Eruwen (Part 1 & 2)

Unforeseen complications

Several days later...

"This is where we will camp," Thorin informed us when we arrived with the company at the site of the ruined hut.

They all dismounted from their horses and led them to the trees where they tied them up. 

"A peasant and his family once lived here," Gandalf spoke up.

"What do you think happened then?" I wondered.

"I dare not say, but I think it would be wiser to go on."

"You know Thorin doesn't want to go near the elves."

"Surely Lord Elrond would know how to read the map."

"Well the map contains moon runes and they have a place in the Rivendell that is used to read such maps," I spoke quietly so the dwarves wouldn't hear us. 

"Ah, I had forgotten about your time in the Imladris."

"If I had the map in my hands, I could figure out when the map could be read, but we'd still have to get the dwarves to Rivendell somehow."

"Any ideas?" The wizard wondered

"Besides tying them up or stunning them? No," I replied, "I could steal the map and go to Rivendell myself, but that doesn't seem like a reasonable solution either."

"I'll try to talk to him."

"You won't change his mind. You know how stubborn dwarves are."

It turned out exactly as I predicted - Thorin refused to go to Rivendell. He still carried the resentment from when the elves hadn't helped with the fight against Smaug, or in the battle for Moria where the dwarves had fought the orcs. That was when Thorin's grandfather, the king of the dwarves, died in that fight. Gandalf decided to leave the company for a while, which was surprising.

"What's your plan?" I asked when I ran up to him.

"I don't like it here, so I'll go ahead," he replied.

"Are you going to leave that care of them on me?"

"I'm sure you can handle it."

Thorin ignored the wizard, looking forward to the soup. The one who was nervous about his departure was Bilbo, and he seemed especially restless when night fell and it was dinnertime. I took two bowls from Bofur, one for myself and one for Thorin.

"Here," I said, sitting down beside him and giving him the soup.

"Thank you," he replied.

Feon appeared at our place and I patted him on the head and gave him an apple.

"Why didn't you ever mention that your father was a wizard?"

"Would you believe me?"

His expression said it all. Thorin smiled when Feon appeared at his side and began sniffing him. The dwarf stroked him.

"My father gave it to me when we were still speaking. He took a star in the sky and made Feon out of it. He created the horse first, before giving him wings so that I could cross any chasm and go over any mountain. Tula!"

Feon walked a few steps away from us before lying down to rest.

"What did you say to him?" Thorin wondered.

"Tula means 'go'."

We finished our meal. I smiled because I noticed he had a piece of soup on his face.

"What?" he asked and I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket to clean the stain.

"You had some leftover soup," I explained, letting the handkerchief disappear.

"Oh... thanks," he replied and I had a feeling he was blushing.

"You're welcome."

I heard the twigs snapping, so I reached for my bow and pulled the bowstring with the arrow, and waited. Thorin was quite surprised at my quick reaction. The intruder turned out to be Fili - he looked quite out of breath, which didn't bode well.

"What's wrong?" Thorin asked.

"Ogres."

They all started to get ready and then followed Fili. I got my daggers and took care of cleaning up the campsite, while Feon headed out to monitor the situation from the sky. The dwarves didn't wait for me, I followed their footsteps before I stopped. I climbed up a tree where I could see the whole situation.

The dwarves were overpowered by the ogres, they were three mountain ogres. The ogres had captured them all, stripped them of their excess clothing, and were preparing for a feast. Some were tied up in sacks for the next meal and some were put on a spit made from a single piece of log. They didn't forget to make a good fire. 

They were discussing what kind of roast they were going to have when one of them mentioned that they had to watch the time so they didn't end up petrified. That got me thinking and the hobbit had a similar idea. He started talking to them about cooking so I could quietly get down from the tree and make my way through the bushes to Thorin. I moved closer to him so I could cut the ropes unnoticed.

"Stay down," I whispered and started to move elsewhere. I needed a suitable place to attack from. 

Ready to fire my bow, I waited for the opportune moment. I could see that little was enough, for sunrise was approaching. I fired just as one of the ogres was about to eat Bombur. The arrow hit him in the hand and the dwarf ended up being thrown back to the others.

"Ouch! What the hell was that!" He echoed, and I shot at the other one.

"He's still got some of that nasty dwarf running around," the third one echoed.

"I'd forgive that comment if I were you," I spoke up, revealing my presence.

"Elf?" All three ogres echoed.

"Now you'll catch the day," I said and used magic to split a large chunk of rock in half.

The sun's rays began to hit their skin, which began to turn to stone. In its place, three tall stone statues stood for a short while. And Gandalf appeared, his magic staff extinguishing the fire while I jumped down.

Everyone rejoiced because they had not become the snack of any of the ogres. I handed Bilbo one of my daggers to use to free the bagged dwarves. With my other dagger, I freed the dwarves on the spit. They all put their clothes back on and remembered their weapons.

"Unforeseen complication," the wizard spoke towards Thorin, "at least you're in one piece."

"No, thanks to your burglar," he responded.

"He wisely played for time," I echoed, walking over to the two men. Thorin was quiet, he knew the truth was on my side, "I'm more puzzled by what the mountain ogres were doing so far south of the giantry."

"They haven't been here in ages," Gandal replied.

"I know that too."

"They haven't been here since the dark force ruled the place," he added, and Thorin stiffened.

"There would be a cave somewhere near here if they couldn't travel in daylight," I mentioned, and Thorin and the others began to search for it.