Chapter 60: The encounter is approaching.

[General POV]

-A while before the group entered the forest-

"It's time to leave. After these three weeks, we've rested more than enough," said Thorin after finishing his breakfast. The team had already rested and regained all their energy, so their stay at Beorn's house would soon come to an end.

"Yes, let's go! I hate drinking just milk every day!" Gloín retorted with a grunt, banging the table. As always, they complained when Beorn wasn't around, despite having spent weeks with him and experiencing his hospitality, they still had a lingering fear of him.

"Me too! I'm sick of milk," shouted Dwalin, slamming the table with his palms so hard that he accidentally spilled his mug of milk. This immediately silenced all the dwarves who had begun to get rowdy.

"Damn it! Quickly, help me clean this up," urged Dwalin fervently. He quickly grabbed his shirt and started mopping up the spilled milk, but when that wasn't enough, he used his beard in a crude attempt to soak up the milk. Seeing that no one was helping, he raised his head and angrily shouted, "Help me, you idiots!"

"Haha, who are you calling an idiot?" Gloín, who had been laughing mockingly, stopped his laughter at the word "idiot," feeling it was directed at him, especially since he was right next to Dwalin. Soon enough, they began to fight, ignoring the milk still spilled on the table.

With a helpless sigh, Gandalf tapped his staff, and the spilled milk instantly vanished. However, Gloín and Dwalin didn't care; they kept arguing.

"What a bother," Gandalf said, shaking his head. No matter how long he had been with them, they always found a way to irritate him. He had to give them credit for that—throughout his long life, few had managed to annoy him as much as these dwarves. They could boast that they were among the few who had managed to irritate a wizard, and better yet, one as renowned as Gandalf.

"Phew, you'll have to teach me that cleaning spell," said Aldril, always impressed by the magic Gandalf used from time to time. It was very practical and also lethal when needed. Moreover, Gandalf's cleaning spell was extremely useful for long journeys, as it could also be applied to oneself, which is why Aldril had never seen him bathe and why Gandalf always had that lavender scent.

There was one occasion when Aldril and the other members of the company were bathing in a river, and Kili shouted to Gandalf to see if he would join them. Predictably, Gandalf declined. Fili, being the most shameless, asked if Gandalf ever bathed at all. This was a question that everyone had wondered about but hadn't asked out of respect.

Gandalf's only response was a snort, followed by a tap of his staff, which instantly left his body clean. He gave them a mocking look before lying down under a tree and smoking his pipe. That left them speechless. From that moment on, Aldril had been persistent in asking Gandalf to teach him that spell, but Gandalf always found a way to delay it, as he did now. "When we finish the journey and have time, I can teach it to you," he replied.

"That magic is very practical. I can already imagine how quick it would be to clean my house," murmured Bilbo. Like Aldril, he was very intrigued by the cleaning spell. But it was unfortunate when he asked Gandalf if he could teach him, only to receive a negative answer, as Gandalf mentioned that Bilbo didn't have the capacity to perform magic.

Soon, the fight between Dwalin and Gloín escalated to the point where it involved the other dwarves. Everyone quickly began hurling insults at each other, only to stop when a furious Thorin stood up. "Enough!" This immediately caused an awkward silence.

Thorin, not wanting any more interruptions, turned to Gandalf, who still had that same indifferent attitude while puffing on his pipe. It was truly rare not to see him smoking for a day. Aldril always wondered if being a wizard granted immunity to lung cancer, or rather, if such diseases even existed in Middle-earth.

"Gandalf, how long will it take us to reach Mirkwood?" he asked, beginning to realise that this wizard was very useful when it came to making decisions. After all, Gandalf had saved them from many situations, but Thorin was too proud to say it out loud.

Taking a puff from his pipe, Gandalf thought for a few seconds. "Approximately half a month to a month on horseback. We'll need to resupply; we'll just have to wait for Beorn to return to ask for his help."

"Alright, Aldril, get everyone's things together. It'll be more useful if you store the food than their luggage," said Thorin, turning to Aldril, who lazily nodded. He didn't mind carrying the others' luggage in his ring; after all, it made the journey faster, and they would arrive more quickly. Besides, he was a kind person and would only get upset if someone took advantage of his kindness. Fortunately, the dwarves weren't foolish enough to do that.

This was evident when Aldril kicked Bombur's backside after he tried to take the ring to grab some food. The idiot could barely walk afterward, but fortunately, Gandalf helped him heal faster. Since then, the dwarves had realised that beneath Aldril's kind smile lay a hidden beast.

