Lover, Fighter

Where are you?

When Thorin had learned how and when to open the hidden door to get in Erebor, dwarves packed their bags and very early in the morning headed out of Rivendell. You were well enough to go with them and you turned into your wolf form and walked in front. You heard Thorin speaking, and you took a peek over your shoulder to see that he was stopping and waiting for something.

"Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths so lead on."

"Aye."

You heard Balin answer to him and saw Balin walk closer to you.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up," Thorin said to Bilbo who turned to look one more time at Rivendell and turned to walk behind his nephews.

It wasn't long when you entered the wild and you stopped and sat down to wait so that the dwarves would go past you. You weren't that worried about them, Dwalin, Kili and Fili were in front with Balin, Thorin was securing the middle with Gloin, Bifur, and Bofur, so it made sense that you would guard the end of the line where Bilbo was struggling to keep up. When Bilbo was at your side, you stood up and walked beside him.

He was nervous although he knew you, your size apparently scared him still. Lowering your head, you nudged him a little and let out a soft whine and looked him in the eyes. That earned a shy smile from him and you gave him a lick on the cheek.

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay," he said chuckling and patted your side. You just shake your fur huffing and Bilbo couldn't help but laugh and a few of the dwarves turned to look back and smiled when they noticed that Bilbo was at last feeling comfortable enough around you to loosen up.

The company walked relatively fast, Bilbo was riding on your back after you decided that speed of the snail was irritating you and by the time evening was falling down on the company, Thorin told you if you could hunt something and meanwhile, they would start looking a place to camp. You made a sound that Thorin interpreted that you agreed to it. Bilbo jumped down and made his way toward Bofur and Bombur.

Fili came to your side.

"I'm coming too," he said, and it sounded like you didn't have a choice in the matter. Thorin chuckled and nodded his head.

You knew these parts well enough so that finding food should not be a problem. When the land led down a little, you knew that you were heading towards a big swamp. Fili was watching your every move and slowed down his pace when you prick up your ears and altered your flexible trot to low sneaking. Fili rendered that behave as if there was a game ahead. If it were a danger, you would have stopped, put back your ears, and turned around to look at him to warn him.

You two came silently in the open from behind the trees just as a pheasant descended into the tall brown sedge about 15 meters away. You sank down, so did Fili. You stayed still and watched the pheasant flock, which flew from the nearby meadow to the swamp to rest.

Now there were two hens and a shiny colored fowl which landed in the same spot where the first one landed. You and Fili waited until there was no longer not a single pheasant left in the air, and then Fili saw you starting to approach them. Fili hasn't witnessed you stalking a prey, so it was exciting to see.

Although you were big, the tall grass luckily hid you well enough so the birds couldn't see you approaching. Your perfect concentration was a sight to see as you approached your prey like pulled by a magnet like you didn't have any choice but to follow the scent right to the flock.

And that could have succeeded if it was quail, partridge, woodcock, or common snipe. But what you didn't know, because you have never hunted a pheasant, that they didn't stay where they were but they started running long before you got close enough so you could make that lethal jump on them.