(Sorry in advance for this chapter...)

Chapter 9

"Do you mind explaining what just happened?" Bilbo asked, stepping over a fallen log and hurrying to catch up with Thorin. "Who is Sirene? And what was that bird doing?"

Thorin slowed his pace so they could walk side by side. He turned to Bilbo, but kept the bird in his periphery as it flitted from branch to branch ahead of them. "Sirene is a sorceress I met a few years ago. She is skilled in communicating with animals, and can sometimes...see through their eyes, as she was doing just now."

As he spoke, Bilbo's eyes widened. "A sorceress? I've never met one before."

"Well, you're about to." Thorin gestured with his chin. Up ahead, a small cottage was visible. As they drew nearer, the scent of basil drifted through the trees. Bilbo looked as if he wanted to stop and look at the small garden at the front of the cottage, but hurried on as Thorin approached the front door and knocked.

A woman opened the door and grinned. "Thorin. I thought it was you I spied out on the road."

"Sirene." He inclined his head with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

"How long has it been? Five, six years?" She turned her gaze to Bilbo, who was staring rather openly. "And who's this?"

"Um." Bilbo blinked rapidly. "B-Bilbo Baggins, at your service." He bowed, and Thorin fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well, come in, the both of you." Sirene stepped back to let them through the door.

Bilbo stammered a thank you and walked inside. Thorin suppressed a sigh and followed him through. The halfling couldn't really be blamed for being flustered. Sirene was beautiful, as most sorceresses were, with her smooth skin and lean build that was only partially concealed by her colorful dress. A band of the same fabric kept her thick dark locks away from her face.

"I did not expect to find you in Skellige," Thorin said, looking around the room. It was plainly furnished, with a shelf full of potions and herbs, another full of books, and a table and chairs near the fireplace.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to end up here." Sirene leaned against the table and crossed her arms. "But I sensed that the witch-hunters in Novigrad were beginning to close in, and decided it was time to move." She spread her hands. "Here, hardly anyone bothers me. It's safe, if a little uneventful."

"You made the right choice. Last I was in Novigrad, they were burning mages in the square. Though living here must be quite different from city life."

Sirene shrugged. "It's not so bad."

The door to what was presumably the bedroom creaked open, and a redhead peered out, blinking sleepily. The bedsheet she held to her chest only partially covered the fact that she was completely nude. Bilbo turned scarlet and began to study the shelf of books with intense focus.

"Sirene? I thought I heard someone knocking."

"Just some old friends. Go back to sleep."

The redhead grunted and closed the door, seemingly not even realizing there were other people in the room.

"We had a late night last night," Sirene said. "Anyway, what are you doing in Skellige? Taking contracts from the islanders now?"

"I'm here on personal business, actually. And I need your help."

"Is that so?" She raised her eyebrows. "How can I be of service?"

"I'm looking for a thief by the name of Phineas Ward. I have reason to believe he and his lackeys are hiding out on one of the smaller islands off the coast of Spikeroog. But I need the map revealing its location. I know you must have eyes all across this island. Will you help me find it?"

Sirene tilted her head. "I can certainly put out a search."

"H-How does that work, exactly?" Bilbo asked. He'd recovered for the most part, and his face had returned to its normal color. "You talk to the animals?"

"Not exactly. I establish a psychic connection and...suggest they do certain things. They usually listen. If I focus I can see what they see as well." She turned back to Thorin. "It will take some time before I'm able to turn up anything. In the meantime, I'd like to ask a favor of you as well."

Thorin crossed his arms. "A monster you need me to kill."

Sirene nodded. "This forest isn't entirely unoccupied. There's a leshen that lives nearby, and lately it's become more territorial and aggressive. It's been interfering with my connection to the animals, and giving me terrible nightmares these past few nights."

Bilbo looked back and forth between them. "A...leshen?"

"A forest spirit." Thorin locked eyes with Sirene. "A highly dangerous one."

"Which is why I've been putting off dealing with it for so long," Sirene said. "But with your help, I think we may have a chance at killing it."

"Very well." It was the least he could do for an old friend, especially since she was taking the time to help him in return. "Is there anything you need to prepare first?"

"I've got everything I need." Sirene grabbed a cloak from a hook by the door and slung it over her shoulders. "We can leave now."

