Welcome back again, my lovelies! I hope that you enjoy the next instalment, I seem to have left my block behind, and am steaming ahead, with ideas and inspiration hitting me like a brick, so long may this continue.
Thank you ever so much for F/F: Tibblets, EmoQueenxxx, oceandreamer1 and ANIMEFAN426.
I only own little Todd.
Chapter 30 – What Lies Ahead
They found themselves then all sat around the large table, some of them sharing seats with one another, whilst the rest of the dwarrows shared the bench the other side of the table. Todd was between Bilbo and Bofur, naturally. Everyone was sat apart from the wondering Istari who was stood out of the way, and Thorin who had decided to stand also, his arms crossed over his chest, a frown permanently etched on his features.
Todd couldn't help but gawp at the company. She had never really realised how small they all were compared to this place until they were invited to sit at the table. She was now eye level with the table top and the counters surrounding it. Everything was exactly how you would find it in any kitchen in Middle Earth, yet it was all if not quadruple, but triple the size. The salt pot was larger than her head, and she was pretty sure that every pot and pan she saw could fit her in. A notion that made her a little nervous again.
"I still can't get over how large everything is…" She muttered half her herself.
"I thought villages of Men were large, but this is something else!" Bilbo agreed, picking up a butter knife the size of his forearm and inspecting it.
"Aye, its been a while since I've sat in a seat and been able to swing me legs, I feel like a wee bairn again!" Bofur chortled.
"Can you even remember that far back…" Kili sniggered, elbowing Fili. Todd chuckled and rested her elbows on the table, letting her head fall into her hands with a warm smile as Bofur huffed, a good natured look upon his features. All of them a little glad to be lifting the mood a little.
"Bofur?" Todd asked, turning a little in her seat as the conversation went on around them. She smiled warmly as he looked to her. "If you don't mind me asking, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to… I suppose it isn't really my business…"
"What is it lass?" He chuckled softly, shuffling to face her a little more, a twinkle in his eye that made her smile broaden into a grin despite herself. The itch completely out of her mind now. His leg brushed against hers as he turned, as he realised he pulled it back, a blush turning in his cheeks.
"What were you talking to Thorin about that had you looking so down afterwards, are you ok?" She asked, her emerald eyes looking into his warm hazel ones. She watched as the twinkle in them disappeared and a blank look fell over his features. Sighing he pulled off his hat and scratched at his head, before plopping it back.
"It's difficult to say, its uh…" He looked over her shoulder, then made a face and shook his head. Todd let her brows furrow, turned her head she saw Bilbo quickly turn away, pretending to look elsewhere.
"What are you both not telling me?" She asked, not angrily, but with worry in her tone. It hurt Bofur to have to hide something from her, but it was for the best, that was what Bofur had to keep telling himself.
Then Beorn reappeared from where he had wondered off to. He strode back up and into the table area with a thick woven vest now on, hiding the scars on his chest. He also came carrying a large jug, the table quietened down as he set to filling up the humungous mugs set around the table. There were only a few, yet they were so large that they were quite happy sharing. There was plenty to go around. He then pulled a few plates of what looked like cheese and bread and placed them in the centre for the company to pick at. Of which they needed no invitation, especially Bombur. Todd even made a grab for a lump of bread and began nibbling at it, whilst sending looks between Bilbo and Bofur who were doing their best to ignore her.
"So, you are the one they call Oakenshield…" Beorn began. "Tell me, why is Azog the defiler hunting you?"
"You know of Azog?" Thorin asked, looking as taken back as the rest of the company at the turn of conversation. Thorin pushed himself off from the beam he was leaning against and stood towards the huge man. "How?"
"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the orcs came down from the North!" He rumbled as he moved to fill the mug before Ori and Fili. "The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved…"
Todd noticed then that the large man had a shackle over his right wrist, large enough to probably fit once he had shifted, yet not large enough for him to pull off from his wrist now in man form. It was rusted and she could tell that he had tried with all his might to break free from it, if any of the scratches and scrapes against it were anything to go by. She couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to be trapped by a creature as foul as the defiler. An image of the bone cage from way back in the troll horde came to mind.
"Yet, not for work, you understand, but for sport… caging skin changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him!"
