Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

FOURTEEN

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

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All but Selene, Thorin, Balin, Gandalf and Beorn gathered around the large table Beorn had in the middle of his kitchen area. The ones seated at the table, quietly munched on the loafs of bread, honey, nuts, cheese and fruits that were being passed around the table.

Selene stood next to Gandalf, pinching a piece of the honey covered soft, warm bread in her hand before popping it into her mouth. She almost hummed in glee at the taste.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield." Beorn said as he poured milk into the large wooden cup of Fíli's who had asked for a refill. "Tell me... Why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" He walked away from where he was towards the fire place.

Shock plastered the faces of the dwarves and Selene. How did he know of Azog?

It was if Thorin had read all of their minds when he himself, asked the bear skin-changing man about the pale orc.

"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the orcs came down from the north." Beorn sighed shakily. "The Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved." He said, hugging the jug of milk to his abdomen. Selene looked at his wrist where an old chain that was ripped, hung on his arm. "Not for work, you understand... But for sport."

Selene had already stopped eating and listened to the truthful words coming out of Beorn's mouth. She did not like where the story was going, as she felt bad for the man when waves of sadness came from him.

Beorn took his time to reach the corner where Ori and Dori sat, before he spoke again. "Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." He then locked eyes with Selene. "Correct me if I am wrong, but Gandalf said your family name is Drakos." He earned a nod from the wizard and the young woman. "What is the name of your father, Selene?"

She hesitated. She did want to hear the rest of his story, but what did her dead father have to do with it? Selene knew little of her father and wondered if Beorn knew, so she opened her mouth to speak, and just above a whisper she answered, "Eugene."

Selene watched Beorn's face light up by just a little bit. She could hear her heart pound in her chest while she waited for the man to speak.

And he did, stepping closer to the dragon-woman as he stared down at her. "He was my friend back then."

"You mean-"

Beorn inclined his head in a tiny dip, "Yes. The Defiler captured him too. He tortured Eugene everyday until he would change skins and spew flames at everyone who was near." Beorn paused for a second, then continued. "Sometimes they kept him in small cages, so when he would try to change skins he'd break his bones and hurt himself."

Selene was angry and hurt that the pale orc did such things to her father and her kind. She did not say anything, letting Beorn carry on with his story.

"We did get out one day. It was just me and him. The others had already died." The hairy man sighed again. "Your mother, Doreen, saved us. She somehow managed to get passed the guards of orcs and Azog. She brought her herbs and other items to heal us. And when we got most of our strength back... We slaughtered every orc in our path to our freedom. Azog already fled like a coward."

Selene pursed her lips. Her mother had never told her this before, but she didn't care. Her mother always told happy stories with their father. Beorn's was not exactly a happy one, but she was still grateful to hear it.