Chp. 42 Yours truly

The next day Bilbo woke up from a large Hornet buzzing about in his face. He looked around and saw the Dwarves were quibbling about at the door about what they should do. As soon as he stood up and neared them he heard Nori say.

"I say we should leg it. Slip out the back way." But Dwalin heard that and grabbed Nori by his collar.

"I'm not running from anyone, beast or no." just as the Dwarves were about to continue their bickering Gandalf stopped them.

"There is no point in arguing. We cannot pass through the wilderland without Beorn's help." Gandalf words made the Dwarves silent as they looked at each other. "We'll be hunted down before we ever get to the forest."

"Ah, Bilbo. There you are, now this will require some delicate handling." Gandalf saw Bilbo come near and waved him to come over. "We must tread very carefully. The last person to have startled him was torn to shreds."

"…" everybody.

"I will go first and… Bilbo? You come with me." Gandalf walked to the door as he said this.

"Ah, I-is this a good idea?" Bilbo walked over looking unsure.

"Yes, now the rest of you, you just wait here and don't come out until I give the signal." Gandalf said to the Dwarves.

"Right, wait for the signal." Bofur nodded in acknowledgement.

"And no sudden moves or loud noises, and don't over crown him. And only come out in pairs." Gandalf said.

"Right." Whispered some dwarves.

"No, actually, Bombur…" Gandalf paused a bit and looked at the Dwarf eating some carrots. "…Um, you count as two so you should come out alone." The fat dwarf nodded at the wizard's words.

"Remember, wait for the signal." Gandlaf then went out with Bilbo.

"The signal, right." The dwarves nodded at the words.

"What signal would that be?" Bofur asked making the dwarves realize Gandalf didn't say anything what signal he will use.

As Gandalf and Bilbo walked out slowly and carefully the hobbit could see Gandalf to be a bit hesitant. They watched as the ten feet tall man chop large blocks of wood very easily.

"Ahem." Gandalf cleared his throat as he walked towards BEorn.

"You're nervous." Bilbo said as he saw the wizard's expression.

"Hm?" Gandalf looked at Bilbo but flinched back hearing the wood chopping noise from Beorn. "Nervous? What nonsense." Gandalf said in denial.

"Good morning." Gandalf called out but Beorn kept chopping wood.

"Good morning!" Gandalf raised his volume a bit to take the attention of Beorn. Beorn stopped and rested the axe with his arms crossed leaning on the handle.

"Grey Wizard, I've been told you'll arrive here." Beorn said making Gandalf raise his brows.

"T-that's right, I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey. Perhaps it was my colleague who introduce me to you, Radagast the Brown?" Gandalf smiled a bit seeing Beorn seemed to not show any hostile reaction.

"The one who lives in the south on Mirkwood? No, someone else told me of your coming along with some Dwarves one the way to the lonely mountain." Beorn's words made the Wizard raise his brows and became thoughtful. Bilbo was listening and peeked out from behind Gandalf making Beorn aware of the HObit's presence.

"Who is this little fellow? Is this some sort of hairless dwarf?" Beorn looked at Bilbo and felt that no dwarf looked like him at all but his height is similar to one.

"Well, this would be Mr. Baggins from the Shire." Gandalf said as he introduced the half-ling.

"So is he a dwarf?" Beorn looked at Gandalf then at Bilbo.

"Why, no. No, he's a Hobbit. A good family and unimpeachable reputation." Gandalf patted Bilbo's back.

"A Halfling and a Wizard, then where are the company of dwarves I've been told about?" Beorn's words made Gandalf a bit unsure but Bilbo saw something in the fields.

"Is that Myrtle? Aren't those our ponies?" Bilbo saw the familiar ponies grazing about the fields in the clearing.

"It seems so, it was left to me here by someone who wants to help you on your quest, whatever it is." Beorn looked behind Gandalf and shouted. "You all can come out now…"

Gandalf and Bilbo looked at each other while the Dwarves were confused inside the house but they still came out a bit scared seeing that large figure yesterday. But as they came out someone else thought they were the one addressed, a door on the corner by the wall opened.

"Roar?" a bear cub peeked his head out and looked around, seeing Beorn made the cub lighten up and immediately run towards the all man.

"roar!" the cub made the Dwarves look surprised but before they could rest two large Kodiak Bears came out yawning and looked around. They saw the guest of the house and became curious, they walked unhurriedly and came close the scared dwarves sniffing them.

"Do not be alarm, they are harmless. They already ate a lot yesterday, Warg meat seems to be quite tough to digest for them." Beorn said making the dwarves look at the two bears.

"It's them, they were the one I saw last night with you." Bilbo said as he looked at the bears but his eyes went towards the field and whistled. The pony Bilbo named Myrtle neighed and went towards them running while some other ponies followed behind.

"Aren't those our…?" Bofur looked at his companions and asked.

"Yes, that seems to be so." Balin said as he looked at their ponies coming towards them.

"But that's impossible, we lost them at the Troll shaws and the Misty mountains is not something a pony could traverse easily." Thorin said as he looked at Beorn with questioning eyes.

"You must be the one they call Oakenshield, don't fret somebody left them to me and I just have the letter that'll explain it to you." Beorn walked to the bears while the cub climbed up to his shoulders and hung like a coat on his back.

"A letter? Can you show it to me?" Thorin asked.

"Soon, you must have been all hungry. Come…" Beorn walked to his coat and wore it while the cub was still in his back. As he walked the bear climbed up and sat on Beorn's head looking around curious.

A few moments later they are now eating in a large table in Beorn's house while he served milk and fruits to his guest.

