It was late at night. Beorn's house could be seen from a distance as it was dimly lit by tiny glowing oil lamps. A massive bear was growling and walking around. From the edge of the woods, Azog and his company watched the bear. One of his Orcs came up to him.
"Attack them now. Kill the Dwarf filth while they sleep." The Orc hissed
"No. The Beast stands guard." Azog growled as he angrily walked away from Beorn and the house. His Orcs following. They walked back to where the rest of their group were. Several Wargs were fighting each other.
"We will kill them on the road." Azog finalised
Azog and his Orcs all snapped to attention when they heard a sound vibrate through the clearing, a deep sound that rattled the trees causing them to pull out their weapons. Another large, pale Orc astride a Warg ran up to them, and the Warg stopped inches from Azog, growling at his face. Azog stood without flinching, although he snarled. The pale Orc, Bolg, was holding a weapon shaped like a sharp spinal column, he had iron plates embedded in his skull and chest, acting as a sort of natural armor.
"They are gathering in Dol Guldur. The Master has summoned you!" He hissed
Azog growled in anger, the dwarf-scum would have to wait another day.
______________________
It was still night in Beorn's house. A mouse scampered across Beorn's chessboard, which had pieces shaped like bears. Their little bodies tumbling happily as they jumped and played between the pieces.
The dwarves were sleeping all throughout the house. Some goats chewed on hay, happy to ignore the random guests that were sprawled about.
Bilbo, who wasn't sleeping, sat up and looked around. Draco lay curled up beside him, he tiny head sheltered by a make-shift pillow made from straw. After making sure that no one was watching him, he pulled out the Ring. Examining it as he marveled at its golden exterior. As he examined it, a dark voice was heard chanting softly.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum ishi krimpatul."
[One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.]
It was still night, and several Orcs were heading into the fortress.
Azog walked out onto a raised walkway in Dol Guldur. A darkness flew through the air, jolting and weaving through the small crowd of orca, grabbing an unsuspecting one, the darkness tossed it off the side of the fortress, it's high pitched squeal sounding through the still night. Stopping before Azog, it began to speak.
"We grow in number. We grow in strength. You will lead my armies." It said in a dark, deep voice that chilled the orcs to the bone.
"What of Oakenshield?" Azog asked, his beady eyes holding no ounce of fear as he regarded the dark mass before him.
"War is coming."
"You promised me his head!"
The darkness flew right through Azog, and he spun around to face it.
"Death will come to all.
The Darkness disappeared, leaving Azog snarling. An Orc came up to him, cowering as it sweeper its beady eyes around the falling fortress.
"Do we call off the hunt?" He asked, his voice weary as he regarded the fuming orc before him.
Azog contemplated for a few seconds, before he made up his mind, yelling out a name into the dark, he waited impatiently as a tall orc came forward.
"Bolg!!"
The Orcs turned as Bolg, much taller than any of the other Orcs, strode up to Azog, pushing the other Orcs aside. Scoff and Bog stood toe to toe, and they were equally large and dangerous looking. They glared at each other.
"I have a task for you. Do you still thirst for Dwarf blood?" Azog asked casually.
Bolg, whose left eye was cloudy and blind, growled in agreement.
______________________
In the forest outside Beorn's house, the bear ambled toward the house. At the edge of the forest, the bear stood on its hind legs, and its form melted into that of a tall man. The man looked toward the house.
Bilbo was sleeping in the house. Hearing a noise, he woke up and quietly peeked out of his blankets. Gazing up he saw Beorn, in human form, walking in. Throwing a small arm over his slumbering companion, he lay still.
—
It was morning and Beorn's ponies pranced through the fields. A very large bumblebee landed on Bilbo's nose, waking him with a start. Sitting bolt upright, he yawned before putting on his jacket, he walked toward the kitchen, where all the dwarves and Gandalf were already seated, Draco sat hidden in Gandalf's robe, her bright eyes visible over the border of the fabric. Beorn poured milk from a pitcher into Fili's cup. He was much taller than any human, even taller than Gandalf. Beorn addressed a weary 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
"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."
Bilbo spotted the remnants of manacles on Beorn's wrist.
"Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him."
"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked. The question caught Draco's attention and she peeked her head out curiously.
