hi guys! I'm a little later than I wanted to be, but my mental state wasn't good at all this past week or so. I do apologise for that and for the delay, but I'm here now and back with chapter 6.

Before we go on, I just want to ask for a favour, I know I'm getting a few followers on this story and I appreciate everyone for their ongoing support, but I would love if you are able to leave me your reviews and comments. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this so that I know that this story is being well received by you all. Thank you for your time and let's get on with this chapter.

Chapter 6

We are all soon freed from the spit and the sacks. After getting dressed in the privacy of the woods, I look for my weapons. Strapping my bow and quiver onto my back I look for daggers. Seeing the hilts sticking out from under the pile of weapons, I pick them up and frown as I see one of the blades is broken. I just sigh as I toss the broke one aside before going over to Gandalf as he's inspecting the trolls.

"I have to say, your timing is impeccable as always, Mithrandir."

He grins at me. "A wizard arrives precisely when he means to. You should know this by now, my dear."

I just chuckle as Thorin walks over to us. I smile as he takes my hands. "Are you alright?"

I nod. "I am. Are you?"

He also nods, looking relieved as he kisses my hand before turning to Gandalf.

"And where did you go, may I ask?"

"To look ahead."

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar."

Gandalf answers him before I can. "He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that, until Caladwen helped, that is."

Thorin at least looks repentant at that, squeezing my hand in thanks, which causes me to smile. The three of us turn to examine the statues of the trolls.

Gandalf "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."

I frown at this. "Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?"

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands."

The three of us look meaningfully at each other, all of us knowing exactly what that power was.

"They could not have moved in daylight."

Thorin looks around. "There must be a cave nearby."

After retrieving our belongings, we venture on to find the cave. I'm the first one to find it, thanks to my elven eyesight and I lead the way, staggering back slightly at the smell emanating from the cave.

"Oh, what's that stench?!" Nori asks.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Gandalf explains.

Gandalf, Thorin, Dwalin, Nori, Bofur, Gloin and I are the only ones that go inside, the other wait for us.

Inside, we find piles of gold coins and other treasure in caskets.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bofur states.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." Gloin says to Nori.

While exploring, Thorin finds two swords covered in cobwebs. Gandalf approaches him.

"These swords were not made by any troll." Thorin says.

Thorin hands one sword to Gandalf and keeps the other one.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men."

I walk over as Gandalf draws the sword in his hand out of its sheath a few inches.

I instantly recognise them. "These were forged in Gondolin, the High Elves of the First Age."

Realizing that they are Elven swords, Thorin starts to put his away in disgust.

"You could not wish for a finer blade." Gandalf tells him.

Reluctantly, Thorin holds on to the sword. He draws it out of its sheath a few inches as well. I smile as I see him looking at the sword in wonder.

Walking further into the cave, I look around at the other weapons until two catch my eyes. I walk over and pick them up. I smile as I see they are twin daggers. Instead of being straight like the others were, they have a slight curve to them towards the tip of the blade. The hilts are silver with blue elven inscriptions carved into them. One has, amdir while the other has sîdh on it. I smile; hope and peace. The two things I have always wished for Middle Earth.

"Peace and hope. How appropriate." Gandalf says as he sees the daggers.

I smile at him. "It is. Something that I long wish for."

He smiles and pats my shoulder before we hear Thorin.

"Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go. Caladwen! Bofur! Gloin! Nori!"

I walk around Gandalf and follow Thorin and the other dwarves out. After inspecting both daggers in the light, I strap to my back, behind my bow and quiver. Peace and hope. . .two things I also wish to gain for Throin and I.

I whip my head up as I hear a rustling in the woods. I draw out my daggers and run in. "Thorin! Something's coming!"

Gandalf rushes over with the dwarves. "Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves."

After a while, a sled suddenly emerges from the bushes, a sled drawn by rabbits and what looks to be a wizard dressed in brown. He pulls up short by us.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"

I breathe a sigh of relief as I lower my blades down at his words.

"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?"

Radagast opens his mouth to speak, but shuts it. He opens his mouth again, but closes it again. He has forgotten what he was going to say.

"Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." He curls up his tongue, and looks surprised. "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old. . ." Gandalf pulls a stick insect out of Radagast's mouth. "-stick insect!"

I pull a face at this. I do not mind most insects, but in the mouth. . .no. I shudder as I turn away as the wizards leave to talk.

