Between Us//Kili Fanfiction

Chapter 28

We stare at each other's eyes before Beorn looks away as he hands Bilbo a plate full of food and a cup of milk. "So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn asks looking at Thorin.

"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin asks looking at Beorn with curiosity in his eyes as he moves closer to the table.

"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." Beorn explains as he pours milk into Fili's cup. "Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." He continues with sadness in his eyes.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asks looking at Beorn.

Beorn looks down at Bilbo with a heavy sigh. "Once, there were many."

"And now?" Bilbo asks.

"Now, there is only one." He says sadly placing the milk down on the table.

We all stay silent knowing what he means which is very heartbreaking to see one skin-changer instead of the many that use to be alive. Looking at the table I take a sip of my drink as we let the silence fill the room, before Beorn breaks it by clearing his throat. "You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?"

"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf nods giving Beorn his attention.

"You are running out of time." He says leaning against the beam of his house.

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf informs.

My head snaps up hearing the word Mirkwood. "Mirkwood? Why can't we go a different way?" I ask not wanting to go there.

"It's the quickest way to get to Erebor before Durin's Day, Brynn." Gandalf answers.

I stay quiet dreading this part of the travel making me nod while looking back at the table knowing exactly what's waiting in Mirkwood for me. "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 informs us.

"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." Gandalf says.

The dwarves look at Gandalf in bewilderment as they don't want to deal with elves anymore then they have too. "These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." Beorn says. Thorin looks shock at Beorn's words as Beorn stands up grabbing the mouse that's scurrying across the table gently while facing Thorin with disgust. "I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." Beorn mumbles staring down Thorin who's arms are crossed. "But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?"

"Ponies." Gandalf says standing up. He nods and leaves to get the ponies ready for us to ride. The dwarves and Bilbo go outside while I stay seated staring at the table letting my mind wander. "Are you okay Brynn?" Gandalf asks walking over to me.

"Yeah, everything's......everything's just fine." I lie standing up looking at Gandalf.

"Now I know that's not the truth, but I do know, it is time for you to face what you've been avoiding in Mirkwood." He says.

I don't say anything as I stare at Gandalf knowing he's right, even if I don't want to I think it's time I do. Nodding slowly we leave Beorn's house to see him coming out with sixteen ponies for us to ride. "I shall be needing these back once you get to the edge of Mirkwood; they will know the way." Beorn says to Gandalf and I.

"We will make sure that happens." Gandalf nods getting on his pony. "Thank you."

Getting on my horse I gently pull the reigns making my horse go follow the dwarves as we make our way to Mirkwood. Gandalf soon comes next to me as the trees of Mirkwood are coming closer and closer by the minute. "You know of my reasons for not being in Mirkwood?" I ask lookin' over at Gandalf.

"I don't know the full story of why you left, but I know it has something to do with your father." He explains keeping his eyes on the dwarves.

I nod slowly letting him know he's right. "How do you know that? If I may ask."

"Lindir." He answers simply.

My brows furrow in confusion. "Lindir?"

"Yes, when I arrived at Rivendell to recruit you on this journey, he told me why you were residing there instead of Mirkwood." He explains.

Nodding we make finally make it the edge of Mirkwood. Gandalf gets off his horse and heading to very edge of the forest. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf says looking back at us.

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin says dismounting off hjs pony.

Gandalf squints in the distance and then looks at us. "Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master."

Bilbo and I are the first to walk over to the forest as the dwarves are getting their stuff off the ponies before releasing them. "This forest feels...sick, as if a disease lies upon it." Bilbo says looking at Gandalf and me. "Like Radagast said, there is a sickness that lies upon these woods. Once a beautiful green forest full of beautiful creatures once called Greenwood, now called Mirkwood." I say looking down at Bilbo.

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We finally learn something about Brynn!! Where she was originally from before staying in Rivendell. Brynn is from Mirkwood and she's about to go home, a place she's been avoiding. And very nice of Beorn to help the dwarves out and I feel so bad for his kin and how Azog tortured his people. Please comment and vote!!