Hey, welcome to part two of my Hobbit story. If you've not read it then I suggest you read my first Hobbit story The Hobbit: Anywhere for You before you read this. Anything 'The Hobbit' or 'The Lord of the Rings' related belongs to J.R.R Tolkien and Tauriel belongs to Peter Jackson.

So I've added in a few extras since first writing this chapter. The scene that first introduces Beorn to the company where they come out the house was in the book and also a deleted scene from the film which I really think they should have kept. So I've added it into my story to make me feel better about it :P

"We are still being hunted" Solaris said, she could hear and smell the Wargs and Orcs in the air.

"Bilbo" Gandalf said "Go and search"

The hobbit nodded and disappeared into the trees.

"What was the Orc saying to you?" Kili asked Solaris as they sat waiting for orders.

"I can't really remember Kili" Solaris said frowning "What does it matter anyway?" she asked.

"He might have said something important" he said shrugging and walking away.

Thorin then came over and put a finger under Solaris's chin, he studied the cut on her cheek. "It's healing already" he said.

"Elves heal faster than most" she said "That's why if I ever break anything or dislocate something you need to get it back into the right place for me as quick as possible"

"Will do" he said smiling and lowering his hand. "I am sorry that I struck you, I will regret that for as long as I live"

Solaris gave him a gentle smile and he then went over to Dwalin.

Fili had noticed how his brother was watching Thorin and Solaris. "I don't think she feels anything other than friendship towards him Kili" he said.

"It doesn't look that way to me" Kili said carving some new arrows.

Bilbo than came rushing back which took all their attention.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.

"Too close, a couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it"

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent" Dwalin asked.

"Not yet. But they will do. We have another problem"

"Did they see you, they saw you?" Gandalf asked.

"No that's not it"

"What did I tell you, quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material" Gandalf said.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Will you listen, will you just listen. I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there" Bilbo said.

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked. "Like a bear?"

"Yes, yes, but bigger much bigger"

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked. "I say we double back"

"And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin asked.

"There is a house" Gandalf said looking into the trees "It's not far from here where we might take refuge"

"Who's house?" Thorin asked. "Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither, he will help us or he will kill us" Gandalf said.

"Sounds like our kind of place" Solaris sighed.

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asked.

Above them the sound of a bear roared. "None" Gandalf replied.

Again they found themselves running for their lives. They went through a field that was full of purple flowers and then through a forest again. When they were in the forest the sound of the bear roared again.

"This way, come on" Gandalf said.

"Run" Thorin shouted.

"Solaris run ahead and get the door open" Gandalf said and the young she-elf raced off at full speed. Being a nimble elf she got to the house while the dwarves and Gandalf were mere dots in the distance. She stopped at the gate and looked around first before going through and pushing the large steel latch upwards. She had to put all her weight against the door to open it. Once it was open she had a quick look around to make sure no one was home. Then she stood by the door and watched as the dwarves came one by one.

"Welcome to my humble abode" she said and then leapt at the door as a massive bear stuck his nose in. Together they all pushed and Dwalin put the wooden slat across.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host" Gandalf said and everyone looked at him shocked. "His name is Beorn and he's a skin changer. Sometimes he's a huge black bear, sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable but the man can be reasoned with, however he is not over fond of dwarves"

"He's leaving" Ori said leaning against the door.

"Come away from there" Dori said. "It's not natural, none of it. Its obvious, he's under some dark spell"

"Don't be a fool; he is under no enchantment but his own. All right now, get some sleep all of you" Gandalf ordered. "You'll be safe here tonight, I hope"

Solaris whipped her head around after having heard whinnying "Horses!" she exclaimed happily.

"Don't go venturing outside till I say" Gandalf warned. "Make do with the cows to pat"

Solaris walked over to one of the Highland Cattle. They had thick coats and wet noses that tickled when they nuzzled her.

They all set to making comfy beds out of straw and none needed Solaris's singing to send them to sleep that night. Solaris had curled up into a tight ball when one of the dwarves rested down right next to her. Kili's eyes shone brightly as he smiled at her.

"Hey" he whispered.

"Hey" she whispered back.

"How are your wounds?"

"I am healed now" she smiled. "How are you?"

"I am fine" he nodded.

There was silence for a bit and Solaris's eyes were just closing when Kili spoke again.

"Do you love my uncle" he asked bluntly.

