With no other options the Wizard mounted his sled. The rabbits took off into the forest and broke through the tree line into a wide stretch of land not far away. However, it did not offer much coverage. The only things the company could hide behind were the scattered rock formations that were widely spaced apart. Radagast was up ahead, with the Orc pack following close behind to lead the enemy away from their location.
"That's a lot of Wargs and Orcs," Poppy breathed.
Fíli and Kíli could only nod in agreement when they peeked out from behind the rock.
"Come on," Gandalf ordered.
Running across the field they kept close together and their heads low. All of them watched for Orcs. The Wargs howled to call their pack to gather now that they had a target. Quickly the group ducked behind a rock as the creatures drew too close. Their backs pressed against the hard surface. Thankfully, Radagast steered in the opposite direction.
"Stay together," the Wizard stated. His eyes scanned the horizon before changing their course.
"Go!" Thorin ordered.
He took up the middle of the company. His eye on every Dwarf, along with the Hobbit, who ran up ahead beside the Wizard, and Poppy, who took up the back with Bombur. She tried to get him to run faster. Many up ahead were slowing when they approached a small hill. They moved around a rock only to realize the enemy lay only feet away on the other side.
"Ori, no!" the prince shouted.
He gripped the back of his shirt and jerked the youngest Dwarf to safety. It was a relief that he was not seen. They only waited seconds until Gandalf forced them onward to the east.
"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked.
But the older man did not answer. The Dwarf's jaw clenched in irritation. Yet what choice did he have but to follow with an Orc pack on their heels?
Their breaths quieted when taking refuge behind another boulder. Once again they waited until the pack passed close by. Yet one Warg with an Orc riding it peeled off from the others. Instead the beast stalked to the top of the rock and began sniffing in search of a scent. It was too close, and Thorin knew it, nodding to Kíli. The youngest member took a breath to steady himself. This shot had to count. The Dwarf lunged from his hiding place and drew his bow. The arrow hit the creature's neck. It yelped while tumbling down the rough surface to land right in front of them. The company pounced on top of the two before either could stand. Their weapons hacked and stabbed at the bodies. But all it did was make them cry out louder in agony. Poppy's head turned upon no longer hearing the pack chasing Radagast. In fact, the field had fallen quiet as the terrible sounds beside her ceased.
"Gandalf," she whispered.
The Wizard realized their mistake. That was when the howling started again. Only now it drew closer to them.
"Move! Run!" Gandalf shouted.
There was no use hiding anymore. They ran blindly through the Wild. "There they are!" Glóin shouted. He spotted the pack closing in as they came charging over the hills.
"There are more coming!" Kíli stated.
They were being surrounded. Poppy reached forward to redirect Ori so he wasn't separated. "Kíli, shoot them!" came Thorin's voice further ahead. But it was no use.
"We're surrounded," Fíli stated.
"Where's Gandalf?" Dori asked. It was then the company realized the Wizard disappeared at some point.
"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin shouted. The warrior raised his weapon to fight.
"Hold your ground!" Thorin ordered.
Though the odds were stacked against them the Dwarves would fight till the very end. A snarl made the Half-breed turn. A creature was charging in her direction. She quickly ducked under the Orc's blade and moved out of the way to scramble to her feet. Without hesitation she drew her sword. The sound of clashing metal drew the attention of the others. They realized that Poppy had been forced to separate slightly from them. And watched as she sliced open the Warg's neck before cleaving off the Orc's head.
Breathing heavily, Poppy searched for the company. The blacksmith found herself too far from them to be safe. She wouldn't be able to survive on her own. Let alone take on the creatures that began to close in by herself. Something slammed into her side. The attack forced the air from her lungs and she went tumbling to the ground.
"No!" Bilbo shouted.
His cousin found herself sprawled out on the grass defenseless. He tried to rush forward to her aid, but Dwalin held him back. Even if the Hobbit wasn't sure how much help he'd be, the burglar couldn't just sit there and watch her die.
"She'll be killed!" Ori shouted.