The three of them exited the house, but Thorin paused at the door. "Bilbo. You should stay behind."

He turned around. "What?"

"The creature we're about to face is incredibly powerful, and more dangerous than you could imagine. If something were to happen—"

"I know better than to actually fight the thing." Bilbo placed his hands on his hips. "But we're in this together. I'd rather be out there watching your back than sitting here fretting in a cottage like an old maid."

"I'll have Sirene to watch my back. It's too much of a risk—"

"I'm coming. It's not up for discussion. I'll keep my distance, but I'm coming with you."

Thorin sighed and looked to Sirene to back him up, but she was studying a patch of basil with careful attentiveness. He turned back to Bilbo and locked eyes with him. "Once we enter the leshen's territory, you do exactly as I say. No exceptions. Understood?"

Bilbo held his gaze and nodded.

"Then let's get moving." He walked past him and gestured for Sirene to lead the way. Already, he felt anxiety tickle his gut—there were too many things that could go wrong. But Bilbo would be angry with him if he was forced to stay behind, and it was possible he would simply follow them anyway. It was better to keep the halfling where he could watch over him.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Bilbo asked as they entered the forest.

"We met in Novigrad, where I used to live," Sirene said. "He helped me when I was in a bind with some witch hunters, and in return I helped him with a contract." A wry smile lifted her lips. "That led to a string of favors for each other, which eventually evolved into a friendship of sorts."

"That's an accurate enough description," Thorin said. Sirene was brave, with a good head on her shoulders, and they'd worked well together until he'd sought work farther north and lost contact with her.

"I think once we kill this leshen we'll finally be even," she said, tossing a smirk over her shoulder.

"The only one keeping score is you, Sirene."

"You two must be good friends, then." Bilbo looked back and forth between the two of them. His eyes lingered on Thorin's face, studying it, though he could not guess what he was looking for.

A curl of bitterness settled in his stomach as he guessed anyway. He thought of Sirene as a friend he could trust, nothing more. It seemed Bilbo's interest went further than that. What Thorin had hypothesized back at the inn in the harbor town was untrue.

And it does not matter. He banished the topic from his mind.

"What do you know of this leshen?" he asked Sirene, changing the subject. "Is it one of the old ones?"

"Not ancient, I don't think," she replied. "But powerful. Its hold on the animals of this forest is quite strong. I'll sleep more easily once I know this thing is dead."

"So this leshen can control animals like you can?" Bilbo asked.

"In a similar fashion, yes. I believe our shared...talent is the reason for its aggression. One would think—"

"Quiet." Thorin threw out one hand to halt Bilbo. "Do you hear that?"

A couple heartbeats ticked by, then Bilbo whispered, "Nothing."

The forest had fallen silent, save for the whisper of the wind through the trees. The birdsong that had filled the air half a minute ago had ceased.

"I can feel its presence," Sirene said, scanning the trees. "It's warning us to turn back."

Thorin took Bilbo by the shoulders and guided him to a nearby tree. "Stay here. If you see even the slightest glimpse of the leshen, run and do not look back."

"And if you get hurt—"

"If I get hurt, that it all the more reason to flee." He drew closer, gaining his full attention. "This is not a group of bandits, Bilbo. The leshen cannot be tricked or stalled. It is a monster that relies on instinct, and it will not hesitate to kill you. Do I have your word that you will keep yourself safe?"

Bilbo visibly swallowed. "Yes."

Satisfied, Thorin released him and turned back to Sirene. "Ready?"

She nodded, jaw set in determination, and the two continued on into the forest.

They hadn't gone far before the leshen soundlessly stepped out from behind a tree. Though humanoid in shape, the monster was undeniably otherworldly. Its body was made of wood, wrapped in lichen-covered bark and moss. Its head took the form of a deer's skull, with a large set of antlers and pointed, gnarled claws on its hands to match. A tattered brown cowl hung about its neck.

"I'll keep the animals at bay," Sirene said, stepping back as Thorin drew his silver sword. "Good luck."

He approached the leshen, keeping his senses sharp. From somewhere out of sight, a pack of wolves growled, but made no move to attack. The sharp eyes of a dozen crows glinted from the trees. From what he had studied of leshens, half the battle was merely getting close enough to land a hit, as they summoned swarms of animals to their defense. This time, Sirene would be blocking the monster's influence, leaving Thorin with just one opponent to face.

