Aeonian [Legolas]

16

PART TWO

It had been days without an incident. The motions of making camp and trekking forward had become almost regular.

The company had calmed, no moves too ecstatic as Thorin recovered bit by but each day and the tensions within had drained to a minimum. It was the calmest and most determined Viridis had ever seen them.

But that didn't settle his own qualms.

Just because the Orcs failed to kill them once didn't mean they were forever deterred.

It seemed that with each passing day, he grew more and more tense, waiting for something to strike; waiting for something to go wrong— waiting for another chance at defying death. It was odd that no situations arose and that the closest they got was a rather suspicious mountain side trail they had been traveling down for the majority of that stretch of daylight.

Eventually it was decided that when the trail got too unpredictable and Thorin was convinced this is where their good luck ended, Viridis and Bilbo went on while the company stayed back to rest. Tasked with investigating the bulk of the trail before them for any imminent danger since they were lighter and more discrete than the rest, the duo held their breaths as they wandered forward.

It was an unfamiliar sort of trail they were following, first picked up by Bofur and Bombur that no sooner raised the suspicion of Thorin. Wargs, it was suspected. A pack could have been by the area recently but something wasn't sitting right and what better decision to send the Hobbit and Elf forward.

"I don't like this. Not one bit."  Bilbo Baggins tutted, eyes scanning the area and posture high on alert.

"I agree, Master Baggins. Something is off." Viridis said, gaze narrowed but steps still steady as they continued forward. It would do them no good to beat around the bush coming up with fantasies about what their fates may be- better to find out clearly. His gaze landed on an indent in the earth below their feet, hidden to the naked eye and to all those who weren't looking. "Those prints? too wide for an Orc, too light. Whatever this is, it was running."

The Hobbit scoffed and shook his head. "Or maybe we've all just lost our minds and we're walking straight off a cliff."

"I doubt that. The cliff edge isn't for another 20 yards. We're days out and I don't think anyone from the company has been experiencing a... disfigurement of rational thought recently, at least none more than usual." The Elf frowned as he processed Bilbo's words and tried to classify the print in his mind. It seemed familiar but what it belonged to, he had yet to find out.

"...No, Viridis. I meant it figuratively. I didn't really think..." The Hobbit trailed off, seeing it pointless to explain such a topic.  "You're right." He conceded. "We're not losing our minds, I'm just praying for some other reason that may tell me that our good fortune hasn't ended."

A growl sounded in the near distance; deeper and longer than they were used to and the pair came to a stop, hearts heavy in their chests.

"Sadly, I don't think even the luckiest of men would have been able to make it as far as this. And unless you are right and I am losing my mind, that sounded eerily akin to something that is anything but a Warg." Viridis' hands twitched to his blades, fingers flexing over the hilts. "Steady now, let's not be seen."

The pair crept on, sticking to the mountain wall to conceal their wind trail and to provide easy coverage. But even that wasn't enough as their journey continued and the environment changed into something acutely less friendly. More jagged rocks emerged and the greens that were present further down the mountain had withered away into something cold and gray.