Thank you to nbowles, Perminately Lost in Thought, taintedrose3, AkatsukiMercy1515, InezSophia, Vanafindiel, Lunasana, RaeDawn, and MissMintCoffeeMocha for the follows and favorites. I really appreciate it! :) I do apologize for taking forever to do this chapter. Also, if I missed anyone I am sorry but still thank you!
Thank you to guest and Vana for your reviews.
For Guest: I think laziness might be the answer, lol. A lot went on where I moved, had to resituate with the move and just lost drive to do anything. Plus a friend introduced me to HBO's Game of Thrones and the book series, making me a slave to George R.R. Martin and the cruelty that is him.
For Vana: Thank you so much for your review! I mean it! I hope to eventually switch POVs and add Kili in at some point in Rivendell. I'm just so fearful I make all the characters flat and sound exactly alike. Oh and I love Kili. Everything about him is just so freaking adorable that I don't know what to do. I appreciate the pointer too! I was not aware of the comma rule with the end quotes. Hopefully I've fixed them in this chapter, I know I need to go back and redo the others.
Once again, reviews do mean a lot to me. Please do not post flames. Constructive criticism is welcomed. I apologize for the length in wait and the length of this chapter.
Thank you so much!
****Nine****
((Elli))
We all toppled over onto the ground with a thud - everyone landing in various positions and becoming tangled up in limbs and ropes. I had hit the ground back first, feeling my breath leave my lungs and leaving me gasping for air. Bofur landed partially on top me, his body weight not helping my inability to breath. He squirmed a bit, digging his elbow into my gut, making the situation worse until he finally managed to roll off of me. I stared up (or back), seeing the some of the dwarves' feet who had helped untie and remove us from the spit scuttling about. Between their legs and steps I could see the other part of the group who had previously been bound in bags over by the miniature mountain of white stone rubble. I watched anxiously from my spot, trying to catch my breath while Fíli dug through the debris.
I yelped in surprise, feeling someone yank me up onto my wobbly feet. Hard blue eyes glared into mine and a tingle of fear went down my spine. I couldn't tell if Thorin was ready to chew me out and destroy me or what but he didn't look at all too pleased to see me. His grip around the collar of my shirt wasn't tight enough to choke me but he was holding me face to face to him like he was going to yell at me. That or secretly make my head explode with crazy Dwarfish mind powers. Thankfully my skull and brains remained intact.
"What are you?" He asked, as everyone scrambled about around us. Kíli was helping Bifur up; Nori and Dori were fussing over an Ori who was trying to get away from his over protective brothers; Dwalin was trying to detangle his ropes from Bofur who kept getting them re-tangled with all his flailing.
"Wendy?" I asked, air coming back into my lungs and allowing me to speak again. I knew what he was asking but I wanted to know if Wen-Ten was okay. I looked over my shoulder to barely see Fíli in my visual field still haphazardly tossing rocks. He was yelling for Oin and my head began swimming at the thought of what he may have found. Fíli's voice was panicked and I could tell by the urgent tone that he needed the dwarf now. My breathing increased and I could hear the blood rushing through my head as I thought the worse of Wendy. Thorin's grip on me tighten as I tried to pull away from him. Once again I was face to face with him while the other dwarves began to hastily make their way towards Fíli.
"What are you?" Thorin repeated, a bit more forcefully this time. His eyes bore down at me and I tried to form an explanation in my head. All my thoughts raced around Wendy and if she was dead or alive.
"Please Thorin," I whined, glancing back over my shoulder only to see everyone crowding around each other. "I need to see her." The dwarf shook his head sternly and peered over my shoulder as if to gauge what was going on himself. His features didn't change and he shouted something in Khuzdul to the guys. I winced at the harshness of whatever he said and waited for some response from him or another dwarf.
Fíli answered back in Khuzdul, not sounding any better than before.
I felt so lost and confused as I waited for what seemed like forever to hear Thorin's answer. He couldn't keep me here in suspense forever. If need be I'd kick and punch and squirm like a little kid if necessary to get to Wen and figure out what was going on.
"I can't let you do that," Thorin stated, a small change in his tone. For a second I was lost. No longer did he look like he was going to tear my head off but for a moment he looked sympathetic to the situation. I was about to ask why but didn't have the chance. Whatever had occurred he had repressed and resumed his angry bear-like appearance.
"Last time Elli. What are you?"
I did my best to sound calm and confident but my answer came out like a pathetic sigh.
"Wiccan," I uttered, trying to think of what to say next.
Thorin gave me the look like he wanted more information from me but I couldn't give one. The explanations lazily bounced around in my head, none of them seeming to be appropriate for the situation or making any sense.
"Sounds like another word for 'witch' to me," He stated, tired of waiting for my answer. I gave the dwarf a glare I didn't know I had left in me and prepared to stand my ground. I've done this a million times and I was more than ready for a disapproving glare, another nasty remark, whatever hurtful thing he could do next. You'd think after a million times of doing this I'd have at least some acceptable answer to give people.
"I'm not a witch. I'm a Wiccan," I snapped, feeling my eyes get all hot and watery. I was an emotional wreck. All I wanted was to see Wendy – to make sure she was okay. Thorin didn't seem at all surprised by my response so I continued on. "They aren't the same. Not all Wiccans practice magick and not all who practice magick are Wiccans."
Thorin gave a snort and rolled his eyes.
"All witches practice dark magic."
"I don't practice dark magick or whatever you want to call it. It's earth based and natural!"
"You controlled that fire. I watched you put it out," he growled right back, "No normal human could do that. That isn't natural."
"What I did was done to protect everyone. I used my magick to save my friends," I snapped right back, feeling hot tears stinging at my eyes and threatening to come pouring out. I wanted to see Wendy. I peered over my shoulder and caught Gandalf's attention who was now with the rest of the group.
"What did Fíli say earlier?" I asked, biting my bottom lip. The whole group was quiet and Gandalf was kneeling over what I assumed was Wendy. I couldn't see her, Fíli or Oin and I guessed they were all on the ground next to her.
"Apparently your friend didn't die in the chaos of trolls," Thorin stated as he released his grip on the collar of my shirt. I let out a squeak of surprise as I tumbled back a bit. "Fíli said she wasn't dead."
I gave out a sigh of relief and steadied myself, mentally thanking the Goddess. Wendy was a good girl – who'd be a nurse and do great things one day. Relief and joy filled me as I started to make my way towards the others, wiping the tears away that didn't fall just yet.
"She isn't awake either," Thorin stated as he started walking towards the rest of the group. The dwarf must've loved giving people hope and taking it away because he said it so causally that I stopped in my steps. His footsteps approached, then passed me. "She could still die."
((Fíli))
Fíli couldn't believe it.
He had found her.
Not only did he find her but he found her intact.
Every bit of him told him he'd find her off worse – he'd uncover her body and find the small girl bloody and broken and all life snuffed out from her. Every rock he tore up brought him closer to what he'd find and he had feared it would be a mangled mess. He had done missions before this - acted as an escort for merchants or as a body guard for travelers. During those times he'd seen dead bodies and taken lives but what worried him now was how Elli would react to seeing her friend dead.
Because that's what they needed – an over emotional fire controlling girl setting the world ablaze in her distress.
Fortunately it wouldn't come down to that.
Wendy was found – covered in cuts and bruises and unconscious – but still entirely in one piece. He had picked her up as gently as possible and removed her from the miniature mountain of rubble and moved her towards a clearing near the others who crowded around. Ori and Bofur had tossed their jackets on the ground for him to set her on so Oin could examine her. As soon as Fíli set her down, the older dwarf was over her, assessing her for any fatal injuries. Nothing appeared to be broken or out of place that the dwarf could tell.
"Is she alright?" Fíli asked after a few moments of watching Oin go through his assessment. The older dwarf had his hands behind the girl's neck and was pressing from the base of her skull and then down to her shoulders. Wendy winced a bit in pain as Oin's fingers pressed against a dark blue-black bruise on her left shoulder but did nothing else.
