Chapter 16
"Out of the Frying Pan… And Into the Fire"
"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 he first stepped out his door! We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin claimed as the conversation turned from the injured back of his lover to the missing burglar.
As the versifier put her tunic back on, a voice called out, "No… He isn't." and everyone turned to see Bilbo step out from behind a tree, earning surprised gasps.
"Bilbo! We'd given you up! How on Earth did you get past the goblins?!" Fili and Kili wondered concurrently.
Dwalin's expression turned grim, "How… Indeed."
Bilbo smiled and awkwardly laughed as he stealthily slipped something small and gold into his pocket, hoping it would go unnoticed; instead it was caught by Gandalf and Torshar, "Well what does it matter? He's back!" The wizard stated to draw attention away.
"It matters! I want to know… Why did you come back?" the prince asked as he and the hobbit made eye contact.
"I know you doubt me, Thorin, you always have. You're right I often think of Bag End… I miss my books and my armchair, my garden… See, that's where I belong, that's home… And 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…" Master Baggins stated as he smiled and looked over everyone.
Torshar was touched by the kindness and sincerity of her friend's words as she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his frame. Slowly, since he was taken by surprise, he returned the hug. As she began to pull away, a warg howl was heard making everyone turn.
"Out of the frying pan…"
"And into the fire, run. Run!" Gandalf shouted as the company began to flee, "Up into the trees, quickly!" He ordered as the unmounted wargs charged towards them. Torshar and Thorin helped Balin up first, then the prince climbed, and they both hoisted Torshar into their tree while everyone else scattered to other trees that dotted the cliff. With seconds to spare, every member was off the ground and high enough to be out of reach from their canine-like attackers.
Suddenly, a sinister voice spoke in a low, taunting tone, "Do you smell it? Then scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it. Thorin, son of Thrain." A pale Orc riding a white warg stated in Black Speech, catching the attention of the prince as well as everyone else.
"Azog… It cannot be…" Thorin said in disbelief and, subconsciously, held Torshar closer with the arm that was around her waist that protected her from tumbling to the hungry wargs below.
"I thought you said he was dead…?" the versifier said in a terrified whisper and clenched her fists into the fur lining of his coat.
Azog looked from the dwarf prince to the woman in his arms and sneered as she turned back to look at him, "Torshar of Whurrak… He is offering a considerable amount to anyone who brings him your head on a spike! Perhaps you know of who I speak? The one called "the Hearty Guardian"." The Orc in his dark language though none of the company, save for Gandalf, could understand but the versifier did catch her name at the beginning and was now wondering what was being said.
Turning to his forces while pointing at his orcish mace at the couple, "Those two are mine… Kill the others!" he ordered. The wargs charged once more, attacking the trees trying to get at the prisoners trapped within the branches. Suddenly, balls of fire flew by and began to ward off the wargs as well as set fire to the shrubbery around them as some bounced off their muzzles. Howling in pain they fall back, earning the company a short reprieve, extremely short because the fireballs began to spread from the brushes to the trunks of the trees! Flames engulfed the bark, making it snap, crackle, and pop against its own weight, along with the added weight of the dwarves, and with the pounding it was taking from the wargs that braved the fire. Eventually, the trees began to teeter towards the edge where Gandalf's tree stood alone. The dwarves, as their trees fell like dominoes, leapt from one limb to another until all were present and accounted for. But even the enormously large trunked tree fell over where all of its passengers were hanging on for dear life; dangling halfway off of the ledge.
Torshar screamed as her grip on the branch began to falter. Erebor's crowned prince was lightening fast to latch onto one of her wrists and hoisted her up to his sturdy spot on the top half of the trunk. He looked up and towards the pale Orc who smiled in sheer joy at the carnage of the flames and terror on the faces of his dwarvish prey. His rage grew and boiled to a head as he stood up, unsheathed Orchrist and dawned his Oakenshield upon his left arm. With purpose and determination, the homeless prince ran down the trunk of the flaming pine; ignoring the screams of the company.
The second his feet hit the stone, Azog charged colliding with the prince; his warg's paw making contact with the dwarf's head. Thorin's back smashed backwards onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Torshar continued to call out to him but watched in horror as the white warg wrapped its jaws around the king who yelled in pain.
"THORIN!" she screamed as she stood unsteadily then raced down, drawing Isenbold while the white warg tossed the prince away. Before it could advance on the fallen warrior, it yowled in pain as Isenbold opened a gash across his muzzle.
Torshar stood protectively in front of her lover with her elvish blade in a ready position, should any of the Orcs or other wargs decide to attack. Her breath was shaky when she heard his weak voice, "Torshar… Run…" she turned her gaze behind her to see Thorin looking at her.
She smiled sadly, "I am tired of running… Now, I stand fight for the people I love…" her heart rate was sporadic and her vision blurred slightly but quickly adjusted itself. Azog noticed her sway and laughed, "Is there a problem, Torshar? Surely you of all people can handle a simple warg problem… Or is it because you want to protect that dwarvish coward? The hearty guardian will be most pleased when I return with your head tied to my belt!" the Defiler stated in Black Speech, meaning that the poor dwarf woman could understand him.
"I will not allow you to lay another hand on him, Azog! I shall pierce your cold, black heart with my blade before you could ever have the opportunity to do so again!" the maiden shouted, making the pale Orc laugh.
"Bring me their heads." He ordered and three of his subordinates dismounted their wargs and stalked towards her. Though she put up a good fight, fatigue finally won out and allowed her to be overpowered, disarmed, and placed in a chokehold.
"Watch as we behead your precious prince!" it spat in common tongue which surprised the versifier for a moment then shattered when another Orc approach Thorin who had not moved since landing on a slab of stone from being thrown.
"Thorin, get up! Please, get up!" she cried out in anguish as tears cascaded down her cheeks like waterfalls, making the Orcs laugh. Just as he made it to the slab, the Orc was tackled to the ground and killed by the most unlikely of people, "Bilbo!"
Indeed, the hobbit could no longer take the assault of his friends so he took matters into his own hands and attacked. Though the Orcs were taken by surprise, one of them refused to release Torshar as the other charged the burglar only to be taken down by the rest of the company who came running; weapons ready. Torshar was quickly freed and she bolted to Thorin's side; picking up Isenbold in the process, "Thorin! Thorin… Wake up, my love!" she pleaded when she discovered his eyes had closed.
Her heart seemed to stop when she put her ear to his chest and heard no beat to signal his heart was still alive. Tears returned with a vengeance as her sobs racked her chest and made her wrap her arms around his torso; taking no notice of the giant eagles that flew in and began to take care of the Orcs as well as grab dwarves and get them to safety. Only when she was ripped from the prince's body did she finally notice; and also do to the fact that she was dropped onto another's back from a hundred feet above it.
The ride through the night was quiet except for the occasional caw from the eagles. At some point the versifier had passed out from exhaustion but awoke with a jerk when she Fili scream, "Thorin!"
"Thorin!" she cried and began to cry once more when he did not respond. Thankfully, the eagles landed and dropped off their passengers. Torshar was beside her love, cradling his head in her lap, and began to run her fingers through his hair as Gandalf approached. He touched the dwarf lord's forehead then moved down over his face and whispered an incantation as the versifier's tears continued to fall.
"Thorin, please… Please come back to me…" she whispered and kissed his forehead.