They did not sing or tell stories that day, even though the weather improved; nor the next day after. They had begun to feel that danger was not far away on either side. They camped under the stars, and their horses had more to eat than they had; for there was plenty of grass, but there was not much in their bags, even with that which they had got from the trolls. One morning they forded a river at a wide shallow place full of the noise of stones and foam. The far bank was steep and slippery. When they got to the top of it, leading their ponies, they saw that the great mountains had marched down very near to them. Already they seemed only a day's easy journey from the feet of the nearest. Dark and drear it looked, though there were patches of sunlight on its brown sides, and behind its shoulders the tips of snow-peaks gleamed.

"Is that The Mountain?" asked Bilbo in a solemn voice, looking at it with round eyes. He had never seen a thing that looked so big before.

"Of course not!" said Balin. "That's only the beginning of the Misty Mountains, and we have to get through, or over, or under those somehow, before we can come into Wilderland beyond. And it's a deal of a way even from the other side of them to the Lonely Mountain in the East where Smaug lies on our treasures."

"Oh," said Bilbo, and just at that moment he felt more tired than he ever remembered feeling before. He was thinking once again of his comfortable chair before the fire in his favorite sitting-room in his hobbit-hole, and of the kettle singing. Not for the last time!

"Something's coming!" cried Thorin just as they were about to remount their ponies. They were all quite startled when a blur of brown came suddenly flying at them with great speed.

"Hurry now! Arm yourselves!" said Gandalf.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" a voice that was familiar to the wizard and Hannah cried as the brown blur skidded to a halt in front of them, and they could now see its true form was a little old man in a brown hat and brown robes on a sled pulled by a team of large rabbits.

"Radagast," said Gandalf, relieved. "It's Radagast the Brown."

"Hello, Mr. Radagast," Hannah greeted him.

"Oh, hello, Hannah!" said Radagast, visibly brightening despite the anxious rantings he had been spouting only a moment ago.

"Well, what on earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked, surprised to see him there since he was supposed to be keeping a watchful eye on Dol Guldur.

"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong," Radagast replied, adopting an urgent mien once again.

"Yes?" asked Gandalf.

Radagast opened his mouth to speak then paused. "Oh," he said as he was ready, but then suddenly looked uncertain again. "Just give me a minute. Oh, I had a thought and now I've lost it. I-It was right there on the tip of my tongue. Oh. It's not a thought at all. It's a silly old... stick insect," he said when he felt something move inside his mouth and stuck out his tongue so Gandalf could remove it for him, rescuing the poor thing. Both Hannah's eyebrows went up at that, while Bilbo's went down as he made a face that clearly said he was beginning to question whether the Brown Wizard was right in the head.

"Is he always like that?" Bilbo asked as the wizards began to whisper amongst themselves and moved a bit further away from the company to continue their conversation.

"Mostly," Hannah answered honestly. "He's a bit odd, but he's a good egg. He can seem a bit childlike at times, but he's very selfless and brave, when the need arises."

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf," said Radagast urgently. "A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore; at least, nothing good. The woodsmen who live near now call it Mirkwood. The air is foul with decay. But worse are the webs."

"Webs? What do you mean?" asked Gandalf.

"Spiders, Gandalf," said Radagast grimly. "Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."

"Dol Guldur?" said Gandalf, troubled by the implication. He knew already that the old fortress was not as abandoned as the Enemy would have them believe, but the idea of such dark and dangerous creatures allying with Sauron was troubling.

Everyone started when they heard an uncanny howl and saw two beasts approaching fast from the distance.

"Wolves?" said Bilbo nervously as he glanced in the direction from which it had come.

"Wolves? No, those are not wolves," bofur answered with a trembling voice as they Dwarves all gave a cry of alarm.

Kili and Hannah quickly drew their bows and fired, each targeting one of the creatures. One arrow was not enough to take either down. In fact it only seemed to make things worse, for the beasts flew forward in a rage. Hannah quickly fired two more arrows, one through each of its eyes. The arrows pierced deep, all the way to the fletching, and the warg fell dead. Kili attempted to do the same, but his target was too quick. The beast lunged forward, and they all quickly dodged to the side, except Thorin. He met the beast with his blade and cut it down with a mighty blow.

