Reunited (A Thorin Oakenshield/Hobbit Adventure FanFic)

Chapter 10: Beorn

Chapter 10: Beorn

*Thorin POV*

I stared at The Lonely Mountain, totally captivated by its beauty, that I did not feel LeeLayla's hand slip from mine as she fell back.

"Uncle!" came Kili's shrill shriek.

I look back, and the blood drains from my face.

LeeLayla lay there, her breath slowly downing as her eyes tried to stay open. I rushed toward her, pushing everyone else out of my way. When I reach her, my heart stops. Her face is pale, the scratch on her cheek bleeding slightly. Her shoulder, though... it's bad. It is a pool of blood, the slightest bit of purple oozing out of her shoulder. I drop down and put her face in my hands... despite if it's wounded or not.

"Lee? Lee! Come on! Stay awake!" I beg her.

Her eyes flutter to a close, and I yell for Gandalf. He rushes over, Bilbo with him, and kneels. "What happened?" I ask Gandalf.

Bilbo speaks first. "It's her shoulder. When Azog was about to land a blow on me, she stepped in front. Turns out it was worse than I thought."

Gandalf nods in agreement. "It seems," he said slowly, "that LeeLayla had been poisoned." He gently rips a piece of clothing from her shoulder so that only skin is visible and examines her wound. "The poison is taking a great affect in her body, but fear not! I know someone who would help us in this desire need. Though not very fond of dwarves, or visitors at all for that matter, he is very well a friend with LeeLayla. Based on the story she has told me, he will help us for her sake."

"And I would be very much obliged," I said. "Gandalf, whom do you speak of?" I did not feel very comfortable leading my Company into a trap, if this is what it was. Just because LeeLayla was friends with this guy did not mean he had my trust... yet.

"Ah, yes. His name is Beorn, and he is a skin-changer, so he can change into a huge bear, or an ordinary human. He is very quick to get angry, so I recommend that you keep your comments to yourself. But, he is very pleasant and kind when not angered. He hates goblins and Orcs with all of his heart, but he is love with animals. This here is the Carrock, and only a few more miles until we reach Beorn," Gandalf answered me.

I nod in understanding, and pack up my stuff. I grab Orcrist and strap it to my back, when Kili walks over to me with a brown oaken branch in his hands. I smile to myself.

"LeeLayla, she got this. It fell off you when the eagle got us, and she grabbed it," he said, handing me the Oakenshield.

I nodded and looked at my childhood friend. LeeLayla was always so loyal, and I never gave her much credit. She had saved me and Bilbo from my arch nemesis, and now she was dying. What more could be asked from her?

"Right," said Gandalf, "we must make haste! If he is close, then we should reach him by evening, if we are lucky we can make it earlier for LeeLayla's sake."

I picked up LeeLayla gently and let her hair cover her face as it rested on my chest. We walked down the rocky path, me looking left and right to make sure I did not slip and hurt LeeLayla in the process. The sun was rising now, and was shining brightly on us.

Suddenly, the burning question that was building inside of me gets let loose. "Gandalf, when I was last with her, she used the power of the moon to heal her leg. I recon the sun can do the same thing, right?" He nodded. "Why isn't it working?"

Gandalf's expression paled greatly, and I knew something was wrong. "Well," he stammered, "when I could not heal you, LeeLayla used her powers, as you would expect her to. My guess-and that's the problem- is that she directly passed her strength to you... ignoring her own needs."