Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

FIFTEEN

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Predator or Prey.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

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After their meal, Beorn was kind enough to lend the Company a few of his horses and ponies to get to the forest.

While the dwarves were hopping onto their ponies, Selene, Gandalf and Beorn walked amongst each other. The three were the last ones to arrive where the dwarves were, as Beorn and Selene wanted to make sure the orcs weren't too close to his home.

"You will leave my horses and ponies before you enter the forest." Beorn said, watching the dwarves closely. He took good care of his animals and didn't want them to get hurt. He wanted them back home safe and sound.

"You have my word." Gandalf nodded, trying to catch up with the tall man.

The three stopped when a bird took off from the trees, squawking loudly as it flew away. Selene knew right away that it wasn't just an ordinary bird hanging around, it was someone watching them.

"We're being watched." Selene said, taking a deep breath to control herself. She could feel her dragon wanting to come out and protect everyone. It knew the orcs were near and it wanted to sink its' teeth into each and every single one of them.

Beorn scanned his surroundings, "Yes. The orcs will not give up. They will hunt the dwarves until they see them destroyed. Selene as well." He glanced down at the young woman, protectively, then back to the trees and shrubs around them.

"Why now?" Gandalf began, "What has made the Defiler crawl from his hole?" He looked at Beorn, hoping he would know the answer.

After one last look around, Beorn turned his attention to the wizard. He answered, "There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Sorcerer in Dol Guldur."

"Are you sure of this?"

The two men continued, and Selene listened quietly. She's heard of the Sorcerer before and she never knew that it would form an alliance with the orcs. But, then again, both parties were bad and she believed they wanted to use that to their advantage to get rid of the dwarves and bring war to Middle-Earth.

A loud screech echoed throughout the empty woods they stood in. It broke Selene away from her thoughts as her eyes turned black and she let her eyes move around the trees and bushes, waiting for movement or noises again.

"Gandalf." Thorin called out. "Time is wasting." He finished, looking up at Selene whose eyes turned back to gold.

The wizard was just about to walk down and join the dwarves when Beorn stopped him. Selene listened to them talk about the dead rising and it made her shiver. If that were true, the Necromancer was powerful indeed. And for the first time, that would be the thing that truly scared her.

More birds squawked loudly again. The dwarves looked at the three standing further away.

"Go now while you have the light." Beorn told Gandalf and Selene, just as a warg in the distance howled. "Your hunters are not far behind."

Gandalf ran ahead and joined the dwarves. Selene was right behind him, but stopped after a short second. She turned back to look at Beorn who watched her walk back to him.

"Beorn... May I see your wrist?" She gestured toward the wrist with the rusted cuff on it.

Confused, Beorn extended his arm down for her and she carefully grabbed his wrist. She placed her fingers in between his skin and the cuffs, and pulled. With a soft grunt, she managed to pull off the cuff that was on his wrist for far too long.