"Can't say for sure lad," Oin stated, moving Fíli's jacket down a bit for him to press his hands against her clavicles. "Not till she wakes up."
Fíli nodded, watching Wendy for any facial expressions or signs of gaining consciousness again while Oin continued on. So far Mahal had been gracious and nothing was broken.
"And if she doesn't?"
"Could be bleeding in her brain," Oin answered, frowning and shaking his head, "dangerous business if that occurs."
"Is there anything we can do?" Ori asked, reaching out and moving a stray, dark strand of Wendy's hair out of her eyes. There was a slight twitch from the girl and Fíli shot Ori a glare. He knew the simple action couldn't have hurt her but he didn't particularly like it.
"All we can do is wait," Gandalf stated, lowering himself down to take a look at Wendy. The wizard muttered something under his breath and placed a hand on the girl's forehead, using his thumb to pull her eyelid up to look at her eye. He repeated the action examining her other eye and received no response.
There was the sound of footsteps rushing towards them and Fíli looked up to see Elli coming their way, ready to push aside anything that stood in her path. The blond dwarf moved himself from the ground and prepared for the girl's assault. Elli wasn't known for her gentle nature but was better known for tackling her friend. Now wasn't particularly the best time to let Elli man handle the unconscious Wendy. Thankfully Kíli beat Fíli to her, grabbing the blonde girl around the waist and stopping her from doing anything irrational. Fíli could see she'd been crying. Tear stains ran down her cheeks and she was wiping them away as Kíli held her back.
"Is she going to be okay?" Fíli heard Elli whimper. The honest answer should have been 'we don't know yet' but Kíli answered for him.
"She'll be fine." His younger brother replied back, saying anything to keep the girl calm. Fíli gave him a warning look that clearly said he'd be the one to have deal with Elli with whatever happened next – especially if things went for the worst. Kíli shrugged in response, motioning back to Elli who seemed to take comfort in his answer. The blonde girl clung to Kíli like he was her life line and that if she let go she might float away from the world.
The atmosphere turned awkward as Thorin made his way to the group, evaluating the area and the members quickly. He casted his disapproving look at Elli and Kíli and then to Wendy who was on the ground. Everyone waited in an uneasy silence to hear what their leader would say.
"Bifur. Bofur," Thorin commanded, not taking his eyes off Wendy, "take Bilbo with you back to camp and start packing our things." The trio nodded at the command and scurried off without question. "Gloin. Bombur. Search for the ponies. They shouldn't have gone too far. Lead them back to camp and help the others."
Down the line Thorin gave his list of commands. Oin, Ori and Elli were directed to stay with Wendy and to get him when she gained consciousness again. Nori, Dori and Kíli were instructed to investigate the southern part of area – where there were trolls, there where troll hoards. The remaining three of them followed Thorin as he stated they were to explore the northern area. Gandalf let out an annoyed sigh and followed after them not really assigned to do anything.
But then again you couldn't tell Gandalf to do anything.
Once they were out of earshot of Ori and Elli, Dwalin was the first to speak.
"What are we going to do about the witches?" He asked as Thorin continued leading them away. They were supposed to be searching the area for any signs of where the trolls may have come from but Fíli noticed everyone kept close together, eager to know the response. They weren't interested in finding the troll hoard, they were more interested in what they planned to do with the girls next.
"Now, let's not start accusing the lass of being things she isn't. At least, get her side of the story." Balin stated, trying to keep his brother from jumping to conclusions. For as long as Fíli could remember, Dwalin was always formidable and stubborn. He was large for a dwarf – larger than most with more muscle mass to him than any dwarf he'd ever seen. Only Balin could get away with a comment like that without his life being threatened. Dwalin didn't like being told what to do with exception to Thorin. Balin was older and wiser, acting as Thorin's advisor more often than Dwalin. The older dwarf not only kept his brother in line but often acted as peace keeper when any of them, especially Thorin and Dwalin, lost their temper.
"I already talked to the girl," Thorin stated, stopping any potential argument between the two. "She's a witch." The King Under the Mountain stopped momentarily, everyone following to where their leader was looking. Fíli glanced back to see the small image of Elli with Ori and Oin.
Fíli had never met a witch before. He'd heard stories of them being old, ugly hags, dressed head to toe in black and only being seen at the darkest times of night. They were wicked beings – practicing black magic and dark arts – performing heinous acts in adjunct with trolls and goblins. They'd slaughter innocent people for blood magic and take possession of poor souls who were unaware of what they were dealing with.
Elli could be an oddball but she was no way a witch.
"Must mean the other girl is one too," Dwalin snorted, casting Fíli a look. The blond could tell that he was going to say more but was cut off by Gandalf.
"Now did she say she was a witch or is that what you think?"
"It doesn't matter, it's all the same," Thorin replied back, his eyes landing on Fíli. "How long did you know we were harboring witches?"
It was Fíli's turn to be the center of attention and caught off guard. He glanced around, seeing Dwalin glaring daggers at him while Balin looked somewhat surprised.
"I…I didn't know anything about it." He denied. He had his suspicions that something was off with Elli but not to this extent.
"Explains why their hometown was raided. Most likely it was a witch hunt. Town was probably full of 'em." Dwalin accused, the fuel already given to the fire. The gears were turning in the older dwarf's mind and the speed was accelerating as the accusations continued. Once Dwalin's mind was set on something, it wouldn't budge. It was the all too famous dwarfish stubbornness they were all blessed with. Some of them were blessed with more of it than others.
"That's not what it was like." Fíli tried to reason, wracking his brain and trying to think of someway to elaborate what had transpired without sounding like a complete and total lunatic.
"The girls hardly seem like witches, Thorin," Balin defended, "They've never done a thing to harm us."
"Doesn't mean they won't try."
Gandalf rolled his eyes at Thorin's response while Balin huffed in frustration, trying to defend them.
"We need to get rid of them now, Thorin."
"Dwalin, you can't just -"
Fíli was silenced with a glare from the larger dwarf.
"Let's not be too hasty."
At least Balin seemed on his side.
"Witches are witches and they need to be dealt with."
"Dealt with? How? Leaving them alone in the woods? They've never done a thing to hurt us, Uncle." Fíli argued, hoping he could at least reason with him. Dwalin and Balin were Thorin's main advisors but the brothers were preoccupied with each other, arguing on what they should do. While Dwalin was busy, Fíli could at least try to persuade his uncle.
"They've done their fair share of work around camp. They haven't caused any trouble. They -" There had been a whole list of the things the girls had done to prove they weren't bad all lined up in Fíli's head but all of it vanished when Thorin interrupted him.
"Why are you protecting them?" His uncle asked. "What happened while you were gone?" Genuine concern was written on his uncle's face and Fíli felt slightly guilty for keeping secrets from him. He couldn't know about the entire change in scenery and world. The chaos that was Elli and Wendy's home. Being attacked and nearly drowning in the river. Twice. There was no possible way Thorin could know all that and still think him sane.
"What kind of spell are you under?" Dwalin asked, earning incredulous looks from both Fíli and Balin. Fíli denied any sort of spells while he remembered sitting under the bridge with Elli and Kíli. He remembered her chanting something and lighting small candles and he wondered if she did something there. If maybe he was actually under some crazy possessive spell this whole entire time and just hadn't realized it yet. He didn't feel any different….
"What is it about two little girls that fright you so much?" Gandalf questioned back. "They haven't done a thing to threaten the integrity of this group. Wendy has cooked for you all numerous times. Don't you think that if she was out to kill you she could have done it with poison by now? Oin and Bombur have pointed out deadly plants to avoid she could have easily used."
The wizard had a point.
"And Elli helps out with any task you give her. She cooks, cleans, even watches the ponies with Fíli and Kíli."
"She practices magic," Thorin stated – his only argument against the two.
"Of course she does. And she does it far from the group to ensure if anything goes wrong, it's nowhere near all of you. I've watched her -" Now it was time for them all to stare incredulously at Gandalf.
