I don't own the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings and its characters, Only Annysia and anything else that isn't related to the original story.

Bilbo had just made his way down the rocks to the waiting dwarves and Gandalf, to hear their friends news. A stout dwarf with a bald head, but long and thick brown beard spoke, "How close is the pack?" The hobbit replied, "Too close...a couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it." The stout dwarf replied, Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Bilbo looked down before replying with a hint of dread in his voice, "Not yet, but they will; we have another problem." The gray wizard stepped forwards, his eyes narrowed, "Did they see you? They saw you!" Bilbo shook his head, "No, no, that's not it." The wizard smiled brightly, pleased at the hobbits mastery of being able to appear invisible to others when trying. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse, yet excellent burglar material." Gandalf crowed. The dwarves all smiled and chuckled, happy that their smaller friend was of great use. Bilbo annoyed, snaps, "Will you listen! Will you just listen?! I'm trying to tell you that there is something else out there as well!" The dwarves all pause and turn to look at the hobbit worried. "What form did it take? Like a bear?" The wizard asked suddenly. Bilbo nodded slowly, surprised the wizard knew already of what he had seen, "Yes...but there is another with it as well. I couldn't tell what it was." The hobbit looks at his wise old companion, "The bear, was bigger, much bigger." A skinny dwarf with a curling mustache asked, "You knew about this beast?" The wizard just smiles and walks a few steps forwards as the dwarf speaks again, "Say we double back."

A broad shouldered dwarf, with rings of silver around the dreads in his beards replies, "And be run down by a pack of Orcs?" Gandalf turns to the company, "There is a house, It's not far from here, where we might take refuge." Thorin asked looking deep in thought, "Whose house? Are they friends or foe?" "Neither. He will help us, or he will kill us, along with Annysia." The dwarves look at one another weighing their options before Thorin sighed heavily, "What choice do we have?" Suddenly, a loud roar sounds, splitting the silence in the night air. "None." Gandalf replied before running forwards the company following close behind.

"Come on!" Urged Gandalf as they raced through the trees. Another roar sounds in the air, different from the one that sounded like the bears. "This way, quickly! She's found our scent." The dwarves and Bilbo begin to panic and press on faster. "Bombur, come on!" Cries out Bofur to his fellow kinsman. Soon a homey looking cottage waiting in the middle of the plain. "To the cottage! Run!" Gandalf bellowed. The company continued onwards, Bombur, the fattest of all the dwarves raced ahead into the cottage. Once everyone was filed inside, they looked out the door to see a massive black bear, and a large tiger of black broke through the edge of the forest. "Quickly!" Thorin cried out, all the dwarves forcing the door shut and bolting the doors as the bears head tried to get through the opening. Gandalf smiles in amusement as finally they slammed the door shut. "What were they?!" Ori asked. Gandalf simply smiled, "Why, those were our hosts." The company gives him a bewildered look. "The bear is called, Beorn, a skin changer. The tiger is Annysia, she is a druid, much like a skin-changer." "Oin checks his trumpet to make sure that he heard correctly. "Sometimes he takes the form of a massive black bear, sometimes a tall, great man. The bear is unpredictable as is the tiger, but the man and woman reasoned with it. Though, they aren't too fond of dwarves." Gandalf explained. The dwarves look to each other in dismay before Ori peaks out the door. "They're leaving!" he whispers. Dori pulls him away from the door scolding him, "Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious that they are under some dark spell." Gandalf rounded on them, snapping, "Don't be a fool! They are under no enchantments but their own. Alright now, get some sleep, all of you. You'll be safe here tonight." The dwarves dipped their heads in agreement, settling themselves around the home.

Outside in the distance, the bear and tiger could be seen walking around the edge of the woods, growling to one another.