*Author's note*
Alright and here it is the part of the second film the Desolation of Smaug everybody! Here we get introduced to Beorn and his story with Hela and we even hear a bit more about why Azog is after Hela. So enjoy these next few chapters my darlings :)
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Three days we kept going until Azog and the orcs soon got close to us, however we didn't know just how close they could be. So the dwarves sent Bilbo up the side of the mountain to look out and see just how close the pack was. Judging by the sound of their warg howls I assumed they were close by (if I had my brother Ikaris' power I could just fly up and see for myself).
"I don't like this." I muttered with a pace.
"He'll be fine lass, Bilbo's size really does help him go unseen by most. Remember what he did to that orc that was about to take Thorin's head? Or how he managed to get out of the Goblin caves?" Bofur assured me.
"Yes, yes I know. But if they see him, he'll be outnumbered. He's not quite at even novice level of fighting. That is if they don't just throw him off the mountain." I said.
"Relax Hela, he'll be fine. Now stop your worrying mother bear or else you'll run a rut into the earth." Fili assured me. A snap of a twig and some rocks rolling down the side, we all soon saw Bilbo scampering down the hill.
"How close is the pack?" asked Thorin.
"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it." Bilbo answered as he came down towards us and stood in the middle of the dwarves that now circled around him.
"Have the wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked.
"Not yet but they will do. We have another problem." Bilbo said as he tried to catch his breath.
"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked urgently. "They saw you."
"No, that's not it." Gandalf nodded as he said to the company.
"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." He praised about Bilbo as all the dwarves began to clammer over each other in agreement. However Bilbo was trying to get their attention.
"Will you listen? Will you just....listen?" Bilbo finally spoke loud enough for the dwarves to be quiet. "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." Immediately my mind clicked.
"What form did he take? A bear?" I asked him. At my question Bilbo just about replied until he and the dwarves all looked at me suspiciously or in shock.
"Ye-yes but bigger much bigger." Bilbo said. I walked away from the group scouting the skies as Bofur asked me.
"You knew about this beast Hela?" I didn't respond back. "I say we double back." Bofur suggested in alarm.
"And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin replied in a manner that spoke of a greater of two evils. Gandalf came to me and spoke in my Celestial tongue.
"Would he allow us to stay in his home alongside you?"
"I have yet to collect the favor he owes me. I know he'll allow me to stay I just don't know about the rest of you. He could easily kill me as well as all of you for betraying his trust." I answered truthfully.
"We'll have to try." He answered lowly. I nodded in agreement, at this point we don't really have a choice. Even with my powers I'm still not quite at 100% full strength, at best I'm 40% and that's just with Thena's and Gilgamesh's strengths alone. "There is a house." Gandalf said which broke up the dwarves panicked argument. "It's not far from here where he might take refuge."
"Who's house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin demanded.
"Neither." I said. "He will help us or—he will kill us."
"What choice do we have?" soon a loud roar echoed over the mountains, a roar that I knew very well.
"None." Gandalf and I both said together. And without further argument a decision was made.
We ran across creaks and a wide spread field of wildflowers. Gandalf and I taking the lead as we urged the company onward towards the patch of woods just ahead of us. Whilst behind us, the creature kept a fast pace behind us roaring ferociously.
As we came to the woods, just a half mile till we got to the cottage, the roar sounded again and Gandalf cried out.
"This way! Quickly!" the company raced on ahead but I saw that Bombur was frozen with fear as he kept looking back. I grabbed his beard and snapped him out of his shock.
"Bombur come on!" he let out a yelp before following behind me before eventually getting ahead of me. We raced down the hills some jumping over small peaks and risen rocks until we finally came out of the trees and just ahead of us over a field of yellow grass was the house.
"To the house! Run!" Gandalf cried out. The dwarves, Bilbo and I racing ahead and I soon took notice of how Bombur managed to surpass everyone as he now took the lead pass the gate, across the yard and slammed straight into the doors.
Gandalf and I stayed at the gate to make sure everyone got in safely and that's when I saw him. With a crack and a snap of branches, a large black bear charged out of the trees and made a full charge right towards us.
"OPEN THE DOOR!" Gandalf yelled. I took notice of how the dwarves were forcefully trying to push the doors in.
