Elf of Fire and Light (Book 1 Fire) Hobbit/LOTR Fan-Fic

Chapter 42

Third POV

With Bilbo and the others, things were a bit hairier. Bilbo was in the process of spying on the warg pack when he saw some sort of beast. He ran back to inform the others.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked when he saw Bilbo scampering down the hillside.

"Too close," Bilbo replied. "A couple of leagues, no more. But that's the not the worst of it."

"Have the wargs picked up our sent?" Dwalin questioned.

"Not yet, but they will soon," Bilbo replied out of breath. "We have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked urgently. "They saw you."

"No, that's not it." Bilbo said.

"What did I tell you?" Gandalf said proudly, "Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." The dwarves murmured in agreement.

"Will you listen?" Bilbo was getting impatient. "Will you just listen?! I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."

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

"Yes." Bilbo said and then looked at him confused. "Yes, but bigger. Much bigger."

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked, accusation in his tone. "I say we double back."

"And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin argued.

The dwarves began to talk all at once when Gandalf interrupted them. "There is a house. It's not far from here, where we might, uh, take refuge."

"Whose house?" Thorin asked, distrust leaking into his voice. "Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither." Gandalf said gravely. "He will either help us, or he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asked.

Although the question was likely rhetorical, Gandalf answered anyway as a roar echoed in the distance. "None."

The dwarves ran down the hillside, across a stream and across a field of flowers. While running across flat ground, some, were faster than others, but they all made it into the house safely. Then the face of a bear snapped its jaws at them trying to reach one of them through the still open door.

"Close it!" Someone yelled and the dwarves rushed to push it closed.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host," Gandalf answered. "His name is Beorn. And he's a skin-changer. 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."

The bear growled and began to lumber away. "He's leaving," Ori said.

"Come away from there," Dori said pulling Ori's arm. "It's not natural. None of it! It's obvious. He's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool," Gandalf replied. "He is under no enchantment but his own. Alright, now, get some sleep. All of you. You'll be safe here tonight." He turned around before adding quietly to himself, "I hope."