"You knew about this?" Thorin growled, barely keeping his anger contained.
"Of course, how could you not? Fíli knew something was happening. Kept bugging Elli and me and when he got nowhere he turned to Wendy."
"Who told me absolutely nothing," Fíli snapped. All his pestering, questioning, and spying could have easily been stopped if Wendy would have just told him what they were. They went through enough unbelievable events and lies and should be able to trust each other to some extent by now. This whole argument could have been avoided if Wendy just said something. They could have informed Thorin of the situation, developed a way to break the news to everyone. The whole thing wouldn't have been so bad if Fíli could have prepared himself and the others for it in some way.
"I have the right to know who we are helping." Thorin seemed less than thrilled with Gandalf and him at the moment.
"Just two simple girls who helped me and Kíli," Fíli stated sincerely, hoping to end the argument going on between them. "They also saved us back there too. Don't deny it Uncle." Dwalin and Balin had finally calmed their arguing enough to listen. "Half of us could be dead – half of us still tied up in those sacks just waiting to be eaten. I don't know. But what I do know is that if we abandon them here, we'll be doing what Thranduil did to us when we asked for his help after the attack at Erebor."
It was a painful memory to Thorin and Fíli knew it. His Uncle had asked for King Thranduil's aid when Smaug attacked but the Elf King of Mirkwood pulled his forces back to the safety of their forest, leaving them to fend for themselves against the dragon. The dwarves that did survive that day had only what they managed to escape with, some with a few things and others with just the clothes on their backs. Once again, Thorin had turned to Thranduil, asking for help. The Iron Hills were a far ways off and Mirkwood was the closest neighbor they could turn to. His people were homeless, without food and basic necessities to survive. They'd either starve to death, die from exposure, or be killed on the roads either by thieves or illness if they traveled to the Iron Hills without help.
And that's exactly what happened.
Once again, King Thranduil refused to help them. Some died in the wilderness on their way to the Iron Hills and Ered Luin. Some died from illness and disease that ran rampart through refugee camps. But many lost their lives trying to reclaim the city of Moria.
There was a tense silence that went around the group. Everyone eagerly looked at Thorin for a response. Anxiety ran through Fíli as he reflected on his thoughts. Erebor was a sensitive subject for his uncle and he basically rubbed salt into an old wound. He knew his uncle did the best he could, did whatever was within his power help his people but he never saw it that way. His uncle would look back on all those times and only see failure.
If Thorin had been angered by the remark he didn't show it. Fíli watched him cautiously, trying to determine if he went the wrong way about it. So far his uncle appeared un-phased, keeping the normal scowl on his face. He seemed deep in thought, debating internally on what he should do. Fíli stayed quiet, hoping his uncle would say something - show some sign of what decision he was coming to. The dark haired dwarf stayed quiet, shaking his head as he began to walk off. Dwalin and Balin casted looks to each other while Fíli stood there dumbstuck.
"Let's go." Thorin commanded.
((Elli))
Time ticked by annoyingly as I stared down at Wendy. Minutes had passed as she hadn't done a thing. There was the occasional twitch of her eyes and I told myself that she was just asleep and dreaming but part of me still worried over her possibly hitting her head a little too hard. I could see Ori fidgeting in my field of view and looked up to the younger dwarf twiddling his fingers nervously. He glanced at me, then to Wendy, then to the ground. I watched him repeat himself a few more times before giving him a soft smile.
"Kíli said she's going to be fine. Don't worry," I told him, trying to reassure him as well as myself. "She'll wake up and everything will be okay." Ori glanced from the ground, to me, then back down again.
"It's not that," He stated, fidgeting with his fingers again. "It's just. I saw what you did with the fire and I was just curious if…." He trailed off and I waited for him to say it. We looked at each other for a moment, playing a game of who was going to say 'witch' first. By this point I guess everyone knew what happened and it must've been the trolls who were too dumb to catch on. Thank the Mother for dumb trolls.
"If…?"
"If…"
"If…?"
"The lad wants to know if you're a witch, lass," Oin stated gruffly, making me chuckle a bit to myself. Ori looked a little embarrassed as Oin went on. "You a witch?"
I stifled my chuckles long enough to give him an answer.
"No. No I'm not," There was a relieved sigh from Ori and I shook my head at him. "The correct term would be Wiccan." We were quiet for a second till Oin spoke up again.
"What's that? Does that mean you're part Elf? Cause if you are, don't let Thorin know. You'll be in more trouble for being an Elf than you'd be for being a witch."
"Really now?" I asked a little skeptical of it all. Oin and Ori gave me a nod and I didn't press the issue further. Wendy stirred a bit, wincing like she was in pain. I glanced at Oin with a 'what the freak do I do look' as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She tiredly glanced around, wincing with her movements. Ori and I both leaned in closer as she looked groggily between the two of us.
"I'm not home am I?" Wendy asked, looking completed defeated by the realization she was still in Middle Earth.
"No," I answered. She gave me a slight nod and did her best to sit up.
"Is everyone alright? No one was hurt, right?" She asked while glancing around. I waved childishly at her as Ori answered her with, 'everyone's perfectly fine'. We were the only three around her – giving her a friendly little wave was the best 'welcome-back-and-yay-you-aren't-dead' greeting she was going to get. Pretty sure they didn't sell 'Get Well Soon' balloons in Middle Earth either.
"Yep. You're the only one who got pretty hurt," I gave her a playful punch in the arm and instantly regretted it. She let out a hiss of pain and Oin reprimanded me for hitting her. I gave him my best apologetic puppy dog eyes that I could but the older dwarf seemed un-phased by it.
"It's okay. It really is," Wendy whined rubbing her arm, "where is everyone though?"
"Looking for the ponies," Ori added quickly, voice trembling as a bit as he told his lie.
"They're just…scouting the area to make sure it's safe," Oin stated with his half honest reply at the same time.
"Determining the fate of our lives in which Thorin may burn me at the stake because he saw me manipulate that fire and now thinks I'm a witch."
There was a quiet pause as Oin shook his head at me while Ori frowned. Apparently that wasn't the answer I was supposed to give.
"That's stupid," Wendy stated calmly, which surprised me. I had the feeling she was going to cry, freak out, get up and hide somewhere but she sat there with her little comment.
"I know right?"
"Why burn you at the stake when you can control fire? That would be pointless. You'd put it out." Wendy answered back looking up at the sky, "Wouldn't it be easier to just drown you in a river? There you can't do anything to burn us."
Awkward silence meant that everything was awkward. Which it really was between the four of us. Also, why did she get to group with the dwarves? Shouldn't she drown with me? Besties forever drown together!
"I hate you." I pouted as Oin and Ori were stared at us like we were the biggest idiots they'd ever seen. Wendy pouted right back and rubbed her arm.
"You punched me."
"Oh boo-hoo." I raised my fist as if I was going to punch her again but Oin stopped me, putting his hands between us as if he was going to push us apart.
"Stop it both of you. Nobody is going to be burned, drowned or punched today," he huffed, "now, let me take a look at you Wendy." The older dwarf gave the two of us a stern look, quickly stopping any protest from the both of us. Wendy kept her seat on the ground as Oin moved to sit across from her, examining her all over again. Ori and I moved away from them, giving the two space that they needed. We stood in an awkward silence as parts of the group slowly came back.
First we welcomed back Bilbo and Bofur who came back carrying a few of the packs and supplies. Next came Bombur and Bifur who were leading a few of the ponies with the rest of the supplies. After Gloin and Bombur found the ponies, they lead them back to the campsite to help pack up supplies and bring them to the rest of us. Bilbo, Bombur and Bofur didn't seem to have a problem with me still being around but I could tell the way that Gloin and Bifur lingered further from the group and would whisper that they didn't like me anymore. Occasionally I'd catch them looking at me and I couldn't quite tell if they were shooting glares or if they had permanent angry face. Eventually Kíli and his crew came back. They were empty handed but excited, Wendy was awake.
