In Time

Chapter Three

"Do we really have time for this?" Bilbo asked as he shifted nervously.
"I think, it would be most beneficially, if she is to stay," Gandalf said, taking a long puff of his pipe.
"I agree," Thorin said, "I have to train Ren. She could get hurt."

"Uncle Thorin!" Kili chirped, "We should teach her to shoot a bow." "I think a knife is more than enough now," Thorin dismissed his nephew.

Thorin handed the little girl a sheathed knife. She held it in her hand awkwardly.

"Unsheathe the knife and hold the handle firmly in your palm," Thorin said, beginning his instruction.
Ren did as she was told.

"Feel the weight of the knife in your hand. Balance it. Let the knife be an extension of your arm," Thorin said. He allowed himself to squat down to her eye level. "I want you to throw the knife at that tree over there,"

Ren frowned. She let out a short breath. With all the strength she could muster Ren threw the knife. It landed only a pitiful few feet away.

Thorin sighed. "Perhaps I should show you," he mumbled. Bowing her head, the little russet haired girl handed him the knife.

"Allow it to be an extension of your body. Let it take the energy from your muscles. My father told me, that knife throwing was its own art, that knives had minds of their own," Thorin closed his eyes and took in a breath. He drew back his arm, and threw. The knife hit its mark. "Now try again," he prompt.
She took the knife back.

"Work on your stance first," the dwarf said, tapping her legs, "Spread them out squarely with your shoulders."
Ren adjusted her stance.

"Take in a breath while drawing back and let it out when you throw," he said softly.

She did just that. The knife missed the tree by a few feet.
"Put more power into it next time," Thorin crossed his arms over his chest and observed.
Again Ren tried and again she missed. After several attempts of throwing and missing, she looked up at Thorin hopelessly.

Guilt lingered in his blue eyes. "Keep trying," he said roughly, "Practice will never make perfect, but practice makes improvement." With new found hope, Ren threw again. She practiced with Thorin till the sun drifted high in the blue sky.

"That's enough for today," Thorin smiled slightly, "You did very well, but we've wasted half a day with this."
Ren didn't know how to feel. Thorin praised her, yet she felt insulted.
"Are you coming?" Thorin asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Yes, I'm coming," she rushed after him. Thorin frowned down at her, "Are you alright?" he questioned. "I'm perfectly fine," she said. Thorin quirked his eyebrows but nodded.

"Are we all ready to travel?" Thorin asked.

"'Bout time we started movin'." Dwalin said, his voice was rough, "Durin's Day will be upon us in a matter of weeks."
Ren had heard of Durin's Day before. It was celebrated in the Iron Hills. It was a wonderful celebration. Durin's Day was the last day of autumn. A day when the Sun and the Moon seemed to be in the sky on the same day. Ren knew they weren't, not really. The moon just rose very quickly.

In her kingdom, Durin's Day was celebrated merrily. They spent many days preparing for it by setting up decorations. Mothers and daughters made great feasts. Fathers and sons made new weapons and tools. Friends and families had huge banquets, the royal family would make speeches of thanks. At sunset, they would all go outside the walls and watch the sun set and the moon rise. It was something Ren was going to miss.

She was pulled from her thoughts quickly. "Ren you in there?" the brothers said in unison.
Shaking her head, Ren blinked. "Sorry," she said looking up at them, "I was just thinking."
Fili snorted in amusement.

"What's so funny?" she questioned with an ornery look.
"Nothing," Fili said, smiling. "You're just more and more like Thorin and it's been only two weeks," Kili shook his head a broad smile on his face.
Ren shifted her weight from one foot to another awkwardly, looking down at her feet. "You think that's good?" she looked up.
"Yes," the two said, "We look after one another now so Uncle Thorin doesn't really have anyone one to take care of," Fili explained, "Not until you came along that is."
"Oh," she looked at them both, "I-"
"Fili! Kili! Get Ren and let's go," Thorin called, a little bit away. The blonde and brunette dwarves motioned for Ren to go with them.

They went off, marching through the forest. Ren was trailing tiredly behind Thorin. His training session had worn her out.
Balin and Thorin were side by side, talking quietly. The group trudged on through the day and till late into the night. They stopped when the sounds of a threatening roars sounded nearby.
"What was that?" Ren squeaked, jumping behind Thorin. Thorin looked at the Company grimly, "Orcs."
"We've got to be careful," Balin said. Wearily they moved on a little further till an arrow shot by Dwalin's head.

