The Hobbit: An Unexpected Discovery

Chapter Seven: Orcs

As the light began to fade, the company settled down for the night near the edge of a cliff. Bilbo who was not able to sleep, gets up and walks around. Most of the dwarves were asleep; Gandalf, Fae, Fili, and Kili, however, were awake. Bilbo quietly walked over to his pony and gave her an apple.

"Hello, girl. That's a good girl. It's our little secret, Myrtle; you must tell no one. sh, sh" Bilbo said as he placed an apple inside her mouth. He laughed a little and stroked her nose affectionately. Hearing a scream in the night air, the little hobbit suddenly became worried. He ran over to Fili, Kili and Fae.

"What was that?" he asked

"Orcs." Fae replied quietly, not yet looking at the hobbit, as another scream was heard. Thorin, who was lightly dozing, jerked awake upon hearing the word "Orcs."

"Orcs?" Bilbo squeaked timidly.

"Throat cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili replied

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." Kili says as

Bilbo looked away in fright; Fili and Kili look at each other and began to laugh.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin bellowed, now properly awake.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili protested

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Fae shouted at Kili and walked over to the edge of the cliff where Thorin now stood looking over the valley

Balin walked up to Fili and Kili and patted them on the back.

"Don't mind him, laddie." He said to Kili. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the vilest of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King." Balin sighed before continuing. "Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armour rent...wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived, and I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King."

Thorin turned away from the view beyond the cliff; the entire Company was awake and standing in awe, staring at him. Thorin walks between them toward the fire, Fae however remained at the cliff edge.

"But the pale orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin replied "Get some sleep, we have a long journey tomorrow. Fae, come rest" Fae turned at this and shook her head before sitting down, her legs dangling over the edge. Fili and Kili looked at each other and headed over to where she sat.

"We are really sorry you know?" said Kili. Fae just shrugged. "Don't speak of things you have no experience of." She said, ignoring them once more.

"What happened?' Fili asked. Fae just shrugged and turned herself away from the princes. They sighed and walked back to the fire.

"If you won't tell them at least tell me." Thorin said coming up behind her. She shook her head once more. "That is a story for darker days, melnen" she said, walking away from the cliff and going to sleep.