The young woman gasped for breath, rolling over and shakily pushing up. Her vision was spinning. The double vision did not help with balance and she could barely hear the distant cries of the Dwarves. As swiftly as the sensation came on it went. Everything snapped back into perspective. The first clear thought went to her blade. She needed to defend herself. A hand reached for the item only to realize it was gone. She had nothing to protect herself.
"Poppy!" Bofur yelled. "Watch out!"
"Behind you!" Kíli added.
The young woman whirled around. A Warg barreled towards her with an Orc on its back, weapon raised for the kill. She lunged out of the way before it was too late. Not very gracefully the blacksmith scrambled back to her feet when the creature turned around. Poppy ran.
"Poppy!" Bilbo yelled.
"Kíli! Aim! Aim!" Balin ordered.
An arrow forced the enemy to stumble, but did not let up on its target. Poppy's eyes were on her weapon. It lay on the ground feet away. The female kept telling herself she'd make it. Thorin decapitated an Orc that drew too close before whirling around on the problem at hand.
"No!" he yelled, seeing the Warg's mouth open.
It was inches from the young woman's head. If it wanted the creature could clamp down on her hair and rip the Half-breed off her feet. The blacksmith's hand wrapped around the hilt of the weapon, and twisted around. The edge sliced through the side of the Warg's head to throw the enemy off course. However, its body didn't stop. The creature slammed into Poppy and shoved her to the ground. The momentum threw the Orc away, face scraping against the gravel and tore at the skin. Kíli fired off another arrow into the creature's gut. It killed the thrashing monster instantly before it crushed or fatally harmed their friend. But it was still on top of the young woman.
She pressed against its heavy body in an attempt to get free. An intimidating shadow loomed overhead. Poppy's eyes widened at the snarling Orc. Blood dripped from its wounds. His sinister smirk terrified the Half-breed as its arm came down for the final strike. The young woman raised her own weapon to push against the blow.
"Get away from her!" Kíli shouted.
Another arrow released. It threw the enemy backwards and his teeth bared in anger. The expression didn't last for long when its eyes grew wide. There was no time to react. Thorin took off its head.
"This way, you fools!" came Gandalf's shout. The Dwarves turned, to find the Wizard behind a smaller rock formation. When they hesitated, the man added, "Quickly, all of you!"
"Follow Gandalf!" the prince ordered.
The Dwarves raced across the grass. Dwalin dragged Bilbo behind him as one by one they disappeared from view. An arm wrapped around Poppy's waist for Thorin to tug her out from under the Warg. The moment her feet were securely on the ground he gripped her arm and ran.
"Faster!" Gandalf ordered.
Both could hear the enemy close in from behind, jaws snapping and shrieking. They cleared the top just behind the Wizard and a yelp escaped Poppy's lips. There was no solid ground on the other side to catch their fall. The two went tumbling down the steep embankment as Bofur quickly reached out to catch the young woman. It was a cave of some sort. Now was not the time to marvel at it. Every weapon turned towards the opening and waited for the Orcs to come spilling through. But they would not retreat from the fight. Even if outnumbered. They had dealt with worse odds in the past.
A horn sounded above. The creatures began yelping and crying out in agony, no one understanding what made the tides turn. An Orc came tumbling over the side dropping dead at their feet. The Dwarves shifted back quickly, unsure at first if it were still alive or not. Eventually all noise on the surface fell silent.
They said nothing, but exchanged looks. Who came to their aid? Thorin moved forward and removed the arrow that stuck out of the back of the dead Orc.
"Elves," he growled. The item was tossed away in disgust.
"I cannot see where the path leads!" Dwalin called further away. "What do we do?"
"Follow it, of course!" Bofur answered. And quickly, the Dwarves began to shuffle after him.
"I think that will be wise," Gandalf muttered.
The young woman struggled to stop her hands from shaking. It made it a bit difficult to sheath her blade. Bilbo pushed through the crowd to stand in front of his cousin.
"Are you alright?" he wondered worriedly.
"Yes," her voice shook. "Just... Just give me a moment."
