SoulBlind

Chapter 8

On this night, Kili insisted I use his lap for a pillow again. And to be honest I was glad to accept. I was a bit more tired than usual and he was the best damn pillow that could ever be. But this night Gandalf seemed anxious. Even insisted we try and continue on. Thorin had looked to me for help but I had to confess I wasn't sure how quickly the orcs would catch up. So for now we were staying put, just without a fire and being ready to go in a moments notice.

The full moon was high in the sky when I woke. There was a very distant howling that had startled me, and everyone else it seemed. We were all quick to get up and start running. After hurdling ourselves through a set of trees we stopped behind a huge Boulder.

"Bilbo, you should go scout. Assess the situation." Gandalf said.

"What? Why me?" Bilbo protested.

"You're the burglar." Dori said.

I was too busy trying to catch my breath to say anything.

"Well, go on." Gloin urged.

Bilbo huffed but went off to scout anyway. I looked to Gandalf with a bit of concern.

Gandalf sighed. "What will he find?"

I was about to reply when Bilbo came rushing back. "The orcs, they're catching up. But there's more...there is something else out there."

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked.

"Like a bear?" I inquired.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked me.

"There's no time for that! We must run. There is a housing we can get to if we hurry." Gandalf said.

"Who's house?" Thorin asked.

"Thorin, there is no time for that. He will help us or he will kill us. Now I prefer help.. so let's go!" I urged.

Thorin seemed like he was about to protest but the loud roar in the distance silenced him. Gandalf didn't hesitate to take lead down the rocky hillside, and we quickly followed. The sun was just rising when we could finally see the house. But as the sun broke through the trees, so did Beorn with a mighty roar.

I certainly didn't hesitate to start sprinting, even though my legs and feet were protesting. Bombur caught up with me easily. I wasn't surprised by this. I rushed to reach the door first, opening the door and letting the rest of them in. We all jumped to shut the door but Beorn managed to hold it open with his snout.

"Shut it! Shut the door!" Thorin yelled.

The dwarves continued to struggle.

"Damn it! Just boop the snoot!" I said jumping into the crowd of dwarves and punching Beorn directly in the nose.

I realized after that I could have just said "punch him in the nose" but it was too late to take that back. But none the less, the door was shut and locked.

Thorin was quick to question Gandalf about what that was but Gandalf explained that it was Beorn and that would be safe. Thorin had immediately looked to me and I nodded with approval.

"Alright, get some rest! We'll leave tomorrow." Thorin said before settling down.

Gandalf walked off, sitting at a table. I sat across from him absently.I rubbed tired eyes before laying my head on the table.

"So have you figured out how you travelled here?" Gandalf asked.

I looked up and shook my head. "No...I was fighting someone when they pushed me off a building. I closed my eyes...I thought I would die. But when I opened them I fell into water."

Gandalf nodded silently. "We all have different ways of traveling. But no matter how we do it we open portals. You thought you were going to die so perhaps that fear is what allowed that portal to open. Some of us just have to run."

So maybe I have to be falling, I thought. But... "You keep saying us. Are you a traveler too?"

"Yes but I can only travel with in this realm, and certain magic can keep me from traveling to certain places." Gandalf smiled.

"Hmm...Elrond suggested I was from this world...and I mean if everything he says is true then I'd have to be. But..how would that have happened? And would that explain the scars on my ears?"

"There's no telling how you got there. Perhaps your parents were travelers too and thought you power would be used for evil so they took you to the other world. In that world there are no elves so perhaps...they cut your ears to avoid questions." Gandalf theorized, but shrugged. "There's really no way of knowing. But that doesn't matter. The information will come to you when it is necessary, all you have to do now is wait and be happy."