"No!" she heard Radagast cry as she tumbled off. The remaining of the Wargs took notice of this and chose to chase her but it was too late. Once they ran after her, her body had already fallen over the rocky edge and out of sight.

The water pushed down on her from all sides. The more she struggled the more disorientated she got. Up down, left right, nothing made any sense anymore she pushed with her arms and legs but she could find no leverage, for all she knew she was pushing herself further down. Her lungs burned for more air even though she knew she would get none. Her mouth instinctively opened for air which she instantly regretted. Icy-cold water flooded in, her throat burned as if a thousand needles had been plunged into it. She desperately clawed at the water, trying to shoot to the surface while her lungs filled with the slimy liquid and she convulsed uncontrollably. Blood pounded behind her eyes. The darkness engulfed her and she had nothing left in her to fight anymore.

She gave into the darkness and let the water take her.

All that was left was flashes. She saw flashes of things, the living world, she assumed. The bright sun. Wet, black hair settling against her cheek and forehead. Yelling. Frantic yelling. The afterlife was not as peaceful and calm as she had imagined it to be. It didn't make much sense. But who said that dying was easy?

It seemed to be a long time before she was aware of herself again. The steady rise and fall of her chest confirmed that she was breathing. Gradually she emerged from her deep sleep, her confused brain frantically tried to explain not only where she was, but what had actually happened.

Slowly rising from the depths of oblivion, feeling returning to her fingers and toes, she grunted, rolled over and curled up more tightly, wrapping the piece of fur that covered her tighter around her shoulders. At that moment she couldn't care where it came from all that mattered was trying to compromise from the lack of warmth.

Something about the atmosphere surrounding them didn't seem right, so cautiously opening one eye. Something rough touched her forehead. She froze unable to think of what it could be. Whatever it was, it was rough and firm which did not help the throbbing pain in her head. Her head ached and her rib cage was searing with pain.

What happened?

Then it all came flooding back. Everything that had happened up until this moment. The Orc's and Wargs, Falling from Radagast's sleigh, Darkness.

She couldn't decipher the lights behind her eyes. They flashed in different shades and patterns, leaving her ever confused. It seemed like a long time until she was able to open her eyes. The sight of a strange, dark haired man in front of her face both startled and confused her. The man smiled down at her, most of his teeth were either yellow or missing. She felt her nose cringe when the man let out a deep sigh

"Well you took you're time didn't ya?" he moved from her side into a standing position "Saw ya fall from the cliff so I did, thought to myself you wouldn't make it after that fall, but went in after ya anyway just to make sure. Ain't you lucky?" Hilary stared at the cliff wondering even just by the fall, how she managed to survive without being skewered. Her gaze shifted back to the man who was hunched over a fire turning two skinned rabbit's slowly. She turned when she saw his grey eye look back at her through the long strands of black hair "You a mute boy?" he groaned when she shook her head in reply "Well, say something then boy"

She studied him carefully. Hilary didn't know what to make of this man. His clothes were black and rugged just like his hair. Instead of his left eye there was an empty space. There was no safe feeling about his man, his appearance and gruffness veered far away from that feeling.

He narrowed his eyes at her before turning back to his cooking "My name is Geffroi for starters then, what's yours?"

"Hilary" she mumbled in reply

"What?"

"Hilary" she said a little louder but her voice broke in the middle. Her hand reached up to her throat and massaged it pushing a cough up. He muttered her name under her breath

"Strange name" he grunted "what's your family name eh?"

"You didn't give me yours" she stated

Geffroi turned his head and glared at her causing her gaze to drop to the soil "Haven't got one, I'm a bastard child now spit yours out then"

"I haven't got one either" she lied, thinking it best not to tell the man the full truth "I never knew my parents"

"Well then, that makes thing easier"

Hilary furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "Excuse me?"

