The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 15

“Right then! Next up! You two!” called Nora, pointing at Nienna and Fili. “Followed by you two!” This time Runa and Kili, who fist bumped.

Both parties quickly started out, Runa and Kili hot on Nienna and Fili’s trail and messing with them by forcing them to go faster.

“Idiots…” muttered Nora hypocritically as she watched her charges making their way. She then turned her gaze to the two remain members of the company in front of her with raised eyebrows.

“Well go on,” she urged. Aelith and Bilbo exchanged a glance, but didn’t dare challenge the fearsome ‘Xandu Wizard’.

Nora and Gandalf stood, side by side for a moment before Gandalf commented dryly,

“Shall we?”

Nora nodded and both wizards, instead of moving towards the bridge, raised their staffs, which began to glow.

“Crescat! Obedite! Sermónem meum servábit!” From the woods behind them, something began to stir.

Suddenly, huge roots and branches shot out from the darkness, swiftly and gently picking up Nora and Gandalf separately and stretching out and across the chasm.

It took mere seconds to pass the twins, Nienna and Runa, who, after a moment’s shock, began hurling outraged insults at the two grinning wizards. Nora waved back at them before being gently set on the opposite side in front of a shocked (and in some cases, angry) company.

Waving their staffs, Nora and Gandalf sent the root back to their forest.

“Will someone explain why we all couldn’t have ridden on the apparently friendly and helpful forest greenery?” asked Avice scathingly. Nora, either oblivious to or ignoring the frustration directed at her, responded simply,

“The trees are picky.”

“Picky about what?!” exploded Thorin, standing next Avice.

“You know,” Nora remarked, “you are very tall for a dwarf… or maybe Avice is short for a human…”

“What?” asked Avice incredulously.

“You two. You’re the same height.” Thorin and Avice stared at Nora in shock. Finally Avice yelled,

“I am NOT SHORT!!!”

“Whatever you say half-pint…” muttered Nora under her breathe.

“What was that?” Avice asked dangerously, but before either girl could do anything, Neinna and Fili jumped off the bridge, heaved a sigh of relief and then began pelting Nora with a colorful verbal assault.

“So why did only the wizards get to take the safe route?” yelled Runa as she and Kili reached safety as well.

“The trees are ‘picky’,” replied Avice, crossing her arms.

“Picky?” asked Kili in disbelief. “About what?” Nora favored them with an arrogant look before saying,

“Their passengers, obviously.”

“Then how did they let you ride them?” muttered Nienna, causing Runa to choke slightly. Nora looked at the pair of them suspiciously.

“Well… that could have been worse,” commented Bilbo optimistically as he and Aelith stepped off the bridge, Aelith looking a great deal less pleased with the situation.

“Well,” said Thoring grimly, “what’s done is done. Let us not forget that we are trying for speed.” This seemed to recall the company to their mission, regrettably, it came a bit late.

At that moment, from the treeline on the other side of the cliff burst the orcs.

“What?!” burst out Runa in shock. “Oh come on!”

“Quickly!” ordered Gandalf, taking his staff and setting the bridge on fire. Nora did the same and before the orcs had even attempted to cross, the bridge had split and fallen to its ashy demise.

None to happy with this, the orcs on the other side bellowed furiously. A couple dwarves bellowed right back, to Nienna and Runa’s amusement, but Thorin hushed them, watching the orcs intently.

Suddenly, though no order was seen, all the orcs silenced and melted back into the forest.

“What now?” asked Aelith, looking at Gandalf and Thorin.

Gandalf glance about him. It was getting dark and the woods beyond them didn’t look promising.

“We shall camp here,” he finally announced, and the dwarves and girls wasted no time in busying themselves to make that happen.

“Can we have a fire tonight?” asked Avice worriedly. Gandalf and Thorin thought for a moment.

“The orcs are out biggest threat and they already know exactly where we are,” said Thorin, looking to Gandalf.

“I think,” said Gandalf with a sigh, “we can risk it.”

Just then, a twig cracked behind the wizard. Gandalf whirled about, the end of his staff lighted and thrusting back the forest’s growing shadows.

“Who is there?!” he called out fiercely.

From the shadows stepped a dark figure...

***

“Radagast!” cried Gandalf, dropping the point of his staff and swiftly moving toward the stranger. “It is good to see you my old friend.”

“And you Gandalf,” replied the odd man, cloaked in a brown robe with a queer brown hat to match. “And you…”

“Radagast?!” Nora exclaimed from across the clearing. Running over, she grinned, hugging the man, who patted her on the back absently.

“Bryony,” he greeted happily, to the company’s surprise.

“So that’s where that comes from…” muttered Kili, causing his twin to snicker.

“What brings you here?” asked Gandalf curiously, as Nora pulled away. Reminded of his purpose, Radagast looked around furtively.

“I must speak with you Gandalf.” There was a pause. “Alone.”

“Of course, my friend,” said Gandalf, drawing himself and Radagast away from the company.

Nora and Thorin stubbornly joined them, and despite attempts to shove them off, they didn’t budge.

The rest of the company uneasily went back to their tasks, sensing something foreboding permeate the air around them. Runa and Nienna didn’t laugh or mess around with the twins. Bombur didn’t complain about being hungry and Bilbo made no attempts at starting a polite conversation.

Several strained minutes later, Gandalf, Radagast, Nora and Thorin rejoined the company, the latter two looking quite pale and all looking grim.

No one questioned them about what had been discussed nor was any information offered.

“I must go for a while,” said Gandalf gravely. “I shall return by dawn. Await me here until then.”

With that cryptic command, the gray wizard swept off, Radagast in tow, into the forest’s depths.

Nora and Thorin looked at each other and then separated, moving about the campsite as though nothing had happened.

In a few moments, the atmosphere eased and the strained silence broke.

And if to their closer friends, Thorin’s reassuring smile seemed a bit forced and Nora’s laughter strained, they made no comment and pushed the traitorous thought to the back of their minds.