We were running in blind panic now, looking desperately for a way out of our current predicament. The howls and snarls of wargs mixed with the screeching of orcs, filling the air with their keening dirge. I had grabbed hold of Bilbo and was pulling him along, his feet almost leaving the ground at times in our haste. Everyone else helped each other as we stumbled around bushes and over protruding roots in our need to keep the distance between us and our enemy. Yet despite our panicked flight they were catching up at an alarming rate.
I imagined I could feel their hot breath upon my neck as I raced around another tree, only to realize that I wasn't imagining it at all. I whipped out a dagger and sliced through the neck of the beast that had managed to overcome us, chancing a look behind to see how many more were coming. I was quickly forced to jump to the side as another leaped over our heads and landed in front of us. Before I could position myself Bilbo had stabbed it through the skull with his sword, and I helped him to free the weapon when it proved too difficult for him to extract himself.
Continuing our mad dash and killing those wargs that got too close as we went, we almost didn't see the end of our road when it drew near. Several of those at the front of the group yelled in fright as we came up against the edge of a cliff, and we staggered back from the sheer drop below. A part of my mind registered hearing Gandalf yell to enter the trees, so I turned my back on the group and stood guard while Bilbo got himself situated above. Once he was safe along with all the others I leaped up after him. I didn't bother to hold on very tightly, even as the wargs began heaving themselves against the trunks, as I trusted my natural sense of balance.
My mind wandered, trying to formulate a plan that would help us all get out of here. I had some friends that could fly, but nowhere near enough to get us all safely away. That plan was swiftly discarded. We could fight, I surmised, but there was a high likely hood that many of us would not make it out of such an encounter. The enemy was massing in front of us in the dozens. Putting that aside as a last ditch effort, I tried to come up with something better. The trees here did not seem interested in listening to me, having lived too long in the shadow of the goblin caves. They were afraid to lash out at the terrifying beings that roamed beneath their branches.
I was suddenly forced back to the present when I caught a flare of agony from the tree I was perched in. It trembled, giving only a moments warning before beginning its treacherous descent towards the ground. I found myself leaping into the next tree over with Bilbo and some of the others before we could fall alongside our shelter. This new tree lasted no longer than the first, and we were sent flying into the last available safety. A tree so close to the edge of the cliff that some of its branches were hanging over the edge. We were now all crowded together and I sent my thoughts into the tree, searching in fear for any weakness. This one was strong, having survived countless years being more exposed to the elements than its fellows.
The wargs were still leaping up at us, flinging themselves at the tree as best they could with their now limited space. I reached down with my staff, managing to clout one over the head and send it sailing off the edge with a yelp. I was forced to yank it back up as the others tried to seize it in their powerful jaws in retaliation. Giving the attempt up as a bad job I searched around for another means of escape. Our options were now very limited, a pack of enemies at our front and a long drop at our backs. I tried to stay calm as we waited for something else to change in our favor.
We had been in the trees for some time when a rumble arose from within the group of wargs below. They turned as one in anticipation, and we strained to see what had caught their interest. I was startled when Thorin gave a shocked gasp at the sight of the new arrival. The large orc was certainly menacing looking, but no cause for undue concern as far as I could see. I began to worry at the level of fear in his eyes when he let slip a single, strangled whisper.
"Azog. It cannot be," he murmured. My mouth dropped open in surprise and I looked at the pale orc with renewed interest. So this was his mortal enemy.
"I thought you said he was dead," I muttered, wincing apologetically when he glared at me in annoyance. Inwardly I smiled, glad that I had been able to bring him back to his old self, if only for a moment. His gaze flicked back to the orc then, his customary glare trained on Azog's sneering face. The beast went on to say something clearly derogatory in his guttural language, pausing for effect when the others around him laughed.
