Dance Of Darkness And Light

Chapter 5: By Way Of Guile And Urgency

Chapter 5: By Way Of Guile and Urgency

Linshara had to snap herself out of her fascination with the now stoned trolls. Gandalf rushed past her and started freeing the dwarves on the ground. She stepped around Bert the Troll and over to the dwarves that were tied to a spit over a rather warm fire. She extended her arm, palm open and up as if in a grip.

Bofur and Dwalin stared at her incredulously.

"Lass, wha' are ye d...." Bofur's words caught in his throat as they began to lift, together with the beam they were tied to into the awaiting arms of the others who were now free.

One by one they were released from the spit while Gandalf doused the fire. Linshara slowly lowered the beam onto the ground away from them as Fili and Kili stepped over to her.

"So could you toss the beam like a ram or boulder if needed?" Kili asked wearing a big grin.

"Kili!" Fili gently scolded elbowing Kili in the ribs. "Are you alright, Linshara?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "I should be asking you that, don't you think?"

Kili sniggered next to Fili, "she's right, brother. We are fine by the way, I imagine Bilbo is the worst off."

She immediately looked over at the Hobbit then back at the two, "oh?"

Fili finally found his voice, "aye. He was covered head to toe in troll snot. Nasty business." He played it cool.

Gandalf and Thorin who'd been talking near them walked past, Thorin huffing unintelligibly, Gandalf shaking his head.

"Fili, Kili, come!" Thorin barked from somewhere to their right.

If she noticed the two leaving she didn't show it. There was something at periphery of her senses, tickling at them. Something was angry, confused, scared and fascinated by a multicoloured beetle. It was also worried about something or someone called Sebastian. Almost as if nature itself was speaking. It was getting closer.

Linshara took a subconscious step or two forward, trying to identify the sensation. She was broken out of her focus by Fili who had returned with a beautifully crafted sword.

"Here, this sword is lighter and has beautiful design. Should suit you better than mine." He offered her a sword of elven make with a smile.

She didn't quite see him nor the sword as she took it into her hand. ~A hat that leaks bird droppings?~

"What's wrong?" Fili noticed her vacant, some what confused stare.

Finally her eyes caught his, "something's coming."

Dwalin, Bofur and Gloin immediately stepped past her weapons drawn. "Aye..."

"Thief! Fire! Murder!" A high pitched voice shouted as someone jumped out of the bushes.

They all turned to face a man on a sleigh drawn by rabbits. His clothes were shabby, tattered and worn. He indeed wore a hat that leaked bird droppings.

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown!" Gandalf called in a mix of surprise and confusion.

Linshara frowned a little as the other man seemed to ignore everyone but Gandalf. While he looked scattered and unfocused, she could feel he was as powerful as Gandalf. The two began talking as Gandalf pulled him to the side.

She shook her head as she finally took a look at the blade. It was indeed quite beautiful. It reminded her of a scimitar with its curved tip. There was a pattern of some kind of writing along the middle of the flat side of the blade following its curvature. There was a sort of power imbued into it.

~Everything is steepled with power here.~

She turned towards Radagast and Gandalf again as the Grey unwrapped a dagger.

"That is an evil blade." Linshara said, "imbued with the dark side."

Radagast looked over at her, "Gandalf told me about you. Quite intriguing. Tell me, what's a bantha like? Are nexu cats tamable?"

She blinked in surprise at the randomness of his question and the fact he plucked the information out of her mind without her noticing. Or had it come from Gandalf?

She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Gandalf's pointed throat clearing. "Are you sure this came from the wraith?"

Suddenly, there was a howl. "Are there wolves in these parts?" Bilbo asked.

"Wolves! That was no wolf." Bofur said as he clutched his mattock.

Suddenly a creature burst from the bushes straight at Bilbo. Thorin came to his rescue and slew it.

"Warg scouts, which means an orc pack is not far behind." He growled.

"Who did you tell about this quest beside your kin?" Gandalf asked.

"Noone."

"Who did you tell!?"

"Noone, I swear!"

Sword drawn, Linshara moved to the side then quickly spun and cut off the head of another warg just as it jumped out.

"They are hunting us. We need to get out of here immediately." She said as the warg's head rolled by her feet.

"I'll draw them off." Radagast said suddenly.

Gandalf turned to him. "These are gundabad wargs, they will outrun you."

"These are rhosgobel rabbits! I'd like to see them try." Radagast flashed a dirty toothed grin.

Gandalf was reluctant to let his friend face this alone, but he lead the company on regardless. The run was long, arduous and full of stops, hiding and fears that they would get caught none the less. At one point they were almost cornered before Kili took down one of the warg riders. This however drew the ones that had been chasing Radagast to give up pursuit of him and change direction towards them.

At one point the dwarves stood in a semi circle near a rock formation, ready to face down the wargs, having nowhere to rub, Linshara doing the same only protecting Bilbo in particular when they noticed Gandalf had disappeared.

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin growled.

"Stand your ground!" Thorin bellowed afterwards.

As the wargs and their riders began approaching, Linshara suddenly blinked. She saw a hidden valley, filled with light, warmth and a feeling of safety. It was near, so near they could almost see the entrance to it. Then she recognized the feeling. The Light Side nexus, they were so close to it.

"This way! Hurry!" She suddenly yelled and pulled Bilbo with her towards the very rock formation.

Seeing her already gone and the rest of his company inching in her direction anxiously Thorin sighed. "Let's go!" He barked and most of the company followed, "Fili! Kili!"

As they slid down, Linshara noticed Gandalf peeking at them from behind a bend, "this way!"

She nodded to Bilbo, "go. It will be safe. I'll get the others! Go!"

Bilbo nodded and headed after Gandalf while Linshara helped the others and motioned for them to follow after Bilbo.

"Where is he taking us?" Thorin grabbed her elbow. Fili and Kili came to a halt beside them, looking mostly at Thorin with wariness.

"To a safe place. The orcs won't hunt us there, have faith in him and in me, Thorin." She said with a warm placating tone. "We should hurry after the others."

Thorin grumbled and released her elbow before nodding to the three and headed after the others. She felt Fili put his hand on her shoulder and squeeze it gently.

"He is just tense, do not take his words to heart." He said with a small smile.

She threw him a wink and a grin and motioned for him to go first while she took up the rear.