Disclaimer: I do not own any familiar characters/settings/plot featured in this story. They all belong to (most likely rolling in his grave) J.R.R. Tolkien.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The days began to blur together.
They walked on and on but Mirkwood continued to stretch unending before them. Winter began to grow stronger until snow blanketed everything in sight while the trees became nothing more than skeletons. Their supplies began to dwindle and if not for Beorn and Tauriel, then Bilbo were not sure how he would have found food and fresh water. The only silver lining he could find in their travel was that they had yet to encounter any sort of Orcs or other dangers.
"Do you think it's odd that we haven't sighted any Orcs?" he asked his comrades one day as they rested for their noon break.
"The patrols in Mirkwood would not allow any Orcs through," Tauriel explained as she worked on brushing her thick hair out.
"Unless they are an army with Goblins and Wargs along for the ride," Bard interjected without looking up from his bow that he was cleaning.
Tauriel smacked him on the knee with her comb before returning to her task. "It was safer and smarter to allow the army through Mirkwood than attempting to stop them with the few soldiers we had at the time. By letting them through, we could herd them towards our main forces and eliminate them there."
"Were there any stragglers?" Beorn asked as he watched Tauriel brush her hair with a look of wonder. Bilbo had a feeling that the shape-shifter had never even seen a comb in his life before if his own knotted hair was any indication.
"If there were then the scouts would've taken them out," Bilbo realized as he played with his beads. "I suppose that explains why we would not have seen any since we left Erebor."
"Actually, our scouts did report something odd," Tauriel added as she paused in her brushing and looked up at them all with a wrinkle between her brows. "Before they entered Mirkwood, the armies split up; one group going into Mirkwood while another headed off to the south. Our scouts tracked them but eventually left them alone when it became clear they had no intention of going into our territory."
"Wait, you mean a part of that army is still out there somewhere?" Bard summarized as he looked up from his bow with wide eyes. "What the hell is wrong with all of you? How could you let them wander off so easily? They could be attacking another kingdom now!"
"It wasn't my decision to make," the Elf defended with a dark scowl. "The king ordered us to leave them be and focus on the forces traveling through Mirkwood. They were a bigger concern to him than the Orcs outside of the kingdom."
Bilbo felt himself turning cold and it had nothing to do with the weather. "If part of the army withdrew then we didn't really face the full power of the Orcs in the battle. That's why Thorin and Kíli and Fíli are still alive; because the enemy was weaker this time around. And now that I think back on it, we lost a lot more forces and even more were severely injured the first time."
Tauriel and Bard stared at him with mirror expressions of horror while Beorn released a deep breath through his nose. "If the remaining forces went south, then there is only one place they must be going to," the bear said slowly as he met the Hobbit's eyes with his own narrowed pair.
He swallowed and nodded. "Mordor."
"But why would they split their forces up like that? Why not stay together and crush us?" Tauriel asked as she looked between the shape-shifter and burglar.
"Because someone told them not to," Bard replied quietly as his hands began to shake. "Someone knew they would lose and didn't want to waste so many soldiers on a defeat. Someone who knew exactly what would happen and has been making plans just like you from the start."
Bilbo closed his eyes and tried not to be sick. "Sauron."
"We need to tell the others of this," Tauriel declared after they had come to terms with the undeniable truth before them. "They need to know that he has such a big advantage on us."
"How? We're miles away from them and have no way to communicate," Bilbo pointed out as he rubbed his throbbing forehead.
The Elf gestured to the forest at their side with her chin. "I can find a scout in the woods and have him take a message back to the king."
"How long will that take?" Beorn asked as he tapped out a quick rhythm on his bent knee.
"I don't know," she admitted, biting her lower lip. "It could take a few hours or a few days; it depends on what rotation they're on now."
Bard snorted and shook his head. "Great. And what shall we do in the meantime? Sit around and knit?"
"How about you work on sewing your mouth shut? That would be a wonderful use of your time," Tauriel suggested with a sweet smile.
"Sure, and while I'm at it you can work on getting that stick out of your ass," the Man returned without blinking.
The Elf clapped her hands and cheered. "Great idea! Then I'll have something to hit you with!"
"Beorn, why did I think it was a good idea to invite any of you along?" Bilbo wondered as the arguing duo began another of their performances.
"You didn't. We invited ourselves," the bear replied as he watched the act with a smirk.
"A decision that I'm greatly regretting," he muttered before stepping forward until he was between the two. "That's enough you two. We don't have time to argue and bicker. Tauriel, you should leave now to find your scouts. We will wait here for you in the meantime."
Tauriel flashed Bard another glare before nodding to the Hobbit. "Agreed. I'll be back as quickly as possible. Stay alert and do not enter the forest under any circumstances. If you must venture within, I suggest sending Bard first as bait."
"Wow, thanks for the concern," the Man deadpanned.
"You're welcome," Tauriel replied with a smirk before disappearing into the forest without a sound.
Bard simply snorted. "Showoff."
