The Company of Wolves

Chapter 13: Burn Them All

As they ran down the hill, the setting sun was turning the ground in front of them slightly orange, with deep shadows coming off the trees and tall rocks. Ash brought up the rear along with the girls, right behind Fili and Kili.

Gandalf appeared to have slowed down a bit and was counting as they all went past him. Making sure everybody was accounted for in the rush to get out of there. Since they were all safe in the daylight, they could slow down and catch their breaths.

Fili and Kili stopped just above some rocks and Ash came up next to them. Rhea skidded to a halt and practically barreled into Kili. He turned to catch her and him before they made an awkward landing in front of everybody.

"Whoops." Rhea smiled sheepishly, taking her stance back and putting a safe space between her and Kili.

Kili looked at her and smiled, "Quite the clumsy one are we?"

"Am not." She shoved his shoulder.

Gandalf looked around after he was done counting, "Where is Bilbo?"

Dakota, who was leaning over catching her breath next to a tree, snapped her head up. Ash looked behind her and Rhea looked around the trees ahead. Panic slowly setting in their eyes as they realized he wasn't there.

"Where is our hobbit?!" Gandalf raised his voice clearly as worried as the girls were.

"I can't smell him. Ash I can't smell him what if he's back in the caves?" Rhea cried, her voice quaking as she took steps back and looked around more. Ash came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's just following behind. Wasn't he with us when we fell?" She asked, looking around at the dwarves. Nobody answered. She dropped her hand, "He wasn't with us?!"

Ash felt like slamming her head into a tree, how could she not have noticed? She figured he was running with them this entire time. When did they lose him? Did he get out? Is there another way out? Her heart beat faster in worry.

"Who saw him last?" Dakota questioned everyone.

Fili and Kili looked around themselves frantically, but nobody else was there and they brought up the rear.

"Curse that halfling anyways! Now he's gotten himself lost!" Dwalin complained, not surprised or worried.

"He's a part of your company!" Ash protested at him back. Rhea as scouting behind a little bit, desperate to find his scent. Kili saw her get a little further away and jogged up to her. Dwalin said something to Ash but he didn't hear it.

"Hey, he'll find us, I promise." Kili reassured her. Rhea shook her head.

"He's our responsibility, I cannot believe I let this happen."

He stepped in front of her, "You didn't. Don't go back there it's dangerous."

The dwarves in the background started blaming each other for what happened to the hobbit while Ash argued with Dwalin and Dakota was just yelling at everybody.

"I have to find him!" Rhea pleaded. "He's my responsibility. Just like we are his."

Kili grabbed her arms and held them tightly, "You are my responsibility too."

Rhea looked over at him and Kili shifted his gaze in slight embarrassment. "Because you're a part of this company, too. We all look out for each other."

Rhea sighed and longingly looked back at the mountain caves before she let Kili pull her down to the company again. Standing close next to him, she watched as Nori spoke above the others,

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us."

Relieved that he wasn't caught, Ash released a breath. Maybe he was able to get away without being noticed. She tried to look on the bright side.