"How rude," Gandalf said softly, having understood the insult clearly. I could not help laughing at the absurdity of the situation. The wizard worrying about manners when we were trapped in a tree like flightless birds. I struggled to bring myself under control as I drew the attention of the crowd below. I caught Azog looking at me in interest, and held his stare without a trace of fear. I had faced down beings far more frightening than him, and I wanted him to know it. He said something else to his fellows, the calculating tone making it more than clear what he was likely insinuating. I snorted, offering him a derisive scowl.
If I hadn't been focused so entirely on our enemy I could have prevented the disaster that occurred next. My head jerked around suddenly when I caught a whiff of smoke from nearby, and I could only look on in horror as the flaming pine cone left Gandalf's hands to ignite the ground below. "No!" I choked out in panic, reaching out reflexively to stop what was about to happen. The fire spread wildly to the fallen trees nearby, their sap sending out explosive pops that fueled the flames. My mind was quickly trying to shut down as the pain of the trees threatened to swamp me. I was too far gone to realize that I had lost my grip on the tree, not even noticing the pain in my arm as someone grabbed it to keep me from falling.
"Alanta, look at me!" Thorin cried desperately. I somehow managed to fight off the mental strain for a moment to bring his face into focus. Blue eyes clouded with worry trained on me, and he gave me a gentle shake to help me snap out of it.
"So much pain," I whispered brokenly. I could feel tears of regret forming in my eyes and I struggled to hide this weakness in front of our audience. There was no Luna to get me out of it this time. I could not allow myself to flee while the others were still trapped, especially now that the fire could potentially kill us faster than the orcs.
"I'm so sorry, if I had known..." Gandalf looked mortified by what he had done to me. I gave him a strained smile.
"Not your fault," I gasped out. "I've never told anyone, for fear of having it used against me." Thorin was still holding my arms, and I turned to him in appreciation. "Thank you for catching me there. I'm fine now, I won't fall again." He looked doubtful, but he reluctantly let go, and we looked together to see what Azog had made of our display. I was not reassured by the triumphant smirk on his face, and I swore quietly. The others in our company were responding in similar fashion, waiting to see if he would try and take advantage of this new information.
Our situation suddenly went from bad to worse when an audible groan reverberated through the tree we were sitting in. I sent my mind into it, eyes widening in horror with the knowledge of what was about to happen. "Hold on!" I screamed, as the tree tilted precariously over the drop below. I sent a flash of power into the roots, strengthening them enough to stop the tree tumbling over the edge completely. For once our surroundings appeared to want to work with me, the tree working as hard as I was to avoid its fate.
"Gandalf!" Dori screamed, as he managed to lose his grip on the branch holding him. The wizard thrust out his staff just in time for Dori to catch the end of it in his strong hands. He strained mightily to hold on, his brother Ori latched onto his legs and preventing him from getting back to safety. My heart clenched, knowing my raven form was not strong enough to help them if they fell. I turned to the only other thing I could do, encouraging the branches to wrap themselves around the two. They relaxed somewhat when they felt the tree gripping them, but did not fully let go their hold.
My attention was shifted suddenly back the other direction at Balin's fearful cry. "Thorin!" The old dwarf was watching as his friend and king strode down the trunk of the tree towards the grinning form of Azog. I froze, watching the scene as if from behind a glass wall, unable to move. Thorin walked through the fire, its light shining off his drawn sword. With a yell of rage he sped up, but I watched as if in slow motion. Azog had a massive advantage over him, perched as he was astride a large white warg. At the dwarf king's approach the beast crouched, leaping over his head while Azog swiped out at him with his mace. Thorin fell with a sharp gasp before stumbling quickly to his feet.
