Hello! Before I start the actual chapter, I just wanted to say one thing - if you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, a semi-fan of Twilight, and a lover of sarcasm, you have to check out, "The Story I Never Wanted". I didn't write it, but it is hilarious, and still manages to be an actual story!

Chapter Ten:

I always imagined what I would be like when I was older. Most of the time, before the war, I thought that I would be an Auror, and Unspeakable, or even the Minister of Magic. The probability of being a teacher entered my mind once or twice. I even dreamed about being a magical ambassador to the muggles! But this wasn't at all what I expected. In no way had I ever imagined myself sopping wet, in another world, wearing a borrowed dress and carrying an elf's tunic, while eavesdropping on a meeting of an Elf-King, a wizard, a dwarf, and a human. In fact, if I had seen someone eavesdropping on said meeting, I would have turned them in. But now, I wasn't just Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her age. I was also Redhorn the White Warg of Gundabad, criminal, illegal animagus, and most recently, the mysterious Seer, who couldn't see or speak but kept company with elves and wizards.

The mud squelched next to me, and a now-familiar face, framed with dark hair, hovered next to me. In the mere week since our first, awkward meeting, Belegeron and I had become the best of friends. And of course, this somehow led to him being essential to my spying. I had to admit, fewer people even spared me a glance as I sat next to King Thranduil's tent with the scribe beside me, the two of us drawing in the mud as we kept our ears perked for information. Of course, mine were hindered in their ability, seeing as they were still under the bandages.

Belegeron stiffened and tapped my ankle with the toe of his boot - our signal. I scooted closer to him and plastered a silly smile on my face as he whispered what he'd heard in my ear, drawing more than a few wondering glances. No sooner than he had finished speaking, the tent flap opened and everyone who wasn't Thranduil walked out. I struggled to keep the schoolgirl grin on my face as Gandalf's eyes fell on me. He shook his head and shot a warning glance at Belegeron, who had wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I could read in his eyes what he was saying: She is mortal. Do not fall for her.

I couldn't help but laugh quietly at that. Belegeron, for all his shyness, was a wonderful strategist - the reason for his being sent to Mirkwood from Lothlorien to battle the spiders. When he had first shared his plan with me as he showed me the ruins of Dale - it was useless to keep up the pretense of being mute and blind, now - I had shamelessly told him he was insane and walked off. However, when I next saw him, it hadn't seemed so impossible - the few times Gandalf had allowed me to take off my bandages, I had caught the far-off gossiping of elves - they were quite convinced that Belegeron was in love with me. So, I had agreed.

Hence the grinning and whispering when the meeting ended and its participants cast looks our way that were both wary and warm. The instant they were out of sight, we sprang apart and climbed to our feet, minds buzzing.

The meeting had been about me, of all things! There were so many other topics that were much more important than a supposedly blind girl, but instead, the first sentence had been, "And what to do about the Seer?" I had exchanged a shocked glance with Belegeron. Shouldn't they be talking about, I don't know, the impending battle against orcs and goblins?! Instead, they had talked for a half hour on whether or not I should be left at camp, or if I should be taken somewhere safe. After that, my ears had ached to much to listen, and Belegeron supplied me with the places they might send me and the other women and children, and the routes we might go by. Mostly elven settlements - the Elvenking's halls, a few outlying elven villages, Beorn's house (the dwarf, Daín, had even suggested asking Thorin to shelter us during the battle in the Lonely Mountain) - but in the end the answer had been unanimous: everyone unable to fight would be left at the camp, hidden in muddied tents and among the trees.

I hurried along in Belegeron's wake, stumbling occasionally in the thick mud. I sneezed violently - and repeatedly - as I ran, shaking my head and drawing much attention from those who weren't being gathered to go to the Mountain. The wind blew into my face and seemed to push me back as I struggled up the icy hill that Belegeron and I often spent our days on, now.

My blindfold had been removed. That was an interesting fact in itself. Instead, I was wearing a thin fabric bandage that I could just barely see through. My eyes ached after I stared though them for a while, but it was worth it. At least I didn't have to be guided around the camp by either Belegeron or Gandalf.

I plopped down on a rock at the crest of the hill, unwinding my see through blindfold as I did. I blinked against the stinging light of the cold, overcast day and turned to Belegeron. He barely flinched at my unnatural eyes now.

"What will you do? I mean, when the battle comes?" I brushed my snow-laden hair out of my eyes and gazed imploringly at my friend. He shrugged - a gesture he had picked up from me, apparently, as elves didn't shrug.

"I suppose I will fight. I know enough about daggers to wield one. What of you? Will you follow their wishes?" I gulped. The very image of Belegeron fighting hand-to-hand with orcs, maybe even Azog, filled me with dread. However...the thought of him fighting orcs while the White Warg protected him...

"I will fight...but not in this form." I grinned as Belegeron blanched.

"You...you will fight as the White Warg?!" His voice was incredulous. "But...Azog..."

"Will be no match for me." I finished. "He only beat me last time because I tried to climb a tree to get away. Besides...you'll need someone to watch your back." I gave him what I hoped was a supportive look. He smiled shakily.

"Then I'll need some practice. Just in case I forget what you look like!" I laughed out loud and put a hand on the scribe's shoulder.

"Bear this in mind, Belegeron, son of Thanguron - there is only one White Warg, and she is very easy to tell apart from the rest."

.

.

I felt the same rush of power as before when I let my bones morph and twist into those of a wolf, snowy fur sprouting from my skin. Belegeron stood several feet away, watching me with wide eyes. While I had told him of my second form - and consequently my past with the Defiler - he had never seen it for himself. I allowed myself a little pride as he walked around me cautiously, running a hand through my white shoulder fur. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the vicious scars on my flanks, and I couldn't help but rumble a chuckle, craning my head around to watch him.

"You really are the White Warg." It was a dead serious statement, and I backed up to look at him. His dark brown eyes were wide with astonishment, and I carefully lowered my head to his level. He smiled with some relief as he saw me in the warg's golden irises.

Training with Belegeron was different from the bloody "play-fights" of wargs. He used a long tree branch instead of his sword, and the worst penalty for a slip was a stinging pelt. In return, I kept from crushing him with my wolf form's weight, but I definitely shook him up a little. It was a constant struggle, but not the harsh, life or death kind I was accustomed to. Belegeron would tap the crown of my head, and I would head-butt him across the clearing. I took a blow to the flank, he would go flying again. After I had thrown him across the snowy ground for the umpteenth time, he finally asked the one question I hadn't thought of.

"Do all wargs rely so heavily on their heads in battle? I am certain that several of the wounds in Lothlorien were from warg bites..."

I shifted seamlessly into my human form and replaced my bandages - both on my head and over my eyes - as my friend handed them to me. "No, not really. Moria wargs depend on their speed, rather than strength, to bring something down. My breed, the Gundabad wargs, do use head-butts often, but their main defense is their teeth. Never get in a position where they could get their jaws around you."

"Noted," Belegeron said, twitching nervously. I laughed and turned towards the camp.

"Come! They will be looking for us soon."

Just a heads-up: the BoFA is next chapter, and after that, the real plot starts. Along with the pairing!