"THE LATCH! LIFT THE LATCH UP!!" I exclaimed as I ran towards them, shoved my way through until I reached the latch and lifted it up. As soon as the doors were opened, we all yelled and exclaimed as we shoved each other inside all at once.
The dwarves then tried to close the doors only for the bear to stop it with his muzzle. He snarled and let out a terrifying roar. The dwarves pushed and pushed with all their might to close the door but the bear was relentless in wanting to get to us. I saw how Bilbo took out his sword, standing right in front of me to protect me.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and softly shook my head as he looked at me confused. With one final and great push, they managed to shut the bear out and latch it shut with a large wooden frame. Panting from the adrenaline drop Ori turned to Gandalf and I and asked.
"What is that?"
"That gentlemen is our host." I said. They all looked at me confused or in shock. "His name is Beorn. And he's a skin changer."
The Skin-changers. Now those were a rough but proud race of creatures. Having the ability to shapeshift from man to beast just by mere thought. I remember long ago when many of them roamed over Middle-Earth but now there is only Beorn himself.
"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's not overfond of Dwarves." Gandalf explained to them. Some of our company looked at each other offendedly when we heard Beorn's growling getting softer.
"He's leaving." Ori said. That's when Dori came up and pulled him away from the door before lecturing him.
"Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious. He's under some dark spell."
"Don't be a superstitious naysayer. He's under no enchantment but his own." I snapped at the older dwarf. "Nori don't you even think about taking anything from here!" I snapped at him. Nori who was by Beorn's large cabinets that had his precious China plates and cups jumped at my voice.
"I wasn't....." I raised my brow at him skeptically. "Yes Hela." He surrendered.
"Alright now, get some sleep all of you. You'll be safe here tonight." Gandalf said as he took his hat off. I walked over to Oin and tapped his shoulder and I signed off to him in Dwarvish sign language.
'Hand me your trumpet.' He handed it over to me and with a slow wave of my hand and a glowing green light, his trumpet went back to its normal shape.
"Hey-hey thank you Lady Hela!" he praised shaking my hand before grabbing his hearing trumpet.
"It's no trouble. Won't do you any good to keep a smashed hearing trumpet will it?"
"Indeed not. Thank you again my lady." He and Glóin left to pick a spot to sleep at.
"Hela?" Bilbo's voice spoke up to me. I walked over to the hobbit and he continued, "You said the name of this Beorn. Did you know him?"
"I know of everyone in all of Middle Earth Bilbo. But Beorn he—he is a special case." He and I may be different races but we do share a common ground, although a sad one but still common ground, we're both the last of our kind.
"Are you two......"
"Oh heavens no Bilbo!" I immediately shut down his idea of Beorn and I courting each other. "Do you remember back on the Misty Mountains, when Azog found us when we escaped the Goblin tunnels?" he nodded.
"I thought I remember him saying you were weaker than when you last saw him. What did you do to him?" Balin asked me. Not out of suspicion but curiosity.
"Gather around young dwarves and I'll tell you another story of my adventures. However this one adds an additional character." I pulled up a chair and everyone lay or either sat down upon the hay that was connected to the stable beside us. "Long ago, before some of you were even born," I said eyeing towards Ori, Kili and Fili. "I had come across Azog and his pack deep within the Mountains to the North. I was there scouting alongside some of the Dúnedain Rangers to keep the orcs at bay, when I saw it."
"Saw what?" asked Ori.
"A Skinchanger dungeon. As you all know Orcs are sadistic creatures. Torture is just sheer pleasure to them, like a cat that plays with a mouse before killing them. Azog had captured a family of bear skinchangers however.....in a cage next to the large black bear was a slightly smaller brown one lying dead along with 3 children."
"By Durin." Kili muttered in horror.
"The mother's body whipped so deep and so much, I could see her very muscles themselves, as for the children—their bodies torn to shreds by wargs. Their scrapped limbs being put back into the cage alongside the mother until the wargs wanted second helpings. It was then I knew I couldn't just let them suffer like that. So without thinking I charged in as quick as I could knocking out any orc that got in my way. I freed the large black bear first. For obvious reasons he tried to attack me but I spoke to him telepathically using Druig's power to ease his mind. With that I helped both parents escape. But the female brown bear didn't make it, even with my healing abilities."
"So Azog wanted you to get back his prized capture?" asked Dwalin.
