Our Song Lives On

Bees, Bears, and Broken Hearts

In the morning, they took off their clothes and bathed in the lake, which was shallow and clear and stony at the ford. Ellie of course was given her own privacy, her being a she and all. When they had dried in the sun, which was now strong and warm, they were refreshed, if still sore and a little hungry. Soon they crossed the ford, and then began to march through the long green grass and down the lines of the wide-armed oaks and the tall elms.

"And why is it called the Carrock?" asked Bilbo of the monolith the eagles had left them on as he went along at the wizard's side.

"He called it the Carrock, because carrock is his word for it."

"Who calls it? Who knows it?"

"Well the..."

Before Gandalf could answer, there came another roar of a warg, and off they went again. The orcs chased them down the mountain and across streams and grasslands. By night the company had been driven up another mountain while the orc pac was still on another. They hid behind some rigid peaks and sent their burglar for a scout.

Bilbo peeked over a high ledge and watched Azog and his Warg Scouts running along a ridgeline not far away, occasionally stopping to smell the air in their pursuit of the Company. Just as he was going back, Bilbo heard a snarl from the side, and ducked again behind the rocks. He peeked to the side and to his fright, saw a large bear watching the orcs from another pile of rocks. Bilbo spoke to himself in disbelief and finally went back to the group.

The hobbit made his way down the rocks to where the dwarves and Gandalf were waiting to hear his report

"So, how close is the pack?" Asked one dwarf.

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

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Gasped another dwarf.

"Not yet, but they will; we have another problem."

"Did they see you? They saw you!" Gandalf added his guess.

"No, that's not it." Bilbo almost yelled, frustrated at their interruptions.

Gandalf ignored him and smiled turning to the dwarves.

"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material."

The others chuckled loudly in appreciation of Bilbo while he himself looked exasperated that no one was hearing him out.

As Ellie watched her friends laugh, her elven ears picked up the sound of a roar. It was different from a warg's. It was bigger, angrier.

"Shut up, all of you!"

The company snapped to silence as they stood surprised at her outburst.

"There's something else out there."

"Yes, thank you! That's what I'm trying to tell you, there is something else out there."

The dwarves finally looked worried.

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

"Ye..." Bilbo began and paused, looking curiously at Gandalf.

"Y- yes. But bigger, much bigger."

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur accusingly asked the wizard.

Gandalf ignored the question and turned and walked a few steps away.

"I say we double back." Bofur spoke his concern

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin reminded him.