Man, this took me longer than I had hoped. Please enjoy the next chapter.
Bilbo stood there, half frozen and feeling like a fish- wearing raggedy Hobbit cloths- out of water. He tried to form words, but none could find their way out of the cluttered mess that was his brain. His lips couldn't form words either; that was why Bilbo at that moment resembled a suffocating fish.
"What where you doing out in the wilds Mister Baggins?" Fili asked both calmly and curiously. He was still stood by his brother, who also wore practically the same expression on his face; wonder.
"I-I... I was on my way to Rivendell..." Bilbo couldn't finish before Thorin interjected loudly and angrily, causing Bilbo to flinch at the noise level.
Rivendell, to seek refuge from those traitorous Elves?" Thorin stood right before Bilbo, his face showcasing a strange mix of sadness and so much contempt it caused Bilbo to have to hold onto a shiver that wanted to surface from his body.
'Did he have a deal with the Elves,' Bilbo wondered as he looked at Thorins furious face.
"Traitorous? And yes, it was where I was originally heading with…" Bilbo could not finish.
He felt a stab of ice pierce his core. He felt the tears starting to collect on the edge of his vision and before he knew it he was sat on the cold stone floor, hugging his legs. He started to cry once again.
"Now look what you have done uncle," Bilbo heard footsteps run up beside him and then feeling a warm arm wrap itself around his shuddering form, "you made a Kitten cry!"
Bilbo did not have to turn his head to know it was Kili who had spoken, and was now there trying to comfort the distraught Hobbit.
Even though it happened around three days ago the wounds were still fresh and the grief was prevalent on his mind. Hobbits usually spent months grieving for a fallen friend or family member; holding a humble funeral within the beauty and rolling hills of the Shire in the area they were born in.
They were cremated with wild flowers given out by the assembled and placed around the body. They were then burned at twilight; a time spirits were said to be most active, so that the spirit could meet up with other loved ones and could play through the night.
A large feast would always follow; it would be an enormous feast held in their honour where everyone gathers to talk and laugh and reminisce about the deceased.
After the attack on Bilbo's journey, that funeral could never come to be. Bilbo only hoped her soul would not be left to wonder the wide and vast world, lost and alone for all time. That thought scared him.
In that moment he made a decision; if he died before reaching Rivendell he would look for her, no matter how long it took. His soul would meet up with hers even if it receded into the shadows of loneliness.
"I'm okay, thank you Master Kili." Bilbo patted the Dwarfs arm with a slight blush on his face. Once Kili let go Bilbo stood and wiped the tears from his eyes.
Thorin had taken a step back when Bilbo fell to the floor, his face strangely unemotional. But Bilbo could see something complicated swirling about in his eyes. He couldn't quite grasp what it was.
Suddenly the whole company when rigid for an eerie howl permeated the early morning air. Everyone froze, simply listening for a few fleeting heartbeats. The sound was possibly only a few leagues away, but Gundabad Wargs are fast, crossing country almost as fast as the wind and would cover that distance in minutes.
Wargs were the mortal enemies of Werecats, and when with Orcs, the mortal enemies of all folk in Middle earth, the trouble the company found themselves in was dire.
At that moment Fili ran into the cave with Nori beside him, looking slightly wild and out of breath. "Wargs…" Fili breathed in deeply and then resumed, "in the distance and on our trail."
The Dwarfs went into hyper drive. The fire was put out and the charred wood scattered in haste. Items were picked up and bedding rolled up and tied to bags, weapons holstered and then they were off.
Bilbo found himself being led away with Kili clutching onto his arm. Bilbo had to make wide strides in order to catch up with the taller being. That was the trouble with being a Hobbit; everyone was taller than you and everyone could manhandle you easily.
Bilbo felt a little bit swept along. He was confused and wanted to stop and ask questions, but then he heard the howls of the Wargs, drawing ever closer and decided now was not a good time.
Bilbo picked up the pace, his large furry feet keeping up with the rest of the company as they scrambled down the hillside. Scree was littered everywhere and it was wet and slippery, making it even more treacherous.
