The Elf, the Hobbit and the Dwarf - Book 1 NEW VERSION

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

Thorin stared at Míriel and so did everyone else. She could see small smiles in the corner of Fíli and Kíli's lips, they were trying to refrain from laughing while Ori seemed terrified. None of them had spoken to their leader in that way before, none of them would ever dare to do so. But Míriel knew she hadn't said anything that wasn't true, Thorin's mistrust was aggrevating her immensly. Gandalf huffed a little and Míriel glanced at him; saw that he was smiling faintly too.

"I'm not long gone," said a voice behind her. Míriel and all the others turned around and smiled relieved, it was Bilbo after all. She hoped that he'd heard her little outburst at Thorin because she was pretty sure she had spoken for them both when she said she was tired of his manners.

Míriel did not dislike Thorin, in fact she admired him greatly, however she demanded some respect for herself and Bilbo. After everything they had been through, Thorin should have recognise that Bilbo and even Míriel would risk their lives for any of the Dwarves. She cared deeply for them all. That was something Thorin seemed to forget.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf said fondly and stepped toward him. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

"Bilbo, we'd given you up," said Kíli with a smile. They surely had, but Bilbo was smiling toward Míriel with a twinkle in his eyes. He'd heard what Míriel said to Thorin, and he looked quite grateful to her. "Everyone but Míriel."

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?" Fíli asked.

Bilbo only laughed nervously and placed his hands in his pockets like he didn't want to say. Míriel was curious, though, she hadn't seen Bilbo anywhere. He must have hidden somewhere and waited for Gandalf to come, but why hadn't he caught up with them earlier? Either way, she didn't care if only it meant that they were all together again and that they had survived yet another danger.

"Well what does it matter?" asked Gandalf with a smile. "He's back."

"It matters," said Thorin. "I want to know how you got past. Why did you come back?"

"I know you doubt me," Bilbo said and looked at Thorin who still wasn't giving up. It was like he wanted to find something to prove that Bilbo was disloyal to him. "You've always doubted me. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, garden. See that's where I belong, that's home. And that's why I came back because you don't have one - a home. Your home was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can."

Míriel smiled, he really hit the right spot in everyone's heart by saying so.

Míriel turned her head upward swiftly as she heard something. It greatly resembled the sound of growling and hurried steps toward them. She turned to Gandalf and grasped that he had heard the same. Soon the sound was close enough for the Dwarves to be able to pick it up and the crying sounds of wargs began closing in.

"Danger is not over yet," Míriel said with a sigh.

"Out of the frying-pan," Thorin muttered.

"And into the fire," Gandalf said bitterly. "Run!"

The Orc company that had been following Thorin and his companions since the start had caught up and were now riding on large wargs toward them to finish them for good. Now it seemed like there was no use of fighting them since they were too many and the company was already very tired after the journey inside the Goblin caves.

Darkness fell as they fled through the terrain, a few wargs managed to catch up but they were easy to defeat with their arrows. However there were surely more coming. Míriel drew an arrow and placed it on the string of her bow before firing it through a warg's head. Bilbo managed to kill one using his little sword and the Dwarves fought as well. There were about fifty more of the wargs, though, and they were approaching in all haste. The company were stuck, they had nowhere to go and they would not be able to defeat all of them.