An unexpected family (the hobbit/thorin Oakenshield love story)

Chapter 15: Beorn

Katiea POV

I stood between Kili and Fili kneeling behind the rocks. I looked over my shoulder to see Bilbo coming back from his little spying adventure. "How close is the pack?" Dwalin asked. "Um...too close. A whiles away but that's not the worst of it." I listened to bilbo say. "Have they smelled us?" Dwalin asked. "Not yet but that's not the only problem." Bilbo said. "Did they see you?" Gandalf asked. "No! That's not it!" He said struggling to her what he was trying to say out. Gandalf laughed. "See! What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse! Perfect burglar." Gandalf laughed. The rest of the company started to laugh as well. I furrowed my eyebrows at how rude the company was being. "Hey! Bilbo is trying to say something else and it sounds important so be quiet!!!!" I said irritated. The company looked at me wide eyed. Thorin raised and eyebrow at me. "Now please, Mr. Baggins continue~" I said sweetly. Bilbo nodded slowly. "T-thank you Katiea. As I was saying...theres something else out there." Bilbo said. I gave an inaudible gasp. "Did it take the form of a bear?" Gandalf asked. "Yeah..." Bilbo said. Bilbo paused then spoke again. "Y- yes. But bigger, much bigger."
Dwalin looked at Gandalf "You knew about this beast?" Gandalf just glanced at him and walked away. "I say we go back." Oin said. Thorin grunted "And be run down by a pack of Orcs."I was about to say something before Gandalf spoke again. "There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge." Thorin came and stood next to me, oddly close. "Whose house? Are they friend or enemy?" Thorin asked
"Neither. He will help us, or he will kill us." Gandalf said. I laughed. "Of course." I muttered. I noticed the dwarves looks at each other in dismay.
"What choice do we have?" Thorin said.
Suddenly there was a loud roar that spit the night.
"None." Gandalf said.

Next thing we know we started to run across fields and streams then through the forest. "Run!!" Gandalf yelled. Suddenly we noticed that the Orc pack was also running though as well. All of us stopped when a loud road erupted. "Hurry! This way!" Gandalf said. The company ran. I noticed Bombur had stopped. I panicked and grabbed his sleeve. "Come on Bombur!!" I yelled before he started to run again, actually pulling me along. Suddenly we noticed a house in the distance. "Quickly! To the house! Run!" Gandalf yelled. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted off the ground. I held onto Bombur as he ran past all of the dwarves in his fear through the gate. I get on the ground and Bombur and I start pushing at the large door. "Common Bombur! PUSH MAN PUSH!!!" I yelled. Suddenly the rest of the company rammed the door and it flew open. However...I was the first one to hit the ground. My head smacked hard onto the wooden floor and Bombur landed ontop of me. I felt a strain in my ankle. "OWW!!!" I screeched. Bombur got back up and started pushing the door closed. I looked up and my eyes widened seeing a extremly large bear trying to her inside. I jumped up and started pushing until we finally closed the door. "W-what was that??" I asked. "That, would be our host." Gandalf said. "Wait what?" I asked. Gandalf walked more into the house. "His name is Beorn, he is a skin-changer." My eyes widened and I looked over at Kili and Fili worried. "Sometimes he's a huge black bear; sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not overfond of dwarves." Gandalf continued. "D-does he like hobbits?" I asked nervously laughing. "He's leaving!" Ori said. "Get away from the window! It's not safe! He's obviously under some dark enchantment." Dori said. Gandalf scoffed. "He is under no enchantment but his own. Now, everyone get some sleep. All of you. We will be safe here tonight." Gandalf said. I nodded.

I carefully walked around the house until I found a rather large chair. I also conveniently found a blanket next to it. I prepared myself to hop into the cozy chair to sleep. However right before I was about to try and her up two strong hands gripped my waist and lifted me up into it. I looked and saw Thorin. "Nice find. You should sleep well here." He said I smiled softly. He lightly patten my ankle only causing searing pain. "agh ouch!!" I groaned in pain. He gave me a confused look and lifted the blanket to look at my ankle which was slightly swollen. "What happened?!" He asked worried. "Well...Bombur landed on my when we got through the door. I guess hurt my ankle." I muttered. "Ugh. Why are you always doing this?" He grumbled to himself. "Excuse me?" I deadpinned. "What?" He asked. "Why am I always doing what." I asked. "Your always injuring yourself!" He said starting to get irritated. "Oh. My bad. Didn't mean to get squashed by Bombur. My bad." I said and turned away before pulling the blanket over my head and ignoring him. "Stubborn halfling." I heard him grumble. "Rude King." I said loud enough for him to hear.
Soon enough I managed to fall asleep comfortably.

