𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕳𝖆𝖑𝖋𝖇𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖉

Chapter 10: The Skin-Changer and Mirkwood

I was pacing back and forth waiting impatiently for Bilbos returned. Finally, he came back unharmed and I was glad. "How close is the orc pack?" I asked in time with Thorin. He looked at me and smiled but just as quick as it came it left.
"Too close. A couple of leagues no more, " Bilbo replied. Now that is a problem.
"We cannot deal with that many orcs we must get going. Now" I noted.
"But that's not the worst of it, " Bilbo continued.
"Have they picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked
"No. Not yet but they will. We have another problem" Bilbo replied
"Please don't tell me they saw you, " I sighed nervously.
"No. No, they didn't,"
"See I told you quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." Gandalf remarked this set off a chorus of agreement throughout the company that made Bilbo even more annoyed.
"Just listen to him will you, " I said raising my voice.
"There is something else out there, " Bilbo said turning and pointing in the direction he had come from.
Gandalf questioned Bilbo and knew of the creature before Bilbo even told him. Turn he told us of a man who was our only hope and that he will either help us or kill us.
"Well that's just fantastic, " I said my words dripping with sarcasm. Midnight barked in agreement.
"Now is not the time let's get going, " Thorin ordered and we went on our way towards the house of Beorn.

We were running through the plain and over lakes trying escape wargs that were closing in. Then I heard it a great roar of an even greater bear. This caused the whole company to pick up the pace using whatever energy we had to escape this even more imminent danger. But soon we all came to a sudden stop at the locked door, of what I can only assume was the house of the man Gandalf spoke of. I looked at the door only to realise that they were trying to push open the door with the latch on.
"Oh honestly, " I exclaimed unlocking the latch and allowing us into the house. We all ran in and I turned sharply to start closing the door. The bear rammed against the door and it took all of us to get the door shut.
"Well. That was interesting, " I huffed and sat down. Gandalf then told us that the bear was out host. He was a skin-changer who took on the form of a bear and a man. The bear was not someone you wanted to run into but the man could be reasoned with but he was not very fond of dwarves. Which doesn't really help our case and I said as much.
"Rest now. You shall be safe here tonight, " Gandalf said and I did not need to be told twice. I walked over to some straw and flopped down and Midnight followed suit laying his head on top of mine. And we fell asleep that way.
Nightmares woke me up sometime in the early hours of the morning and I got up and started to explore the house accepting that I would not get any more sleep tonight. There were a lot of little creatures scuttling around the place. I sat down at a table and rested my head on my hands watching the little creatures run around. Then I heard a little squeak and I looked down to find a little white mouse looking up at me standing on its hind legs.
"Why hello there, " I whispered making sure not to wake up any of the others. The mouse squeaked again and ran off over to some shelves where some cheese lay. I smirked. "So it's the food you want huh?" I reached up and broke off a small piece and handed it to the mouse that rate it up eagerly.
"He likes you, " A low voice said behind me. I turned around quickly.
"You must be Beorn, " I said
"Yes. I am and who might you be? And what might you be? You are not a dwarf like the others, " he observed
"I am only half. The other half is elven, " I answered.
"But that is not all you are, " he stated
"No, it is not, " I smiled and turned into a wolf knowing he would not be frightened by me and I did actually miss this form. It was nice.
He laughed and patted my head and I barked happily. The rest of the morning I stayed in that form helping Beorn while the dwarves slept. Soon all the dwarves we up and Beorn started to serve them some breakfast which they all happy to accept.
"Wait where Annie, " Kili asked confused.
"Yeah I haven't seen her all morning, " Fili added.
"She is outside playing, " Beorn answered.
The Durin brothers ran outside to find me playing around with Midnight. It was fun and was something I hadn't really done before but I made me better at fighting in this form which could come in handy if we are ever up against wargs again.
"Where is she?" Fili said they both looked at Midnight and me who had stopped playing. I started at one wondering how it would take and who would realise first.
"Wait. She can't be. Surely she can't. Could she, " Kee rambled on confused trying to make sense of the rather odd situation
"That did not make any sense Kee. Try again, " Fee said
"Is she the other wolf?" He asked.
I barked and bounded up to them.
"I think you're right Kee, " Fili laughed but his face still held confusion.
"Come on Annie get inside there's food and besides I think Uncle would like to know of this, " Fili said gesturing to me.
I nodded and walked inside and greeted Beorn who patted my head again.
" I think it's time to change back little one, " the dwarves looked at Beorn confused.
I walked around the table and shifted back into myself again to the shock of most of the dwarves apart from Fee and Kee who laughed at the others' expressions. Bilbo just stood still not moving and smile his face.
"Well you are still full of surprises lass, " Bofur laughed.
"That she is, " Thorin agreed to smile.

