The next time I opened my eyes I could see much more clearly. I was in what looked to be a rectangular cabin made of rough hewn logs. I was lying on a pile of thick wool blankets set on top of a pile of straw on what appeared to be a sort of shelf against the short wall, opposite the door through which Beorn and his dog entered.
When I looked past my feet, I saw there was a heavy blanket covering a large opening between the room I was in and the next. The room was lit by torches in low sconces and by a small wood fire in a low hearth in the center. There was a hole in the ceiling where the smoke left and most of the rafters were black from soot.
The room was very simply furnished with short stubby wooden tables and matching short stubby wooden chairs with woven rushes for seats. I saw through the hole in the ceiling that it was daylight. I sat up slowly and waited for the pounding in my head to ease off. On the floor by my boots was my pack. It was tattered and the strap was broken, but it was still closed.
I had just about screwed up my courage to stand when Beorn returned. "Hello again! I have good news for you!" he bellowed. "I have received word from King Thranduil that the Elves found your Willow alive and well!"
"Oh, thank the Valar!" I replied and burst into tears.
"That was a clever thing you did with the blanket and the snow. The Elves said there were goblin tracks all around your little pony, but they never found her. They said she burst forth from the snow as soon as she heard their voices calling for you."
"What of the Elves? Were any of them hurt?"
"The message said none of the Elves were injured, but they thought the goblins had taken you and they tracked them down and killed them all! A glorious tale! I wish I had been there."
"Wait, how could you have gotten all this information?" I asked between sobs. "You said the way to Mirkwood was impassable."
"Impassable by those who walk on four legs or two, but not by those who fly! I have friends in high places as well as low, dear lady."
I was so thankful I hadn't killed Willow I couldn't stop crying.
Beorn handed me a huge handkerchief and said, "Dry your eyes, this is joyful news. Anyone who would put her life at risk for one of Iluvátar's four-footed children is a friend of mine! The King sends his warmest regards and his deepest regrets that you will not be joining him in his palace."
"I didn't put my life at risk really," I said and looked at my hands in my lap. "It felt more like leaving her to her doom at the time."
"Nonsense! The message said they found her with your warm cloak wrapped around her. You could have frozen to death without it."
I silently thanked my lucky stars that I had left the cloak; Beorn may not have been as kind to me had he found me wearing fur. Then I looked at my down jacket, leather clothes and pack and realized it might not have made much of a difference after all.
"Where will I go now?" I asked, wiping the tears away and blowing my nose.
"The King asked me if I could get you down river to the Golden Wood. My winged messengers have already been sent to the Lady; she will be expecting you."
"Lothlórien. I never dreamed I would be going there. Oh, thank you. How can I ever repay your kindness?"
"King Thranduil himself has expressed his gratitude to me and the gratitude of a king is not something to be taken lightly. You owe me nothing, but I would be honored if you would dine with me."
"I'd be delighted!" Then I thought of something, "Beorn, I understand why you took my weapons and I know the hook that was on my hand is very sharp, but I was wondering if I could have it back? It's very useful to me. I promise to keep the leather sleeve on for as long as I'm in your home."
"Dear lady, I can see you are no threat to my friends or my people. You may have your weapons back any time you wish."
"Thank you, but I don't believe I'll need them while I'm here, just my hook."
He made a sound very much like a series of barks. I had to rub my eyes when the grey dog came in, walking on his hind legs, with my hook in his forelegs. He handed it to me.
"Thank you very much," I said and took it.
"Rowr-ruff!" he replied.
I put it on and buckled the strap, feeling like Alice in Wonderland and expecting to see a white rabbit with a watch running by any second.
"Come! We will eat now and listen to one another's tales. When I told your tale to my brethren they were very anxious to meet you."
I saw Beorn wore no shoes, so I didn't put my boots on. I was also quite warm so I took off my jacket and tunic and followed him through the blanket covered doorway into a great hall.
There was a large fire in the middle and a low table, which had a lovely white cloth embroidered on the edges with images of animals. There were already several big men who looked very much like Beorn sitting at the table on large low benches with woven rush seats.
On the table were several wooden bowls and plates filled with bread and fruit, cheese and vegetables. To my amazement, the men were being served by animals: ponies and sheep with trays on their backs and dogs walking on their hind legs carrying mugs and pitchers.
