The King and Dragon Lord

Ch. 15

We all were far enough North that we could faintly see the Grey Mountains. Along with Erebor far behind us.

"Is Gandalf not coming with us?" Bilbo asked concerned.

"I'd be amazed if he manages to catch up." I turned to him and grinned. Noise filled my left ear and naturally my head turned to the direction of it.

"What is it?" Thorin stood next to me.

"Hey Kili." I took the Orcist off my side and looked at him. "Trade weapons with me real quick." Kili hesitated for a minute because he didn't know why I was telling him this. He finally gave me his bow and I started running to where the sound was coming from.

"Nex what are you doing?" Thorin caught up with me and grabbed my arm. Everyone else followed.

"Shush!" I ripped my arm away. They followed me up to a line of bushes and we hid behind them. "Is this the Orc pack that you said was North of the mountain?" I turned to Dwalin and Fili and they nodded. Thorin looked like he had seen a ghost. "Thorin, you okay?" He kept looking forward and when I did I froze. The pale Orc?

"The dragon lord Master. We saw her.." One orc went up to Azog.

"What of Oakenshield?"

"He is alive Master."

Before I knew it, Thorin had got up and blew cover. Everyone followed but me. All of the Orcs, including Azog, were on Gundabad Wargs. An evil smirk went across Azogs face.

No one said anything and just as the Wargs were about to charge I stood up and grabbed two arrows and shot both a Warg and it's rider at once. "Hey, bird shit!" I grabbed another arrow and had my bow aimed at Azog.

"Eldaerenth, daughter ro smaug. (Eldaerenth, daughter of Smaug)." Azog spoke Orkish. I didn't know much of the language but I understood what he said. "Ul kulkodar goth ku uorkormajal (The dragon lord is mine)."

I scoffed. "Mir shorat (Good luck)." Thorin looked scared and shocked. Azog and his Warg jumped over Thorin and headed for me.

"No!" Thorin yelled as he watched Azog run after me. The company started fighting the other Orcs and Wargs.

I stopped and looked around for Azog. The pale orc wasn't following me anymore, or so I thought.

I heard growling behind me and it was Azogs Warg. The Warg lunged and I shot it in the leg. The Warg slid across ground and got up. It started walking around me limping. I took another arrow and drawn back my bow but before I could kill it Azog hit my back and I fell. Kili's bow flew out of my hand and out of reach.

When I rolled over, Azog picked me up by neck. My body was dangling above the ground and Azog had his blade ready to pierce through me. I could barely breathe and my vision started going dark.

"Drop her!" Thorin and the Company came running with their swords drawn. Azog looked at them and then back at me with an evil grin. Right before he stabbed me my body slammed to the ground and Azog yelled. I pushed away from Azog and saw that one of the dwarves had thrown their sword and cut off his hand.

My neck hurt and I was wheezing. "C'mon." Dwalin said as he helped me up.

Once we were far enough from the area we all sat down and took a breather. I had wrapped my hood around my neck as much as possible. "How are you feeling?" Thorin walked over and knelt in front of me.

"I'm fine." Where I wasn't looking at him I didn't realize he went to look at my neck until I felt my hood move. "Thorin..."

By the time I looked up he had already moved my hood and was looking at my neck. "Hey guys." We turned to Bilbo and he was looking towards the Withered Heath in the Grey Mountains. "Is that where Smaug came from?"

"Indeed Master Baggins." Thorin said. "Move on." We all got up and continued North.

Most of the terrain were hills and rocks and it was very exhausting. Thorin climbed onto a pile of rocks and helped everyone up. "You okay?" He asked after he helped me up.

"Yeah." I managed to say in between breaths. "It doesn't look like we're far from the Withered Heath." We continued forward for a bit. "Gandalf. What exactly is the Withered Heath?"

Gandalf was in front of the group and I was in the back with Thorin. "It is the dragons breeding ground and also where they stay. If there is any left."

I stopped. "What is that suppose to mean?" Everyone else stopped and looked at me.

"Smaug was the last named dragon of this age." Balin said.

"But not the last known one right?" Everyones face went pale. "So you're saying, that I went  through all of this just to find out that there is likely no more living and breathing dragons?"

Gandalf turned and walked over to me. "Just as dwarves pride will be their downfall your lack of faithfulness and trust will be yours, Eldaerenth" He turned and headed back to the front of the group. "And try getting rid of that unwanted attitude."

My heart sank but I tried my best not to show it. Gandalf used my actual name and called me out on something I hardly ever know I'm doing and it made me feel bad.

The group continued onward. Every once in a while I would look ahead at Bilbo and see his hand in the pocket that the One Ring is in.

Like I've told Balin before. Everything seems far too peaceful right now with everything going on. Not only am I worried about myself and the Company, I'm also more worried about Bilbo.