The Oncoming Storm (Book 2 in the Lionheart Trilogy)

So, this is the first chapter of the sequel to Lionheart. I do not own any of the characters or anything else, besides Reyna and whoever else I create and Ibilissa, of course. All credit goes to J.R.R. Tolkein and those who created the Hobbit Films. Enjoy :)

The young man knew something was amiss when he saw the dark smoke spiraling acrossed the blue midday sky. He made his way towards the source of the smoke on foot. The young man had left Ash, his mount, behind in Rivendell. He refused to risk the horses's well-being in his travels through the Misty Mountains. Lord Elrond had been very hospitable, as the young man had been to Rivendell several times before. The Lord of Rivendell had informed him that the Company had left just a few days before the young Bender had arrived and were making for the Misty Mountains.

The young man had lost their trail, but he had no doubt that something had happened when he saw the large amount of smoke. He made his way up the grey, rock path, his brown boots hardly making a noise as he went. The young Bender had his hood pulled up to conceal his face from any unwanted observers. He found himself at the side of the mountain and walked over to the rock wall. He noticed a buried entrance and scowled. He removed his hood, exposing his short, bronze-colored hair. His amber eyes glinted with anger and disgust.

"Goblins." he spat. He had realized that this had been one of the numerous entrances to the Kingdom of the Goblins that were hidden throughout the Misty Mountains. He hated the vile creatures with all his being. And he gathered pretty quickly that they had been the reason that the Company had went off the grid.

The young Bender smelled the smoke much stronger here, and could see that the origin of the thick, dark smoke was nearby. He followed the scent and came upon a dead warg. There were signs of struggle and a chase. Not good, he thought nervously. He ran through the forest, following the trail. He came to a clearing and his amber eyes widened in alarm. The place was all but destroyed. There were several fallen trees, including one that lay precariously on the edge of the cliff. There was still fire burning around him, though not much. The great cloud of smoke had been created by burning grass and leaves. And then there were the bodies. Many dead orcs and wargs were left to rot around the clearing. The orcs never did care for their dead. Or cleaned up their messes. The young man walked over to where the fire was still burning. His eyes glowed bright orange and the flames went out.

He checked around the area and walked up to a dead warg. He pulled out an arrow that had been lodged into the beast's head. He had never seen an arrow like this one before, and decided it must have been one of the Company's. It was not one of the red-fletched arrows that Reyna used, so whose was it? It was unusual for dwarves to wield a bow. They preferred heavy axes and swords. The young Bender then remembered the dwarf that Reyna had told him about. One that used a bow. What was his name? Kili? Yes, that was it.

The young bender was uneasy because of the sheer number of dead orcs and wargs spread around the clearing. He investigated the battleground further. He knelt down when he came across something that did not quite fit. He picked up the small object and dusted the dirt off of it. It was a wooden pipe. It had dwarven runes and symbols carved into it. The company had definitely been here. But the arrows and the pipe had been the only evidence that suggested that they had been in this place. No dwarven bodies were among the dead orcs, so that meant everyone had survived the battle, including Reyna. He released a sigh of relief.

The young Bender inspected the treeline, searching for the trail of either the fleeing Company or that of the orcs that pursued them. He shortly found the trail and smiled. Orcs never were good at concealing their tracks. Which made it all the more easy for the Benders to hunt them down.

The young man was not naive, however, and realized that the orcs were rising. The situation had become larger than Reyna or the other Benders had comprehended. Something evil was stirring, the young man could feel it deep down inside of him.