CHAPTER 7 | RADAGAST
NOT long after the company had faced the trolls head on, Ygritte found herself sitting in the dirt outside a cave as the rest of the company searched through the trolls belongings. She wasn't very fond of the pungent smell wafting up from the cave. It made her stomach churn from her lack of food.
Ygritte stood from the dirt, deciding to fill her time with someone more useless than sitting around and waiting for them to return. The girl of twenty and three unsheathed her blade with a low hiss. It shimmered in the sun as she smoothed her hand down the finely crafted steel.
She placed her one foot out in front of her and began to swing at the air, acting as if she were facing an enemy or a drunken man that tried to feel her up. The adrenaline pumping in her veins caused a thin layer of sweat to form along her brow as she kept on swinging. By now she had become accustomed to the heaviness, therefore her muscles remained calm and not at all tense like someone would assume because of her woman status.
Ygritte was quite surpised when a blade suddenly clashed against her own. She was taken back at first, her eyes widening with unexpectance. "I could have killed you," Ygritte told him as she took a step back and lowered her blade to her side.
Kili's eyes were dancing with amusment as he sheathed his much shorter blade. "You'd be surpise with how talented I am."
Ygritte hummed as she returned her blade to its scabbard. "I could say the same. I'm not your average woman."
"I don't doubt it," he said with a smirk.
Ygritte shook her head in amusement as she stared down at the dwarf. He continued to surprise her at every waking moment, it seems, with his charming personality. "Are you always this flirtatious?" She decided to ask, much to Kili's surpise.
The dwarf chuckled, eyes dropping to the ground for only a moment before holding hers again. "Only to those most beautiful."
In her mind, she was beginning to wonder if he was this flirtatious to all the woman he's ever come across. However, she hasn't seen him gaze longing toward Aninth, only her. Perhaps it was her dragon companion he was trying to stay clear from? Or perhaps he was just fond of her. Ygritte did not know, but what she did know, is that she did find him attractive. Though she would never admit it out loud to his ego.
"Should I be honoured?" She asked
"Very."
"Don't mind us," Fili smirked as he brushed in-between them, wearing an amused expression. Behind him, were the rest of the company. Thorin, Ygritte noticed, was wearing a sour expression as he held a wrapped blade, that seemed to be perfect for someone of his his stature, in his dirty fingers.
Because she has such high curiosity, Ygritte found herself moving towards her father, who was the last to emerge from the cave. "What has taken residence in Thorin's ─ "
Gandalf chuckled, interrupting his daughter before she could continue. "He doesn't approve of the blades we've discovered."
Ygritte rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Elvish blades, I presume?"
"And many of them," her father nodded. "That reminds me." From his long gray cloak, he pulled out a sheathed dagger. "This should serve you well. It's a fine Elvish blade, you'll find no better dagger, my dear."
Ygritte took it and slowly began to unsheath the dagger to marvel at its beauty. "As always, the craftsmanship is astounding. I've always wondered how the Elves make such fine weapons," she said.
"As have I," her father agreed. "Ah, I almost forgot ─ Bilbo!" Upon hearing his name, the hobbit began to make his way towards them. Gandalf passed him a sheathed sword. "Here you are, this is about your size."
Bilbo took the blade with hesitance. "I can't take this..."
"The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby." Ygritte almost forgot her dagger would do the same, and smiled at the thought. After first visiting the elves, she always wanted to have a blade that would glow and alert her of danger.
"I have never used a sword in my life," Bilbo admitted, flustered. The father and daughter shared a glance, not at all surprised with his response. It was already safe to assume that the only sharp blade Bilbo has ever touched is a knife to cut meals with.
"And I hope you never have to," Gandalf told him, "but if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."
"If you are truly hesitant about it," Ygritte began, "I will gladly be of help."
Gandalf nodded and patted Bilbo on his shoulder, a smile on his aged face. "That settles it. My daughter will teach you how to wield such a blade. In the meantime, keep it close."
Bilbo nodded. He went to say something as well, until Thorin shouted a warning that caused Ygritte to tense up in alarm.
"Something's coming!"
Almost instantly, Ygritte had her blade drawn. Her eyes swept over the area for any sign of danger, and then she could hear it. Something fast was approaching them. She couldn't decipher just what it was, but it was fast but the sounds it made along the ground.
"Gandalf," Bilbo said with wide, fear-filled eyes. The scared hobbit took a step towards the wizard.
"Stay together!" Gandalf shouted to his companions. "Hurry now. Arm yourselves."