"Warg scouts!" he said grimly "Which means an orc pack is not far behind."

"Orc pack?" asked Bilbo.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" asked Gandalf.

"No one," answered Thorin.

"Who did you tell?" the wizard demanded sternly.

"No one, I swear," said Thorin earnestly. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You're being hunted," Gandalf replied grimly.

"Hunted?" said Hannah, startled. Had the enemy discovered them already?

"We have to get out of here," said Dwalin urgently.

"We can't! We have no ponies!" cried Ori. It was true, in the midst of the attack their rides had all panicked and run off without them; even Gandalf's horse and Daisy had bolted.

"I'll draw them off," said Radagast.

"These are Gundabad Wargs," said Gandalf. "They will outrun you."

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits," said Radagast. "I'd like to see them try." With more howls sounding over the horizon there was no time to argue. They had to take action now.

"Come and get me! Ha, ha!" laughed Radagast as he led the Orcs and their Wargs away from the great rock the others were hiding behind, drawing them well off the company's scent.

"Come on," said Gandalf urgently once the coast was relatively clear, leading them on. While Radagast continued to distract the Orc pack, they crept hurriedly amongst the outcroppings of stone jutting out from the bleak and otherwise flat landscape. Hannah was worried about Radagast and his rabbits, but she made sure to focus on keeping up with the others. "Stay together," whispered Gandalf as the ongoing chase briefly cut in front of them a little too close for comfort. "Move!" he urged them once they had turned away. They ran with all their might to the next outcrop.

"Ori, no! Get back!" cried Thorin, grabbing the young Dwarf when his momentum almost threw him out into view of the Orcs and pulling him back to safety.

"All of you, come on. Quick!" said Gandalf, herding them on.

"Where are you leading us?" asked Thorin. Gandalf offered no reply other than to keep moving. But they could not fool the noses of the Gundabad Wargs forever. One of them caught a whiff of their scent, and he and his rider separated from the pack to investigate. The company quickly and quietly pressed themselves flat up against another outcrop when they heard a low and dangerous growl. It was coming from above.

Thorin looked at Kili and nodded for him to take action. Kili took a breath, drew an arrow, and rushed out into a more favorable to shoot the beast. The Warg let out a cry when it was struck, and Kili fired another arrow and hit the rider in the leg as the beast fell. But the Warg was not dead, and it let out a terrible screech of pain as it hit the ground. Hannah quickly fired two arrows through its eyes to silence it. The Orc lunged at them with a growl, and Dwalin and Bifur answered with their hammer and axe. Unfortunately this altercation did not go unnoticed by the rest of the hunting party, and a chorus of howls was heard as they charged towards the company's hiding place.

"Run!" yelled Gandalf, and they all made a mad dash for it.

"There they are!" shouted Glóin as the pack circled round.

"This way! Quickly!" said Gandalf, changing directions.

"There's more coming!" cried Kili.

"Kili! Shoot them!" shouted Thorin.

"Hannah!" said Gandalf urgently. Both archers quickly drew their bows and fired. Ori tried to help using his slingshot. Gandalf whipped his head around, searching frantically. He needed to find the right path, or they would all be done for! And then, he spotted it.

"We're surrounded!" yelled Fili. They all backed up to close their ranks.

"Where's Gandalf?" Dori cried upon realizing the wizard was nowhere to be seen.

"He's abandoned us!" said Dwalin. Hannah knew that couldn't be true.

"Look again!" she said.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin ordered.

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf shouted suddenly, poking his head out between two stones, before disappearing again.

"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you!" said Thorin. Hannah did not need to be told twice. One by one they all quickly slid down after the wizard. "Kili, run!" Thorin yelled when he realized the young Dwarf was still trying to hold of the Wargs. Kili quickly turned and ran and followed his uncle down the hole just as they heard the clear ringing of horn sound in the valley above. They all immediately scrambled back as the body of an orc came tumbling down through the opening above, but to their relief, they found that it had already been struck dead by an arrow. Thorin pulled it out to examine it.