"Tell me Oaken shield, why does Azog the defiler hunting you?" Beorn asked as he placed his Barrel sized pitcher down.

"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin was leaning on the pillar looking serious and all as he asked this to Beorn.

"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's words made the Dwarves look at the tall guy as he talked. "…not for work, you understand but for sport."

"Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." Beorn then proceeded to put milk on Ori's mug.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked curiously.

"Once there were many." Beorn sighed a bit as he answered.

"And now?" Bilbo was curious.

"Now there is only one…" Beorn's word made the atmosphere silent but he continued. "…or so I thought, the one who brought the ponies here is of my Kin and he is now on his way towards the Northern Waste to see if a certain tribe surviving there might be remnants of our people."

"This person, do you have any idea who it was?" Gandalf asked but Beorn just reached out to cupboard nearby and pulled out a letter with a seal. Then he gave it to the Hobbit nearby, Bilbo received the letter but eh first looked at the seal.

"A Chained Dragon? Isn't this the Sigil of the man we met on Rivendell?" Bilbo looked at Gandalf.

"Yes, the Iron Lord. So he was a skin-changer, how could I have not noticed such a detail." Gandalf said. "Go on, read it."

"Let me Laddie…" Balin reached out to Bilbo with his double lensed monocle at the ready. Bilbo handed the letter to Balin and the old dwarf opened it carefully then took out the contents of the letter.

(A/N: I am not entirely sure of the canon facts in the lore of Middle Earth but I'll still use some theories found on the internet about this particular matter concerning Thranduil's wife.)

"As you might have heard from Beorn, I am a skin-changer(A/N:technichally the clone is). But you all mostly knew me as the Iron Lord of Ettenmoors, what I am about to tell you is information that could be of help to your journey but that will depend mostly on your prince's decision…" Balin read the letter but stopped here and looked at Thorin who nodded at him.

"…so before any of you leave it is better if you learn the other side of the story. I know most of you still hate the Elves for not helping you in your time of need but let me tell you the other side within Thranduil's eyes…"Balin paused as he frowned but Beorn made him continue.

"Keep reading, he insisted you know both sides before you all pull out the useless feuds you have with each other." Beorn said as he stood beside Gandalf.

"Ughh…okay, To show his appreciation for his Wife the elven King of the woodland realm Thranduil asked the dwarves to make jewels that would be worthy of his affection to her. Yet during the early day when his first son was born, she was kidnapped and tortured by Gundabad orcs…." Balin slowed as he read this part looking around seeing all eyes were on him.

"Ahem… with the jewels lost Thranduil was in despair until one day the jewels were brought to Erebor by someone. Hearing of this news, the King Thranduil went to Erebor to see his wife's jewels but Thorin's grandfather Thror denied the Elven king saying he should pay ransom for the jewels…" Balin felt sweaty for some reason while Thorin frowned harder.

"…as a husband it is an insult if he has to pay for the items belonging to his wife and as a King he could not bow down to a power drunk dwarf who cannot see the folly in his actions…" Balin took a deep breath as he read.

"Why this Iron Lord I'll bash his head open saying these lies…" Dwalin said in anger.

"*cough*… and let me guess, Dwalin said he wanted to bash my head in…" Balin said as he read looking at his brother who was stunned along with the dwarves.

"oh it is indeed written here." Bilbo said as he looked over. "…and Bilbo will read this part…"

"Huh? Is he here?" some dwarves looked around but Balin was more creeped out as he was the one reading the letter.

"…ahem, gentlemen… to let a stone symbolize your right for your people to follow you is just extremely illogical to me, your ancestor, Durin I had no need for a jewel or stone to prove his right as King but he did so because he is a leader. If you want to be king then do not let such a matter cloud your eyes, Thorin son of Thrain.

Thranduil did not help because he knew what was the consequences of King Thror's greed will bring, your grandfather has been warned many times by the Elf King as he knew what horrors brought about by dragon fire…

I have already gambled Dwarf prince on your journey even if you have proven to be still young and rash in your actions. But I've seen how you treat those that came with you on this journey, how you've admitted your wrong when the Halfling proved himself to you…"

"This is getting creepy, has he been watching us?" Bofur said but Balin looked at him and flipped the letter showing the words written.

"No Bofur, I am not watching you...ahhh! Is this some sort of black magic?" Bofur jump from his seat reading the line but the other dwarves laughed at him.

"…to be continued, So before you go and let your pride Dwarf prince cover your eyes. Look around you, look at the faces that went through with you through thick and thin. They are not just your subordinates Thorin but your friends, family and companions who bled and walked the distance with you…

…Remember them when times are tough and think of the things you've done together. Do not let one glowing stone depict your whole life, you went on this mission to reclaim your home so reclaim it. Reclaim it not because you were born as their prince, but rather you have been chosen as their leader…

Reclaim your home not because of your titles but because it is the home of your friends too.

Reclaim your home and defend it like how you would with your friend.

Gold, baubles, jewels and material possession is cold and heartless, it will not be as important as warm memories spent with your close ones.

So please, do not disappoint me young prince. I'll help you with all I can but you only need promise me one thing and that to let me deal with the dragon as I please should you wake him up…

So lead young prince, lead them as because you are the leader they chose. If titles are everything then many should have answered but they did not, go and lead your company as they've put their trust on you. Show those who stood by that you have no need of a rock glorified by titles and that you are worthy of the name you carry as sons of Durin." Balin sighed after reading the letter and looked at Thorin who was silent like all the others.

"Yours truly the Iron Lord of Ettenmoors." Bilbo read the last bit on the bottom part of the letter.