The Truth Beneath the Rose

Life and Death

As the howls grew louder, the panic began to sink in. Though the Company fled as quickly as they could, they knew that they would soon catch up to them. It would only be a matter of minutes. They followed the wizard to a cliff. They were trapped and the pack was closing in quickly.

"Here they come!" Nevaeh shouted. The scouts ran them down in moments. A Warg cornered Bilbo between a large boulder. He was frozen with fear. "Bilbo, your sword!" He heard her call to him. He drew his sword just as the Warg attacked, running it through it's skull. Nevaeh looked around. There was no way out. They were trapped. The only way they could go was up. "Gandalf! Trees! Now!" Nevaeh instructed.

"Up into the trees! All of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" He called.

"Quickly!" Thorin yelled.

Nevaeh swiftly swung herself onto a branch. The others followed suit. Thorin climbed up behind her. No matter how badly she despised him, he would protect her with his life. He would give himself up before letting her die for his cause. Nevaeh looked down to see the Hobbit trying to free his sword from the Warg's skull. But the pack was almost there. He was going to die. She could hear the trampling paws of the Wargs. She jumped out of the tree and landing on her feet.

"Nevaeh, get back here!" Thorin commanded roughly, though his fear was unable to be masked.

She broke into a sprint and grabbed hold of the Hobbit. "Bilbo, come on!" She screamed at him, tugging he and his blade along with her. She all but dragged him up the tree. Her actions could not have come sooner. For as soon as their feet left the ground, the pack had found them. Thorin pulled Nevaeh up onto the branch he stood on, figuring she would be safer with him. But truthfully, it was for his own comfort. They waited for their attacker to reveal himself. When he emerged from the darkness, Nevaeh noticed Thorin's grip on her waist tighten fiercely. She glanced between the two of them. Thorin's glare was filled with hatred and malice. She connected the clues in her mind. It was his nemesis.

"Azog." Thorin whispered in disbelief.

The Pale Orc leaned in and sniffed the air. "Do you smell it?" He spoke in Black Speech. "The scent of fear?" He inhaled deeply. "I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain." He smiled. Nevaeh knew he was antagonizing Thorin. He wanted to anger him, because when one is blinded by anger and rage, it makes them easier to kill.

She gripped Thorin's arm tightly. "Don't listen to him." She told him, but her words seemed to evaporate before they reached him. He was too wrapped up inside of his own emotions to hear her.

"It cannot be." Thorin breathed. She noticed his voice break up a bit.

"Thorin?" She tugged the fur of his coat. When he looked at her, she searched his eyes. They were still wide with shock. But there was a rage in them that frightened her. There was also a look that she had never seen before. She could not read it, but it made her insides twist and ache. Her heart seemed to sink. Azog's menacing voice broke her gaze.

"That one," he pointed his mace at Thorin, "is mine. Kill the others!" He commanded and the Wargs attcked. They leaped and clawed at the trees. They barked and growled furociously at the Company, vigorously trying to reach them. But they were too high. They almost felt safe until the trees began to tilt and crack under the pressure. After constant blows, the tree Thorin and Nevaeh were in jerked hard. Nevaeh slipped and shrieked, Thorin quickly caught her wrist. Her legs dangled toward the vicious creatures. One leaped to bite her, but Thorin yanked her up just in time. He held her close to him, fearing it would be the last time he would ever hold her. As the tree began to buckle and break beneath them, he squeezed her tightly. He looked down to see her peering up at him. She looked so nervous, so frightened. "Drink their blood!" Azog growled. The Wargs began tearing apart the trees, ripping them limb by limb. Soon, they overpowered them and the trees began to topple. The first tree to fall held a few of the Dwarves. It was falling toward Nevaeh and Thorin.