I could hear Fili and Kili crying in frustration as they tried to get back onto the tree and help their uncle, but I was too drawn to what was happening in front of me to move to their aid. Again Thorin rushed the warg, again he was knocked down. This time he was unable to gain his feet before the beast had grabbed him in crushing jaws, biting down mercilessly while its master looked on in satisfaction. I felt like my heart was shattering at the sight, and I desperately tried to fight off the paralysis that held me in place. I couldn't lose him, there was far too much we had never said, and I suddenly found a stupid part of my mind wondering how I had never seen it before. I loved him, and now I was losing him, and still I couldn't move. I felt my mind screaming out for him, and as if he heard me he swung out with his sword, dealing the warg a fierce blow to the face.
Azog roared in fury at the injury dealt his prized mount as the warg relinquished its prize with a pained snarl. Thorin was sent flying through the air to land with a painful crunch against a boulder. He lay there unmoving as the orcs advanced on him, intent on removing his head. The sight of the evil creatures bent over his prone figure was finally enough to snap me out of my trance, and I began to move towards him, only to be pushed aside. I staggered slightly in surprise as Bilbo streaked past me, watching in approval as he dispatched the orc that was about to behead the king. He turned quickly away from the corpse, facing Azog with fearful determination, and I hurried to his side.
"Well done," I murmured, joining him in creating a protective barrier between Thorin and the enemy. Azog's grin at finding the hobbit alone faltered slightly at the sight of me. We were a match in height, and though he was bulkier I had agility on my side, not to mention all the magic he didn't know about. I kept all my focus on him, pushing the lingering pain of the forest to some small corner of my mind. I couldn't fully banish it, but it was manageable. For a moment I considered just asking the trees to swallow up the lot of them, but I found myself wanting to face off against Azog alone. Perhaps it was a desire to test my skills, or simply a need to get revenge for the pain he had caused Thorin. Even now I was not certain how badly injured he was as he lay motionless behind us.
With a yell of challenge some of the company ran towards the enemy, having managed to extract themselves from the tree. They clashed with a roar, but Azog ignored them all, his fury pointed towards Bilbo and I as we dared to deny him his victory. I could see Bilbo trembling and I nudged him slightly backwards, sparing him a glance to indicate I would handle the pale orc. He nodded, stepping back to hold his position over Thorin, his guard until whatever end.
Giving a silent command, I sent root systems up out of the ground to ensnare the white warg, forcing Azog to dismount and put us on more even ground. He furiously attacked the offending flora before giving up when more sprung up to replace the ones he chopped through. Snarling in anger, he rushed me, laying about with the mace he carried with crushing force. I dodged quickly, trying to score a hit with my staff. He was faster than I had anticipated, and I was forced to block him head on when his weapon came sailing straight for my head. The pain of the hit sent shock waves up my arms, and I staggered back, losing grip on my weapon. The staff had shattered upon contact, and before I could move the broken pieces had flown into the nearby flames.
I felt a surge of anger at the loss of one of the last items tying me to my old life, and my eyes narrowed as I called upon my last defense. It was late night now, the fire and the moon our only illumination. As such, I was unable to access the power of the sunlight but luckily enough, moonbeams could be just as deadly. Azog had paused his attack, gloating as he prepared to deliver what I'm sure he felt would be a killing blow. I backed up further, concentrating as I went for one tremendous effort. Gathering all the power I could hold, I sent the moon fire at him in a dazzling burst of white heat. The blast nearly obliterated him, leaving what remained a charred mess.
Despite the loss of their commander, the orcs had continued to fight on, perhaps spurred by desperation. Or maybe an inability to give up a fight. Regardless of their reasons, we were locked in combat. I had drawn out my daggers, my magic exhausted for the time being. They were not nearly as effective as my staff, but I pressed on, fighting back to back with Bilbo in an attempt to keep him safe. I barely managed to deflect an incoming blow when my attention was drawn back to the tree where some of our company were still stuck. I gasped as the branches holding Dori and Ori snapped, weakened by the overwhelming heat and immense weight. I could only look on helplessly as the two plunged out of sight.
It was with a certain amount of shock that I stared at their reappearance on the back of a giant eagle, the bird letting out a screech as it carefully kept the panicking dwarves from falling. I could sense the good intentions of the new arrival, and thanked whatever gods were listening for the safe return of my friends.
