Adventure of a Lifetime: VOL 1

Part 1: Chapter 5

            The group takes off down the hill again, leaping over rock and boulder. Willow looks up ahead, her stomach sinking. "It's a cliff! There's no way down!" She shouts. Nori, Dori, and Ori would have run right off if she had not shouted that. She turns, firing an arrow into one of the approaching wargs. "Up into the trees! Quickly, all of you!" Gandalf says, ushering the dwarves towards the pine trees. Willow boosts Fili and Kili into the tree, easily bounding up it herself. "They're coming!" Thorin shouts, jumping into another tree. Poor Bilbo had gotten his sword stuck in the skull of a warg, and by the time he got it out, he was left all alone on the ground. "Up you come, Bilbo," Willow grunts, hanging down and yanking the hobbit up just in time. The wargs cease their howling, waiting. A pale orc, the pale orc, astride a white warg, rides forward. He is missing an arm, but in its place is a large, three-pronged hook. "Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast?" *Do you smell it? The scent of fear?* Azog begins. Willow shudders, the black speech is a terrible language to hear and understand. Fili grasps her hand, the pair unable to look away from the pale orc. "Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob." *I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain.* "It cannot be," Thorin gasps. Willow looks up at Fili and Kili. Both brothers have expressions filled with anger and fear. "Kod, Toragid biriz." *That one is mine.* Azog says, pointing his arm at Thorin. "Worori-da!" *Kill the others!* The wargs immediately start jumping and clawing at the trees, breaking off the lower limbs. The dwarves shout and yell, the trees beginning to fall. Willow holds on for dear life, their own tree beginning to fall. Fili and Kili jump over, then Bilbo. "Willow, come on!" Fili calls. Willow shoves off the tree, falling stomach-first into a branch. Fili drags her up, continuing to jump from tree to tree until all thirteen dwarves, Willow, Bilbo, and Gandalf are in the last tree on the edge of the cliff. "Sho gad adol!" *Drink their blood!* Azog bellows. Willow steadies herself on the tree, drawing her bow. She fires through the branches, expertly hitting her mark. "That's a bright idea!" Fili grins. "This is too, and hot!" Kili calls. Willow looks up, Gandalf is lighting pinecones on fire, tossing them down to the dwarves to throw at the wargs. The wargs fear the fire, some getting hit and catching on fire and others fleeing from it. Azog growls angrily. The dwarves cheer, but the cheers turn into shouts when the tree, bearing too much weight, begins to fall. Willow holds on tightly to a branch, her legs dangling as the tree stops parallel to the ground far below. "Willow!" Fili calls, barely hanging on to his own branch. "I'm alright, for now," Willow says shakily, trying not to look down. Her feet hang in the air as she looks over at Thorin, who is climbing up onto the tree, sword drawn and oaken branch in hand. The dwarves watch as Thorin charges towards Azog, sword raised. Azog smiles, his warg jumping forward and smashing Thorin to the ground. The two charge again, Thorin too slow to react, again. Azog smashes his face with his mace, flinging Thorin to the ground. "No!" Balin cries. "Thorin!" Kili shouts. The white warg opens his mouth, biting down on Thorin's torso with its big, sharp teeth. "Thorin! No!" Dwalin shouts, attempting to climb up. His branch cracks, nearly breaking entirely, and Dwalin is left swinging above the ground. "Biriz torag khobdudol." *Bring me the Dwarf's head.* Azog says. Just then, Bilbo scurries past on the log, sword drawn. Willow heaves with all her might, hauling herself up on the log. She draws her own sword, following Bilbo towards the pale orc. One of his lessers is about to cut off Thorin's head, but Bilbo tackles it with a cry, stabbing it through. Willow comes rushing in, killing another unsuspecting orc. She backs up towards Bilbo, holding her sword out in front. "Kill them." Azog orders. The wargs and orcs close in. Willow raises her sword, taking a strong stance. Suddenly, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin spring into the fight with shouts. Willow jumps forward, the orcs distracted with the newcomers. Despite the dwarves help, they are badly outnumbered. Azog manages to strike Willow in the arm with his arm hook, sending her rolling to Fili's feet. "Willow!" He exclaims, leaning down and placing a hand on her shoulder. They are surrounded, the orcs closing in. Just then, one of the Great Eagles swoops down above them, fanning the flames towards the wargs. Fili helps Willow to her feet, and she sheathes her sword. "What are you doing?" He asks. "The Great Eagles are more than capable of taking care of a few wargs," she smiles. Both Fili and Kili are caught unawares when they are picked up by one of the eagles, but Willow is not. She grasps the claw of one swooping down for her, dropping below to join Fili and Kili on the back of one of the eagles. They look over, watching as another eagle gently scoops up Thorin and his sword, his Oakenshield falling from his arm to the ground below. "You're bleeding!" Kili exclaims, gently touching Willow's arm. "I'll be alright," she winces, blood dripping down her sleeve. She pulls her arm away, holding it tight with her hand. Fili wraps his arm around her waist. Willow leans back into his chest, the snowy mountaintops and green valleys passing by below them.

