Chapter 10: Of Bees and Bears

One by one, the giant eagles landed on the Carrock and allowed their passengers to dismount before taking off once more. Most of the company was too shaky to remember to even thank the eagles, but Gandalf luckily knew just what to say as they left.

"May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks!" the wizard shouted as the eagles flew off. He then waked on down the stone steps and joined the rest of the company in the small cave at the base of the Carrock. The company had gathered around to assess the situation and discuss their next move.

"We will not make it far without food or supplies," said Thorin.

"I don't think there are any settlements here either," said Balin with a grim expression. He could guess where they were based on his keen sense of direction in spite of not being familiar with "The Carrock".

"Right you are, but there is hope yet," said Gandalf. "We still have quite a journey to reach him, though, so we'd best get moving. I can explain as we go along. Firstly, there is a river nearby that we can bathe the goblin-smell from ourselves in. Kira, my dear, we will take shifts so stay here till the dwarves and Bilbo come back."

Everyone, except Kira, followed Gandalf to the river. She stayed there in the cave as she was instructed to do, and sat with her back to the wall all the while wondering what kind of person they should find here on the edge of the wild. Gandalf had said "him," after all, meaning a single solitary man.

"Must be a lonely existence," she said to herself. She couldn't imagine living alone, but then again…This made her think of home and of her mother whom she'd left. A stab of guilt pierced her gut at the thought of how long her mother had been without her. She had lost track of how long they had been traveling, but Kira knew that she had been gone much longer than she'd ever had. Who knew what her mother was doing now, or in what state Kira would find her in when she finally returned, or if she would find her again at all.

Kira sang her morning song softly to herself, trying to vanquish the horrible thoughts that had pushed their way in. She focused carefully on the words and tried to think of happier things. For example, she was starting to feel like she had a new family in Fili, Kili, and Thorin. She was not quite so close with the other dwarves, but they still treated her well.

Minutes after she'd finished her song, she spied the first member of the company to return: Fili. He smiled at her as he walked up, still squeezing water out of his long golden-brown hair, leaving a trail of water after him. She sighed. How could she have been so blind to how he felt about her? She didn't know how long it had been going on, or why he liked her so much for that matter.

"Feeling better?" Kira asked as he approached.

"I'm sure I smell better," he teased.

Kira chuckled. "I'm sure I won't notice the difference," she teased back. He smiled a devilish grin and sat down next to her. He was happy to see she was in a playful mood.

"Did you miss me?" Fili asked, leaning into her face very closely.

Kira looked at him without backing away, leaving their faces barely an inch apart. She wasn't sure how to answer that, but she really wanted to make an effort to like him, so she said, "Yes, of course," with a sheepish grin. It was true that she was happier with him there, after all, and one day, provided her plan works, she will truly miss him when he is gone.

She felt awkward though, behaving so familiarly with Fili, so Kira pulled away a little and turned her gaze down to her hands.

Fili was absolutely elated. He took her shyness just now as a sign that Kira was beginning to develop a crush on him. Oh how he wanted to just hold her tightly and tell her how he felt! He didn't want to scare her, though, so he would wait for the right moment, of course. He could be patient. Fili allowed himself to steal a few minutes to stare at her beautiful face before straightening up. They were quiet for a while before he spoke again.

"Ahem," Fili cleared his throat. "I was just thinking, Kira, that it would be indecent if someone saw you as you were bathing."

"Mhmm?" she said. Kira wasn't sure where this was going, but Fili's demeanor had become more solemn, so she waited.

"If you would feel more comfortable with someone to look out for you, I'd be most obliged to protect your honor." When he saw that her brow was furrowed in confusion, he clarified: "Y'know, in case someone goes a wandering, I can tell them to get lost."

"Oh, I wasn't planning on taking my clothes off," Kira replied, "But I would be happy to have you keep me company, especially since Gandalf sequestered me from everyone else."

Happy with this response, Fili stood up and gave her a low bow, "Fili the dwarf, at your service, milady," he said with a smile. He held out his hand.

"A little formal for a simple nomad, but I accept your service, Fili the dwarf." Kira happily took his hand and stood up. By this time the rest of the company had trickled in, so they set off to the river together.

