Golden Thrones and Moonlight Veils (HOBBIT FANFICTION)

Skin-changer

"Let's look on the bright side," Bofur declared. "At least we made it through the Misty Mountains."

The company looked at him doubtfully. It was true they had made it through, but they were far from safe. They had been running for days, trying to get as far away from the orc horde chasing them as possible. Without mounts, they were slow, and eventually, the orcs caught up to them.

Now, they were taking refuge among a shelter of rocks, waiting for Bilbo's return. He had been sent out to see how far behind the pack was. The hobbit didn't bring back any good news. The orcs were too close, and there was another threat—a big, bear-like beast lurking in the forest.

Gandalf claimed he knew of a safe place, so they followed the wizard, hoping they could finally get some rest from all their enemies.

The women were quiet companions, though that wasn't surprising after all they had been through. In truth, the dwarves had started to admire them a little. They had shown just as much resilience as dwarven women would, keeping up with their rapid pace, not complaining about having to sleep on rocky ground, without fire or any comfort. They had become part of the company now, and Thorin had no plans to change that anytime soon.

They were nearing the end of a charming forest when Talessa started to hear the wargs' howls. She knew they were about to run again, but this time she was more prepared. A few days ago, they had cut their skirts just above the ankle to make movement easier. Talessa was grateful for their skillful shoemaker, as both her and Eline's boots were holding up well, even after all this walking.

Now, as she ran, she kept her eyes ahead, dodging branches and jumping over logs and rocks. Despite her frail appearance, her elven blood gave her endurance, allowing her to keep up with the much more strongly built dwarves.

They reached a clearing, with the cottage they were headed for just a few feet away. A deep roar shook the ground, and she didn't need to glance back to know that the monster Bilbo had mentioned was now chasing them. She watched in surprise as the plump Bofur sprinted past her to the front of the line, and finally, they were in the courtyard. The dwarves swarmed in, banging on the door desperately, and Talessa quickly stepped forward, lifting the latch above their heads, opening the door. They rushed inside, slamming the door shut just as the enormous beast reached it. They let out a collective sigh of relief at the narrow escape.

Their host's name was Beorn, and he was the bear-like creature that had been chasing them, Gandalf admitted to everyone's displeasure. He was a skin-changer, and the wizard claimed he could be quite reasonable when in human form (though not overly fond of dwarves). With no better options, they agreed to stay the night.

The house was a mix of a cottage and a barn, with a pair of longhorn cows, a donkey, and a couple of goats inside. Talessa found it very cozy and charming in its own way. As they made their beds in the hay, a baby goat approached her, playfully poking her with its muzzle. She let out a surprised laugh, patting the small creature's head. She realized she hadn't laughed in a while—none of them had. The constant threat of orcs had taken away all the joy they might have found along the way, and it saddened her, knowing how cheerful the dwarves had been before.

✧

Talessa slept well that night, waking with the sun. Some of the others were still sleeping, but she noticed a couple of dwarves sitting at the table, quietly conversing with a giant man she assumed was Beorn, their host. He didn't seem upset or aggressive at all, which was a welcome development. She stood up and walked over to them, greeting them in a cheerful voice. The host bowed his head and gestured for her to sit, placing a platter of cheese and a cup of fresh milk in front of her.