I wake to the sound of Gandalf's voice. I slowly sit up and rub my eyes; I look around to see all the dwarves still asleep. I slowly rise from my bed of hay and pull my cloak off the ground and wrap it around my shoulders. I take big steps over some of the dwarves, hoping that I won't step on one of them. I step over a few more dwarves before reaching the outer circle of dwarves. I begin to walk towards, what looks like a giant kitchen. I've always wanted to meet Beorn. When I was younger I knew some skin-changers before Azog decided to torture and kill them. Beorn is the lone survivor. Although I'm still cautious despite that thought, if Gandalf has a reason to be cautious I'd be wise to do the same.
I turn the corner to see Gandalf talking to a strong, buff, tall figure who I presume is Beorn. I listen in to their conversation, staying a fair of the way back.
"Oh, there are only a few friends" Gandalf explains.
"A few?" Beorn's deep gruff voice questions.
"Well, maybe a little more than a few," Gandalf says with a little guilt.
"Then who are they?" Beorn asks trying to get a number of how many 'friends' Gandalf is talking about.
"Well, let's see" Gandalf starts "There's, Bilbo and Ivy" Gandalf explains. Beorn nods for more information "Fili and Kili, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur" Gandalf continues.
Beorn sighs "Is that it?"
"Um, n-no" Gandalf smiles slightly "There's also Nori, Dori, Ori, Gloin and Oin" Gandalf continues. I can see the frustration on Beorn's face, he obviously isn't very good with visitors "Oh and there's Dwalin and Balin. And last of all...Thorin."
Beorn nods "Is that it?" Gandalf nods "Ok then, bring them in for breakfast."
Gandalf nods "Oh and 13 of them are dwarves" Beorn's eyes widen.
***
We all sit around the giant table in Beorn's kitchen. I smile a warm good morning as Bilbo comes in and sits down next to me. Beorn fills my cup with milk, followed by Bilbo's "So you are the one they call Oakenshield" Beorn says gesturing towards Thorin "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"
"You know of Azog?" Thorin questions "How?"
Beorn nods and looks down at his feet "My people were the first to live in the mountains before the Orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved" I feel sadness as I think of all the skin-changers I knew who would have been enslaved by Azog, many of whom I'll never know what their fate was "Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him" Everyone takes in a breath of sadness.
"There are others like you?" Bilbo asks.
"Once, there were many" Beorn starts.
"And now?" Bilbo questions again.
"Now, there is only one," Beorn says looking sad. Gandalf and I give each other a look in silence "You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?"
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes" Gandalf nods.
"You are running out of time," Beorn says.
"Yes, we know," Gandalf says thinking.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood," I say trying to help. As I am sure Thorin is not going to like this but it's the only choice we've got. Gandalf nods in agreement. I know all too well that Mirkwood will have safer passage than most.
"A darkness lies upon that forest. Foul things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need" Beorn explains to me directly.
YOU ARE READING
In The End-The Hobbit
Fanfiction'In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take..." Ivy has walked Middle Earth for almost as long as the beginning of the land itself, surviving the world she was thrown into all alone, with no title. She has lived to see battles and wars th...