Her eyes shot open and looked at him "That's what the orc asked you when you were protecting Thorin, do you love him he asked" Kili said. "I didn't hear you reply"

"That's because I didn't" she said.

"Do you, do you love him?" he asked. "I need to know Laris"

"Kili, I do not understand why it matters"

"It matters because I have feelings for you Laris and I need to know, I need to know if you have feelings for me" he said, all humour and lightness gone from his voice.

"Kili…" she whispered but he leant forward and pressed his lips to hers.

"Stop" she said pulling backwards.

"Laris, I am sorry" he said.

She smiled at him weakly and reached a hand forward and brushed some of his hair back behind his ear.

"You will always be special to me Kili" she whispered "As the first dwarf to show me kindness you will always have a special place in my heart, as will all of you"

He sighed heavily and pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "Let me hold you tonight" he whispered and Solaris sighed and rested her head under his chin.

Solaris woke early the following morning. She was hot and restless from being enveloped in Kili's tight embrace for the whole night. She had no trouble slipping away from him as he continued to snore gently. Standing and straightening her clothes Solaris looked around, everyone else was still asleep. Most of the dwarves were scattered around in the straw and Thorin was the only one to have made his bed in a sitting up position in the corner of the room, even Gandalf seemed to be fast asleep.

Stepping over each body gently Solaris made her way over to the door. She looked up at the heavy wooden slat dismally. There was no way she'd be able to open it without waking anyone, especially Gandalf and Thorin who were likely only dozing. Instead she headed over to the window which had a much smaller catch, with a delicate leap Solaris was up and out.

The fresh morning air was delicious as Solaris stretched and let the wind wash her. She looked around and saw in a field below her a herd of stunning black and white ponies. They had long flowing manes, tails and feathers and their white patches made her eyes squint. "Wow" she whispered and was about the head for them when a grunt caught her attention. She slowly reached for her dagger at her hip.

"There will be no need for that" a deep voice said. Slowly she turned around to see a very tall, broad, topless man. Her eyes scanned him and took in every detail. The fact that he was very hairy was the first thing Solaris noticed, not only did he have a very thick head of hair but the hair also trailed down his back. He had very bushy eyebrows and a beard; he also had scars here and there on his body. Solaris was in no confusion about who he was.

"You must be Beorn" she said taking her hand away from the dagger and holding it out in-front of her. "My name is Solaris"

"What is an elf doing here?" Beorn asked gruffly. He didn't take her hand so with a little cough Solaris lowered it.

"I took shelter in your house" she said motioning behind her.

"I know" Beorn said "But what are you doing here?"

Solaris knew that she couldn't say much without Gandalf. "There is an orc pack hanging around" Beorn said "I take it that they are something to do with you"

"Yes" she nodded "They are hunting me"

"I dislike orcs" Beorn said "More than I dislike elves" Solaris smiled awkwardly. Beorn walked over to a log and picked up an axe. "Sit and tell me about yourself" he said pointing to a little wooden table. Solaris walked over gingerly and hoisted herself up. She drew one knee up to her chest and left the other leg hanging. She watched Beorn chop wood and the more she told him about herself and where she was from he seemed to relax and become more at ease with her. She then started to question him about his animals and that was when he totally became at ease. He even laughed as he told her a story about one of his mischievous rats. He offered her a piece of honeycomb which Solaris took and nibbled at slowly. They had honey in Rivendell but the honey from Beorn's bees was far better. Beorn was smiling and in the middle of another of his stories when the front door to his house opened and Gandalf and Bilbo came out. Solaris watched as the pair approached them. At first she was not seen but as soon as Gandalf saw her his face become one of shock.

"Hey" she said waving with one hand and holding the honeycomb with the other.

"Solaris are these your friends?" Beorn asked.

"Yes, this is Gandalf the Grey" Solaris said.

"Never heard of him" Beorn said leaning on his axe.

"I am a wizard" Gandalf said "Perhaps you've heard of my colleague Radagast the Brown? He resides in the southern boarders of Mirkwood"

"What do you want?" Beorn asked.

"Well simply to thank you for your hospitality, you may have noticed that we took refuse in your lodgings here last night"

"Already done that" Solaris said quietly looking at Gandalf from under her eyes lashes. He glared at her and she continued to chew on the honeycomb.

"Who is this little fellow?" Beorn asked as he spotted Bilbo.

