Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

TWENTY-THREE

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

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The following morning, Selene returned to LakeTown just before everyone had woken from their slumber. She didn't want to risk one of the residents having the surprise of their life if they saw a big, black dragon flying toward their city.

The Company were already awake when Selene waited outside of the Master's home as they got ready. She was informed by one of the guards that the Master and the dwarves were up for a while, celebrating their warm welcome to LakeTown and for keeping their word to give them gold, from the halls of their home.

When the dwarves and Bilbo came out the door, they were all dressed in armor and warm clothing for the cold breeze they would be feeling up on the mountains. The Master was kind enough to give them some warm clothing and even the weapons they tried to steal the night before.

Selene watched a few of them walk over to join her, smiling when they saw her waiting with her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned on the wooden pillar at the bottom of the steps.

"Where were you last night if I may ask?" Balin gently placed his hand on her upper arm, lightly patting it to let her know he only meant well. Selene didn't mind though. Balin was one of the kindest dwarves she had ever met and she would never get upset at him, for anything.

The woman shrugged her shoulders, "I wanted to get away for a moment." She then looked down at the white-haired dwarf who nodded in understanding.

"Come now, my friends." The Master waved for them to follow him.

Selene let the dwarves walk in front of her so she would be the last one following. The Master rambled on and on, smiling at the residents of LakeTown, who all had gotten up early to see the dwarves leave for their journey.

As they got closer to the river, where a boat would be waiting for them, she heard Bilbo point out something she never noticed. "You do know we're one short." Bilbo stopped for a mere second, but was pushed by Nori to keep moving. "Where's Bofur?"

Selene stopped walking too, rotating her head around to see if she could smell the dwarf. She didn't. "Should I go look for him?" She asked, waiting for a response from Thorin.

"If he's not here, we leave him behind." He said, with Balin agreeing with him.

"We'll have to. If we're to find the door before nightfall, we can risk no more delays." Balin added in. Selene felt bad that Bofur would be left behind, but Balin was right. They needed to find the door before nightfall. It was their only chance to entering the mountain.

One by one, the dwarves and Bilbo piled in the boat LakeTown provided for them. Thorin stood at the side, letting his friends get on first. When Kíli was just about to step foot in, Thorin stretched his arm and stopped his nephew from joining.

"Not you." He said, his hand making a small slap with the chest armor Kíli had on. "We must travel at speed. You will slow us down."

"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you." Kíli argued back.

Thorin stood his ground while taking the weapons a guard handed to him, and giving it to Dwalin who placed them on the boat. "Not now."

"I'm going to be there when that door is opened. When we first look upon the halls of fathers, Thorin." Kíli voice shook, he did not want to miss the one chance they got to enter the mountain.