Dawn (A Hobbit Fanfic)

Chapter 8 - Please pardon my ears ending in points, they do that sometimes.

Thorin sounded pissed the fuck off. I understood that, but given it was directed at me, I was practically quivering with fear. "Please, put your sword away, I can explain," I pleaded. My voice sounded surprisingly steady, given how much I wanted to curl up and cry.
He didn't immediately kill me which was nice of him, but he did ask a question: "Why did you lie to us?" It was such a simple question, he didn't even raise his voice, but I'd rather that he'd screamed at me. Then at least I could have screamed back. Now I had to respond in the civilised way, which I sucked dick at. I had been in this sort of situation before, twice no less. Those times it didn't end well. So I had to think about my next words very carefully.

"Well, it wasn't lying, exactly, more hiding the truth." Thorin's furious glare made me swallow heavily. Not good then. "Which is much, much worse," I tried to correct myself, but it was hopeless. The company's expressions ranged from devastated to pissed off to betrayed. "But... if you knew I was of Elvish descend from the start, would you have agreed to take me with you?" I returned Thorin's question with one of my own. I didn't want him to answer it.
"Who are you really?" I was still sat on the ground, propped up on my elbows. I looked away, tears threatening to leave my eyes. Then I heard something heading towards us.

Fast.

"Something's coming..."
"Do not change the subject, Elf!" It wounded me deeply that he didn't use my name. It likely wounded him deeper that I'd lied to all of them.
"No really, listen..."

A sled pulled by a dozen giant rabbits burst out of the trees. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
Everyone had drawn their weapons. I was still on the ground but my sword was steady in my hand.
"Radagast. It's Radagast the Brown," Gandalf sighed in relief. Where were you when I was being verbally attacked, Gandalf?

I was still on the ground. I quickly wiped my eyes and sat up.
"What on Earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked Radagast.
"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong," Radagast explained vaguely.
"Yes?" Gandalf pressed on.
"Just give me a minute. Um...Oh! I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was, it was was right there, on the tip of my tongue!" Radagast stuck his tongue out and pointed vigorously at it. He had a kind of large bug in his mouth. "Oh! It's not a thought at all! It's a silly old stick insect."
Gandalf removed the stick insect from Radagast's mouth. This earned the pair of them some disturbed looks from Bilbo, Fili and Oin.

"So... Why were you looking for Gandalf?" I asked him, getting up.
"The Greenwood is sick, Kahlahari. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs."
"Webs? What do you mean?" Gandalf asked. I already knew what this meant. And it was not good.

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."
It was especially not good if you're like me, and are mortally afraid of spiders. Only ones the size of horses though. Don't laugh, I have a very good reason to fear them.
Centuries ago, when I was so young I could barely walk, I was like 'no fuck you dad' and slipped outside. He had explicitly told me not to, but I had nicked an arrow so I was basically a god. Until the spiders came and my father had to rescue me. Since then I have a very rational fear of spiders the size of cattle.

"Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned."
"No, Gandalf, it is not. A dark power dwells in there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come." He seemed to be reliving a stressful memory, so Gandalf gave him a smoke from his pipe to settle his nerves.
He and Gandalf walked out of the Dwarves' earshot to discuss the Necromancer. I was about to walk with them when Thorin stopped me. "No, you will remain right here where we can keep an eye on you."