Disclaimer: The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, WB, MGM. This is a fanfiction. A non-commercial derivative work. The characters do not belong to me.

Gritting my teeth, I followed the dwarves out onto the open plain. Pain radiated up my ankle with every footfall upon the uneven ground. I bit my lip to keep from crying out and drawing the attention of the orcs being led on a goose chase by Radagast.

There was no choice. I had to keep running or die. If I worsened the sprain, so be it. I couldn't heal dead.

Bombur sped past me, surprisingly spry for his size, immediately outstripping even Thorin in his haste to flee.

Bilbo's small arms pumped frantically as he sped over the hills trying to keep up with the dwarves. I didn't have enough breath for conversation, so I focused on the faraway figure of Radagast to keep my mind off the pain.

The strange wizard zipped along in his sledge at breakneck speed. Approaching a large boulder, he swerved at the last second, barely avoiding taking his head off.

Those rabbits were faster. Their small vibrating forms were barely visible as they sprinted across a series of distant hills.

Gandalf wove through a cluster of pine trees, ducking low as he ran. The wizard led us on a zigzagging course across the plain to the point I could no longer tell what direction we traveled. I just hoped it was a way to safety.

Trusting others with my life didn't come naturally. It made me feel so out of place, having to rely on someone else when I was used to taking care of myself. I didn't have that luxury on the road. All of the company had to act as a unit to function properly, though I knew I was definitely the weakest link in the chain.

Suddenly, one of the wargs and its orc rider broke off from the pack and slowly turned in out direction. Cursing under my breath I dug into my remaining energy reserves and sprinted faster for the group of boulders up ahead.

Wheezing, I fell to my knees, chest heaving as I sucked in air greedily. Sweat trickled down my temples as I tried to steady my racing heart with trembling fingers. Had I made it before the orc saw me or was the company about to be over run?

Bilbo doubled over coughing, a hand clutching the strap of his pack. He caught my gaze and blinked sweat out of his eyes.

Faint baying sounds reached our hiding place, a sign of how precarious or situation truly was. Worries spiraled through my head as I worked to catch my breath. How long would Radagast be able to serve as a diversion? Were the orcs intelligent enough to recognize a ruse? Just because they were ugly, didn't mean they were stupid.

How long could we realistically depend on the plan to last?

The plain was open and provided very little cover. These boulders were a meager shelter at best. I hated to be skeptical of the wizard's plan, but the last few days had made me doubt a lot of things.

A soft growl sounded overhead.

Thorin gestured sharply, silently signaling everyone to be quiet.

I clamped my mouth shut, slowing my breathing even as my heart thundered loudly in my ears.

The company waited in tense silence to see if the stray orc would discover our hiding spot. Thorin appeared ready for action, despite the marathon across the plain.

Where did he get the stamina? I was about to keel over.

Tucking close to the boulder I gripped my throbbing ankle, squeezing my eyes shut. The pain was absolutely excruciating.

A small shower of rocks fell over us as something heavy clambered on top of the boulders. Dread formed a pit in my stomach as a pebble pinged off my nose.

I froze, my eyes slowly lifting upward.

Thorin tapped Kili on the shoulder, pointing up. A warg and its orc rider appeared on top of the boulder, its mouth parted in a snarl.

Inhaling sharply to steady himself, Kili slowly drew his bow, laying the tip of an arrow against the string. Shaking the hair out of his eyes he took aim.

By a stroke of luck, the orc hadn't noticed us yet. All he had to do is look down and it would all be over.

I clutched my hands together in silent prayer. Please. Please let this work. Otherwise we're toast.

The arrow landed in the warg's shoulder with a soft thump, and the creature reared with a howl, then slammed its front paws back on the stone.

Spotting us, its rider barked a command in Black Speech.

The warg flowed down the edge of the boulder, descending on us with heavy muscular grace.

I stumbled back as the huge creature crashed to the ground, the orc raising its weapon with a black smile.

Thorin deflected the orc's blade, the clashing metal singing loudly. The dwarf spun, his sword biting deeply into the warg's throat. Blood gushed out of the creature's throat, spraying Thorin and the other dwarves.

A few drops landed on my hand and I hissed in surprise. It burned like acid.

Wiping my hand on the grass, I saw my skin was a bright pink, like a sunburn. I stared at my blistered skin in annoyance.

Dwalin and Balin slew the orc, but not quickly enough to stop the monster from shrieking, alerting the other orcs to the company's whereabouts.

Gandalf straightened in alarm, head turning in the direction of the orc pack. "They're coming. We have no choice but to run."

With a groan, I forced myself to stand through sheer willpower. At this point, I was running on fumes.

Gandalf led us in another loop, as if he were searching for something. Some of the dwarves fell back, giving the rest of us time to retreat. Kili drew his bow and faced the orc pack that was rapidly gaining on us.

The wizard spun around in a slow circle staff raised, the clear stone on top of his staff pulsing with energy. He stiffened when his gaze landed on another cluster of boulders.