At first everything was calm.
Kíli was his usual self, bugging Wendy and cracking jokes. Ori followed me and I hung close to Kíli, watching him trying to get Wendy to do something but pout. Bofur and Bilbo came around our group, checking up on us to make sure Wendy and I were fine. Bofur joined in with Kíli, doing anything to help make Wendy smile or laugh which she reluctantly did.
It wasn't till Nori and Dori tried to get Ori over to them that things got a bit messy. The two brothers hung closer to Bifur and Gloin and when they tried to call Ori over, their little brother refused. When his brothers called again, they actually stated for him, 'to get away from those witches' which didn't leave me feeling to fantastic. It wouldn't have been too bad if Kíli didn't react. I was used to it and could've let it slide. Wendy didn't seem too upset by it. But that comment from Nori and Dori sent everyone into an argument in Khuzdul that left me, Wendy and Bilbo trying to calm everyone down. I was scared a fight was going to break out when the guys got up and started getting louder and closer as they argued.
Never had I been so glad to hear Thorin shout at all of us. We all were surprised when his voice boomed around us, instantly shutting up all the guys. I could only guess at what he said since it was in dwarfish but it worked. Everyone fell silent and looked to their leader who had an annoyed looking Dwalin to one side and a disapproving looking Balin on the other.
"I thought I ordered for you to get us when Wendy woke up." Thorin stated, looking at Ori and me. We both looked at each other with 'oh crap' expressions. We uttered out apologies, stating we forgot as everyone stood around in the tense silence. Thorin seemed to turn his attention to Wendy, glaring at her a bit. Everyone seemed to take a few steps back, putting some distance between Wendy and I to avoid being caught in Thorin's glare.
"Elli says she's a Wiccan," Thorin began, judging us as Wendy and I huddled close, "are you one as well?" Wendy shook her head no and there was a chorus of noise coming from the anti-Wiccan dwarves, accusing her of lying. Thorin raised his hand to silence them and the group reluctantly went quiet. "So what big secret are you hiding then?" He made it sound like he knew she was actually an elf in disguise or something more sinister.
Wendy glanced up at the sky for a second, as if contemplating on telling them her biggest life secrets. I made faces at her, wondering what she'd say next. There were at least a dozen that popped into my mind, most of them stemming from how we weren't really from this world.
"No secrets that would threaten the safety of this group."
I rolled my eyes at her answer. That didn't sound suspicious at all.
Thorin eyed her cautiously, weighing her words as if he was unsure he could trust her. We haven't lied too much while being here.
"She's quite boring." I added when nothing happened. Fíli shook his head at me when everyone gave me a look like I was an idiot and should keep my mouth shut. Thorin seemed satisfied with the answer though. Everyone looked to their leader, wondering what he was getting at.
"You helped save us," Thorin stated reluctantly through gritted teeth, "so we'll overlook this little incident. We'll continue on as planned." Wendy let out a sigh of relief and I did my best to contain a squeal of joy. Thorin wasn't going to drown me in a river.
"I don't want to see you practicing your…craft… near my group," Thorin added, staring directly at me for a second before looking back to Wendy, "and if you withhold anything like this from me again, I will leave you in these woods." The threat lingered in the air as Wendy and I nodded in response. There was a bunch of muttering around us Thorin walked away. Half the group that was on his side gave us glares as they passed by while Fíli gave me a relieved look. I gave him a thankful smile as he made his way over to Wendy and me.
"Is there anything I need to know about you two before we continue on?" He asked as everyone began moving about. Kíli came over to us, invading the personal space between Wendy and I as he squeezed himself between the two of us. He had one hand on my shoulder and the other on hers. I felt my heart pound away while Wendy inched herself away from him and Fíli like they were strangers. I saw the unhappy look on Fíli's face from her actions and glanced between the two. Wendy fidgeted around with the sleeves of Fíli's dirty jacket as she stared at the ground.
"No. Not really."
((Later))
I stared down at the entrance of the trolls' cave, grimacing and holding my breath. Vines and shrubbery hid it well but the smell is what gave the hint that something foul was lurking in the area. It was almost a picturesque scene with little shrubbery and wild flowers growing about. Thick trees were all about along with large rocks and boulders with moss growing on the stone. It could have been described as cute or woodsy but the strong stench of a full dumpster on a hot summer day just oozed from the troll hoard in the ground. A majority of the dwarves had made their way into the cave with a few lingering back like Bifur and Ori who stayed with the ponies. Wendy stayed away to sit by herself, not so far out she was with Ori and them but far enough she wasn't getting big whiffs of the cave stench. I stared at the dark haired dwarf in front of me, trying to resist following him into the dank hole in the ground.
"You'll fight trolls but you won't investigate a smelly cave?" Kíli asked, standing in the middle of the entrance and staring at me like I was the weird one. He had that cheeky grin on his face like he knew what buttons to press and he was more than ready to push them.
"It smells bad."
"We've established that. It's a troll hoard."
"It's gross."
"It is a hole in the ground. It's going to be gross."
"My house is a hole in the ground and it isn't gross," Bilbo stated, peering around the corner and to the opening of cave looking less than delighted to have his home dissed. "I find that a little offensive, Kíli." The dark haired dwarf mocked, Bilbo, imitating him with a whiney voice once the Hobbit returned back into the dark, nasty depths of the cave. I tried to hold back a smile as I felt my cheeks heat up. He turned his attention back to me and gave me that grin again I was so accustomed to.
"If you're scared you can always wait for me," He taunted, "I'm sure Wendy would love the company."
"I'm not scared!" I pouted as Kíli continued to taunt me. I stomped my way over to him, covering my mouth with one hand and playfully punching him in the shoulder with the other. "See? Totes not scared."
"Totes?"
"Nothing. Never mind." I said through my fingers. I heard Kíli chuckle a bit as we descended into the disgusting, darkness of the trolls' hideaway. I visibly flinched as a cobweb grazed my cheek and immediately grabbed onto Kíli, causing him to laugh at me. A few of the dwarves inside the cave had torches to help them see but the illumination from the fire poorly lit the vast cave.
"You're scared of dark, smelly caves and spider webs."
"No. I'm just scared of spiders," I corrected, brushing the webs off of me. I glanced around the cave, taking in what I could see. It was your typical dirty cave. Dirt, dust and cobwebs covered everything and a myriad of things were scattered about. Bones from either animals, or people, littered the floor along with dead leaves and rotting vegetation. The most random types of items were strewn about the place. Wooden chests and crates where haphazardly stacked up against the walls with black mold growing all over them from being over exposure to darkness and moisture. Broken and battered barrels had all kinds of knick-knacks placed in them ranging from old farm equipment likes hoes and spades to rusty old swords and spears. Bofur and Gloin busied themselves with the coins on the floor, picking up pieces here and there and placing them into chests to bury. I followed their example, picking up a few coins and pocketing them when no one was looking. I investigated the area with Kíli, examining the old and rusty weapons leaning against the walls or in barrels. I reached out to run my fingers across one of the old blades up against the wall but stopped when Thorin began shouting for us to hurry out.
"What's going on?" I asked as Kíli pulled me along. We squeezed passed Gandalf and Bilbo who seemed to be conversing over something.
"Something's coming."
I winced as I was pulled into the bright sunlight, my vision going all white as things slowly came back into focus. There were shouts from all around us and I glanced about, hoping to see whatever direction our new foe was coming from. I felt a shove from Bofur and bumped into Wendy who was shoved by Fíli into the center of our group. Fíli was on one side, Kíli on the other, Bofur on one end and Bombur across from him.