"Once, there were many."
"And now?" Bilbo asked
"Now, there is only one."
The dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf looked on in silence as Beorn spotted Draco who in turn hid again.
"Ahh! And who is this brave little one who dared to attack me?" Beorn asked amused, a scarred lip rising upward in an awkward smile.
"She meant no harm!" Kili said defensively
"She thought you were going to hurt us, so she tried to defend us." Fili piped in
"I don't intend to harm her I just wish to see her."
Draco came out and sat down on Gandalf's lap.
"An Adramyttium elf." Beorn's said in surprise.
Thorin gave a silent gasp in surprise. The company looked at him in confusion.
"What's a Adramyttium elf?" Asked Ori
"It's an old species of elf. They used to live in the south along the borders of the sea. It was once a great kingdom ruled by their three kings. The kingdom was powerful and so were the elves that dwelled there. The Adramyttium folk were elves that had powers over the elements and that is why they were attacked. The current king of Mirkwoods father, King Orophor attacked them because he was afraid of them and their powers. King Orophor attacked and slaughtered the entire kingdom, burning it down into ruins." Thorin explained
"I thought they all died." Balin said
"Well that's not true as Draco is the only surviving Adramyttium elf that I am aware of and she happens to be the heir to the throne." Gandalf said
Everyone sat quietly until Beorn's interrupted.
"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."
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said hesitantly as he sent a quick glance at Draco
"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."
"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." Gandalf argued
"Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn said
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked
"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive."
Thorin looked shocked. Beorn stood up from the table and turned to face Thorin.
"I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own."
Beorn picked up a mouse that had been scampering on the table and held it, all the while approaching Thorin. who was standing with his arms crossed.
"But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?"
The Company saddled and rode Beorn's ponies. As they rode away, Beorn, who was staying at his house, looked around for danger.
"Go now, while you have the light. The hunters are not far behind." Beorn said
The company rode rapidly across the land, slowing to a stop as they approached a looming, gloomy-looking forest. Gandalf dismounted and walked into the edge of the forest through an ancient archway.
"The Elven Gate." He said
Gandalf turned and called to the others.
"Here lies our path through Mirkwood."
"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said
Dwalin dismounted. Gandalf squinted as he spotted something in the distance; it wax Beorn, in his bear-form, watching them from a distant ridge.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." He said
The dwarves and Bilbo dismounted and began taking their supplies off the ponies. Bilbo approached the forest on foot.
"This forest feels...sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilbo asked
"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south." Gandalf said as he followed a path a few feet further into the shadows and approached a plant-covered statue. At the same time, Bilbo, who was standing by himself, reached into his pocket and, after some internal conflict, slowly pulled out the Ring and fingered it. Just like when he examined it in Beorn's house. As Gandalf approached the statue, Galadriel suddenly appeared; she was evidently thought-speaking to Gandalf from Rivendal.
"Something moves in the shadows unseen, hidden from our sight. Every day it grows in strength. Beware the Necromancer. He is not what he seems." She said
Gandalf approached the statue apprehensively, he then quickly yanked off the vines, revealing a painted-on Eye of Sauron. He saw the Flaming Eye of Sauron burst into life before him for a second, and Bilbo, holding the Ring, gasped slightly.
"If our enemy has returned, we must know. Go to the tombs in the mountains." Galadriel said
Gandalf, hearing her words in his head, nodded in agreement.
"The High Fells. So be it." He said
The unladen ponies trotted away; Nori was just about to finish unsaddling Gandalf's horse when Gandalf emerged from the forest.
"Not my horse! I need it."
As Gandalf strode forward, the Company looked up and murmured in surprise.
"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked
"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said
Gandalf looked at Thorin, he then turned and looked at a dejected Bilbo.
"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire." Gandalf said
"I was going to tell you; I...found something in the Goblin tunnels." Bilbo said
"Found what?"
Gandalf leaned forward curiously and suspiciously; Bilbo didn't answer immediately, but fumbled with the ring in his pocket.
"What did you find?"
Bilbo stayed silent for several more seconds, before he finally responded.
"My courage." Bilbo said
He removed his hand from his pocket, oblivious to the bright eyes boring deeply into his side.
"Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it."