Run It Back Again (Part 1)

Chapter 19

Before I could take one step, Fili caught me around the waist and dragged me along.  Soon, we realized the only way to escape being run down was by climbing.  And, we climbed the trees near the cliff.  As soon as everyone was safe from the Wargs' teeth, I looked out and saw Orcs.  The pale Orc was among them.  Thorin's jaw dropped.

"Arzog..."  The Orc stopped and smelled the air.  I whimpered slightly at the sight of the creature that had haunted my dreams hundreds of times before as he spoke in his own tongue.

"Do you smell that?"  I tried to ignore the scents as he spoke.  "It's the smell of fear.  Your father reeked of it...  Thorin Oakenshield."  He turned and smiled a little at Skyrena.  "And you must be the single shapeshifter who escaped me..."  I gulped and growled at him, making his attention turn towards me.  "What have we here...?"  Fili's grip on my arm tightened as the Orc pointed at Thorin, Skyrena, and I.  "Them, I want.  Kill the rest!"  Skyrena lost it, and, roaring in anger, she leaped from the tree, shifting into a warg.

*Skyrena's Pov-

Once I hit the ground, I started to fight off the Wargs who were attempting to reach the dwarves.  The others scrambled further into the tree and attempted to avoid the Wargs while I fought.  One caught my scruff only to receive a blow to the eye and lose its eye.  Another tackled me from the side.  I turned, bearing my fangs, and ripped out its throat.  Yet another attacked me from the front.  Before I could react, another rolled me onto my back and bit my side.  I shifted back into a dwarf as I cried out in pain.

Just then, the fire hit the ground beside me.  The dwarves were throwing burning pinecones to slow the Wargs down and to help me.  Rolling to my feet, I cluched my side, ignoring the pain.  Arsock's Orcs started after me, but the dwarves turned their aim to the Orcs.  I grinned and climbed the tree.  Thorin helped me up.

"Are you okay?"  I nodded and bit my lip as I sat back.

I'd make these creatures pay for threatening my friends and my future child...

*Era's Pov-

"Look out!"  As I threw a firery pine cone, I noticed our tree was tipping.  Fili grabbed my arm and pulled me close to the trunk of the tree.

"Hold on, Era!"  I closed my eyes as the tree hit the ground, coming dangerously close to the cliff.  I swallowed hard as I looked up and around.  Fili had pulled me to safety...  "Are you okay?"  I nodded and looked out towards the pale Orc, who glared at all of us.

Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes and began extracting some of the energy from the fire.  I wasn't able to take a lot because the fire was the only thing keep us from being attacked, but I could extract just enough to stand on my own, without the amplified strength.  I opened my eyes and saw Thorin charging at the pale Orc.  Arzog didn't even do much but charge in return.  Knocking him to the ground, Arzog grinned as he looked down at Thorin.  Skyrena lost it.

"Thorin!"  The pale Orc turned towards her.

She shot at him with her bow, roaring in anger.  He evaded each shot with ease.  Before long, she shifted into a warg and attacked him.  He lifted his blade and knocked her to the ground at his feet.  The blow had hit her hard enough to make her shift back to a dwarf.  Before I could find my feet, a Warg had pinned her to the ground, growling.  An Orc hovered over her, his blade drawn.  The pale Orc shook his head.

"Not her..."  He pointed at Thorin with his good arm.  "Bring me his head."  I whimpered as the Orc secured Thorin and raised his blade.  Without thinking, I started towards them.  However, I knew, without my shapeshifter speed, I'd never make it in time to save him.

"No!"  Out of nowhere, Bilbo flew at the Orc.

I felt pure rage surging through my veins as I watched the two struggle.  First, the Orcs attack us, catch me, then they nearly kill Thorin...  Now, Bilbo is in danger?  I lifted my blade and charged, draining energy from the fires.  Shifting into a warg, I knocked the warg away from Skyrena, freeing her, and turned back to face the Orc, who was fighting Bilbo.  Attacking the Orc, I reached him as he went to strike Bilbo and ripped off his head.  The pale Orc roared in anger but didn't charge.  I stood beside Bilbo, placing myself between the Orc and the dwarf, and growled menacingly.  Bilbo held up his sword, looking scared out of his mind.

"You're a shapeshifter, too...?"  I growled as I shifted back into a dwarf and drew my blade, standing beside Skyrena, who had shifted back into warg, and Bilbo, who was holding up his blade.  The Orc nodded at the three of us.  "Bring me the shapeshifters and kill the others."  I snarled and roared in anger as I shifted into a warg.

One warg nearly tore off my shoulder before I ripped out his throat.  Skyrena fought to protect Thorin as I stood, fighting to protect Bilbo.  Behind us, the dwarves were shouting and holding on for their lives.  Suddenly, I heard what sounded like eagles and watch a giant one fly in and knock him to the ground while others flew in and helped the other dwarves.  I shifted to my dwarf form and caught Bilbo's arm.

"Get ready to run straight for the cliff..."  As soon as one caught Thorin, I nodded.  "Now!"  We both jumped off the cliff and landed on the back of one of the eagles.

As soon as we landed, I winced.  My shoulder was bloody, but it was still connected to the rest of me.  Bilbo helped me sit down and held tight as we flew.  We flew through the whole night, flying east, towards the mountain.  Soon, we landed on a mountain side a good distance away.  I stumbled a little as I got of.  However, before I could hit the ground, Fili caught me.

"Are you insane?!?  You could have been killed..."  I cringed a little, biting back a cry of pain.

"I know, but...  I couldn't just let them kill Bilbo and Thorin."