The bird was quickly joined by others, and the flock worked to help dispose of our enemies and get our beleaguered group out of danger. I moved slightly out of the way, allowing access for two of them to collect Bilbo and the still unconscious Thorin. The eagle carrying my friend had scooped him up with gentleness, handling him carefully in its large talons. I politely declined the offer of aid that came from the next bird, instead using the last of my magic to make the shift to raven form. I preferred to follow them with my own wing power, and kept myself centered in the group of larger birds.
"Thorin!" Fili and Kili cried out from their position a little ways back of their uncle. They looked desperate to get a reaction out of him, any indication that he still lived. I flew over to the bird that carried him, getting as close as I could to see if he still drew breath. My worry grew when I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not, and I hovered protectively nearby as we flew through the night.
Dawn was upon us when we reached our destination, a rocky peak many leagues from the battle. I followed closely as the eagle that carried Thorin gently deposited him on the stone, phasing back to kneel at his side. I placed a hand on his chest, searching for a pulse as I held my ear near his mouth to listen for breath. My heart was thudding painfully, and I felt close to losing control as I whispered brokenly to him.
"Thorin, please wake up. Don't leave us, don't give up now. We won, Azog is gone." I tried reaching for my magic to revive him, but it fizzled out after only a second, leaving me even more drained from the attempt. I was still murmuring desperate pleas to his unresponsive form when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I looked up to the worried face of Gandalf. "My magic, it's tapped out. Can you help him?"
"Move over," he said softly, as he crouched down beside me. Placing a hand over Thorin's face, he muttered something in a foreign tongue, smiling in relief when the dwarf drew in a shuddering breath. Thorin opened his eyes, staring up at us in a mixture of wonder and concern.
"Bilbo?" he asked.
"He is fine," Gandalf hurried to reassure him. "Everyone is safe."
"He is dead?" Thorin asked, a note of hope in his voice as he turned to me. Gandalf had begun to shake his head in confusion. "Azog," Thorin clarified. "He is gone truly?"
"Yes," I whispered. "I killed him myself." My words seemed to render him speechless, and he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet when Dwalin stepped forward to help him.
Once upright, Thorin turned to Bilbo with a tearful smile. "Two of our lives have you saved now, and I am eternally grateful that you are here with us." The hobbit was overcome by his admission, and startled when the dwarven king enveloped him in a hug. "It seems we found a brother in arms in the most unlikely of places," he murmured. The others voiced their agreement, taking heart in the happy moment.
We were distracted from our quiet celebration when the eagles cried out their farewells, pulling our attention to the horizon. Thorin suddenly became transfixed as he stared off into the distance.
"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked in wonder. I turned with the others as we followed Thorin's gaze, letting out a gasp at the sight of a single far off peak rising up in the East.
"Erebor," Thorin breathed reverently. I took in my first sight of the mountain with a thrill of excitement, for a moment disregarding the many leagues we had yet to cross to get there. While the others continued to look upon the mountain Gandalf drew me aside.
"I really feel I must apologize again," he began, stopping only when I held up a hand in protest.
"Don't. You saved him," I said softly. "I will never forget that." He smiled as my face softened when I gazed over at Thorin.
"Does he know?" Gandalf asked curiously, reading the look in my eyes and guessing my feelings.
I flushed, knowing I was caught. "No."
"Are you going to tell him?" His glance was calculating as he watched me wringing my hands nervously.
"I don't know," I replied at last. I felt torn, not wanting to potentially destroy the years of friendship we had built up, but unable to deny these new and strange feelings. I looked sharply at Gandalf as his eyes began to twinkle in silent amusement. "Don't you go meddling," I warned him. "This is between Thorin and I, no one else is to know unless I decide." With my attention on him, I failed to notice some of the others looking back at us now, a few of them with knowing expressions on their faces. Balin in particular was thinking back on a conversation he had with Dis before they left. A few bets might be about to be settled he thought, chuckling to himself.
