Chapter 1
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Pairing: Beorn x Ornella [OC]
Rating: T for sensuality, violence and mentions of abuse
Summary:
The Legend of the Beast Whisperer traveled through the wind's breath – tales of a silver-haired maiden who tamed the Beorning Beast with her gentle touch and doe-black eyes. What the tales don't tell is how through his raw passion, he unleashed the fiery beast inside of her.
A flash of silver sped through the dark forest, the tall figure of a woman riding a stolen horse as fast as she could. The hood from her cloak had fallen in their attempt to outrun the group of men that were chasing them, her faithful dog following behind her. Their only source of light was the moon that guided them through their escape. Blood dripped down the side of her head, her bruised and battered body ached tremendously with every gallop the horse took. But, she knew that if she was caught, the punishment she would face would be severe.
"Faster, Aldo!" She shouted through heavy pants as her shaggy, cream-colored dog tried to keep up with the horse.
She could see an ending to the black trees up ahead and sped through, losing sight of Aldo. The shouts of the men chasing her suddenly became louder, sending an icy chill through her. Or was it just her anxiety that made them sound close? Either way, she didn't dare look back as if the mere movement would somehow slow them down.
"Aldo!" She cried out in a sudden panic when she realized he was still out of sight.
She nearly fell off her horse in relief when she saw Aldo ahead, standing in the bright moonlight in an open field. He was waiting for her through the dark trees, barking in her direction as if hurrying her but the inexperienced rider clumsily pulled the restraints on her horse, bringing a whinny of protest from the beast before he settled down, snorting irately.
"We..." She spoke through heavy breaths, "must keep going..."
She couldn't take the chance that they were still on her trail. Terrible sounds were now coming from the forest that they had escaped. The terrified screams of the men echoed from within the black forest. No doubt the noises they made had awakened the forest creatures of the night. She would have been part of that group if she had not ridden her poor horse to near exhaustion.
They weren't safe yet.
"Let's go," She told her dog even as she hesitantly scanned the open field.
She could hear a faint, animalistic bellow in the distance, the sound of something big – very big. She looked over her shoulder paranoidly, her eyes shifting wildly but saw nothing. What she didn't see or hear, her horse did.
Her restless horse began to whinny before it suddenly reared its front legs up and knocked her off with a loud thud. Ornella grunted in pain upon landing, looking up from the ground to see the horse sprinting out of sight.
"Stupid horse..." She muttered, ignoring her pain.
She weakly pushed herself off the ground, her body reaching its limit. She had no intentions of slowing down but... what was she going to do now? She was in so much pain and she had no idea where they were. She squinted, studying her surroundings like a hawk as if she hoped someone would come waltzing into the field and offer help.
Aldo suddenly began barking viciously, running to stand by his frail owner. Ignoring him, she began to walk in the direction of the horse. Animals were smart, right? The horse was probably running towards safety - or better yet, a village or town where people would hopefully be kind enough to offer aid.
Aldo continued to bark but received only a scolding to follow her.
"Hush, you!" She called out over her shoulder.
When he didn't, Ornella looked over her shoulder just in time to see two Warg-riding Orcs heading their way.
The skin-changer of the Anduin Vales panted as he ran through the lands he guarded. The scent of Orcs filled his nostrils along with other unfamiliar smells. His ears picked up the sound of a dog barking and a shrill scream. The dog did not smell like one of his own but it mattered not – his only concern was getting rid of the evil creatures that threatened his livestock.
When he reached them, he was met with a most unusual sight.
Ornella and Aldo were surrounded by two Orcs who wished to taunt them before killing them, their laughter deep as they circled the fearful woman. They were most likely grunts who had been sent out on patrol when they had come across this strange duo and, in their boredom, decided to play games with her. She managed to grab a thick, long stick and was swinging it hopelessly around as the Wargs snapped at her ankles. Aldo snarled and barked fiercely despite how much larger the beasts were compared to the very thin dog.
A large shadow casting over the moonlight would bring everyone's attention to the great black bear that was now charging their way.
Ornella's body instantly froze, dropping her stick as she gazed upon the bear in sheer terror. The Orcs and Wargs suddenly became less terrifying. Ornella couldn't remember ever seeing such a colossal creature.
