Bilbo ran.
After he'd said his quiet farewell to Thorin he'd slipped on the Ring and ran as fast as he could. It was hard, the world shifted and moved even more than it used to and he could feel heat rising on the back of his neck. It only took a glance to realize that great eye of Sauron was behind him, watching him. Bilbo risked leaving the Ring on for a full ten minutes before he ripped it off his finger and hung it back around his neck. Even after that he didn't stop running.
Thrain floated along side him, staying silent. Finally, after sprinting several miles Bilbo flopped down on the dry grass by a boulder and tried to get his breath back. Prt of him was screaming that he should go back. Make sure his family was alright, that same part wished he'd stayed until the orcs had been defeated, for all he knew, his brothers and father could have been killed in that scuffle.
No, he shouldn't think like that.
"Did...Did I do that right thing?" He panted, looking up at Thrain's odd shifting face.
"I think so, I would have done it." Thrain nodded, "But then again, I was always very solitary."
"The last time I travelled alone I was a child and I got attacked by a warg." Bilbo chuckled at the memory.
He rested a few more minutes before checking his surroundings. He was firmly out of Mirkwood now, to the South would be the lands of Rohan and Isenguard not too far from there. If he headed South west he should come across the peaks before the Brown Lands and after that would be the forests and mountain ranges before Mordor.
He knew Thorin had planned for them to follow the main river once they exited the forest and bypass the peaks but Bilbo decided to brave them. The peaks were sheer and full of mist and fog, making them treacherous but very little lived there and there would be plenty of small caves for him to hide in. It would also be very hard for anybody to track him.
"I wish I had Kili's rope." Bilbo lamented, "It'd be good for those peaks..."
-oOo-
Aragorn finally killed the last orc and watched it collapse with satisfaction. Legolas of course hadn't even broken a sweat though he did look more tired than usual. Mordor's forces were getting stronger.
"Where is Boromir, Thorin and Bilbo?" Aragorn asked, glancing around and seeing no sign of the other members of their party, "Did they get Fili and Kili back?"
"Let's go." Legolas breathed, "They headed over that ridge."
The two jogged up the hill and Aragorn felt his heart clench when they reached the top and saw what was on the other side. There were several dead orcs but what caught his attantion was Thorin and Boromir. The Dwarf was facedown in the mud with his hair stained red and Boromir was on the ground with three arrows in his chest, one right through his heart. He was still twitching.
"Boromir!" He cried, kneeling at his side.
"They took the young ones." He gasped, "The Dwarf younglings..."
"We'll find them." Boromir insisted as the man's breath got shorter.
"Perhaps I was not the best man for the job after all." Boromir chuckled weakly before seizing.
Aragorn held his hand and watched sadly as the light drained from his eyes. Legolas muttered a short Elvish prayer in honor of the two warriors only to be startled when Thorin groaned and came to.
Aragorn resolved to check his pulse next time.
"How do you feel friend?" Legolas asked, helping the Dwarf to sit up.
"Fili, Kili..." Thorin muttered suddenly bolting upwards, "Boromir! Did he-?"
"Dead, I'm afraid." Aragorn whispered, glancing down at the man's body.
To his surprise Thorin looked genuinely grieved.
"He saved me." he sighed, "We may not have seen eye to eye but he was a good man and a good warrior. He didn't deserve death."
"You'e becoming more tolerant." Legolas noted, Thorin grunted.
"Fili, Kili..." Thorin continued, "The orcs took them, we need to go after them-"
The Dwarf tried to stand and walk forward only to tilt and fall, if Legolas hadn't caught him again he'd have fallen back into the mud.
"We need to bandage you head." Aragorn insisted, "While I do that Legolas can give Boromir a decent burial."
"But-"
"I am an expert tracker, we will find them." Legolas insisted, "Trust me."
"...Fine, but hurry."
-oOo-
When Kili woke he felt a splitting pain in his head. The pain was not helped by the fact his body was bumping up and down continually.
'Did I fall asleep on a horse?' He wondered before blinking his eyes open.
But rather than a horse he was met with the dark, filth covered skin of an orc. The stench was horrific and he soon found himself coughing and gaging trying to get some fresh air. The orc carrying him either didn't notice or didn't care that he was awake, the Dwarf found he'd been strapped to his back with leather ties that he couldn't wriggle his limbs free of. Luckily he could twist his head enough to see Fili, still unconscious on another orcs back in quite the same predicament.
"Fili...Fili!" He called but his brother didn't wake.
He didn't dare say more, the orcs were beginning to look at him...
None of the other members of the Fellowship were in his line of sight, he just hoped that meant they were safe. Why had the orcs taken them? Why not kill them instead?
"Where are you taking us?" He asked finally. He was ignored.
Kili never did like being ignored.
"Hey!" He yelled, kicking his legs back and forth as much as the ties allowed, knocking against the orcs knees, "Where are you taking us! Let me go right now!"
The orc carrying him proceeded to snicker and then twist his fist back over his shoulder to hit Kili. The Dwarf groaned, his head had already been pounding. Looks like they were just going to have to wait until they were untied before they could escape. Hopefully that would be soon.
Hey sorry these chapters are so slow but I am REALLY busy lately. Chapters will be a bit slow but as long as reviews keep telling me they're worth the wait I'll do my best to keep them coming consistently.