Chapter 12:

"Five...six...seven...eight.." Gandalf turned, counting the running dwarves as we fled down the hill. "Bifur...Bofur, that's ten..." Kili's hand remained in mine the entire way down the hill, Fili not far ahead of us. We sprinted down the hill and into Gandalf's line of vision. "Fili, Kili, Freya, that's thirteen...and Bombur, that makes fourteen."

We paused before Thorin, breathing hard and looking around. The dwarves stood, catching their breath while Gandalf looked around with uncertainty.

"Where's Bilbo?"

I looked up so hard and fast, I tore a muscle in my neck and clapped a hand over it, wincing as the warm sensation of blood coming from torn flesh under my skin flooded the area.

"Where is our hobbit?" asked Gandalf with considerable worry. The dwarves looked around, turning to search for the Halfling. "Where is our hobbit!"

"Curse the Halfling!" Dawlin spat. "Now he's lost? I thought he was with Dori!"

"Don't blame me."

Gandalf turned to the dwarf exasperatedly. "Well, where did you last see him?"

Nori spoke up, catching the wizard's attention as he suddenly remembered, "I think I saw him slip away -"

"Yes, I saw him, too," I said suddenly. "I do not believe the goblins have him."

"Well, what happened exactly?" Gandalf looked between me and Nori. "Tell me!" he shouted, causing me to flinch against Kili, who glared at the wizard and put a protective arm about my waist.

"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin stepped out to address his kin. He sneered, "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it."

"No! Bilbo would never -" I interrupted angrily.

"The hobbit has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm house since he first stepped out his door," growled Thorin, glaring at me.

I stormed over to Thorin. "Whether Bilbo misses his home or not, he is as brave as everyone in this Company, Thorin Oakenshield. The hobbit has courage. He would not have abandoned us." I almost turned away as my eyes brimmed with tears at the very idea that he was gone (the awful day hadn't helped).

"I am sure we will not be seeing out hobbit again," Thorin replied. "He is long gone."

"He isn't," a small voice said from behind us. I turned, grinning with relief. Bilbo looked rather awful, but all in all, not too bad.

"Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf chuckled fondly. "I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

Everyone greeted Bilbo happily.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!"

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked, his mouth fallen open.

"How indeed," Bilbo smirked slightly as the dwarves watched him, each and every one in shock. He half-heartedly laughed, and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. My eyes widened as I remembered what he was hiding. Gandalf also noticed the nervous fidgeting of the hobbit.

"Well, what does it matter," said the wizard, sparing a glance for Thorin. "He's back."

"It matters," said the dwarf king to Bilbo. He looked highly suspicious, glancing back and forth between the hobbit and the wizard. "I want to know...Why did you come back?"

I exhaled quietly, slightly relieved.

Bilbo looked at Thorin, tired and frustrated. "Look, I know you doubt me. I know you always have." I let out an annoyed grunt, hitting the ground with my foot for emphasis. The hobbit deserved no doubt. I knew, as no one else did, what he had done to and for Middle-Earth, and what he would do for this quest in the future. Plus, that incident with the trolls wouldn't've been as much of a walk in the park without Bilbo.

He continued, "You're right, I often think of Bag End." He shrugged. "I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home," he admitted, nodding firmly. He kept gazing at Thorin. "And that's why I came back. You don't have one, a home...It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

Thorin dropped his head in shame, then raised it again, remembering the Company in his presence.

Thorin and Gandalf began to discuss matters of our journey ahead. Most of the Company was rather cold, as night was falling and the sky was dark and bleak. I just curled into Kili and let him warm me up.

We laid like that for some time, just staring up at the stars together.

"Are they anything like your home stars?" he asked suddenly.

I sighed, rustling my hair slightly. "No. But they're far more beautiful."

He chuckled. "I'm sure."

The silence was destroyed by the howling of Wargs nearby. Kili staggered to his feet, pulling me with him. We sprinted after the group of dwarves that were running just ahead of us.