As I am standing watch, I can hear Gandalf and Radagast talking.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf." I hear Radagast say. I look up at this. Sick? "A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs."

"Webs? What do you mean?" Gandalf asks.

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones."

I do not listen any longer. Walking away from the wizards, I think on what Radagast said. Greenwood is sick. . .darkness. . .spiders. . .I begin to worry about the people there. . .my brother most of all. ..something could have happened to him and the last time I spoke to him was in anger and frustration. ..anything could happen to him. . .I do not want the last memory of us together be shrouded in anger.

Before I can dwell on it any longer, a howl is heard in the distance. I yank my daggers from their sheaths as I instantly recognise those howls and my eyes harden.

"Was that a wolf? Are there-are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asks, sounding afraid.

"No, that is not a wolf." I say darkly, causing Bilbo to look at me in surprise, as well as the other dwarves, as I have not spoken that way before.

From behind a nearby crag, a Warg appears; it leaps into the midst of us, knocking down Dori. I run over and quickly kill it with my daggers before turning as another attacks, aiming for Thorin. Kili shoots it with an arrow, bringing it down. As it lands nearby, I spin and stab at it with Dwalin, killing it instantly.

"Warg-Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind!" I excalim as the wizards join us.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo asks.

Gandalf looks to Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?"

"No one."

"Who did you tell?"

"No one, I swear."

Gandalf turns to me and I answer before he asks; "I assure you, I told no one Gandalf. I had no idea who I was meeting, let alone what we were doing."

"What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin asks.

"You are being hunted." Gandalf informs him.

"We have to get out of here." Dwlain states.

"We can't!" Ori rushes over with Bifur, "We have no ponies; they bolted."

I immediately think of Vanya, but I do not worry for her all that much. I know she will have taken the ponies away to safety. No doubt to Rivendell as it is not far from here. Lord Elrond will take care of them.

"I'll draw them off." Radagast offers.

I turn to him, thinking he is out of his mind. "These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you!"

He looks to me, indicating the rabbits behind him. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try."

After getting on the sled, Radagast shoots away and out of the trees as the others and I go a different direction to get out.

"Come and get me! Ha ha!" I hear Radagast shout as the rabbits pull him along on the sled.

I have to admit, those rabbits are fast. . .hopefully he has a chance to avoid the wargs after all.

"Come on!" Gandalf exclaims.

We rush across a rocky plain. In the distance, Radagast is being chased by the Wargs. As we run across the plain, we see the Wargs not too far from us, so we hide behind the rocks. Once they move away, we run on.

"Stay together."

"Move!" Thorin yells.

As the chase continues, Thorin stops behind a rock so that he is not seen by the Wargs. I stop behind him, but Ori starts to run out of the cover.

"Ori, no! Come back!" I exclaim as I grab the back of his collar and pull him back to us, keeping my arm around him until we are in the clear.

Gandalf waves us on. "Come on! Quick!"

As the dwarves continue running, Thorin turns to Gandalf.

"Where are you leading us?"

Looking over Thorin's head, I give a pointed look to the wizard, knowing exactly where Gandalf is taking is. If he cannot have his own way, he will force it upon you. He does not say anything and just continues on. Thorin, after rolling his eyes in frustration takes my hand and we follow.

As we run, we take cover behind an outcropping of rock. I hear one of the scouts and his Warg on top of the outcropping, scenting the air. Thorin looks to Kili and I and nod towards out bows. Readying an arrow, I look to Kili and point to him then myself as I mouth;

"Orc. Warg."

He nods and we both step out where he shoots the orc and I shoot the warg in the chest. I ready another arrow and shoot the warg again, causing it and its ride to fall, allowing the dwarves to take care of them, while Kili and I stand ready with another arrow just in case.

Once they are finally dead, I look up in time to see the orc pack making their way towards us, having heard the commotion.

"Move. Run!" Gandalf yells.

We run through a grassy plain, but soon have to stop as some of the wargs have gone on ahead to block us.

"There they are!" Gloin shouts, pointing ahead.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf leads us another way and we follow.

We run for a while longer, then halt in a clearing, by some rocky outposts, which I instantly recognise, as we see Wargs on all sides.

"There's more coming!" Kili informs us.

"Kili! Caladwen! Shoot them!" Thorin orders us.

Kili and I stand together as we begin shooting the orcs.

"We're surrounded!" Fili yells.

"Where is Gandalf?" Kili asks.