Geffroi pulled the two rabbits off the stick and placed one in her hand "Eat up boy, you're ought to be hungry" Hilary didn't hesitate to lift the meat up to her mouth and take a bite out of it, he was right she was hungry. She had never gone so long without food before because she was never in a state where she could not open a fridge door and nibble at the contents inside. So she gladly accepted the rabbit even though she was repulsed by the idea of eating a creature such as a rabbit, her stomach chose for her instead of her brain. They ate in silence until Geffroi stood and discarded of the bones into a nearby bush. Hilary let her eyes follow him as he walked over to his rug sack and pull out heavy cloth the same colour as his clothes. He trudged back and she felt extra weight fall onto her knees and looked down to see that he threw the cloth onto her lap.

"Put those on, you're gonna need it" he said pointing over to the cover of the trees. Without protest, Hilary stood and limped her was over to the woods and made sure she was well hidden before peeling off the wet outfit that Kili gave her and quickly stepping into the new black garb. While she tried t figure out the laces and buckles she turned her mind to the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf. Where were they? Did they escape? Were they okay?

Would she ever see them again?

She ripped off a piece of her old clothes and stuffed them into the toes of the boots. She sighed and patted herself down, the clothes he gave her were too large for her frame and made her look quite boyish but then again they had no shelter from the cold night air so maybe it wasn't so bad. Leaving her old clothes behind her she left the woods and made her way back into the clearing. Geffroi stood from his log when he saw her come out tucking her shirt down into her pants

"They're too big" she complained

"They are as big as needed boy" he said walking towards her, pulling a skinning knife out of his sleeve when he was in arms length of her "Come here" She gasped and stepped back almost tumbling over but was caught by her wrist and hauled into his chest. Letting out a cry of panic she struggled out of sheer habit until a hard slap across the face left her stunned. She felt herself being pushed against a wall and recovered just enough to understand what the foul-smelling old man said next.

"Be quite boy" he ordered holding her in place with his leg while he brought his hand to take a few strands of her hair into his grasp

"I'm not a boy!" she cried clawing her nails into his chest. He pulled down on her hair and placed his knife behind it

"So you're saying you're not a smart boy huh?" he asked pulling the knife towards him cutting the strands off and letting them pool at her feet "We're going north boy and the men who are coming with us wouldn't hesitate taking advantage of ya, this is the way it has to be boy" he roughly explained cutting off more strands of hair.

She froze in fear, and shivered in disbelief. The moment she felt a tickle on her pale ice cold dry cheeks, she couldn't hold the feeling inside any longer and let the hot salty river flow out of her eyes and leaving long red streaks down her cheeks. Her eyes were screaming for justice with each translucent trickle of emotion.

"If you keep that up boy you'll blow your cover and I won't be able to fight twenty rapers, thieves and murderous to get to you, you hear me?" he turned her around and started to cut the lose strands there.

"I need to find a group of dwarves" she whispered more to herself than to him

"Dwarves? what we're ya doing with dwarves?" he questioned but received no response as she bit her lip refusing to tell him anything "I am not going to waste my time looking for dwarves boy, we're heading north and we are sticking to that plan unless you want to stay here?" she shook her head causing him to chuckle "That's what I thought Haylan, that's your name now boy better remember it. Haylan the orphan boy from Bree, no one will ask an orphan any questions cause no one gives two shits about them" he turned her to him so he could observe his work and nodded "It will have to do, what's your name boy?" he quizzed shaking her by the shoulders.

"Haylan" she answered bitterly glaring up at the larger man

"Good" he gripped her under the arm and pulled her with him. He picked up his bags and gave one of them to Hilary who almost dropped it from it's weight. Geffroi tutted and ushered her to follow him deeper into the woods. She found it hard to keep up with his large strides and found herself falling behind. He stopped and waited on her to catch up, he pulled the bag from her hands and muttered to himself before pulling her along "Hurry along boy, we don't want to be late"

A/N - Things have certainly took a turn for the worse for her haven't they?

Thank you again guys, the reviews have to amazing! 3 -MintyRobe