There was no light to guide us as we dodged the trees. Branches whipped my face, scratching my already bitten and sliced cheeks and grabbing at my clothes. I gritted my teeth. I could see out of the corner of my eye, all of the other dwarves running by me. The Wargs were growling, leaping past us to chase down the others. Kili looked terrified, and I tried to reassure him and found that I couldn't.

Suddenly, Kili stopped in his tracks. "Bilbo, look out!" he yelled.

A Warg was about to pounce on the hobbit. Scared out of his wits, Bilbo backed up until his back hit a tree, the Warg still coming at him quickly.

"Bilbo!" I screamed.

He pulled out his short little dagger thing and stabbed the over-sized wolf in the head. He drew back his sword, stunned that he was alive.

I couldn't help but grin. "Good job!" I yelled at him, and he smiled shakily at me.

Shouts came from ahead, and the three of us ripped ourselves from out positions and sprinted forward. We found the others, who were beating away Wargs with swords and axes. I drew both swords and hacked at a Warg that was about to kill Ori, then one that would have killed Oin.

After cracking open a Warg's skull, Dwalin yelled at the dwarves to run. We hurried ahead, weaving in and out of trees until we reached the cliff-edge. I swore. We were trapped.

"Up the trees," Gandalf commanded. "All of you. Go on, hurry!"

The hobbit looked up, clearly feeling incapable and useless. Gandalf began to climb, as did the others. Ori leaped off a rock onto Dwalin's head, able to reach thanks to the dwarf's height. Balin and Dwalin followed close behind.

"They're coming!" Thorin yelled, warning those who had yet to climb the trees.

"Hurry, Bilbo," Kili said, giving the hobbit a boost into the tree. He climbed higher and higher until he could not climb anymore, and then looked back at me. I stared up at him hopelessly. He yelled and leaped back down, reaching for my hand. He yanked me up into the tree, almost yanking my arm out of my socket. I gazed down, terrified, at the Warg that had almost bitten my leg off. They were surrounding the trees, leaping up, trying to pull the dwarves down.

I looked over at Gandalf. He was cradling a small bright thing close to his face. I furrowed my eyebrows. What the heck was he doing?

I gazed down again and gasped. A giant, bright white Orc sitting on a white Warg. Azog the Defiler. I could see the fear in Thorin's eyes, along with utter fury and hatred to the Pale Orc. The ugly thing sniffed the air, tasting it, speaking to his minions. He locked eyes with the dwarf king, speaking in an odd tongue. He spoke Thorin's name.

"It cannot be," whispered Thorin angrily, as if believing it would make the Orc disappear.

His enemy pointed at our trees, giving an order that sent the Wargs racing towards us. They stood on their hind legs, attempting to reach for the smaller branches while others used their running momentum to pounce into the air, snapping at the dwarves.

I screamed as one reached for me. I hit it with the one sword of mine that was still unsheathed, and it fell away, yelping. Ahead of ours, a tree began to fall, knocking into another. The impact uprooted the other trees until none stood but the final tree. We all leaped, landing on the last tree. I gazed down; even in the dark I could see the long drop. I did not want to fall.

From below the trees, the Pale orc let out a dark chortle as he watched us struggling with the tree. I clung to my branch as the tree creaked and groaned beneath our feet, beneath the weight of all of the Company. Not far from where I stood, I noticed Kili shooting at the Wargs. His hands were shaking slightly, something I'd never seen them do, and he kept hitting parts of the over-sized dogs that would not kill them.

When he finally hit one of their eyes, causing it to blunder and bite some of its kin, he punched his fist in the air in grim triumph and almost succeeded in falling to his death.

With an unflattering grunt and a roll of my eyes, I grabbed his coat and pulled him back up, unbalancing me. As if in slow-motion, I fell from the branch, my arms whirling for a branch several feet beneath me. I gripped it, and it reminded me of a jungle-gym, or the monkey bars that small children used on playgrounds. I squeaked as the Wargs leaped up for my legs. I pulled myself up and hung like a sloth, pressing my body against the branch.