With their guide gone for the moment, the three remaining males made camp for the night. Bilbo found himself secretly thankful for the delay. His ribs still ached and he found himself unusually fatigued and stiff. It annoyed him greatly that his body was being so weak. After all the training and walking, he thought he was getting healthier. Apparently his body had a different idea.
"Pup, you have a few spawn running around, right?" Beorn asked out of the blue as they sat together around a fire to keep warm.
Bard rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yes. I have three: two girls and a boy. Why?"
The shape-shifter shrugged his wide shoulders. "Just wondering. So is it hard being a father?"
"Um, sometimes?" Bard replied, blinking a few times. "It was hardest after Mari passed away, but it got easier with time."
Beorn nodded as his brows furrowed together and he rubbed his jaw. "That makes sense. So what's the hardest thing about being a pa? Feeding them? Drying their tears? Listening to them whine?"
The archer slowly raised his brows as he stared at the shape-shifter. "Beorn, what is this about? Why are you asking me all of these questions?"
"The bunny here told me that I'll have a son in the future," the bear explained as he nodded to the Hobbit. "I'm trying to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to raise this kid."
"You will be a good father, Beorn," Bilbo reassured as he rolled his eyes. "One simply has to look at your animals to see that."
The shape-shifter shook his head fiercely. "There's a difference between raising an animal and raising a child, bunny. With my horses and dogs I only need to worry about the most basic of needs; food, water, shelter, protection. I can give them all of that along with my love and respect and they can return it in their own ways. But bringing up a child is a bit more complex. I have to teach this kid right from wrong. I have to teach him about the world and how cruel it can be while also protecting his innocence. It is my responsibility to make sure this boy grows up into a decent person. That is not an easy task even for someone like me."
"Beorn, there's no real way to explain how to properly raise a child," Bard pointed out, wrinkling his eyebrows. "All you can really do is love them and protect them and teach them the important stuff in life."
"And that works for all your offspring?" the bear challenged, leaning forward slightly to rest his chin on his fist.
"For the most part, yes," the Man said. "I love them all equally and would give them the world if they asked for it, but I also have to remember that they're people too. They have their own personalities and opinions so I have to take that into consideration when dealing with them. For example: my oldest girl Sigrid is very mature and strong. As the oldest, she thinks she must be strong and so she keeps her worries and concerns to herself. I have to remind her every now and then that it's not weak of her to share her feelings with others. My boy Bain also tries to come across as strong, but is actually very insecure and needy. I always make sure to give him more attention and reassurance than I have to with the girls. Finally my youngest, Tilda, is very independent and is happy enough to be left to her own devices. I give her as much freedom as I can, but I always let her know that I'm around when she needs me."
Bilbo exchanged a look with Beorn before turning to stare at the archer. "Wow, Bard. I had no idea you were so good at this parenting thing."
"Years of practice and the help of a good Woman," the Man explained with a small smile that did nothing to hide the way his eyes grew somber. "Mari was a great mother. She understood our kids better than I ever did. She's the one who told me that I couldn't treat them like they were copies of each other like my parents did with my brothers and I. I would be lost if it wasn't for her."
"She sounds like a wise Woman," he commented quietly as he watched his friend closely.
"She was, but you would never know it with the way she behaved," Bard said as his smile eased into a grin that softened his face greatly. "She was such a little devil! Always mouthing off to someone and making people laugh or scream. She didn't take crap from anyone and could easily level a grown Man with one look. I think Tilda is the most like her in personality, but Bain takes after her in looks."
"You miss her a lot," Beorn commented with a sympathetic smile.
Bard returned it with a smile that Bilbo knew all too well. "Every damn day of my life, Beorn, every damn day."
The sun fell and rose again without Tauriel returning to the camp. With no other choice, they remained in their camp and continued to wait for the Elf to appear. It was while waiting for their comrade to return that Bilbo found himself alerted to an unpleasant development.
"So we're being followed," Beorn commented out of the blue as he examined his nails.
Bard and Bilbo looked up from their game of dirt hangman to stare at the shape-shifter. "By what?" asked the Man before Bilbo could speak up.
Beorn shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. It is a creature that crawls about on all fours and talks to itself. The kitten and I noticed it a few days ago, but since it hasn't made a move on us so we left it alone."
The Hobbit groaned and rubbed his face. He knew that description all too well. "It's Gollum."
Bard turned back to him and blinked. "What?"
"Gollum. He possessed the ring before me," he clarified quickly. "He is now a slave to it and is trying to take it back."
"Why do you not sound more alarmed by this?" the Man asked as he glanced at the forest from the corner of his eye.
"He's crazy and untrustworthy, but harmless as long as you keep an eye on him," he explained with a shrug. "As long as we watch him we'll be fine."
Beorn winked. "Leave it to me. The little worm won't move without me knowing so."
Bilbo nodded and looked to the forest as well. Though he could not see any hint of the creature, he knew it was watching his every move. But where he once would have felt unnerved by it, now all he felt was a grim determination to complete his mission at all costs.
Watch and wait all you want, fiend. Nothing you or anyone else try to do will stop me from destroying the One Ring for good.