Loyalty, Honor, and a Willing Heart

Chapter 4 - In a hole in the ground there was a lot of dwarves

They walked about two hours when they heard a blood freezing sound. It was like a howl, but for it’s low tone it must belong to a very big wolf.

“Is it close?”

“Is it meant at us?”

“Let’s get out of the road and find out later!”

So they did, running the best they could, taking advantage of some boulders to hide from the view of the road while keeping the general direction to the east. The howls were getting closer, and they could hear some harsh cries too.

“We must get away from this pack. They are hunting something, and we don’t want them to think of us as prey, too.”

“What are they?”

An image of a big black and white dolphin like creature came to her mind. “Orcs! Not the San Diego Sea World ones, though!”

They kept trying to hear east while avoiding the howls and the shouts. While running from one boulder to another, they suddenly saw Radagast’s rabbits running at an astounding speed, that big wolves with some freaky punks mounted on them. The weird Istar (whatever that meant, but they heard him addressing himself by this name) ducked under a low stone where a “big bad wolf” and his rider hit their heads. They saw some figures running from a boulder to another too, and wondered if they were the orcs actual prey.

“Here, I found a hole!” Called Iris from behind a boulder. “It can at least protect our backs, let’s hide in!”

The other two run to her, making their best not to be noticeable by the orc pack. They slid down the steep path behind the boulder and found themselves in what looked to be the beginning of a tunnel, dimly lit from some cracks at the top of it. The sound of chase went on outside, getting closer.

“We don’t know where this path leads, and I don’t want to be got into a trap if it is blocked somewhere from here. We should wait until it is safe outside and find our way east again. Meanwhile,” said Ellen, already prompting herself as she was saying it. “lets get ready for battle if it turns down here. One last stand to protect ourselves, and remember to take down as many as you are able. No mercy on them, for they would have none for us.”

She got a better grip on her bastard sword in her right hand and the short one in the left, as she used to at boffering mock fights. Although the weapons changed to what belonged to that world, just like themselves, they still had the same weight and feeling from when it was just polyurethane foam made, and she hopped she would be as able with this real swords as she was at home with her boffers. Lily had already proven her archery skills with the real arrows, and it seemed Iris would have little trouble with her twin short swords. But none of them actually ever killed someone, and their mock swordplay training included safety rules so they were used to avoid hitting head, throat and groins. They would have to overwrite years of that training in a matter of minutes, it seemed.

There was a change in the sounds outside, from chasing to actual fight. They heard screams and awful gnarls and howls, and shouts. A voice was really close to them as it shouted “This way, you fools!” and then there was someone else inside the hole. Lily had her bow ready to fire but Ellen put her hand with the short sword up, signaling her to wait. The old man looked down at her and nodded. “Wise enough.”

Soon there were dwarves and more dwarves coming down the hole, and a hobbit too, all of them armed somehow – axes, maces, blades of many sizes and shapes. The last three ones rolled down the steep path, a blond one and two dark haired. The oldest of them had some gray streaks in his hair and a beautiful sword in his hand. Lily took note that it was not of dwarven make, although she didn’t know how she knew it. This one looked at them seeming more angry than surprised.