"Not exactly. It's more like getting payback for humiliation. You see, I fought against not only Azog, but his spawn Bolg at the same time. I unleashed a light so powerful thanks to Ajak's power, it burned out Bolg's left eye completely. And as for Azog well.....let's just say after giving him a flash, I ensured that he could never create another spawn again."
At hearing that statement, some of them went white while others all hooted and laughed.
"You did not." Fili laughed.
"I did. One swipe was all it took." I said as I made a cutting motion with my right hand.
"You have earned my utmost respect Lady Hela." Dwalin said with a proud smirk. I nodded to him then I continued with my tale.
"After that and unfortunately not being able to heal his wife, Beorn and I left the Mountains. It took a while but soon he began to trust me enough for me to heal his scars and wounds. Knowing he could not return to his old home since the Orcs had destroyed it when they were captured, I brought him here. At first this entire field had been burned down by Dragon fire long, long ago. It burnt this field so much that not even a blade of grass could grow here. That was until I came here with Beorn. Using Cersei's magic, I allowed this field to thrive. Wild flowers blooming, plenty of water and helped bring in some livestock to get him set up. After about five years of thriving and healing, I left Beorn and he told me that he would forever be in my debt and if I wanted to collect, just come here."
"And have you up until now?" asked Bofur.
"No. This is the first time I've been back in almost 99 years." I said. "This is the debt he owes me. Allowing us safe shelter and food. Although he may want to know why I've brought Dwarves with me. Like Gandalf said, he's not overfond of them."
"Why does he hate dwarves? It's not like we were the ones that imprisoned him and killed his family?" Nori sassed with his arms crossed over his chest.
"That is not for me to tell. But I would suggest not giving him a reason to hate you. Which means no pickpocketing." I eyed him suspiciously. Dori slapped the back of his younger half-brother's head and Nori glared at him.
Later that night everyone was sleeping soundly inside Beorn's stable with the cattle. I lay there on the hay softly flinching as I was having yet another dream.
For the past few nights since we arrived at Carrock I've been having these dreams—visions almost. Some of the past, and some of what looked to be the future (although I hoped it wasn't).
In this dream I was back with my brothers and sisters in the forests along the Anduin river, five miles from reaching the Argonath.
I was standing right beside Ajak who was looking at all the Deviants that had us surrounded. I saw as my brothers and sisters were trying their best to keep the Deviants at bay from getting any closer to us, but I saw that they were growing weak.
Ikaris was bleeding from his head and his arm clenching his ribs. Thena's lip was cut and her temple bleeding as she held her Celestials shield and spear defiantly. Makkari and Druig stood back to back of each other, Cersei, Sprite and Kingo all using their Celestial energy to push the Deviants away while Gilgamesh and Phastos kept their shields up.
I turned to Ajak and saw her look down at the earth and knelt down as she picked up some of the sand near us. She put her hands together and chanted something before her hands opened up to reveal a large white and blue gem. It was about the size of a grapefruit and she looked to Ikaris.
Being the strongest Celestial after her he knew she didn't need to say anything. He held his hands out and soon pouring out of his chest was his own Celestial energy. As it entered the gem, it glowed a dark blue. Thena hobbled over next and she did the same thing, this time the gem glowing a white and gold color.
Soon one by one the rest of my siblings surrendered their magic into the gem until it turned back to the white and blue gem it was before. All my siblings now gathered in a semicircle as they all looked to me. I looked at Ajak and shook my head to her but she nodded once at me with a loving smile before handing me the gem.
I watched as they all gave me one final smile, wave or gesturing telling me they loved me before tendrils stuck into all of them until they turned to stone with a snap of a finger. They had grown so strong and absorbed so much Celestial magic, that the stoning process barely took any time now.
I didn't even get to say goodbye to them as I let out a scream and a flash of light shot out from the gem and I saw a multi-flash of colors zip pass.
When I regained consciousness I saw that the Deviants were all gone and the gem was now nothing but sand once more. Tiny, insignificant grains of sand. I looked up to see my siblings were now stone.
From that day I had become the Last of the Celestials as the sound of my cries and screams of anguish and loss echoed.
I shot up panting softly and felt my cheeks were wet. I lifted my hand and wiped the tearstains away but that's when I felt it once more. That same feeling I've always felt and that I recently felt back in the Troll Hoard.