After that talk turned serious.
Beorn talked about what happened to the other skin changers and then talked went to how we had to reach the mountain before the last light of Durin's day. So we would have to go through the forest of Mirkwood. We had no other choice. Beorn said that he would not go through the dark forest of Mirkwood unless he had no other alternative. Gandalf explained that we shall take the Elven route but Beorn still did not think it was safe. The thing was all this was reliant on us reaching the forest which would be rather difficult with us on foot and the orcs swarming the lands. So Beorn leant us some ponies and some supplies and sent us on our way.
"Thank you, Beorn, "
"You are very welcome little one. You are free to visit here anytime, " he replied.
I nodded and left.
We rode through the plains to the edge of the forest of Mirkwood. The dwarves and Bilbo rode ponies, Gandalf a horse and I rode Midnight which still came as an odd sight to most. The closer I got to the forest the more I understood why Beorn did not like it.
"This forest feels sick. Isn't there a way around?" Bilbo asked
"I agree I don't like it but to go around would take to long and we would likely not reach the mountain on time so we must go through, " I shivered at the thought of having to go through these sick lands but we had no other option.
Gandalf again had to leave us for some reason which he did not disclose which put me even more at unease. The chances of us getting lost we growing and I did not like that at all. We plunged into the darkness of the forest from the moment of entering I felt the air was indeed thicker here and that would only cause trouble.
"I do not like it here Kee, " I said walking beside him.
"Don't worry Annie we will be fine, " he said and gave my hand a reasuring squeeze.
"But what of the dark creatures Beorn spoke of. They might become a problem, " I replied worried for the company.
"Annie you're like a little sister to me and Fee. We will protect you, " he said
I smiled. I did also consider Kili and Fili brothers now but my sisters shall never be replaced ever. They will forever be in my heart along with my parents but I know they would not want me to dwell on the past for it does not help anyone.
"It is not myself I worry about in fact I am the only person I don't worry about, " I answered.
A comfortable silence fell between us after that and we continued walking. Each moment that past the more disoriented we all became I felt suffocated by the air and maddened by the fact I had no clue what the time or the day was or how long we had been in this damned forest. Things only went downhill from there we lost the path and we walked round and round in circles trying to find it but we only lost ourselves more and more. We stopped to try and work out where we were going when someone mentioned the sun and Bilbo had an idea. We started to climb the nearest tree in hopes of seeing the sun and which way we needed to go. Once we reached the top it was like I could finally breathe again it was deceiving this forest from here I looked beautiful and bright but Bilbo and I knew all too well of the darkness that laid beneath. "We can see it the lonely mountain. We know which way to go!" I'm called down to the dwarves but we heard no reply. We climbed back down but Bilbo slipped. I tried to grab onto him to steady him but he dragged me down with him accidentally and we fell down into giant cobwebs. I lost sight of Bilbo on the way down. I was met by the biggest spider I had ever seen. It stung me before I could defend myself and everything went black. I woke up tangled in a giant cocoon and I squirmed practically trying to get out but it didn't work. I hear the slicing of a blade and then I felt myself falling slowly to what I can assume was the ground. My cocoon was ripped open by Thorin who helped me to my feet.
"Thank Mahal your okay, " he said.
"I am glad to see you are alright too, " I replied.
I heard something in the distance.
"SPIDERS!" I shouted and we all went to work fighting then. I slashed and stabbed them but due to their size, they were more difficult to kill than an orc. Some of the dwarves worked together to pull all of the legs of a spider that was going after Bombur. The next thing I saw was a tall blonde elf point an arrow at Thorin and far more surrounding us also aiming arrows.
"Do not think I will not kill you dwarf it would be my pleasure, " the blonde elf said to Thorin. I bite my lip so I wouldn't say something rude to him as it would not help the situation. I heard Kili shout in the distance. I hope he is alright. He was brought to us by a red-haired elf. Then the search began. The blonde elf started with Thorin before moving to me. "Remove your cloak please, " he said to me slightly kinder than he had spoken to Thorin. "and why should I do that?" I asked
"So I can take the weapons that you're hiding under it, " he looked at me sternly and I knew there was no point in arguing. I removed my cloak and he looked shocked by the various daggers and swords I had. Another elf walked up to me and took my bow before the blonde elf could. "Legolas, I know this bow it belonged to someone who was once part of the guard. I am curious to know why this girl has it, " he said in elvish
" I am no girl and that now is mine by right, " I replied in elvish. Both Legolas and the other elf froze surprised by the fact that I could understand what they were saying. I smirked. "Take them to the King, " Legolas called in elvish. The guards took us off to face the King.