Hey guys! I'm incredibly sorry for how long this chapter has taken to post, once again I've not been in the right head space to post anything. But, I'm hoping that will change soon. I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and are ready for 2023. I'm going to pray this year will be better for me in all aspects and that I cant keep up regular updates with this for you all.

I would also like some advice. I have begun writing an alternate version of this story where Caladwen reunites with Thorin many, many years before the Quest for Erebor. I have only gotten two chapters fully written so far, but what I would like advice on is if you would like to see the first chapter now, see how you like it, or would you prefer to wait until this one has gotten further along? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this mater.

Review Respsonses;

Conri Nightwalker – Thank you for your kind words. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it was worth the wait. Thank you for your continued support, it is much appreciated xx

Chapter 13

I smile as we soon see light at the end and run out into a small forest. We run down the hill until it finally levels out at the bottoms. Gandalf pauses to count how many of us are with him. The company and I also stop to catch our breath.

Thorin strides over to me as Gandalf is doing the headcount, taking my face into his hands as he looks over me. His thumb gently strokes the bruise I am sure has already formed, thanks to the Goblin King.

"Are you alright?" he asks, his eyes shining with worry and fear.

I smile as I take his hands. "I am alright, meleth nin. It will take more than goblins to kill me."

He lets out a breath of relief as he pulls me close, I wrap my own arms around him, relieved we are all out of there.

"Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

At Gandalf's call, I pull away from Thorin and look around in dismay and worry, seeing that he is not with us.

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin exclaims.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin speaks up.

"Don't blame me!" Dori defends.

"Well, where did you last see him?" I speak up.

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Nori replies.

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf exclaims, worry for the little hobbit clear in his voice.

Thorin steps forward. "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

I look to him and open my mouth to say something, but am stopped by a voice;

"No, he isn't."

Bilbo steps out from behind the tree. We look up in shock and relief, my body slumping forward slightly in relief, a smile gracing my lips. Gandalf laughs as he speaks.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"

Bilbo strides forward into the group; he pats Balin affectionately on the shoulder.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili exclaims.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?!" Fili asks.

"How, indeed." Dwalin says suspiciously.

I look to Bilbo as he gives a nervous laugh and watch as he slides something in his pocket.

I shake my head and smile. "What does it matter? He's back!" I am just relieved to see him alive.

Thorin glances to me before looking back to Bilbo. "It matters! I want to know; why did you come back?"

Bilbo turns to Thorin. "Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

I smile, my whole body full with pride at this. Bilbo really did have a caring heart. Looking around, I see that Gandalf is also smiling and the dwarves have been stunned into silence, even Thorin.

Before any plans to move forward can be made, we all look up as we hear howling, in the direction we had just come. The others look up as well as we recognize the howls of wargs. And jut after meeting the Goblin King and having him sending a message to Azog. . .I fear we are about to see him a lot sooner than I had hoped.

"Out of the frying pan. . ."

". . .and into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf yells.

Not needing to be told twice, we all start running down the mountain as fast as we can, the Wargs following us rapidly as it quickly becomes nighttime. Soon enough, some of the Wargs catch up to us, jumping over and landing in front of us, blocking our path from some of the others dwarves and Gandalf who have made it past. They do not last long though as we manage to take them out quickly.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" Gandalf yells out.

I help a few of the dwarves into the trees before climbing up myself. Looking down, I see Bilbo is still on the ground, trying to take his sword out of the head of the Warg he killed.

Once he has, I circle my legs around the branch I am in before dropping down, grabbing hold of him and pulling him up and pushing him up higher into the tree, following after him, just as the other Wargs reach us. I look around to make sure everyone is in a tree, breathing a sigh of relief as I see Thorin safe in a tree nearby. He looks over and I see the same relief in his eyes as I just had as he sees me safe.

As the Wargs stop pacing and growling, I look and I instantly pale, my body freezing as I see him. . .the Pale Orc. . .

"Azog!?" I hear Thorin mutter.

As his White Warg growls, Azog strokes it and talks ominously.

"Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast? Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob."

I look to Thorin to see he looks stricken with pain and grief, realizing at the same time as I that Azog had captured his father.

"It cannot be. . ."

I can hear the pain in his voice and I want nothing more than to hold him, but in a different tree stops that.

Azog speaks to his Wargs and Riders.

"Kod, Toragid biriz! Worori-da!"

At his command, the Wargs leap forward and try to climb the trees. They jump as high as they can, scrabbling at the tree trunks and breaking apart branches with their jaws in their efforts. The trees shake violently at the assault as we struggle to hold on.

"Sho gad adol!"

With the weight of the Wargs climbing it, the furthest tree from the edge of the cliff, which Bilbo and I are in with several other dwarves, gets uprooted from the ground and begins leaning wildly. As more Wargs grab onto it, the tree tips over and lands on the next tree.

I grab hold of Bilbo. "Jump!" I shout to the others before jumping to the next tree, keeping a firm hold on Bilbo.

