Ya'aburnee

The House

They had made some distance between them and the Wargs the night the eagles had carried them, but they still had to make haste. Olivia was glad when they had reached the bottom of the rock where they'd been placed, sick of cliffs and flying and high places. They did not run, thank goodness, but they moved quickly, sending Bilbo on occasion up hills to look around, for he had the keenest eyes.

"I can't believe that you got away with calling uncle a half-wit!" 

"Twice!"

Fili and Kili had been harassing her about it since it had happened. Frankly, she was beginning to get a little annoyed, wondering why they couldn't just as easily harass Thorin about letting himself be called a half-wit.

"Well he still has more brains than either of you," She remarked drily, though she was mostly joking.

They were all waiting for Bilbo to return from one of his brief scouting excursions, standing around in small groups. Bilbo ran quickly down to the group, breathing heavily, having run a good distance to reach them.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked him before he even came to a halt.

"Too close," Bilbo replied, the groups coming together to hear what he had to say, "A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it."

"Have the wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked.

"Not yet, but they will do," Bilbo replied. "We have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked.

"Hmm?" Bilbo turned.

"They saw you," Gandalf jumped to conclusions.

"No, that's not it."

Gandalf nodded, smiling as he spoke to the dwarves. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse." Olivia could see Bilbo was exasperated as the dwarves began to cheer in agreement. "Excellent burglar material." The dwarves heartily agreed again, and Bilbo tried for a moment to speak over them, but was failing.

"Would you all shut up and let Bilbo talk?" The dwarves fell silent at Olivia's command.

"Thank you," Bilbo nodded to her before turning to the dwarves and Gandalf. "I have been trying to tell you, there is something else out there." There were murmurs through the group, all the dwarves looking worried. Orcs were a tangible threat, but this unknown thing was more worrisome.

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked, voice ominous. "Like a bear?"

"Ye..." Bilbo started, looking confused that Gandalf had guessed it instantaneously. "Y-yes. But bigger. Much bigger." Gandalf sighed, looking off into the direction Bilbo had run from.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked the wizard. Gandalf didn't reply, simply turning away from the group. "I say we double back"

"And run into th..." 

"And be run down by..." Both Liv and Thorin tried to speak at the same time, Olivia conceding, nodding to Thorin to continue. "We would be run down by a pack of orcs."

"There is a house." Gandalf did not turn as he spoke. "It is not far from here, where we might uh... take refuge."

"Whose house?" Thorin asked, who had been unhappy with Gandalf's choice of lodging for the group before, "Are they friend or foe?"

Gandalf sighed. "Neither. He will help us, or... he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asked. His question was punctuated by a terrible roar in the distance.