"He has abandoned us!" Dwalin rages.

"No he has not!" I exclaim, knowing what he is going.

"Hold your ground!" I hear Thorin order.

As I raise my hand to get another arrow, I freeze. Looking over the Orcs, I see Yazneg. . .Azog's main orc. . .one I always see in my nightmares. I see him look to me and his evil grin as he turns his Warg towards me.

"Slave." he growls out in in the black language.

A sharp pain in my leg pulls me out of my shock, causing me to grunt and stagger a little.

"Caladwen!" I hear Thorin call out in panic.

Looking down, I see an arrow sticking out of my right thigh. Lifting my gaze, I continue to shoot the orcs and wargs with Kili ignoring the throbbing pain in my leg.

"This way, you fools!" I suddenly hear Gandalf's voice.

Looking back, I see him dropping down into the secret entrance to Rivendell. Thorin hops up onto a boulder just before it as I turn back to continue firing arrows.

"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!"

As the Wargs approach, the dwarves and Bilbo slide into the large crack in the rock, sliding into a cave. They get closer to Kili and I as we stall the others.

"Kili! Caladwen! Run!" Thorin shouts out.

"Go Kili! I will buy you some time!" I tell him.

As he opens his mouth to protest, I push him out of the way and grunt again as another arrow hits me, this time in my left shoulder.

"NO!" I hear Thorin's agonising call.

"Caladwen!" Kili cries out.

I just push him back, ignoring the pain as I keep shooting. "Go! Now!"

He hesitates for a second before he turns and run.

"Caladwen! Hurry up!"

"Thorin! Get down there now!"

"I am NOT going to leave you!"

Groaning in frustration, I turn and pushing past the pain, I sprint towards the dwarf, and seeing he's the only one outside, I jump and tackle into him. Curling my taller body around him, we roll down into the tunnel, me having to not cry out in pain as the arrows break, leaving the tips inside. Just as we stop rolling, there's the sound of a horn blowing from above. The relief fills me inside as I know it to be an elven horn. We hear the fight above and I know the orcs are being easily taken down by the elves. A few seconds later, Thorin has to quickly pull me back as an orc falls down into the hole with us, an elven arrow sticking out of it's chest.

"Elves." Thorin says as he inspects the arrow.

"I could have told you that." I simply say as I lean against the wall.

Thorin suddenly turns his anger on me as he stands in front of me. "What in Mahal's name were you doing!? You could have gotten yourself killed! You froze and then disobeyed me when I gave you an order!"

I just look at him calmly as Oin is trying to look at my left shoulder. "I am just going to pretend that you are saying all this out of worry, and that you are not insinuating that you can just order me around."

"I am the leader of this company, Caladwen! You do as I say!"

Waving Oin away, I manage to pull myself onto my feet as I stand over Thorin, making him look up at me. Something I never like doing, but I feel as though I need to make a point across to him.

"You may be our leader, but I am also your partner, Thorin. Your One as you have said time and again. Does that not make us equal? Or does being a leader rule over that too?"

He does not say anything to that, and I know I have got him rethinking everything he just said.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin's voice suddenly speaks up.

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur says as he hurries on.

The others follow, no doubt wanting to get away from the tension.

Gandalf agrees "I think that would be wise."

I just stare down at Thorin a little longer before I follow on, trying not to limp too much. As we are going through the tunnel, it suddenly narrows until we have to walk single file down, some of the larger dwarves having to be pushed through. As we are walking, I hear Bilbo and Gandalf talking about the magic in this tunnel. As Dwalin announces there is light up ahead, the dwarves pace picks up. I try to match it so I do not slow anyone else down, but I do stagger a little, holding onto the mountain to stop myself from falling.

"Are you alright?" Fili asks from behind me.

I just nod as I pick myself up and continue on. The pathway eventually opens out into an open area; there is a valley below, and in that valley is the city of Rivendell. I take a seat on a rock as we wait for everyone to get out. Looking down at my thigh, I can see the tip of the arrow just inside the hole. I can reach in and pull it out, but I know I will bleed out. Same with my shoulder, so I decide to leave them.

"The Valley of Imraldis. In the Common Tongue, it's known by another name." Gandalf say as he arrives.

"Rivendell." I hear Bilbo breathe out.

Hearing his tone, I look over and smile as I see him looking at my second home with such awe and wonder.

"Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea."

Thorin stomps up to Gandalf. "This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy."