**the next morning**

I opened my eyes and saw the sun peering through the windows. I saw all of the dwarves passed out on the floor in various places. I giggled and hopped off the chair and happily felt no pain in my ankle. I looked down to see the swelling was gone and it was as good as ever. "Atta boy ankle!" I whispered then giggled. I glanced over at Thorin in his sleeping form. I walked over softly and gently pushed some of his black hair out of his face. I sighed...even though he was rude last night I couldn't stay mad.

I jumped suddenly feeling the ground thump. I turned around and looked up. Infront of me was a very large...rather hair man. "O-oh h-hello..." I stuttered. He kneeled down and looked at me. "Are you with these dwarves?" He asked. His voice was deeper than Thorin's. "Y-yes sir...I am..." I stuttered. Purely terrified. The man nodded and stood back up. "Follow me." He said. I followed, more like slightly ran to keep up with him. I followed him outside to a barn. Inside where beautiful brown and white horses. "Wow...their so pretty! Are they yours?" I asked with a smile. "Yes. They are." He said before suddenly gently lifting me up and setting me on the back of one of them. He handed me a small brush, "brush the mane please." He said. I nodded, "yeah of course!" I said happily before starting to work.

I glanced back and saw him finishing up the last horse beside one one I was on. "Um...may I ask you something?" I squeaked out. The man nodded. "A-are you Beorn? The skin changer?" I asked. He made solid eye contact. "Yes. I am." He said. "And what is your name?" He asked. I smiled, "I'm Katiea! It's a pleasure to meet you!" I said holding out my hand. He raised an eyebrow at me before holding out his large hand and shaking my puny one compared to his. "Nice to meet you. Come, back to the house." He said. I nodded and hopped off of the horse before once again struggling to keep up with him. Suddenly I was swooped off of the ground and held carefully in Beorn's arms. "Oh, thank you." I said. "Your legs are much tinier than mine. I noticed you struggling to keep up." He said. I felt my face blush a little. "Yeah...kinda." I muttered.

We got back into the house and noticed the dwarves where awake. Beorn gently set me down and went off somewhere else. "Goodmorning Katiea." Thorin said to me starting to get up. "Goodmorning. Mr. Oakenshield" still slightly angry about yesterday. Thorin looked at me in slight shock before I rolled my eyes and walked off to find Kili and Fili.

We all sat down at the table and happily started to eat. I happened to sit down next to Bilbo. "How'd you sleep Mr. Baggins?" I asked looking at him. He nodded and smiled, "about as well as I could on a floor." I laughed slightly. Before I could reply I heard Beorn's voice cut me off.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" He said. I looked over my shoulder and saw Thorin leaving up against a wall. I kept my eye on him before jumping when he shot me an icy glare. I looked back down at my food before hearing his reply.

"You know of Azog? How?" He asked.
"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 said. My eyes widened as I looked up at Beorn. I noticed the shackles around his wrist.

"Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." He said. I gasped. "That's horrible..." I whispered covering my mouth with my hand. "There are others like you?" Bilbo asked. "Once there where many," he started. "A-and now?" I stuttered. "Now...there is only one." He said. I looked up at the man. I felt my heart slightly crack.

"You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?" Beorn asked. "Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf replied. "You are running out of time." He said. "Yeah, quickly too." I muttered. "Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said placing his hand on my shoulder.
"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell 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 said grimly. "We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." Gandalf said.
"Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn said. "We get to meet more elves?" I whispered to Bilbo. He shrugged. "I don't know really..." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Thorin asked out of nowhere. "These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." Beorn said putting back dishes and cleaning up a bit. I widened my eyes and looked at the Dwarf king. He looked at me shocked.
"I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." He said. I silently thanked that I was a hobbit.
"But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?" Beorn asked.