Shadow didn't sprint for cover; she didn't scramble up the tree trunks like the others. She stood her ground as more wargs bore down on her, their growls cursing the air, jaws snapping viciously close but never making contact.

"Shadow!" the dwarves cried out in alarm, but the woman was a statue, unresponsive. Something glinted at her ear—the same pearl earring she wore whenever her dragon essence surfaced.

The wargs hesitated, senses tangled between the command of their master demanding the capture of this woman and an invisible force that repelled them, keeping their fangs at bay.

"Grrr... hmph, what do you want?" growled one of them, the alpha whose sibling she had slain (unknown to the pack).

"I want every single one of you to back off my friends, or you'll end up like the goblins—sound good?" Shadow retorted with an unimpressed arch of her brow, picking nonchalantly at her claws as if she was bored with the entire standoff. Even Gandalf was left speechless as the wargs exchanged wary glances with their hollow yellow eyes.

"What bargain could you offer that's better than death? We swore an oath to the orcs of Moria—" the leader snarled, but Shadow cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Oaths can be chains, Ulrgog. Puppets to their makers. But I'm offering you a shot at freedom," she countered, her grin sharp as a blade. The wargs hesitated, teetering on the edge of a decision as Shadow's dangerous smile promised a future unbound by allegiance to any orc.

"Fine," Ulrgog grunted, his tail lashing out in frustration. "But cross these lands again, and Vala help me, you'll not be spared our master's wrath."

With that, he bolted, his pack tailing close behind. Only when they vanished did Shadow's triumphant smile fade, and she swiftly scaled the nearest trunk, pulling herself onto a branch beside Fili and Kili. Both brothers enveloped her in a tight embrace, almost capsizing their perch.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again," Kili whispered against her cheek, and she chuckled, patting their backs as they reluctantly released her. She leaped to the next branch, and then another, reaching Gandalf's tree.

"I can give you a lift from here," she offered, but her eyes were fixed on the distant horizon.

"You're ready to wield more of your powers now?" Gandalf inquired, sensing the shift in her gaze, the subtle readiness for what lay ahead.

"Yes, I've been holding back, playing the fool to keep my powers secret, but... Thorin and his kin don't trust dragons, and I can't stand out more than necessary," she admitted with resignation. Gandalf huffed, "Your secrecy isn't needed here. These dwarves and Bilbo are enamored with you, Shadow. They don't bear ill will against dragons—not after all you've done for us. Remember, it was your dragon form that saved us first. Trust is not easily forgettable."

She glanced at Gandalf, finding an assurance in his eyes; it bolstered her confidence. With a sigh, she relinquished her grip on the branch, falling away to the dwarves' dismay. Yet in moments, she ascended again, her black wings unfurling magnificently, her dragon's visage casting a glance back at the enthralled company. Truly, she was a sight to behold—breathtaking.

"Come then," she beckoned, landing in a clearing. The dwarves clambered atop her scaled back one by one, Gandalf settling near the tip of her tail. Then, with a majestic burst of strength, she took to the sky, spiraling upward in a barrel roll that elicited screams from her passengers, only to be followed by laughter that danced on the winds. Easing her flight, she soared towards the fiery sunset, leaving whispers of awe trailing behind her.