Kili was sure he'd heard signs of a fight nearby. When he'd awoken he was sure he heard growls and heavy footfalls but by the time he'd roused Fili there had been nothing but silence and his brother had grumpily told him to go back to sleep.
"Gandalf says Orcs can't get past the bear." He'd sighed sleepily, "You probably just heard it patrolling or something."
Deep down Kili knew Fili was probably right but he just couldn't make himself fall asleep again. Finally, after a little tossing and turning he'd gotten up, deciding the only way to appease his anxious mind was to look around himself. The Goblin tunnels and the fight with Azog had put him on edge to say the least.
He wandered the compound for several minutes with his hand resting on his bow before he finally relaxed. He felt a bit foolish really, luckily nobody else had seen him acting so skittish, well expect Fili but he'd probably forget in his sleep addled state. He was about to turn back when he felt the hair on the back of his neck turn up, like somebody was watching him. His sharp eyes scanned the hives and trees spotting something half hidden by some juniper bushes down by the river's edge. The creature stepped out into the moonlight and Kili felt his eyes widen.
There standing there was the largest wolf he had ever seen. It stood as tall as his pony with shaggy russet fur and bright eyes that seemed almost familiar. Even at this distance he could see white fangs poking from its mouth and sharp black claws. It stood there staring at him with an unreadable expression, as if it was just as shocked to see him.
All of a sudden it flicked its ears forward and gave, what Kili interpreted as, a friendly whine. It was almost as if the wolf was trying to tell him not to be scared, that it was a friend. It wagged its tail, giving Kili an almost hopeful look. Kili chuckled a little, it reminded him of the dogs they'd used for hunting back in the Blue Mountains.
"Um, hello there." He tried, "I guess you're one of Beorn's animals, I guess everything is bigger here, I thought it was just the bees."
The wolf made a scoffing sound much to Kili's surprise.
"Do you…can you understand me?" He gaped.
The wolf nodded.
"Wow." The Dwarf breathed.
At ease now apparently, the wolf trotted up to him and gave him a sniff. Kili did his best not to flinch, the claws and fangs were close enough to touch him now. Evidently, he did not do a good job of hiding his discomfort as the wolf suddenly stiffened only to nuzzle at him, covering Kili's face in reddy brown fur.
"Arugh!" He coughed, "Down boy! At least, you're a boy yeah?"
The wolf made a strange sound with its throat, a deep rumbling almost like laughter and nodded.
"I get it you're friendly." Kili giggled as the wolf gave him another knock with its head, was this thing playing with him?
The silent question was answered when the wolf began to walk away, only to bat Kili across the head with its thick tail.
"Ow what was that for?" The Dwarf pouted. The wolf just blinked at him innocently, he was playing with him.
"I feel strange just calling you Wolf." Kili sighed, scratching behind the wolf's ears much to his surprise, "But if you do have a name I guess you can't tell me. Maybe I should call you 'Filtiarn' he was the hero wolf in an old fairy tale mother used to tell me."
The russet wolf made an uneasy sound.
"Well how about Raoul?" Kili tried again, "That means 'red wolf' in Khuzdul, that's my language."
Wolf sighed, looking somewhat sad and Kili felt a little guilty for trying to give his new friend an identity having only just met.
"Alright, alright, just Wolf it is." He smiled, Wolf gave him a friendly nudge. He had been about to ask if Beorn was about when Wolf suddenly kicked up his forepaws and knocked him to the ground. With a grunt of annoyance Kili got himself to his feet, thinking he must have offended Wolf more than he thought only to notice his new friends stance. He was crouched low with his tail lashing through the air. He wasn;t angry, he wanted to play.
Catch me! He seemed to taunt, jumping from paw to paw waiting for Kili to make a move.
"I'll have you now I'm the fastest Dwarf in the Company." He grinned, "You won't be outrunning me."
