“You were brave.” Kili looked up at him. “Good work.” Kili nodded, still not sure how to take it, he rarely got praise from Thorin, usually he got it from his brother, or even his mother.
“Indeed he was, always has been, reckless, yes, but as brave as a lion.” Beuren said, getting to her feet. Bilbo had cut her out of the burlap sack that held her. “Just like his father.” She said, running a hand through his dark curly hair. Kili smiled his crooked little boy grin up at her. Thorin nodded, keeping silent. “Now, go help your brother, he’s obviously having difficulties.” They all turned to see Fili trying to get a knife of his that was imbedded in a tree trunk out; it was quite a comical sight honestly. Kili grinned, leaving to help his brother. “And you…” Beuren said, looking down at the Hobbit. “Were bloody brilliant.” She put an arm around his shoulders. “How’d you come up with parasites?” Bilbo shrugged as they walked away to gather her weapons. Thorin watched on, a little surprised that he didn’t even get a thank you for saving her from the troll and giving her a weapon.
“Where did you go if I may ask?” The dwarf asked, turning away to look at the wizard.
“To look ahead.”
“And what brought you back?”
“Looking behind.” The dwarf nodded, smirking a bit and nodding his head. “Nasty business. Still they are all in one piece.”
“No thanks to your burglar.” Thorin added.
“He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that.” Thorin said nothing, then started examining the trolls.
“Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?” Thorin said, more to himself, but Gandalf answered.
“Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands.” Gandalf said with a frown. “They could not have moved in daylight.”
“Then there must be a cave nearby.” Thorin stepped forward, almost running into Beuren. She was gazing up at one of the trolls, a depressed look in her green eyes.
“He was there that one.” She nodded. Thorin was confused, but Gandalf knew of what she spoke. “He was the one who grabbed my hair, before Ada cut it.” She bowed her head.
“Ada?” Thorin asked as Gandalf walked away. “Who’s that?”
“Ada means father in Elvish,” she didn’t finish, didn’t have to. Thorin put his hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him.
“Come, let us find the cave.” He let his hand slide down her back, stopping at the end of her bodice. She didn’t pull away, or push his hand away; actually, she leaned into his touch a bit. Perhaps the weeks of fighting were over, he wished they would be.
They walked for a while, and then she coughed, nearly gaging. Beuren’s hand covered her nose; the fowl stench had reached her sensitive nose first. As they got closer the dwarves started smelling it to, but it was a troll hoard, who knows what sort of things they would find. She stayed outside the cave, standing guard while the others looked around. When they all emerged again, she was greeted by Kili, who looked a little sick. She laughed, patting his back. She heard something, looking back towards the way they’d come. She just watched, now curious to figure out what it was, it was like nothing she’d ever heard.
“Something’s coming.” Thorin boomed, everyone started running, Beuren followed, throwing glances over her shoulder to see if she could see. Then she leapt to the side to avoid being flattened by something bursting out of the bushes behind her. When she looked up, there he was. Radagast.
“Theives! Fire! Murder!” Everyone stopped and looked at the eccentric wizard. Beuren stood, dusting herself off and making her way to the front of the company, smiling once she realized what was pulling his sled.
“Radagast! Radagast the Brown.” Gandalf said reassuringly. “Ah. What on earth are you doing here?”
“I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong.” Radagast replied, stepping off his sled and hurrying towards Gandalf.
“Yes?” Radagast opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He paused then tried again. “Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I’ve lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue.” He stopped, a surprised look crosses his face. “Oh, it’s not a thought at all; it’s a silly old...” He stuck out his tongue, Gandalf furrowed his brow, plucking something off of his comrades tongue. “-stick insect!” Everyone, including Beuren, looked at him awkwardly. The wizards paced away a few feet, speaking privately.
Meanwhile, Dwalin heard snickering behind him. He glanced behind him at Beuren. She was laughing all by herself, making her look just a tad crazy. He eyed her for a moment before choosing to speak.
“What are you laughing at?” She pointed at his feet. He looked down. The rabbits that had been pulling the sled were bunched around his feet, all looking up at him. He stared awkwardly down at them before looking back at her.
