Chapter 11; Getting In the Way of the Cool Kids Being Awesome

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Durion expects a wave of exhaustion to hit him the moment his feet stand on solid ground again. So he is pleasantly surprised when his head doesn't spin and his knees don't buckle. He is even more surprised when he has to dodge a swing from a shadowy figure that attacks him. He stumbles back and takes in the scene in front of him. He sees Saruman and Lord Elrond fighting the shadows while Gandalf lies on the ground, head in the lap of Lady Galadriel. Durion, who appeared in front of the two on the ground, unsheathes his sword and hits the shadow in the chest. It flickers and disappears just for a moment before reappearing again. Durion curses and draws Kenaz onto the blade. It bursts in white flame and this time when Durion hits the shadow, it screams and disappears for good. The sudden light gains the attention of the White wizard and the Lord of Imladris, who turn to look at him briefly in surprise before turning back to their own opponents. Radagast suddenly appeared on his rabbit-pulled sled.

"Gandalf! Gandalf, climb on!" Durion helps Galadriel pull the wizard onto the sled, then catches her as she almost falls from exhaustion.

"He is weak. He cannot remain here, it is draining his life." Then she turns her gaze at Durion. "And you mustn't either. The enemy knows too much about you. Do not use your runes." She ignores his confused stare and pushes him onto the sled. "Go! Quickly!"

"Come with me, my Lady." Gandalf grabs her hand and pleads. She looks at him sadly and pulls away.

"Go!"

***

"I need a horse!" Gandalf says as soon as they stop at Radagast's cabin.

"What? Gandalf, where are you going?" The Brown wizard frowns.

"To warn Erebor. They have no idea what is coming. I saw them with my own eyes, rank upon rank of Moria-orcs. You must summon our friends, bird and beast, the battle for the mountain is about to begin."

***

They ride through the night and Durion is burning with questions. Yet he keeps quiet.

"The dragon is dead, yes?" Gandalf asks, as if to break the silence.

"Yes, Bard of Laketown killed him with the last Black Arrow. But the town did not survive. They will probably head to Dale to set camp." Durian paused, then asked the question that burned at him for a while. "Why can't I use the runes? You told me not to use them before you departed before Mirkwood and now Lady Galadriel too. Why?" Gandalf stayed silent for a long time.

"I worry that the enemy will want to use you and the magic you wield. Every time you use your runes it is like a beacon that alerts anyone to your growing power. I worry that the orcs will want to kidnap you." The fight with Bolg rises to the front of his mind.

"They already tried." Durion paled. "Last night, the dwarves left in Laketown were ambushed by a group of orcs led by Bolg, son of Azog. I followed him with the prince of Mirkwood and we tried to kill him. I got caught off guard and instead of killing me, he tried to capture me." Duurion could see Gandalf frowning on his horse.

"That is concerning. I hoped you had more time."

"Does this have something to do with my parents?"

"I don't know." Gandalf sighed and felt the elf's disappointment.

"There is one more thing." Durion mumbled and Gandalf nodded. "The reason why the Mirkwood elves set a bounty on my head is because they think I cursed their prince." Gandalf frowned and so Durion explained the dreams. The more and more he talked, the more obvious Gandalf's shocked expression became.

"That... sounds interesting." Durion sends the wizard an unamused look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

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