Chapter 23
Gandalf led the Company down from the Carrock. He hurried off into the forest, wanting to get as close to their destination as possible while the sun was in the sky. He knew the danger they would be in once the sun went down. The Company each took turns carrying Ember, who continually coughed up blood, remaining in a state of semi-consciousness. Kili struggled to contain his frustration with the Wizard, he felt that if Ember could use her power, she could heal herself, putting this unnecessary pain behind her. He only hoped that whomever Gandalf was leading them to, he would be able to help. Soon, they came to a large outcropping. Gandalf decided to send Bilbo to scout ahead. Bilbo peeked over the top of the ledge, and gasped at the site of Azog and his Warg Scouts running along a ridgeline a distance away. The Pack stopped to smell the air, and Bilbo ducked down. However, there was no trace of a scent that the Wargs could detect, and they continued away out of his sight. A low snarling came from close by, and Bilbo peeked out from behind the rocks to see a large animal watching the Orc pack from another ridge. The bear roared in fury, and Bilbo decided it was time to sneak back to the camp.
"How close is the pack?" Dwalin asked. He held his axe ready.
"Too close," Bilbo replied. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it."
"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin growled.
"Not yet, but they will; we have another problem."
"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked.
"No, that's not it…" Bilbo replied in frustration.
"What did I tell you?" Gandalf smiled at the others. "Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." The dwarves chuckled loudly in appreciation, but Bilbo looked exasperated that no one would let him speak.
"Will you listen-will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there!" The dwarves looked at him with worry.
"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked grimly.
"Y-yes. But bigger, much bigger," Bilbo replied, curiosity in his voice. Gandalf turned and walked a few steps away, deep in thought. It was pretty early in the evening for the bear to be roaming.
"I say we double back," Bofur piped up. He sat with Ember in his lap, rocking her unconscious body slowly, a look of concern on his face.
"And be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin said in frustration. Gandalf sighed.
"The house I am taking us to is not far from here. We may take refuge there."
"Whose house is this? Is he a friend?" Thorin asked.
"Well…sort of. He will help us…or he will kill us." Gandalf looked at the dwarves, who silently communicated with each other.
"What choice do we have?" Thorin muttered. The roar of the bear shattered the quiet of the evening behind them.
"None," replied Gandalf. "Come on!" The Company took off, running from the forest, crossing a small stream. "This way, quickly!" Gandalf hurried the group forward, spotting a house surrounded by a large hedge in the middle of a large meadow. The Company raced towards the house, hearing both the sounds of Orcs and the bear bellowing behind them. They reached the door of the house. Kili gently took Ember from the arms of Bofur, as the others began throwing themselves at the closed door. Gandalf turned to see a massive bear break out from the edge of the forest, racing towards them. "Open the door!" He hollered.
"Quickly!" yelled Thorin. He pushed through the dwarves, managed to raise the exterior bolt and opened the door. The Company bolted inside the house, trying to slam the door shut, but the bear had reached the door, forcing its massive head inside.
"Come on lads!" Dwalin cried, as the group pressed against the door. With a final heave, the dwarves managed to close the door, dropping the bolt across it. Sighing in shock, fear and relief, they flopped down onto the floor.
"What is that thing?" Ori asked tiredly.
"That…is our host." Gandalf replied.
"His name is Beorn…and he is a skin-changer." Ember's voice came softly from where she lay rested in Kili's arms. Gandalf smiled at her, pleased to see her awake. Her eyes betrayed her pain though, and she whimpered quietly.
"Sometimes he's a huge black bear; sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. We will be safe here tonight." He motioned for Kili to follow him, and leading him down a long corridor, entered a room with a large soft bed. Gandalf pulled back the blankets as Kili laid Ember gently on the bed. She coughed harshly, crying out in pain. Kili gently eased her out of her boots, as Oin came in. Together, they rewrapped her bandages, Oin's face lined with worry at the clear infection to the burn in her back. Finally, he gave her a sleeping draught for the pain, patted Kili on the shoulder and left the room. Kili took off his cloak, and boots, before laying down beside Ember, easing her into his arms gently. She uttered a soft groan at the movement, but settled as her fingers entwined in his hair. Gandalf watched them with a worried face, then silently closed the door.