“I thought you were a great warrior, not a bunny herder.”
“Oh, you’re clever.” He hissed sarcastically. He took a half step back from the rabbits, which followed him. He looked back to see Kili grinning beside his aunt. “Stupid creatures.” He grumbled. He heard a heavy step then a tap on his shoulder. He turned to come face to face with a soft furry creature. He looked around it to see Beuren frowning at him.
“He’s not stupid.” She said, pushing the rabbit towards Dwalin more. He glared at it a moment, watching its little pink nose twitch. He looked back a Beuren. She nodded to the rabbit. With a sigh he patted its head, two pats, that was it. Kili was laughing. She set the rabbit down and nodded. Bilbo smiled, looking away so Dwalin didn’t see.
Before long the rabbits were all piled on top of one another in Beuren’s lap, everyone stared at her as she laughed, petting each one till they were all asleep. She was leaning back against a tree stump, they were piled so high that you couldn’t see her eyes, yet each looked completely comfortable.
“I thought you were some great warrior.” Dwalin said sarcastically.
“I am, but I have a hoarding problem.” She joked back. It was ultimately the howl that woke the warm, fuzzy, creatures up. Everyone turned back to look.
“Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?” Bilbo asked, fear obvious in his voice. The rabbits leapt up, getting anxious.
“Wolves? No, that was not a wolf.” Bofur answered looking back up the hill. A Warg leapt forward, landing in the middle of the company, looking directly at a still sitting Beuren. Thorin lunged, killing the beast. Another came bounding down the hill, Kili took aim hitting it. The Warg stood again; ready to attack Thorin, but Dwalin quickly put an end to that.
“Warg scouts!” Thorin exclaimed, wrenching his sward out of the Warg. “Which means an orc pack is not far behind.”
“Orc pack?!” Bilbo barked, clearly frightened.
“Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?” Gandalf yelled, looking at Thorin.
“No one.” Thorin replied.
“Who did you tell?!”
“No one, I swear!” Gandalf turned back to the Wargs. “What in Durin’s name is going on?”
“You are being hunted.” Gandalf said, turning back to the company.
“We have to get out of here.” Dwalin stated, speaking for everyone.
“We can’t! The ponies, they bolted!” Ori said, Bifur entering the circle behind him.
“I’ll draw them off.” Radagast said.
“These are Gudabad Wargs, they will out run you.” Gandalf scoffed.
“These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I’d like to see them try.”
Gandalf peered around one of several large boulders. The Wargs disappeared around another one, following Radagast and his rabbits. The wizard waited a moment longer, they reappeared, then again disappeared.
“Come on.” Gandalf said, pointing to another stone. The company rushed across the plain to the next stone. They waited a moment, and then ran to the next, all crowding around the rock to stay hidden. Then again they ran. There was a close call where Beuren had to slide into her spot to avoid being seen. “Stay together.” Gandalf said, letting everyone pass and keeping watch.
“Move.” Thorin ordered. Everyone ran. As they huddled behind the last rock, Ori kept running, not paying attention. “Ori no! Come back.” Thorin snapped, grabbing the young dwarf by the collar of his shirt and pulling him backwards. Beuren nodded that they needed to keep moving. Everyone started forward. “Where are you leading us?” Their leader asked. Gandalf looked at Thorin then started forward, not answering him.
One of the Wargs stopped, sniffing the air around him. He turned, abandoning the chase and following his nose. The scent led it and its rider to a rock that makes a small ten foot cliff in the side of one of the taller hills. Beuren winced, sure they were caught. The dwarves, wizard, hobbit, and elf were silent. Thorin looked at Kili, who stood between him and Beuren. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and followed his uncle’s unspoken order. He leapt out of the protection of the rock and fired his bow. It hit the Warg’s leg then firing one quickly at its rider, it yelped then fell off of the rock. It then began howling, barking, snarling and making as much noise as it could, and so did its rider.