"Elves," he said, as if it were a curse, throwing the arrow back down. Gandalf and Hannah both shared a look. Would it kill him to show a little gratitude? Whether by intention or not, those Elves had clearly just saved them. Personally, Hannah was very relieved to be out of immediate danger, and she knew the presence of the Elves would help ensure that Radagast would be able to safely slip away and return to his forest unharmed.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," said Dwalin, who had ventured further ahead. "Do we follow it or no?"

"Follow it, of course!" said Bofur. They certainly couldn't stay there.

"I think that would be wise," said Gandalf, suppressing a small smile, as he shared a knowing look with Hannah. It was not difficult to guess where they were going once you considered the direction they had been headed in before the Wargs showed up and the special fletching on the arrow they had found in the orc.

The company continued down the path, which soon became so narrow in some parts that many of them had to inch along sideways in order to be able to advance. There was a very touch and go moment when Bombur had trouble squeezing himself through, but he was able to just barely make it with a bit of help from those pushing behind. Eventually the reach the end of the path, which opened out near a small trickle of a waterfall onto a smooth path that overlooked a great valley riven by a great river far below. One the far side of the valley the light of the sun gleamed and glittered upon cascading silver falls and the elegantly shaped homes and halls built amongst them, surrounded by the green of rustling trees.

"The Valley of Imladris," Hannah said, smiling at the beautiful and familiar sight. She called it as the Elves did, but in the common tongue it was known by another name.

"Rivendell," said Bilbo softly, gazing upon the Elf settlement with wonder.

"Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea," said Gandalf.

"This was your plan all along," Thorin said accusingly, turning on the wizard. "To seek refuge with our enemy."

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield," said Gandalf. "The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself." Hannah couldn't agree more but very wisely refrained from doing so out loud. Thorin was already in a foul enough mood as it was.

"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us," he said.

"Of course they will," answered Gandalf calmly. "But we have questions that need to be answered." Thorin sighed heavily in defeat, grudgingly realizing the wizard was right. "If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm," the wizard continued. "Which is why you will leave the talking to me."

So they followed Gandalf further into the Valley. He led them down the path around and over to a narrow stone bridge which would have been just wide enough for the ponies to cross in single file, had they still been with them. Hannah strode across confidently, sure in her footing and not at all daunted by the plunging depths below as she walked in front with Gandalf, but many of the Dwarves peered over the side warily, as if they did not trust the stone bridge to hold. As they walked Bilbo gazed with wonder at all the beauty about him. They halted before the grand stair leading up into the first wing of the main hall, on which two elven-guards were stationed.

"Mithrandir. Hannah," a dark-haired and fair-faced Elf of noble bearing called out in greeting as he descended the steps, though he was surprised to see the strange company they had brought with them.

"Ah, Lindir," said Gandalf as he and Hannah stepped forth to meet him.

"Mr. Lindir," Hannah greeted the Elf respectfully and smiled.

"We heard you had crossed into the Valley," said Lindir in Elvish.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond," said Gandalf in the Common Tongue.

"My Lord Elrond is not here," said Lindir.

"Not here? Where is he?" asked Gandalf. Almost as if in answer to the wizard's question, the same horn they had heard before sounded again behind them, and everyone turned to see a team of Elven riders galloping towards them. Gandalf's smile faltered slightly when he saw how swiftly they were approaching, and Bifur shouted in alarm.

"Close ranks!" ordered Thorin. The hunting party charged across the narrow bridge and circled round the Dwarves and Bilbo, who were all on edge with weapons raised, but Elrond paid them no mind.

"Gandalf! Hannah!" the elf-lord said with a smile, pleasantly surprised to find that his old friend and young ward had returned while he was out.