Taking deep breaths the Half-breed closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. There was blood on her hands. At the moment she couldn't look at them. Though a blacksmith, Poppy had never killed anything before. Even if it was for a good cause the fact that she nearly died...
There was movement in front of them. Balin approached the cousins and the old Dwarf took her hand in his.
"It will be alright, lass," he reassured. "The first time is always the hardest and the most terrifying. But you need not be afraid. You are among friends who will look after you. Had my brother not been holding back Bilbo for his own safety, your cousin would've been at your side in an instant."
The Hobbit nodded quickly in agreement.
Poppy gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Balin."
Her nerves settled to follow him through the narrow, winding passage. They caught up fairly quickly. The tight space proved difficult for some of the larger Dwarves to squeeze through. Eventually the gap opened for them to spill out onto a flat rock face into the sun. Their eyes caught sight of a beautiful city nestled in the side of the mountain with lush trees and wildlife. The image was absolutely breathtaking. While the cousins marveled at the sight, many of the Dwarves did not seem pleased.
"The Valley of Imladris," Gandalf relayed. "In the common tongue it's known by another name."
"Rivendell," Bilbo breathed.
The man nodded in agreement. "Here lies the last homely house east of the sea."
The prince turned to glare at the Wizard and stalked forward in anger. "This was your plan all along," Thorin accused. "To seek refuge with our enemy."
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring upon yourself."
"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us."
"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered."
The Dwarf sighed in defeat. He would not win this battle and, unfortunately, the Wizard was right. They did need answers, and rest, and food. Even if he did not like Elves.
"If we are to be successful this needs to be handled with tact and respect. And no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me."
All followed the Wizard, but none were too happy. Dwalin's eyes shifted back and forth as if afraid an Elf would jump from the rocks or trees, and some of the Dwarves stayed close together. Hoping to have strength in numbers. The brothers shared a look as their uncle glared at everything around them. It wasn't long till the company passed through the gates to a set of steps. An Elf descended. He immediately greeted Gandalf in his native tongue, which made the man smile.
"Lindir," he bowed, before continuing to speak in Elvish. None knew what he said, not liking that they were speaking as if in private before them. The conversation made them more on guard until Gandalf stated, "I must speak with Lord Elrond."
"My Lord Elrond is not here," Lindir answered.
His brows furrowed in confusion. "Not here? Where is he?"
Before he could answer a horn sounded from behind. They turned to watch a group of Elves on horseback trotting towards them up the stone path. But they weren't slowing. They drew even closer and Thorin shouted, "Close ranks!" and further ordered something to the company in Dwarvish. Bilbo and Poppy were tugged into the center out of protection. The riders surrounded them on all sides before coming to a halt.
There was one that strode towards the Wizard and bowed his head in greeting. "Gandalf."
"Lord Elrond," the man answered.
Poppy watched their conversation from the safety of the group. Though with their smaller height against those on the horses she questioned just how safe they really were. A spear could so easily reach over the others towards them if they wanted.
"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders," the lord mused. "Something or someone has drawn them near."
"Ah, that may have been us," the Wizard admitted. They turned to address the company as Thorin stepped forward.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thráin."
"I do not believe we have met," the Dwarf stated.
"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thrór when he ruled under the mountain."
"Indeed, he made no mention of you."
Gandalf shot him a look. Now was not the time to be stubborn and trade insults when they were in dire need of assistance. Elrond answered in Elvish, looking the prince in the eye as he spoke.
"What is he saying?" Glóin growled. "Does he offer us insult!"
The Dwarves rallied behind him shouting in retaliation. But the lord did not appear offended. Maybe amused as his eyes scanned them all till they came to rest on Bilbo and Poppy, who stood quietly among them. Strange to see two Halflings in the company of Dwarves. But even more so a female.
"No, Master Glóin, he is offering you food," Gandalf stated.
Their shouting ceased before huddling together to speak under their breaths. Finally, they turned back around to look at Elrond.
"Well, in that case, lead on."
Poppy bit back a laugh as they were led into Rivendell.