"That must have been horrible, I'm so sorry" Todd found herself saying, bowing her head when he looked to her.
"It is ok little one, it's in the past now, nothing but a ghost of a memory!" He rumbled.
"There are others like you then?" Bilbo asked. "Like you but, different to our Todd?"
"Once there were many!" Beorn supplied, moving around behind Todd, then he leaned over and topped up the mug before her. She smiled her thanks and picked it up with both hands to take a swig of the fresh milk.
"And now?" Bilbo pressed, not knowing when to quit when he was ahead.
"Now there is only one…" The gravity of the comment drifted over the company. Todd felt as though her heart was breaking for the great bear man before her. She had been so wary and nervous of him before now, but seeing the way he fed them and gave them shelter even though he wasn't keen on dwarrows was a very wise and caring thing to do. He had been captured and tortured for fun, not only that he had lost his family, with no means to find himself a new one. It was utterly heart-breaking, and something that wasn't so far from how she had felt before coming across the Company. Not having a home, no home in others, people she cared about to make a family that you belonged too. Everyone deserves a home with smiling faces there to welcome them to it.
"You need to reach the Mountain before the last days of Autumn!" Beorn said as he came to lean against one of his counter tops.
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes!" Gandalf nodded, looking to the Bear man. Thorin looked affronted at the fact that someone outside of the Company now had that information, it unsettled him, and had made a few of the Company bristle as well. Todd knew that they needed help, and if telling Beorn that much got them the help they needed, then so be it. They had to get there in time, they just had to. "Which is why we must go through Mirkwood"
"A darkness lies upon that forest!" Beorn warned, eyes narrowing. Then his gaze swept round to Todd, herself stiffening at the intense look. "Fell things creep beneath those trees"
Todd let her mouth drop a little. Fell things. Did he mean her kind, Rebhane? If there were any more in Middle Earth she was intrigued to meet them, but not if they were anything like the fell beasts her forefathers had turned into. She didn't want to associate herself with those betrayers, and as much as she wanted to hate them, she was scared, scared that the itch in the back of her head meant that she was heading the same way. It was something that had been on her mind before, trying to figure out if that was how it happened. Maybe it started as an itch, then it took over, pulling her deep into the darkness, to be overcome with madness and evil.
"I would not venture there, unless in great need." Beorn warned again.
"We will take the Elven road, that path is still safe." Gandalf added.
"Safe?" The great man, repeated with a scoff. Thorin snorted also and turned away from the conversation, already hating where it was going. Those very woodland sprites were the ones who turned their backs on the suffering of those who fled Erebor when the great fire worm had descended. They had decided to help save innocent lives was beneath them and they had literally walked away. It was unforgivable, and they would never forgive, and most certainly would never forget. Todd could remember the venom in her Fathers voice when he spoke about it. The tears that welled in his eyes at the thought of the lives that would have been saved and alive today if they had just stepped in and given aid at the very least. All the company had a few choice words to say about those elves. Even Todd swore in Khuzdul under her breath, earning the nods of Dwalin and Gloin.
"The wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin, they are less wise and more dangerous… but it matters not!" He added mysteriously. Thorin turned back to him, worry evident in his face.
"What do you mean?"
"These lands are crawling with Orcs, their numbers are growing, and you are on foot!" He raised his wild eye brows, as the company shared worried glances. Todd felt Bofur tense beside her, she looked to him, but his eyes were trained across the table in thought. "You will not make it to the forest alive!"
"Is there no way?" Todd had to ask, she turned in her seat, emerald eyes meeting wild brown ones. He smiled quickly to her before standing back up and wandering round the table, bending to miss hitting his head on a low beam, that was still leagues higher than the company's heads would ever reach.
"I don't like dwarves, they are greedy and blind!" He paused and reached over to the pick up the pale white mouse Bofur had just shoved off his arm. "Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." He gently held the mouse in one hand, carefully stroking it with his huge thumb, the small creature seemed unperturbed and quite comfortable with him. His eyes softened as he looked down to it, coming to a stop in front of Thorin he moved his gaze to the King. "But Orcs I hate more, what do you need?"