Wendy looked ill as I glanced at her. I mentally prayed she wouldn't throw up all over me as something came barreling through the foliage, thudding and screaming incoherently. Large brown and white balls of fur came speeding on by, all harnessed together and pulling a sleigh. A man dressed head to toe in filthy rags, clung to the sleigh, barely hanging on as he yelled about, something along the lines of thieves and murderers. I gasped from surprise as the massive rabbits that pulled the sleigh came to a sudden halt, sliding across the forest floor as the man dressed in brown was nearly thrown over the front of his ride. There was an awkward, intense moment of silence where we all stared at the random intruder who looked more like a crazy homeless man. He stood before our group, his hat askew on top of his head and his dark brown clothes all ragged and torn. His hair and beard was long and stringy, knots and dreads all tangled together. He was covered in what looked like dirt and moss and something pale and gross was caked onto the right side of his face.
"Radagast?" Gandalf called out as I felt someone grab ahold of my shoulders. I turned to see Wendy, shaking her head no like she didn't want me to follow Gandalf. I tensed up as she opened her mouth. Thankfully she didn't vomit all over me as she started to glance all over the place. It wasn't like I was going to follow the wizard to the strange homeless man. I was an idiot at times but I was totally aware of 'Stranger Danger'.
"We need to leave now." She whispered to me as everyone seemed to settle a bit. I glanced away for a second, witnessing as Gandalf and the person he referred to as Radagast walked a few yards away from us. The dirty old man seemed frustrated, waving his fists about like a frustrated toddler who couldn't quite form the words he wanted. Gandalf acted like a patient parent, arms folded across his chest and puffing away at his pipe
"What are you talking about?" I asked aloud, getting Fíli and Kíli's attention. The two brothers quickly glanced at each other before turning to us.
"Are you alright?" Fíli asked, gently turning Wendy around to face him. Kíli casted me a curious and concerned glance which I just shrugged in reply. Soon Bofur noticed along with Bombur and began to crowd around her.
"I'm fine. I just. We shouldn't be here," she whimpered. Her eyes moved rapidly back and forth and for a moment I thought she was going to break into a seizure or something. She'd never had one and I've never seen one before but she began to freak me out. Head injuries could cause seizures right? "I just have a bad feeling about this place."
We all cast each other concerned glances as Fíli gently grabbed a hold of Wendy's shoulder and turned her to face him.
"I think you should sit down." He stated, trying to pull her to the side to take a seat away from the crowd of us. Bofur agreed, trying to usher her as she refused to follow Fíli.
"Maybe Oin should take a look at you. Are you sure you're fine?"
"I'm alright. We just…we shouldn't be standing here," She whined, becoming visibly frustrated. "We need to keep moving." Wendy pulled away from Fíli and turned pleading for me as if I could convince them to do anything. I glanced around, looking for some sort of diversion. Thankfully I caught the most disturbing act happening a couple of yards away from us to help.
Radagast seemed to be gagging a bit, like something was caught in his throat and Gandalf seemed to be staring into the man's mouth like he was some kind of doctor.
"Something disgusting is coming out of that man's mouth." I stated, not really believing the walking stick insect that Gandalf had picked out of the man's mouth. I heard Wendy gag and turned to see her cover her face in disgust.
"That's gross." I stated, watching her just tense up and turn away. "You should probably go sit." Wendy shot me another pleading look before Fíli led her away from out little group. She had a terrified look in her eyes that made my stomach churn a bit at the thought of what could possibly happen. Her bad feelings were on a streak of occurring whenever she felt them.
((Fili))
Fíli pulled Wendy along as carefully as he could. Ever since she gained consciousness and had spoken with Thorin she'd been quiet and withdrawn more than usual. Oin stated she could still be suffering from the effects of a concussion and if she became worse, she could actually be slowly bleeding in her head. Fíli was a warrior, the heir to Erebor, the next of kin to be King Under the Mountain. He wasn't a physician, he didn't know what to do or look for if someone had blood accumulating in their skull. Oin had stated to just ask her questions, see if she was changing in personality or thoughts but no matter what kind of question he asked, she wouldn't answer him. Fíli wasn't sure if she was that upset with him, disgusted with the bug, or if she was just slowly losing her mind.
"Hate bugs?" He asked, just wanting to hear her say something.
"I hate Middle Earth," She stated unhappily, leaning up against a tree once they were a good distance from the group.
'Well that was rude.' Fíli thought to himself as he took a spot in front of her. Normally she was nice and polite and the remark left him curious if that was considered a personality change. Or maybe she was acting like a girl and just being moody. Once again, Fíli was a fighter, not a physician. He eyed Wendy wondering that to do next. The dark haired girl was looking up again at nothing in particular and Fíli did the only thing he felt qualified to do.
He placed the back of his hand against her forehead.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, unsure of what to do. Wendy turned her attention to him, giving him a concerned look.
"I'm fine," she replied back, her big green eyes just watching him, "but what about you? What are you doing?"
"Oin said you could have a head injury," Fíli stated, feeling awkward standing there with his hand to her forehead and just staring at her, "I just want to make sure you're fine." There was a quiet pause between them and Fíli felt just plain stupid.
"Well," Wendy began, smiling a bit as she moved his hand off her forehead, "that's sweet and all but you're doing it wrong."
"I'm not a doctor."
"I know."
They stood there in silence and Fíli focused on how she wasn't holding his hand anymore. She fiddled with the hem of his shirt sleeve, running the fabric between her fingers.
"What am I supposed to do?" He didn't like this. He didn't like feeling weird around her.
"Well, you're supposed to check their mental status. Generally you ask what their name is, if they know where they are at and what the date or time is."
"Can you tell me those?"
"Wendy Thomas. I'm somewhere in Middle Earth with thirteen dwarves, a Hobbit, one wizard and an idiot named Elli."
"That was mean."
"It's okay, she knows I love her."
"What about the time?"
"I'd guess sometime close to noon."
"Did you pass?"
"Yeah, I passed," She replied back. The smile of her face slowly faded to a pout as Wendy went back to looking up towards the sky. Fíli's brows furrowed in concern as he grabbed a hold of her hand that was fiddling with his sleeve and gave it a gentle squeeze to get her attention. Wendy didn't give him her attention but instead closed her eyes and faced him.
"I'm sorry," She stated after a short while. She opened her eyes and gave him a genuinely apologetic look as she continued on. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's not your fault. You don't have control over any of this." There was a quiet pause where she seemed to just think. "I know it sounds crazy but we shouldn't be here. We need to move. We need to get out of here."
Fíli eyed her, trying to find some clue as to what was going on. There was no reason to be so scared. They were out of harms way, the trolls turned to stone and broke away to rubble. She and Elli weren't abandoned in the woods. Radagast was a wizard and a friend of Gandalf's, not a foe. Granted the brown wizard came in barreling and screaming but his personality just seemed to be eccentric like that.
"Why? We are perfectly safe," He asked.
"We're not. I have this gut feeling something is going to happen."
"Like what?" Fíli question. Wendy's green eyes went from apologetic to fearful.
"I don't know but it's terrifying."
((Elli))
At first we were all cool and calm, chillin like villans as Gandalf and Radagast argued over something they kept shoving between each other. None of us could get a good look at. Not that we were all trying real hard but we were somewhat curious as to what the two were messing with. We were all relaxing, doing what we could while we had the free time. Oin went around, tending to those with minor burns and scrapes while Kíli and I poked fun at Wendy and Fíli off in the distance. Thorin and Balin were discussing something in private and when Wendy started yelling for us to move. That's when things got weird.
At first, we were all confused, eyeing her cautiously as she started moving towards us and away from Fíli, yelling to move. And to move now.
"What is going on?" Thorin snapped, giving Wendy an icy glare. She froze in her spot and looked absolutely terrified. At first I thought she was scared of Bear but she started telling him that he needed to tell everyone to move. When nobody move she became worse.
"Dori, you've got to get out of the way." She started pleading, begging and looking like she was about to break into tears. I started to make my way towards her but was held back as Bofur grabbed onto my shirt. The grey haired dwarf she was pleading to refused to budge, making some remark about how he was perfectly fine where he was.
It was right after that we heard a familiar yelp of Ori echo around us, catching our attention and putting everyone on edge.
"What did you do?" Thorin hissed, turning his anger towards me like I magically hurt Ori from here. He had his sword in his hand, ready to kill me as all eyes fell on me.