The leshen raised its claws and plunged them into the earth. A minute rumbling sounded from beneath his feet, and Thorin dove out of the way as a handful of roots, the tips as sharp as spears, erupted from the earth and pierced the air where his torso had just been.

He turned his impact with the ground into a roll and leapt to his feet. Before the leshen could pull its claws from the ground, Thorin lunged forward and slashed across its chest. The monster gave a deep, inhuman grunt and stepped back, its claws finally leaving the earth. He dodged as one of its appendages swung towards him. Leshens were slow enough that their blows were easily evaded, but a direct hit was like being kissed by a battering ram.

With his free hand, Thorin formed Igni, and the beast grunted again as flames licked its body. He managed to get in a few more hits before the monster vanished in a puff of smoke. Lowering his sword, he spun in a circle, searching the forest for the beast.

Above his head, the crows cawed restlessly and flapped their wings.

"Would you mind hurrying this up a little?" Sirene asked. She had one hand pressed to her temple, and seemed to be fighting a strained grimace.

"If the damn thing would show itself..." He raised his sword as he locked onto a flash of bone in the midst of a tall cluster of ferns. Dodging another group of emerging roots, he sprinted forward and cast Igni once more. The brush ignited, and the leshen vanished again.

Thorin stepped back and surveyed the area once more. Magic-wielding monster or not, the leshen was at least part wood, and burned just as easily as a stack of logs. Another shot or two of Igni would finish it off.

A flash of smoke in his periphery signaled the presence of the leshen, but Thorin's heart stuttered as he realized the monster had chosen a new target.

"Sirene! Behind you!" He was already sprinting for the sorceress, but knew he would not be able to reach her in time.

She spun around with a gasp as the leshen raised a clawed hand. The incantation for a shielding spell flowed for her lips, but even with the magical barrier, the force of the leshen's blow sent her crashing into a tree.

Thorin was there in the next instant, slashing at the creature's spindly limbs. As soon as it disappeared, he knelt down to Sirene. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live." She sat up with a wince. "But I lost—I lost my hold."

"On the animals?" he asked. His answer came in the form of an angry cacophony as the crows swooped down to attack. He hit the ground, pulling Sirene down with him, and the sharp claws of the birds passed inches from his head.

As soon as they were gone, Thorin pushed himself to his feet. "Try and get the animals back under your control. I'll take care of the leshen." He spied it near a cluster of bushes and started forward, then stopped dead as a new voice rang out:

"Thorin!"

He turned and sprinted away from the monster, towards where he had left Bilbo. The halfling was backed up against the tree, right where Thorin had told him to stay. His walking stick was aimed unsteadily at the pack of wolves approaching him.

There were three beasts, and Thorin made quick work of two. The third paused before it could attack Bilbo, then retreated with a growl.

Sirene had regained control. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Bilbo. "Are you all right?"

He nodded shakily. "I-I'm fine. I think I should go, now."

Almost imperceptibly, the earth under their feet trembled.

Thorin lunged for Bilbo, but his path was blocked as another group of roots shot up from the ground.

Bilbo let out a strangled gasp. The pointed tips had pierced his shoulders, chest, and stomach. The roots vanished into the earth as quickly as they had come. For one horrid, quiet moment, he was perfectly still as spots of red bloomed on his shirt.

And then he fell.

With a roar, Thorin turned towards the leshen as it pulled its claws from the earth. Dry, blackened cracks were already visible on the monster's wooden skin, but he blasted it with Igni anyway. The creature stumbled back, and Thorin closed the distance between them a second later, hacking at the beast in a blind fury.

With one final, powerful swing, he struck the leshen with enough force to send its head flying from its body.

Before the corpse of the monster had even touched the ground, he was rushing back to Bilbo's side. Sirene had already reached him and turned him over onto his back. The majority of his front was soaked in blood, and a few drops ran down his chin as he gave a painful cough.

"Bilbo." Thorin's hands hovered over his chest. Panic set in, causing a white, buzzing numbness to fill his mind. He turned to Sirene, breathing hard. "Heal him. Please."

Her hands were already raised, palms filling with a white glow as she muttered an incantation under her breath. The same glow lit up Bilbo's torso, though he still struggled for breath and twitched in pain.