I was seated at one end of the table and Beorn sat at the other end. Each person at the table had a large bowl of mead and between us were bowls of honey and butter and cream. The utensils, plates, and bowls were all made of wood and except for the occasional knife, there was very little metal anywhere in the house.
Beorn introduced me to the others and told as much of my tale as he knew while we ate. There were quite a few exclamations of "Excellent!" and "Good show!" When he told of how I had bandaged Willow's wounds and left my cloak and hidden her from the orcs. I blushed furiously, but remained quiet.
I listened very carefully when he got to the part where he found me unconscious. Apparently, two nights before, Beorn and several of his brothers were tracking a band of orcs that had killed a small group of men and their horses in the Beornings' lands to the South. It was not the same group that had caused the avalanche and were killed by the Elves, indicating to me, a larger force was amassing somewhere in the Misty Mountain area.
Beorn himself found me near the foot of the mountain and carried me all the way back to his house. His brothers continued tracking the orcs and killed them on the western banks of the Anduin, just north of the Carrock, the rock in the middle of the river that I had seen as I made my way down the slope. The orcs had probably passed the very spot where I lay just an hour or so before the rockslide.
They all told tales of their patrols and discussed how much bolder the orcs had become recently. They were traveling frequently in the plains between the Anduin and Mirkwood, an area the Beornings had previously been able to keep clear. Many of the orcs were riding wargs and there were even tales of tall orcs from the southwest who walked erect and ventured forth during daylight hours.
"Urukai," I said, almost to myself. The men looked at me. "They are the creation of Saruman. A new breed of orc. Strong and fearless."
"So, the White Wizard is a traitor?" replied Beorn. "That is ill news."
"Yes, but be wary. If you see an old man wandering alone, don't assume he's Saruman. Many changes are coming and the Valar are on the side of the free peoples of Middle Earth," I replied. I couldn't remember if Gandalf the White would come through these lands and I didn't want the Beornings to attack him by mistake.
"How come you by this knowledge, dear lady?" asked Beorn.
"There was a council in Rivendell. There were people of many races and lands gathered. I learned much."
"You are a good listener. Can you tell us any more of what you learned?"
"Only that things will get worse before they get better. The Uruks of Saruman, the goblins of the Misty Mountains, Moria, and Mordor, as well as the issue of Dol Guldur will become bolder still. The wildmen of Dunland, the Corsairs of the South and the Haradrim have allied themselves with Saruman and Sauron as well."
"Have you any good news?"
"Yes, though I can't give you the details. The greatest and wisest of Middle Earth have a plan to destroy Sauron and it will not fail. It's up to the rest of us to defend what we can and succor the refugees of this war until it is over."
"Then defend and succor, we shall! I will send messengers to the villages in my lands that all who need it may come here for food and shelter. There is no joy in victory if there are none left alive to celebrate it."
"You are a good man, Beorn. I am honored to have met you and had the pleasure of joining you at your table."
"It is a boon to us all that you have come. We are oft without news from over the mountains and betimes it feels as if we have been forgotten."
"No, I can assure you the efforts of the Beornings were not forgotten at the council. You were praised greatly for keeping the way between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains clear."
"Alas, we shall have to redouble our efforts. It is even more important now that evil be held at bay."
"You will be successful; I'm sure of it. Your people are fierce and your friends are a force in and of themselves."
"Aye, that they are," Beorn replied patting the head of his big grey dog.
The conversation continued and when I was full and had drunk a bowl and a half of mead I began to get sleepy.
"I believe the lady is weary, my brothers!" Beorn declared.
"Yes, if you don't mind I think I'll turn in," I said with a smile.
"As you wish, but I must warn you, do not leave this house until daybreak."
"I won't," I said and stood. "Good night and good hunting!"
The men laughed and I went back through the blanket-curtain to my bed. I curled up under one of the wool blankets and fell asleep listening to the sounds of ponies, sheep, dogs, birds and a very low growling.
In the morning I felt even better than I had the previous night. The fire was burning in my section of the house and there were dogs and sheep and ponies milling about. I pulled my cloak out of my pack and checked the contents. I saw that someone had gone through it, but nothing was missing.
There was a small table in the room laden with bread and fruit, honey and cream. There was also a pitcher of the honeysuckle juice. I sat down and ate and drank, happy to be warm and safe. When I was finished, I put on my cloak, refilled my cup, and went into the great hall. It was dimly lit by a low fire in the center hearth. I walked over to the left side and opened one of the two large doors leading out onto a veranda. The air was crisp and fresh. I sat on the edge of the deck and let my legs dangle.
