Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... Small acts of kindness and love. Coincidental meetings. Small stones of everyday actions that will finally cause the avalanche and change the course of the future. This is the story about building the new future. It starts in Beorn's house, when the company rests after all the difficulties of the journey. The night is calm, the fire is blazing bright, and the fate of Middle-Earth is standing upon the edge of the knife.

Chapter 1.

"You may rest here as long as you wish to. You may sleep well, no Orcs dare to come across my borders" Said Beorn and used the elves language to continue this conversation only with Gandalf, who was sitting near to the huge fireplace and smoking his pipe.

"Strange folks have shown up in the woods. Spiders, worms, wolfs, even Orcs. They say that they are under command of the ghosts from the old fortress. Do you know something about this, wizard?"

Gandalf sighted loudly and his face darkened.

"You're not the first one who's saying about those ghosts from Dol Guldur, my dear fella. Even lady Galdriel doesn't know who they really are, but we're afraid of the worst. Tell me, what do you know about the Necromancer?"

"Only this, what birds whisper. It's a great evil Gandalf."

But Gandalf had known that already. He felt that in the moment they have come down from the Carrock and came close to the borders of Green Wood, now called the Mirkwood. He felt something that he hadn't been feeling since age.

"Can you show me?" He asked, but Beorn denied.

"Even I wouldn't dare to come into Necromancer's land. But I can show you the forest. Night reveals secrets of this land"

Gandalf nodded and lost into his thoughts again.

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Thorin was sitting outside and smoking his pipe when he saw Gandalf and Beorn leaving in a hurry.

"Where are you off to, if I may ask?"

"It's not a concern of yours, Master Dwarf. We'll be back at dawn and" he changed the language to dwarfish "try to keep your company out of the pantry."

Thorin snickered and put the pipe back to his mouth. He was tired and anxious. His wounds were healing fast, but he's constantly felt the blunt pain in his chest. What's more, the next part of this journey wouldn't meant to be very optimistic one. He had to come through Thranuil's lands without causing a war. They had to pass unnoticed.

Elves, saint creatures of the Middle-Earth, heartless traitors and cowards.

Thorin clenched his fists memorizing this cold bastard, who had been standing on rocks above Erebor and did nothing. Dying folks left without any help, a nation without shelter.

"I'll make him pay, he has to pay…" He thought and looked at the forest with anger.

"You should take a rest, laddy" Balin said and took a seat next to his king.

"I can take no rest here. This Beorn is Elves friend, how can we know that he won't tell them about this quest?!"

"Gandalf trusts him, I think we can rely on that." Balin said convincible, but there was nothing he could say to calm his young king. He just couldn't fully trust anyone who was a friend of Elves.

"You see, Gandalf helped us in so many ways that is nearly impossible to think, that he could betray us now."

Thorin said nothing, just stared at the line of trees on the horizon. He wanted to mention the Rivendell situation, but the door opened and both of his nephews shown up, rolling the empty barrel.

"You've finished it already?"

"Well, yep" Kili said and laughed.

"But we've found another one. Summer red!" said his brother.

"It's pretty good," Kili said when his uncle laughed.

"Get us some, boys. Until it's anything left."

"Sure."

They were in a half way to door when they all heard howling of wolves and squeaks of Orcs.

"Beorn said that they don't come that far." Balin said, trying to see the shapes in the darkness

"He was clearly wrong. ORCS!" Thorin yelled and pulled out his sword. Rest of the company, including Bilbo run out of the building with arms.

"They are chasing someone," said Kili, who had the best sight of them all. He saw about ten Orcs on Wargs going after a solitary rider.

"An Elf" Thorin hissed, recognizing the slander shape on a white horse. He didn't want to help this stranger, but the rider was galloping directly through them, leading the all pack behind. They didn't have a choice.

"Kili, Fili, shot them!" Thorin commanded and immediately two arrows flashed in the air killing two closest riders.

"Beorn!" The scream pierced the cold night air like a thousand silver needles, revealing that the rider was an elven woman. She rode fast, but even from that far the dwarfs could see that she was badly injured. She was swaying in the saddle and one of her arms was hanging limply.

Thorin gave a sign to attack and thirteen pissed Dwarfs threw themselves into battle. Swords, axes and arrows wreaked havoc among disoriented Orcs and after few minutes, all of them were dead. After all, few Wargs and Orcs weren't a problem for a band of Dwarfs.

When the blood had soaked into the ground, they started to look for the one, who was chased. Kili found her first, lying lifeless in a pool of her own blood, under the tree, where she fell of her horse. Kili, without any hope turned her on her back and noticed that she was still breathing.

"She's alive!" He shouted and put her head on his palm. He has seen the Elves before, but she was different from them. The biggest difference was the fact that her hair was fiery red, unlike in any other of her kin. She had strong features, but even now, she was beautiful. More beautiful than any Elf, Kili had ever seen before. When the others had come, he was holding barely breathing girl in his arms.

"We need to take her inside" Bilbo said, but Thorin didn't answer. In the one hand, he didn't want to let this girl die, but at the other hand she was an Elf. When a hint of satisfaction came through his mind, Balin commanded:

"She came for help to Beorn, and we are his guests. We can't let her die here. Boys, take her inside, Oin, look what you can do."

"Ori, Nori, boil the water and bring something to dress her wounds." Thorin said when dark thoughts abandoned his head. After all, she did nothing to deserve his vengeance and the cruelty hadn't been ever part of his character. He watched as his nephews took her carefully inside and started to wonder. She had to be important, in other way she wouldn't be haunted so furiously. He came to her horse and calmed him gently. It was beautiful white stallion with fair mane and smart eyes. Thorin noticed the sword strapped to the saddle and gasped with disbelief, when he put it out.

"Mithril…" The sword was light like a feather and its runes shined in the darkness with pale light. It was a masterpiece among the swords.

"What's this? Bilbo asked, because he had never seen anything like this before.

"There were only three swords made of Mithril in the whole history of Middle-Earth" – Thorin answered startled, still weighing the sword in his hand.

"But we thought that all of them were destroyed, long time ago. It was Durin's gift for three Elven queens of the first age."

"So she…" Bilbo started but Thorin denied.

"No, they are all dead or gone. She's no one." He hissed and took the sword with him.

"Is this what I think it is?" Balin asked, when Thorin had got back to the Beorn's house. Thorin nodded and put the sword on the table.

.

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"Kili stay and watch over her, she still may die" Said Oin when he had finally dressed all the wounds. He knew, that orcs' arrows were poisoned and there wasn't much he could do. Wounds like this needed elfish medicine or at least a wizard. The girl had already been on fire and the poison was slowly taking her life. Only a magic could help her now.

Kili had been putting new cold compress on her forehead, when she finally woke up. Her eyes were glistening with fever but her pupils dilated with fear when she saw him. She wanted to get up and pull out the knife, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Hey, hush. It's all right. You're safe," he whispered to calm her.

"Beorn… Where?" She asked so quiet, that he could barely hear her. She was still frightened but too weak to fight.

"He went somewhere with Gandalf, but he should be back soon." Said Kili and put his arm around her, to help her keep her balance. She looked at him, startled that the Dwarf was capable to such assistant. For one moment she wanted to thank him, but she only asked:

"Mithrandir? Mithrandir is here?

"Yes, he will be back soon"

"That's good" she said with a weak smile "That's good"

Her last word was nothing more but a whisper, because she passed out again, resting her head on his chest. Kili placed her gently on the pillows and caressed her chick with his fingers. The fiver was constantly increasing.