Chapter 11

Lexi sighed as she waited anxiously for the hobbit to return. She sat down on a rock and smiled to her prince beside her putting her hand in his. Kili smiled and then Lexi heard footsteps. Instantly, the duo stood up and saw the others do the same. She relaxed slightly as she saw Bilbo.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked. Lexi had her hopes up for a good turn of events.

"Too close, couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it." Bilbo said. Lexi looked to the other dwarves. She saw a different expression they had moments ago.

"Have the Orcs picked up our scent?" Lexi asked. Bilbo shook his head.

"Not yet, but they will do. We have another problem." Bilbo said.

"Did they see you? They saw you." Gandalf said looking worried.

"No, that's not it." Bilbo said. Lexi did a sigh of relief.

"Good, what did I tell you? Quite as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." Gandalf said. The dwarves murmured their agreements.

"Let him say what he is going to say," Lexi said. Everyone stopped and turned to her. She motioned to Bilbo to continue.

"I was trying to tell you there is something else out there." he said. Gandalf grew a worried look again.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked. Bilbo looked confused at Gandalf while he replied, "Ye...Yes, but bigger. Much bigger." Everyone looks to Gandalf.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked. Gandalf turned away not replying. Lexi looked to Kili.

"I say we double back." Bofur said. The dwarves looked frantic.

"We'll be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin said.

"There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge." Gandalf said. Thorin turned to him with a questioning look.

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked. Lexi waited anxiously for the answer.

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

"What choice do we have?" Thorin said. Suddenly they heard a creature roaring nearby. Lexi felt Kili tighten his grip on her hand

"None." Gandalf said. Lexi gulped. Here we go again, She thought.

She gathered her things and walked beside Kili. He gave her a weak smile as they started to run. Lexi ran along with Bilbo and keep hearing roars. She was scared for the fifth or sixth time she joined this quest. She help a hand grab her wrists and pulled her away as the orcs were getting closer and closer. She was up next to Fili and Kili next. She jumped over the rocky terrain and sighed. She was going to give in when she heard yelling.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf yelled. Lexi runs a bit faster and saw the dwarves do the same.

"Into the house! Run!" Gandalf yelled as they had spotted the house Lexi reaches the door first to be squashed by another dwarf. She groaned as they were pushing her and the door.

"Come on! Get inside!" Gandalf yelled. Lexi thought of some words to say as she was still being squashed by the dwarves and Bilbo. She ducked down getting out of that situation.

"Open the door!" Gandalf yelled. She didn't quite hear what Thorin said but he got the door open. She ran inside and stood aside as the dwarves tried to close the door. They finally manage to shut the door and lock it, Ori turns to Gandalf.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host." Gandalf replied. Everyone looked at him in confusion. Lexi joined Kili.

"His name is Beorn, he's a skin-changer. Sometimes he's a huge backed 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 said as they heard him outside.

"He's leaving," Ori said. Gloin pulled him away from the door.

"Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious, he's under some dark spell." Gloin said. Gandalf shook his head at the dwarf.

"Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own. Right." He said taking his hat off.

"Now, get some sleep all of you. You'll be safe here tonight." Gandalf said. He stops and looks outside.

"I hope." he murmured.

Lexi leaned her head against Kili's chest as he had his arms around her. She couldn't sleep. She sighed lightly not wanting to wake the sleeping dwarves.

"Can't sleep?" Kili asked her, his chest rasing and falling with each breath. She looked up at him nodding. She felt him shift. He looked down at her.

"How come?" Kili asked. Lexi sighed thinking.

"Just not sleepy," she answered. That wasn't entirely true. She didn't want the recurring nightmare she continued to have each and every night.

"How about a song?" He asked. Lexi smiled and nodded thinking. She had plenty of songs come to mind. She chose one and sang softly so that they could only hear.

Mama told me not to waste my life
She said spread your wings my little butterfly

Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And if they give you shhhh...
Then they can walk on by

My feet, feet can't touch the ground
And I can't hear a sound
But you just keep on running up your mouth yeah

Walk, walk on over there
'Cause I'm too fly to care, oh yeah

Your words don't mean a thing
I'm not listening
Keep talking, all I know is

Lexi sang, her voice sweet as ever.

Mama told me not to waste my life,
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say – it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly

I don't need no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey
I don't hear no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
You better keep on walking
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd
You better keep on walking
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd

Your words don't mean a thing
I'm not listening
They're just like water off my wings

Mama told me not to waste my life
She said spread your wings my little butterfly (my little butterfly)
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say – it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly

And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say – it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly

She finished and waited for a response.

"It was lovely. Was it yours?" He asked her.

"No, it's a favorite song of mine. It is done by Little Mix," Lexi answered.

"How about you get some sleep now?" He asked kissing her softly. Lexi nodded and leaned up on him again and smiled as she fell into a deep slumber.