I got out from my blanket and silently stalked around Beorn's home following the Celestial energy I was sensing until I came to it. It came from Beorn's brush and I could see his shedded hair was calling out to me. I took the brush and took one strand of the long brownish-greying hair and the light glowed brighter.
'Took you long enough, sister dearest.' Sprite's voice echoed inside me. Then just liked at the Troll Hoard a light shined around me and my attire soon changed. When the light faded I saw myself in an older more mature version of Sprite's Celestial armor.
The color scheme of her armor was of various shades of blue from the blue that can be seen as the color of the clearest water to the sickly blue that is found in some sea plants. For as the Shapeshifting Celestials know, colors shifts and bends just like their appearances can do. I looked down at my gauntlet to see that my right one was now fully complete with a sea-green colored gem filling the last gap of my right gauntlet.
"Oh Sprite. I've finally found you my little sister. Bless the Gods above, bless the gods." I fell to my knees cuddling my right arm close to me as I stroked over all the gem pieces I had filled up for my right gauntlet. Blessing every god known to Middle Earth in thanks for finding my little sister's magic.
*3rd Person POV*
While guarding around his cabin, Beorn looked to see the bright light which had shined from his cabin. His ceased his growling and let out a soft huff before continuing to walk around his cabin.
But also within the forests as well was Azog and the rest of his scouting party and they too noticed the Celestial glow shining from the house ahead.
"The Celestial has found another of her sibling's magic." Azog's lieutenant sneered. "Soon she will be unstoppable."
"But she will not be able to control all of it. Celestials cannot control magic that is not their own for long. And the more magic she has, the faster her strength wains." Azog replied. They soon heard something coming behind them, they armed themselves ready to fight whoever or whatever was coming only to be greeted by a snarling warg and a tall 7-8ft tall Gundabad orc riding on top of it. The warg stood right in Azog's face snarling and snapping it's jaws but Azog did not even flinch at the Warg's attempts of dominance.
This orc Azog knew very well, the spiked armor on his shoulders and torso and the pale left eye left by Celestial magic. This was his spawn, Bolg.
"They are gathering in Dol Guldur. The Master has summoned you!" he said to his father as Azog softly snarled.
The orcs soon rode off to Dol Guldur, the fortress that was once known as Amon Lanc, the Capital of the Woodland realm back when Thranduil's father, Oropher was King of the Greenwood. After his death, it became abandoned for thousands of years until recently when foul things and a dark shadow made their claim to the fortress and it was renamed Dol Guldur.
A feel shadow lay over the fortress giving it an ominous appearance and hundreds of orcs gathered around it's lower levels. Azog walked across a lone bridge that looked upon what was once a great tower but it was now decayed and hung open like a rotting wound. A dark shadow moved across the air like leaves in the wind as a voice spoke up.
"We grow in number. We grow in strength. You will lead my armies." the shadow now stood before Azog along the bridge shing like a black star.
"What of Oakenshield and the Celestial?"
"War is coming." The shadow said as it shifted behind Azog who turned to face the shadow again.
"You promised me their heads!" Azog snapped. The shadow erupted before flashing through the pale orc and snarled out.
"Death will come to all!" before vanishing behind the towers and all grew silent once more. Azog seething with betrayal at his Master's command, his lieutenant came over to the entrance and asked his leader.
"Do we call off the hunt?" But Azog refused to call off the hunt for the Line of Durin, plus his need for vengeance against the Celestial for what she did to him.
"BOLG!!" Azog cried for his spawn. Like an obedient soldier, Bolg marched towards his father, pushing aside any orc that got in his way till he stood before his father. "I have a task for you. Do you still thirst for Dwarf Blood and vengeance for a certain Celestial?" Bolg let out a sickening hiss, for his time had finally come.
Back at Beorn's home, Beorn was running through the forest until he felt himself shifting back to his Man form. He was panting heavily not only from his patrol but also the shifting. He at first collapsed to his knees to catch his breath before he stood back up and looked toward his home.
He walked towards his home and opened the door to see the fireplace was dwindling but the fire was being kept burning for a Celestial stood at the hearth of the fireplace.
*My POV*
I turned to see Beorn's silhouette. He spoke not a word to me but kept his eyes on me. I stood up and greeted him with my Celestial greeting of making a circle above my chest before moving my fingers straight down to my ribs.