This happens for a few more trees before we are all in the final tree which is on the very edge of the cliff, thankfully it doesn't fall. I can hear Azog laughing as he taunts us. Suddenly, a fiery pine cone flies past me and to the ground towards the Wargs, who retreat in fear at the fire. Azog is startled and angry at the unexpected resistance.

"Fili!"

I look up as he passes Fili and I a pine cone each, which have already been set alight. Bilbo uses Fili's to light his own pine cone before he throw the cones, along with every other dwarf. The are around the tree gets set alight, forcing the Wargs to retreat a little, at least one of them runs away, it's fur on fire. Azog roars in anger and frustration as the dwarves cheer. I just glare at the Orc, not in the mood to be cheering.

Suddenly, their cheers turn into cries of fear as the roots of the tree we are in start to give way; the tree tips precariously over the edge of the cliff, but comes to a rest sticking straight out away from the edge of the cliff. I grab onto Kili to make sure he doesn't fall, only letting go when I know he's got a tight grip on the branch.

I look up as I hear a scream and see Ori has lost his grip and is now holding onto Dori's leg, who I can tell will not be able to hold on for long.

"Ori! Dori!" I shout out in fear.

Gandalf notices this as just as Dori loses his grip on the tree as well and falls, Gandalf quickly swings his staff down and Dori grabs on to the end of it.

"Hold on, Ori!" Dori shouts out to his brother.

I suddenly feel movement on the tree and look up to see Thorin has pulled himself up and drawn his sword, and is now walking away from us, straight towards Azog.

"Thorin! Stop!" I cry out to him.

I just watch helplessly as Thorin begins to run through the burning ground at Azog and his White Warg. I swear that time has slowed down while I watch him. I can no longer hear anything else. Not the cries of the dwarves, the crackling of the fire or even my own breathing for that matter. All I can concentrate on is the dwarf I love running to his death.

Azog spreads his arms wide with a smug grin on his face. Thorin growls as he runs with his sword up and his oaken branch shield held in front of him. My eyes go wide as Azog crouches, then roars as his Warg leaps at Thorin. Thorin tries to swing his sword, but the Warg hits him in the chest with its fore paw, smashing Thorin to the ground.

As Thorin gets back on his feet, panting, Azog and his White Warg wheel around; they charge at Thorin again. Azog swings his mace and smashes Thorin in the face before Thorin can react. Thorin is brutally flung to the ground by the impact.

"THORIN!" I scream as I also pull myself up.

The Battle of Azanulbizar instantly runs through my head, seeing Frerin getting knocked back almost the exact same way. I am not going to let that bastard kill him like he did Frerin!

I watch as the White Warg clamps its jaws around Thorin causing the dwarrow to cry out in pain. I pull out my bow as I begin running down the tree. Notching an arrow on the bow, I fire it in mid-run, the arrow grazes the Wargs muzzle, causing it to growl in pain as it throws Thorin several feet away onto a flat rock nearby, he lands on it heavily, his sword falling out of his hand. He is almost unconscious.

Azog turns to me in surprise as I stand in front of Thorin, my bow now exchanged for my daggers. His look of surprise soon turns into sick glee.

"Ah, my pet, we meet again!"

"I will kill you if you touch him again!" I growl to him in the black speech.

Azog laughs at me. "You cannot kill me! But I would love to see you try!"

I get into defensive position as I keep my glare firmly locked on Azog as I hear the others calling for me. The White Warg crouches and jumps and I duck down causing the Warg to miss as it jumps over me. Quickly spinning around, I stand again as Azog faces me.

The Warg charges and as I raise my arms to attack Azog, he swings his clawed arm and I feel one of the prongs slice open my left side. I grit my teeth to keep from screaming out in pain. I turn back to Azog in time to see the paw of his warg, its claws scratching my face and I tumble down, falling against the stone Thorin is on, my daggers scattered.

"CAL!" I hear Fili and Kili scream.

"Biriz torag khobdudol." I hear Azog say.

Looking up through the blood dripping down my face, I see one of his Warg Riders jumping off his Warg and approaching Thorin. I try to get up but I cannot move. I hear Thorin struggling and I know he is trying to reach for his sword. I try to reach Thorin as the rider prepares to decapitate him.

Just as he swings his sword down, I am taken aback as Bilbo suddenly throws himself at the orc, knocking him over. Azog growls in anger. Pulling his sword out of the dead orc's body, Bilbo stands in front of us both, protecting us. He waves his sword wildly at Azog and the other Wargs. Azog smiles in hatred and speaks in the Black Speech to his Orcs, ordering them to kill the Hobbit.

A couple of Wargs and Riders approach Bilbo, snarling. Suddenly, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, plow into the Wargs from the side and start fighting them.

I manage to reach out and grab my blades to sheath them before being able to drag myself to Thorin, gritting my teeth in pain as I manage to pull myself onto the stone. I take one of his hands into my own, the other running over his face.

"Thorin?"

I see him open his eyes, I can tell his vision is clouded as he seems to look right through me.

"Caladwen?" he gasps out.

I manage to put on a smile, although pained. "I am here, Thorin. . .I am right here. . ."

He looks to me for a moment longer before he falls unconscious.

I place my forehead against his. "Do not die on me Thorin. . .stay with me. . .please."

