Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Twenty One]

It's been a long year since the cousins left the Shire to aid the dwarves in their dangerous mission to reclaim their ancient homeland. It's been a few weeks since they had escaped Azog the Defiler and his pack of wargs and orcs. They have been running ever since, trying to stay one step ahead of the orcs, but the wargs kept picking up the scent of the dwarves.

The company was running on exhaustion, with barely any sleep and food. If they didn't find somewhere safe to rest soon and get food, and supplies. the pack would surely catch up to them and finish what they started. The young woman's face was cut up good by the Defilers White Warg. It had sliced her across the face just missing her eye and went down her neck. The medical dwarf, Oin has been unable to properly look after her wound and feared it was infected and was only going to get worse.

As the dwarves and the wizard anxiously wait for their burglar to return to them. Freya was restless, she would rub her wound, feeling the burning sensation at the touch. She found out only a couple of weeks ago that the wizard had brought her back to life.

" Leave it alone lass, you'll only make it worse." Balin insisted as he watched the hobbit drop her hands and begin to pace back and forth. Her cousin had been gone along time. A few minutes had gone by and they heard loose rocks coming down the path. Thorin and dwalin were on either side of the path armed with their weapons encase it was something besides their burglar.

" How close is the pack?" Thorin questioned. Bilbo stumbled down the path to join the others to tell them if they were at least safe for now, or if they were going to have to make a run for it.

" Too close. A couple of leagues, no more." Bilbo stated as he stopped in the middle of the group. " But that's not the worst of it." The hobbit insisted. Freya shuddered at thought.

Have the wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin cut in.

" Not yet. But they will do. We have another problem." Bilbo pressed. The dwarves begin to murmur amongst themselves.

" Did they see you?" Gandalf asked.

"Hmm?"

" They saw you." The wizard stated worriedly as the others begin to look at each other nervously.

" No, that's not it." Bilbo said, shaking his head. Gandalf let out a sigh of relief.

" What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse." The wizard stated with a chuckle. The dwarves murmur in gratefulness. " Excellent burglar material." He added as the dwarves continued to chuckle loudly in appreciation of Bilbo. Freya looked at her cousin's face and saw how infuriated he looked that none of these dwarves were listening to him.

" Will you listen?" Bilbo asked in a calm voice, but none of them heard him. Will you just listen?!" He shouted louder. " I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." The hobbit stated as he pointed to the path he had come down earlier. The dwarves fell silent and looked at each other worried.

" What form did it take? Like a bear?" The wizard asked.

" Ye..." Bilbo paused as he looked at Gandalf curiously. " Y-yes, but bigger. Much bigger." Gandalf sighed when he knew exactly what the hobbit had seen.

" You knew about this beast?" Bofur snapped as the wizard received a few unpleased looks from the dwarves and turned and walked a few steps away. " I say we double back."

" And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin pointed out. Freya turned in the direction that Gandalf was looking; he knew something. The dwarves continued to argue amongst themselves.

" There is a house." Gandalf interrupted and the dwarves were silent once again. " It's not far from here, where we might, uh, take refuge."

" Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin grumbled

" Neither. He will help us or he will kill us." The dwarves looked at each other in dismay. Their choices were pretty slim. The prince knew that already.

" What choice do we have?" Thorin said as he looked at the others who looked unsure of the wizards suggestion. Suddenly a loud roar comes from behind the company, not to far. Freya jumped at the piercing sound. Since she was attacked by the white warg, any sudden sounds startled her and she found herself having a difficult time sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she would relive the moment the White Warg attacked her.

" None." The wizard pressed. The dwarves and the cousins followed the wizard down mountain side, right through till morning. The had run across streams and many plains without stopping. The wizard is still in front of the group and looks behind him to see them slowing down. " Come on!" He shouted them to keep moving.

The dwarves and the cousins continued to run, despite their exhaustion as they entered through the forest. Another loud roar is heard and the company freezes in there tracks. Freya let out a gasp, realizing the bear was closer than they thought.

" This way! Quickly!" Gandalf pressed.

" Run!" Thorin ordered them all as they all panicked and started running behind the wizard. Thorin waited for the cousins to pass him and they ran passed Bombur who stood there in fear. " Bombur, come on!" Thorin yelled as he grabbed the dwarf by his beard and he let out a whimper as he ran.

The came to the end of the forest and see a house like the wizard had mentioned. " To the house!" The wizard shouted as he looked behind him. " Run!" Bilbo had grabbed his cousins arm when she started falling behind. The dwarves were shocked to see Bombur suddenly outrunning them in his fear as he passed the hobbits and the rest of the dwarves.

The bear let out another roar, which was even closer. Gandalf stopped at the gate in the hedge, waiting for the dwarves and cousins to run through the gate. " Come on, get inside." Bombur had passed all the dwarves and grunts when he slammed into the door and fell flat on his back. The rest of the dwarves catch up and begin throwing themselves against the door, trying to open it.

Gandalf looks back as a massive bear breaks out from the edge of the forest and runs toward them. " open the door!" Gandalf shouted. Thorin was behind the cousins as he turned to look back at the forest and saw the giant bear was charging at them quickly.

" Quickly!" Thorin yelled as he pushed his way through the dwarves pressed against the door, he manages to raise the exterior bolt, opening the doors. The company bolts inside the house. The two hobbit's making it through just in time with the wizard as the dwarves try to slam the door shut, but the bear has already gotten its head in the door. The bear roars and tries to push the door open, the dwarves yell and strain to close it.

Bilbo and Freya both pull out their swords and point them unsteadily at the bear. The wizard watched the dwarves and the bear in amusement. The dwarves yell as they press against the door.

" Come on, lads!" Dwalin shouted. With a final heave, the dwarves manage to close the door and drop the bolt across it. They all sigh in shock, and fear, breathing heavily and exhausted.

" What is that?" Ori asked.

" That is out host." Gandalf said in a stern voice. The dwarves turn and looked at the wizard bewildered. " His name is Beorn. And he's a skin-changer. " The dwarves remained quiet as the wizard continued. " 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 over fond of dwarves."

The dwarves looked at each other offended by this as the looked back at the wizard. " He's leaving." Ori pointed out as he peaked through the cracks between the wooden panels.

" Come away from there" Dori ordered as he pulled his little brother away from the door. " It's not natural. None of it! It's obvious. He's under some dark spell." Dori suggested as he looked at the wizard and Gandalf looked at him seriously.

" Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own." Gandalf explained as he walked passed Dori and Ori. " All right, now, get some sleep. All of you. You'll be safe here tonight." Gandalf insisted to them as he glanced at the cousins. " I hope."