In Middle-earth, Bilbo was sent to look ahead and he saw the orc pack on the mountains. He also saw something else that roared.
"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.
"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it," Bilbo answered.
"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," said the wizard.
"Will you listen? Will you just … listen?" Bilbo managed to get everybody's attention. "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."
"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked.
"Ye—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?" said Thorin.
"We will not do that if we were you," said Tychus.
"There is a house … it's not far from here, where we might take refuge," said Gandalf.
"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked.
"Neither. He will help us or … he will kill us," the wizard did not seem to know the answer.
"What choice do we have?"
There was the same roar from that "something else" Bilbo saw.
"None," said the wizard.
Everybody began running for the house and Raynor asked, "What is also on our tail?"
Nobody answered.
"I advise you two not to shoot," Gandalf spoke in a serious tone.
Thorin and company ran across the meadow, the river, and a forest even while Azog and the hunters were catching up. The roaring caught every group's attention.
"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf ordered.
"Run!" Thorin shouted.
"Bombur, come on!" Thorin dragged the corpulent dwarf.
"To the house! Run!" Gandalf ordered and Bombur sped past everybody.
They reached the gate and the wizard directed, "Come on, get inside."
Raynor opened the door at the second out of the forest was that "something else" Bilbo saw.
"That is one large grizzly," Tychus muttered.
"Everyone in," Andriel ordered.
After everybody entered, they locked the door by placing the plank preventing the grizzly from entering.
"What is that?" Ori asked in a horrified tone.
"That is our host. 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 overfond of Dwarves," Gandalf informed.
"He's leaving," said Ori.
"Come away from there. It's not natural. None of it. It's obvious. He's under some … dark spell," Dori spoke as he pulled Ori from the door.
"Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own," the wizard gave out what he knew. "All right, now get some sleep. All of you. You'll be safe here tonight. I hope."
"Will … Beorn be looking out for us?" Raynor asked.
"Yes, he will. You won't need to worry about the orc pack for now," Gandalf answered.
"Look at all the animals. Does the … bear man own them?" Tychus asked as he saw cattle and goats around him.
"You should not refer Beorn as 'bear man', he's able to communicate with any beast," said the wizard.
The two men found a place inside the house to take off their armor.
Azog was saw the skin-changer in his bear form was patrolling outside of his house and that it would not be a good time to finish Thorin and company while they sleep. Another orc came to the hunting party informing them about the gathering in Dol Guldur. The hunting party went to Dol Guldur where lots of orcs were mobilizing and Azog was summoned to the Necromancer who allowed the pale orc to lead the army. Azog let Bolg to take over the hunt and reminded him to beware of the two powerful men.
Bilbo had difficulty sleeping the whole night and had a small glance of the skin-changer in his human form.
The next morning, Bilbo was the last to wake up and saw his friends watching Beorn in his human form chopping logs.
"I say we should leg it and slip the back way," said Nori.
"I'm not running from anyone, beast or no," Dwalin countered the statement.
"There's no point in arguing, we cannot pass through the wilder land without Beorn's help. You'll be hunted down only if we get to the forest," Gandalf cut him off. "Bilbo, there you are. This will require some delicate handling. We must tread very carefully; the last person to have startled him was torn to shreds."
"Sounds like he's one guy we should not piss off," Tychus muttered.
"You got the point, Tychus. I'll go first, then Bilbo, you, Andriel, Jim, come with me," said the wizard.
"Is this a good idea?" Bilbo asked.
"Yes, the rest of you just wait here and don't come out until I get the signal," Gandalf said to the dwarves.
"Right, wait for the signal," said Bofur.
"No sudden moves and loud noises. Don't overcrowd him, only come out in pairs. Actually Bombur, you count as two so you should come out alone," the wizard gave a reminder to the dwarves. "Remember, wait for the signal."
As Gandalf took the elf, hobbit, and men; Bofur asked, "What signal would that be?" But there was no answer.
As they walked out, Bilbo said to Gandalf, "You're nervous."
"Nervous? Not nervous," the wizard did have emotions of that but did his best to stay calm.
"It won't be easy for us to reason with Beorn even in his human form," said Raynor.
"We'll just have to try," said Andriel.
"Good morning," the wizard said to Beorn but was ignored. When they got closer, the wizard attempted to get the skin changer's attention, "Good morning."
"Who are you?" Beorn asked.
"I'm Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey," the wizard introduced himself and bowed.
Beorn placed the axe blade onto the ground and turned to face them, "Never heard of him."
"I'm a wizard, perhaps you heard of my colleague, Radagast the Brown. He resides in the southern borders of Mirkwood," said Gandalf.
"Who are you three?" Beorn turned to Raynor, Tychus, and Andriel.
"I'm Andriel from Rivendell, this is Tychus Findlay," she introduced herself and Tychus.