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."

"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us."

"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me. Or to Caladwen, who in case you fail to notice, needs healing."

I see Thorin look over in my direction and I sit up straighter, not letting on how much pain I am in. I get up, hiding a wince, before I lead the way down to Rivendell.

It takes us a little bit of time to get down to Rivendell, and I lead the way across a bridge and into a courtyard, just by the stairs leading inside. I turn to look to the others, seeing the uneasiness in them at being here.

"Mithrandir. Caladwen." A familiar voice calls out.

I look up and I smile as I see Lindir coming down towards us.

"Ah, Lindir!" Gandalf greets him.

The three of us greet each other with the customary hand on the heart. I roll my eyes as I hear Thorin telling Dwalin to stay sharp. Lindir turns to me, his eyes going wide when he sees my wounds.

"Caladwen, what happened? Are you alright?"

I smile at his concern. "I will be fine. Do not worry."

He shakes his head. "Go see Alassiel. Get yourself looked at."

I nod as I turn to Gandalf and the others. "I shall meet with you all later."

Gandalf nods and I lock my gaze with Thorin for a moment before I turn and walk up the stairs, cursing to myself at how many they are as I feel the burn in my leg.

Thorin watches as Caladwen walks away from them. He sees her favour one of her legs and he remembers the agony and panic as the arrow hit her leg. He wonders what had happened. He was making sure everyone was alright and then looked to see her pausing, midway to getting another arrow, staring at one of the orcs. Had something happened to her before? It must have for her to have that reaction. He was about to shout her when he saw her get shot. And she was shot again protecting Kili. And then the things he said to her. . .she was right. . .they are partners. They are equal. He has no right to order her around.

He looks up as the other elf, Lindir, Gandalf called him, begins to speak.

"Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen." [subtitle: We heard you had crossed into the Valley.]

"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf says.

"My lord Elrond is not here."

"Not here? Where is he?"

The suddenly hear the horn from earlier. The Company turns around and they see a group of armed horsemen approaching along the bridge at a rapid rate.

"Ifridî bekâr!" Thorin calls out. "Hold ranks!"

The dwarves bunch up together into a tight circle with their weapons pointed outward, Bilbo in the middle as the mounted Elves arrive and ride in circles around the dwarves. Eventually, they stop, and one elf, Elrond, separates himself from the others.

"Gandalf." He calls out with a grin.

Gandalf bows gracefully. "Lord Elrond. Mellonnen! Mo evínedh?"

"Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui."

Elrond dismounts from his horse, then he and Gandalf embrace.

Elrond pulls away from the wizard. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near."

He holds up an Orc sword and shows it to everyone, then hands it to Lindir.

"Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf says, nodding to the dwarves.

Thorin steps forward, and Elrond looks upon him with recognition.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."

"I do not believe we have met." Thorin says.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain."

"Indeed; he made no mention of you."

If he thought Elrond would take offense to his words he's wrong. He seems to brush this aside as he speaks in Elvish. The dwarves of course do not understand what he is saying.

"Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin."

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin asks.

The dwarves grow hostile and grip their weapons uneasily. Gandalf speaks exasperatedly.

"No, master Gloin, he's offering you food."

The dwarves quickly discuss this amongst themselves.

"Ah well, in that case, lead on."

Gandalf and Elrond lead the way up the stairs.

"Is Caladwen not with you?" Elrond suddenly asks, getting Thorin's attention. "I had thought she left to meet with you?"

Gandalf nods. "She did. She was injured by the orcs, so she has gone to see a healer."

Thorin notices Elrond looking worried. "I shall go check on her. Lindir, could you take our guests to their rooms."

Lindir bows his head. "Of course, My Lord."

Elrond turns to the dwarves. "Please, rest and wash up. Someone will be along when we are ready to eat."

Thorin watches as the Elf Lord leaves, wanting so much to follow him, but figured Caladwen would want some space after what happened earlier, so he follows the others, hoping he has not messed everything up.

Well, there we have chapter 6. I hope you all enjoyed that. Please leave your comments and reviews, I love hearing from you all. Xx

Translations;

Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen. - We heard you had crossed into the Valley.

Ifridî bekâr! - Ready weapons!

Mellonnen! Mo evínedh? - My friend! Where have you been?

Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui. - We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South. We slew a number near the Hidden Pass.

Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin - Light the fires, bring forth the wine. We must feed our guests.