The Orc stood and ran at Dwalin, who was first to step up to the fight. Dwalin swung his war hammer, bringing it to the ground with a pained screech. Bifur attacked next. The Warg started to stand up Beuren and Thorin raced forward, attacking the Warg and killing it. They waited for a moment, just to see if they were lucky. Then they heard howls. With a groan Beuren led the company forward, knowing exactly where they were going.
Once the company lost sight of the Orc pack they stopped. Beuren struggled to get her axe from her hip, hands shaking with the crazy amount of adrenalin. Gloin saw the pack, giving a shout that they were coming. They all started sprinting again, hurrying away from the scene. Thorin skidded to a halt, a Warg and rider had leapt out before him, and he was a mere five feet away. That’s when everyone else noticed that they were surrounded.
“There’s more coming!” Kili shouted.
“Kili! Shoot them!” Beuren and Kili stood side by side, facing the opposite direction and began firing.
“We’re surrounded!” Fili hollered.
“Where’s Gandalf?!”
“He’s abandoned us!” Dwalin growled.
“Hold your ground!” Thorin snapped, unsheathing his sword. Beuren let out a groan.
“I’m out!” She yelled. Stealing arrows from Kili, he didn’t have many left either.
“This way you fools!” They all turned, seeing Gandalf disappearing into the ground. Thorin ran forward, finding that there was a hole in the ground that led to a cavern, large enough to be considered a room.
“Quickly, all of you!” Thorin stood before the spot, everyone started filing down into the cavern below. Beuren had Kili by the back of his shirt, guiding him as he shot at the beasts. Kili dove forward at the last second, sliding into the cavern, Fili right after. Beuren however had stolen several more arrows from her nephew and was still firing. “Beuren!”
“Go!” She ran at him, he stepped down, falling into the cave, she dove head first after him. Just as she stood, a horn sounded.
“That is no orc horn.” Fili mutter beside her. She smiled, knowing exactly who and what it was. They heard a great battle happening on the surface, hooves pounding on the prairie. An orc came tumbling down into their hiding place, an arrow in its heart. Everyone took aim, but it was dead. Thorin stepped forward, taking the arrow from its chest.
“Elves.” He hissed, tossing the arrow aside. Beuren bowed her head. It was easy to forget something like that she guessed.
“I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or not?” Dwalin boomed, looking towards the end of the cavern.
“Follow it of course!” Bofur exclaimed stepping forward. Gandalf smiled, sending a wink towards Beuren. She knew better than to say where they were going. They followed he narrow winding path. The jagged rock faces were smooth, though didn’t look it. Beuren ran her hand across them, smiling, already feeling the magic that emanated from this place. She had taken the lead through the narrow path. She had to remind herself to slow down so the dwarves didn’t get lost. Dwalin insisted that he lead on, just in case of any surprise attacks, reluctantly, Beuren let him pass. She hung back to walk with Bilbo.
“Gandalf, where are we?” Beuren grinned and looked at the Hobbit.
“You can feel it?” She whispered, taking his hand in hers.
“Yes,” He said, looking around, Gandalf was smiling a little too. “It feels…” The Hobbit lowered his voice and looked at Beuren. “It feels like magic.” She smiled and skipped ahead, letting Gandalf explain. Kili was only a few people ahead of her. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, grinning like a child, and giggling into his shoulder. Her nephew glanced back a her, also smiling.
“What are you so happy about?” She took his hand and stretched his arm out, running his hand along the stone. It took him a second, but then he started to feel it, the coolness of the stone, the happiness of unseen people, the unheard songs, it filled him up to the point of a smile. He looked back at Beuren, he didn’t quite get it, but there was something in her eyes that made him understand, a certain look that she only gave him when something better than good was about to happen.
When Dwalin came to the end of the winding pathway he stopped dead in his tracks, though he wouldn’t admit it, this place was beautiful, comparable to even Erebor in its prime. He watched as Beuren skipped forward, stopping just shy of the edge of a cliff. Everyone took a deep intake of breath, the air was cool, clean, much unlike the stifling air they had just been in only moments ago.
“The Valley of Imladris. In the Common Tongue, it’s known by another name.” Gandalf spoke, stepping forward around the crowd of dwarves.