"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked Gandalf.
"To look ahead." Gandalf replied.
"What brought you back?"
"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."
"No thanks to your burglar."
"She had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Thorin looked repentant. Gandalf and Thorin examined the statues of the trolls.
"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."
"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?"
"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Gandalf and Thorin looked meaningfully at each other. Then Thorin looked at Bilba who was talking to Ember, Kili, and Fili. "They could not have moved in daylight."
"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin replied.
The company found a large cave nearby, and they entered it. It was full of treasure the trolls had been hoarding.
"Oh, what's that stench?!" Nori called.
"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Ember ventured toward a bow in the cave. It was of a pure metal, light in weight, and long in length. She then found a quiver full of ancient Elvish arrows. She slipped the quiver on and carried the bow with her.
"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bofur said and Ember turned around.
"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." Gloin said.
While exploring, Thorin found two swords covered in cobwebs. Gandalf approached him from behind.
"These swords were not made by any troll." Thorin said.
Thorin handed one sword to Gandalf and kept the other one.
"Nor were they made by any smith among men." Gandalf replied. Gandalf drew the sword in his hand out of its sheath a few inches.
"These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age." Realizing that they are Elven swords, Thorin started to put his away in disgust.
"You could not wish for a finer blade." Reluctantly, Thorin held on to the sword. He drew it out of its sheath a few inches as well.
Some of the dwarves filled a chest with treasure, then buried it in a hole in the ground. Dwalin looked on in disgust.
"We're makin' a long term deposit." Gloin said as he tried to reason his doings. Gandalf looked at Ember.
"What have you found." She showed him proudly her findings. He smiled at her.
"They suit you, now let's go."
"Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori!" Thorin called.
On her way out, Ember stepped on something metallic. Brushing aside the leaves beneath her with her foot, she found another sword, small in size and light in weight. She exited the cave and headed over to where Bilba was sitting. She handed Bilba the sword she just found.
"Bilba". Ember called
"Hmm?"
"Here. This is about your size." Ember said as she tried to give Bilba the small sword.
"I can't take this." Bilba pleaded.
"The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby." Ember explained to her.
"I have never used a sword in my life."
"And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one." Ember said as she squatted to Bilba's height. Ember hugged her friend tightly. There was fear in her eyes, to Ember it was plain as daylight.
"Something's coming!" Thorin exclaimed.
"Gandalf !" Bilba cried.
"Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves." Gandalf exclaimed. Bilba slowly drew her sword and looked at it. She then followed the others, who had run off into the woods.
Radagast rode at full speed through the forest on his rabbit drawn sled. He pulled up short by the Company.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?" Ember breathed out a sigh of relief upon the seeing of her old friend.
"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong. Well hello little flame, my have you grown. It's been what?"
"Ten years Radagast, ten long years."
"My you look just like your mother, so beautiful." Ember smiled lightly.
"Now, what was I saying?"
"Something's wrong." Ember repeated.
Radagast opened his mouth to speak, but shut it once again. He opened his mouth again, but closed it again. He had forgotten what he was going to say.
"Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." He curled up his tongue, and looked surprised.
"Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old..." Gandalf pulled a stick insect out of Radagast's mouth.
" stick insect!" The dwarves and Bilba look flustered, and then they looked toward Ember for support. She waved her hand and put up on finger. Radagast and Gandalf went off a few paces and speak privately.
"He's a little odd isn't he?" Kili asked.
"A little, but he's rather interesting once you get to know him."
"Mind telling us what "little flame" means?" Thorin asked.
"One word, attitude." She lied. She had no interest in revealing her dark past to the dwarves she knew nothing about. Kili gave her a look of confusion. He wanted to know what she meant. He knew she was lying because of the look in her eyes. She looked away and walked over toward a tree.
"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs."
"Webs? What do you mean?"
"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."
"Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned."
"No, Gandalf, it is not." Radagast said.
"A dark power dwells there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror." Radagast narrated as he relived the scenes in his mind. As Radagast walked through the seemingly abandoned fortress, a statue behind him slowly clenched its fingers around the hilt of its sword.
"One that can summon the spirits of the dead."
The spirit of a king,attacked Radagast, but he fended it off with his staff. As the spirit disappeared with a screech, it drops its blade.
"I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come." Radagast saw a black shadow take the form of a man, and it whispered a dangerous sounding speech. Radagast fled from the castle, pursued by bats. He called to his rabbits which are waiting with the sled.
"Quick! Quickly! Run! Wait for me!" The rabbits started running, and Radagast had to run hard to catch up with and jump onto his sled. He raced through the forest with the bats behind him, dodging tree trunks and hitting the bats with his staff.
In the present, Radagast "wakes up" from his flashback, and realized that he has gotten very excited.
"I'm sorry." He said shyly.
"Try a bit of Old Toby. It'll help settle your nerves." Gandalf cleaned his pipe with his beard, then offered it to Radagast. Radagast breathed in the smoke.
"And out." Gandalf lightly commanded.
