Hello! How are you?

I dunno, my dudes. I felt like publishing one of my older pieces again, but with heavy revising, mind you. With summer coming up, I will have plenty of time to publish various short stories, but here is a compilation of one-shot ideas I have. There will be updates when I have another decent idea to add, but this is a loose, unserious story. #indulgent #whatevers

-E-

With every swing, wood shards jumped away like a splash of water, the sound of metal against wood ringing out into the surrounding meadow. The smell of cedar and pine. Beorn did this for the last hour, refilling his wood supply and replanting the trees he harvested. From doing this, his shoulder pulsed from swinging his ax, his wool jerkin covered in splinters. Although he chopped enough for him and his animals, he decided to chop some more. The trees could waste away if the wilderness continued to sour and dim, if the spider-beasts and wargs increased.

He swung again. Metal chipped the edge of the stump. Before he could wipe the sweat off his head and swing again, his horses approached him.

The white and ginger beauties neighed excitedly. They hopped on their feet and jerked their heads around, acting more like foals than mares. Their hooves kicked the wood shards yards away.

"Hm?" Beorn leaned on his ax. "What is it?" He paused and frowned at their report. "Dwarves, are there?"

This was the last thing that he could imagine, that he would like to imagine. But, before he could round up the horses and ease them, before he could instruct them to see to the other animals, or before he could rush off to keep the invaders away, an ancient voice rung through the air.

"Hello, my friend, skin-changer!" a man announced, stepping toward Beorn. "I am very grateful for your generosity! You may have noticed or you may have not, but I and my company have helped ourselves to-"

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked gruffly, hands tightening on his ax.

The man forced a smile. "I am Gandalf the Grey, my friend, one of the few wizards in Middle-earth."

"Never heard of him." He frowned.

"Yes, well," Gandalf shifted his weight. "Well… have you heard of Radagast the Brown? He is a dear friend of mine and he occasionally comes around this part of the land."

He thought for a moment, petting the horses and organizing them in a line behind him, away from the foreigner. "Not a bad fellow. He understands animals well."

"Yes, he definitely does, that Radagast."

"Though, I have not seen him often. I believe it is because of the changing wilderness."

"Yes, well," the wizard held his staff in his other hand, using his other to gesture nervously. "To tell you the truth, my friend, we have lost our luggage and were hoping if-"

"We? The others are dwarves."

He cleared his throat. "Yes, most are. A very respectable group, if you ask me or Radagast. And we-"

"Most." Beorn took a step forward and made the wizard fumble with his staff. "Who are the others, then, if they are not dwarves?"

"Well…." With his shoulders ridged, the wizard began to look around his feet, frowning as much as Beorn when all he could find were wood shards and daisies. "Well, the only non-dwarf besides myself is Mr. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. He should be" -Gandalf chuckled unnaturally when he looked behind him- "my dear friend, you are quite funny!"

The creature behind the wizard made Beorn double-take: a small figure, about half the wizard's height, with light, honey curls and glowing cheeks. He noticed the creature's furry feet first - much like the fluff of a bunny's paw, to his humor - and then his clothes. They were faded and patchy, having a few holes and broken threads here and there. It was like he came from a nasty storm. But, the skin-changer's lost his rising anger when the creature could only stand awkwardly, looking down in embarrassment from hiding.

Beorn would have laughed when the wizard urged him to stand beside him instead of behind, but a question came first: "And what's this little fellow? Not a dwarf, is he?"

"No, not quite a dwarf, my friend. This is Mr. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. A hobbit, but you may know him as a halfling - or, for your case, a quarterling!" Gandalf tried to joke.

Curious, Beorn - with as much carefulness as he treated his chickens - moved closer and knelt down, which made the creature tense. But, now that he was closer, he saw the bare chin and cheeks, seeing only softness in the hobbit's being. The few wrinkles around his eyes were the only indicator of the hobbit's age: not a young beorning babe, but a grown adult of his own kind. This comparison almost made Beorn chuckle.

"Quite a creature, you are, little hobbit."

Before letting the hobbit stutter a response, Beorn gave into his sudden urge and reached for him. With his hands as big as barrel lids, grasping the hobbit was easy, as if he were a toy. But, the creature squeaked loudly as Beorn lifted him up, poking him firmly as he would one of his newborn cafflings, checking if he was healthy or needing attention - who knew if the hobbit was injured with the abuse his clothes went through. But, he began to think it was too much for the creature when his plush-like skin grew tense and his face contorted.

Soon, the wizard was alarmed. "Beorn! I do appreciate you being open-minded and of the like," the wizard said and licked his drying lips, "but Mr. Baggins is not a small animal and cannot be - No, please do not poke him like that; it makes him uneasy - he cannot be treated like such and I'd appreciate it if you'd be kind enough to give my hobbit back before-"

Before the skin-changer decided to sooth the hobbit, thinking he was only surprised and could be calmed, hearty hollers flooded the courtyard. Bearded figures in rough clothing sprinted toward them. Fire flooded their eyes.

"Oi, you put down our hobbit, ya giant!"

"If you so much as hurt him, you'll have to deal with us!"

"Don't think we'll go easy on ya!"

"Put him down right now!"

Beorn turned the hobbit away from the yells, curses, and gestures, disliking the company before Gandalf could introduce them or scold them. He did not like what he saw, not liking the way they aroused his horses to whine and buck. Were they the reason why this creature was torn up and ragged? The reason why this creature was easily frightened?