Once the party was well on its way, Gandalf took this opportunity to distract them from their hunger (it was now well into the afternoon and they had no food) by telling them what he knew of the man they were heading to see.

"His name is Beorn, and he is a skin-changer," the wizard started. Everyone listened in rapt attention, for they had never heard the wizard speak of anyone quite like this before. "He is the one who made the steps leading up to that little plateau we were dropped off on. I've never met him myself, but my dear cousin Radagast has told me of him once or twice. He calls the plateau the "Carrock" for that is his word for it and that is the one closest to his home."

"He's a skin changer, you said?" asked Bilbo, who was a little uneasy about the term. "Do you mean he is a furrier?"

"Good heavens, no, no, NO," Gandalf responded a trifle annoyed, "And don't ever mention that word as long as you are within a hundred miles of his house! Nor rug, cape, nor any other such unfortunate word." He glared at rest of the company to ensure he made his point clear to all of them. "He changes his skin: sometimes he take the form of a massive black bear. Other times he is a great strong man with huge arms and a long black beard. I do not know much else about him, other then that some think he is descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came."

Kira's eyes had widened at the mention that Beorn could change form into a great bear from the mountains. Could it be true? Could the old stories really be true?

"Gandalf!" Kira shouted to get the wizard's attention. "Are you absolutely sure he can change into a bear?" She had a tense look about her as she asked.

"Yes, I am sure," the wizard responded with a curious expression toward their normally quiet nomad. "Do you know of him?"

"Not him specifically, but of his kin," Kira said with her voice brimming with excitement. "I've been told stories of them since I was a child. The story of Tarro is one that everyone knows by heart. The Old Ones are our guardians."

"Hmm," the wizard had never heard of the story of Tarro, but then again he'd hardly heard much of nomad culture at all. Needless to say, as a student of Middle Earth he was most intrigued. "I'm sure we could all do with a story as we go, if you care to tell us, Kira."

"Okay," Kira happily agreed. She had missed out on having younger siblings to tell stories to, so she was happy to have a chance now even if not in her native language: "As you all know, I'm from the forest by the sea. To the west of us are the mountains. The story goes that Mother Mountain made the Great Bears, special bears with special powers. They could changes forms if they wished, but usually kept the form of a bear, since that is how their mother made them. For many years, they happily protected her from any evils that would try to harm her. In time, she made more children, though they were not so special as the bears. She told the bears to watch over her young children and keep them safe. In order to do so, the bears gathered many trees to make a forest near the base of the mountain. They brought the children, whom they treated as their own, to the forest and told them, 'As long as you stay in the forest, you will always be safe, for we will protect you and not let any evil in.' The bears also had us promise-for we are the children in the story-to take care of the forest from within and to love it as we did Mother Mountain.

The story of Tarro takes place over a hundred years after these events. Tarro was a young boy whose family lived near the western border of the forest. His mother had always told him the story of Mother Mountain and our bear guardians, but being young and naïve, he didn't pay her much mind. One night, he snuck out of the forest to see the mountain for himself. Unfortunately, without trees surrounding him, he got lost. He couldn't find his way back, so he sat at the base of the mountain and cried for his mother. His mother, of course, couldn't hear him, but our guardians did. A shurryk, as they are called, approached the boy, picked him up, and brought him back to his family with the warning, 'You must stay in the forest, stay with your family, or you won't be safe.' The boy thanked him profusely, but, unfortunately, had not learned his lesson.

The next night, the boy set out once more, thinking he knew the way back this time, but quickly found himself lost, again. Again, he cried for Mother Mountain to save him and again the same shurryk found him and brought him back. This time, the shurryk warned him that the world outside the forest was growing ever unsafe, and that if he left again, there would be no guarantee that our guardians would find him again. Alas, how unfortunate is youth sometimes, for Tarro went out yet again. This time, he made it a ways up the mountain before he tried to go back. Of course, he was more lost than ever so he cried for Mother Mountain to save him.

At this point in the story, it originally goes that the boy died as punishment for not heeding the warnings of our guardians. Some parents, though, change the ending to say that Mother Mountain embraced him back into her body, leaving him as a rock formation at the base of the tallest peak. The lesson is the same, though: don't leave your family and don't leave the forest."