I could feel my muscles quivering, over-taxed. I shrieked as one of the wolves almost caught my cloak. I saw Kili leaping down, extending his hand. I took a deep breath and curled myself around the branch to sit on it like a horse, reaching for the dwarf. I couldn't reach.

I saw him swear and stamp his foot, frustrated that he couldn't reach me. An orange glow came from the highest point of the tree, and I could see Gandalf lighting a pine cone, throwing it down at the Wargs who were under me. The blazing pine cone hit one creature and it skittered away with a whine. The others backed away, yipping with uncertainty.

The Pale Orc's hideous face contorted with rage at the sight before him as his minions leapt away from the growing fire. I caught a pine cone thrown from Kili, and noticed that everyone in the tree had one. I chucked mine at the tormenting wolves beneath me. I suddenly found the strength to stand up, and jumped across the air between me and Kili. He caught me easily. "Don't scare me like that again," he growled.

The ground came alive, fire dancing around. It crawled along the grass until the Wargs fell back. The Pale Orc spat in anger while we cheered in victory. But our laughs and relative happiness was short-lived as the tree uprooted itself, falling backwards over the cliff's edge.

I cried out as I saw the bodies of my friends fall from the branches with yells, grabbing onto the nearest dwarf in fear of free-falling. Orders of "Hold on!" and pleas of "Help me!" ensued on all sides.

I jerked, making towards Dori who was dangling from a branch with Ori on his boot. Kili refused to let go of me. The tree shuddered again, falling for a second before stopping once more.

"Mr. Gandalf!" Dori groaned, his voice breaking from exhaustion and fear. He lost his grip and began to fall, yelling. Gandalf's staff moved quickly, giving Dori something to hold onto. The Wizard was strong, but old. His grunts told me that he couldn't hold them up forever.

I gazed up, seeing Thorin standing up. His eye wandered over me and Kili, and even now, at this place, I couldn't stop my cheeks from blushing. He turned to look at the cackling Pale Orc, safe on the ground.

Thorin's face became a mask of hatred and disgust for Azog the Defiler. When the creature's murky grin appeared on its tortured face, his own was transformed with determination and rage. He lifted his own body from its place, lifting his sword in an unspoken threat.

"Uncle, what are you doing?" Kili asked in fear. In one bound, the dwarf king leaped off of the tree, running between the tongues of fire. Fili and the prince beside me yelled after their uncle, willing him back to them.

I watched in an odd mix of horror and pride as Thorin sprinted towards the Pale Orc, who extended his arms as if to welcome the attack. With Orcrist in one hand and a tree branch as his shield in the other, Thorin was only a few steps away from his enemy.

With a battle cry, Azog and the white Warg leapt from their perch and threw towards Thorin. The weight of the creature against Thorin sent the dwarf crashing onto his back, a groan escaping his throat. As the Pale Orc made a turn, Thorin braced his hands on his knees, lifting his body up to stand once more. But Azog's mace his Thorin's chest with such power it sent him down again.

Despite my anger at Thorin that had built up over many days, I screamed and felt tears prick my eyes. I kicked and struggled against Kili fruitlessly. I saw the Warg grab Thorin's torso in his jaws, and I almost wept in anger at the dwarf's pain-filled howls. The dwarves who could do nothing yelled behind me. I yelled with them, only at Kili, desperately trying to make him let go.

Bilbo was watching in despair. I watched his little body lift up and run, brandishing his yet unnamed sword.

I kicked a nerve in Kili's arm that caused him to recoil and swear, and I leapt away from him, taking my chance. I brandished my swords with a throaty cry, running after Bilbo.

I looked back, and I saw Kili running to help his kin who were dangling from the tree. He saw me looking and bellowed, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" I smiled. At least he wasn't angry with me.

As the dwarves recovered, the White Warg threw Thorin's body onto a rocky surface. The dwarf king's breathing was shallow. He watched the Defiler give an order and another Orc dismounted, approaching Thorin with his weapon in tow. The Orc placed his sword along Thorin's neck, raising it sharply. But before he could kill the dwarf, a certain Halfling flung his body at the Orc, sending both crashing away from Thorin.

