(Elena)

Racing down the mountainside we make it to a small clearing with few trees. My eyes adjust to the light of the setting sun the blinds me. We all ban together, and Gandalf counts us all off. However, my heart sinks as he asks "Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit?"

"Curse the halfling!" Dwalin growls "Now he's lost?!"

"I thought he was with Nori!" Gloin snaps.

The brown headed dwarf scoffs "Don't look at me!"

The wizard approaches him "Well, where did you see him last?"

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us."

Gandalf becomes even more fretful "What happened exactly? Tell me!"

I feel the lurch in my stomach but know I must tell them. Before I can open my mouth Thorin snaps in anger "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."

All the dwarves seem indifferent, but I am on the verge of tears. In a mixture of anger and sorrow I look to Thorin "Don't you dare speak of things you know nothing of!"

The dwarf seethes in anger at my outburst but the others only seem surprised. Clenching my teeth, I hold back my tears "Bilbo alluded the goblins. I slid down into the cave to find you. A goblin tried to attack me, but Bilbo stopped it. While he-while he was fighting it off, he lost his footing. He fell down into a deep dark crevice along with the goblin. I-I called out for him but...but it was so quiet."

By now, most of the dwarves seem to be in shock and Gandalf is on the verge of tears himself. My voice trembles but I dare not let my tears fall "Bilbo is dead. He's dead because of me."

"No, he isn't."

Whirling around I see the hobbit step out from behind a tree with a jolly smile on his face. He looks tired but I don't see a scratch on him. Gandalf smiles "Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"

Running to the Hobbit I wrap him in my arms as he chuckles lightly. Hugging me back he whispers to me "You did good, Elena."

Kili grins from ear to ear "Bilbo! We'd given you up!"

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asks.

Dwalin looks suspiciously "How, indeed."

Looking to me than the others Bilbo laughs nervously as he slips something into his pocket. Gandalf seems to notice as well but doesn't say anything "Well, what does it matter? He's back."

"It matters." Thorin interrupts "I want to know; why did you come back?"

Bilbo looks to Thorin and hesitantly speaks "Look, I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home, and you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo takes hold of my hand with a smile "We both will."

I smirk down at the Hobbit and then look to Thorin who seems moved. I can tell it in his eyes that he knows Bilbo cares. He knows now why he's truly here and why he came back. Why we both did. However, I have the words of the goblin king playing over in my mind

"She cannot save you..."

Just as I got to speak a familiar yet eerie howl rings out through the woods. Looming above us, a troop of orcs ride to the edge of the cliff. With one command jet black wargs descend upon us snarling and foaming from the mouth.

The orcs have caught up to us and the wargs are just behind.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin grumbles followed by Gandalf's reply "And into the fire. Run. RUN!"

Gandalf wheels around leading us down the face of the mountain. The wargs and their riders chase after us gaining speed by the second. My lungs burn as I force myself to run as quickly as I possibly can. As we begin reaching a ledge with a few tall pine trees, Gandalf commands us to climb. Despite some of their shirt stature, the dwarves get up the tree's with ease. I, however, can't hardly reach the first branch.

"Elena, give me your hand!" Fili commands outstretching his arm and I catch his hand in the nick of time. Hoisting me up I begin climbing the branches following Fili and Kili as Gandalf waits for us at the top. Taking hold of my hand he pulls me the rest of the way. Now, the wargs pop their jaws, bare their teeth, and try to get up the trunks of the trees.

"What do we do now?" Kili asks holding onto the shaking tree as the wargs try fighting their way up. Gandalf looks to me taking hold of my shoulder "I know what you did in the cave just before I arrived. You were able to use your powers to save the dwarves. Now you must do it again."

"I can't!" I exclaim feeling or tree jolt "I can't Gandalf. I don't even know how I did it in the first place."

"Find the will Elena. Will yourself to bring about your powers. Your motivation should be to save the lives of your friends. Not to flee."

Swallowing the lump in my throat I look from the beast below to all the dwarves in the trees. Not far from us Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, and Bilbo reside in a tree that the Wargs have begun digging out. Up ahead a particular Orc emerges. His leather like skin is pale and he had Icey blue eyes the shine in the darkness. Looking to Thorin he speaks in an unfamiliar language to me, but the more he speaks his voice morphs and I understand.

"Do you smell that?" he asks aloud to his white Warg "Fear....I remember your father reeked of it."