"He'll hear nothing from me," the wizard promised. I missed the wink he sent Balin when I turned to look East again, unaware of the schemes forming around me.
The day was growing hot when we began to make plans to get down from the height we had been left on. It was Bilbo that discovered the set of large stairs leading in a circular fashion towards the ground, and we made our way along them. It was difficult work, as they had clearly been carved by a man of considerable height, making it difficult for everyone other then Gandalf and I to traverse. The dwarves and Bilbo were constantly having to jump the distance after sitting on each step, unable to reach any other way.
We were a third of the way down when the steps became even steeper. I drew a long rope out of my bag, grateful that I had managed to keep my supplies when all the others had been lost. Going slowly, I assisted Gandalf in lowering the dwarves one by one to the next step. I felt myself losing energy at an alarming rate, all my effort in keeping my companions from falling sapping my strength. I couldn't remember feeling this weak in a long time, and I struggled to think when I had last slept and eaten. My companions did not appear to be suffering to the extent I was, so I shrugged it off and renewed my focus on the last at hand. I surmised that my explosive use of magic had been too taxing, and I would just have to rest once we reached the bottom.
I was lowering the group down yet another stair when the wave of exhaustion hit me. Gloin was on the end of the rope, and this stair was the steepest yet. I suddenly felt myself tilting dangerously as I fought to take the strain of the hefty dwarf. My legs buckled and I instinctively let go the rope, hoping he was close enough to the ground to land safely. He fell the last few feet with a thump, glaring upwards indignantly as he got to his feet with a huff. His anger quickly turned to shock as my traitorous legs gave way beneath me and I stumbled sideways right over the edge. Again I felt as if time had slowed, my tired brain trying to summon enough power to grow wings. The others had not yet begun to fear, gazing at me expectantly and waiting for me to fly back up to them. I could hear their panicked yells when my body spun slightly in the wind, turning me so I faced towards my doom. My eyes fluttered closed, giving in to the will to just sleep at last.
Thorin felt the world crashing down around him, watching the woman he had secretly grown to love plummet towards the ground. Letting out a strangled cry, he started flinging himself down the stairs as fast as he could, paying no mind to the jarring pain from the steep drops. He could hear the others following him but he didn't look back. It took far too long in his mind to get to the bottom, and a thousand horrible images flickered through his tormented brain. He had seen what a large fall normally did to people, and the thought of finding Alanta in such a way was sickening.
He began circling around the peak back to where they had been when she fell. He could hear sobbing behind him, recognizing the sounds as coming from his nephews. He winced, knowing how deeply they looked up to his friend. They had long considered her family, making this loss a horrible blow to the two young dwarves. Ignoring the probability that she was already dead, (he ground his teeth in frustration at that unpleasant thought), he hurried even faster. Aching joints and recent wounds were put to the side, all his being intent on finding her before it was too late. He couldn't understand why she hadn't shifted, wondering what exactly had gone on in the battle after he had been knocked out.
He was suddenly brought to a halt as he caught sight of a still bundle lying ahead. It was surrounded by small flying creatures of all shapes and sizes, and he felt a painful surge of hope as he imagined them slowing her fall. Kili let out a quiet whimper behind him as the others caught up. The sound kicked him back into action, and he hurried to her side, noting with wild relief the soft breath and steady heartbeat. He swiftly checked for broken bones, moving only slightly when Oin elbowed him out of the way. The old healer passed expert hands over his friend, feeling her forehead and looking for injury.
"There's no fever and no broken bones that I can see," he proclaimed to his rapt audience. "In fact, she appears to be sleeping. She must be exhausted not to have woken up with all that prodding."
