The Past That Blinds (1 of 3)

Wounds will heal, but scars remain

The howling has gotten closer, and we've moved out of the trees on onto the rocky plain, we're hiding behind a large rock, downwind of the Wargs so that they can not smell us. The plan is for Radagast to get the attention of the Orc pack, keeping them away from us whilst we get far enough away from them.

I look at Bilbo who is behind me “You alright there Bilbo?” I ask quietly. He nods
“I will be better when there are no wargs around, that's for sure”
I nod smiling “We'll be rid of them in no time” I say reassuringly
Gandalf looks out from behind the rock as he hears the wargs snarling and Radagast taunting them, sounding like he is actually enjoying it. Radagast and the Wargs disappear down into one of the gullys between the hills of the plain, out of sight.
“Come on!” Gandalf says when he thinks it is safe to go

We rush across the rocky terrain. The Wargs call the other Wargs that are close by, scouting the area, and they all converge on Radagast. The Wargs cross our path, not too far away from us “Stay together.” Gandalf says quietly to the lot of us before heading a different way.
“Move!” Thorin makes sure everyone heads the opposite way from the wargs before following
As the chase continues, The wargs cross our path again Thorin stops behind a rock so that he is not seen by the Wargs the ones behind him stop, I almost bump into him and noticing the Wargs turn and stop Bilbo from running out.
“Ori, no! Come back!” Thorin grabs Ori before he breaks from the cover of the rocks, so he's not seen by the wargs or the orcs
“Come on! Quick!” Gandalf directs us a different way again. I let Bilbo go and he nods before heading off in the direction I start to run before recognising where we are. I've been here before, when I was younger. The memory cuts through my thoughts of the present and I stop after a few steps.

I hear the sound of arrows flying through the air and penetrating flesh followed by a loud yelp and then wining of a warg dying, there's faint sounds of horses galloping and whinnying, getting louder before it stops and I can hear voices that I can't quite make out.

I get grabbed by my arm, taking me out of my memories, and pulled along, I don't think about looking at who it is, upon remembering where I am and what is happening I don't hesitate to run, being let go by whoever helped me. We take cover behind an outcropping of rock and I realise that it was Thorin who helped me. He looks at me with a disproving look as he takes cover and I look away from him, the memories are starting to surface, I had buried them and I wanted them to stay buried... Bilbo looks at me questionably. We're all breathing heavily from all the running around, thankfully we can get a little bit of a breather just now. I hear a warg on the outcropping above us, snapping me back into the present again, I can think about the past later. I look to see the warg and rider sniffing around in the top of the rocks

Thorin looks at Kili and nods to his bow. He readies an arrow before taking a short but deep breath before quickly stepping out and shooting the Warg. He gets the warg in the top of the right leg, the orc goes to blow a horn to alert the others to us. The warg snaps at the arrow trying to get it out, and with the orc being shot it causes them to topple off the edge The Warg and the orc on it fall off the outcropping, they're not dead so those close draw their weapons and the warg and rider get up, the orc almost gets Bilbo but I've gathered most senses back and manage to deflect the blade, moving back slightly as Dwalin and Bifur attack the orc before it can retaliate. Thorin and myself attack the warg which yelps with every hit and the orc yelling, no doubt the sounds carried to the others and alerted them to our presence.

We pause for a moment, not sure if they know about us or not, but once we hear the howling we know they heard.
“Move. Run!” Gandalf says in a hurried voice. We waste no time in starting to run.
The rocks start to thin out and a few more trees are around in place of the rocks. The howling is getting closer.
“There they are!” Gloin points some out not too far away from us. We stop to see them racing in our direction. But Gandalf gets our attention away from them, keeping us going. “This way! Quickly!”
We run for a while longer, then halt as we see Wargs ahead, cutting off our path and more closing in on all sides.
“There’s more coming!” Kili shouts
“Kili! Shoot them!” Thorin shouts, as we all gather in closer to each other. I take that as a cue to take off my bow and start to shoot at the wargs and riders also
“We’re surrounded! Fili shouts causing everyone to look around to see how many wargs are here
Kili and myself begin shooting at the Wargs and the riders, killing some of them. Missing, and simply injuring others. I shoot a warg, with no rider that was running straight for Balin causing it to flip over and to be killed by Balin.
“Where is Gandalf?” Kili asks as he looks back to the group. Gandalf has vanished. I look around for him surprised to see that he has gone “Gandalf...?” I say quietly confused at his disappearance.
“He has abandoned us!” Dwalin accuses

