The Dragon's Curse

Much had changed.....

When Beorn placed Artemis's figure on the empty dining table she stirred slightly against the hard wood as she winced. Slowly sitting up holding her side she noticed the three claw marks that had ripped through her shirt. Faint bruises remained on her skin as she winced and gave a playful glare at Beorn.

"I see you're still as wild as ever" She joked as he gave a smile.

"Sorry....."

"It's alright Beorn. I know you didn't mean anything buy it" She whispered trying not to wake anyone else up as she glanced at the sleeping company. Her eyes landed on Thorin's body, peaceful and relaxed. She soaked in his handsome features before Beorn noticed her suddenly attached glance at the Dwarven King as he raised an eyebrow. Glancing down at her boots he left further into his house and found a spare change of clothes she used to keep at his house.

"Here, you might want to get changed before they all wake up. If you want to rest for a bit longer I'm sure you remember the way to room" He chuckled as he handed her the smooth fabric as her fingers played against the patterns and nodded. Stealing another sneak peak at Thorin she jumped down from the table towards the floor before making her way through the house to her old room.

Shutting the door behind her she removed her cloak and laid it out on the bed before changing out of her torn shirt and into a fresh deep red corset styled top. Pulling on her cloak she laid down on her bed enjoying the smooth surface of a mattress beneath her back as she took a deep breath out and watched the remaining lights of the sun rise from her window.

In the morning Bilbo wakes up by a gigantic bee on his face as he sees another one before he gets up and walks towards the dining table, where all the dwarves are sitting. Everything is way too big as Beorn pours milk into their cups. In the corner with a jug of fresh milk Artemis yawned, her back is slightly stiff from the angle she slept but otherwise she looked unharmed.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn spoke glancing down at Thorin as he gave Artemis a look as she gave a soft smile as he softened his defensive tone slightly. He knew about Artemis and she had stayed with him for a year when she had first escaped her father. He looked after her and they became close friends. They were in the same boat in a way.

"You known of Azog. How?" Thorin asked him as they all drank their milk and ate the honey and cheese. Artemis noticed how they behaved at his table. With manners and respect as she smiled slightly remembering the loud music they played in Rivendell. She assumed Gandalf informed him how he doesn't like dwarves otherwise she knew they wouldn't be on their best behaviour.

"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....some enslaved" He started as Bilbo notices chains still on his wrists as they all ate and sat quietly. Behaving. "Not for work...you understand. But for sport....Caging skin changers, torturing seemed amusing." He spoke before pouring more milk into other dwarves glasses.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.

"Once there were many" Beorn responded sadly.

"And now?" Bilbo asked once again before he was cut off by Artemis's shaking head biting her lip nervous. Beorn ignored her gesture and replied to Bilbo as he had taken a small liking to the small hobbit.