Kili leapt and took off after Wolf but for all his speed he simply couldn't catch the beast. It seemed that along with the size of a horse, he got all their speed and swiftness as well. What was truly infuriating was that Wolf knew this. He'd stop and wait long enough so that Kili would get close, only to take off again.
"I yield!" Kili panted finally, leaning on his knees, "You win! I'll well enough be able to fall asleep again now."
Wolf gave him a friendly bark before rushing off across the compound.
"Geez what's got you in such a hurry?" Kili breathed, still trying to catch his breath, "I guess that's how wolves say goodnight."
-oOo-
Getting changed and ducking inside before Kili made it back hadn't been easy but somehow Bilbo had done it. Thanking Eru for Hobbit inconspicuousness. He had grinned at the fun he;d had at the Dwarf prince's expense, he couldn't help playing with him a little. He knew he should have answered his questions, admitted what he was but somehow that fear still lingered. What the Dwarves would think of him.
He'd fallen asleep almost instantly and woke to the sound of Kili's voice.
"I'm telling you this wasn't a dream! He was as big as Myrtle!"
Blinking awake Bilbo saw the Dwarves all sat at a table far too large for them all nibbling on bread and honey. Gandalf was in the corner smoking his pipe with a small grin on his face, apparently Kili was relaying his little 'adventure' last night.
"Wolves don't grow as big as ponies' boy." Dwalin shrugged, "Simple as that!"
"But look at the bees!" Kili insisted, pointing at the massive buzzing things floating about the room.
"Bee's don't usually grow to that size but Beorn's do!"
"So you think he's really got a collection of giant animals?" Bilbo asked, with a slightly over exaggerated yawn.
"Ask him yourself." Thorin told them, nodding to where the door was opening.
Beorn appeared, in his human form, carrying a pitcher of milk, no doubt from some cows he had hidden away somewhere.
"Ask me what?" Beorn growled, seeming as gruff and unhappy as he had been when Bilbo first met him before revealing his true lineage. Something told Bilbo that this skin changer wasn't overly fond of his Company. The Hobbit had to admit, he preferred the playful friendly Beorn to this one.
"I went outside last night-" Kili began, Bilbo saw Beorn twitch in annoyance.
"-And I met your wolf!" Kili continued, obviously not noticing, "The big reddish brown one! He got me to chase him! He seemed really friendly and he was huge! Like big enough to ride and nobody believes me!"
"Ah, yes I know of whom you speak but he's not mine." Beorn replied, seemingly in a better mood all of a sudden, "He simply…showed up recently."
Bilbo bit his lip nervously.
"Oh no need to worry Hobbit." Beorn added, "He's quite safe."
Beorn wasn't going to tell. Bilbo tried to hide his sigh of relief.
"I was rather hoping he'd be up for some sparring after breakfast." Beorn added, seemingly to himself.
"Can we watch?" Ori asked excitably.
"Indeed, such a creature would be a formidable ally or foe." Thorin nodded.
Bilbo tried not to giggle at the prospect of Thorin finding him formidable.
"Let's go look for him now!" Fili cheered, swallowing his breakfast in one mouthful, "I want to see him."
Kili and Ori cheered.
"Oh no, not me!" Bilbo argued, "I'm not interested in any fighting or giant wolves, I'll just, um, go down to the bee hives."
In the short time since their arrival he'd noticed the Dwarves distaste for the large insects, nobody would come looking for him there.
"But don't you want to see this giant wolf?" Balin asked teasingly, "You can't have seen anything like it before, I thought your adventurous spirit was awoken in our lattest battle."
"Not that much!" Bilbo replied, jumping down from the table and rushing out the door before any questions were asked. He had to find a place to hide his clothes…
I searched and searched for a reliable Dwarvish source but I couldn't find one, not one that gave me the words 'red' or 'wolf' anyway. Rauol means Red Wolf in another language, I think it was Hungarian but I can't remember sorry :/
Next chapter: Its time for more fighting between Beorn and Bilbo and maybe even a certain King under the Mountain…