Chapter 18: On the Run

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Not much was said that night, the company enjoying some berries Bofur had found. Not enough to fill our bellies, just enough to keep us going. We agreed to get moving, and so we did. We didn't get far before a howl rang through the night. The orcs had reached us sooner than we thought. Having rested and recovered from our run the night before, we managed to get a head start on them.

We knew they would come. At least now we may have a chance.

Despite our cover, we can't get very far. We become stuck amongst the rocky plain, surrounded by Azog's warg riders. Yet, being amongst the rocky plain was working with us. It allowed us to stay hidden from the orcs as they searched throughout the night for us.

Gandalf sends Bilbo to scout where the orcs are, so we wait. I sit on a rock amongst the company, rocking back and forth as I anxiously wait for Bilbo's arrival. My stomach grumbles, but I force myself to think of anything but food.

After what he did to save Thorin, Bilbo has found confidence that he didn't have before. I love to see it. But it concerns me that the chances of him doing something reckless grow whilst he gets braver.  

As if hearing my thoughts, Bilbo comes crashing down from the hill into the small nook we have been hiding.

"How close is the pack?" Dwalin asks, wasting no time.

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it," Bilbo huffs, partly out of breath.

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?"

"Not yet, but they will. We have another problem."

"Did they see you? They saw you!" Gandalf pries, alarm filling his aged features.

"No, that's not it."

Gandalf smiles and turns to the dwarves. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material!"

The dwarves chuckle in appreciation, nodding in agreement with Gandalf. I sigh, trying to listen to Bilbo's report that he has trouble expressing.

Bilbo almost looks tired that no one is listening. "Will you listen- Will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there!" Bilbo exclaims in annoyance.

The dwarves murmur amongst themselves. I let out another deep sigh. Can't we get a break for just one minute? Why does everything in Middle Earth have to be after us?

"What form did it take? Like a bear?"

"Ye-" Bilbo pauses, looking at Gandalf with curiosity. "Yes, but bigger. Much bigger!"

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asks with a quiver in his voice. Gandalf doesn't reply, taking a few steps away to have a thought, "I say we double back!"

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs", Thorin adds, his tone suggesting we should take another path.

"There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge", Gandalf suggests, his mind lost in thought.

"Whose house?" Thorin questions, pushing past the others. "Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither", Gandalf grimaces, "He will help us, or he will kill us."

"Splendid," I think aloud as all the dwarves murmur amongst themselves in dismay.

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asks, not liking the sound of this house.

His question is answered with a roar booming through the night behind us. My heart skips a beat, blood running ice cold. Goosebumps cover my skin as I peer out into the night. 

"None."

***

Time passes as we sprint through the plain and into an old forest. My thighs burn, but I pay no mind to them as the orcs, and their wargs grow nearer. I can officially say I've done enough running for a lifetime. As the dawn approaches, the sky forms an array of oranges, pinks, and reds. We'll be easier to track with daylight and will be run down for sure. We are running out of time. We need to get to the house Gandalf speaks of.

Sweat lathers my skin as sunlight floods the earth around us. The tiny hairs falling from my braids stick to my skin, and the air seems to be impossible to keep in my lungs. The company pauses as another set of growls are heard overhead. Gandalf screams for us to keep going, the wizard at the head of the group.

We crash through the forest, wargs howling from behind us. Everything and everyone comes to a standstill as an ear-splitting roar echoes from nearby. It sounds like a bear. 

"This way, quickly!" Gandalf shouts, taking the lead once more. We sprint out of the forest onto a plain, hedges coming into sight. All the dwarves make a sprint for the house behind the hedges. 

"To the house! Run!"

I don't look back, forcing my tired legs to sprint on. In his fear, Bombur overtakes all of us in a fast sprint. We all look at Bombur in shock as he outruns us by a few lunges. My run now looks shameful, forcing me to get momentum, even if I can't breathe at this point.

We all cross through the gate in the hedge, a beautiful garden contained within. Bombur is the first to reach the door, throwing himself full force into the wood. He tumbles backwards to the ground hard when the door doesn't open. We all reach him in no time, the dwarves throwing themselves at the door despite it having no effect.

I look back in time to see a massive bear breaking through the edge of the forest. "Open the door!" Gandalf yells in urgency.

"Quickly!" Thorin demands, pushing his way from the group's back to the front. He raises the bolt holding the door closed, the company bursting through the doors as he does so.

The dwarves begin to shut the doors behind us as we enter the barn-like house. The dwarves all shout and cry as they push against the door, trying to close it. They're all jolted backwards as the bear hits the door, it's head in the open crack.

I withdraw my sword, chest heaving as I try to collect my breath. As I watch the dwarves struggle with the bear and the door, a ringing hums in my ear. My face flares red with heat from my sprint, my warm hands shaking with the sword in front of me.

The bear lets out a roar as it's forced to retreat, the door slamming shut and locking. The dwarves all let out a loud breath of sighs.

"What is that?" Ori asks breathlessly.

"That...is our host."

We all fall silent, eyes all glaring at Gandalf.

Feeling awkward under all the eyes, Gandalf presses his lips. "His name is Beorn, and he is 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 overly fond of dwarves."

I roll my eyes, wiping my sweat off my forehead with the back of my sleeve. Of course, he isn't. Why wouldn't it be any other way?

Ori peaks through a crack in the door. "He's leaving!"

Dori pulls him away from the door. "Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious he's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment, but his own" Gandalf defends the skin-changer, a hint of offence in his tone. "Alright now, get some sleep, all of you. You'll be safe here tonight."

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