Heart Of Stone

Chapter Five

"Will she be okay?"

"It looked pretty bad."

"Back up laddies. Give the poor girl some room."

"Wait, she's waking."

Fawn's eyes slowly opened to see all the dwarves surrounding her. She frowned and sat up, a dull pain coursing from her shoulder down her arm. She was on a bed in a white room. She was in Rivendell. She'd only ever been here once when she was a babe. This was where she'd first met her adar, Gandalf.

Her hair was pulled back into a braid. She was still dressed in her clothes though they looked clean. Her weapons were thrust into her face by Thorin. "Come. We're living. Now." She frowned and took them. The dwarves moved back and she stood. She put her bow and swords on her back and then put the chain whips on either side of her hips. She looked to Thorin. "Why are we leaving? Where's Gandalf?"

"The map has been translated and we know how to find the door. Gandalf will not be joining us. Can you insure we get there in place of him?"

Fawn's frown deepened. How do you respond to something like that? Especially from Thorin. He'd just placed their lives and well being in her hands. A hybrid. An abomination. In that moment she finally felt worthy. Worthy of life. Worthy of calling herself a warrior. Her gaze bore into Thorin with newfound determination and she nodded. "Yes. I can get you to Erebor."

-------------------

Rain beat down upon their heads, and wind blew against, throwing off their balance as the trekked the mountain side. Fawn gripped every protruding rock tightly as they climbed. The wind blew harder, almost knocking them all off their feet, and over the edge.

"Hold on!" Thorin orders.

As Bilbo walks, the stone beneath his feet gives away, and he starts falling into the chasm. Fawn gasps but sighs relieved when Dwalin manages to pull him back in time. Thank the fates. She inxhes closer to him and grips his coat to help keep him from falling. "Thanks Fawn." She nods and continues forward.

"We must find shelter!" Fawn shouts over the ran.

Dwalin gasps. "Watch out!"

They all look up and see a massive boulder hurtling through the air; it hits the mountainside above them, causing rocks to fall all around them as they press themselves against the mountain.

"This is no thunderstorm..." Dwalin shouts, horrified. "...it's a thunder battle! Look!"

A stone giant rears up from a nearby mountain; it rips off a massive boulder from the top of the mountain. Fawn gasps and pulls Bilbo closer as she stares horrified at the being. She'd never seen anything like it. We're going to die!

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur screams.

"Take cover: you'll fall!" Thorin bellows.

"What's happening?" Kili looks to Fawn, seeking the answers from her but she was to terrified to do anything.

The giant throws the boulder far in the air; another stone giant, appears from behind the Company, and it is hit in the head. The company yell at each other to brace and hold on, and the rocks beneath their feet begin to give way from all the vibrations and from the impact of the falling rocks. The ground between some of the Company members splits; part of the group is on one side, and part on the other. Fawn screams as the giant looses his footing and the rock wall across from them gets closer. She closes her eyes and prepares for her inevitable fate.

"Fawn! Fawn!" Her gaze snaps open and she sees that she is hanging halfway off the edge, head first. Her gaze meets Bilbo and she gasps. He's right beneath her, hanging on for dear life. She reaches for him, but there were dwarves piled on her back, therefore she could not move closer to reach further down. Tears brimmed her eyes and she let out a cry of frustration. "Bilbo!" Thorin hopped down onto a ledge beside Bilbo and hefts him up toward the dwarves.