While the dwarves and Gandalf paced, waiting for Bilbo to return from his scout, Durion busied himself with making new arrows. He just carved a notch for the string in his eleventh one when the hobbit returned.
"How close is the pack?" Dwalin asked immediately.
"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it."
"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?"
"Not yet, but they will; we have another problem." Durion looked up as he placed the arrow in his quiver and frowned at the hobbit in question.
"Did they see you? They saw you!" Gandalf jumped in.
"No, that's not it."
"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material."
"Will you listen- Will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."
"Something else?" Durion gets up and stands next to Gandalf.
"What form did it take? Like a bear?" The wizard asks and suddenly, Durion knows who Gandalf has in mind. Bilbo looks a bit shocked.
"Ye- yes. But bigger, much bigger." Durion and Gandalf exchange worried looks.
"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asks and then turns to the rest of the dwarves. "I say we double back."
"And be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin shakes his head.
"There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge." Gandalf speaks and Durion sends him a wide eyed look.
"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?"
"Neither. He will help us, or he will kill us."
"What choice do we have?" A bear roars not far behind them.
"None."
***
"Come on! This way, quickly!" The company runs, hearing both the warg pack and the bear behind them. They exit the forest onto a plain, and in the middle of it stands a house.
"To the house! Run!" Gandalf yells and Durion, in the back of the company, draws Uruz in the air, the rune for strength and speed, and pushes it towards the dwarves. Their bones suddenly become less weary and their load lighter. They run through a gate into the hedge surrounding the house.
"Come on, get inside!" The dwarves slam into the door at the same time when a large black bear breaks out of the forest. "Open the door!"
"Quickly!"
"Come on, lads!" The dwarves manage to get the door open and everyone piles in. They then try to get the door closed, but the bear slams into them, making the dwarves groan as they force it closed. Then they drop a bolt across it and they are finally safe.
"What is that?" Ori groans in exhaustion. Durion leans against a wooden desk and places his hands on his knees. That might have been one too many runes for today.
"That...is our host." The dwarves and Bilbo turn to Gandalf in bewilderment. "His name is Beorn, and he is 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 overly fond of dwarves."
"He's leaving!" Oin shushes them
"Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious: he's under some dark spell." Dori pulls the young dwarf away from the door.
"Don't be foolish. He's under no enchantment but his own. Alright now, get some sleep, all of you. You'll be safe here tonight. Durion, no more runes for you for at least 8 hours." Durion waved in the wizard's direction and sat down, back leaning on the large table.
YOU ARE READING
In the Ruins//Legolas
FanfictionDurion's heritage is painted in mystery. Being the last elf born in the Second Age, with his mother dead and his caregivers nowhere to be found, he battles with what his future holds in store for him. What reason would a mother have for naming her c...
