SEVEN ; RADAGAST THE BROWN

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After everyone had been freed from the sacks, Gandalf and Thorin had realized that the trolls must've had a cave. It wasn't long before they found it, due to it's awful stench.

"A im ind i Orcs mis foeg..." Magauna muttered under her breath, grimacing at the odor. Bilbo looked over at her and furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding the language she just spoke. "Um...I'll sit this one out...you all go ahead and take a look in there..." She said to the dwarves who were standing by the entrance, and then walked away.

Bilbo watched her, then looked back at the cave, which the dwarves were now entering, and then went to follow Magauna. He found her sitting on a log nearby, with a disturbed look on her face. "What's the matter?" He asked.

She looked up at him. "Oh, it's just uh...I'm a half-elf, you know, so I have hightended senses...so that cave smells stronger than it would to you and them. It makes me lightheaded at times."

"Oh..." Bilbo nodded slowly.

"Come and sit." Magauna said, patting the spot on the log next to her. "I reckon they'll be in there a minute yet."

The hobbit sat down next to her, and they were silent for a few moments, watching the dwarves who hadn't gone inside the cave converse among themselves. But it wasn't long before Bilbo couldn't keep his curiosity to himself.

"What...what was it that you said?" He asked.

Magauna looked down at him. "What?"

"You said something over there. In a different language." Bilbo reminded her. "What was it?"

She smiled in amusement. "I um...I was speaking in Sindarin. Elvish. My father's language. I don't do it often like that, but the stench caught me by surprise. I had said 'A im ind i Orcs mis foeg' which means 'And I thought the Orcs were bad.' They smell quite awful."

"What else can you say?"

"Anything, I suppose. Here, make a sentence up, and I'll say it in Elvish."

"Alright, um..." Bilbo paused, thinking. "Why did the chicken cross the road."

The half-elf let out a small laugh, and translated the sentence into Sindarin. "Whui did i chicken athrad- i road."

Bilbo listened in amazement. "Wow. That's incredible."

Magauna smiled. "Eithel im appreciatuit ha." (Well I appreciate it.)

The hobbit cocked his head. "Huh?"

She laughed. "'I appreciate it.' But thank you."

Bilbo smiled back at her. "Oh. Well uh, how do you say 'you're welcome' in Elvish?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Eh, it's not that impressive. There's no Elvish word for 'welcome'. But... you would say 'cin ayh welcome.'"

"Well then, cin ayh welcome."

"You hobbits have to be the most polite creatures I've ever met." Magauna said. "Much kinder than the race of men."

Bilbo furrowed his eyebrows, unsure as to what she meant, but was unable to say anything, as the dwarves had come out of the cave by then, and Magauna rose to her feet to walk to Gandalf. He followed her hesitantly.

"Gandalf," Magauna reached the wizard near the cave entrance, grimacing at the stench that continued to waft from it. "What did you all find?"

Gandalf turned to her. "A troll hoard. Full of Elf-made weapons. In fact..." he held out a long, cobweb covered sword to her. "I do believe you need a new sword, yes?"

Magauna looked at the sword, and slowly took it from him. She pulled the sheath off, revealing a smooth, shining blade, as long as a king's sword. Her eyes went wide as she looked at it, and a small smile played at her lips, for she had never owned an elf-made artifact before now. "It's wonderful, Gandalf. Thank you." She slid the masterpiece back into the sheath, and looked up at the wizard, who smiled.

"You are welcome." Gandalf turned to Bilbo, who had been watching them. "Bilbo."

The hobbit snapped his attention toward him, instead of the sword. "Hmm?"

"Here," Gandalf pulled a smaller sword from his robes, and handed it to him. "This is about your size."

Bilbo looked down at it, and shook his head slightly. "I can't take this."

"The blade is of elvish make, which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby." Gandalf informed him.

"I have...I have never used a sword in my life." Bilbo protested.

