Chapter 14

Azoz and Eagles

We ran down the hill towards the woods. We came to a stop while Gandalf counted us to make sure that we all were there. Thorin was holding Stacia in his arms yet. I hurried up to him and he took me in his free arm and kissed my forehead.

"Mommy." Stacia said, her head was laying on Thorin's shoulder. I kissed her check.

"We're fine." I said.

"Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? WHERE IS OUR HOBBIT?" Gandalf yelled. Thorin and I looked up.

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin said.

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

"Don't blame me!" Dori said.

"But where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.

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

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf said. Thorin handed Stacia over to me and stepped forward.

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

"Thorin!" I said.

"He's proven himself and still has stuff to prove to us. Give him a chance. You are a stubborn dwarf." Anna snapped. Thorin looked not happy.

"No he isn't." A voice said. We turned to see Bilbo standing there.

"Bilbo." Anna and I said.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf said. Bilbo strides forward into the group, patting Balin affectionately on the shoulder.

"Bilbo..We'd given you up!" Kili said.

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

"How, indeed." Dwalin said. I saw Bilbo slide something into his pocket. I knew it was the one ring, but didn't say anything.

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

"It matters! I want to know. Why did you come back?" Thorin asked.

"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. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can. So you can give those girls a home." Bilbo said, nodding towards Anna, Stacia, and me. Fili grinned and wrapped an arm around Anna. I looked at Thorin who gave a nod and pulled me close and kissed my temple.

A wargs howl came bursting our happiness.

"Mommy!" Stacia said, clutching me.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin said

"And into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf yelled. I switch Stacia to my back and we were running. Thorin stayed to my back. The wargs were getting closer. We started killing some of them.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo climb!" Gandalf said. Thorin and I ran to the nearest tree and climbed it with Balin. I stood on the branch beside Thorin holding the top branch and holding Stacia onto my back.

"BILBO!" Anna yelled, seeing him pulling the sword out of a dead wargs head. Bofur grabbed him and pulled him into the tree. We stood as Wargs surround the trees. Wargs with orcs on top of them approached us and a white warg got on top of a rock. It was a Pale Orc. My eyes widen and I feel Stacia tighten her grip around my neck.

"Azog?!" Thorin said. Stacia burried her face into my back as Azog spoke in the Black speech to the others. "It can not be." Thorin had worry and fear in his voice. Azog pointed to Thorin as he spoke and pointed at me. My eyes widen. I was mentioned. The wargs ran to the trees and started jumping. Stacia screamed as I gripped the tree branch tightly. Azog yelled in the black sppech. I kicked a warg that came close to getting me. The weight of the wargs started knocking the trees over.

"Jump!" I cry out. I jumped and caught a branch. Stacia fell, but Thorin caught her in time. We jumped until we reached the tree Gandalf was in. Thorin set Stacia on the branch I was on. The Wargs surround the tree we were in. Anna and Fili were on a branch above me with Bilbo. A pine cone that was on fire came falling down and landed on the ground and the wargs moved away.

"Fili!" Gandalf yelled and tossed a pine cone that was on fire to him. Bilbo lit one with Fili's and then both threw it. We were getting pine cones and throwing them as soon as they were on fire. I hit one in the nose. Stacia giggled and clapped. I smiled. The tree suddenly lurched and I threw myself over Stacia and clung to the branch as the tree fell. Stacia screamed and then it stopped.

"Mister Gandalf!" Dori yelled. I looked in time to see Gandalf catch Dori, who had Ori hanging onto his feet.

"Mariah?" Thorin asked, touching me. I had Stacia secure under me.

"We're fine." I said. Thorin looked at Azog, who had an evil smirk on his face.

"Hold on Ori!" Dori said. I watched as Thorin pulled himself up onto the trunk.

"Thorin. NO!" I yell as Thorin got off the tree and ran towards Azog.

"Daddy!" Stacia yelled. I passed her fast to Fili and stood up as Thorin was knocked to the ground. I ran scrambled to get off the tree as Thorin scrambled to his feet, but was knocked down. I headed towards them as the White Warg bit down on him in the chest. Thorin hit the White Warg in the snout and he got thrown on a rock. I ran fast as Azog spoke in the Black Speech to an orc. I jumped in front of Thorin, my sword in front of me.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me first." I growl. The orc smirk as he came to me, but a small form came and threw himself at the orc and killed it. I ran to Thorin and took his face in my hand.

"Stay with me, my king." I said. I watched as his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he was unconscious. Tears came down my checks. I looked up to see Fili and Kili with others attack the wargs that were advancing. I looked and saw Anna holding a crying Stacia. I jumped off the warg and ran to help. I killed a warg with a sword through the head and got hit by a mace in my chest, sending me flying back at Thorin. I sat clutching my chest, gasping for air. Azog advanced, but there was a screeching sound and I looked up to see the Eagles. I stood up and watched in amazement as they took down the wargs. I turned as I heard a screech and saw an eagle picked up Thorin.

"Please let him live." I whisper. An eagle flew fast towards me and picked me up and I landed on an eagle. Stacia was in front of me and Anna in front of her. I pulled her into my arms.

"Daddy?" Stacia asked, tears streaming down her face.

"He'll be fine." I said, pulling her close as we flew.

"THORIN!" Fili yelled. I looked and saw Thorin not moving. I prayed to Valar that he would survive.

AN: And I end there. Hope you liked. :)