Todd had sat herself down on the back steps overlooking the part of the garden where they had acquainted themselves with their host not a few moments previous. She had left the Company inside finishing off cleaning and sharpening their weapons, sorting through supplies with Beorn and Gandalf. They were all in a good mood, after the great man had offered his aid to them. Thorin had less of a frown cast over his brow, especially due to the notion that they would be setting off the next morning. There wasn't enough light left in the day now to set off and get far enough to make a difference.
She let her chest heave in a large breath, completely expanding her lungs, before letting it fly from her in a massive sigh. Her emerald eyes were glistening with the reflection of the setting sun over the mountains leagues in the distance. The luscious grassy and woodland greens dimming till they began to fade into the shadow of night. The sky held a scattering of thin wispy clouds that were moving with slow speed across the landscape, the dying sun painting them a beautiful burnt orange and pink. It really was a beautiful sight, and she was glad that she was in a safe enough position to be able to enjoy it.
She pulled her eyes away from the view and placed her twin daggers out before her, the red tassels swinging delicately. She had borrowed a whet stone from Bifur and was set on sharpening them up, following the lead of the rest of the company, and mainly because she had been meaning to way back before she had been taken hostage by those foul gruesome trolls. She let a smile dance over the features at the thought of them still stood frigid as solid stone way back where her adventure with the company first began.
She picked up the first dagger and silently got to work, the sharp twang of her blade as she sharpened it the only thing she concentrated on. She was done with her first dagger and half way through her second when she heard deep and heavy breathing approaching her, the steady heartbeat of a huge man. Beorn.
"Strange for a creature such as you to be travelling as part of a Company…" He breathed, setting himself to sit beside her on the top step. His body towered over her, making her feel like a bug about to squashed. She looked up to him, his eyes slipped from the dying light to her own. He offered her a small smile, one that made his animalistic eyes seem a little tamer.
"We have more in common than you think…" She hummed, her left hand coming up to tuck a few stray curls behind her ear.
"Although out of the ordinary, I feel it is wise" He nodded, mostly to himself. This however piqued her interest.
"How so?" She asked.
"There is a darkness out there, shifting, stretching… one I'm sure you have sensed already." He mused, eyes darting about the dim landscape before them.
"Well, yes I understand… I felt it first in the North of the Misty Mountains, so I fled down crossing over the Ettenmoores." She supplied, letting her hands rest in her lap. Her Daggers laid out before her.
"A very wise thing to do!" He agreed, his voice rumbling with what almost sounded like a chuckle. She looked up to him and she did indeed see a smile on his features. He wasn't as wild as he felt earlier. She concluded that the longer he was in his man form, the less of a grip the wildness within him had, or maybe it was because he was familiar with them all now, and that instinct to fight or flight was not needed. She let a small smile fall over her features back to him. She let her mind wander over the curious man before her. The way he spoke in riddles almost like Gandalf did at times. Then a thought niggled at her.
"Is the Great Wood really that back?" She asked.
"Yes…" He hummed, reaching down and plucking up another small mouse from somewhere round his feet. He held it up to his face, before he set to stroking the small creature. "… like I said, there are foul fell things creeping beneath those trees, crawling and spreading their murk, I would urge you of all creatures to avoid that place, but…"
"Me of all creatures?" She asked, her voice a little more nervous than questioning.
"You know your stories of old, you know how they became the darkness itself" There was an edge to his voice as he spoke of her heritage, then he tilted his head as if he had remembered something else. "The one with the stupid hat, what is he to you?"
"Bofur?" She asked, taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation, as to why he would openly ask such a personal question. She looked up at him again, and couldn't see a reason not to tell the truth to this man whose eyes were now looking so earnest. "He is someone that… that's uhm, very… he's very dear to me".
"I could tell from the way you looked to him when he was unaware" He nodded, lowering his hands and offering her the small mouse. The small animal look incredibly tiny in his hands, so when she held up both hands to take it, he shuffled the mouse very gently.
"I want to tell him, I thought maybe…" She let the rest of the sentence fade, as the mouse looked up to her with its beady little eyes, its nose twitching. She gently stroked it with her thumb.
"He looks to you the same!" He sounded. "Are you afraid of rejection little one?"