After a moment, she dropped her hands. "No, this won't work."

"What?" His voice sounded distant to his own ears. He couldn't lose Bilbo. He couldn't lose him.

"Halflings are immune to magic. This healing spell won't work on him." Sirene fisted bloody hands in her cloak, her jaw tight. "I have medicine in my house, but we need to hurry."

At this, Thorin finally forced himself back into action. Trying not to jostle his injuries, he scooped up Bilbo and broke into a run with Sirene beside him. In this position, every labored breath, every spasm of pain from the halfling was agonizingly evident. He pushed himself to go faster, legs straining with each pounding step towards the house.

Seeing that he was pulling ahead, Sirene panted, "Set him on the table. Grab the blue powder on the third shelf and sprinkle it over his wounds."

Bilbo had gone terrifyingly still by the time they reached the cottage. The redhead, now fully clothed, was kneeling in the garden, and looked up in surprised as they approached.

Thorin burst through the door and set Bilbo on the thankfully empty table, trying not to think about how shallow his breathing had become. With shaking hands, he grabbed the correct bottle and emptied the contents onto Bilbo's abdomen. The powder mixed with the blood and turned a dark red.

Sirene entered the room a few moments later, the other woman on her heels. "Good, you did as I asked," she said, striding over to the shelf and gathering more bottles. "That should slow the bleeding a bit." She turned to her companion. "Ingrid, I need water and clean rags."

Ingrid nodded, her face pale, and rushed out the door.

"What can I do?" Thorin's voice was hoarse as he gazed at Bilbo's face. His eyes had fallen shut, and the pallor of his skin contrasted horribly with the blood around his mouth.

"Stay out of the way. I need to concentrate." She put her supplies on the table and set to work. "Wait outside, actually. There's nothing more you can do."

It took a hard shove to his shoulder from Sirene to get him moving. He walked away from the table and out the door, his pulse pounding almost deafeningly in his ears.

After a numb stretch of what could have been minutes or hours, anger began to melt his shock. It had been unspeakably irresponsible and foolish of him to bring a helpless halfling across the sea. If he had turned Bilbo away when they had met in Novigrad, he would have never been forced to face the danger that now threatened to take his life.

It had been Thorin's selfishness that had led him to this end. His desire for companionship had blinded him to the risks that had accompanied his partnership with Bilbo. The blood staining his hands and arms and chest was his fault, and his alone.

His thoughts cycled through self-castigation and fear and numb denial more times than he could count. The sun had set by the time he was disturbed from his thoughts. At the creak of the door behind him, Thorin shot to his feet, though he could not remember taking a seat on the stoop.

Sirene nodded for him to come in. Shadows hung under her eyes, and she trembled with exhaustion as she made her way over to the table.

"It took some work," she said, leaning one hand against the wood. "But he'll live."

Thorin's shoulders sagged. He stepped forward and looked Bilbo over. The blood had been cleaned from his face, and some color had returned to his complexion. Clean bandages were wrapped around the entirety of his torso, and his bloodied shirt and coat had been discarded to one side. Absently, he imagined how Bilbo would complain about having his clothes being stained so, then swallowed hard as nausea twisted his innards.

Better theirs than yours.

Careless. He'd been so careless. Thorin turned to Sirene. "You'll take care of him?"

"Of course." Her lips pursed. "Some more good news, perhaps?"

Exhaustion pulled at his limbs, but he nodded for her to continue.

"I was able to get back into contact with the creatures I sent to look for this map. My sources tell me the keeper is in Svorlag, a town north of here. He wears a yellow tunic and carries a bow."

"How far is the town?"

"No more than half a day's walk." She glanced at Bilbo. "I don't know when he's planning to leave, but if you go now, you might be able to catch him."

Go. That was his only option now. He took a couple steps towards the door, then paused and turned back to her. "When he wakes, do not tell him where I've gone. Put him on the first ship back to the mainland."

Sirene studied his face. "Why did you bring him with you in the first place?"

Careless.

"It was a mistake to bring him at all." He let out a deep breath, purging with it his frustration and distress. All that mattered now was finding Phineas Ward and taking back what was his. "Thank you for everything, Sirene. I wish you well."

With that, he left the cottage, and did not look back once as he entered the forest.