in my eyes and then Bilbo started standing up next to me. "What are you doing?" I asked. I didn't get an answer.

We all watched in horror as the Warg clamped its jaws around Thorin.

"Thorin! No!" Dwalin tried to get off the tree but the branch he was on broke.

"No! Dwalin! Here, take my hand" I stretched out my hand and panting hauled Dwalin back to safety.

Azog's Warg had let go of Thorin and tossed him to the ground. One of the other Orcs got off his Warg and walked up to Thorin and placed his blade at our leaders' throat.

Bilbo drew his sword and ran down the tree, colliding with the Orc. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; our little hobbit was holding his own against a much larger foe. He stepped in front of Thorin and brandished his sword. As a few Orcs stepped towards Bilbo; Fili, Kili and Dwalin rushed down the tree and attacked them. Bilbo then came face to face with Azog and was knocked to the ground by his Warg. Dori suddenly lost his grip on Gandalf's staff and started falling. They landed on a huge eagle and were carried away. Soon a dozen eagles began attacking the Orcs and Wargs. Some broke away from the fight to start plucking us out of the tree.

Soon we were all safe on the backs of eagles. One had carefully picked Thorin up in its' talons and was leading the way, away from the cliff. We soared through the air, over many leagues until we came to a huge bear-shaped rock. The eagle carrying Thorin gently put him down and flew away. Gandalf was deposited next and he rushed to the unconscious Dwarf.

"Thorin! Thorin" Gandalf called trying to wake him up, as the rest of us landed on the rock. The wizard placed his hand on Thorin's forehead and whispered something.

Thorin's eyes fluttered open "the halfing?" he spoke weakly.

"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe" Gandalf sounded relieved.

Dwalin and Kili helped Thorin to his feet, only to be shrugged away as Thorin stepped towards Bilbo.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Thorin spat at the bewildered hobbit "did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?"

Bilbo looked upset and he looked down.

"I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin embraced Bilbo "I am sorry I doubted you" Thorin stepped back with a smile on his face.

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior…not even a burglar" Bilbo looked at Gandalf and smiled.

Thorin looked over Bilbo's shoulder and a look of awe passed over his face. He stepped towards the edge of the rock and stared into the distance.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked, catching everyone else's attention.

On the horizon I could just make out the outline of a single Mountain.

"Erebor-the Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf kingdoms of Middle earth" Gandalf said walking forwards.

"Our home" Thorin sighed.

A small bird chirped and flew past.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain" Oin said.

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush" Gandalf replied with a smile.

"But we'll take it as a sign-a good omen" Thorin looked at Bilbo with a smile on his face.

"You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us" Bilbo agreed.

In the peace of the morning light I could almost believe Bilbo, but in my heart I knew the worst was yet to come.