Embracing the Shadows

Chapter Eight- Wolves of Wargs

When we finally stumbled out Gandalf counting us as we rushed past "Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve... Bombur thirteen... Elbereth, ­ that makes fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!" I growl and begin to stalk back to the goblin town leaving their faint arguing behind until I hear Thorin speak.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone." I am back at his side in a flash, pinning him against a tall pine

"And what make you say that?" I questioned through gritted teeth "That Hobbit is worth more than anyone I have ever met. Including you" Thorin's eyes flash in fear and his face gains a bluish tinge as he splutters against my hand. I let go and turn.

My jaw drops Bilbo stands there with my pack behind him "No, he isn't."

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf calls ignoring the wolves. The Dwarves draw their weapons as the Wolves move forward with Bilbo and then their mouths drop as I run forward and hug Celia tightly, my fingers weaving through her fur.

Bilbo quickly moves to the company, his face white with fear, I got the feeling that he didn't realise that he was being followed. They begin to question Bilbo as I release Celia and move to hug the other pack members.

"It matters! I want to know: why did you come back?" I pull away to hear what Thorin has to say. He pales considerably, I do say I must look formidable with the pack at my back.

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo says throwing the Dwarves into silence.

I stand at the head of my pack when a harsh howl is heard "Out of the frying pan..." Thorin says stumbling back

"...and into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf finishes. They start running and I follow behind, my family hot on my heels.

A Warg makes it past my defensive line and goes for Bilbo, who dives behind a nearby rock The Warg's jaws snap in the air over his head. The Warg then lands in front of him. Growling, it charges at him. Quinn dives for the advancing Warg, and reaches him just as the stupid beast impales itself in the head on the sword and falls down dead. Quinn shakes the body a few times before nudging Bilbo to his feet.

My pack and I hold off the Wargs as the company flees towards a cliff drop "Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" Gandalf commands

I see a gap in the Wargs "Drego" (Flee) I call to Celia who wines. I catch her eyes and she lets out a nod, they run leaving me to draw my sword against the tirade of Wargs.

I am quickly pulled up by Gandalf's staff in my hood as the beasts surge forward. I look down as Gandalf reaches his staff up for something. The ceased growing worries me, but I soon find out why the ever growing beasts have suddenly gone silent. White Warg, with Azog on its back, approaches slowly. Thorin's back stiffens

"Azog?!"

"Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast?" (Do you smell it? The scent of fear?) Azog pats his Wargs head "Ganzilig­i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train­ob." (I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain.) I lean forward and growl, baring my teeth while placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder in comfort

"It cannot be." He whispers painfully

"Kod, Toragid biriz." (Those two are mine.) He points to Thorin and I "Worori­da!"(Kill the others!) The flesh hungry creatures lunge at the tree and snap at our heels. "Sho gad adol!" (Drink their blood!) Azog calls and the frenzy multiplies. Slowly the tree topples forcing us to leap to the next tree which under the weight of us and our old safe house begins to topple causing a domino effect till the last tree on the edge of the cliff fortunately remains standing.

Azog laughs. Looking up I see Gandalf looking around in desperation, before he spies a pinecone. He grabs it and uses his staff to set the pinecone on fire. He then throws it down amid the Wargs, who retreat in fear of the fire. Gandalf lights two more pinecones and throws one down to Fili calling to him. And then we ensure into a pinecone fight, like I played as a child, only slightly more lethal.

The tree lurches as some of its roots rise from the ground. And we all cling to the trunk of the safe haven tightly. A couple of the Dwarves fall and Thorin turns down to Azog who growls. Thorin pulls himself up, his sword drawn, and walks down the leaning trunk as we look on. Thorin runs through the burning ground at Azog and his White Warg. I can only watch as Azog spreads his arms wide with a smug grin on his face.

Thorin growls as he runs with his sword up and his oaken branch shield held in front of him. Azog crouches, then roars as his Warg leaps at Thorin. Thorin tries to swing his sword, but Thorin is thrown to the ground.

I haul myself up as Thorin struggles up and just as I find my balance on the log Thorin is struck in the face.

"Nooo!" Someone behind me calls.

The White Warg clamps its jaws around Thorin and Thorin yells in pain.

"Thorin! Nooo!" Someone else calls behind me as I begin to stride through the fire. Thorin manages to hit the White Wargs head with the pommel of his sword resulting in him being thrown to the side.

"Biriz torag khobdudol." (Bring me the Dwarf's head) Azog calls. I unsheathe my sword and begin to behead the Orcs after the Halfling who followed me down.

Everything slows down as I see a mace heading for my head, the squawk of an eagle echoing through my head.