"Ah well this would be Mr. Baggins from The Shire"

Beorn picked up his axe. "He's not a dwarf is he?"

"Why no, no he's a hobbit. Good family and unbeatable reputation" Gandalf said patting Bilbo on the back.

"A halfling and a wizard, how come you here? I have already asked Miss Solaris but she has done an excellent job of avoiding the question" Beorn said glancing at Solaris.

"The fact of it is we've had a bad time of it" Gandalf butted in "From goblins in the mountains"

"What did you go near goblins for, stupid thing to do" Beorn said.

"You are absolutely right" Gandalf said.

"From speaking to you I would have thought you'd of had more sense" Beorn said to Solaris.

"We didn't do it on purpose" Solaris said.

Then from the house came Dwalin and Balin. Beorn picked up his axe and watched wide eyed. "Dwalin and Balin" Dwalin said introducing themselves.

"I must confess that several of our group are in fact, dwarves" Gandalf said.

"Do you call two, several?" Beorn asked.

"Yes, well now you put it that way there could be more than two" Gandalf said. As if on cue Oin and Gloin came out. "Oh and here are some more of our happy troop" Gandalf said.

"And do you call six a troop?" Beorn asked.

"He's very clever isn't he?" Solaris smiled.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Gandalf asked irritably.

"Yes much so" Solaris laughed.

"What are you, a travelling circus?" Beorn asked his voice raising. Dori and Ori were the next pair out.

"Dori and Ori at your service" Dori said bowing.

"I don't want your service" Beorn said.

"Absolutely understandable" Gandalf said. "Oh Fili and Kili" he said as the brothers came out. Both their eyes landed immediately on Solaris who looked away with a smile on her face. From having spent time with Beorn she knew he wasn't going to harm them but it was funny to watch Gandalf squirm and to see the shocked look on the dwarves faces to see her already sitting there.

"And here's Nori, Bifur, Bofur and Bomber" Gandalf said.

"Is that it?" Beorn asked.

"Nope" Solaris replied and with perfect timing Thorin stepped out.

"How do you do it?" Kili said leaning right over to Solaris as they walked back into the house.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Make everybody love you" he said.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean" she smirked.

"Come here and get of your high horse" Kili said jumping up and looping an arm around her neck. He then pulled her down to the floor and started to tickle her.

"Behave" Gandalf warned as he walked passed. They both got up and followed every one to the kitchen. They sat down and Solaris couldn't help but laugh at the size of the plate and tankard compared to Kili.

"What?" he asked.

"It's almost bigger than you" she giggled.

"Shut up" Kili smiled pushing her a little too roughly that she almost fell from the stool had he not caught her arm.

"Doesn't the dwarf know that pushing a lady is rude" Beorn bellowed. Kili visibly shrunk in size and Solaris giggled.

"May I offer my lady elf some milk?" he asked and poured some into a tankard in-front of her.

"Thank you" she nodded and took a tentative sip, it was fresh cow's milk and had a very creamy after taste. "You okay down there?" she asked peering at Kili.

"I'm fine" he said sitting up.

"Need a cushion?" she asked and he punched her arm.

"Stop it" Thorin scolded from behind them.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield" Beorn said now talking to Thorin. "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

"You know of Azog, how?"

"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. Not for work you understand, for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.

"Once there were many"

"And now?"

"Now there is only one, you need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn"
"Before Durin's day falls yes" Gandalf said.

"You are running out of time" Beorn said.

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood" Gandalf said.

"Mirkwood" Solaris repeated. "Legolas's homeland?"

"Yes" nodded Gandalf.

"A darkness lies upon that forest, fell things creep between those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need" Beorn said.

"We will take the Elven Road. Their path is still safe" Gandalf said and Solaris sensed Thorin moving behind her. Her hand clenched and Fili took it gently. He gave her a soft look and she took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Good girl" he whispered and took a chug of his milk.

"Safe" Beorn continued "The wood elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin, not like Lady Solaris" Beorn said nodding to Solaris. "They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not"

"What do you mean?" Thorin asked.

"These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive" Beorn stood, his head almost hitting a beam. "I don't like dwarves" he said walking towards Thorin. "Their greedy and blind. Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own" he said picking up a tiny white mouse of the table. Solaris held her breath. "But orcs I hate more, what do you need?"

"Horses" Thorin answered.

What do you guys think of the first chapter?

Love Mayday xx