Bring On The Wonder[Thorin Oakenshield]

Chapter Twenty Two: An Ugly Past Revealed

The half-breed could feel the eyes of her companions on her. Beorn took a few steps forwards, causing the wizard to back out of his way with the hobbit before they both got stepped on. " Bella I thought I made it clear the last time we crossed path that I didn't want you anywhere near this place." Beorn stated, coming closer, his axe still firmly in his grip.

"The truth is Beorn we didn't really have a choice. It was either come here or be killed by the pack of orcs that has been hunting us down for the last few weeks."

"You know how I feel about your race in my house."

Thorin snapped his head in Bella's direction. "Your a Dwarf?" The others all started murmuring amongst themselves, until Beorn let out a chuckle.

"Yes she's a Dwarf, as if the attitude wasn't proof enough. Stubborn this one is. Though she hasn't told me what else she is. She's too pretty to be just a dwarf." Beorn grunted with a smirk.

"Well that sure explains a lot." Dwalin stated looking at her. Bella rolled her eyes, she knew she was going to have come forward about this sooner or later. She was rather hoping later.

"Yes I'm a dwarf. Lets all not get too excited about it." Bella barked. The woman yanked her arm out of Thorin's grip and walked down the steps with a bit of difficulty.

Beorn did a quick look over the woman and noticed something quite different about her since the last he saw of her. " You look terrible Bella. Tell me, what sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Well, that's a long story." She stated and the skin changer raised an eyebrow at her and nodded with a smirk.

" You all are welcome in my home, as long as you don't touch anything and do not harm my animals. Or Ill assure you, that will be the last thing you ever do." Beorn informed with a warning as he lead the way back into his home. Bella was about to somehow hop on her one good leg back into the house when Thorin grabbed her by the arm and dragged her a side and shoved her against the tree.

"You and I need to talk." Thorin said bluntly, his eyes flaring at her.

"About what?" She challenged.

"Well for starters. Who are you? If Bella is even your real name." Thorin demanded.

"Nobody important."

"Bella, enough with the dumb answer. I've ignored them long enough. Now. Who are you really? And why would you not even tell us you were a dwarf."

" Yes. My real name is Bella. And I'm only half dwarf." She hissed.

"Don't push it Bella. Now why all the secrecy? Do you not trust us? Or me for that instant?"

"Is everything alright out here?" Beorn's deep voice asked. Thorin stepped away from the young woman and looked up at Beorn briefly before turning back to Bella.

"Yeah, everything's just fine. Were finished." Thorin grunted and left to go into the house where is men, Bilbo and Gandalf had disappeared to. Once Thorin was gone Beorn looked at the half-breed.

"You alright?"

"I've been better." She admitted with a grin, but it quickly fell.

"By the way. You wouldn't happen to know who was rummaging through my cupboards? Do you?" He asked, giving her knowing look. Bella shrugged her shoulders with a smug look on her face and Beorn helped her inside his home.

Thorin was leaning against a post as the half-breed and skinchanger came in and began serving his guest and filling their mugs. "So. You are the one they call 'Oakenshield'. Tell me. Why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn asked, looking at the dwarf for only a second as he continued to go around the table.