Saving the Sons of Durin

Thand Leben

~ Part Five ~

The group finally slowed to a stop while Gandalf took a head count of all of the gasping dwarves. Ellía leaned against a boulder, and only then did she remember the slash she had taken to the back. She hissed out a breath as her bloodied skin burned and quickly pushed away from the rock. Fili noticed her movements and turned to her with a bit of concern in his eyes.

"You took a blow for young Ori. How bad is it?" He asked stepping forward. "It is nothing I cannot heal once we find a place to rest longer." She reassured him with a weak smile. Kili appeared by her side and said, "That looks quite painful. At least let us wrap it for now." He said and began to pull at his under shirt to rip a piece off.

But he was stopped when Gandalf yelled, "Where is our hobbit!". Ellía looked around quickly, trying to see if her friend was just being overlooked, but could not. "Curse that halfling! Now he's lost?" Gloin grumbled. "I thought he was with Dori!" Oin exclaimed. "Don't blame me!" Dori said defensively. "Where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked the group.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." Nori spoke up. "Well what happened exactly, tell me!" Gandalf demanded. "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it-" Thorin began but Ellía, not being able to bite her tongue, interrupted him. "He would not do that! You always assume the worst of others." She growled at him, surprising the others.

Thorin whipped his head in her direction and slowly stalked up to her. "I am surprised you did not do the same, she-elf. Where as Master Baggins has only thought of his soft bed and warm house since he left, you have only dreamt of returning home to your sheltered life." He spat. "We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone... maybe you should follow." Thorin added as he stepped away from the angry elf."

"No. He isn't." A voice said from behind them. They all turned to see Bilbo standing there awkwardly. "Bilbo Baggins! I have never been so glad to see someone in my life. "Bilbo we had all but given you up!" Kili breathed out in relief. "How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked him.

Bilbo chuckled nervously and Ellía caught a glimpse of something small and gold being slipped into his vest pocket. 'It couldn't be...' Ellía thought as she recalled stories from her childhood. "Well what does it matter? He's back." Gandalf said, clearly trying to change the subject.

"It matters. I want to know. Why did you come back?." Thorin asked. Bilbo took a deep breath and looked over the group before looking back at Thorin and saying, "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 arm chair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong; that's home, and that's why I came cause you don't have one.. a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

Thorin was quiet, as was the rest of the company, as Bilbo's words sunk in. Before anything else could be said, a nearby howl ripped through the silence, startling the group. "Wargs..." Ellía said as she unsheathed one of her swords and turned around to look they way the howl had just come from. "Out of the frying pan..." Thorin said lowly. "And into the fire." Gandalf finished before yelling for everyone to run. The company took off in a sprint down the mountain side, weaving through tress and jumping over boulders, as the wargs drew closer.

Once the first few wargs caught up with the group, Ellía spun around and planted her feet as one charged towards her. She ducked as it launched itself at her and cut it right down the middle of its underbelly, sending it it off into the woods screeching. She turned when she heard Bilbo cry out but was relieved to see he had killed the beast on his own.

"Up into the trees! All of you! Come on! Climb!" Gandalf ordered, causing Ellia to finally look around and notice they had trapped themselves on a cliff with nowhere to run. Ellía ran to the closest tree and kicked off of a boulder next to it, propelling herself up into the branches. Fili and Kili followed her, helping each other quickly climb up.