Reyna was suddenly aware of the bright light that was glowing outside of her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes and saw that it was morning. She sat up and stretched her sore muscles. Looking over, she found that both Kili and Fili were still asleep. Reyna got to her feet and realized that she was the first one awake... besides the enormous man sitting at the diningroom table. She instantly felt defensive of her friends. She assumed that he was their host, Beorn. Reyna was both relieved and uneasy that it was only him. She walked cautiously towards him. She was a few feet away when the large man spoke.
"You do not have to be afraid, young Bender." Beorn said in his deep voice. Reyna stood there, confused.
"How did you know?" she asked. Beorn turned around and looked at her with his brown eyes.
"There are too few in Middle Earth who bear those pendants. Come, sit down." Beorn simply answered. Reyna did as he said and sat on the bench next to him.
"What's your name, lass?" Beorn asked.
"Reyna Stormbringer." she replied, watching the large man carefully. Beorn smiled, taking Reyna off guard.
"Ah, a Stormbringer. I should have guessed." he said. Reyna watched him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. He never got the chance, as most of the Company had awoken at the sound of voices. The half-asleep dwarves shuffled over to the table and Beorn got up. The large man walked into the kitchen. Fili plopped down on Beorn's recently vacated seat. Kili sat on Reyna's other side. She smiled at the two brothers, who were rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Beorn returned from the kitchen with food and a large pitcher of milk. He glanced over at Thorin, who sat near Fili.
"So you are the one called Thorin Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn said, pouring Reyna some milk. Thorin furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.
"You know of Azog? How?" he questioned.
"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." Beorn explained. Reyna looked up and saw what was left of shackles on the large man's wrists.
"Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." Beorn continued. Reyna looked up at him, sympathy in her blue eyes.
"I am sorry." she said. Beorn glanced over at the young Bender and gave her a small smile.
"You, of all people, should not be sorry. You see, your people, the Benders of Ibilissa, were the only ones that attempted to aid my people in our time of need. In fact, it was a Stormbringer that set me free. I am forever in your people's debt." Beorn said. Reyna blushed and began to protest, but was cut off by Bilbo.
"There are others like you?" the little hobbit asked.
"Once, there were many." Beorn replied.
"And now?" Bilbo questioned.
"Now, there is only one." the large skin-changer said. The Company looked at Beorn in shock. Reyna, instead, was angered. The Pale Orc had wiped out a whole race of people. Azog had an arrow with his name on it.
"You need to reach The Mountain before the last days of autumn?" Beorn asked, regaining Reyna's attention.
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf replied.
"You are running out if time." Beorn observed. Gandalf nodded grimly.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." the wizard responded.
YOU ARE READING
The Oncoming Storm (Book 2 in the Lionheart Trilogy)
Fanfiction★ I suggest reading the first book, Lionheart, before you read this one★ Reyna Stormbringer had hoped that after facing goblins, orcs and even the occasional cave troll, that she and the company would have faced the worst of what their quest had to...