Symbolizing the Soul. For as the Only Celestial of Death, the soul is the most valuable thing that I am gifted into not only seeing but bringing to Middle Earth.
Beorn acknowledged my greeting before he went out the back to get some more firewood and stayed out in his garden until sunrise. When the Company began to wake up, Balin was the first to notice my new attire.
"It would seem you've found yet another one of your sibling's Celestial magic." I smiled at the wise dwarf and nodded.
"My little sister Sprite's magic. She was the Shapeshifter. The youngest one of us all but she proved beyond even the oldest of Celestials that she was meant to be a part of the Inner circle." I replied showing them my completed right gauntlet.
"So that means you only have but one of your sibling's magic to find. Maybe when we reach Erebor it'll be there." Fili said.
"I hope. I've been searching for them for so long I—never did I think I would come so close to finding every last one of their magic." Fili and Kili each grabbed a hand and I smiled down at them. "Where is the rest of the Company?"
"They're in the back with Gandalf. He thinks we need Beorn's help to get pass the Wilderland." Kili said.
"He's right. We will need his help. Come on, he's gonna need help in convincing Beorn of anything." I followed them and we finally joined up with the others.
I could hear their panicked options about just trying to run while others said we were wasting time doing this, and then there were some who just wanted to fight (Dwalin).
"Well I say we should leg it. Slip out the back way." Nori suggested. Dwalin slammed his hand to Nori's chest as he sneered.
"I'm not running from anyone. Beast or no."
"There is no point in arguing." Gandalf advised. "We cannot pass through the Wilderland without Beorn's help."
"He's right. We'll be hunted down before we even reach the forests of Mirkwood." I told them. Most of them weighing their options and realized that both Gandalf and I were right.
"Ahh Bilbo. There you are. Now...this will require some delicate handling. We must tread very carefully. The last person to have startled him was torn to shreds." The only sound that could be heard was the cutting of wood caused by Beorn outside.
'You couldn't have laid it on any thicker could you Gandalf?' I said to him telepathically. He looked at me with a 'don't start' glare in his eye before he told the Company, "Hela and I will go first and—uhh Bilbo you come with us."
Nervously the Hobbit opened his mouth but Thorin gestured lightly with his head to do as Gandalf said. Bilbo came up to us and asked.
"Is-is this a good idea?"
"Yes. Now, the rest of you, you just wait here and don't come out until I give the signal."
"Right. Wait for the signal." Bofur, who was standing at the window said with a confirmed nod.
"And no sudden moves or loud noises and don't overcrowd him. Only come out in pairs." The dwarves nodded. Just before the three of us walked out the door, Gandalf stopped as he said to Bombur who was eating a carrot. "No actually Bombur...." The fat, ginger, long bearded dwarf looked up at Gandalf as he finished, "Umm.....you count as two so you should come out alone." Bombur nodded solemnly but agreed. "Remember, wait for the signal."
And with that Gandalf, Bilbo and I walked down the stone steps and onto Beorn's garden. But of course Gandalf never really specified on what the signal was to allow the Dwarves to come out.
Normally I would've spoken up to this idea but ever since getting Sprite's powers there's a bit more spark of mischief in me. Gandalf always thought he could get out of everything just by talking well now—maybe I won't help him get out of this mess right away unless things get super bloody.
We walked towards Beorn who was still chopping wood, swinging a great axe and splitting each wood block at an even split. I turned to see Gandalf was actually nervous.
"You're nervous." Bilbo spoke up. Gandalf turned to him before turning back at the sound of another swing from Beorn.
"Nervous? What Nonsense." He grumbled. Bilbo and I smirked at each other as I ruffled his hair and gave him a wink just as Gandalf greeted Beorn with a good morning. However Beorn ignored Gandalf and raised his axe, almost taking out Gandalf and myself (I had shield Bilbo behind me) as Beorn took another great swing at the piece of wood before him.
"Good morning!" Gandalf greeted again in a more sing-song tone as well as a bit louder. This got Beorn to stop as he growled softly.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey." He said with a slight bow of his head. Beorn turned in all his glory. 9-11ft tall with long brown hair and a beard at stopped just about his chin. Wore long brown pants and his bare chest sported scars upon scars as well as dust from the earth.
He kept his axe in hand and on his left wrist was the shackle that still clung onto him. I had offered to take it off of him completely but Beorn actually refused to allow me to do it. Said it would be a reminder of his hatred for Orcs.
