An unexpected journey

Chapter 8

   I heard the dwarves' loud arguing and followed it.

"What happened to our hobbit!?" Gandalf demanded. I leaned against a tree close to them. They were arguing about me.

"I'll tell you what happened" Thorin said.

"Master Baggins saw his chance and took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he stepped foot outside his door. We will never see our hobbit again...He is long gone" Thorin continued. Did he really think that lowly of me? My heart ached and I put my hand over it to try and ease the pain. It didn't work.

"No he isn't" I said walking out from behind the tree. Everybody gasped and I swear I saw relief flash in Thorin's eyes but it was gone as fast as it appeared.

"Bilbo Baggins. I have never been so happy to see anybody in my whole life" Gandalf said. I smiled.

"Bell-bo. I mean...Bilbo! We thought you gave up" Kili said. I looked at him.

"Yeah! How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked.

"How indeed?" Dwalin added. I put one hand on my pocket but quickly took out my sword.

"Snuck out. This told me when there was any danger" I lied. Gandalf didn't look convinced.

"Well thank the heavens you're back" Gandalf said.

"But why?" Thorin asked. I looked at him and sighed.

"I know you doubt me Thorin. You always have. You're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, my arm chair and my garden. See, that's my home and that's exactly why I came back. You don't have one. A home" I said. This time, I know I saw sadness flash across his eyes but also something else...awe... maybe...

"It was taken away from you but I will do everything in my power to help you get it back" I finished. He smiled and my heart raced. Most of the other dwarves smiled too, until we heard a howl. An orc pack was approaching.

"Out of the pan" Thorin muttered.

"And into the fire. RUN! RUN! RUN!" Gandalf yelled and run we did until we arrived at a cliff. A warg jumped out of the forest and started stalking towards us.

"Where to now?" I exclaimed to the wizard. He looked around.

"Up into the trees! Everybody climb up!" He yelled. Quickly, we climbed up the trees but when I stepped on a branch it fell. Before I fell too, Thorin grabbed my hand and helped me up. I nodded in thanks and he replied with another nod. We watched the wargs at the base of the trees and a growl caught my attention. Coming out of the bush, was a pale orc with one hand replaced by a piece of wood with a blade on it. I looked over to Thorin and saw him so white that he almost looked dead.

"Azog? It cannot be" He whispered. I looked back at the orc shocked. This was Azog the Defiler? He lifted his log arm-hand thing and the wargs started scratching, pushing and biting the trees. After a few jumps at us, our tree fell into the other tree and created a domino effect with a few other trees before we were in the tree at the very edge of the cliff. I heard Azog laugh. I looked up to Gandalf and saw him lighting a pinecone on fire. He threw it towards the wargs and they immediately backed up.

"Fili" He exclaimed before dropping a pinecone in said dwarf's hands. I quickly plucked a pinecone and stretched my arm towards the blonde prince. Once my pinecone was lit, I aimed it at some wargs and threw it. It landed on one's snout. It whimpered and backed up. With more pinecones, we created a kind of firewall that the wargs didn't dare to cross and they ran. I could see Azog glaring at the scared wargs. We cheered but the happiness was short lived as the tree started to fall. I let out a scream as the tree hit the ground. The dwarves and I were now dangling over a very huge drop. I quickly scrambled up onto a branch of the tree and held on for dear life.

Thorin stood up beside me with his sword unsheathed. He started walking towards the pale orc with a dangerous gleam in his eye. By now he was full on running towards him with his sword raised high. Azog smirked and leapt forward with his orc. It hit Thorin in the head and he fell back. I let out a sigh of relief as he got back up... Only to get hit once more.

"Noooo!" Balin yelled as I let out a gasp. I quickly stood up and put my hand on the hilt of my sword. The warg bit down on Thorin and Dwalin almost fell as he tried to get up onto the trunk. I carefully made my way towards Thorin. I watched as the warg threw my prince onto a rock...Wait, did I just think 'MY prince?'...

"Bring me the dwarf's head" Azog ordered one of his men. The orc smiled and got of his warg. He unsheathed his blade and made his way towards Thorin. I quickly unsheathed Oathkeeper.

