Dawn (A Hobbit Fanfic)

Chapter 14 - You have a lot of nerve being alive.

"Curse the Halfling, now he's lost?"
"I thought he was with Kili!"
"Don't blame me!"
"Well, where did you last see him?"
"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us."

I heard something move on the edge of the clearing, I crept over to investigate.
"What happened exactly? tell me!" Gandalf sounded almost panicked.
"I'll tell you what happened," started Thorin. I didn't like this already. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since we first stepped out his door. We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."
I whipped around from the tree where I was standing, fuming with anger again. "How dare you say that?" My voice was calm, but there was a fire concealed within. "What if he died down there? He might be dead and you're here damaging his memory by making him out to be a deserter." My voice cracked and tears escaped my eyes. I had nothing to say to Thorin anymore.

"No he isn't, I'm not gone."
I turned at the voice. "Bilbo!" I ran up to him and enveloped him in my arms. I didn't say anything more. I only had to run about two paces because appeared from the tree behind me.
"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone on my life," Gandalf's voice was filled with relief.
"Bilbo! We'd given you up!"
"How on Earth did you get past those Goblins?"
"How indeed?" The Dwarves were shocked, but pleased all the same and so was I. I let Bilbo go and backed away. Bilbo gave a nervous laugh and slipped something in his pocket.
"What does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf dismissed the question for Bilbo.

"It matters. I want to know. Why did you come back?" asked Thorin. I was about to yell at him again, but as I drew a breath to do so, Bilbo shushed me by putting his finger on my lips.
"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, my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And you don't have one, a home. Not even Dawn. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." I was impressed, as was Gandalf. We gave our friend a warm smile. The Dwarves were taken aback, as if it only now dawned on them that Bilbo cared. It dawned on me that Thorin didn't question my place in the Company, at least not when I was there. He didn't even threathen to throw me out when he first learned of my Elvishness, he did threathen to leave me behind, but not specifically to send me home. Not that I had one...
Thorin only once seemed to distrust me. If he didn't question me to my face, why did he question Bilbo to his?

I heard something in the distance, coming our way. Then I heard Black speech and knew that we were neck-deep in a fucked situation again.
"Guys-" I was interrupted by the howl of a Warg. That got my point across better than I could have done it. Thorin looked to Gandalf, fear in his eyes.
"Out of the frying pan-"
"And into the fire," Gandalf finished the expression. "Run. Run."
We wheeled around and ran down the mountain side with the Orcs hot on our tails. I led the company, Gandalf close behind me, the Dwarves were a few yards behind us.
We ran until we reached a cliff face, where a few riderless Wargs had caught up to us.

They swarmed us. One sprang to my face and knocked me on my back. Usually I loved dogs jumping up at me and licking my face. Getting knocked down is an acceptable vice. But this dog wasn't jumping up because he wanted to be scratched behind his ears. This one wanted to eat my face.
I stabbed it the throat with my sword. It's blood splattered over my shirt. I wasn't quick enough to get out and the dead Warg collapsed on top of me. I tried to push it off but found that it was too heavy.

I didn't give up and eventually, with some help from Thorin and Bifur, I could finally get up.
More Wargs came our way and we ran on. But after a few paces we reached the edge of the cliff.
"Climb! Climb the trees!" Gandalf yelled. I jumped to the lowest branch of the tree closest to the edge, and helped everyone that had also chosen this one up. Once everyone was up, I climbed a few branches higher. Just in time too, because the Wargs started jumping at the trees and snapping their jaws around the area I'd just been a few seconds ago.
We were only just settled when a pale Orc strode up on a rock that overlooked the bit of cliff where we were.