OMG OMG OMG... this is it guys! This is my all time favourite chapter, I think.
YYAAASSSSSS!
xo
"Rilien!" Valisilwen screamed, before a growl, followed by a black and white blur flashed by. Rilien felt the weight removed from his back as Bolg disappeared from his back. The deadly mace fell by Rilien's head.
Rilien pushed himself up slightly, his head throbbing and vision beginning to swim. He looked around to find Valisilwen, in wolf form, atop of Bolg, her powerful jaws around his neck and head. There was a sickening crunch as she ripped him apart, bit by bit. "Valisilwen..."
She looked back at him, her eyes were dark and cold, no light shone from them, like they usually did when she looked at him. She slowly turned her body as Rilien, gingerly, got to his feet. He thought back to what she had said about the bloodlust, as she began to slowly walk towards him. He watched as the great wolf licked her lips.
"Valisilwen..." he said slowly. "Are you alright?" She didn't answer, but growled lowly from her throat, baring her teeth as orc blood dripped from her muzzle. It was then he knew, and was certain, she had entered a state of bloodlust.
Rilien slowly and carefully held his hands before him as the great wolf slowly strode closer toward him, a deathly cold look in her eyes. "Valisilwen, it's me. Rilien." She ignored him, continuing towards him. "Come on, Ranger, we've got a job to do, remember? Thorin needs our help." She continued towards him, although he noted her ears seemed to flick at the mention of Thorin.
He carefully stood straight up, trying to build his own confidence as well as fight the aching in his head from Bolg's mace. "Valisilwen, come on, the dwarves need our help. We have to stop Azog."
Again, her ears twitched, a lot more noticeably this time and her stride faltered slightly. Rilien took a step towards her now, earning him a warning growl from her as she narrowed her eyes at him. He put his hand out, showing he held no weapons. "Come on, Valisilwen, Thorin and Azog are out there now." He took another step. "Let's go help," he said, as he tried to reach out to touch her.
It happened in an instant, as he brushed her fur, she lashed out, landing on top of him, her clawed feet on his shoulders digging in, he could feel her sharp claws breaking through his skin, and her teeth bared as she bore down on him.
"Valisilwen, stop, it's me, Rilien!" She continued to growl and he could feel her hot breath on his face as she got closer to his face. "I just want to help you, princess!"
She stopped instantaneously, no longer baring her teeth and cocking her furry head to one side. Her eyes narrowed, once again, at the elf.
"Princess, it's me, Rilien. Snap out of it!" he said, grabbing her about the head with his hands and pulling her closer to him, although she strained to pull her head away alarmed at the action and began tossing it back and forth. "You have pushed me away long enough, now you will listen to me! I am here to help you, it's time you listened to me! I am not giving up on you, Valisilwen!" His words sounded a lot braver than he felt in that moment. He had taken note of her large teeth and strong jaw, as well as the sharp claws that currently pierced into his shoulders. She stopped thrashing around and he stared into her mismatched eyes for a moment until he saw the light return to them.
"Rilien?" she growled, blinking.
Rilien released a sigh of relief but continued to hold her as it dawned on her what had happened. She tried to fight from his hands again, removing her paws from his shoulders, much to his relief. "Ssshh, its okay, Valisilwen, I'm fine." He could see the grave concern in her eyes as she tried to pull away. He pulled her furry face in closer to his and rested his forehead against hers. "Are you okay?"
"What did i do?" she demanded, whimpering slightly.
"Nothing serious," he said.
"I'm sorry!" she tried to pull away again, but he wouldn't let her go.
"No, Valisilwen, I'm sorry, i shouldn't have let him get the better of me," he replied, looking into her eyes pointedly. She tried to look away but he wouldn't let her. "You saved me, Valisilwen, that's all that matters, not how you did it."
She was about to answer when there was an almighty crash nearby as a stone tower was brought down upon the ruins. Rilien released her head, allowing her to step back finally, and moved to stand up gingerly. They both watched as Legolas took on another large orc that had appeared on the rock bridge now formed by the fallen tower, below the edge of the cliff.