I stood there dumbfounded, trying to figure out what was going on. It was during our distraction that things hit the fan.
There was the faint rustle of the bushes signaling that something was there before screams broke out among us. I know I was one of them, falling back in fear as a large ragged looking creature came bursting through the woods, leaping out into our group and snatching up Dori in its jaws. I know the other scream belonged to Wendy – it definitely was female and sounded like her. And I'm pretty sure Dori screamed – out of fear or pain, I don't know. The beast came out of nowhere, leaping into action and easily taking hold of Dori between its jaws. Everyone sprang into action surrounding the creature and doing what they could as quick as possible. Nori and Gloin were at the beast's head and jaws, hands gripping at the bloody pink gums, trying to pry the mouth open as Dori huffed and hissed in pain, trying to wriggle free. Rotting yellow and black teeth held him in place and the oversized wolf tried to thrash his head about in attempt to keep the other dwarves from stealing his prey. Dwalin was the first to attack the creature, taking the giant war axe that he had and slamming it right up against the thing's neck and splaying blood everywhere. The beast writhed and shook its head violently in its last and pitiful attempt to rip its prey to shreds as it died. Dori went rolling across the ground, Oin immediately by his side. I sat on the ground, fear stricken as Dori yelped out in pain and the dead beast's yellow eyes stared up at me.
"What is that?" I yelled as Wendy started screaming for us to move again. Howls echoed around us and I hurriedly pulled myself onto my feet.
"Warg Scouts," Thorin snapped getting close to the creature and examining it, "Kíli! Get your bow!" He shouted as Wendy started screaming 'behind you' over and over again. I was surprised she spotted it as another beast came rushing through the woods, jaws snapping and ready bite into Thorin. I heard the whistle of the arrow fly and then an echoing thud as the beast suddenly collapsed over itself and went skidding across the floor. The arrow was buried in the center of its head, blood slowly oozing out as everyone scattered about like ants at a picnic.
"What is going on?" Bilbo asked aloud to no one in particular.
"Ori! Where is Ori?" Nori shouted as Bombur and Bofur started racing towards where they ponies were supposed to be.
"With Bifur watching the ponies." The two yelled as Wendy ran over to Dori who was yelling for Nori to find their baby brother. I saw Thorin make his way to Wendy and grab her by the front of Fíli's jacket.
"What did you do?" He snapped like she was behind it all. He still has his sword in his hand and I was scared he would impale her on the thing before she had time to respond. My feet were like lead and every step I took towards them seemed to be painfully slow and heavy. While Thorin was focused on Wen-Ten, Fíli took charge, yelling for Dwalin to go after and help Nori who went after Bombur and Bofur. Balin and Oin were trying to get Dori up and Gloin was keeping a look out for them, weapon ready in hand. Fíli instructed for Kíli to get ready and keep an eye out for more Wargs.
"We need to move Thorin." Wendy stated again, eyes glancing everywhere. "We need to put as much distance and whatever is chasing you between us." She hissed you as if all this was actually Thorin's fault. I grabbed ahold of Bear's arm that was holding his sword and clung to it to keep him from using it on Wendy. He looked like he was ready to strike her for her accusation but went against it.
"Let's get the others and just go." I whined. Thorin shot me a glare that said to let him go which I obliged. If Thorin was Wiccan, I'd be dead from that look alone.
"Who did you tell about your quest?" Gandalf snapped, making his way towards us as Radagast scurried about, trying to calm his rabbits that seemed to fidget around the place, half trying to leave half trying to stay put till their master called for them.
"No one!"
"Who did you tell!"
"No one I swear it," Thorin snapped again. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You're being hunted,"
"By what?" That was me, scanning every inch of the forest for more of those things while the guys talked. Every little rustle put me on edge. The trolls were one thing – large, stupid, and kind of slow. These Wargs or whatever Thorin called them weren't familiar to me at all. I had no childhood stories to base them off of except for the big, bad wolf. And trust me they were bigger and badder (or more bad) than any wolf I had heard of. They were quick, huge, and terrifying. The thud of footsteps came barreling towards us and we all tensed and turned our attention towards the noise. Kíli had his arrow ready, Fíli had his sword in hand and Thorin let go of Wendy to ready himself. Bofur and Bombur were helping Bifur move who seemed to be covered in blood. Nori was dragging along an equally bloody and terrified looking Ori behind him while Dwalin was at the rear, double checking nothing was behind them.
"The ponies are gone." Bofur stated before anyone was able to say anything.
"What happened?" Wendy gasped, scuttling up to Bifur and Ori along with Oin on her heels. She had her hands all over Ori, blood transferring from his clothes onto her as she examined him for any wounds.
"Two W-Wargs just…" Ori stuttered out, "…they just came out of nowhere."
"Annihilated the ponies that didn't bolt! Got there and they were ripped to shreds!" Nori didn't seem to mind that Wendy was examining his younger brother. In fact, the dark haired dwarf let out a sigh of relief when Wendy stated Ori wasn't wounded. He was covered in blood but none of it was his. Ori barely managed to say that it came from the ponies when the Wargs started to rip them to shreds.
"Bifur's wounded. He's been clawed up and bit." Oin stated out loud as we all turned to Thorin.
"What do we do?"
"Where do we go?"
"We won't get far without the ponies."
"We have to run."
"We can't outrun Wargs on foot!"
"I can draw them off." A voice piped up through the noise of the dwarves. I stared incredulously at Radagast who seemed to have calmed his rabbits enough to hop on his sleigh.
"Are you stupid for a living?" I asked.
I didn't mean to sound stupid or rude but the comment just came tumbling out of my mouth without second thought. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was a bad idea as Gandalf tried to talk him out of it.
"These are Gundabag Wargs. They will out run you!"
"These are Rhosgobal Rabbits," The wizard sassed back, "I'd like to see them try." We all looked to Gandalf who seemed surprised by the remark. Either it was the sass that took him off guard or the plan was just so stupid it would actually work.
((****))
I couldn't tell if the thudding I was hearing was from the Wargs and rabbits that darted all over the field or if it was the sound of my own heart pounding away furiously as fear coursed through me. We had left the forest as soon as we could, following Gandalf and Thorin who were leading the way. Once we left the last bit of woodsy area, we came across a hilly area that was covered with giant boulders and rocks with dips and hills scattered all about. It wasn't a level field and the terrain appeared a bit rugged as Radagast seemed to almost lose control of his sled from time to time as the rabbits pulled him around. Wargs seemed to bolt behind him, many in number and equally ungainly as Radagast on the terrain. The brown Wizard sped about, yelling and screaming obscenities. Once Thorin and Gandalf told us to move out, we darted out into the field, sticking as close together as possible as we hid behind large rocks for cover.
Bifur and Dori struggled, being helped by their relatives. Bombur and Bofur helped keep Bifur up while Nori and Ori did the same with Dori. Oin and Wendy did their best to patch them up as much as they could in the sort amount of time they were given but all the movement was causing their bandages to become red with blood. I could only imagine the pain they were in, one being bitten and the other, clawed and pushed around like a toy between two wargs. Thankfully they had thick leather on under their coats to help act as armor that helped protect them from being brutally ripped to shreds.
I quietly prayed for them to pull through this as they huffed and gritted their teeth in breathlessness and pain. We continued to scuttle about, trying to avoid a back tracking Radagast and the hoard of wargs and orc riders on them.
"Where are we going?" I whimpered, speaking what was on everyone's mind. We all huddled close like puppies behind a huge slab of stone as the pounding of footsteps came barreling by and the voice of Radagast echoed about us. The sassy wizard was laughing, obviously enjoying the thrill of the chase. Thorin gave me a glare either to be silent or because he didn't really know the answer. I swear the guy could only glare. He had no other way to look at someone outside of a glare!
"We need to find a rock," Wendy whimpered somewhere from behind me. I turned back to glare at her and hissed.