"Never heard of him. Her I have." He growled before nodding to me. I smiled and bowed my head to Beorn again. Gandalf turned to me and I gestured for him to save himself. His eyes briefly glared at me before he dropped it to give Beorn a more welcoming smile as he said.
"I'm a Wizard. Perhaps you've heard of my colleague Radagast the Brown. He resides—in the southern borders of Mirkwood."
"What do you want?" Beorn demanded. One thing to know about Beorn, he never wants to beat around the bush.
"Well, simply to thank you for your hospitality. You may have noticed that we took refuge in your lodgings here last night." Gandalf said.
"I have come to claim my debt, Beorn." I said to clarify Gandalf's statement as more than just a mere thank you.
"Who is this little fellow?" Beorn said with a sudden shock factor to his tone. I looked down to see Bilbo had peeked out from behind me. I also took notice how Beorn's left hand switched to grasp the bottom end of his axe as Bilbo fully came out and stood beside me.
"This Beorn is Mr. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire." I said. Beorn's grip on the axe shifted as he now lifted it up slightly off the ground and growled at me.
"He's not a dwarf is he?"
"Of course not have you ever known a Dwarf to have no beard? Let alone a clean shaved face? Mr. Baggins is a Hobbit."
"She is right. A good family and unimpeachable reputation." Gandalf clarified my statement. I gave Bilbo a pat on the back as he smiled up at Beorn, lightly bouncing on his feet.
"A Halfling and a Wizard. How come you here with the Lady Celestial that saved me?" Beorn asked.
"Oh well the fact is that we've had a bad time of it....from Goblins in the mountains."
"What did you go near goblins for? Stupid thing to do." Beorn interrupted Gandalf.
"You are absolutely right that was terrible...." but before Gandalf could continue that's when we turned around to see Dwalin and Balin coming out first. At seeing them, Beorn immediately got defensive as the axe was lifted off the ground and was held tightly in his hands.
"Dwalin, and Balin." Dwalin introduced himself and his older brother to Beorn.
"And I must confess that uh, several of our group are in fact, dwarves." Gandalf stammered his confession.
"Do you call two 'several'?" Beorn growled. Gandalf began stammering trying to come up with a response. I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my brow at the old fool. He really dug himself a grave this time.
"Well, uh, now that you put it that way....yes there could be more than two." He began counting on his fingers and that's when the next pair came out. Oin and Glóin. They came out and stood beside Dwalin and they both bowed. "Oh, and here are some more of our happy troop."
"And do you call seven a 'troop'? What are you? A traveling circus?" Beorn's anxiety was starting to skyrocket now. Oh Gandalf why didn't you give them a proper signal to use?
As Gandalf laughed nervously and shrugged that's when Dori and Ori soon came out.
"Dori and Ori....at your service." Dori greeted Beorn nervously with a bow.
"I don't want your service!" snapped Beorn.
"Absolutely understandable." Gandalf assured. Next to come out were Fili and Kili. I turned to Bofur at the window and sent him a telepathic message.
'Overcrowding him! What did Gandalf say about overcrowding him!'
'Sorry Hela but we're just going off of Gandalf's signal. Whatever it is I still don't know.' He replied with a shrug.
"Oh Fili and Kili. I'd quite forgotten. Yes." Then finally the last few dwarves came stumbling out the door to join the others. "Oh, yes and Nori, Bofur, Bifur.....and Bombur." Gandalf spoke in defeat.
"Is that it?" asked Beorn. "Are there any more?" that's when Thorin made himself known. At seeing him Beorn's defensive stance turned to what looked like awe. He turned to me and I said.
"These dwarves are the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. The Descendants of the house of Durin. They've come to reclaim their homeland and I have agreed to guide them home." I walked up to him and placed my hand on his axe slowly lowering it. "Please Beorn, along with rest I ask that they be served food and drink. I swear on my life they'll be on their best behavior." I whispered lowly to him.
"I wouldn't do this for just anyone. Without you—I would've just slaughtered them." He whispered lowly to me. "Bring them to the kitchen." I nodded and turned to everyone and told them breakfast would be served soon.
Just as I promised, the dwarves were on their best behavior. Not like back in Bag-end or in Rivendell where they were chattering loudly or throwing food at each other, the dwarves sat in their chairs nice and quietly while Beorn and I set up breakfast for them.