The bear pounced and grabbed an Orc atop his Warg mid-air with its large mouth. The Orc was torn to shreds, wails of agony and waves of blood staining the grasslands brought a sick feeling to Ornella. She watched helplessly as the slain Orc's Warg pounced on the bear. Beorn's chest rumbled as the Warg sunk his teeth near the bear's throat in an attempt to bring him down.
Ornella was startled enough to bring her out of her trance. With the second Orc distracted by the bear, this was their chance.
"Run!" She snapped at Aldo, running aimlessly.
Her lungs puffed out short, anxious breaths. She looked back only once to see the beasts still fighting. Aldo woofed as they sprinted, drawing her attention to a house in the middle of the fields surrounded by an immense perimeter wall.
Thank the heavens!
"Help!" She shouted desperately, hoping the owners would hear her.
She approached the door, clumsily falling against it. She pounded on the door as loud as she could. When no one answered, she looked over her shoulder to see the bear was no longer distracted.
His new target now the woman who had intruded upon his territory. Blood dripped from his snarling mouth, his fur almost drenched in the Orc and Warg blood spilt. His immense paws nearly shook the ground as he hurtled their way.
"Please open!" She begged hysterically, Aldo barking nonstop.
In a last desperate attempt, she tried opening the door. To their enormous luck, it was unlocked. Aldo wasted no time, sprinting inside. Ornella shoved the heavy door with the last of her remaining energy, locking it just in time before the bear tackled it, sending her staggering back.
She gaped at the door, pale-white and shaking. The bear attempted a few more times to break in before giving up. She heard one last roar from the beast before hearing him rustle away through the grass field.
After what felt like an eternity of dead silence, Ornella's shaking legs gave out. She collapsed onto the floor with a hysterical chortle. She slowly curled up into a ball in front of the lit fireplace, her body reminding her of the pain she had forgotten in her trepidation.
She closed her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing. She felt Aldo curl up against her, the mutt equally exhausted. In their state, the floor may as well have been a royal bed for their adrenaline left them fatigued.
"We made it," She whispered, her eyes watering slightly.
They had been so close to death; a terrible one at that. The last time she felt as much fear as she did tonight was the night she had been captured into enslavement.
She couldn't remember how old she was when bandits raided their peaceful town, maybe seven or so:
Raiding through their town, the men pillaged, raped and killed as they pleased. They had broken into their home despite her father's attempt to barricade themselves in. The moment they burst through the door, Ornella's memory went blank. She only remembered being bound and was gagged when she would not stop crying, the bodies of her parents on the floor as she was thrown over a broad shoulder, never to see her home again. She was one of many who had been kidnapped. Any women and children the criminals deemed valuable were taken. The rest, along with her parents, were killed.
She was eventually sold to a stern and unkind man who worked her to the bone... until she grew out of her awkward adolescence.
She had been locked inside in her cold shed when she heard her master converse with another man outside of the window. He was offering "use of her body" for payment. The man was all too eager to offer a price, future arrangements being made as she listened. That had been the reason she decided to risk her life tonight by running.
Ornella planned her escape quickly and carefully, knowing the following night she would be passed around the village like a one-woman brothel. Since she had never attempted to run away or disobeyed an order before, her master kept her unchained but in a locked shed. Unlocking it had been easier than she thought but she managed to wake up her master.
Seeing her trying to leave blinded him with rage. He attacked her, hence her injuries, but had been unprepared for her to fight back. She was cleverer than he and managed to outwit him, grabbing his only horse and riding off. She had been chased by a group of men in their village who recognized her and the horse. The stray dog she had named, befriended and fed scraps to even as she went hungry followed the woman. She had been the only one of her kind that had shown him kindness in the rough village. Her eagerness to escape was what led them to the dark woods in the first place, having no sense of where she was or where to even head for safety. The fact that they not only managed to escape but survive was a miracle.
When her heart finally slowed to a normal rate, Ornella brought her hand to Aldo's head, petting him lazily. Her eyelids felt heavy, slowly closing against her will. Before Ornella could find out if anyone was even home, the warmth and soothing crackling of the fire lulled her into a much-needed slumber.
Author's Note:
I wrote this based solely on my knowledge of the film and additional Wiki sources I could find – thank you for understanding and dismissing small discrepancies.
What to expect:
Romantic fluff, friendship, hurt/comfort, some sensuality.