Totally Normal (A Hobbit story)

No I Do NOT Want to Mud Wrestle a Bear at Three in the Afternoon

***

Night time was just barely at an end when I heard the orcs had caught up to us. Gandalf insisted that I should go look, being the burglar and all, and everyone agreed with their newfound trust in me.

I climbed over a high ledge and peeked over some rocks that kept me hidden if they looked my way. I saw them alright, on the other side, with only a gorge that separated up. Azog and his Warg Scouts were running along a ridgeline, gong at such a pace I momentarily wondered if they would pass us.

Then I saw her.

I knew it had to be Tanya riding in front of Azog, but she looked so different. Her hair was completely white like fresh snow, and skin, while also incredibly white, was noticeably less bright than her hair, more like a pearl.

I was pulled from my thoughts when the orcs stopped moving to smell the air. Azog was looking on my side of the gorge, and for a second I thought he might have seen me before I could duck down.

Not finding anything, they continued on their way. I watched them go, but I saw Tanya looking in my direction as I was looking in hers. As the orcs moved forward, her head kept turning right where I was, and I knew without a doubt she was looking directly at me.

Suddenly, I heard a snarl to the left of me, and I swept behind the rocks. Slowly, I peeked out and saw what I was sure was a large bear watching Azog from another cluster of rocks, snarling softly.

Not wanting either groups to find me, I snuck away, back to the company.

I ran my way down the rocks to where the dwarves and Gandalf are waiting to hear my spy report, and yes, I am calling myself a spy.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked immediately, before I had even gotten all the way back down.

"Too close." I panted. "A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it." Everyone surrounded me to hear.

"Was Tanya with them?" Balin asked quickly, disregarding the second bit I said. He and Tanya always were on friendly terms.

"Yes." I said. "At least I think it was her. But there's something else." I continued, trying to get the ball rolling back to where I had left off.

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked worriedly.

I shook my head no. "Not yet, but they will; we have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked from behind me. I didn't answer immediately, so he jumped right to the- "They saw you!"

"No, that's not it." I said, scrunching my face in annoyance.

Gandalf then smiled and turned to the dwarves, I guess not caring that I had something to say. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." He said proudly, to which the dwarves chuckled loudly in appreciation of me.

I might have been flattered, but I could not help but look exasperated that no one was hearing me out. "Will you listen- Will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." I finally said while pointing up to where I had just been spying.

Everyone fell silent and I just stood in the center of a sea of worried faces.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked slowly.

"Ye..." I paused and looked curiously at Gandalf, who was either a really good guesser, or he knew something we didn't. "Y- yes. But bigger, much bigger."

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur non-accusingly asked. Gosh, Bofur was just such a nice guy, I must say. Really, he was just so nice.

Gandalf turned around and walked a few steps away, out of the dwarf circle surrounding me.