As Beorn poured large cups of milk for the dwarves he said to Thorin.
"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"
"You know of Azog, how?" Thorin asked. I remember yesterday how he didn't really seem to be invested in my story the other day so Beorn explained it better than I did.
"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. Not for work you understand, but for sport. Caging skinchangers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." Beorn explained as he kept moving around the table slowly and would pour the milk into the next empty jug.
"There are others like you?" asked Bilbo.
"Once there were many." Beorn answered the Halfling.
"And now?" Bilbo asked again. An innocent question mind you, but I knew it saddened Beorn just like it did for me.
"Now there is only one." He said before sitting down on his chair. "You need to reach the Mountain before the last days of Autumn."
"Before Durin's day falls, yes." Gandalf said.
"You are running out of time." Beorn pointed out.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said.
"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. I would not venture there except in great need."
"We were planning on taking the Elven road. The forest may not be what it once was but the Elven path is the safest way through the forest." I pointed out.
"Safe?" Beorn asked me incredulously. "My Lady Celestial you know better than anyone that the Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise, and more dangerous. But it matters not."
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked turning to him.
"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." He stood up from his seat, eyeing Thorin as he continued, "I don't like Dwarves. Their greedy, and blind. Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." He grabbed a white mouse that had gotten onto the table and held it in his fist as he walked slowly over to Thorin.
The air in the room was so thick and tense you could cut it with a knife. I almost feared I would have to step in and attack Beorn but he replied with a more serious growl.
"But Orcs I hate more!" he then turned to me and spoke in a more softer tone. "And there is one in your Company whom I owe my life too." He turned back to Thorin. "What do you need?"
After getting some more supplies and settling up the ponies Beorn offered the company to use Gandalf and I stayed back a few feet away from the company to talk with Beorn.
"You will leave my ponies before you enter the forest." He said to us.
"You have my word Beorn. They shall not set one hoof into that place." I promised him. The sound of crows cawed in the sky as Gandalf said.
"We're being watched."
"Yes. The Orcs will not give up. They will hunt the Dwarves until they see them destroyed." Beorn said,
"Why now? What has made the Defiler crawl from his hole?" Gandalf asked.
"There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Sorcerer in Dol Guldur." Beorn said as he turned towards us.
"You're sure of this?" I asked in shock.
"Packs have been seen gathering there. Each day, more and more come."
"What do you know of this Sorcerer? The one they call the Necromancer?" I whispered him as I stepped closer to him.
"I know he is not what he seems. Fell things are drawn to his power. Azog pays homage to him." Beorn whispered back to me.
"Gandalf, Hela. Time is wasting." Thorin spoke up to us. Gandalf went on ahead and just as I took a step I felt Beorn grasp my wrist. I turned to him and he gestured with his head for me to walk further away from him.
"There is more my Lady Celestial. Not long past, word spread. The Dead have been seen walking near the High Fells of Rhudaur." He said to me. My eyes widened.
I recall Radagast when he found the Morgul Blade, that alone had a brief second to cross between worlds but for the spirits of the Dead to actually be walking amongst the Seen World of Middle Earth. That along takes some dark magic and serious dark magic at that.
"The dead? Are you sure?"
"Answer me this first, is it true that there are tombs in those Mountains?" he asked. I then recalled the story of the Fall of the Witch King Angmar. Galadriel's words rang through my head before I sighed heavily and told him the truth.
"Yes. Nine to be exact." Beorn's eyes shifted to the skies before he continued.
"I remember a time, when a great Evil ruled these lands. One Powerful enough to raise the dead. If that enemy has returned to Middle Earth...I would have you tell me."
"Saruman the White says it's not possible. The enemy was destroyed long ago." I told him firmly.
"And what does the Celestial of Death say?" Beorn asked me. A cold shiver ran up my spine. Of course being the Celestial I have a more persuasive say over the Wizard's but to think that—then my sibling's sacrifice has been for nothing if He has really returned.
Another bird's call echoed out and this started to make my heart race as some of the dwarves grew anxious.
"Go now. While you have the Light." He bid me that final farewell. "Your hunters are not far behind."
I placed a hand over his heart and bowed my head graciously thanking him before I rejoined the others and we fled Beorn's house as fast as we could.