Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

ELEVEN

Thorin waited for her to pass him, taking one last look behind her to make sure no one followed, before returning his attention back to Bilbo.

"But that's not the worst of it." Bilbo panted, when it was Dwalin's turn to question the hobbit.

"Have the wargs picked up our scent?"

Selene answered him, "Not yet. But they will do." She looked over her shoulder, hoping the large, black bear didn't see them.

Bilbo nodded at her words, "We have another problem."

"Did they see?" Gandalf asked. "They saw you." He then said, when neither Bilbo or Selene replied.

"No, that's not it." Bilbo shook his head from side to side.

Gandalf smiled at the others, "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse." The dwarves murmured in agreement. "Excellent burglar material."

"Will you just listen?" Bilbo turned to the dwarves, but they did not hear him. "Will you just listen?!" He repeated, raising his voice. "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." He pointed back to where he and Selene just came from.

Thorin nudged her, giving her a look that said 'Is it true?' and she nodded.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf stared him down.

"Ye-" Bilbo began, but stopped to look at Gandalf with big eyes. "Y-Yes, but bigger. Much bigger."

Bofur's eyes were wide too. "You knew about this beast?" Gandalf spun around, instead of answering the dwarf. "I say we double back."

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs?" Thorin retorted with a shake of his head.

"There is a house... It's not far from here," Gandalf turned back around to face the Company. "Where we might, uh, take refuge."

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin boomed from Selene's left.

Gandalf puckered his lips, "Neither. He will help us or... He will kill us."

In her mind, Selene shook her head. How did Gandalf know so many people? How come almost half of them were not kind? When she was taken in under his care, she never got to meet any of his old friends or acquaintances. She always had to stay at home and cook lunch or dinner, by the time he got back. If he did.

"What choice do we have?" Thorin's loud voice asked again.

A deafening roar came from the distance, causing everyone to freeze.

"None."

They were running again. Not from the Orc party this time, but from the bear. The large animal had picked up their scent a few hours after the Company took off.

They ran through a meadow full of colored flowers, Selene ran and avoided stepping on the beautiful plants, not wanting them to die.

"Come on!" Gandalf yelled, waving his arm.

Selene ran through the shallow creek first and waited for the others to cross. Thorin waited on the other side from where she was, letting a few of the dwarves and Bilbo to pass and ran again. Gandalf stood back for the rest of the Company and when Bombur passed him, he ran by the fat dwarf's side.

It took seven minutes for the Company to cross another wide and long meadow, before they entered a small wooded area. They ran down a steep hill, almost tripping over their own feet because of how fast and how desperate they wanted to get away from the bear.

The bear roared again and the dwarves stopped running. Selene wanted to call them out for pulling a stupid move, but Gandalf beat her to it.

"This way! Quickly!"