A faint humming filled the air, crystal-like and full of light. I blinked at the strange vibrating sound. What on earth? I tugged at my ear, the ringing loud and vibrant muting all sound around me.

The top of Gandalf's pointed hat disappeared into the ground at the base of the boulders where the sound emanated from. My feet stumbled in that direction. I felt a sudden longing, an urge propelling me to follow the wizard into the hidden cavern.

Thorin jerked my arm, jolting me out of my daze. "Come on!" His voice roared at me in a sudden wave of sound.

Rubbing my ear gingerly, I winced. My poor eardrums. Damn, he had a loud voice.

"I said, come on!" Thorin pulled me into motion and I forced my legs to move.

A pair of wargs had broken away from the pack and ran a swift circle around our group, trying to herd us. Balin swung his axe in a loose arc forcing the rippling wall of fur and muscle to leap to the side to avoid being impaled.

"Where's Gandalf?" Oin cried desperately.

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin yelled.

My lips pinched in a firm line, and I felt a little angry on the wizard's behalf. Wow. These dwarves gave up really easily. Of all the members of the company, Gandalf was the least likely to ditch us to save his own skin.

The wizard had too much integrity for that. Dwalin should know that by now. I bit back a snide comment, my dislike for the dwarf only growing.

Balin made another sweep with his axe. Thorin joined him to ward off the orcs and their vicious steeds. Kili continued to shoot, keeping the rest of the pack at bay.

I hopped nervously on my good foot. The ringing sound soon returned muting the shouting of the dwarves and clashing weapons. Shifting my stance, I faced the rocks where Gandalf had disappeared.

The wizard chose then to pop out of the ground like a mole. "This way you fools!"

I wiggled a finger in my ear. I was a fool? Alrighty, then.

Bilbo latched onto my hand and tugged me along with him. Thorin waited at the mouth of the sloped entrance, urging us to jump in.

The ground sloped like a slide and Bilbo and I tangled together in a heap at the bottom. Bombur's large form bounced down toward us like an out of control beach ball.

I squeaked and rolled to the side to avoid being squashed by a few hundred pounds of dwarf.

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Dwarf after dwarf tumbled into the hole. Duty compelled Thorin to hold off the orcs until all the members of his company were safe. He would not join them until everyone was accounted for.

More orcs appeared in the distance. By this point the pack numbered more than thirty.

Kili fired off another shot.

Alarmed at the swift speed the wargs traveled toward them, Thorin slashed his sword across an orc's throat and kicked the creature to the ground. "Kili! Enough, retreat!"

His nephew nodded, firing off a final shot. Just as Kili started toward Thorin a bugling horn pierced the air.

Anger burned brightly in his chest. He knew that sound and what it signified. More enemies were on the horizon. Thorin urged Kili down with the others and jumped in after him as the sound of thundering hooves rumbled the ground.

At the bottom of the hidden cavern the company huddled together in various states of disarray. Thorin's assessing gaze swept over the group, checking for injuries. Balin had a thin cut on his cheek and Dwalin's sleeve was torn. Bombur nursed a bruised hand.

More than anything, everyone was exhausted.

Adelaide pressed herself against the wall, her delicate features twisted in pain. Thorin had no idea how she'd managed the flight across the plain in her condition.

However, Men were capricious and unpredictable in many ways. Thorin often had no idea what to expect from his scribe.

When she noticed him watching her, she straightened her posture, a defiant glint appearing in her eyes. Her mutinous expression all but dared him to comment on her injured state.

Thorin did not know whether to be amused or offended. In the end, his emotions fell somewhere in between. She was like a wounded badger cornered by a hunter with her fur bristling and teeth bared.

Dwalin moved deeper into the cavern. "There's a path. Do you wish to follow it?" He directed the question to Thorin but Gandalf answered.

The wizard thumped his staff on the ground, his frustration obvious. "Yes."

The company followed the Dwalin and Gandalf into the distant misty light. Thorin took up the rear in case any orcs escaped the Elves' rampage. Adelaide lingered behind, resting her hand on one wall hopping one small step at a time.

Thorin shook his head at the display of stubbornness and went to help. At first, she tried to shrug him off. "I'll be fine. Go on ahead."

"Are you normally this absurd?" He marveled despite himself.

Truly, she had to be one of the most unexpected women he had ever met.

Brushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes she huffed. "Don't you know? All the best writers are a little bit mad."

Thorin's lips twitched briefly. "Or scribes." He slowly set his hand on her waist and she stilled under his touch. "Allow me to help."

Adelaide rolled her eyes. "Oh, very well. I can see you'll keep pecking at me until I do." She pulled his hand off her waist and draped her arm across his shoulders instead. "The others will wonder where we got to and the last thing, I want is that bald idiot barreling down us with his ax."

Thorin knew there was tension between the scribe and Dwalin but he had not realized how bad things were. Dwalin mistrusted any outside of their own kin. Long years of travel on the road had made him hard and suspicious of outsiders.