Gandalf looked down at him, with a smile thank could almost be described as sad. "And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one." With that, the wizard walked away from the two, in the direction of the dwarves.

Bilbo didn't watch him leave, but instead pulled the sheath off of his blade, revealing it's elegant craft.

Magauna whistled as she looked at it. "That's one to keep." She glanced down at Bilbo. "You're a lucky one, Bilbo. Not many besides the Elves have the honor to say they've held a blade as fine as that." Despite her approving words, Bilbo had a uneasy expression his face as he studied the sword.

Suddenly, Magauna's ears perked as she heard commotion in the trees ahead of the group of dwarves. She glanced around frantically, pulling her new sword from its sheath.

"Magauna, what is it?" Bilbo asked, having noticed her behavior. She didn't answer, and instead shoved her hand on top of his mouth and shh'd him. He pulled her hand away from him. "What are you doing?!" He hissed.

She glared at the hobbit, and left him, running towards Gandalf and Thorin. "Something's coming." She muttered once she reached them both.

Thorin narrowed his eyes and looked out into the trees. Bilbo had walked up behind Magauna. "What is it? Is there something coming?"

The half-elf turned to looked down at him. "Bilbo, stay behind me." The hobbit did as he was told while the dwarves all drew their weapons, facing the trees. The commotion in the forest became louder, until something burst through the bushes.

It wasn't what any of them expected, not by a long shot. Instead of it being a raid of Orcs, or more trolls, it was a sled, pulled by giant rabbits. The man atop the sled was short, and held a staff. He has somewhat of a panicked look in his eyes. Magauna lowered her sword slightly, sighing in relief that it wasn't an hoard of Orcs.

"Thieves!" Shouted the man nonsensedly. "Fire! Murder!"

"Radagast." Gandalf exclaimed, recognizing him. "It's Radagast the Brown." The wizard sheathed his sword, and the other followed in suit, yet warily.

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The wizards spoke for a while, and the others stayed away from them, up the hill.

As the minutes passed, some of the dwarves became impatient. "What do you think they're going on about?" Fili said to his brother.

Kili looked over at him, and shrugged. "If I had to guess, I'd say the end of the world."

Magauna, who stood near them, smirked. "You're not far off."

The two dwarves turned to her. "You can hear them?" Kili asked in amazement.

She shrugged. "I can't help it. I hear everything."

Fili looked around them, as if checking to make sure no one was watching, and whispered. "What are they saying?"

"Things that are none of your concern, Fili." Magauna responded. "Things that you would not understand, and things that you should not involve yourself in." She turned to look at them fully. "Things that you do not want to be involved in."

Kili narrowed his eyes. "So...bad things?"

Before she could respond, there was a deep, loud howl around them. They all looked up, alarmed.

"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked. "Are there...are there wolves out there?"

Magauna narrowed her eyes, and reached for her bow behind her back. "Wolves...no....that was no wolf..."

Suddenly, they all heard a deep growl from behind them, and they turned to see a Warg creeping up on them. It started to pounce, but Magauna quickly shot an arrow through it's head. Another growl from their side sounded, and another Warg attempted to attack, but Thorin was there with his sword, and killed it.

"Warg Scouts!" Thorin growled, removing his sword from the beast. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Magauna visibly tensed, and she felt her chest go tight with panic.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo repeated.

Gandalf and Radagast had joined the group of dwarves, and Gandalf turned to Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?"

"No one." The dwarf answered.

Gandalf seemed not believe him. "Who did you tell?!"

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

"You are being hunted."

Magauna tore her gaze from the dead Wargs, and up to Thorin. "We must get out of here."

"We can't!" Ori called from the ledge above them. "We have no ponies, they bolted!" She sighed, and put her bow away.

"I'll draw them off." Radagast offered suddenly.

Gandalf turned to him. "Those are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you!"

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits." Radagast grinned. "I'd like to see them try."

