The Company of Wolves

Chapter 4: Storytime

Once finally making camp, the dwarves got settled into their own bedrolls while Fili and Kili watched over the fire. A couple of them were still up though like Balin and Gandalf too. Thorin was dozing off up against the rocky ledge next to the fire. However, the girls attempted to sleep, they were very exhausted, but to no avail.

The three of them sat crossed legged facing each other as they talked. The light of the moon was cascading onto the outcrop of the mountain they decided to camp on. Usually more awake during the night and sleeping later in the day, the strangeness of the events recently caused them to wake up early and have a long day of travel, ending up being exhausting physically. But mentally, their brains were awake, the wolves in them wanting to run and howl and chase in the night.

"Ugh, this is horrible. My body wants to sleep for two days yet my mind is like wooo." Ash explained poorly her hands going in circles around her head; yet they all felt exactly what she was implying.

"I feel like I wanna go and shift for a bit but knowing Bilbo and the pity look Gandalf is sending us makes it very clear we aren't quite there yet." Dakota mentioned, eyeing the wizard who was smoking his pipe a few feet away. Rhea and Ash took a glance before looking away.

Rhea chucked a rock over the edge, "I want to just do it honestly. Just to defy Gandalf for basically announcing straight away what we were to the entire company. That was so embarrassing."

Ash and Dakota nodded simultaneously, agreeing very much so. "Seriously though, I get why he did it but on the other hand now we're gonna be treated weird." Ash commented as well.

"I'm surprised you even suggested that Rhea, I'm usually the one with the bad ideas." Dakota smiled.

Rhea chucked a rock into her friends leather covered thigh playfully, "Maybe it's because I've felt a little more adventurous today than usual." She answered, reminding them of her little rescue a few hours ago of a twin dwarf. The girls nodded and smiled.

When Rhea looked over at the two twins she actually caught the eye of Bilbo who was getting up from his sleep.

He smiled at her slightly before pulling an apple out of his jacket pocket and giving it to Myrtle his pony. "It's our little secret, you must tell no one. Shh shh."

Rhea smiled at his shyness before riding the pony and now his friendliness with the furry grazer.

There was a rustling and some howling a distance away that made Bilbo and the girls jump around in its direction.

The other dwarves that were awake heard it too, but didn't make a serious move to defend or anything. The girls inconspicuously sniffed the air several times, nothing around.

"What was that?" Bilbo squeaked.

Fili and Kili looked more serious. "Orcs." Kili answered.

"Orcs?!" Bilbo hushed a little too loudly. Thorin basically jumped forward from his light sleep and looked around.

"I can't smell anything. They shouldn't be near...right?" Ash questioned, giving a concerned look to Gandalf. She had never fought an Orc before, but heard of them in some tales told by Bilbo himself. They seemed very dangerous. Even as wolves, they didn't have much experience fighting things, they had no idea what they could take on. Therefore caution was needed when new dangers aroused.

Gandalf gave a comforting look back to her, not saying a word.

"Throat cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there." Fili said ominously, earning a dry look from Ash who didn't appreciate him scaring Bilbo.

He smirked at her knowing full well what he was doing. She growled.

"The lowlands are crawling with them. They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet no screams." Kili's eyes got wide. "Just lots of blood."