"You all!" he boomed and cradled the hobbit into the crook of his arm. "Tell me what you want and why you are here!"

"We want ya to set him down, half-wit!"

"Hurt him and you'll regret it!"

The moment the dwarves picked up rocks, lifting them above their fuming heads, yelling louder when Beorn searched for his ax, Gandalf raised his arms.

"Now, now! Let's not get so hasty! It's obvious we are all irked, but let's move their discussion to that of civility and respect." He paused and growled at the dwarves. "If we want things to go smoothly, let's not attack our host. He means well - yes, he does! - now be quiet or you all will ruin everything!"

Bilbo tried to lift his head, but Beorn tucked him back. "I will only comply if these dwarves stop scaring this hobbit and my horses."

"No!" a dwarf with a strange hat barked. "You're the reason he's scared! You set him down right now!"

After the wizard smacked a couple of heads, he looked up and faced Beorn. "Please, set him down. Ever since the mountain's goblins ambushed us, he has been shaken up rather unpleasantly. Yes, he must be terrified, I can imagine."

"Goblins?" he loosed his grip on his ax. "What have you all done to them?"

"We were simply traveling through the mountains and we were ambushed. It is a lengthy story, really."

"I'd listen to it if it doesn't take all day." He patted the hobbit's back, who shrunk and tried not to squeak anymore. "Well… does it?"

"Well, I wouldn't think so."

"Good. Tell me inside and I'll judge if it is genuine."

The dwarves eyed him maliciously as he walked off to his home's entrance, keeping his ax and the hobbit in either hand. All they could do was follow the giant and calm themselves, but they failed when they noticed Bilbo's beet-red, wincing face. All of them - including Gandalf, but not as obviously - had to refrain from rebelling and hope the hobbit could endure Beorn's ginger, but manhandled grip. For now, they simmered.

-E-

Gandalf spoke fast. He covered everything from the meeting in Bag End to arrive at Beorn's domain, emphasizing their encounter with the goblins and their near-impossible escape. It made for a good story, which even the dwarves were interested in the sound of their own tale. Thankfully, it did not take long for Beorn to grin at their account and imagine every scene. In fact, he liked it so much - whether he believed them or not - that he called for his animals to serve them bread and honey.

A pig stood on its hind legs and offered giant ale pints, which Gandalf partook gratefully.

"You are very generous, my friend," he said and finished his drink. "And you are even kinder for letting us stay for some time before we go back to traveling. We could not hope a more respectable host."

"True," Beorn wiped his mouth and offered his cup to the hobbit, who would not even attempt to hold its circumference. "Luckily, you came before any more goblins could come. I can imagine they'll be a problem for me if they knew of your whereabouts."

"And for that, we apologize."

"If you all truly are sorry," Beorn said suddenly to the whole lot, catching them before they could bite into their honied bread, "then you will all be easy to host for. I am not very fond of dwarves - greedy and harsh, they are - so I'd ask all of you to be sensible and not give me a reason to throw you all out. I'd hate for the goblins to get this hobbit." But, then again, he told himself, he did not have to give the hobbit back to the dangerous world. It would be evil to do such a harsh thing against this little creature. Besides, hobbits seemed easy to host for.

"Yes, yes, well," Gandalf crafted another lipservice of gratitude, yet no one in the barn-like house seemed to listen, not even the wizard to his own words. Their eyes were on the hobbit, sitting on Beorn's knee with a piece of uneaten bread. It was unspoken, but obvious that they all wanted him down and in their mist, wanted him back and safe. They did not understand why Bilbo did not demand to be on the ground again, but they blamed it on Beorn's intimidating stature, his intense, wild face.

Gandalf silenced himself, pondered, and said, "Beorn, would you mind to speak with me privately? There is still much to put in order, like when we'll be leaving and what we can do for you until then or-"

"I'd think not," he said with a shrug, bouncing his knee involuntarily and making the hobbit squeak again. "That all can be sorted tomorrow. It is just about late, is it not? That tale did not take all day, but close to it!" He stopped bouncing his knee and offered a piece of cheese to Bilbo.

"Oh-oh," he cleared his throat. "Thank you."

His hesitance with food shocked the company, but they said nothing and only glared at the skin-changer, whose small smile only aggravated them more. They plotted how to steal their burglar back, but before Dwalin could step up and charge Beorn, the skin-changer stood up and towered them all.

"You may all use the hay for bedding. There are blankets in the closet, but you can ask my animals if you can't find them." He stretched his shoulders and began to walk off. "Good night, you strange company!"

Half of the company jumped up and followed, about to demand their hobbit back as children would for a toy, but Beorn squatted down at a haystack. With a few blankets, he comprised a small bed. And, after tucking the hobbit in bed, who blinked and tried to figure out why Beorn did this, the skin-changer smiled.

"If the hobbit needs anything, let me know. I have plenty of food and blankets for those who ask." He rubbed the hobbit's curly hair before leaving for his own bed.

Just when Bilbo thought he could be alone and regain himself from today - a whirlwind of ups and downs and of high places - the dwarves hurried over with a bad mood written on their faces and piled about Bilbo. They made easy bedding on the hay and blankets they gathered, and soon went to sleep before Bilbo could ask, "Can you let go of me? I've been bothered enough already!"

-E-

I would like to thank the hobbit community for giving me inspiration! Thanks for being creative!

Have a golly good day!