I send a prayer to Mahal, wishing him to keep Thorin alive before I look up as I see Bilbo on the ground next to us, Azog and his Warg advancing on him.

"Bilbo!" I cry out.

Before Azog can do anything however, giant Eagles appear as some grab Wargs and Orcs, tossing them over the cliff. Others knocking trees down to crush the Wargs and other to use their wings to fan the fire, making it spread. I hear Azog snarling in frustration before I see an Eagle approaching Thorin and I. It gently grabs Thorin in its talons and gently nudges me with it's beak towards it talon, allowing me to climb on, wrapping my arms and legs around the limb tightly before it flies off. I feel very unsettled about just holding onto the eagles leg while a few thousand feet in the air, but I would rather do this, to stay near Thorin, than be away from him.

Wincing in pain as I do, I reach down and gently run a hand over his face, my worry growing as he gets paler by the second. I keep sending prayers to whoever is listening to me, praying to keep him alive.

Hearing Azog roaring, I look around to see all the Eagles flying away from the mountains. I breathe a huge sigh of relief as my eyes manage to pick up on everyone on the backs of the Eagles as they fly all night.

The sun begins to rise as the Eagles soar through the sky over a great distance and over many landscapes. Thorin lies unconscious in one Eagle's talons; the others worry about him.

"Thorin!" I hear Fili cry out for his uncle.

My gaze is kept firmly on Thorin, my worry for him growing more and more as he still is yet to awaken. I haven't even been able to see him breathing, which stops my heart completely. He cannot be dead. . .he just cannot. . .

The Eagles approach a massive rock structure shaped like a bear; I recognise it as the Carrock. We are not all that far from Mirkwood now. The Eagle carrying Thorin and I gently deposits him and his sword on a flat area on top of the Carrock.

I climb off, collapsing to my knees beside him as soon as my feet hit the ground.

"Thorin?" I gasp out trying to feel for a pulse, my spirit sinking as I don't find anything. "No. . .please Thorin. . .do not do this to me. . ."

Another Eagle lands on the Carrock and Gandalf slides off its neck, running towards us.

"Thorin! Thorin."

I look up to the wizard, tears in my eyes. "I cannot find a pulse, Gandalf."

Gandalf places his hand on Thorin's face and whispers a spell. I breathe a huge sigh of relief and sag slightly as Thorin's eyes flutter open and he gasps for air. He looks to me as I take his hand, he gives a weak smile as he squeezes my hand slightly.

"The halfling?" he manages to gasp out.

I smile. "It is all right, Bilbo is here, he is safe." I answer him.

Gandalf stands and steps back as Thorin struggles to stand, Dwalin and Kili moving forward to help him. Fili helps me up as Thorin shrugs his nephew and cousin off before approaching the hobbit.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?"

I look on in horror as Thorin advances until he is face to face with Bilbo, who looks worried and frightened. Sharing a glance at Fili, I can see the same confusion and horror in his eyes as are in mine. But that is soon put aside by Thorin's next words.

"I've never been so wrong in all my life!"

Thorin grabs Bilbo and embraces him deeply. I smile as the other dwarves cheer loudly and slap each other on the back, Gandalf also smiling. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugs Thorin back.

Thorin pulls away. "I am sorry I doubted you."

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior. . .not even a burglar."

This causes us all to chuckle as The Eagles fly away, screeching.

"Is that what I think it is?" I hear Bilbo ask.

Turning around, I smile as on the horizon, I see the outline of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. The dwarves, Bilbo, Gandalf and I step closer towards the edge as we look over to the mountain in the distance. I stand beside Thorin and take his hand in my own, smiling as I feel him squeeze it.

"Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth." Gandalf explains.

"Our home." Thorin breathes.

Glancing at him, I see him smiling and also have to smile as I rest my head on his shoulder. My smile widens as I feel him press a kiss upon my head.

A bird cheeps and flies by.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain!" Oin exclaims.

We look up and see the small bird fluttering by.

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf points out.

I hear the smile in Thorin's voice as he speaks. "But we'll take it as a sign - a good omen."

He turns to Bilbo on his left who smiles. "You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us."

As we watch the mountain, the adrenaline from the night finally gives and the pain from my side explodes, just before my sight blurs and black spots begin to take over my vision. I stagger slightly, leaning more into Thorin. I feel him falter in surprise for a moment before his arm goes around me.

"Caladwen? Are you alright?" I hear him ask, his voice muffled as if I am underwater.

I do not answer him as I feel my legs give out from under me. The last I know is his arms around me and his voice calling out for me before darkness takes hold of me.

And there we have it, finally free from the Goblin Tunnels, only to run into more danger with the orcs and now for Caladwen to be gravely injured. . .let's hope she pulls through. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please keep your lovely reviews and comments coming, I love hearing from you all xx

Translations;

Meleth nin – My love

Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast? Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob. - Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain.

Kod, Toragid biriz. Worori-da! - That one is mine. Kill the others!

Sho gad adol! - Drink their blood!

Biriz torag khobdudol. - Bring me the Dwarf's head.