"The name's Jim Raynor," Raynor introduced himself.
"You men don't look like the Men in these lands," Beorn spoke judging by the clothing of the two friends.
"We're not from around here," said Raynor.
"They're strangers to these lands," said Andriel.
"What do you want?" the skin changer asked in a serious tone.
"Well, simply to thank you for your hospitality. You may have noticed that we took refuge in your lodgings last night," the wizard spoke to thank the skin changer and pointed to the house.
"Who is this little fellow?" Beorn asked as he spotted Bilbo.
"Oh, this would be Mr. Baggins from the Shire," Gandalf introduced Bilbo as he came out.
"He's not a dwarf, is he?" the skin changer asked in a rather hostile tone as he prepared his axe.
"Well no, he's a Hobbit. Good family," Gandalf clarified.
"A Halfling, a Wizard, an Elf, and two men. How come you're here?" Beorn asked as the blade touched the ground.
"Oh well, the fact is that we had a bad time with it, from Goblins in the mountains," said Gandalf.
"What did you go near Goblins for? Stupid thing to do," Beorn asked.
"There is, go, go," Bofur heard the conversation and signaled the dwarves to come out.
Beorn prepared his axe as Dwalin and Balin came out. The two dwarf brothers introduced themselves.
"I must confess several of our group are in fact Dwarves," Gandalf admitted.
"Do you call two several?" the skin changer asked.
"Well, I put it that way …" the wizard could not find what to say next.
"Go, go," Bofur signaled.
"Wait, that's us," said Gloin as he and his brother came out.
"Oh and here's some more of our happy troop," Gandalf spoke as he forgot to introduce the two brothers.
"And do you call nine a troop? What are you? A traveling circus?" Beorn asked.
"What are you expecting? Clowns?" said Raynor.
"Go," Bofur signaled.
"Dori, Ori, at your service," Dori introduced himself and his brother. They bowed in front of the skin changer.
"I don't want your service," Beorn rebuffed.
"Absolutely understandable," said Gandalf.
"Go, go," Bofur signaled.
"Oh, Fili and Kili, quite forgotten," the wizard introduced the two young dwarves. "Oh yes, Nori, Bofur, Bifur, and Bombur." Four more dwarves came out.
"Is that it? Are there any more?" Beorn asked.
"There is one," said Raynor as Thorin came out. The skin changer stared at Thorin as he seemed to know him.
Beorn made breakfast for everyone.
"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me … Why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn turned to the dwarf prince.
"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 … but for sport. Caging skin-changers … and torturing them seemed to amuse him," Beorn recalled and the shackles on his left arm were seen.
"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."
Raynor thought, "It looks like the skin-changers are facing extinction."
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes," said Gandalf.
"You are running out of time," Beorn said to everybody.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood," said the wizard.
"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need," Beorn warned.
"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe."
"Perhaps we can talk the elves of Mirkwood through," said Tychus.
"Safe? Diplomacy may not work. The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not," the skin-changer countered the statement but it did not offend Andriel.
"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. I don't like Dwarves. They're greedy and blind. Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own. But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?" said Beorn.
After Thorin made a request, Beorn lent the 13 dwarves and the hobbit ponies while Gandalf borrowed a horse. Raynor, Tychus, and the skin-changer made a wagon pulled by bulls to accommodate the men and elf.
Raynor did some eavesdropping.
"You'll leave my ponies and bulls before you head into the forest," Beorn requested.
"You have my word," Gandalf spoke with certainty. Crows took off into the sky and the wizard noticed something, "We're being watched."
"Yes, the Orcs will not give up. They will hunt the dwarves and their friends until they see them destroyed."
"Why now? What makes the Defiler crawl from his hole?"
"There's an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the sorcerer in Dol Guldur."
"You're sure of this?"
"Packs have been seen gathering there. Each day, more and more come. Do you know this sorcerer?"
"The one they call Necromancer."
"I know he is not what he seems. Fell things are drawn to his power. Azog …"
"Gandalf, time is wasting," Thorin called over.
"There is more, not long past words spread, dead had been seen walking near the High Fells of Rhudaur," said Beorn.
"The dead?"
"Is it true? Are there tombs in those mountains?"
Gandalf and Raynor remembered the history Galadriel spoke of, "When Angmar fell, the Men of the North took his body and all that he possessed and sealed it within the High Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried him in a tomb so dark it would never come to light."
"Yes, there are tombs up there."
"I remembered a time; a great evil ruled these lands. One powerful enough to raise the dead. If that Enemy has returned to Middle-earth, I will have you tell me."
"Saruman the White says that it is not possible. The Enemy is destroyed and will never return."
"What does Gandalf the Grey say?" Without an answer, there were cawing of crows.
"Go now. While you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind," said the skin-changer.