The yard was enclosed by the walls of the house on three sides and a tall hedge with a gate on the fourth. To one side were several very large bee hives, all closed up for the winter. I imagined in the Spring and Summer, the yard was a beautiful garden, but this time of year all the plants and flowers were sleeping under piles of warm mulch.
I set down my cup, hopped off the veranda, and headed for the gate in my bare feet. I opened it and found the tracks of many large four-footed animals passing to and fro in the dirt. I would have known they were bear tracks even if I hadn't known the Beornings were shape-shifters. My feet started to get chilly, so I decided not to explore anymore. I closed the gate and went back to the house, humming the Teddy Bears' Picnic to myself.
I picked up my cup and went through the double doors and back to my room. I found a pitcher of water and a basin and got myself cleaned up. As I was washing my face I found a rather large, very sore, goose-egg just inside my hairline and when I took out the plaits Legolas had woven into my hair I found another one on the back of my head.
I brushed a lot of dust out of my hair and pulled it back with the leather oval and stick. When I finished my ablutions I tended to my many cuts, bumps, and bruises and chewed some more of the tree bark to reduce the inflammation in my bones and joints. I felt quite refreshed and hoped we would be leaving soon for Lothlórien. I packed everything except my cloak back in the bag and pulled out the book. I flipped through it and sat down in the chair to read.
The animals continued their daily chores around me, clearing my breakfast dishes and the basin and pitcher. At one point I began to hum again. Several of them came in to listen and when I looked up I was surrounded by sheep, ponies and dogs. There was even an old graying black ram standing near the blanket covered doorway.
"Do you like my song?" I asked as I set the book on the table next to me.
A pony nodded and a sheep "baa-ed" and one of the dogs barked.
"It has words; shall I sing it to you?"
Again they seemed to answer in the affirmative so I sang the Teddy Bears' Picnic to them. They all got a huge kick out of it, I could tell because the ponies nickered and to my amazement the dogs began to dance. This is crazy. Dancing dogs? I've lost my mind.
When I finished the song I refilled my cup and sat back, grinning.
"Good afternoon! That was an excellent song!" Beorn boomed from the doorway between the rooms. I jumped. How can a man that big move so silently?
"I am sorry if I startled you. I was listening to your song. It is quite appropriate, is it not?"
I blushed, "Well, I'm glad you aren't offended, Beorn."
"Offended? Why should I be? In fact, in better days I have attended many such gatherings. I would have thought you had yourself, considering how well you described it."
I laughed. "No, unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure. My mother taught me that song when I was little."
"Perhaps she has attended, though I cannot remember ever seeing her."
"Perhaps," I replied still grinning.
Beorn had apparently had a successful hunt because he was very jolly and we ate together on the veranda. After we ate he turned to me, "Dear lady, I fear every day we wait it will be more dangerous for you to travel. If you are well enough, I shall take you to the river at dusk. I have a boat waiting for you."
"You aren't coming with me are you?"
"No, the Elves will be looking for the boat; all you will have to do is stay close to the eastern bank of the river until you reach the protected banks of the Golden Wood. They will meet you."
"How long do you think it will take?"
"The current is swift; you should arrive before dusk tomorrow."
"I will need food."
"Yes. I shall provide you with enough food and water to take you safely to the Lady's realm."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Beorn. I'm sure your grandfather would be proud of you and your brothers."
"Oh, he is! Did you think he had passed? No. My grandsire still roams these plains with my father. They simply prefer to tread on four feet rather than two these days."
I marveled at the thought of the two great black bears patrolling the banks of the Anduin together. "I think since I'll be up all night, I should take a nap," I said and stood.
"That is a very good idea. My brothers and I can only protect you while you are on the eastern side, you must not drift."
"Thank you again, Beorn. For everything."
"You are very welcome, dear lady. You must come back and visit me when my gardens are in bloom, perhaps I will take you to one of our picnics?"
"I would like that very much," I replied and went back to bed.
Just before sunset, Beorn came and woke me. He had my weapons and a bundle with him. I pulled on my boots and put on my tunic and jacket. I strapped my knife to my left calf and put on my belt and harness.
"I have never seen a woman with such weapons," Beorn observed and handed me the bundle. "I hope you will have no need of them."
"So do I," I replied and put the bundle in the pack.