The dwarves gather closer to each other, in almost a circle with their backs to each other. As a rider and his Warg approach, Ori shoots a rock at him with his slingshot, hitting the warg in the head, all it does is anger the warg, which snarls in response.
“Hold your ground!” Thorin orders, holding his sword defensively. I let off a few more shots of arrows, now running low on them, but thankfully as they get nearer it's easier to shoot them
“This way, you fools!” I turn quickly, surprised, Gandalf is popping up in a gap in some rocks
“Come on, move!” Thorin says as he heads over to the rock that Gandalf disappears into again. He stands on the rock before turning back to his fellows who starts to slide down into the gap in the rock, sliding into a small cave, not big enough for a warg to get into “Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!” he says as they all go down one after the other. Thorin kills a Warg that gets too close.

Kili shoots another. He's still out in the open shooting Wargs and riders.
“Kili! Run!” Thorin shouts, looking at his nephew worried for him, he's the last one still out. A warg and rider start running towards Kili as he turns his back and starts running for him. Others starting to run also. I grab my last arrow, there's a warg behind Kili but I can't get a clear shot from where I am standing, Kili is directly in front of it. I run away from the rocks getting called back by Thorin. I get a clear shot and take it quickly, just before It gets Kili. I sigh thankful before hearing a warg running up behind me, I turn to see one jumping and I duck and roll out of the way before getting up and running back to the cave. The warg skids as it turns running at me again Kili shoots it, killing it. I get to the rock and the three of us slide down just as more wargs reach the crack, an horn sounds, and the sounds of horses hooves and arrows flying, wargs snarling and growling. Orcs yelling and the sounds of flesh being torn. We look up through the gap in the rock and listen to the conflict. One of the orcs, shot by an arrow, falls into the cave. We all hold our weapons to the orc and when it doesn't move Gandalf hits it with his staff, still doesn't move, the arrow in the neck must have killed it. Thorin plucks out the arrow and examines it “Elves...” he says distastefully, throwing the arrow to the floor.

“I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?” Dwalin calls, I turn and notice that there is indeed a pathway.
“Follow it, of course!” Bofur says and starts to walk, everyone following. I look at Bilbo who was looking at Gandalf before he follows the group, I'm relieved the hobbit is okay. I sigh a little and replace my bow on my back as I look at the floor. Kili pats my shoulder causing me to look at him as he nods thanking me, smiling softly. I nod in response also thanking him before he carries on down the pathway,
“I think that would be wise.” Gandalf says quietly to himself about Bofur's comment before motioning for me to go ahead. I nod and start to walk I knew he didn't abandon us.

We follow the path. At times, some of the dwarves have difficulty going through. The pathway eventually opens out into an open area, a little dribble of a stream flows out from the rocks heading down into a valley below, and in that valley is the city of Rivendell. It hasn't changed a bit. It's just how I remember it to be. The dwarves go to the edge of the cliff but Thorin stands there displeased.

As soon as Bilbo sees the valley he looks completely amazed. The cascading falls that glitter in the sunlight all merge into one large river at the bottom of the vale. I stand still simply looking at it, a soft breeze blows through and I close my eyes as I feel its gentle caress on my cheeks. The air is clean and fresh, with a slight hint of flowers in the air. Birds twitter softly as they fly around in the setting sun light giving it an incomparable feeling of serenity.

“The Valley of Imladris. In the Common Tongue, it’s known by another name.” Gandalf says as he comes out from the pathway
“Rivendell.” Bilbo says entranced by the beauty of this place
“Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea.”
“This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy.” Thorin says turning and facing Gandalf
I have to bite my tongue a little to refrain from making a comment that may make his dislike to me more severe. I walk over to the edge and look out over the valley, some of the dwarves do not seem very happy about being here either. I'm starting to think that a few of them ignore that fact that I am half elf simply because they had gotten to know me a little before finding out.