Erebor's Guardian

Chapter 5

It was early in the morning. I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I woke to see Thorin.

"It time to leave. The others are waiting for us."

I smiled at the condition of his hair, it was a complete mess but he could still pull it off. I stood up and quickly changed. Thorin handed me my cloak when I noticed that Bilbo was still asleep.

"Should we not wake him?"

"He didn't sign the contract."

"I suppose not, but I'll bet you five silver he will wake up and come running toward us."

Thorin smirked

"I'll take that bet."

I smiled as I wrapped the cloak around my shoulders. I opened the door for Thorin and carefully closed it. Thorin saddled his pony while I stretched my legs.

"Not riding?"

"Not instantly, it feels better to ride when your legs are tired of walking."

Gandalf chuckled as the others laughed. Thorin simply smiled. As we started to travel outside the borders of the Shire. I looked back to see the hills and the small folk living in content. I prayed the same would happen to us. A few minutes afterwards, I stopped in my tracks and smirked. Thorin stopped his pony and looked at me. The others stopped as well.

"What is it."

I turned around and held out my hand in front of Thorin. Instantly Bilbo came running over the hill with the contract. I could hear Thorin grump at the sight and then a sack of coins landed in my hand.

"Thank you."

As Bilbo ran up he seemed out of breath as Balin took the contract from him. Bilbo smiled at the others as they cheered. Thorin called for the others to get him a pony. Even though he didn't want one I picked him up and placed him on the Bronco.

"Why do you not have to ride one."

"Well eventually I will but I am taller than you and I can move faster."

Bilbo had a smirk on his face as I walked by Gandalf. The other dwarves started to throw bags of coin toward each other.

"What's that about."

Bilbo asked as he brought the pony next to me and Gandalf.

"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

"What did you think."

Gandalf caught a sack of money and put it in his bag. I held up the small pouch of coins from Thorin in front of me with a smile. Bilbo sneezed

"Oh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction."

I pulled out a light handkerchief for him.

"Here, you can keep it."

At night we arrived near the edge of a cliff. Gloin was asleep and was exhaling and inhaling insects into his mouth. Bilbo watched in disgust, he stood up and decided to walk around. Most of the others were asleep; Gandalf, Fili and Kili were awake. Suddenly a scream was heard, Orcs were nearby. Thorin who was dozing jerked awake upon hearing the scream. Kili and Fili started to joke with Bilbo

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke."

Thorin said as he stood up glaring at Kili and Fili

"We didn't mean anything about it."

"No, you didn't. You know nothing about the world."

Thorin walked off to the edge of the cliff and looked over the valley; I walked up to him as Balin walked up to Kili and Fili

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the Smaug took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf Kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first."

I sighed as I too had remembered that battle. Bodies dropped left and right. Fatal blows were dealt toward both armies. With one fall of our swords, I, Thorin, Thrain and Thror fought off the orcs with great skill. Amongst all the carnage, a pale-white orc loomed over the armies. Azog.

"Moria had been taken by legions of orcs led by the vilest of all their race. Azog the Defiler. the giant Gunabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin."

I closed my eyes at the memory of Azog facing Thror.

"He began by beheading the king."

I could not see it but I knew that tears welled in Balin's eyes.

The clear memory of Azog roaring in triumph. He held King Thror's severed head high above him for all to see. Azog flung the head forward landing directly at Thorin's feet. The sound of Thorin and I yell.

"NO!"

Gandalf's pipe dropped from his mouth. He seemed disturbed by this tale, even though he had heard it before. Balin continued.

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed. We did not know."

I walked in front of Thorin and placed a hand on his cheek. Thorin had a pained look on his face as Balin continued.

"We were leaderless, Defeat and death were upon us."

the memory of the orcs overpowering the dwarves as the others fled for their life.

"That's is when I saw them: a young dwarf prince and his guard facing the pale Orc.

Thorin placed his hand on mine. He opened his eyes and looked at me with a slight smile.

"They stood against the terrible foe, hie armour rent...weilding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield and her with nothing but a blade, no wings to help her."

That caught everyone's attention. I smiled at Thorin as he held my hand. The memory made us both smile.

Azog had swung at Thorin causing him to fall to the ground, but he grabbed an oaken branch blocking the mace with each swing. I jumped into the air slicing at Azogs eyes, blinding his left eye. When Azog swung once more toward Thorin, I threw my sword to Thorin and he managed to cut off Azog's left arm. Azog clutched the stump of his arm as he howled in pain.

"Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken."

I remembered Thorin rallying the dwarves to battle. they all stopped fleeing and returned to the battle, fighting ferociously.

"Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, the 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 and I brought our foreheads to each other. Thorin turned around from the view; the entire company is awake and standing in awe, staring at us.

"Wait you said wings... what do you mean."

Fili said as Bilbo and Kili looked at me in wonder. I turned to Thorin who smirked and nodded his head.

I unfolded my wings fully and outward.

Kili and Fili stood up in awe of my wings as they lightly glistened in the fire of the camp. the others watched as the feathers blew in the wind. Bilbo stood with his jaw opened. Gandalf smiled at the sight. Bilbo walked over to the tip of my wings, I moved one toward Bilbo, Kili and Fili. They carefully felt the feathers. Bilbo had noticed that they were slightly damaged.

"How did you gain these marks?"

"Smaug, when he rammed through the gates of Erebor, I saw Thorin at the front of the lines and dove in front of the dragon's flames to save him. Merely another reason why that dragon is hated"

"You were there?"

Gandalf said as he blew out the smoke from his pipe.

"Yes, I was caught in the dragon's flame and I wasn't going to leave Thorin."

Not ever.