You and the Company sprint through the grasslands, desperately trying to find somewhere to hide from the orcs. You hear them and their wargs howling in the distance, and occasionally catch sight of Radagast, robes flapping in the wind as his rabbit sleigh zoomed across the ground, the monsters close behind.

Originally you had planned to abandon the Company, but one look from Gandalf told you that would not be wise. The old wizard was as stubborn as an ox, and he still seemed to believe that you and Thorin could fix this....whatever it was. So for now, you were stuck with one another.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin growled to Gandalf a while later, as the wizard urged you and the Company away from the savage chase. Gandalf pulled a face, and followed you all, whilst Thorin's face likened a thundercloud. From his expression, you could guess he did not like Gandalf's silent answer.

It was a constant game of cat and mouse, with you all taking shelter behind rock formations on the plain. However, the orcs and their mounts were gaining ground, and Radagast could not outrun them forever.

You and your companions raced to the next nearby boulder, breathing heavily with exertion. You leaned against the rock, trying to catch your breath, thighs burning. Claws clacked on the rock above you, coupled with the clink of rusty armour, and you clamped your hand over your mouth, trying to mask the sound of your breathing.

You saw the rest of the Comoany exchange panicked looks, and then Thorin turned to Kili, the only one in the Company with a bow. They seemed to communicate with a series of hurried expressions, and Kili whipped out from under the rock, drew his bow and shot the warg in less than a split second.

The warg howled in pain, and swayed on its feet. Kili's second arrow pierced its back, and the warg toppled off the rock and onto the grass.

The orc launched itself towards you and the other dwarves, but Dwalin quickly brought his mattock down upon the monster, before Bifur and several others moved in to finish him off.

Seconds later, chilling howls and roars reached your ears, and looking around at the other's faces, you saw that they had heard them too. The orcs had caught wind of their comrade's demise, and they were coming for you all.

"Move! RUN!" Gandalf shouted, and everyone sprinted to follow him.

You and your companions ran as fast as you could across the grasslands, with no idea where Gandalf was leading you. "To certain death?" you thought worriedly. Would you die without explaining yourself to Thorin?

A stone knocked against the toe of your boot, and you tripped, sprawling facefirst onto the ground. Almost immediately you felt a pair of strong arms haul you back up, and you looked up to see Thorin.

"Hurry, givashel! " he told you, yanking you into a sprint once more before letting go of your hands.

Givashel... he called you givashel. His old nickname for you. A smile would have formed onto your lips of you hadn't been so scared and angry with him.

*****************************************

What had he been thinking?

Thorin cursed himself as he ran, his breath coming in ragged gasps. One minute he was telling her he was angry, the next he was calling her 'treasure'!

He had always felt this unimaginable sense of guilt whenever he had made her cry, even back before the fall of Erebor. He had never been able to compete with the helpless look on her face. The woman made him weak at the knees, even after all these years.

But was he really as angry with her as he had thought? The name had sprung to his lips by accident, but he had meant it.

"Because you still love her," the voice in his head whispered.

"No," he argued back silently, but resistance was futile, for he knew the truth.

Despite all that had happened, Thorin was forced to admit to himself (whilst on the run from a pack of orcs and wargs no less), that he still had feelings for her, no matter how complicated.

He just couldn't work out what they were yet.

"There they are!" Gloin shouted, and Thorin was whipped back to reality. The orcs and wargs could be seen in the distance, and they were headed straight for the Company.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf called urgently, and raced off once more, the others hot on his heels.

Suddenly an orc and warg appeared on the hillside in front of them, and Thorin skidded abruptly to a halt. What now?

"There's more coming!" Kili yelled in warning, traces of panic on his young face.

Thorin thought quickly, and drew his weapons, circling around to view the foes. The other dwarves did the same, and Bilbo Baggins drew his tiny sword from its sheath. He noticed Y/N has also pulled a sword from her belt, and her other hand was gripping a talisman around her neck. Strange. He'd never seen that trinket before, prior to Erebor's fall.

Then again, many things had changed.

"Kili!" He roared. "Shoot them!"

Looking around for Gandalf in the chaos, he could not spot the old wizard anywhere. The grey haired sage had vanished.

"We're surrounded!" Called Fili, his fair hair whipping around. Kili drew an arrow and fired, hitting an orc square in the chest. The monster hit the ground with a strangled scream.

"Where's Gandalf?!" Y/N called, desperation evident in her voice.

"He's abandoned us!" Growled Dwalin, gripping his mattock tighter.

Thorin saw Bilbo run toward a large rock outcropping in the centre of the chaos. Coward, he thought angrily, even as his brain calculated the odds of winning the battle. They weren't good.

"Hold your ground!" he roared, bracing himself for an attack.

All of a sudden, a voice called, " This way, you fools!"

Thorin spun around to see Gandalf emerging from beneath the rock. He began to sprint toward the wizard, the others falling in behind.

"Go go go!" he yelled, as his companions slid into a large hollow at the bottom of the rock. First went Bofur, then the hobbit, the Balin. Gloin followed, then Oin.

A warg charged at Thorin, snarling, but he quickly dispatched it with a slice to the throat. A few more dwarves trickled into the cave, and Thorin saw Y/N slip in behind them. She's safe.

The orcs and wargs advanced, and Thorin began to lose hope. They were as good as sitting ducks, cowering in that alcove.

Kili was still firing arrows madly, but a yell from Thorin and he was forced to retreat. Thorin watched him and Fili slide down to safety before jumping down to join them.

At least the steep slide down would stagger the orcs, and maybe they would all make it out alive. Maybe.

All of a sudden a strange horn rang out from the plains, and sounds of a battle could be heard. Swords clashed, wargs yelped, and an orc fell down into their hiding place, an arrow embedded in its throat. Thorin wrenched the arrow free, and observed the tip, throwing it away in disgust upon recognising the sleek make.

"Elves," he sneered.

Meanwhile, Dwalin had ventured to the back of the hollow, from which a winding pathway sprouted.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads!" he called to the others apprehensively, shoulders squared.

"Do we follow it or not?"

"Follow it of course!" Bofur cried urgently, and the dwarves, Bilbo, Y/N and Gandalf crowded towards the back of the cave.

"I think that would be wise..." said Gandalf.