Radagast, with his eyes crossed and a blissful look on his face, blew out the smoke, then stayed in a trance like state for a few seconds.
"Now, a Necromancer. Are you sure?" Gandalf asked.
Radagast pulls out a cloth wrapped package and handed it to Gandalf. Gandalf untied it and opened it; upon seeing its contents, he looked concerned.
"That is not from the world of the living." Radagast replied.
Suddenly, a howl is heard in the distance.
"Was that a wolf? Are there are there wolves out there?" Bilba asked after hearing the howl.
"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur explained.
From behind a nearby rock, a Warg appears; it leapt into the midst of the Company, knocking down one of the dwarves. Thorin struck and killed it using his sword. Another Warg attacked from the other side; Ember shot it with an arrow, bringing it down. However, it got back up, only to be killed by Dwalin.
"Warg Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."
"Orc pack?" Bilba asked, fear in her voice.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf accused.
"No one." Thorin said.
"Who did you tell?"
"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin almost yelled, hearing him like that sent a shiver down Bilba's spine.
"You are being hunted." Gandalf said.
"We have to get out of here." Ember said.
"We can't! We have no ponies; they bolted." Ori called, which sent a shiver through Ember. Her horse had all of her things except the few knives Kili had given her.
"I'll draw them off." Radagast claimed.
"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you." Gandalf said, trying to stop his friend.
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try." Radagast said with a huge smile on his face.
Yazneg, the orc leader of the Warg Riders, and his Wargs were searching through the forest for the Company; suddenly, Radagast and his rabbits shot out of the forest, and the Wargs started chasing him.
"Come and get me! Ha ha!" Gandalf and Ember watched from behind a rock as Radagast and the Wargs disappear in the distance.
"How well can you shoot and run?" He asked her.
"Best I've seen in all of Middle Earth." She said proudly. Archery was her main strong suit.
"Good, I think you might have to do some of that today." She smiled and nodded.
"Come on!" Gandalf called. The Company rushed across a rocky plain. In the distance, Radagast was being chased by the Wargs. One of them crashed while trying to catch him. As the Company ran across the plain, they saw the Wargs not too far from them, so they hid behind the rocks.
"Stay together." Gandalf commanded.
"Move!" Thorin commanded. As the Company ran, Radagast drove his sled beneath an overhanging projection of rock; he ducked, but the Orc on the Warg behind him got knocked off.
As the chase continued, Thorin stopped behind a rock so that he was not seen by the Wargs. Ori started to run out of the cover.
"Ori, no! Come back!" Ember heard herself call.
"Come on! Quick!" As the dwarves continued running, Thorin turned to Gandalf.
"Where are you leading us?" Gandalf didn't answer. As the Warg scouts chased Radagast, one of them stopped and scented the air. The dwarves took cover behind an outcropping of rock. The scout and his Warg appeared on top of the outcropping, scenting the air. Thorin looked at Kili and nodded; readying an arrow, Kili quickly stepped out and shot the Warg. The Warg and the orc on it fell near the dwarves, and the dwarves killed them. The sounds of their fight carried quite far; the other Wargs and Orcs stopped chasing Radagast as they hear roars and screams from behind the rocks.
"Nice shot," Ember said to Kili, who said nothing but smile. There was a feeling in his soul, one of which he had never felt before. It grew when ever she was around him, and would disappear when she walked away. But, she stayed next to him.
"The Dwarf scum are over there! After them!" The lead orc screamed.
The Warg scouts howled as they stopped pursuing Radagast and began pursuing the Company.
"Move. Run!" Gandalf called. The company ran through a grassy plain; Wargs began to surround them from all sides.
"There they are!" Gloin yelled as Ember armed her bow.
"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf called. They ran for a while longer, then halted in a clearing as they saw Wargs on all sides.
"There's more coming!" Kili yelled.
"Kili! Ember! Shoot them!" Thorin yelled. Looking around, Gandalf saw a large rock; he ran toward it and disappeared behind it.
"We're surrounded!" Fili began shooting, at the Warg and the Warg Riders, next to Ember, killing some of them.
"Where is Gandalf?" Kili asked her.
"He has abandoned us!" Dwalin exclaimed.
"No, he hasn't. He'll come, trust him." Ember shouted in return.
"Are you sure about that?" Kili asked her and she shot him a look of unsurety.
The dwarves gathered close to each other near the rock Gandalf disappeared by. As Yazneg and his Warg approached, Ori shoots a rock at Yazneg with his slingshot, to no effect. Thorin pulled out his sword.
"Hold your ground!" Thorin yelled. Gandalf popped up from a crack in the rock.
"This way, you fools!" He yelled.
"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!" Ember called as she continued to shoot with Kili. As the Wargs approach, the dwarves and Bilba slid into the large crack in the rock, sliding into a cave. Thorin killed a Warg that got too close. Kili shot another.
"Nine, ten, eleven," Gandalf counted the dwarves as they slid in.