The eagles drop them on the Carrock, a tall rock structure shaped like a bear. The eagle lands, Kili and Fili sliding off first. Fili extends his hand to Willow, gently helping her down from the eagle. "Thank you, my friend," she says, gently resting her hand on the eagle's beak for a moment. He lowers his head before taking off in a great wind. "Thorin! Thorin," Gandalf says, trying to wake the dwarf. He whispers a spell as the others gather around, Bilbo and Willow standing off to the side. "You did a very brave thing back there, little hobbit," she says softly. "So did you," he replies. "The halfling?" Thorin chokes, his breathe coming back to him. "It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quiet safe," Gandalf assures him. Dwalin and Kili help Thorin up. Once he is on his feet, he shrugs them off, walking over towards Bilbo. "You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Thorin begins, slowly walking closer. Willow's mouth drops, what is he doing? "Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" Thorin advances until he is face to face with Bilbo. The poor hobbit gulps, hands balled at his sides. "I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin breaks into a smile, embracing the little hobbit. The other dwarves cheer loudly and slap each other on the back, Willow releasing a breath and sharing a smile with Gandalf. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugs Thorin back. "I am sorry I doubted you," Thorin says. "No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior," Bilbo replies. "Not even a burglar." Everyone chuckles, and Thorin turns to Willow. "Willow, I was also wrong to doubt you. You have shown your qualities. For that, I am ever grateful," Thorin says to her, extending his hand. She extends hers, gently taking it. Thorin looks down, Willow's blood dripping down her arm onto her hand. "Fili, Kili, tend her wounds!" Thorin calls. The two brothers hurry forward, dragging the young woman off to the side. The Eagles fly away, screeching. Thorin looks beyond Bilbo and sees something; he strides forward, and the others follow his gaze. "Willow, you must be more careful," Fili scolds, gently moving her sleeve and armor. "I thought elves didn't get hurt," Kili remarks. "One, I am only half elf," Willow winces. "Two, elves are immortal only in the absence of injury. We can still get hurt, bleed, even be killed." Willow grimaces as Fili cleans and wraps her arm. "Azog got you pretty good, but you're in good hands," Kili winks. Fili kicks his shin, and Willow stifles a laugh, putting her armor back in place. She looks over, the dwarves staring at something in the distance. "Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth," Gandalf says as the three join the rest of the group. "Our home," Thorin breathes with a smile. A bird chirps and flies by, towards the mountain. "A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain," Oin exclaims. "That is a thrush, Oin," Willow chuckles at the hard-of-hearing dwarf. "But we'll take it as a sign - a good omen," Thorin smiles. "You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us," Bilbo sighs. The Company looks on at the Lonely Mountain as the sun comes up behind them. Fili takes Willow's hand. Thorin looks back for a moment, his eyes meeting Willow's. He nods ever so slightly, as if indicating to her that he is alright with whatever seems to be happening between her and his nephew. Willow smiles, closing her eyes as the morning breeze blows gently over the Carrock. She could get used to this.

A/N: End of Part 1! I know it is short, I'm sorry! I promise the other parts are longer. Most of this story is already written, I tend to write them most of the way through before I publish them. But I do promise, part 2 and 3 will be longer. Volume 2 will be quite large, so get ready!