I heard voices ahead and made my way cautiously towards them. I stopped behind a tree and slipped off the ring and slipped it into my pocket, and that's when I heard Richard speak.

"We don't have time to mourn her. We have to keep moving. For her." I heard his voice break. I peered around the tree at the group and frowned, eyebrows knitting together. He thought I was dead.

Before any more conversation could continue, I stepped out from behind the tree and cleared my throat, then said, "Uh, I'm not dead?" 

Richard saw me and his face went ashen. I took a step closer and the others moved to the side, and then he was crushing me in a hug. But I didn't mind it at all and tightened my arms around his neck and just held the back of his head, whispering reassurances that I was ok.

"I'm tougher than I look." I whisper and he pulls away a little to look at me, then he noticed the blood on my head and held me out at arms-length and began to check me over for any other injuries.

His hand moved to cup my cheek and he looked at me in worry. "How did this happen? I..." he drifted off.

"I'm ok, Thorin." I said softly and a strange light shown in those blue eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something else when a low howl erupted from around us.

I stiffened and his grip on my arm tightened.

"What was that? Was that one of those wolves?" I asked.

"That was no wolf." Mr. Ian said gravely. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Run!"

Thorin looked at me and we took off running. He didn't let go of my hand.

We ran down the hill, stumbling over rocks, sticks, and tree roots alike in our rushed descent, but I heard the panting behind us and snarls and growls of those giant wolves.

We didn't have a van or a machine gun to save our backs this time.

Then, the cliff ended.

Before I could panic, Thorin began to climb a tree, reaching down to haul me up into the branches as the others quickly joined us.

I clung to the branches as I climbed, gripping the bark tightly as I went to the top- as high as I could.

And that's when I saw the first creatures emerge.

Orcs atop giant wolves- Wargs. I recognized them all from memorizing the book.

I looked around and realized that everyone....were dwarves now. And Mr. Ian...he was a tall wizard with a long beard and a staff. I watched as he sent a moth away and I was thoroughly confused. He noticed me watching and sent me a sly smirk and a wink.

I looked down at myself and I hadn't changed. I still wore my jeans, sweatshirt, and jacket that contained the book, magic ring, and my gun....except for my feet.

They were huge and covered in hair.

I almost screamed and fell out of the tree, but Aidan, who perched behind me, caught me. I looked at him and he grinned. His black hair was longer and a bow and quiver was strapped to his back.

What had changed that they no longer looked like that biker gang?

Fires swarmed around us- set by the orcs- and the tree we were in shuddered and a deafening snap sounded out and I screamed as the tree fell backwards, colliding with another tree. I held onto the trunk even tighter, coughing at the smoke and trying to catch my breath. Tears stung my eyes.

Then, the leader stepped forward and I grabbed onto Thorin's shoulder tightly. I knew who that was and what Thorin was about to do. And I wouldn't allow it.

The Pale Orc sat atop a massive white warg. "Do you smell it? The stench of fear?" The Orc hissed and I bristled as I understood every word. Black Speech, the term floated through my head.

Thorin was stiff in front of me and I just held onto his arm. Don't do anything stupid, please. Please. Don't. I silently begged him. Please.

"No. It can't be..." Thorin breathed.

"Uncle, is that...?" Aidan breathed behind me. His brother looked equally terrified and Graham in the tree next to ours looked pale. I swallowed hard.

"No. You were dead! I killed you on the battlefield!" Thorin shouted, standing up more on the branch.

The Pale Orc grinned. "Thorin Oakenshield. Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

Thorin actually stepped down a branch, drawing his sword.

"No! Thorin!" I yelled and reached for him again, but Aidan grabbed me and I watched in fear as Thorin stepped down from the tree branch by branch and made his way down the trunk to the Pale Orc.

"Let us finish this, then." Thorin said and stood in a fighting stance.

"No! Thorin!" I screeched, tears streaming down my face, but Aidan didn't let go. His grip on me only tightened as I thrashed in his arms.

Then, the white warg leapt off of the rock it stood on and ran at Thorin, and the Orc swung his arm and hit him square in the chest with a club, knocking him back several steps, but he managed to drive his sword into the beast as it passed.

The warg circled around, snarling at the wound it was dealt, and I watched in horror as it grabbed Thorin in its teeth and flung him across the clearing, where he landed on the ground heavily.

He didn't get back up.

I launched an elbow into Aidan's ribs and I was out of his arms, sprinting for Thorin, and in my hands was not a sword or anything else, but the gun I brought from home.

And I stood in front of Thorin's fallen body and aimed it at the orcs around me.

I fired to my right as an orc stepped forward, killing the monster instantly, and I aimed it back at the Pale Orc in front of me and snarled, "Get. Away. From. Him."

The ors around me went silent and the Pale Orc seemed amused by me. The dwarves were calling my name, trying to get me back into the tree. I looked down at Thorin and he was looking up at me in confusion, and his hand weakly moved across the dirt to touch my leg.

A silent encouragement.

"Ah, so this is the author, hm? The great Abigail. What have you against me, against us? You're just a little hobbit." He said sarcastically in that disgusting language. He grinned maliciously, revealing pointed teeth and the orcs around him laughed.

I smirked. "Bitch, you have no idea what I'm capable of, but where I come from, we speak English."

I then aimed the gun at the giant Warg and shot it through the head.

It let out a screech and it tumbled forward with a spray of blood and the Pale Orc dived off of it.

Then, orcs left and right were circling us.

I knew this was it. I was going to die. I'd see my mom and sister again. I knew I would. I would die with my friends.

But I was wrong, because all of a sudden, I was snatched up by something huge with talons and feathers.

A scream caught in my throat and I clung to the talons around my torso and screamed as I was suddenly released and I fell through the air only to land on something solid but soft and my hands clamped onto the feathers before me.

I was on the back of a giant Eagle.

I watched as the Eagles one by one tossed the orcs and wargs off the cliff side and picked up the dwarves and Mr. Ian and carried them to safety.

I looked forward and just held onto my Eagle tightly.

I felt for my gun and found it and my ammo cartridges in my jacket again. I breathed a small sigh of relief, but worry clawed at my heart. For Thorin.

Then, the Eagles began to near a tall rise of rock and when my Eagle landed, I leapt down and landed heavily, rolling a little.

I saw an Eagle gently set Thorin down then take off again and I just ran to him, limping slightly.

"Thorin!" I gasped and collapsed next to him and rolled him onto his back gently, setting his head into my lap. There was so much blood. Too much blood. My hands were coated in it. I gasped on a sob.

Then, Mr. Ian was there. He held his staff over Thorin and muttered a few words under his breath, the staff glowing. He moved his hands and the staff and nothing happened. Thorin's eyes were still closed and I held my breath.

Then, his eyes opened.

He looked at me, those blue eyes squinting a little to focus on me.

He furrowed his eyebrows and said, "You shouldn't have done-"

I cut him off by grabbing his face and kissing him. His whole body stiffened then his hand moved to hold my face and he kissed me back.

"Just shut up, ok?" I mumbled and smiled at him.

He smiled back.