A sentiment, Thorin related to. He'd learned Men's unpredictable nature meant they could not be trusted. Adelaide's past was shrouded in mystery and somehow involved the Istari. Gandalf would not speak of it, not even when Thorin pressed him for answers.

The scribe herself was especially tight-lipped about anything related to herself. She was somehow involved with Bilbo, perhaps even being courted by the Hobbit. Kili seemed fond of her, spending time on the road telling her jokes or teaching her khuzdul.

The others treated her with a civil courtesy or avoided her altogether. Only Dwalin made his displeasure directly known.

Eventually Thorin and Adelaide reached the end of the tunnel and came out onto a rocky ledge. Rage churned his stomach as he gazed upon the serene valley stretching out before them. Gandalf had deceived him!

Adelaide's eyes widened and she gasped in wonder at the majestic view sweeping before them. "Its so beautiful." Overcome, she pressed a hand to her chest. "Its like stepping into paradise."

Delicate structures sprawled upon the gently sloped cliff faces. The valley's numerous waterfalls spilled into the river far below shrouding the ground in a rainbow mist.

Forgetting about Thorin entirely, Adelaide slipped out from under his arm and hobbled to the edge. A delighted smile broke over her face. She turned eagerly to Gandalf. "Are we in Rivendell?"

"Yes, my dear scribe. Welcome to Imladris."

The woman shared a grin with the hobbit, who looked just as enthralled.

Anger burned Thorin's throat at her easy praise. One look at Rivendell and she was smitten. Were all humans the same? Did they all love the accursed elves? For what? Thranduil had shown he cared nothing for anyone outside his own people when he left the dwarves to wander the wilderness.

Thorin turned and confronted Gandalf. "You would dare bring us to our enemy?"

The wizard looked down his long nose. "Do stop being a fool, Thorin Oakenshield. Lord Elrond is not your enemy. He is one of the few people who can decipher your map!"

"Then what do you suggest? The elves will stop us."

Gandalf's eyes glittered with sudden humor. "Speaking to the elves requires both tact and charm. Which is why the talking will be left to me."

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The strange ringing had vanished the moment we stepped into the Hidden Valley for which I was immensely grateful. I didn't want to miss a moment of this.

"I feel like I'm walking through a dream. Everything's so soft and lovely." I murmured to Bilbo.

Rivendell gave off warm and welcoming vibes that reached out to embrace me in a hug. Lush greenery and flowers bloomed everywhere, over statues of elven figures, gently softened by age.

Gandalf led us across a narrow bridge with no safety railings. I hugged the middle as I limped along behind the wizard and Thorin.

The bridge spilled into a wide-open courtyard braced by a pair of elven guards who were as still and emotionless as the guards outside Buckingham Palace.

I briefly felt the childish urge to make a face at them, but it quickly passed. Elves were one of my favorite Middle Earth races and I did not wish to appear like an idiot in front of them.

An elf gracefully descended the sweeping staircase in front of us in deep crimson robes, holding out his hands to Gandalf. "Mithrandir."

"Lindir." The pair shared an elf-style embrace which involved very little touching.

I drifted to the head of the company wanting a better look at our host. Thorin shot me a dirty look but I was used to it by now and thought very little of his displeasure.

Lindir's face was beautiful and smooth, his skin completely without blemish. I wondered if it was a mark of being an elf or if he simply used really good skin care products.

The elf sensed me studying him and pressed a hand to his chest, bowing his head. "My lady."

A fiery blush crawled up my cheeks. Oh, boy. He was gorgeous. They sure made them fine here in Rivendell.

Gandalf coughed pointedly and shot me a disapproving glare for my rudeness, knocking me out of my daze.

I sketched an awkward curtsy. "My name is Adelaide Monroe, my lord."

A smile whispered across his lips and was gone almost immediately. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

I smiled shyly in return.

"Great. The lass is elf struck." One of the dwarves grumbled behind me.

My blush deepened. Why were they trying to embarrass me? "If it's not too much trouble I was wondering if I could find a place to rest?"

All I wanted to do is have a nice hot bath and conk out for the rest of the day.

Lindir blinked a bit at my directness but recovered his composure swiftly. "Of course." He motioned and a dark-haired female elf glided forward from the shadows of a nearby doorway. "Aeriel shall attend to you."

Aeriel gestured gracefully for me to follow her up the stairs.

When I made an awkward hop onto the first step, Aeriel came back to help me up the staircase. "You are injured."

"Yes, I was rather clumsy on my way here and twisted my ankle." I winced as we reached the top landing. "It didn't help things when I had to run from a pack of orcs."

"Orcs?" Aeriel murmured. "Lord Elrond and a company of soldiers went out to deal with them."

"I'm not sure how they found us when Gandalf insisted we travel by stealth." I told her.

"There is nothing to fear. Lord Elrond will see this evil slain."

A/N: Yes, they're finally in Rivendell. I can finally work on something I've been waiting for! I'm so excited! Please comment and vote!