They began to run, Gandalf leading the way with Aninth not far behind him. No matter how far the hobbit seemed to be lagging behind, Ygritte made sure to stick right by his side just so she could ensure his safety. The last thing they needed was to lose their burglar before they even made it to the Lonely Mountain. She was determined to allow Bilbo to return home with a still beating heart when all of this was over.
The noises got closer and soon they came to a stop. Ygritte placed herself in front of Bilbo, her sword clutched tightly in her grasp. Even though she knew he could handle himself, Ygritte still glanced toward her father for a singular moment to see if he was alright. With his staff and the Dragonkin woman beside him though, Ygritte knew he was perfectly capable of survival, but still though, she remained worried.
Out of the trees, a sudden rabbit drawn sled emerged. It skid to a stop just short of them, and Ygritte let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was only Radagast, a dear friend and fellow wizard of both herself and her father.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" The wizard shouted.
"Radagast!" Her father said in relief. Everyone seemed to visibly relax after hearing that Gandalf knew the man standing before them. Ygritte lowered her blade as she approached them. She came to a stop so she was standing beside her father. "Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."
"What is it?" Ygritte prompted with concern.
Radagast looked to her and opened his mouth to speak, then shut it after a moment. He opened his mouth again, but, again, closed it. Ygritte sighed, knowing he has forgotten whatever it is that he came to say. As always.
"Oh, just give me a minute," Radagast insisted as he stood pondering for a few short moments. "Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." The shorter wizard curled up his tongue, a look of surprise forming on his face. "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old..."
Gandalf reached forward and, much to Ygritte's dismay, pulled a stick insect out of Radagast's mouth. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, wondering how he could live with some many animals and insects wanting to cuddle or crawl with him. As a girl, he used to always release the birds from his beneath his hat so that she may chase them through the woods around his home during their visits. She found it amusing then, but simply disgusting now, with the dried up bird fesices running down the side of his face.
"Stick insect!"
The dwarves, along with Bilbo and Aninth stayed back a few paces while Gandalf pulled his daughter and Radagast off to speak privately.
"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf," the shorter wizard said, "a darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs."
Ygritte furrowed her brows in confusion. "Webs? What do you mean?"
"Spiders, Ygritte. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."
"Dol Guldur?" Gandalf said in shock.
Ygritte's eyes widened. "But the old fortress is abandoned..."
Radagast shook his head. "No, it is not. A dark power dwells there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come."
Ygritte's eyes widened even further as she looked up to her father in alarm. "This cannot be," she muttered.
"Every word is true, I'm afraid," Radagast said. Suddenly, he began to tremble, as if he were back in Dol Guldor and facing the darkness once again.
"Try a bit of Old Toby. It'll help settle your nerves," Gandalf suggested. He cleaned his pipe with his long beard, then offered it to Radagast, who breathed in a large amount of smoke in content. "And out..."
Radagast, with his eyes crossed and a blissful look on his face, blew out the smoke, then stayed in a trancelike state for a few seconds.
"Now," Gandalf said, "a Necromancer. Are you sure?"
From a clothwrapped package Radagast handed to him, her father revealed to them a blade that caused Ygritte to visibly pale, horrified.
"That is not from the world of the living."
Suddenly, a howl is heard in the distance, which alarms them all. Ygritte, seeming to quickly regain her colour, tightens her grasp on her sword and whips around.
"Was that a wolf? Are there are there wolves out there?" asked Bilbo.
Bolfur shook his head. "Wolves? No, that is not a wolf."
Suddenly, a large weight has Ygritte and a few of the dwarves hurling towards the ground. She let out a groan, feeling the weight remain on her for a few moments. When it's gone, she flipped onto her stomach and began to crawl toward her blade, just as Thorin struck and killed the Warg. Ygritte is quick to grab her sword and be on her feet as another Warg suddenly attacks from the other side of them. Kili quickly shoots it with an arrow, bringing it down. However, it gets back up, only to be killed by Aninth.
"Warg Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."
Bilbo paled, and he sswallowed in fear. "O-Orc pack?"
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf questioned Thorin.
"No one," the dwarf replied.
"Who did you tell?" Gandalf insisted, seeming to not believe him. Not like Ygritte could blame him. Thorin was a man who gave off the impression to have many hidden secrets.
"No one, I swear," Thorin snapped. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Aninth said with an eyeroll. "You are being hunted."
"We have to get out of here," Ygritte said with that a tone of urgency.
"We can't! We have no ponies; they bolted," Ori said, causing the wizard's daughter to sigh.
"I'll draw them off," Radagast spoke up, drawing all eyes over to him.
"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you," Gandalf said.
The wizard smirked. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try."