"I suppose I am, who would want to be with something like me?" She admitted, her walls slipping, she found it incredibly easy to talk to Beorn. It must have been the mutual understanding of being both of wild and tame beings.
"I believe, in his culture at least, it isn't his choice?"
"Thanks…" She snorted.
"You understand me incorrectly…" He sighed and moved himself up onto his feet. "Tell me, have you ever met any others of your kind?" He then asked, as if he had almost forgotten.
"Rebhane's?" She clarified, his unwavering look told her that was a 'yes' "No, just my Mother!"
"You would do well to avoid any you come across within those woods, little one… they will attempt to hurt those you care about…"
"What, how?" Her voice was rushed with shock at his statement.
"By using you!"
Then he left her sat there on his back steps looking like a ghost, all the colour had escaped her, the itch rolling over in the back of her head, fear clinging to her, but mainly because somewhere deep within her, she thought that they might be able to. This infernal itch in the back of her head, the nagging feeling that something is creeping up on her, something dark and all consuming. She could feel darkness bubbling up inside her and she needed to be able to fight it, she had been trying without realising for so long, the Company once they accepted her, had helped no end, urging her on and keeping her bright. Her mind flashed to the shiny thing in Bilbo's pocket, she remembered the pain with the flash of that terrifying eye in her head.
As Beorn went, he passed a very happy smiling Hobbit. Who paused in the doorway to let the giant man pass, he looked to Todd and let the smile drop from his face.
"What's wrong?" His voice was dead serious now, as he rushed to her side, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were still stuck to the place where Beorn had been stood when he spoke his last words to her. Eyes wide, the mouse jumped from her hands and made a break for it, her hands then curling in on themselves once empty, nails digging into her palms. Bilbo watched as his close friend started to shake a little.
"Todd?" He cooed, trying to bring her back from her daydream. "What's wrong?"
She finally broke from her inner turmoil when Bilbo waved his hand in front of her face. She sucked in a deep breath, and quickly wiped at her eyes. Whether from the shock of Beorns and horrid thoughts that flooded her mind with them, or whether it was from keeping her eyes open for so long staring after Beorn, her eyes were watering. She let Bilbo take her shaking hands, and hold them tight. He waited patiently for her to catch her breath and calm herself down a little.
"You won't let me fall will you, Bilbo?" Her voice came out small.
"Fall?"
"Into darkness"
"Never, you know I wouldn't" He stated, eyes full of resolve, and it warmed her up a little.
"Thank you"
"There's no need to thank me, for you won't need my help, you are stronger than you think and I believe in you, you just need to believe in yourself!" He let his voice take on a tone of that of a tutor.
"Do you think?" She wiped at her eyes again.
"Don't you think I know you a little better than Beorn?" He teased, trying to lighten the mood and make her see sense. He smiled brightly as he saw a bit more colour return to her cheeks, her hands slowing in their trembling. "Trust me!"
"Ok"
"Now what did he say?" He asked serious again.
"That there are more like me in Mirkwood, and that they will try to and hurt you all, by using me" She whispered.
"More like you, more Rebhane's you mean?"
"Aye"
"Well I know that there is no way that you would ever hurt any of us, but if you feel as though you're losing, just think on us, each of us… start with me and everything we have done together, then think of… Fili and Kili, then Bombur… think hard on Bofur, you will soon remember why you can't hurt us!" He suggested. Todd looked deeply into his eyes as she nodded with him.
"Yeah, that's a good idea" She breathed, she started doing it in her head. Moving her thoughts over each of the Company and picking memories she shared with them. It calmed her down, and made the itching fall back. "Thank you, Bilbo"
"Don't be silly, now… come now, I came to tell you dinner is ready and we need rest before we set off tomorrow!" He stood and offered her his hand. Taking it, she smiled weakly to him. Still not quite feeling herself after her chat with Beorn, but feeling a lot better than she had now that Bilbo was with her. She knew she had a lot to think over, especially if she wanted to prepare herself for anything she might face once within those woods. She wanted to practice what Bilbo told her to do, for she knew now more than felt, like she would need it. She was so fond of her Hobbit, he was the closest thing to family to her, like a Brother. She would rather die herself before hurting him, before hurting any of the Company, before hurting Bofur.
