I am dyslexic, I'd appreciate constructive comment not destructive comments. (not that I would read or take note of Destructive comment any way. You'd be wasting your time) I have spell checked and everything but if you do spot grammar or spelling that isn't correct ( as word is not god!) please PM do not write it on a comment as its very embarrassing having dyslexia! Oh so sorry! Uni caught up with me. No worries though I'll have time to write some more soon

Aella relax. I haven't seen one bity warg thingy Zilla's wings were like a beat on the wind. She cut though the air over the forest and rocky mountain side.

Even so we can not take our chances, Aella leaned forward in the saddle.

Zilla flew lower that's where she spotted the orcs. She ducked down into the trees hitting her wing on a branch and loosing balance in the air landing with a thump, falling over and almost crushing Aella. She scrambled onto her front legs and looked back at her rider.

Sorry

The company scrambled around them as Aella dismounted and limped over to them, her leg now growing a nice burse. She healed it before taking a breath. Zilla scrambled to her claws.

"We think we spotted the Orcs and their... Warg things" Aella said placing a hand on Zilla, who was grumbling about the judgement on her eyesite.

Thorin turned to Bilbo. The small hobbit took a step back and concern was clear on his face.

"Bilbo could you scout around, see what you can find?" Thorin asked with an air of sternness.

I could do the same. Ha I could kill all of the bity-warg things and their runt-looking-riders Zilla snapped

Yes I know but this is Bilbo's chance to prove himself Aella replied.

Zilla's tail twitched from side to side and she sat on her haunches. Her thoughts were kept to herself but Aella was shore she was thinking about how the hobbit would be nothing more than a tasty snack to them. Bilbo nodded and hesitantly walked off to have a look. It was silent among the company until Zilla grumbled and lay back down, head on her claws and snorted out smoke.

"Zilla will you please just settle," Aella lent on her neck and grabbed a horn.

Zilla turned one golden eye to her rider and snorted pulling away again.

I am a dragon! I should not be hiding. The daughter of wind and fire should be out there vanquishing her enemies

Aella rolled her eyes. She could sense the group becoming resless and it was a long-time before the hobbit returned. Zilla lifted her head and sniffed the air.

Something is different. It smells different almost similar to the scent of a warecat

The group spoke praising Bilbo.

"You did well Bilbo. You truly are that of light feet. Bilbo lightfoot I will have to call you from now on," Aella chuckled.

"Oh and what do they call you?" Bilbo asked side tracked.

"Aella Shadowrider is what the Urgals called me. The others adopted it," Aella replied.

"Enough talk Bilbo what did you see," Thorin snapped.

"Something else... Something bigger, not as big as Zilla though," Bilbo muttered putting his the back of his hand on his mouth.

"Did it look like a bear?" Gandalf asked leaning on his staff.

Zilla's head whipped around, snaked her neck down to them and she looked at the two. Golden eyes un moving. She turned her head to the brothers Kili and Fili

Bear?... Bears there are Bears in this forest. Bears bite snap kill. Bears hurt. Is it Urzhad!? Urzhad are only slightly smaller than I, Zilla was panicing.

When she had first flown with Aella to the Beor Mountains, their first flight, a Urzhad (cave bear) had attacked them. Zilla had almost lost both wings if Eragon and Saphira hadn't saves them both. They could have lost even more. The Mental scars still effected Zilla. Even now at her, taller than house, size she would still back down from an Urzhad.

"Urzhad? We don't know," Fili replied confused.

Kili reached out a hand to help settle the dragon but she snarled and backed away. She sat closer to Aella, who also looked extremely worried.

Fly if you must

No I will stay with you

"There is a house... Not too far from here," Gandalf said sternly.

"What choice do we have?"

A roar echoed through the woods. Aella instinctively clung onto Zilla, just as she had so many times before back in Aligasia.

"Non..."

The company ran. Zilla stuck with her frightend rider bounding after them in grate leeps. She crashed through the forest. She knocked over trees Aella could sense Throins anger. They ran for what seemed like hours the sun was coming up just as they hit the thinner forest. Once out in the open Zilla took flight. The bear broke through the forest line and roared after them. Shouts and screams for everyone to run faster bounced through the company. Zilla landed, she didn't care if the Bear was almost Urzhad size or not. It was not getting her partner-of-heart-and-mind Aella. She let lose a loud snarling roar flared and bearded her ivory teeth. The bear creature slammed into her. Aella could feel herself screaming but no sound came from her mouth, infact she couldn't hear at all. All she felt was the pain, the pain from her dragon running through herself, she clutched her hair, flash backs ran though her mind, teeth snagging her clothing, blood running from her dragon, that rotten meat smelling breath on her. Just like as if she was there. Zilla roared in pain, she swung her tail down on the bear forcing it to let her go and she took flight, darting off back into the forest to lick her wounds. A strong hand grabbed her and pulled her inside. She sunk down onto the floor and looked up at Dwalin.

