A Sword and A Shield [The Hobbit X OC]

20 - Queer Lodgings

Bombur stopped munching on a carrot to give a nod.

"Remember. Wait for the signal."

Gandalf, Bilbo, and I stepped outside. Even from a safe distance, we sheepishly watched Beorn chop firewood, one log after another, with mighty swings of an ax big enough to chop a troll's head off. It was worrisome to know we had to approach this man and introduce ourselves.

I noticed Gandalf continuously checking over his shaggy hair and ragged robes.

Bilbo noticed, too. "Are you nervous?"

"Who? Me? Nervous?" Gandalf took a moment before glaring at him. "What nonsense."

"Is it?" I asked.

Finally, we came within several feet of the man. Gandalf took a deep breath before speaking.

"Morning!"

Beorn lifted his ax high above his head. Chop, and another log got split in half. Gandalf flinched twice in a row, I felt shivers up my spine, and Bilbo took cover behind me.

The friendly wizard tried a second time.

"Good morning!" he greeted in a much softer tone.

Just like all the other times, Beorn effortlessly sliced another piece of wood. This time, however, the ax remained embedded in the chopping block. The man dropped his arms to the side and turned his head slightly.

"Who are you?"

The gruff voice made the hairs on my body shoot up straight.

"I'm Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey." He bowed deeply and gracefully. "I'm a wizard."

Suddenly, the man whipped around to face us. He now stood in front of us and towered tall above Gandalf. As for Bilbo, he could easily have trotted through his legs without ducking his head to miss the fringe of the man's brown tunic. "Never heard of him." Beorn's vicious glare locked onto me next, his ax having somehow materialized in his hands. "And you?"

I trembled, but Gandalf lightly shoved me forward. "My name's Rosalia. I'm the daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. I'm an elf."

"Never heard of you either."

"Perhaps you've heard of my colleague, Radagast the Brown," Gandalf said, pointing to the mountains on the southern horizon. "He resides in the southern borders of Mirkwood."

"What do you want?" demanded the man now towering over us.

"Well, simply to thank you for your hospitality."

"As you may have noticed, we took up refuge in your lodgings here last night," I said, gesturing at the beautiful cabin behind us. "You see, we do apologize for entering without permission. Terribly sorry about that. We were—"

"Who is this little fellow?!" Beorn raised his ax in a hurry and looked at Bilbo poking his head out from behind me. "Your son?"

"Son?" I choked out.

"He has your ears."

"He does?" I glanced at Bilbo's ears, finding them to be nothing like mine. "No, no, I have no children. This is Bilbo Baggins of the Shire."

Bilbo waved a hand.

"He's not a dwarf, is he?" The dislike for dwarves was clear in his voice and the tightening grip on the ax's handle.

"Why, no, he's a hobbit," Gandalf replied as he clapped Bilbo on the shoulder. "Good family, and unimpeachable reputation."

Finally, Beorn lowered his ax, allowing us all to breathe. "A halfling, a wizard, and an elf maiden. How come you are here?"