"A rock? We are surrounded by rocks. There are rocks everywhere in case you haven't noticed," I replied back, annoyed. Goddess I loved her but now wasn't the time to be looking for rocks!
"Both of you, shut up." Nori angrily whispered as Thorin motioned for us to lean back against the boulder to make ourselves as small as possible. The sounds of the beasts began to slowly diminish and Thorin peered around the boulder before he began to motion for us to start moving. It was grade school, single file line as Fíli led the way and Thorin and Gandalf were the last to follow. I could hear Gandalf mumbling his count, making sure everyone had made it across safely. I don't know how he could lose one of us during the move but then again, I had managed to lose Fíli in Kíli when I was talking to Wendy when we all first met.
"Thorin," Bofur whined, looking to the leader as he made his way back to the front of the group, "I don't think Bifur and Dori can last much longer." Bofur had genuine concern and fear all over his face and there was a mumble of agreement from Nori and Ori.
"If you have any better ideas you better start telling us now," Dwalin growled.
"I'm just saying we need to get out of here now," Bofur tried to argue back.
I felt snippy and added, "Really Bofur? Here I thought Thorin was taking us for a leisurely walk."
Wendy snapped at me and we all broke into hushed insults and remarks.
"Shut up all of you," Thorin growled, peering over the boulder. Whatever he saw didn't make him happy as he motioned for all of us to press ourselves against the boulder. "We have a straggler."
We all fell silent quickly, glancing at each other on what to do next. Kíli was beside me and I saw Thorin give him a nod. Kíli nodded back, slowly and quietly pulling an arrow from his quiver and nocking it against the string of his bow. The sound of paws came thudding over, signaling the warg was close. The soft steps of padded feet on soil turned harsh steps as the beast climbed up onto the stones we were hiding against. I could hear the beast sniffing the air, searching for us and could hear the little pebbles trickle from the top of the stone down onto us when it moved about. There was a gruff remark from the orc riding it and I suppressed all urges to glance up at it.
During our little joyful run I hadn't been able to get a good look at the orcs. All the wargs seemed to look the same; mangy, thin mutts with dark brown and black fur matted with blood and dirt. They had bright yellow eyes and their fangs seemed to be rotting from their pink and bloody gums. What I could vaguely see of the Orcs was that they were bald, ugly things with dirty, scarred tissue pulled over bones. They were covered in dark, black leather that had an array of metal and bones sewn into them to act like armor or something to that effect. But once again, I didn't get a good look at them.
I glanced at Kíli when I felt him move. The look on his face was deadly serious and I felt my heart skip a beat when he pulled from the group, turning to face our enemy and drawing the arrow back. I stopped breathing the second he let the arrow fly, not knowing exactly what he hit. There was the thud of the arrow burrowing into something soft and fleshy and whatever he had hit barely had enough time to react as he grabbed another arrow from his quiver, nocked it, then let it fly. I placed my hands over my mouth to suppress as yelp of surprise as a Warg and rider came tumbling from the stone and nearly landing on Thorin and Gandalf. The beast struggled to stand, one arrow buried in its shoulder and the other lodged into the side of its neck. The rider picked itself off the ground and gave out a loud battle cry as it came towards us. I felt a knot deep in my stomach as Dawlin and Thorin moved to attack it. The orc had his blade ready, wielding it skillfully as he brought it up to slash down onto Thorin. The dark haired dwarf easily blocked the attack, raising a blade that seemed to be glowing a faint blue as he wielded it. Dwalin took the opportunity to swing his axe across the Orc's stomach, cutting him open and spilling out entrails in a waterfall of blood. During that brief second of time, Kíli had released a third bow, his final shot ending the life of the Warg.
My head swam and the scent of blood filled my senses. I wanted to vomit but didn't have time as I felt someone grab ahold of me and pull me along.
"Let's go Elli!" I heard Wendy shout at me as she pulled me away.
Once again we were all running but this time the wargs and orcs knew exactly where we were.
Gandalf was in the lead, easily outrunning everyone with his long legs, shouting back at us to hurry. He was pretty spry for an old man, running like he'd been doing it for years. I felt Wendy grip my hand harder as she literally pulled me up to the rest of the group. She'd done track and field for years so it didn't surprise me that she was easily gaining on the others while I struggled to keep up with her and was being dragged along. We passed Ori, Nori and Dori then Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Fíli and Kíli were beside us for a minute and I struggled and gasped for breath as Wendy overtook them. I lost my footing for a second, stumbling and nearly pulling Wendy down with me. She yanked me back up and continued forward, splitting off from the group a bit. I could see the shadows of Wargs in my periphery as they circled wide out and around us. The overzealous few that came into our group were easily taken out. Kíli would shoot the wargs that got into range, his arrow penetrating the skull with a dull thack, instantly killing it and sending the rider sprawling onto the ground. The disorientated rider would then be dealt with by whoever was within range. Dwalin would swing his mighty axe, instantly decapitating his opponent or slashing through them, leaving fatal wounds. Thorin wielded his blade with deadly accuracy, easily slicing through them like they were paper. Fíli kept close to his brother, helping him keep the wargs at bay. Kíli didn't have to waste arrows on the riders, Fíli would intercept any orc who fell off their ride that came near them. He moved with all the ease and skill that I'd seen him have when we fought the trolls.
"Where are we going?" I panted out, noticing Wendy veering off away from the ground. She turned a bit and started dragging me up a hill.
"There is this rock thing I'm looking for." She muttered as we reached the top. I could see the wargs to the right of us, far off to the side and surpassing us and about to cut off Gandalf and the others as they continued on.
"A rock thing?" I shrieked, glancing around. There were numerous, large slabs of stones and boulders all over the place. In the area that Wendy was facing the stones were smaller in size and fewer in number but still there. "There's a rock! There's a rock! In case you haven't noticed there are tons of rock things everywhere!" I shouted, ripping my hand from hers. Gandalf and the others were being hunted by giant mutant wolves and about to be mauled to death and Wendy wanted to search for stones. I felt a hard smack across my face and was suddenly looking at the ground.
"I'm sorry but please, shut up and let me think." Wendy stated. I turned my attention to her and saw her looking over everything, green eyes glossy as she grabbed a hold of me again. We started downhill, nearly tripping over ourselves down the slope due to its steepness and her speed. She started screaming 'Gandalf! Over here!' at the top of her lungs as we continued moving along. Wendy not only had the dwarves' attention but the wargs and orcs with all her yelling and I prayed to the Goddess that she knew what she was doing.
In front of us I could see a dark, giant stone that resembled a sinking ship. Part of it was embedded into the ground, the top of it looking like a hull of a boat. Below it, smaller boulders and rocks lay before it like it had crashed into it and caused it to sink. As we got closer, I could see that a warg and rider had circled around the formation we were heading for and were now coming towards us. The beast snapped and growled at us as the rider shouted words I couldn't comprehend. He had his blade ready, the metal glistening in the sunlight and I trembled at the thought of us playing chicken with the beast. Wendy noticed the beast too and we both slowly came to a stop, knowing there was no way to avoid the thing.
My heart beat in my chest and Wendy and I grabbed ahold of each other. My eyes fixated on the snapping jaws of the beast, its yellow fangs ready to rip us to shreds. I braced myself for the severe pain of being ripped apart but heard yelling behind me.
"Elli! Wendy! Get down!" I heard Kíli's voice state. I squeezed Wendy with all my might and hurled us both to the ground like I was a wrestler. I fell to the floor with a thud and I heard the swish of something fly by as the Warg and rider came toppling over. We felt the heavy weight of the Warg roll over us and I let out a yelp of pain. I glanced back to see the beast had fallen, it struggling to move as it bled out from its neck. Blood began pouring out, it having severed some artery. The rider, fed up with the flailing beast, slit open the remainder of its throat before turning to Wendy and me.
