Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

TWENTY-FIVE

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

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"He is waiting for them!" Thráin whispered, running ahead, stopping every few meters to make sure the grey wizard was following him. "They are in league. The dragon and the one! Hurry. We must hurry!" He turned his attention back to the wizard, but paused when he saw him stop in his steps.

Thráin followed his line of sight, and turned slowly to see what he was looking at. It was a woman. An older woman that stood a few lengths away from them. Although, her face showed youth, her hair did not. Her hair was as dark as raven was, with a few streaks of grey that started at the root of her hair and to the middle of her hair. She was skinny. The dirty, ripped, shirt she wore hung slightly off her bruised shoulder; her pants were baggy, and rose a bit over her exposed ankles. The worn out shoes she had on looked as if they were going to fall apart any minute from then.

The woman stood there. Her arms hung at her sides, and she stared.

"Doreen?" Gandalf stammered out, not believing his own eyes. It was Selene's mother. He hadn't seen her for several years. The last time he saw her, was when he was passing by a village. He'd seen her wandering around a market, but she was in a hurry. When he called out to her and tried to catch up, she ran off without looking back. But if Selene were there with him, he knew Selene would have chased her mother down, no matter what. "Doreen, are you all right?" Gandalf pushed passed Thráin, to stand face-to-face with her.

"I-" Doreen's glossy eyes remained on the wizard. She was scared. Gandalf could tell. "Gandalf..." She whispered, her voice breaking. The wizard took a step forward, ready to comfort the woman, but she stepped away. She shook her head, "You need to get out of here." She sniffed, trying to contain her tears from falling.

"I will. But you're coming with." Gandalf latched his hand around her wrist and pulled her along. The moment was short-lived when a loud roar came, then the figure of a tall, pale orc leaped from a ruined building and swung his mace, knocking Gandalf to his feet after the wizard shielded the woman with his own, fragile body. He landed severely on his back, groaning in pain as he raised his head to look at Azog and Nhel, who joined her mate's side.

Azog laughed tauntingly, before saying, "You have come too late, Wizard! It is done." Azog grasped his mace with both of his large hands, raising it above his head to finish off the wizard, but Gandalf was faster.

Gandalf jumped to his feet and used the magic from his staff to hold back the two orcs and the rest of them that stood behind their leaders. "Where is your master?!" He asked with a grunt. Azog roared in response, trying to break free, but the magic prevented him from doing so. Gandalf asked again, "Where is he?!"

"He is everywhere." Nhel responded in the dark language, "We are legion!" The two pale orcs watched the wizard peak over the edge of the ruin they stood on. They didn't let the shocked expression on his face go unnoticed. There were hundreds of dozens of orcs and wargs, right underneath their feet.

"It is over." Azog snarled, raising his mace once again. But he was too slow.

Gandalf used his staff to blind the orcs with a bright light, letting the crash of a thunderstorm muffle his escape with Thráin and Doreen.

"No!" Nhel cried out. She panted heavily, running from corner to corner, to see if she could spot them. "They took the mother! No!"

Azog furrowed his eyebrows and listened to the sounds of their feet running in a different direction. He knew exactly where they were. "Run them down. Kill the Wizard and the Dwarf, but bring back the mother." He ordered the orcs, and they obliged.