Daughter of a King

Chapter 20: The Hidden Pass

(Arulla's POV)

I curled into my fathers body as he pushed me into the cliff.

"Don't let go of me." I hear him say. I nod slightly. His body crushing me to the rock. I looked up for only but a moment. My heart stopped and I felt as if I was going to faint. The warg charged at us and Thorin drew his newfound sword. Thorin moved from me and swung with a mighty thrust and lodged the sword into the warg's neck.

I sighed in relief but another warg jumped onto the side of the cliff and jumped down and began to charge. Thorin's sword was still lodged in the dead warg. I pulled my bow and arrow out when I heard,

"Kílí! Your bow!" Kílí ran up beside me and we both fired upon the charging warg. It tumbled to the ground but refused to be still, it's jaws only inches from Thorin's body. Dwalin came up and swung his mighty hammer and the warg finally was still.

"Warg scouts!" Thorin bellowed as his sword finally unlodged itself from the warg's neck.

"Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." "Orc pack?" Bilbo whimpered. Gandalf strutted towards Thorin, "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"

"No one."

"Who did you tell!"

"No one I swear!" Thorin growled, "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted." Gandalf huffed. His face filled with worry. "We have to get out of here" Dwalin gruffed. "We can't!" Ori piped up, "We have no ponies! They bolted."

"Oh Mahal. Not again." I whimpered. Thorin was soon at my side. Cradling my head, soothing me saying, "Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."

"I'll draw them off!" I hear Radaghast say. "These are Gundabad Wargs! They will outrun you." Gandalf countered. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try."

I whimpered and grasped my father's hand tightly before we began to run. "Don't let go." I whisper in his ear. He smiles and kisses my forehead. When Gandalf gave the word, we were off to running.

We continued to run and hide behind rocks. My eyes traveling to Radaghast to make sure he was still safe. As we rush across a rocky plain, I see Radaghast is being chased by a warg. Radaghast ducks underneath a ledge and the warg crashes and trips over while trying to catch him. I smile at his genius but see the wargs not too far from us. So Thorin pulled me behind the rocks and the others followed.

"Stay together!" Gandalf whispers.

"Move!" Thorin bellows and he pushes me along. We continue to run for fear of being caught. Thorin leading the group stops suddenly, but Ori goes over.

"Ori no! Get back!" Thorin bellows as he pulls him back. Gandalf checks the sight, "Come on! Come on quick!" Everyone keeps running, and my hand leaves my father's as I run ahead. "Where are you leading us?" I hear Thorin ask Gandalf. Gandalf doesn't answer, so they keep running.

We stop once more by an outcropping of rock and I breathe heavily. I stop when I hear paw thumps above us and a sword unsheathing. I look up slightly and there was a warg on top of the rock we were hiding behind. I glance over and see Kílí getting ready to fire. As he does, the warg topples to the ground and and let's out a curdling screech.

I stayed behind my father as everyone began to slash at the warg and Orc astride it. When both were finally dead, it was too late. I could hear the thundering of paws and screams. I clutched my bow and notched an arrow in the string.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf bellows. He didn't have to say it twice. I ran as fast as I could. The arrow still strung perfectly onto my bow. I turned around and jumped onto a rock and fired. the Orc fell and I turned around and continued to move.