I look from the pale orc to Thorin who is at a loss for words. The pain in the dwarf's eyes can be seen from my perch in the tree. The pale orc speaks again but this time his eyes scan the other trees "However, I am not here for you on this day Oakenshield. Where is the one, I'm searching for?"

My blood runs colds as the pale orc spots me. Pointing out his metallic clawed arm he grins flashing his sharp teeth "There you are."

"This is between you and I Azog!" Thorin roars which only seems to amuse the pale orc "We will have our time Oakenshield, but my master calls for her."

As the wargs begin shaking, clawing, and pawing at our trees more violently the trees tip over like domino's. I watch helplessly as the trees tip and the dwarves followed by Bilbo jump to eat one until we're all in the same tree at the mountain ledge.

All the wargs have congregated at the base of our tree digging to its roots. Gandalf takes my hand and places a pinecone in it "You are more powerful than you know or even understand. I should have told you before now, but you are part of a line of powerful guardians of Middle Earth."

I furrow my brows "Gandalf, what are you-...?"

"Listen, there is no time. You are all the same yet different. You are a Seeker. You can see memories, change, and erase them. You also have the power of using life energy. You use it to cast out the darkness or to bring down destruction. What element of earth or any other brings the most destruction?"

Processing it all as quickly as I can I think it over until it clicks "Fire. It's fire."

Gandalf nods "Tap into the destruction. Make it burn, Elena."

Closing my eyes, I grip the pinecone trying to concentrate. Opening my eyes, I look at the docile pinecone that is anything but burning.

"I can't do it."

Sighing in disappointment, Gandalf desperately takes up as many pine cones as he can and lights them within minutes.

"Fili! Kili!" he tosses he torched pine cones to the others, and they begin pelting them down onto the wargs. As the beast's yelp and run from the small burning balls of flame, they retreat far enough back away from the tree. The dwarves cheer victoriously but it is silenced as the tree begins falling back. Taking a tight hold of the trunk, I squeeze my eyes shut until it lands backs with a thud, halfway off the edge of the cliff. A scream from Ori and Dori alarms me as the young dwarf holds onto Dori who dangles from the end of Gandalf's staff.

"Mr. Gandalf!"

Looking from the dangling dwarves to the pale orc I know there is no way out of this. If everything I know is true, then he is here for me. My friends are hanging in the balance just for knowing me. Thorin's eyes look to me and they lock. I can see the look on his face. He is thinking the same thing. Taking hold of his sword he begins to stand to his feet.

"Thorin, don't." I whimper but the Dwarf ignores my plea "This ends here."

Turning he rises and stares up to the pale orc who stares back down to Thorin. Grabbing up a broken branch Thorin raises his sword as he charges up to the Orc.

Smiling down Azog gladly accepts Thorin's challenge. Roaring he commands his Warg that leaps from the rocks ledge and collides with Thorin.

"AGH!" Thorin is battered to the ground by the force of Azog's mace. Lying on his back he stares up to the sky. My breath hitches in my throat while clutching my chest as the scene unfolds. Struggling to get to his feet, Thorin sticks his sword into the ground trying to push himself up; however, the jaws of the warg wrap around his body. Crunching down on Thorin, the warg's teeth pierce into him and the King cries in agony.

"Nooo!" Balin cries as tears fall down his face.

Dwalin desperately tries to stand calling for the wounded King but the branch only cracks stilling his hand. Lifting his sword Thorin slashes the warg across the face and the beast tosses him aside. Watching Thorin's battered and weak body hit the ground knocks the wind from me. Azog looks to one of the other Orcs commanding, "Bring me his head."

Thorin's going to die.

Azog laughs seeing our struggle and a sense of dread. The dwarves look to one another and then up the tree.

"Gandalf, what do we do?" Nori asks and they wait.

However, there are no words of wisdom of encouragement from the wizard.

"Me." I mumble and look to the others "The pale Orc wants me. He said it himself, he's not after you all. He's after me."

"No, do not suggest what I believe you are going to." Gandalf snaps.

"He's my friend! I can't let him die Gandalf." I stammer beginning to tremble "And I'm not suggesting."

Gandalf reaches to take hold of my hand but I'm already getting to my feet.

"Elena, no!" Gandalf shouts but I'm hurrying down the tree trunk. The dwarves try grabbing after me but to no avail. Running I head straight to Thorin as he lays vulnerable on his back. I jump through the flames and into the midst of the Orc pack to save my King.