one and only~legolas greenleaf

~|canta|~

12 months later
...

"How close is the pack?"Thorin asked once we came back from keeping an eye out "Too close, couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it"Bilbo said "Have the Orcs picked up our scent?"Dwalin asked "Not yet, but they will do. We have another problem"I said "Did they see you? They saw you"Dad said "No, that's not it"Bilbo said "Good, what did I tell you? Quite as a mouse. Excellent burglar material these two"dad said "Will you listen! I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there"Bilbo said "What form did it take? Like a bear?"Dad asked "Ye...Yes, but bigger. Much bigger"Bilbo said confused as how dad knew there was a bear "You knew about this beast?"Bofur asked looking at dad "I say we double back"Bofur said "We'll be run down by a pack of Orcs"Thorin said "There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge"I said looking at dad for approval "Whose house? Are they friend or foe?"Thorin asked "Neither. He will help us or he will kill us"Dad said "What choice do we have?"Thorin asked suddenly there is a roaring nearby "None"dad and I said at the same time and the dwarves and Bilbo make a run for it away from the Carrock led by Dad and I with the Orcs hot on their heels chasing us,we stop when we hear the creature roaring close by "This way! Quickly!"Dad said as he spots the house and runs its direction "Into the house! Run!"I yelled.

"Come on! Get inside!"Dad yelled as the dwarves and Bilbo all rush towards the house,dad sees the creature coming through the woods after them, the dwarves try to open the door of the house, but it's locked "Open the door!"I yelled "Quickly!"Thorin yelled Thorin rushes ahead and manages to open the door, we all rush inside and just as we are about to close the door the creature lunges its head through it, the dwarves all push to close the door "Come on, lads!"Dwalin yelled,they then finally get the shut and locked "What is that?"Ori asked "That is our host"Dad said "His name is Beorn, he's a skin-changer. 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"I said "He's leaving"Ori said but was pulled away from the door by Dori "Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious, he's under some dark spell"Dori said "Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own"Dad said as he took his hat off "Alright now, get some sleep all of you. You'll be safe here tonight"Dad said "I hope"He said.

I woke up and got up,I fixed my clothes and grabbed a brush,I started brushing my hair and braided my hair like my mother used to do it when I was little,i did a little braid on the sides and braided those two together too the back,I look around and see everyone sitting at a table being served breakfast by Beorn "So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"Beorn asked Thorin "You know of Azog? How?"He asked "My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the Orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved. Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him"Beorn explained "There are others like you?"Bilbo asked "Once there were many"Beorn replied "And now?"Bilbo asked "Now there's only one. You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn"Beorn replied "Before Durin's Day falls, yes"Dad said I sat next to him as I opened my bag and took out some lembas bread "You are running out of time"Beorn said I took a bite out of the lembas bread and put it back "Which is why we must go through Mirkwood"I said after I swallowed the lembas bread "A darkness lies upon that forest, fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and The Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there, except in great need"Beorn said "We will take the Elven Road, their path is still safe"dad said "Safe? The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not"Beorn said "What do you mean?"Thorin asked "These lands are crawling with Orcs, their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive. I don't like dwarves, they're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own"Beorn said and grabbed a mice "But Orcs I hate more"He said and let the mice go "What do you need?"Beorn asked.

We left the house and followed Beorn to his horses "Go now, while you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind"Beorn said "Thank you"I said and followed the rest.

"The Elven Gate"I said once we arrived "Here lies our path through Mirkwood"Dad said "No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side"Dwalin said "Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master"Dad said as he noticed Beorn in his bear form "This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?"Bilbo asked "Not unless we go two hundred miles north"Dad replied "or twice that distance...south"I said.

"Not my horse, I need it!"Dad yelled once he came back from out the forest "You're not leaving us?"Bilbo asked confused "I would not do this unless I had to"Dad replied "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire"Dad said "I was going to tell you"Bilbo replied "This is not the Greenwood of old, the very air of the forest is heavy with illusion that will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray"Dad said,and galloped away "Lead us astray? What does that mean?"Bilbo asked "You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again"I said "No matter what may come, stay on the path!"I repeated "Come on, we must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day. Let's go, we've but one chance to find the hidden door"Thorin said.