The dwarf king watched Bilbo in astonishment until his eyes could remain open no longer. Bilbo plunged his glowing sword into the Orc's flesh, again and again. After a few roars, the Orc fell dead and the hobbit ran to defend Thorin's unconscious body.

"I warn you," Bilbo yelled, determination echoing with a slight tremble. "Don't come any closer, or I shall kill you where you stand!"

The Pale Orc smiled as the Warg stepped forward.

Bilbo jerked his sword left and right. "I-I mean it!"

Azog gave a command, and Orcs from his left and right approached Bilbo. The hobbit swung his sword at them desperately, but he never wavered. Saliva dripped from the Warg's tongues as they prepared for the final two steps to make Bilbo into dinner.

With a ferocious war cry, I leapt over Thorin and Bilbo and landed in front of the Halfling. "Come any closer and I'll tear you apart with my bare hands," I snarled at the Wargs and Orcs in front of me. Without waiting for anyone to respond, I stabbed one Warg, causing his rider to fall off, who I disposed of quickly. Then I sliced the muzzle of the other one, yelling, "Bad dog!" and struck his rider, destroying him.

The other dwarves joined us, and Dwalin beat in the brain of one about to pounce on me. I nodded my thanks and he nodded in reply, before turning to dispatch another one.

Bilbo let out his own battle-cry as he flung his sword at an approaching Orc. If the situation hadn't been so dire, I would have smiled as he protected Thorin with his very soul.

Kili caught up with me for a few seconds, stabbing an Orc that was about to slip a knife in my back. I spared a grin for him, and he squeezed my shoulder quickly before the momentum of the battle spun him away again.

I spun and saw Bilbo lying on his back, while Azog stalked his body. Bilbo crawled away on his back until he hit a rock, freezing him in place as the Pale Orc smiled grimly down at him.

I yelled and prepared to sprint over, but just then squawks came from above and I looked up to see the beings I had been waiting for since this had all started. The Eagles flew above, their talons digging into the bodies of Wargs as they picked them up then threw them over the cliff. I ran to Bilbo, skidding to a stop and hoisting him to his furry hobbit feet. I brandished Ripplescale, its twin being sheathed, and laughed like a completely insane murderer. Bilbo nudged me gently to grab my attention, pointedly watching as an Eagle picked up Thorin, lifting him into the sky. I watched him go, scared in spite of myself of what might happen to him.

Azog bellowed in anger and spurred the White Warg to run towards us, going in for the kill.

"Move!" I growled to Bilbo. We rolled to the side, but the Warg twisted and snarled, smashing its jaws in their direction. I tried to slash at its jaws, but it smacked its body into me and Bilbo, sending us crashing against the ground.

I rolled against the dirt and looked up, only to see a great Eagle appear from the flames, making a grab at Bilbo. It flew away with the hobbit clutched in its claws, and him crying out, telling it to go back for me.

The magnificent Eagle turned and flew. Seeing it as a relatively good idea, as opposed to being torn apart by Azog, I sprinted over to the side of the cliff, Azog and his White Warg following me closely. I leaped over, hearing the venomous, angry yell of the Pale Orc, and free-fell for a couple dozen feet, then landed on the back of a random eagle. I craned my neck back, watching as dwarves all over the place were grabbed in the claws of Eagles or leaped off the side of the cliff even as I had.

I saw Gandalf jump from his place and fall quite a distance until he landed safely on his ride.

"Oi. Freya," said a soft voice in front of me. I spun to find that I was sharing an eagle with Fili and Kili, the latter right in front of me.

I yelped with happiness and embraced Kili, reaching in front of him to pat Fili's shoulder. My joy was short-lived, however, as the princes noticed their uncle being carefully carried in the claws of a different Eagle, a little ways ahead of us.

"Will he be okay?" I wondered aloud.

Neither of the brothers in front of me answered, but the stiffness of the muscles in their neck told me their worries plainly enough.

This chapter, too, I really liked. I don't understand myself sometimes. Anyway, please review!