It was then that Valisilwen and Rilien's attention was returned to Thorin, he was still being attacked by remnants of orcs and Azog, being forced closer and closer to the edge of the frozen river which flowed over the cliff. Valisilwen moved to assist him, as did Rilien, but he fell to a knee, causing Valisilwen to halt in her tracks. A cloud was starting to drift in and out before his eyes.
"Rilien, you're still suffering from the blow to your head?"
"It would seem so," he replied regretfully, before looking back to the dwarf king, who was able to fling an orc over the edge.
Valisilwen glanced from Rilien to Thorin, then back at the ruins, where she saw Tauriel struggling to get Kili out of there. "Help Tauriel, I'll help Thorin."
"Valisilwen, your ribs..." Rilien began to argue.
"Are fine, go."
Without waiting for Rilien to answer her, she charged away as more orcs, including Azog charged for the dwarf king.
oOOo
As an orc approached an unarmed Thorin, who was caught between the edge of a cliff and the orc and no way of escaping, his mind for a moment considered his options. He had none.
A moment later, a sword flew through the air and embedded itself within the orc's chest. Thorin recognised it as Orcrist, the sword he had found within the troll hoarde, the same sword Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Greenwood Realm, had confiscated from him.
As the orc fell forward over the cliff, Thorin managed to retrieve the sword, before it too was lost over the cliff. Looking down he saw Legolas, balanced tediously on a rough looking, stone bridge. Legolas gave a small nod to the dwarf king, before turning to block an orc's attack as it leapt from the rubble behind him.
Thorin stood and turned, staring in wonder at the blade returned to him, before noticing Azog stood before him, alone. Thorin began to approach the Pale Orc slowly, sword poised to strike.
Suddenly, a horn sounded and Thorin saw Azog smile. Behind him, a hill in the distance was soon covered with yet more orcs. Thorin stared in disbelief for a moment, before Azog charged forward, swinging a large rock attached to a chain. Thorin ducked under it, and as Azog was slightly unbalanced from his swing, Thorin managed to get behind him and slashed at him with Orcrist.
Thorin saw in the corner of his eye, Valisilwen in her wolf form, change direction from coming toward him, to running towards the oncoming orcs, barking orders to the two elves, Kili and Dwalin.
Azog angrily swung again and as Thorin dodged, the rock smashed into the ice, cracking it. They both steadied themselves as the ice began to crack further. Azog swung again, missing once more and causing the ice to begin to break away.
Thorin stumbled slightly, and Azog took the opportunity as it came, knocking Thorin's legs out from under him with the chain. As Azog leapt at the opportunity, Thorin rolled away, before leaping back up to his feet and behind a now off-balanced Azog and slashed at him again.
Azog was clearly furious now, angrily swinging the rock and chain at Thorin once more, but missing him once again. This time, the rock became embedded and stuck in the ice, Azog unable to remove it. He wildly slashed at Thorin with his bladed arm.
Suddenly, Azog looked into the sky behind Thorin in shock as Eagles appeared in the distance. Thorin looked behind to see Radagast riding the lead Eagle, swooping over the top, the Eagles heading straight for the oncoming wave of orc reinforcements. The Eagles began to decimate the ranks of Gundabad orcs.
Even Beorn, the only other surviving Shape-Changer, rode an Eagle, throwing himself from its back and transforming into his bear form as he fell. He landed in full transformation and began charging through the ranks of the orcs immediately, destroying many as he went.
Meanwhile, Thorin took Azog's distraction as a chance to gain the upperhand. He quickly threw Orcrist to the ground, bringing Azog's attention back to him. He reached forward, lifted the rock from the ice and tossed it to Azog, who instinctively caught it, albeit with a confused look on his face.
Thorin then jumped backwards, off of the ice floe that they had both stood upon. Without Thorin's weight to balance it, and with the extra weight of Azog's rock and chain, the ice floe tipped, causing Azog to fall into the freezing cold water below. He scrambled at the edge, but the chain attached to his hand pulled him down beneath the water. Thorin bent over, exhausted, but relieved.