Kira finished the story cheerfully. It was strange to be telling children's stories to adults, but she didn't care. She was happy to finally be of help in some way that was unique to her. She liked feeling needed.

"I don't see how fairy stories are goin' to help us much, lassie," said Dwalin, "Unless you've got any other information."

"Well," Kira replied, "I can speak a little of the language. Just the main phrases, but still, it might warm him up to us."

"Yer don't know that. He could try to kill us all the same." Dwalin was not so optimistic about this stranger.

"It's more than what help you can give us," Gandalf retorted.

"And what is the plan, then, Gandalf?" said Thorin. He did not care how they went about getting supplies as long as they did so soon. He was skeptical of any man who was enchanted in the way that Gandalf had described, but at the same time Thorin was smart enough to know that old stories are often based in fact. Maybe Kira would be of help to them here.

"We will introduce ourselves a little at a time so as to not put him off," the wizard explained, "Two at a time, I think. We'll start with myself and Bilbo, since he is small and non-threatening."

"I think I should go first, Gandalf," Kira interrupted. "Since you said you have never met him."

"I don't think it would be wise to send you alone," he responded.

"No, not alone," she clarified. "First myself and Bilbo since we look the most alike-"

"That's a stretch," Kili said with a chuckle. Kira ignored him and kept talking.

"-Then you, Gandalf, after I introduce Bilbo. Then the dwarves will come in when I fetch them, in the order I tell them to."

"Hmm…." Gandalf was considering the plan. He did not normally leave such delicate situations up to anyone but himself, but he'd never heard her sound so sure before. This may be an experience that she and Bilbo could both use.

"Very well," Gandalf said at last. "I will be near, though, should you need me." He gave his two non-dwarves an encouraging smile. Kira was pleased he trusted her, but Bilbo was a little cross that he had been volunteered for a possibly dangerous mission without anyone even bothering to consult with him first.

They'd finally reached the edge of Beorn's lands late in the afternoon. Big patches of flowers and clover were everywhere, each a different kind and all with giant bees buzzing about. The company was quiet, leaving the droning and buzzing of the bees to be the only sound they heard.

Inside her calm exterior, Kira's brain was buzzing more than the bees; she was so excited to meet someone from the old stories. But what if he wasn't a shurryk? What if he hated dwarves? What if he simply didn't know who she was? She didn't know how long they lived for, or if they told the same stories to their children. But then again, what if he did know what she was, welcomed her with open arms, and she ended up saving the company after all? It was silly to think, but what if this made Thorin see her differently?

No, no, she corrected herself, Fili. Fili, Fili, Fili. Not Thorin. Fili. She had to be more diligent about that. Either way, it was all so exhilarating to think of what was waiting for them!

After walking a ways through the bee pastures, the company arrived at a belt of ancient oak trees, the gaps of which were filled with tall thorny hedges. After walking along this natural wall a short way, they finally came to a large wooden gate.

"Here, is where you will all wait," Gandalf said to the group. He turned to the gate and pushed. It would not budge so easily. It ultimately took the wizard plus Nori and Gloin to finally get the gate to creak open. They slid it just enough to allow the party in one by one. They did not cross just yet, though.

Gandalf turned to Kira and Bilbo. "Are you quite sure, my dear, that you are up to this task?"

"I am," Kira responded confidently.

"I'm not," Bilbo muttered. Nobody seemed to pay him any mind.

Kira noticed, though. She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it encouragingly, giving him as warm of a smile as she could muster. "You will be fine, my friend," she said. "I'm sure you and I are probably related distantly, anyway. Beorn will see that, hopefully, and will take you in."

Bilbo was not convinced. "Have you seen yourself? We look nothing alike. And what does that have to do with anything anyway?"

"We come from the same region and we are nearly identical height," Kira said in a matter-of-fact fashion. "You don't think we could possibly have some distant overlapping relatives?"

"I suppose that is reasonable to think. That doesn't answer my question, though."

"If you are my family, then he is your guardian, too."

This comforted Bilbo a little for now, enough at least to not argue at the moment. He and Kira turned toward the large wooden house in the distance.

Before they could leave, Fili skipped over to her and gave her a big hug. Holding her tightly he whispered, "Be safe," in her ear.