Huge white creatures appeared. They're faces scared horridly. The beasts bared weapons and teeth. Some rode atop huge wolves with gleaming beady red and black eyes.
Ren assumed those monstrous beasts were orcs. She'd never seen one before and they must have been made of nightmares.

"The trees!" Thorin said hurriedly.

The Company fled to the trees. Ren ran as face at her little legs would let her. She drew in a sharp breath as she heard the foul creature speak. They spoke a language she couldn't understand, but it didn't sound friendly.

Ren scrambled up a tree. She looked desperately around. She could spot Thorin sitting on a lower branch. The other dwarves were sitting on branches higher up and lower down from her.

Her eyes searched desperately for each dwarf. Ren tightened her grip on the tree, when the orcs began firing arrows. The scent of smoke filled her nose. She froze out of fear. Ren began shaking in fear. Looking down at the ground, she saw fire littering the ground around the orcs.
Suddenly, the orcs didn't scare her so much. The flames were terrifying her. Even worse they started climbing on the tree she was hiding in.

Racked with terror Ren let out a short yelp. Bofur heard her cry of fear.
"Ren!" he called waving one arm, "Ren! Over here! Jump, you can make it!"

She looked at him and brushed a strand of russet hair sloppily away from her face. With shaky knees she made her way to the end of the branch and jumped. Everything seem to slow down.
Ren grabbed the end of the branch. Flames licked around her. Bofur crawled toward the branch to help the girl. Though his weight made the branch start to crack.
"Bofur," she whimpered fearfully, "Help." Bofur crawled a little further. As he reached out to grab her the branch cracked and Ren shrieked as she fell.
"Ren!" Bofur screamed.

Ren hit the ground. She heard a sickening crunch. She was swept with pain. Hot air suddenly hit her. Looking toward the source she cried out of fear. One of the wolves was standing over her. She tried to scramble away from it. The creature clamped its jaws around her shoulder, its teeth piercing her skin. Ren screeched.
The metallic taste of blood welled up in her mouth, and she felt it dribbled down theside of her lips. The wolf brought her to the biggest of the orcs in the army of hideous white beasts. He grinned darkly and took Ren from the wolf.
The orc roared two words. Two words she could understand. "THORIN OAKENSHEILD!"

Thorin was already on the ground moving toward the orc that held the girl. Fili and Kili were descending the trees.

"Let her go," Thorin bellowed, "And I won't kill you."
A throaty noise escaped the orc leader, it sounded like twisted laughter. The white orc threw Ren to the side. She groaned in pain.
The brothers were on her quickly. "Come on Ren. Stay with us," Fili said, as Kili stood over her and his older brother. His bow drawn.

Ren cracked her eyes open. The blonde dwarf was peering over her. He scooped Ren up in his arms. She looked at Kili who was walking behind them, he looked worried. Ren glanced at Thorin.
Her eyes widened in fear as the orc swung at Thorin. The monster didn't miss. He hit the dwarf sending him flying.

"THORIN!" she screamed, struggling out of Fili grasp.
Thorin's nephews whirled around. Fili quickly pulled Ren's head into his chest.
"Don't look Ren," "We need to get her out of here," Kili said, hurrying his brother.

The three looked up as great eagles soared overhead. The blonde and the brunette looked at each other. Then Fili pressed Ren closer to his chest. Then they both took off running. Ren looked around widely. She felt Fili jump. Looking down, she saw them sailing into the canyon below. She screamed in terror.

Ren felt herself land on something soft. Then Fili's heavy body crushing her bruised one. She groaned in pain. Hurriedly, the blonde let go of her. Both brothers had one hand gripping the birds' feathers.
Fili crawled over to his brother and Ren. The beautiful white feathers were now red with blood.
"Stay with us Ren," Fili said. Both looked desperate. "Thorin still needs you," Kili said. Ren blinked dizzily. A wave of nausea hit her like a stone.

Ren manage to stay conscious, till the birds finally landed. The sun was starting to peak over the horizon. Ren stumbled off the bird. She'd have collapsed if it weren't for two brothers holding her up.
"Thorin?" Ren asked in mumbled tone. She saw an eagle drop a body. It was Thorin's body. A new kind of terror shot through her. She scrambled to him. The other dwarves stood around her and Thorin in a circle, looking sullen.
"Father?" she squeaked, she felt tears coming to her eyes. "Father!" her voice rising now, she felt someone touch her shoulder. "FATHER!" she shirked before collapsing and sinking beneath the waves of sleep.