Thorin bent down to pick up Orcrist, as he did so, he saw Azog through the ice, a malevolent grin still on his face, being pulled by the current toward the frozen waterfall. Thorin slowly walked along above him, wanting to ensure that Azog would indeed be done this time, the pair staring at each other. Azog closed his eyes. Thorin felt relief wash over him again, but it was short lived.
Azog's eyes opened again suddenly, as he thrust his arm blade through the ice and through Thorin's foot. Thorin screamed in agony as he withdrew the blade, falling backwards as Azog thrust his blade forward again and burst through the ice, pinning Thorin to the ice.
He brought his arm blade back, to pierce through Thorin again once and for all, but there was a flurry of fur, growling and blood as Azog was tackled by the great wolf that was Valisilwen.
She had him pinned to the ice and bit him roughly on the shoulder, causing Azog to shriek with pain. He moved to shake off the wolf, but when he was unsuccessful, plunged his arm blade into her side.
Valisilwen whimpered and fell to the side, sprawling on the ice as she struggled to stand again, to face the Pale Orc.
"Ranger!" Thorin exclaimed, struggling to stand again, he grasped Orcrist in his hand as Azog stood again, looking malevolently from the Ranger to the Dwarf King. "Valisilwen, get up!"
oOOo
Thorin's shouts caught Rilien's attention as he fired his arrows at the orcs that were now looking to flee the battle as the Eagles decimated them. He saw Valisilwen on the ice of the frozen river, stumbling and struggling to stand, fresh, red blood, staining her fur.
He turned quickly and ran, as Azog ran at Thorin again, managing to unbalance him and knock him to the ground again, before he tried to stab at him with his arm blade yet again. Thorin managed to slide Orcrist in one of the forks of the blade, blocking his attack, but Azog was bigger and utilised his superior position to push the blade further and further. Thorin struggled to keep it away.
It looked as if Thorin would lose as his strength wained, when there was a growl and Valisilwen appeared beside them, grabbing what she could while disabled by her injury, doing her best to drag the Pale Orc away. He wrestled free from her jaws, before slashing at her again, catching her on her neck and shoulder. She yelped again, but continued to try and regain a hold onto him.
"No! Valisilwen!" Rilien shouted pulling back his bowstring and firing an arrow. It struck the Pale Orc in the shoulder causing him to look up angrily at the elf, who knocked another arrow. He looked from the elf, to the dwarf and struggling wolf, before smiling malevolently.
oOOo
He plunged his arm blade down at the dwarf king, before Rilien could get another shot off. The Orc grinned as his arm blade stuck in further. Valisilwen gasped, seeing the blade attached to the stub of the arm she held in her jaws, sink in deeper as she did so. She grit her teeth and growled, grabbing his shoulder in her jaws roughly again, causing it to crack and shatter between her teeth.
Thorin did not struggle back as she did so, but instead, plunged Orcrist into the depths of Azog's chest as she began to pull the orc back.
The orcs face changed to that of shock and surprise as his arm blade was pulled from Thorin's abdomen. He began to fight against the wolf again, flinging his arm blade back and slashing her several times across her back and shoulders.
She whimpered but refused to let go, clenching her jaws tighter and causing the shoulder to crunch beneath her jaw strength, although falling sideways as her tendons and muscles were sliced by the blade. "Finish him!" she growled through her clenched jaws as tears of pain and exhaustion began to form in her eyes.
Thorin scrambled forward on his knees, as Valisilwen got the orc onto his back, refusing to let go no matter how much the orc slashed at her. He forced Orcrist all the way through Azog and through to the ice beneath him.
Azog tensed for a moment, his eyes looking from the Dwarf who would be King under the mountain to the Shape-Changing Princess, before all life left his body.
I don't know whether to sigh with satisfaction or would it be inappropriate to cheer because of what we know is going to happen next :(
xo
Krayzee