She hugged him back and pulled away. "Of course I will," she said, "I'll be back in a few minutes to bring you all in, and you'll see me alive and well."

With that, she took Bilbo's hand and off they scurried toward the house.

Fili watched anxiously as Kira and Bilbo slipped from his sight. He was conflicted about whether he should have fought to go with her or for her to stay. He didn't understand how to handle her 'native' things when they came up like this. Was he supposed to encourage her? Discourage her? Care at all?

Thorin had noticed Fili's pained expression and had discretely moved to stand next him. "You know she will be alright, lad," he said quietly. "We are here if either of our burglars run into trouble."

Fili didn't say anything in reponse. He tried to put the fears out of his mind by pulling out his small throwing axes and turning them over in his hands.

Thorin was concerned, though, in spite of what he had told Fili. He turned to Gandalf and asked him to tell him everything he knew about Beorn, just in case this large bear-man turned out to be their enemy.

The house was truly massive. Bilbo and Kira had greatly underestimated how far they were: the large house played tricks on their eyes, making it look like they were close when they still had a ways to go.

As they neared, Bilbo was beginning to lose his nerve. After all, they didn't really have any idea what was on the other side of that door. Oh how he wished Gandalf were there to protect them.

Unable to convince himself to keep running, Bilbo stopped short.

"What is it?" Kira asked the scared hobbit.

"I just… I just need a moment," he stammered. His breathing was quickening.

Kira placed a hand on his back and studied his face with grave concern. "Is there something wrong? Should I get Gandalf?"

"No—I, um, I just. I just don't understand what we are doing!" he finally blurted out. "There is a massive—thing on the other side of that door and you are just skipping along to greet him!"

"It will be okay. You heard the story."

"Well that's all good and fine for you, but we hobbits are not so chummy with massive bears!"

"You really don't believe he will see the relation?"

"No."

Kira sighed. She pulled her hair back to reveal her left ear. "Do you see my ears, Bilbo? Does this look like a dwarf ear to you?"

Bilbo stared at her ear. He could see a soft point to it much like his ears had. He was not convinced though. "What about our feet? Skin? Eyes? You don't think Beorn will be convinced by an ear, do you?"

"No, but look at the big picture: are there any other small humanoids in Middle Earth besides nomads, dwarves, and hobbits?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but then again, I'd never heard of nomads till you showed up on my doorstep!" Oh how he rued the day that had happened.

Kira couldn't help but feel a little insulted by this. She did her best to remain calm, though. "Just because my people never read or wrote things down doesn't mean we are so different. We live out in the open of the forest, you live in holes in the ground. You farm, we gather and hunt. You don't see how we could have had a common ancestor that chose different ways of living which then shaped our bodies?"

Bilbo was quiet for a moment. He was beginning to feel bad about letting his empty stomach turn his temper out on her. She made some valid points, after all. He just hoped now that Beorn would agree.

"You really can't read or write, Kira?"

"No." She turned her gaze down to the ground.

"How did you sign the contract, then?" Bilbo had a good memory.

Kira gave him a guilty look. "Please do not tell anyone. Fili signed my name for me. I don't want to upset anyone over it, though. Please promise to keep this to yourself."

"Of course," Bilbo said with a smile at last. "After all, we might be family, according to you." He followed her gaze down to their feet. "Albeit very distant family."

With that, they walked up the rest of the way to the massive door with a new confidence in their mission.

Author: Sorry for the delay in this update. I had someone dear to me pass away last week and have been too distracted to give the story the attention it deserves. I hope this chapter was enjoyable in spite of this! I promise the next one will be on time.

BigMamaKat: Thanks for the review! Hope the chapter was to your liking. :)

reaverattack: Haha, I know you will love this chapter. =]

Only Purple: You are seriously too kind! Hope you enjoyed Fili's victory here ;)

SleepySandman: Thank you for your kind words! The story is far from over, so I hope you continue to enjoy my story ^.^

Guest (chapter 4): Meep, weirdness is relative. :3

Once again, thank you all for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting and otherwise being wonderful and supportive! You have all helped me keep my chin up lately and I greatly appreciate it. Have a lovely week!