Thorin found himself chuckling, half hysterical with relief at the news. He pressed his face in his hands, slumping down beside her while the others decided to make camp for the night. There would be no moving until their friend had recovered her strength. When he had reassured himself that she was alright he got to his feet again, feeling a desperate need for some solitude to process his thoughts. Going a few paces into the trees, he sat down with one at his back, laying his sword across his lap. He glanced up only momentarily when Gandalf came into view, frowning slightly at the intrusion.
"What do you want?" he asked grumpily, hoping the wizard would take the hint and leave. Gandalf merely settled himself down nearby, pulling out his pipe and looking at him critically for a moment. Thorin sighed in exasperation.
"You care for her deeply," Gandalf rumbled, looking distinctly pleased when Thorin flushed involuntarily. "Why don't you tell her?"
"I cannot," Thorin muttered, not bothering to deny the truth. "Guardians don't have relationships. She was forced into revealing that long ago when Dis asked about it."
Gandalf snorted, offering the morose dwarf an annoyed stare. "You're going to let something like that stop you then? I thought you better than that Thorin Oakenshield." Leaving the dwarf to ponder that, the wizard headed back to camp to amuse himself with finding out just how much the others guessed about the growing relationship. He had promised that no one would hear about such things from him, but it was another matter entirely for him to hear it from them, and there were ways to ask questions without giving anything away. After all, he was a master at getting information from reluctant sources, and he did not imagine anyone in the group would withhold what they knew about this.
I awoke with a gasp to feel sunlight on my face. Opening my eyes, I looked about at the unfamiliar terrain. I was in a clearing surrounded by trees. The picture finally started to make sense when I caught a glimpse of the rocky peak we had left out of the corner of my eye. I groaned, wondering if I was dead, and then hoping I wasn't because being dead should not be this uncomfortable. There were roots sticking into my back and I tried to wiggle my way to a better position. My movement caught the attention of someone nearby, and I stilled momentarily when I heard excited murmurs from those surrounding me. Turning my head slightly, I was relieved to see all my companions.
"Thank Mahal," Thorin smiled at me, grasping my hand. He looked about to say something further before the others interrupted him in their eagerness to greet me. I was pounced upon by Fili and Kili, and I grinned at them as we embraced.
"Now now, off my patient," Oin grumbled, half-heartedly shooing them away. "She still needs rest, though I have no doubt she will make a full recovery."
They had shuffled off to sit nearby when Gloin moved to take their place, looking distraught. "Not your fault," I blurted out, remembering the fall and knowing immediately what he was planning to say. "Really," I said softer now, cutting off his continued protests. "I should have known my limits and called for a rest. That's all on me. It's not your fault you happened to be on the end of the rope when my stubbornness caught up to me." I grinned now, determined to take the conversation to a lighter note. "Speaking of which, how is your bottom?" The others burst out laughing at my joke, Gloin shaking his head in amusement.
We settled down to rest for the remainder of the day. I had been asleep for many hours, going even through the night and into the morning after my fall. Now it was mid afternoon again, and we would spend another night here before continuing on. We were low on supplies, and could not afford to wait around much longer before going out in search of more. I had assured the others that I would be fine come morning, already feeling the tingle that was the return of my power. Reveling in the defeat of our foes, we celebrated through the evening, looking eagerly forward to a new day.
Author's note: Yay for story changes! There was no reasonable way I could allow Azog to live with such a formidable opponent as Alanta. After all, she is more than a match for him in combat, so I actually found myself trying to put her at a disadvantage just to even things out a little. It wouldn't have been very exciting if I just had her blast him with magic from the get go, hence the trees not cooperating and her reaction to the fire. I thought the loss of her weapon was a nice touch to end with. Finally the romance part is about to come to a head. A near death experience was all it took to convince these two reluctant lovebirds to take a chance, go figure. So I'm obviously excited to get to that part of things, most likely next chapter. We will also be seeing Beorn, and having two shape shifters in the same territory ought to be interesting. Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed this installment!