The morning was well under way as the sun had begun to rise into the sky, casting the dawn into fiery pink light. The Dwarfs and Hobbit had no time to admire the way the sun cast the starlight away, for they had the notion of escaping being in the forefront of their mind.
"Hurry Bilbo!" Kili grasped Bilbo tighter and tried to pull him closer to his own body so that he could guide him along.
"I'm running!" Bilbo gasped shortly. His little heart was pumping so fast and the adrenaline was speeding through every inch of his bloodstream. He was still recovering slightly from his illness and could feel the wear in his half-starved body.
"We must make our way to those boulders. Keep hidden!" Thorin shouted, his sword drawn and ready. The sword was pointing a short way into the distance. It was a grassy yellow plain that was littered with large rocks and boulders that resembled dragon spines reaching out from the earth.
The company quickly ducked behind the nearest set of boulders, crouching onto the ground and keeping their heads down. Everyone was breathing hard even the ever stoic Thorin.
Kili was still holding Bilbo close to his side, but he could feel the little creature beginning to fall out of his grasp. Bilbo sat on the ground, breathing hard with his eyes closed. He looked pale in the face; almost white.
Kili was preparing to crouch before the Hobbit but the company sprung into motion once again. Kili had no choice but to follow. He bore most of Bilbo's weight on his hip as he sprinted across yellow grass. Bilbo felt jarred on each stride, but he couldn't really respond to the motions as he felt lightheaded and sick.
In a short time the Dwarfs found an even later rock to duck behind. Dwalin had climbed up the surface so that he could peer over the top. Bilbo saw as he ducked twice as fast as the action if looking over.
The Orcs and Wargs must be ominously near.
It was then Bilbo's keen ears picked up the tell-tale signs of large beasts snarling and growling in the crisp morning air. The air was charged with tension and apprehension. The Dwarfs barely breathed; keeping silent because they knew it could mean a battle that could spell their end.
No doubt the Orc party outnumbered the Dwarf Company.
Thorin had tugged Dwalin back down to the ground by the hem of his coat. The motion created a slight ring of metal on rock as Dwalins armour scraped along the bare rock. Thorin winced at the noise.
All the Dwarfs listened. There was absolute silence all around and Bilbo could tell that even the Wargs had stopped snarling in their anger and thirst for blood.
"What's happening out there?" Thorin whispered to Dwalin.
Dwalin looked to his leader with a grave face. His intimidating countenance dropping slightly with the news he had learnt of.
He didn't get to answer before Bilbo spoke out in fear. "They are nearing. Prowling like Ladybirds upon Aphids." It was a Hobbit saying but the Dwarfs knew what was drawing near. Foreboding took them all, although their inner fire would not diminish.
They all heard the padding of paws as tough, seasoned pads met harsh stone. The slathering jowls of the Warg clenched in concentration as it sniffed out its quarry.
Thorin nudged his friend on the arm, looking into his eyes and divulging a plan without words escaping. Dwalin nodded in understanding.
The Dwarfs and Hobbit watched with their hearts in their mouth as Dwalin shifted into his robust mountain lion form. He darted around the rock, his tail whipping past the watching company as he sprung up the face of the wall and jumped straight onto the Orc rider.
Growls and roars escaped as Dwalin wrestled the Orc to the ground with ease. His claws clenching into tough skin and ripping through flesh. Quickly and efficiently Dwalin bit into the hideous creatures neck, feeling vile black blood coat his gums and teeth, before the Cougar reeled onto the approaching Warg.
Vicious claws met clamping jaws as the Warg tried to bite into the tan coloured cats face. Dwalin, however, was a seasoned warrior with years of experience. He simply used his powerful back legs like a spring to jump clean over the Warg, clearing the air where those jaws would have clamped around his neck, and landed cleanly onto its back.
The Warg bucked and ran in a circle in surprise, trying to dislodge the slightly smaller beast. Rocks came tumbling down the face of the massive boulder and the waiting Dwarfs shifted in their spots.
The Warg, unsuspecting, lost its footing and went tumbling down the rock with Dwalin going with it. The Warg rolled down and landed on the cool ground.