-One hour later-

"We need dried food, milk, and we'd appreciate it if you could provide us with some horses," said Gandalf to Beorn, who nodded at his request.

"Very well, give me a moment. The horses are in the yard, and there are saddles in the house. Prepare them while I take care of the food and drink," he replied. Turning around, he went into his house, heading straight for his storehouse. He felt relieved that they were finally leaving, those blasted dwarves ate like pigs. Luckily, he was a frequent hunter and had plenty of food stored.

"You heard him, go get the saddles," said Gandalf, glancing at the dwarves and gesturing for them to hurry up.

"Finally, we're leaving this place. I'm not drinking another damn drop of milk," muttered Gloín under his breath so no one would hear. However, Aldril and Bilbo, who were walking beside him, overheard and both let out a small chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Gloín snapped, alternating his glare between Aldril and Bilbo.

"Don't take it that way, Gloín. Maybe the milk will help you grow," Aldril joked, causing the dwarves walking behind them to laugh.

"Hey Bilbo, you're the last one who should be laughing, you're smaller than us!" Unable to respond to Aldril's teasing, Gloín sought someone to vent his frustration on and found his target when he saw Bilbo covering his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"I'm a hobbit; it's natural to be small," Bilbo replied unfazed. Perhaps earlier, he would have kept quiet, but now his character was tougher, and he wasn't afraid to respond to the dwarves' teasing or insults. This strengthened his friendship with the dwarves.

-One hour later-

The members of the expedition were ready to depart. Everyone was mounted on horses, which only carried each rider's luggage. The food had been stored in Aldril's magic ring, allowing the horses to travel light.

It was also surprising that, despite his small size, Bilbo was riding a horse. Perhaps his newfound courage made him unafraid of horseback riding, though it didn't change the fact that his small figure on a horse was amusing to see.

A little distance away, Gandalf was saying farewell to Beorn, thanking him for his hospitality. Thorin stood beside him, also expressing his gratitude in few words.

"Before you enter Mirkwood, release the horses. They're smart and will return to my home," said Beorn, resting his axe on his shoulder, giving him a very imposing look, at least, that's what the dwarves thought.

"Of course, we thank you for your help," Gandalf replied with a friendly smile. He was genuinely grateful for the hospitality and had to reconsider his perception of Beorn, who was very hospitable in his human form.

As Aldril waited, he noticed a strange kind of bat in the distance. He quickly focused his vision; its peculiar appearance made it a hideous creature; its dark skin and the membrane of its wings were truly repulsive. He remembered seeing something like it in the film.

"We're being watched," he murmured. He wasn't the only one to notice; Gandalf also looked up as if sensing something, his face wrinkling in concern. Beorn, standing beside him, also glanced in the distance, catching sight of the ugly creature out of the corner of his eye. "I fear you're being observed. It would be best if you left," Beorn said, waving goodbye to Gandalf and Thorin, who immediately rode off to join the group.

"We must hurry," Gandalf said. "Aldril, do you think you can take it down?" At his question, Aldril smiled and drew his bow. "If you give me a hand, the distance won't be a problem."

With a grin, Gandalf placed his staff against the arrow Aldril had nocked in his bow. Instantly, a bluish light illuminated the arrow, surprising everyone present. Aldril, on the other hand, focused his vision, tightened the string.

"Shiss."

The arrow flew uninterrupted by the wind, accelerating rapidly like a predator chasing its prey. Within seconds, the arrow pierced the creature's body, causing it to let out a screech before falling dead.

"Very well," Aldril nodded contentedly, glancing at Gandalf with a smile. "We make a good team." His words caused Gandalf to shake his head in amusement. It had been a long time since he had had a companion with whom he complemented so well. Undoubtedly, this young man had brought many surprises.

All the others were silent at the action, until Kili broke it with a cry of surprise: "Damn! How did you do that? Gandalf, next time it's my turn." Like a little child he rode alongside Gandalf and insisted repeatedly, Gandalf on the other hand could only sigh.

"Yes, yes, we'd better get going. This will give us a few weeks' head start," he said with a casual wave of his hand. Everyone quickly recovered from their surprise and, with serious expressions, nodded in agreement. There was no need for explanation, they all suspected that this creature was connected to the orcs, so it was wise to leave before its absence was noticed.

With a command, their horses moved forward at a brisk pace, gradually putting more distance between themselves and Beorn's house. Beorn, still staring at the spot where Aldril had shot his arrow, muttered to himself, "My instincts were right, those two are far too dangerous," before shaking off his daze and heading back inside.

***

Here you have your chapter you filthy orcs! maybe tonight I'll upload the second chapter since this one is very short, it depends on how you behave. 

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