Fight Or Flight

Chapter 6: Myths and Monsters

The company ran through the trees, trying their hardest to out run what they knew would be their deaths. Ebony was ready to fight with every ounce of her power. But she needed a little more time for it to rest. 

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!"

Ebony jumped up, hauling herself into the branches and away from the snapping of warg jaws. They would have been beautiful creatures had they not been bred for the sole purpose of aiding the orcs. 

"They're coming!" Thorin yells. 

If she weren't trying to keep her life, she would have thrown something at him for stating what they already knew. Instead, she shot him a glare and continued up the tree. 

Dozens of Wargs circle the trees in which the Company members are perched. The Wargs cease their growling and turn as the White Warg, with Azog on its back, approaches slowly. Thorin looks at Azog in shock, and Ebony looks at the monster in horror. 

"Azog?!" Thorin nearly cries. 

The orc sniffs the air, mocking them. His voice is thick. He begins to use black speech and Thorin looks at Ebony. She regretfully translated as he spoke. 

"Do you smell it?" Ebony said, swallowing hard. "The scent of fear?" 

Azog stares at Thorin, eyes glowing. When he speaks, Ebony nearly chokes. Thorin looks at her and she meets his eyes. 

"I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin. Son of Thrain." 

Thorin looks absolutly crushed, knowing Azog had captured and possibly killed Thrain. Ebony clamps her mouth shut. It isn't hard to understand what he told the wargs and orcs as they launch at the trees. Thorin was his to kill. The rest were just in the way. The trees begin to shake as Azog yells and Ebony nearly screams as a warg comes close to eating one of the company. 

With the weight of the Wargs climbing it, the furthest tree from the edge of the cliff, which Bilbo and several other dwarves are in, gets uprooted from the ground and begins leaning wildly. As more Wargs grab onto it, the tree tips over and lands on the next tree; the dwarves and Bilbo jump from the falling tree to the next. However, this tree as well tips over; like dominoes, all the trees begin falling over. All the dwarves, Bilbo, Ebony and Gandalf manage to jump onto the last tree, on the very edge of the cliff. This tree doesn't fall over. Azog laughs. Looking around in desperation, Gandalf spies a pinecone. He grabs it and uses his staff to set the pinecone on fire; he then throws it down amid the Wargs, who retreat in fear of the fire. Azog is startled and angry at the unexpected resistance. Gandalf lights two more pinecones and throws one down to Fili.

"Fili!" Gandalf yells. 

Fili catches the pinecone. Bilbo and the dwarves gather pinecones and Gandalf sets them on fire; they then throw the flaming pinecones like missiles at the Wargs. All the area around the tree gets set on fire, forcing the Wargs to retreat a distance. At least one Warg gallops away with its fur alight. Azog roars in anger and frustration as the company cheers. Suddenly, their cheers turn into cries of fear as the roots of the tree they are in start to give way; the tree tips precariously over the edge of the cliff, but comes to a rest sticking straight out away from the edge of the cliff. Ebony looks down and sees the ground far, far, below. The dwarves try to hold on as they get flung around, but Ori looses his grip. He falls, but grabs Dori's leg. Gandalf holds out his staff to try and keep them from falling to their death. 

Ebony spots Thorin, who finds his footing and stands up, staring at Azog. 

"No!" She yells at him, but he does not listen to her. 

He runs through the fire, sword raised. Ebony grips the tree and pulls herself onto the trunk, getting up on her knees. She would not let him fight alone. As Ebony tries to keep herself steady while the tree shakes, Thorin and Azog commence in a battle of life and death. Ebony slips and nearly falls off the tree but thankfully she catches herself just in time.