The company had to jump away to allow the wrestling beasts clearance to land. Dwalin sprang away and allowed Thorin and Gloin to draw their weapons and slash into the unfortunate Gundabad wolf. Sword and Axe cut into vital flesh and organ in its journey to cease life. The Warg let out a last rattling breath before it died. Blood pooled all around it.
Bilbo was watching on with wide and terrified eyes. The fact that these Dwarfs could kill these bloodthirsty beasts as if it was second nature to them rattled the little Hobbit to the core. These Werecats were in a whole other league compared to what he had known all his life.
These Werecats were killers. Survivors, and warriors.
Bilbo felt right then that he really was just a kitten, a baby with no experience of the world beyond the lands of the Shire. This was the wild, a dangerous, treacherous realm where the weak couldn't survive and the strong made by with resourcefulness and no small degree of luck.
"We need to move. MOVE!" Thorin shouted as everyone heard the thundering of approaching Wargs. The company burst into activity once again as they ran from the cover of the rocks.
Kili urged Bilbo along once again, his gloved hand grasping Bilbo's bicep tightly but not painfully. Bilbo was once again dragged along with the rest of the Dwarfs, scurrying over prickly grass and weather beaten rocks.
Bilbo could feel the earth beneath his feet churn and rumble under the strain of Dwarf boots as they ran through the wilds. Bilbo could pick up these small vibrations through his bare feet. He paid attention to the vibrations as he ran, trying to deduce the direction their enemies were coming from.
He could feel them coming from the north- west and they were coming in quick. Bilbo felt the heckles along his spine rise. He shifted down and sprinted next to Kili who turned an inquisitive frown down at the exotic looking cat.
"We should shift..." He growled shortly. "…Will cover more ground that much quicker. They are coming from the North- west and are gaining ground faster than we are covering."
Bilbo watched as Kili's expression changed from that of confusion to that of understanding. It was as if an epiphany came upon him. He spoke of Bilbo's proposal as they ran and luckily everyone complied.
Once everyone reverted into their beast form they ran so much faster. Even the rocky terrain posed be of little consequence as they flew across difficult terrain. Bilbo kept his speed up, the after effects of his illness seeming to dissipate due to the adrenaline surging through his body.
Knowing of the danger moving just beyond the plains and just out of reach, Bilbo felt more alive than ever before. His heart was pumping, his brain was focussed and his blood gave him a rush of energy. He almost relished in this strange freedom. Was this what it was like to enter this strange realm beyond the gentle, rolling hills of his old home?
He felt his striped fur ruffle in the wind, his paws tracking real, hard earth, the sky brightening despite the impending doom. His ears heard more than ever before, even the heartbeats of the Werecats he ran beside.
He then heard a change of pace as the Warg riders changed course. The ground they covered before the Dwarfs shifted meant they were nearly ahead and they changed direction, turning south and coming right beside them.
"Double back, they are coming over yonder." Bilbo screeched. The words he spoke caused the Dwarfs to act in the opposite of the Kneazle's desired effect. They stopped, breathing hard and looking perplexed.
"You what? How can you know that?" Kili growled to the small Kneazle. His own obsidian fur was spiked in the rush and threat facing them. His deep Umber eyes looking all around in search of their foe.
"I can hear them. Unlike you guys I have these." Bilbo pointed to his oversized ears with his tufted tail. His left ear twitched when his tail flicked past. "We are wasting time, just hurry." Bilbo led the way this time.
He knew the Dwarfs were following because he both heard them and felt them following. They ran south- west this time, towards country dotted with small patches of dark looking woodland.
"Aim for the trees." Thorin shouted his orders. "Once we find cover we wait. If they leave we wait until they are far away and leave. If they follow, we ambush them and fight!"
Bilbo didn't like the idea of fighting but he supposed it was the only thing for it if the Wargs caught up. The other Dwarfs acknowledged the plan by speeding up, if that was possible.
Bilbo was beginning to pant, finding it difficult to keep up with the much larger Werecats; who all had much longer and more powerful limbs. The young Kneazle also still felt slightly sick underneath all the drama and with the exhaustion of running so far was stealthily creeping up on him.
