1 | dark pasts [oakenshield]

Thirteen

pretty short installment, oops.

Kayla didn't need to tell the Company twice. As soon as she had screamed at them, they immediately got off their butts and ran. Kayla ran next to Thorin, twin swords out. Getting behind a tree, she waited until a Warg got close. When it did, she revolved her wrist. The Warg shrieked as the ground swallowed it whole. With a smirk, she drew her bow. Peering out from the tree, she shot down many beasts. Just when she was about to shoot another Warg, a hand grabbed her, pulling her behind the tree again.

"Must you always ruin my fun?" she snapped at Thorin.

"Wait for it..."

A Warg was charging full speed down a hill. Kayla watched as a Dwarf threw a rock at its snout and he toppled off the hill, it landing right next to Kayla. Notching an arrow on her bow, she let it fly into its neck, the arrow hitting the pulse point. Looking to her side, she saw that Thorin was in the same position as her, and poor Bilbo was just standing there, shocked and staring at the dead Warg that laid in front of him.

"My way is better," she mumbled, then dashed off again.

Even though a couple Wargs got killed in the chase, didn't mean they would give up so easily. Kayla, being the fastest out of everyone, sprinted near the cliff. The sun was setting fast, and the moon was shining brightly. The silhouette of trees shone off the moonlight, and they were big, tall, sturdy trees...

"Who's up for a little climbing?" she yelled.

Gandalf seemed to process her words. His eyes then widened. "Up into the trees! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!"

The Dwarves jumped on one another to help get themselves on the trees. Kayla and Thorin remained on the ground, looking to see how many were on. So far, eleven were. She looked to Thorin.

"Get climbing," she instructed.

Thorin shook his head. "No way. I still don't trust you alone."

Kayla rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she really hated his stubbornness. Revolving her wrist around, she sighed.

"Aw, that's sweet of you, but too bad!"

Without warning, two branches scooped him up. He went hurdling through the tree, landing hard--but safely--on a branch. Now there were thirteen Dwarves stuck in trees. Looking back, she saw that Bilbo was having a hard time getting his sword out from a skull of a Warg. The remaining beasts of the pack were close, and Bilbo would get mauled. Sprinting away from the trees, she went to Bilbo. Kayla easily pulled out his sword, and then pulled him over to where the rest of the Company was.

"Hold on."

Closing her eyes, she summoned a tree branch to pick up Bilbo. Much nicer than what the branches did to Thorin, they gently picked up Bilbo and set him high on a tree. By the time her eyes opened, she was panting. So much of her strength was sapped, she didn't even have much energy left to climb. But a person grabbed her, and the figured started to climb the tree again, bringing Kayla up with him. Once they were on a high branch, the person who grabbed Kayla steadied her.

"Just one little run and you're already wiped out?" Thorin joked.

Kayla shot Thorin a death glare. "It is not the run that drains me, it's my stupid 'gift' that I used to save your life twice now."

Grabbing a tree branch above her, she looked around. Hey eyes landed on Gandalf, he of which was holding a moth and whispering to it. He must be calling for help, she thought. Sucking in, she tried to catch her breath. But she almost lost her breath when she sensed a presence... an all too familiar presence.