After a few minutes, the dwarves and Gandalf exited the cave, some of them bearing new weapons. Halien admired the elvish blades they had acquired within the cave, but she heard something in the distance, getting closer and closer.
She and the others grouped together, drawing their weapons and waiting for whatever was coming, when out of the trees came Radagast, the Brown. He was searching for Gandalf and spoke of a darkness that fell over the Greenwood, a sickness that refused to let anything grow. He spoke of giant spiders that came from the old abandoned fortress, Dol Guldur, and described the darkness and horrors he saw within the fortress.
Halien did not take the news of her homeland being in danger well and prayed that her people were safe.
Gandalf listened to the tale and gave Radagast a puff of his Old Toby and asked if he was certain that it was a Necromancer. Radagast presented him with a blade, but then a howling came from nearby.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked. "Are there wolves around here?"
"A wolf, no, that's not a wolf!" Bofur replied.
A warg jumped upon them, but the dwarves quickly killed it. Gandalf asked Thorin who he had told of his quest when Thorin realized that there was a warg pack close.
"What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin demanded.
"You are being hunted," Gandalf replied.
When Dwalin said they needed to get out of there, Ori told them that they couldn't, that the ponies had bolted. Halien worried for them, but she knew that if Torwen was with them that they would be safe. She heard a reassuring thought from her mare, but it was faint. She and the other mounts would be fine. Radagast said he would act as a decoy and that his Rhosgobel Rabbits could easily outrun the Gundabad Wargs.
As the wizard led the pack away from the others, the company of Thorin Oakenshield ran for their lives. They had to change directions several times to avoid being seen by the pack. Kili shot one of the wargs and its rider when they reached an outcropping of rock, but it led the pack straight to them. They ran and ran, trying to escape the wargs, but soon they became surrounded and it was noted that Gandalf had disappeared.
"Where is Gandalf?" someone cried.
"He has abandoned us!" Dwalin replied.
The dwarves got closer together as the wargs began to surround them. Halien and Kili shot arrows at their advancing enemy, trying to thin out their numbers, but there were just so many.
One of the wargs had snuck up behind Halien and its rider grabbed her braid, yanking her back. She cried out and Thorin turned to see as the Orc started to pull her up onto the warg.
"Halien!"
He tried to get to her, but a warg attacked him directly and when he turned back to check on her, Thorin and the others watched as Halien took her dagger and sliced through her braid, freeing herself.
She turned and drew her sword, and in one swift movement, the elf maiden managed to decapitate both the warg and its rider. Finally free, she picked up and sheathed her bow- it having been knocked from her grasp when the Orc grabbed her- and glanced around her, finding an opening. She took it and ran, slicing at any foe that got in her way. Covered in their blood, Halien fought her way through several wargs and Orcs and managed to rejoin the dwarves.
"Hold your ground!" Thorin ordered, glad that she was safe. They circled up, Halien on Thorin's left while Dwalin stood at his right, and were beginning to think they were done for.
But then, popping out from behind a rock, Gandalf called to them and they ran towards him- sliding down the rock face into a hidden cave. A horn blew outside and they heard arrows flying. Halien recognized the horn's call as Thorin pulled an elven arrow from the corpse of an Orc that had fallen into the cave.
The noise outside had ceased, so they followed the path ahead. The passage sang with magik, so much so that even Bilbo took notice of it. Soon enough, they came out of the passage and found themselves at the edge of Rivendell. They made their way to the entrance into the city, being greeted by an elf, Galeon.
Gandalf said he needed to speak with Lord Elrond, but as he was told that Elrond was not there, a large company of elves rode in through the gates. They circled around the dwarves, causing the dwarves to huddle up and draw their weapons.
"Gandalf!" Elrond said as he came to a stop in front of them.
"My friend!" Gandalf replied in Elvish. "Where have you been?"
"We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South," Elrond replied. "We slew a number near the Hidden Pass." He hugged Gandalf. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders." he then said in the Common Tongue.
Gandalf told him that it may have been their doing and Elrond welcomed Thorin and his company.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain. You have your grandfather's bearing."
"I do not believe that we have met," Thorin said.
"I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain," Elrond replied.
"Indeed? He made no mention of you." Thorin retorted.
"Thorin that is no way to speak to an elder, let alone someone who may offer us food, shelter, and safety while we are here," Halien said, glaring at him. "Please forgive the young king's error, Lord Elrond."
Elrond smiled when she spoke. "It is good to see you, Halien. It has been so long since last we spoke," he said in Elvish. "It is good to see you well."
Halien bowed as Elrond offered them food and shelter for the night. Gloin got very defensive, asking if the elven lord offered them insult. Gandalf translated for him, then when the dwarves discussed and agreed, Elrond led them onward.
As they walked along the paths of Imladirs, Elrond asked one of the maids to bring Halien a change of clothes and draw her a bath. Halien tried to decline the change of clothes- wanting nothing more than to scrub the grime of Orc and warg blood off her skin- but Elrond insisted and the maid brought out a bright purple gown with white accents and silver trimmings. Elrond left to go change himself for dinner and the maid helped Halien change out of her ranger clothes and into the bath.
The water was warm and felt good, welcomed by her fatigued body. The maid offered to help Halien wash her hair out and she accepted, letting the maid take warm water and some fragrant soaps to scrub out the blood in her hair. The soap smelled great, but the grime of blood had turned the water black.
When the maid was finished, she helped Halien out of the bath and dried her off before helping her into the gown. She brushed her hair and Halien looked into the mirror hanging on the wall. Her once long and luxurious hair was gone and now fell to the top of her shoulders in slight waves. It was no longer long enough to braid and her obsidian black tips were long gone. She thought it looked OK, but she was going to miss having the long hair she had known for centuries. Halien thanked the maid, placed her headdress back upon her brow, and followed her out to the dining area where the dwarves were all seated and fidgeting through the greens set before them.