He led me out the double doors and through the gate. We quietly trekked due west until we reached the river. I could see the Carrock clearly and shuddered to think the orcs had gotten so bold as to come within shouting distance of Beorn's family home. There was a small canoe pulled up on the bank that looked as if it had been carved from a single hollowed-out log. It had a cushion for a seat with a blanket folded up on it, a rope at the bow and a single oar. There was a wooden shield resting in the middle.
"You should not need to paddle, the current will carry you. Use the oar to guide the boat. When you are met by the Elves, land on the eastern bank and leave the boat, they will come for you. We will be patrolling the eastern bank and you will be out of range of arrows from the west, but keep the shield up on your left, just in case."
"Thank you again, Beorn," I said as I put my pack in the front and sat.
"Be well, dear lady," he replied and pushed the boat out into the water.
I'd had plenty of experience canoeing on the bayous of Louisiana when I was a girl, so even though the current was swift, I had little trouble keeping to the bank. Occasionally I would catch sight of bears traveling alongside me and I felt safe.
I enjoyed the first few hours, thinking often of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. The sky was clear and full of stars, there was no moon. Legolas had pointed Eärendil out to me and I found it twinkling down in the Western sky.
I'd kept the shield up on my left and had the blanket over my legs. I was feeling quite safe and content and began to dig through my pack for the bundle of food when I heard a loud "THOCK!" and the shield jolted. I ducked down, leaning over the right side with the oar, trying to keep the boat on track. I heard another "THUMP!" in the front of the boat and then a chorus of screams and growls from the eastern bank.
The screams ended as suddenly as they'd begun and I heard nothing more but the unmistakable growling of bears. Eventually I sat up and looked at the outside of the shield. There was a thick, black arrow with greasy black fletching embedded in the hard wood. I shivered. Twice during the night, I was unnerved by the sound of arrows falling into the river a little more than halfway across from the opposite bank, but no more came from the eastern side.
Whenever I felt sleepy, I would remember the sound of those arrows and would wake. I did not hum or talk to myself at all, but I went over several of my favorite driving songs in my mind. In my previous life, even before joining the army, I drove often through the southern US. I always drove at night and more often than not I was alone. "Radar Love" and other classic rock songs kept me going on those long road trips and I went over them in my mind trying to remember as many of the lyrics as I could.
I looked to the horizon and saw the mountains looming up in the West and the dark trees of Mirkwood in the East. There was a wide expanse of grassland with a few sparse outcroppings of trees between the river and the Misty Mountains, but on the left, the plain was much narrower and Mirkwood seemed very close by comparison.
Eventually I felt comfortable enough to get a bite to eat. The bundle was full of small squares of a sweet white cheese, raw vegetables and dried fruits and nuts. There was even a small jar of honey and a loaf of sweet brown bread.
As dawn crept into the morning sky and the stars twinkled out, I saw an orc arrow stuck in the wood inside the boat near the bow. That must have been the thump I heard. I looked eagerly to the south and could see the tall golden mellyrn [Elvish plural for mallorn tree] of the Lady's realm coming into view beyond the grassy fields. Far in the distance on my left, I thought I saw the spire of the treacherous Dol Guldur nestled in the canopy deep within Mirkwood.
I reached a section of rapids as I passed a river inlet from the mountains and fought to stay close to the bank. I had to ease toward the center to get through them and another volley of black arrows fell within ten yards of me into the water. They stopped suddenly and I made my way back toward the bank when the rapids were behind me. I peered across the river, but saw no movement in the tall grass.
The wind was swift at my back and I was making good time. By noon I could clearly see the Golden Wood and I watched the western bank for signs of the Elves who were to meet me. I ate a little more and wondered silently if Haldir and his brothers would be among them.
I guessed it was about three o'clock when I finally saw movement in the wood on the opposite bank. I couldn't actually see anyone, but when a beautiful white arrow with white fletching fell into the bow of my boat I knew they were there and I made my way to the eastern shore of the river. I found a small tree and pulled the little boat as far out of the water as I could, tying it off.
I stayed alert and left my pack in the boat. I took the sleeve off my hook and held the shield in my right hand and the sword in my left. I kept my back to the river. I had a feeling the Beornings would still be watching over me, but I wasn't taking any chances. I never heard the Elven boats land, nor did I hear them approach, so when a tall golden-haired Elf dropped out of a tree in front of me I jumped and nearly dropped my sword.
End of Chapter 31.