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Chapter Nineteen - Being Hunted

It had only been a few days since they left Carrock. The dwarves of Erebor, Gandalf, Bilbo and Maura made hast across the land, trying to stay ahead of Azog and his vile pack. Oin checked on Maura constantly, he still couldn't wrap his mind around how she had woken up from the amount of blood she lost, he was sure she wouldn't have survived. The woman had a difficult time speaking, even just the movement when she swallowed water, felt like sharp knives sliding down her throat. Oin ordered no one to speak to her, unless it was necessary which made for a rather dull and long days journey.

A few days, quickly turned into a week of trying to stay ahead. In the beginning they were doing okay but their exhaustion got the better of them and Azog and his pack were less then a day behind them. Thorin had kept his distance from the healer, still feeling that her pain she was in, was his fault and he couldn't look her in the eyes without the image of what is archenemy did to her and he felt he would probably never forgive himself anytime soon, until that foul animal was dead.

The company was resting behind some large boulders and Thorin had sent Bilbo to go see just how close the pack had gotten. Oin took this opportunity to look over the woman's neck injury. As he pulled the cloth away to reveal her skin, he feared the worse. Her wound had opened up again and it had become infected. What he had used to bind her neck was not of the norm but it was all they had since their entire supplies they had gotten in Rivendell was now lost in the tunnels of Goblin Town. If they didn't find somewhere soon where they could replenish their supplies and get the proper medical supplies to clean Maura's gruesome wound, it was only going to get worse. Oin noticed the blood dripping down her neck and he wiped it up with a torn piece of clothing he had ripped from his sweater. The elder dwarf noticed the young woman seemed to be in a bit of daze and had a hard time focusing. "Lass, are you feeling dizzy? Nausea's? Or anything?" Oin asked. Maura shook her head and Oin gave her a look. " Maura? This is no time to be stubborn." Oin pressed. Thorin glanced at the two of them hearing the frustration's in Oin's tone toward's her.

"Oin. I said I'm fine." Maura muttered in annoyance. The dwarf prince noticed her face was soon twisted with pain that she was trying so hard to hide. The elder dwarf covered the wound back up, hoping it would hold until they found somewhere safe. Minutes had passed and the hobbit still hadn't returned and Maura was beginning to get worried. The dwarf prince was speaking with Dwalin when he caught sight of the young half-breed beginning to pace around and play with her hair. Something he noticed she seemed to do often when she making herself worried. Just then they all heard loose rocks coming down the path and saw the hobbit.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin demanded.

"Too close." Bilbo huffed, trying to catch his breath but he knew he had to relay all the information before their enemy found their scent. " A couple of leagues, no more." Maura soon relaxed to see the hobbit seemed unharmed.

"Have the warg's picked up our scent?" Dwalin pressed, wondering how much time they had before they were to be on the run again, trying to stay ahead of these beasts.

"Not yet. But they will soon. We have another problem." The hobbit informed. The dwarves began to murmur amongst themselves, not really paying attention to Bilbo's warning.

"Did they see you?" The wizard guest next sounding a little surprised if they had.

"Hmm?" the hobbit mumbled.

"They saw you." Gandalf pressed, and the others began to get nervous.

Bilbo shook his head at this and looked at the others. "No, that's not it, either."

"What did I tell you all? Quiet as a mouse." The wizard chuckled. The company murmured their gratefulness of the hobbit's sneaking around. "Excellent burglar material." Maura turned to her side to see the hobbit, was getting frustrated and impatient. The dwarves were not letting him speak at all.