"Kili! Run! Ember, c'mon!" Thorin, Ember, and Kili jump into the crack last. Just as Yazneg and his Wargs reached the crack, an Elvish horn sounds, and a group of mounted Elves rushed into the fray, shooting and spearing the Wargs and Orcs. The Company listened to the conflict from inside the crack. One of the orcs, shot by an arrow, fell into the cave. Thorin plucked out the arrow and examines its make.
"Elves." Thorin said with disgust. There was a pathway at the end of the cave, leading away.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin asked.
"Follow it, of course!" Bofur exclaimed.
"I think that would be wise." Gandalf exclaimed. The Company began following the path. It was quite narrow, and it was a crack between two tall cliffs. At times, the dwarves, such as Bombur had difficulty going through. The pathway eventually opened out into an open area; there was a valley below, and in that valley is the city of Rivendell.
"The Valley of Imladris. In the Common Tongue, it's known by a another name."
"Rivendell." Ember felt a wave of calm come over her. After her village was raided, Gandalf brought her and her brother there. She grew up here for five years before leaving and joining the Ithil.
"Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea." Gandalf explained for the dwarves.
"This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy." Thorin accused.
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."
"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us." Thorin asked.
"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me." Ember smiled to herself. Gandalf was always smug unlike what people said.
The Company walked across a bridge and entered Rivendell. A few elves were strolling about. Bilba gazed in awe at the beauty of the place.
"It's beautiful no?" Ember asked Bilba. Who only nodded. She could only nod for the beauty of Rivendell overcame her.
The dwarves looked around, uneasy.
A dark haired elf walks down a flight of stairs and greeted them.
"Mithrandir, Ember."
"Ah, Lindir!" Lindir smiled at Ember who gave a slight curtsey. As Lindir and Gandalf greeted each other, the dwarves murmured amongst themselves in distrust.
Thorin whispered to Dwalin. "Stay sharp."
"Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen." [subtitle: We heard you had crossed into the Valley.]
"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf said.
"My lord Elrond is not here." Lindir replied.
"Not here? Where is he?" Suddenly, the Elvish horns from earlier were heard again. The Company turned around and they saw a group of armed horsemen approaching along the bridge at a rapid rate.
"Ifridî bekâr!" [translated: Ready weapons!'] "Hold ranks!" Thorin yelled.
The dwarves bunched up together into a tight circle with their weapons pointed outward; the mounted Elves arrived and rode in circles around the dwarves. Eventually, they stopped, and one elf, Elrond, separated himself from the others.
"Gandalf. Ember." Gandalf bowed gracefully and Ember gave a slight curtsey again.
"Lord Elrond. Mellonnen! Mo evínedh?" [subtitle: My friend! Where have you been?]
"Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui." [subtitle: We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South. We slew a number near the Hidden Pass.] Elrond dismounts from his horse, then he and Gandalf hug. Then he wrapped Ember in a large hug.
"Five years, and your beauty never ceases to amaze me." He said and smiled.
"It feels so good to be back." Ember replied. Lord Elrond nodded and turned back to Gandalf.
"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near." He held up an Orc sword and showed it to everyone, then handed it to Lindir.
"Ah, that may have been us." Thorin stepped forward, and Elrond looked upon him with recognition.
"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."
"I do not believe we have met."
"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain."
"Indeed; he made no mention of you." Ember scoffed silently at the insult.
Ignoring this insult, Elrond turns to the dwarves and spoke in Elvish. The dwarves didn't understand what he was saying.
"Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin." [translation is: Light the fires, bring forth the wine. We must feed our guests.]
"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" The dwarves grew bellicose and gripped their weapons uneasily.
"No, Gloin, he's offering you food." Ember explained. [The dwarves quickly discussed this amongst themselves.
"Ah well, in that case, lead on."
"Ember!" A male voice, strong and deep called from behind them. They all turned around. Ember immediately recognized who it was a rush into his open arms. He lifted her of the ground and twirled her in the air. She let out a laugh before hugging him closely. Kili felt a feeling of jealously light up inside of him. Once he let her down she looked into his green eyes. Two tears started to fall. She wiped them away from his face.
Kili felt angry, he didn't know why, he just was.
"You look just like da." She whispered to the man.
"You look just like mother. Where have you been Emilia?" He whispered in return.
"Nowhere important." She lied. She turned toward Kili. Kili was worried about who he was.
"Kili, do you remember how I told you my brother survived with me?" He nodded slowly.
"This is my little brother Emery." Kili felt a weight lifted off his shoulders and did a quick sigh of relief.
"Arwen wants to see you. I'll take him to the others." Emery said to Ember who looked at Kili. Kili shrugged at what he said. Ember smiled at him and Kili smiled back before she ran off in the opposite direction.
"So how do you know my sister?"
"Other than being on the same quest, we talk often." Kili admitted. He wasn't sure how he felt about Emery. He was much taller than him, but he looked a lot like Ember.
"I can tell she thinks highly of you."
"Really?" Kili asked hopefully. He smiled to himself.