there and back again

5

After being untied, Raine helped pull the other dwarves to their feet.

She avoided Thorin's gaze, but felt him watching her. She turned to Gandalf. "There should be a cave nearby," she said.

He nodded and after regaining their belongings, the Company set off to find it.

Ten minutes later, having followed the severe smell, Raine stepped into the cave, not minding the stench as much. "Dragon dung is worse," she commented.

A sword rack caught her eye and she approached it, pulling two beautiful blades from the dusty holder.

She handed one to Gandalf, who seemed very happy, and the other to Thorin.

"Elvish make," she muttered, seeing the way the blade curved. The dwarf made to seath the sword, but she stopped him.

"You won't find a finer blade. At least until we reach Erebor."

She turned away, going to Bilbo, and didn't see the small smile Thorin gave at her last sentence.

When they stepped outside, Gandalf gave Bilbo a large dagger as a sword. Raine nodded reasuringly at his hesitant expression.

Suddenly rabbits burst out of some bushes, pulling a small sled with them.

Gandalf smiled at Radagast the Brown and they stepped away, speaking in hushed voices.

Raine stood uneasily, eyeing the woods around them. "We should not linger," she said. Just then a howl pierced the air.

"Warg scouts," Raine hissed. She swung around and killed the creature.

Gandalf returned. "Who did you tell about this quest?!" he asked Thorin.

"No one, I swear!"

Raine inhaled sharply, not just at the pain that ran across her throat, but also at realization.

"We are being hunted."

The Company of Thorin Oakenshield ran, dodging behind rocks, as Radagast provided a diversion.

Soon, however, they were behind a large boulder with an orc astride a warg abive them.

Thorin nodded to Killi, who nodded back and jumped out of the hiding place and shot the orc.

It took a few swings of the axe to kill both of the creatures. Their cries echoed through the plain, drawing the attention of the rest of the orc pack.

Raine cursed inwardly as they ran again, following Gandalf with the pack on their heals.

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed an arrow flying towards Thorin's head. Well, she thought. I can't very well let the leader die.

She leapt up behind him, wincing when the arrow burried itself in her shoulder.

"Brilliant."

She grabbed the dwarf's arm and dragged him faster.

She nearly threw him into the small cave wherd Gandalf called him, spinning around to kill a pouncing warg.

"Bastards," she growled.

When she slid down to join the others, she ignored their fussing at her shoulder and pointed to an orc that rolled down to meet them.

It was dead, a sleek arrow jotting out of his chest.

"Elves," Thorin growled, glaring at Gandalf.

The wizard nodded. "We should go down the passage way," he said matter-of-factly. "There's no way we can go back up."