"Kíli! Fíli!" I yelled as the orc approached. I could see Fíli and Kíli in the background, still a few yards away. Fíli raised his hand and let something fly, whatever it was glistening in the sun. It hit the Orc in the back with a dull thud, causing him to jerk momentarily in pain and stop his approach. It reached back and yanked out a knife from its back and turned to see the assailant that threw it. There were shouts from all around us as Fíli came up behind the orc, wielding his blade and attacking it. Kíli came up from behind him, maneuvering around the two. He slowed a bit, grabbing ahold of my shirt and yanking me up in the process. Wendy scrambled to get up, as the others came approaching. Their yells and footsteps caught our attention as Gandalf came rushing up to us.
"Over there! That rock over there!" Wendy shouted, just pointing and running towards it with all her might. Gandalf didn't question her while Kíli and I shot her confused glances.
"Don't stop running! Just go!" She snapped as we all reached the stones. Gandalf was the first one there, looking about the rocks before he just seemed to disappear behind the stones. Kíli and I made it to it, stopping and looking around to where the wizard had vanished to. We peered over the dark, mossy stones and noticed a small tunnel leading into the ground. The ship piece of rock seemed to act as the roof of the tunnel, the smaller stones hiding away the entrance.
"Down here you fools!" The wizard snapped as Kíli ushered me down the sloping tunnel. I slid down there and went tumbling onto the ground as he stayed up top. I looked up anxiously at the opening watching as shadowy figures moved on by. Bombur came sliding down the entrance, then Bifur who was eased down and caught by the redheaded dwarf. Bofur came next, sliding in like a baseball player. Bofur helped catch Dori as Nori and Ori helped him down.
There was a clanging of metals and I bit my lip, hoping to see Wendy soon. She wasn't that far behind Kíli and me and couldn't fathom why she wasn't down here with me. Bilbo was next, followed by Balin and Oin then Gloin and Dwalin
"Where are the others?" I asked Balin as he dusted himself off and backed up with the rest of us from the entrance.
"Keeping the wargs and orcs back." He stated, anxiously staring up at the entrance. There was a familiar female yelp as Wendy tumbled down the opening. She landed on the ground with a thud and scrambled out of the way as Fíli and Kíli followed.
"Move!" Thorin commanded, following behind his nephews who barely had time to get out of the way. There was a blaring of horns off in the distance and we all peered up at the entrance as the shadow of a figure blocked the way. An orc snarled and yelled something, paws clawing and reaching down into the tunnel. A warg snapped its jaws, trying to make it's way into the tunnel but was too large to make it's move. Eventually the orc dismounted, it's warg moving out of the way. Thorin braced himself to attack as the orc as it lowered itself like it planned to enter the tunnel but a noise whistled on by and a loud thunk was heard. The orc limply fell down to us. Thorin was the first to approach it, yanking out a slender silver item from its neck.
"Elves," He hissed, tossing the item like it burned him. Horn noises blared again and I glanced up to the entrance. I could hear the whimper and pant of the warg and saw a shadow pass by in retreat.
"Elves?" I muttered, curiosity growing in me. I wanted to climb my way up and take a peek but the shadows and sounds of wargs gave me enough fear to keep still.
"Where does the tunnel lead to?" Someone asked as everyone began to shuffle about.
"Does it matter? Just follow it!"
There was a chorus of agreement as everyone began to shove each other, trying to fit through the narrow passageway. Gandalf pushed his way up front while Bilbo and I somehow were shoved towards the back. I glanced around for Wendy, hoping to see her but was felt hands on my shoulders usher me forward when I slowed.
"Don't worry," Kíli stated behind me. I felt him give my shoulders a reassuring squeeze as he leaned in closer to whisper to me. "Wendy's up front closer to Thorin." I shivered a bit from the closeness of the dwarf and how his breath tickled a bit as it grazed my ear. I felt my face warm up as he continued on. "Are you alright?"
I gave him a nod and thanked every God and Goddess I knew that no one could see me blushing so bad. We were quiet for a while before Kíli began whispering to me.
"Your friend," He began, pausing for a second to think of the words to say, "Wendy. How did she know?"
"Female intuition?" I guessed, shrugging my shoulders. The further we ventured the darker it became naturally. Gandalf had managed to light up the end of his staff to help guide us through the tunnels but it did very little to help us back here. My eyes burned with the strain to follow the silhouettes of the hobbit and dwarves in front of me.
"Be honest."
"I am," I whined back, not really bothering to wiggle my way from Kíli's grasp. I could feel him staring at me, obviously giving me that 'I-don't-believe-you' kind of look. "I don't know. Gut feelings?" I suggested after a while.
"Gut feelings don't lead you to hidden underground tunnels during a warg and orc attack."
"Wendy's does."
"You don't have to lie to me," he whispered, "I don't mind that your a Witch-Kin."
"Wiccan," I corrected, biting my bottom lip to keep from smiling. Even him saying Wiccan wrong was adorable.
"Wiccan," Kíli repeated, "I don't mind that you are one. I don't care if Wendy is one too. I just want to know if Wendy is a seer and can see the future." The possibility floated through my mind. All her bad feelings, her knowing of things about to happen. She'd been like that since we were little. Avoiding doing things because something 'bad' would occur. Telling me she 'told me so' whenever she told me not to do something because blah blah blah would occur. Knowing her boyfriend was playing the field. Actually, every woman is built with that kind of intuition and trust me...it wasn't a surprise when her partner wandered.
"Why?" I asked back. I was genuinely curious to why Kíli would think that. I mean, she could be one right? I was in Middle Earth. I saw trolls and orcs and wargs. I had controlled fire and had a Wizard teacher helping me develop my skills. Why couldn't Wendy have some untapped supernatural abilities to see the future?
"Because if she can, she owes me spaghetti. If she saw into the future and knew it was going to rain, she cheated."
I covered my mouth, trying to suppress the laughter that threatened to come out.
"You and spaghetti," I muttered.
"It's delicious," He answered back, sounding insulted that I was laughing at him. I felt him remove his hands off my shoulders and only guessed he folded them across his chest in a childish pout. I rolled my eyes and continued forward as everyone began to shuffle faster. A dim glow seemed to illuminate towards the front of the line that didn't belong to Gandalf and I squinted and strained my eyes to see what was ahead. I could hear the faint sound of water flowing along with the sounds of birds chirping and wondered what was going on. As we pushed forward the tunnel seemed to veer up a bit, making us move closer up to the surface. We all picked up our pace, moving faster as we came to the exit of the tunnel. We began filing out, all of us trying to squeeze through the narrow opening. There were some complaints from Bombur who seemed to have the most difficult squeezing through. When the largest dwarf finally managed to make his way out, Bilbo moved out in front of me and I followed behind. For the second time today, bright light stung my eyes as I stepped out from another underground hideaway.
I blinked a few times, the blurry images slowly coming into focus. I could only anticipate what I'd see next. I could hear the flowing of water and chirping of birds. There was a sound of awe coming from Bilbo as I blinked my vision back to clarity. My jaw dropped as I looked at the city that seemed to be built in a valley between two giant stone crags. I wasn't completely sure if they were from mountains or if I had journeyed to another world again. White, splendid buildings were everywhere with shingled rooftops that varied in colors that reminded me the turning of leaves in autumn. Red-orange tops glistened in the sunlight next to yellow shingles and some buildings reminded me of sycamores with their white pillars being topped with emerald. I could see the flowing of water and a waterfall within the city, large statues that resembled people in military regalia defending the entrance, grand arches and bridges linking this tower to this, that end part of the crag to that and such.
"The valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it's known by another name."
"Rivendell," I heard Bilbo whisper beside me, caught up in it's beauty.
I couldn't blame him. The city practically glittered.
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Okay so that is this for nine. Sorry it's so huge and is so awkward. It was a struggle to do and I think no matter what, I wouldn't have liked it. Even now I still don't like it. Once again, please leave comments, suggestions, or just anything. No flames, constructive criticism is okay though. Reviews do help.
Also, if there is anything you want to see/hear/explained, something let me know. I hope to do a different POV with Kíli and maybe Wendy soon if anyone is interested. :) Thank you everyone.
Orange.