"Better live up to your name because I swear on my life that I will not let Thorin die. No matter the cost" I mumbled. I ran as fast as I could towards them and right before the orc was going to bring his blade down on Thorin's neck, I tackled it to the ground and stabbed him in the throat, making blood fly on my face. I took my sword out of the orc and stood in front of Thorin while facing Azog. He smirked down at me and gave an order to his men. Three men came forward and I held my ground. I heard several battle cries as the dwarves attacked. I saw Fili slashing, Dwalin hammering and Kili shooting. I saw one orc towards me so I charged towards it. I jumped up and slashed his throat. It fell to the ground lifeless with the warg on top of it. I slashed its throat too. The pale orc saw me and walked towards me. He stopped right in front of me.

"Brave little Halfling" Azog said.

"Don't you even try to kill him" I spat letting my voice go back to normal instead of the deeper voice I used to imitate Bilbo. He raised an eyebrow.

"And what would you do hobbit?" It asked tauntingly.

"You'll feel the wrath of a woman in love" I said gripping my sword tighter. He was about to swing his war hammer thing down when an eagle cry sounded. He looked up and giant eagles swept in and took out his troops like they were nothing. I ran towards Thorin right as an eagle took him.

"Thorin!" I yelled. I watched him fly away without realizing the pale orc behind me. I only noticed when I felt a searing pain on my side. I turned around and saw Azog holding a sword instead of his hammer but his sword had blood on it. My blood. Right as I was going to faint, an eagle grabbed me. Since the eagle's claws were digging into my side, I felt another wave of pain and that kept me awake.

The eagles dropped us off on a rock. As I got out of the eagle's grip, I quickly ran to Thorin who had Gandalf crouching over him. The wizard closed his eyes and passed his hand over Thorin's face. His eyes fluttered open. He looked at Gandalf.

"The Halfling?" He asked. I smiled.

"Right here Thorin" I said smiling and on the verge of tears. His head turned towards me and he tried to stand up. Gandalf and I helped him up.

"You. What were you thinking? You nearly got yourself killed. Did I not say you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild? That you have no place amongst us?" He said. I looked down sadly, my heart aching at every word he said.

"I have never been so wrong" He said. I looked up quickly and he hugged me. I stood frozen for a second before lifting my arms to hug him back.

"I'm sorry I doubted you" He said pulling away.

"No... I would've doubted me too. I'm not a hero, a warrior or even a burglar." I told him. I looked to my left and saw the eagles flying away. Thorin looked up behind me and his eyes widened. I turned around and gasped at the magnificent sight. One single solitary peak.

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked. Thorin nodded while smiling.

"Erebor, The Lonely Mountain. The last of the dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth" Gandalf stated.

"Home" Thorin breathed with a smile on his face. I took a step forward and raised my arm to put my hand on his shoulder but instead, I was met with agonizing pain. I gasped and fell to my knees. Thorin turned around and fell to his knees in front of me.

"What's wrong?" He asked putting his hand on my shoulders. I took my hand away from my wound and saw that it was covered in blood. Thorin must've seen too because he quickly but gently laid me down with my head on his lap.

"Gandalf" He called. The wizard looked at us and gasped.

"No" He said and ran forward.

"What happened?" Thorin asked me.

"Just a scratch" I said.

"Looks like more than a scratch lad. We need to patch this up before it gets infected. Which means now!" Oin said. He took out his tools and came closer.

"It's fine. I can do it myself" I said. I tried to sit up but Thorin quickly pushed me down.

"No. I'm not risking you getting hurt again. Not on my watch" He said. My heart fluttered and I looked at Gandalf. He sighed but nodded.

"It's time" He said. I gave a sigh and started unbuttoning my shirt.

"Time for what?" Thorin asked in confusion.

"I'm sorry I lied to you Thorin. I hope you can forgive me" I said. He looked down at me.

"What did you lie about?" He asked. I gave a smile. And took off my shirt. He gasped at what he saw like most of the other dwarves, except for the ones that knew my secret.

"I'm not Bilbo" I said.

"Bella!?" He said after a moment of silence

"Surprise?"



A/N: Short chapter. I'm sorry