"Waist of space..." he muttered.

Gandalf explained to them that Beorn was a skin changer.

"The Bear is fierce but the man can be reasoned with," He lent on his staff. "Now get some rest."

Aella couldn't sleep that night. She tried reaching out to Zilla, but her mind was cut off. Camping next to Kili and Bilbo she wished they were a wake. She heard the hobbit wake and shift slightly. Aella lifted her head. The two looked at each other and watched as a tall man walked in.

Beorn? She asked him within his mind.

Must be... He thought back. Aella... Your worried about Zilla?

Yes... I am. She'll be back but I just worry

Aella rested her head down again and tried to shut her eyes for sleep. It was just before dawn when Aella felt that familiar tickle in the back of her mind. She reached for it but it slipped away. A soft thud shook the house. Aella crawled to the door careful not to wake any one, she felt as if she was being watched but looked up and saw a Cow looking at her. She thought it was just that as she slipped out the door. Zilla was sat in a horse field. She was hunched over panting. Her wings covered her sides and her tail was curled up around her. She looked like a massive cat. Aella went to approach, but the large black and gold being growled. Aella knelt. She just looked at the grass slowly moving in the wind. Zilla snarled and her tail whipped and then she also went silent looking at the grass. The sun started peeking over the hills when Zilla finally moved her head.

I was an Idiot to take on that bear...

You were very brave. I think you may have saved us all

Even so... I... I should have just scared him not take him on...

Would you like me to heal you?

She moved her wing and lay on her side. She had a massive bite in her side about the same width as two hands. Aella inspected the wound and began healing it.

The bear is a skin changer. Like watcher but he's a werebear.

I guess I'm starting to respect him...

The wound was fairly easy to heal. No major damage was done. Her strong hard scales were what saved her. Zilla nuzzled her shoulder after she was healed.

Wait for me here?

Yes

Aella made her way back to the house as Zilla lay down, crossing her claws over each other. When Aella entered the house the company were packing up there sleeping things. She made no sound and walked over to Gandalf.

"Zilla is back. I've healed her wound and she's waiting for me outside," She told him.

"That is good. Aella this is Beorn," Gandalf said.

Beorn was almost as tall as a Kull. His bearded and haired body was almost bear like already. Aella stood staring at him. The others who had already greater him were making their way to a large table.

"Well I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you... You bit my dragon, but it is nice to see another skin changer. I know a werecat," Aella explained as she made her way to the table.

"For biting your Dragon I am truly sorry. I hear stories of the rider on the wind. A few used to fly by here many many years ago. But for some time many sorrowful stories then nothing. Did you not all fall?" he asked pouring drinks.

A golden eye peered in through the window. Beorn opened it allowing the dragon to poke her head through.

"Most of us did. For a time it was just..." She shut her eyes as painful memories flooded back. It had been 50 years. Where had the time gone? "For a time it was just the fake king and his slave dragon. Until Saphira hatched for Eragon, Thorn to Murtagh and Zilla to Me. Murtagh and Thorn were captive to him for a while.

"Slave dragon?" Fili questioned.

"Shruikan was not his. He enslaved him some time after his dragon died. He had gone mad with the loss." Aella explained.

"Do you all go mad?" Bofur asked

"No... When a Rider looses their dragon they usually kill whoever killed their dragon and die or kill themselves or go mad then end up dying. It was rare for a rider to get over the loss. The same goes for the dragon. Borm, Eragon's father was one who came out semie-sain, but he focused on killing the one who killed his dragon, I think that, Eragons mother and Eragon's birth was what saved him," Aella told them.

"Enough of this insane talk, if we start going soft on dragons we'll never achieve our goal!" Thorin snapped.

Aella watched as Thorin caught Kili sneaking Aella some meat. He snatched it from the younger Dwarves hand and slammed it on the table. Aella shot Zilla a disappointed look.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn asked pouring them another cup.

"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin asked raising an eyebrow.

"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 turned his head away.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.

He took a sip of his drink. Aella sighed softly, she already had a feeling what the answer was.

"Once there were many."

"And now?" Bilbo asked

"Now there's only one. You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn."

"Before Durin's Day falls, yes," Gandalf replied.

Zilla snorted

I could have flown you all there individually. She pulled her head and made her way back to the empty horse field.

"She says she could... have flown us there by now..." Aella muttered into her cup.

"we must go through Mirkwood," Gandalf raised an eyebrow at Aella, who intern shrugged.

"A darkness lies upon that forest, foul things creep beneath 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," Borin explained.

Aella didn't like the sound of that.

"We will take the Elven Road, their path is still safe," Gandalf said patting Aella's arm sensing her alarm in the idea of walking though a foul forest.

"Safe? The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not," Beorn placed his kettle down on the side.

"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 dwarfs, they're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem less than their own," he scowled at them.

Aella looked at Gandalf worried again.

"But Orcs I hate more. What do you need?"