Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

THIRTY-TWO

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO.

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"So Ally is a part of Azog and Nhel's little family?" Selene asked her mother. The two sat at the opening of an abandoned cave, a small fire was lit by their feet to keep them warm from the cold night. Well, just Doreen, since Selene could manage with her abilities and all.

After the two finally reunited, Doreen suggested on finding shelter and somewhere safe to stay the night. They trudged through the woods for a while before finding the abandoned cave. Selene was the one who did a quick scope to make sure it didn't belong to a bear or a troll.

"Yes, she is. I can't believe I trusted her around you." Doreen shook her head, disappointed in herself.

Selene frowned at her mother, "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known then." Her mother did not respond, so Selene took it as a sign to change the subject. "How's your foot?" She motioned with her head, glancing at her mother's bandaged foot.

Doreen had broken her foot when she escaped from Dol Guldur. When the towers collapsed, the rumble landed on her right foot, but she managed to wedge it out and limp away. Luckily, Sauron had his focus on Gandalf to notice her gone. With the help of Selene and her blood, the two were able to help ease the pain and the swelling temporarily.

"It could be a bit better." Doreen laughed dryly.

"Ma..." Selene began cautiously. She wasn't sure if her question would hurt her mother, but she wanted to know. It had been years, since she seen her. "What did they do... after they took you?"

"Oh, Selene... you don't want to know. Do you remember? The day I was taken?" Doreen asked instead, earning a nod from her daughter. "That's what they did to us women. Women and children."

Selene's eyes harden at her mother's word. Her skin shifted into scales and a low grumble came from her throat as the memory of what Azog and Nhel's army did to the poor village many years ago. "I'm going to kill them. All of them."

A loud gasp came from Doreen, who then turned to her daughter with wide eyes. "Selene! I just remembered, Azog and Nhel, they have been forming hundreds of orcs from all over for war. With the help of Sauron."

"Sauron?" Selene could faintly recognized the name, but did not remember much of who they were.

Doreen nodded, "The Necromancer. The Dark Lord of Mordor..." She let out a shaky breath, placing her hand above her heart. "He is powerful Selene. I fear he will take over Middle-Earth and all of us will be dead."

"No one is ever too powerful, Ma. Everyone has a weakness." Selene stated. It was true after all. Her second form as a dragon was powerful, but she could not be touched by salt water, as her dragon could only be in fresh waters. Strong witches can take over the magic in her dragon and in her human form too. Her combat skills weren't the best either. But she can still manage.

Her mother bobbed her head in agreement, "That is true."

"The orcs, Ma. Where are they going?"

"They were saying they are headed to find a group of dwarves in the mountain."

"Erebor..." Selene said just under her breath. She just left the mountain a day ago, and now the orcs were headed there. To kill the dwarves and whoever got in their way. "The dwarves..." She then thought of the thirteen dwarves and the little hobbit with them. "Bilbo!"