Once Bilbo began to flag and slow down he was shocked immensely when he was lifted cleanly up and off the grass when he felt teeth around the scruff of his neck. He was about to squeal, thinking a Warg had grabbed him, but soon found out he was being carried along like a kitten by one of the Dwarf Werecats.
Bilbo cast nervous eyes up and saw the maw of a golden panther. He saw long canine teeth latched firmly onto the loose skin of his neck. It was firm but gentle. Bilbo felt himself swaying along with the motions of the chase.
Bilbo couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that Fili was carrying him like this. Fili was also young himself and no way possessed the mannerisms of a mother cat. If cats could blush, Bilbo would have.
In what seemed like a fleeting heartbeat the company had reached the safety of the tall and sinister looking trees. It was a coniferous copse of woodland that must have been little over a league in length and less than that in diameter.
Luckily as soon as the company entered the trees they proceeded to ascend the branches so that they could watch from the relative safety of the canopy. Bilbo felt the juices flip in his stomach as Fili jumped in one clean stroke and grappled an overhanging branch with razor sharp talons.
Using both powerful and lean muscles he hoisted himself up so that he could pad on up to the higher section of the tree. All the while Bilbo dangled helplessly from the jaws of the golden cat, feeling utterly useless and weak.
To top it all off; once Fili and the others found the best position to sit and wait, Fili still hadn't let go of Bilbo. He was about to protest when his ears flicked in the direction of incoming growls and snarling.
Fili turned his face in the direction Bilbo's ears pointed, knowing their enemy hadn't gone unheard by the exotic feline they had picked up from the unforgiving lands of the wilds.
Soon the light that permeated through the borders of the trees became even more dappled as figures stood just out of reach of the wooded darkness. Bilbo could tell the Orc party were slightly apprehensive about entering the woods. The Wargs shifted uneasily, but appeared eager to enter, to feel blood run down their throats ant their teeth tear into flesh.
The Werecats waited, silent in the gloom. They were like ethereal spectres who mingled with the shadows and breathed the darkness into their lungs, becoming darkness themselves. They were naturally the masters of ambush. They were patient in these forms. Bilbo could see their eerie eyes glow in the hazy grey of the trees, and it made him shiver.
They waited for a time, allowing the stillness and tension to wash over them. It was evident that each side was waiting for the other to make a move.
Suddenly a horn sounded nearby. The Dwarf Werecats all turned their attentions due east where the sound originated from.
"Elves." The sound was low but Bilbo still heard Thorin say the word as if it were a curse. He spat it out with so much vehemence Bilbo felt more threatened being near the leader of the company more than the Orcs.
The Orc party reeled their mounts around so that they could face the incoming elves. Bilbo could hear the rumble of horse hoofs as they thundered along the ground, running to meet the crude blades of the Orcs.
The Werecats listened as the two sides clashed; the ringing of blades sounded forth and the cries of dying Orcs permeated the air. Wargs howled and ran away, leaving their riders for dead. Obviously the Elves could not be matched for skill and the Orcs fled in panic of the unexpected intrusion.
Soon there was silence, if only for the murmur of Elf voices and the whinnies of nervous horses. The Dwarfs did not know what to do. Should they show themselves? Should they wait?
Bilbo had other ideas. He suddenly used needle like claws and swiped Fili on the nose, batting through whiskers and fur, causing Fili to let Bilbo go with a dangerous snarl.
As soon as Bilbo was free he expertly jumped down through the pine needles and wooden trunks; jumping from each branch with the grace of a squirrel and accuracy of a hawks dive, he cleared the foliage and landed on the ground. He spared no time in jolting through the trunks, ignoring the protests and angry hisses of the company.
He only had one thing in mind right now, and he wouldn't let his saviours stop him.
I have a wee problem. I am not sure about the pairings for this story anymore, so I want you guys to decide. Fair warning, I dont like side parings, only main pairings. I know it is my story and I should do what I like, but, I write these for others to enjoy and not just for myself. If it isnt a problem can you drop a review in and give me your opinion on what you would like to see. Thanks for reading.