"Lord Elrond," said Hannah with a bright smile, bowing with Gandalf as they greeted him. She had great affection and respect for the elf-lord, who, in her experience, was strong as a warrior, as wise as a Wizard, as venerable as a king, and as kind as summer.

"Mellon-nin!" the wizard welcomed his old friend with gladness. "Where have you been?" he inquired in Elvish.

"We have been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South," answered Elrond in his own tongue as he dismounted. "We slew a number near the Hidden Pass." He paused to embrace Gandalf and Hannah each in greeting before continuing in the Common Tongue, handing the orc-blade in his hand to Lindir. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near."

"Ah, that may have been us," said Gandalf. Thorin stepped forward before the rest of his company.

"Welcome, Thorin son of Thráin," Elrond greeted the Dwarf with respect.

"I do not believe we have met," said Thorin.

"You have your grandfather's bearing," said Elrond. "I knew Thrór when he ruled under the Mountain."

"Indeed. He made no mention of you," said Thorin with a surly manner. Hannah frowned at his rudeness. Would it kill him to at least pretend to be polite for a moment? Elrond bore a neutral expression as he very calmly replied to the unfriendly Dwarf in Elvish. Gandalf and Hannah smiled.

"What is he sayin'? Does he offer us insult?" asked Glóin, already offended despite having understood not a single word that was said, as were many of the other Dwarves.

"No, Master Glóin, he is offering you food," explained Gandalf. The Dwarves turned and whispered amongst themselves.

"Ah, well... in that case, lead on," said Glóin, trying not to appear too abashed after his mistake. Hannah caught the hint of a sly smile on Elrond's face and shared a smile of wry amusement with the elf-lord at the Dwarves' reaction as they proceeded to enter his home. Dwarves.

Being very tired and hungry the Dwarves and Bilbo were all for having a meal as soon as possible, but soon found themselves disappointed with the fare that had been presented to them, though it was no less than what Lord Elrond himself would have dined upon. Indeed the Lord of the House was set to join them as soon as he finished changing from his armor.

"Try it," Dori urged Ori. "Just a mouthful."

"I don't like green food," said Ori with a shake of his head, pushing away the plate of salad.

"Where's the meat?" asked Dwalin, digging through the fresh greens in search of some real food.

"Have they got any chips?" Ori asked.

"Kind of you to invite us," said Gandalf as he entered the dining hall with their host, who was now garbed in exactly the style of fine and elegant robes Bilbo would have expected of an elf-lord. The wizard, however, was still in the same rough grey robe that he had been wearing along. "Not really dressed for dinner."

"You never are," said Elrond with a smile.

"Where's Hannah?" Bilbo asked Balin, who was seated beside him. The chair they had left open for her between himself and Fili was still empty.

"I don't know," said Balin. "I think she mentioned something about washing up first."

"Ah," said Bilbo, nodding in understanding. Despite being just as hungry and tired as the others what Hannah had seemed to want most was a bath. In fact, he wouldn't mind one himself. All of the Dwarves could certainly use one.

Kili winked at the lovely she-elf on the harp, who was part of the musical ensemble playing for their entertainment. He realized Dwalin had caught him, and that the older Dwarf was staring at him hard with an extremely unimpressed look on his face. "I can't say I fancy elf-maids myself, too thin," said Kili quickly. "They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin. Not enough facial hair for me." Bofur smiled in agreement, thinking of their uniquely beautiful strong and stocky dwarf-women. "Although that one there's not bad," Kili added, glancing at the elf that had just passed behind playing the lyre.

"That's not an elf-maid," Dwalin told him in a low voice. Kili looked again at the fair-faced male elf and then back at Dwalin with a look of confusion. Dwalin shook his head. Everyone laughed at the stunned expression on the young Dwarf's face.

"That's funny," said Kili, chagrined to have made such an embarrassing mistake. As the flute-player moved closer, Óin stuffed his napkin into his hearing-horn and smiled in satisfaction once he could no longer hear the elegant music.

Meanwhile, over at the dining table at which Elrond, Gandalf, and Thorin were seated, the elf-lord was examining the two swords they had found in the troll-hoard.