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The company had exited the forest, and now hid behind large rocks on a plain. Magauna glanced out from behind the rock, seeing Radagast drawing away the Orcs, which rode large, snarling Wargs.

Once they all had passed them, Gandalf motioned to the group. "Come on!"

They followed him, running across the plain quickly to avoid the Orcs. They came to a stop when the Wargs ran pass them, still chasing Radagast. They all ducked behind a different rock until they were all gone.

"Stay together!" Gandalf instructed.

They ran in the opposite direction, only to come across the Orcs again. They halted again, but Ori ran too far, so Thorin had to grab the back of his shirt and yank him back. They took off running once again, and they ended up hiding under the cliff of a rock.

Magauna went completely still when she heard the near growling of a Warg. A few seconds later, a Warg with an Orc on it's back walked up on the rock they all hid behind. It was only then the dwarves noticed it.

Thorin motioned to Kili, who nodded slighty, and drew his bow. He shot the Warg through the head, and it fell off the rock, with it's rider still on it. The Orc attempted to attack the dwarves, but they were quicker, as they finished it off with their swords.

Magauna had barely let out a sigh of relief before she heard Orcs yelling in Orcish, and Wargs howling. She turned her head, and widened her eyes at the sight if all of the Orcs racing toward them.

Gandalf had seen as well. "Move! Run!" He ordered.

They all left the rock, and ran in the opposite direction. Even as they used all of their strength to run as fast as they could, Magauna new it was pointless. You can't outrun a Warg. She knew from experience.

It wasn't long before the group found themselves surrounded by the Orcs. Gandalf had disappeared to who knows where, and they were widely outnumbered.

Magauna held her bow out in front of her, ready to shoot an Orc if they came to close. She looked around behind her, and saw Bilbo with his new sword out, looking too nervous to use it. "Bilbo!" She called. He looked up at her. "Stay close to me!" The hobbit ran over to her, and she got in front of him. Magauna's hands were shaking as she fumbled with the arrows in her bow. She told herself to shoot, to kill the Orcs closing in on them, but she didn't. It's not as if there was a point in it. There was too many, they'd never make it out. But she had vowed to protect the hobbit that traveled with them begrudgingly. And she didn't intend to break her promise.

The Wargs closed in on the dwarves. Their useless attempts at shooting arrows did nothing. Thorin ordered them too keep their ground, but as the Orcs came closer and closer, the more useless his words became.

Suddenly, Gandalf appeared behind a rock they were near, and shouted to them. "This way, you fools!"

Thorin saw him, and started ushering his dwarves inside the cave that was beneath the rock. "Come on! Move!"

Magauna looked back, and then down at Bilbo. "Bilbo, run! Go!" The hobbit did so without a second thought, and ran down inside the tunnel.

Soon it was only Magauna, Thorin and Kili left in the open. Thorin yelled for them, and Magauna turned around from shooting her arrows it attempts to buy the others time to hide. She ran away from the Orcs, and grabbed Kili's arm, despite his protests, and tossed him down the tunnel with his brother. Then she turned to Thorin.

"You first." She told him. He seemed about to protest, but the Wargs growled as they ran toward them. "Go!" She hissed. He hesitantly ran down into the cave, and Magauna gave a last glance at the oncoming Orcs before jumping down after him. She found that the way down was steep, and she slid down the tunnel, right into the group of dwarves.

As she sat up, they all heard the blow of a horn, and horse feet galloping. Next there was the squeals and growls of Orcs and Wargs being killed. They all listened in confusion and shock. Suddenly, and dead Orc rolled down the tunnel, landing in front of them.

Thorin looked at the arrow sticking out of it's chest, and pulled it out, scowling upon inspecting the tip. "Elves." He sneered.

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Author's Note
Hello! I just wanted to say I'm glad people are even reading this, even if it's not many, it still means a lot to me. Also, don't be afraid to comment on any of these chapters, I love looking at what people have to say about my writing, whether it's serious or nonsense, I love replying.

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