Chapter 17: Warg Chase
Wargs howled through the forest. The Orc pack was waiting just outside. As the Wargs went into the forest to flush out the Dwarves, Radagast and Folina drove their rabbit sled out of the forest, grabbing the Orcs' attention. "Come and get us!" Radagast taunted. "2 Wizards for the price of 18 Dwarves!" Folina called. The lead Orc, Yazneg, ordered the pack after them in Black Speech. The pack chased the 2 Wizards out into the open plains.
Gandalf and Selindra peeked out from behind a boulder and watched as the Orc pack chased after Radagast and Folina. "Come on." Gandalf said. The company followed him and Selindra into the plains. Unfortunately, Radagast and Folina's chase was circled around by more Wargs to the company. The company stopped as they saw the Wizards and the Orc pack pass by. "Stay together." Gandalf said. "Move!" Thorin exclaimed. The company continued running. Meanwhile, as one of the Orcs caught up to Radagast and Folina, they led it towards a low branch boulder, which knocked it off its Warg. Unfortunately, the chase led back to the company. Ori ran out into the open. "Ori, no!" Thorin exclaimed, pulling the young Dwarf back. Radagast and Folina appeared to be having fun with playing decoy. "Quickly. Come on, come on." Gandalf said. "Go quickly." Selindra said. Varder, Bilbo, Belinda and the Dwarves quickly moved once the coast was clear. "Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked. Gandalf and Selindra didn't answer as they went next with Tharia following. Thorin rolled his eyes before he followed too.
Suddenly, as the Orc pack continued chasing Radagast and Folina, one of them stopped and picked up the Dwarves scent. As Radagast and Folina led the Orcs around to them again, the company hid up beside a boulder until they passed on. Unfortunately, the one Orc followed their scent to the boulder and perched himself and his Warg on top of it, drew his sword and looked for any sign of the Dwarves. Thorin looked over at Kili and nodded. Kili drew one of his arrows, knocked it in his bow, ran out to get the Orc's attention and shot the Warg in its shoulder. The Orc got out its horn and prepared to call the other Orcs, but Kili knocked another arrow and shot him in his chest, knocking both him and his Warg off the boulder. Unfortunately, the Orc pack heard their comrade squealing from afar. The Orc prepared to attack, but Dwalin started slamming his hammer in the head, followed by Bifur with his spear, Mori with her pickaxe and Thorin with his sword and axe. Yazneg listened to the dying squeals. "The Dwarf-scum are over there!" He exclaimed in Black Speech. As the Dwarves killed the Orc and the Warg, Gandalf knew that the Orc pack would be onto them now. "After them!" The Orc pack started herding towards the company's location. The Wargs' howling could be heard from a distance. "They're coming!" Selindra exclaimed. "Move! Run!" Gandalf exclaimed.
The company started running deeper into the plains. But the Orc pack circled around their location. "There they are!" Gloin exclaimed, spotting the pack coming. Bilbo and Belinda became overwhelmed with fear as they saw the pack coming towards them. "This way! Quickly!" Gandalf exclaimed. As the company continued, the Orcs and Wargs surrounded them. "There's more coming!" Kili exclaimed. "Kili, shoot them!" Thorin exclaimed. Gandalf and Selindra turned their attention to a certain boulder and headed towards it. "We're surrounded!" Fili exclaimed. Kili knocked an arrow and fired it at one of the Orcs, killing it. Just then, the Dwarves noticed that Gandalf and Selindra were gone. "Where's Gandalf?" Gloin asked. "And Selindra?" Bimur asked. "They've abandoned us!" Dwalin exclaimed as he and Bofur brought Bilbo and Belinda to safety behind them. As Yazneg got closer, Ori fired a pebble from his slingshot at the Warg's head. But it was unfazed. "Hold your ground!" Thorin exclaimed. "Fight to the last Dwarf!" Tharia exclaimed. The company got ready as the Orc pack closed in around them. Just then, Gandalf popped out from behind the boulder. "This way, you fools!" He called. Thorin and Tharia saw that Gandalf and Selindra had discovered a secret passageway to somewhere. "Come on, move!" Thorin exclaimed. The company quickly made their way towards the passageway. "Quickly, all of you!" Thorin exclaimed as he and Tharia stood at the sides. Bofur went first, followed by Bilbo and Belinda. "Go, go, go!" Thorin exclaimed as Balin went next, followed by Gloin. Yazneg was confused at what they were doing. As a Warg charged towards them, Thorin slashed its throat, killing it. Bombur rolled down the passageway next as Gandalf and Selindra counted them. "14, 15." Selindra counted. Kili shot another Orc in the head before knocking another arrow. "Kili! Run!" Throin exclaimed. Kili ran for the passage as the pack charged for him. He followed Fili and Qili down the passageway before Thorin and Tharia followed themselves.
Just then, a horn was blown. Before the Orcs could follow, one of them was shot in the head. The company listened from the passageway as the Orcs and Wargs were being slaughtered, wondering what was going on. Turns out, the Orcs were being slaughtered by Elf warriors. Yazneg roared in anger at this ambush. One of the Orcs was shot down the passageway. The company made sure it was dead. Yazneg and his second, Fimbul, retreated with a few Wargs, leaving the others to be slaughtered. Thorin pulled the arrow from the dead Orc's neck to examine it. "Elves." He said, recognizing the material. He and Gandalf stared at each other. "I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or not?" Dwalin asked as he found a pathway. "Follow it, of course." Bofur said. The Dwarves started down the pathway. "I think that would be wise." Gandalf said. Bilbo and Belinda stared at him as he said that, wondering what he was planning.