The Three Women Of Durin

Beorn's Home

The company travelled for two weeks before anything cropped up, all the while training sessions refused to settle down. At the end of each long day of travelling the girls would spend 30 minutes to an hour working with their assigned partners. They were generally forced to fight with their weapons, only sparring to make sure they still maintained what they knew from Rivendell. On some nights Dwalin would only give Rosie the resources she had around her in the abandoned forest, Rosie tended to opt for a decent sized fallen branch.

The bumps and bruises from their run-in with Azog soon faded without scars and any other injuries soon healed. On the seventh night of the week, after the girls had their training sessions and were now settling down to rest their aching feet a strangled howl echoed from a distance behind them.

No one needed to say anything, even the girls could now detect that howl from miles away. Wargs. The company leapt into action, pulling their bags back on and acquainting themselves with weapons, the girls watching for a moment before following. When they were all ready and the fire was stomped out they gathered in a circle.

"Bilbo, turn back and scout out how far away the wargs are," Thorin instructed, "We shall be right here if you should need us." The hobbit nodded, surprisingly no fear could be found in his eyes, these paths had changed the hobbit. With a short nod, Bilbo turned around and scurried away when Cece updated the group on what was to happen next.

"It is, in fact, a Warg pack, some orcs too methinks, but there is something else, someone else to precise," Cece said, dramatically.

"Oh, you just love this don't you," Frankie smirked at her friend as Cece blushed.

"What?" Gandalf asked, intrigued.

"Ever heard of a certain shapeshifter who lives in these parts?" Cece turned to Gandalf, knowing damn well he did. Gandalf thought for a moment and then nodded. "When Bilbo comes back, we run," Cece instructed still talking to Gandalf.

"I'm sorry I do believe we may have missed something," Kili said as his face contorted into a bemused expression. Just then a howl thundered from the sky, something that certainly wasn't a warg. Following the howl, Bilbo crashed through the bushes his eyes wide and his breath heavy.

"The- "Bilbo started.

"We know, RUN!" Cece shouted before turning around and running away, the company following behind. Gandalf soon took the lead, leading the company this way and that. They ran for what seemed like hours and it probably was since the sun began to rise over the mountain peaks. Soon they were running across a barren field with a minute lake sitting sleepily in the middle, they ran and ran and ran, Gandalf shouting at them from the front.

"COME ON!" His voice echoed and the girls picked up the pace, their burning lungs and alight muscles screaming in protest. But no so far in the distance, a small hut could be seen, hope. Another roar of this unknown beast tore through their surroundings, so loud the girls had to cover their ears.

"This way!" Gandalf shouted, and they followed. Poor Bombur, frozen where he was, fear radiating off him.

"Bombur come on!" Thorin cried as he grabbed the beard of the ginger dwarf. Out of nowhere the dwarf turned and ran faster than any of the other dwarves, he simply skipped past them, his legs and arms moving in a blur. If they weren't running from death the girls would have laughed.

They approached the gate and ran into a small front garden before slamming up into the door, all the dwarves slamming into each other. The girls who were mid-pack scrambled to the front and lifted the leaver allowing the dwarves to tumble inside.

"Bloody dwarves!" Rosie huffed as she held back the door for Thorin and Gandalf. Just then a mound of a monster appeared, tearing through the front gate, razor teeth slashing, bladed claws stabbing. "Uh oh," Rosie whispered, frozen with fear.