Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

SIXTEEN

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

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Fíli, Bifur, Kíli, Dwalin and Bofur all had to carry big Bombur on a stretcher they brought along for emergencies.

They grunted as they had to fix their grip on the stretcher while they went up the short, steep ledge.

"We need a rest." Nori huffed out, leaning over to rest his hand on a tree.

The others silently agreed and stopped for a moment.

Selene stumbled over her foot when she looked up into the darkness above them. She heard whispering but couldn't tell what it was. She couldn't see. Despite her ability to see through dark times, she could not see anything from above. The sickness that fell upon the forest was so dark, her dragon's night vision ability did not stand a chance in the forest.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered. Everyone else were too busy in their own thoughts to hear her. "Someone else is... here?" She squinted her eyes, but she still felt dizzy.

"Voices." Bilbo spoke, "Do you hear them?" He asked aloud.

"I hear nothing." Thorin answered, blinking slowly. "No wind. No birdsong."

The other dwarves began talking too, asking each other different questions that none of them could even answer correctly.

"This is taking too long. Is there no end to this accursed forest?" Thorin yelled, slowly leaning back and forth. His eyes landed on something in the distance, he hopped off the ledge he stood on, losing his balance but he managed to catch it before he could fall. "There. This way."

He pushed the others out of the way and ran.

"But Gandalf said-"

"Do as I say! Follow me."

Selene wanted to tell him no, but she couldn't for some reason. The forest was starting to make her feel exhausted and she could barely speak. So, she followed the Dwarf King.

"No!" Bilbo protested. "We must stay on the path!"

They didn't listen to him.

The Company treaded around the never-ending forest. Everyone started to feel groggy and weak as time passed. They just wanted to leave and meet Gandalf at the mountain as soon as they could.

But they ventured off the path and were now lost. It would take forever to find a way out now.

"Look," Ori grabbed something off the ground.

"A tobacco pouch." His brother, Dori, took it from the young dwarf. "There's dwarves in these woods."

Bofur nodded, taking the pouch from Dori. "Dwarves from the blue mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine."

"Because it is yours. Do you understand?" Bilbo walked up to the dwarf. "We're going 'round in circles. We are lost."