The Orc pack stood on a ridge, Azog's yellow eyes glaring into the black night at the house of Beorn. He watched the massive bear growling, stalking around the perimeter of the land.
"Bu margi hum. Guri shugi khozdayil!" Azog turned to sneer at his Orc companion.
"Sha. Hulim nari arangish." The fury at being denied his prizes again displayed on his face, Azog roared and turned away into the night. He walked back towards the small camp, Wargs snarling and growling at each other. "Zadgarimid ru mong." Suddenly, another Orc, pale as Azog astride a Warg rode up into the camp. Azog growled in recognition as his spawn Bolg approached him.
"Gothizubu bugdlat," Bolg greeted him. Azog snarled in anger at having to leave his prey, then leaped on his White Warg. The others followed suit, as they raced into the night heading towards Dol Guldur. Azog smiled evilly. He couldn't wait to inform his Master of the half-breed's power.
The door to the bedroom opened slowly, then shut quietly. Kili kept his eyes closed, but his senses were on alert. He kept his breathing regular, as he felt rather than saw a large figure approach the bed. He kept his arms snugly around Ember, who whimpered softly, her breathing shallow with pain. The presence stood at the bedside, before Kili felt a pair of arms pulling Ember away from him. He snarled, reaching into his pocket for a dagger, when he was ruthlessly grabbed and held up against the wall. He stared in surprised anger at the giant man before him. He was tall, and muscular, his arm across Kili's chest holding him in place. His brown hair was streaked with grey, his eyes bright blue, adorned with large bushy eyebrows. His clothes were furs, careworn with age. His eyes fixed on Kili severely, and he finally stopped struggling. "Is it custom for a dwarf to lay with a woman before he has wed her?" The deep baritone voice was stern in anger. Kili glared back.
"I do not see what business it is of yours what she and I choose to do," Kili retorted. The man growled at his response.
"SHE is my business," the man roared loudly. The bedroom door burst open, and the Company rushed in, weapons drawn, before stopping in shock at the site before them. Gandalf stood back, a worried look on his face. Ember opened her eyes, and the blue pierced the room around her. She smiled up at the man holding her beloved in the air.
"Hello, Beorn," she murmured softly, and his eyes softened as he looked down towards her.
"Hello, little flame," Beorn replied. Kili looked from her to Beorn in surprise.
"This is our host," Gandalf spoke up. The Company looked at each other, before lowering their weapons. "He is also an old friend of Ember's." Ember smiled at her family, and they felt a rush of relief.
"Vol kaon, do you think you could ask your friend to put me down?" Kili asked.
"Indeed." Thorin stated sternly, his eyes flashing at the rough treatment of his nephew. Beorn glanced at Ember with a raised eyebrow, and when she nodded, he lowered Kili to the ground. Ember laughed faintly, before gasping in pain. Beorn turned to her, a look of concern on his face.
"You are wounded, little flame," he said with concern.
"Nothing I can't handle," she said weakly, before a fit of coughing overtook her. Gandalf and Oin quickly ushered the Company out of the room, before returning and closing the door. Kili warily eyed his host, before moving to Ember's side. He tenderly wiped the blood from her mouth, caressing her cheek. Beorn watched him closely, then knelt down on the other side of Ember, taking her hand in his. He closed his eyes, searching for her power. He gently reached forward, lifting her tunic up. Though Kili's mouth tightened, Ember squeezed his hand in reassurance. Beorn's eyes surveyed the deep black bruising on her torso. Sighing, he stroked her brow, which was sweaty with obvious fever, before turning to Gandalf.
"You have contained her power." Although not an accusation, Gandalf heard the tone of the skin-changer's voice.
"Once you have heard our tale, you will understand why. For now, it is the only option I have with which to prevent it from consuming her." Gandalf looked down at Ember, whose breathing was becoming more rapid. They watched silently as Oin mixed up a draught to help her pain and bring down the fever, which Kili encouraged her to drink. Finally, Gandalf looked back at the tall shape-shifter beside him. "Can you heal her?" Beorn studied him sadly.
"I may be able to heal the breaks to her bones…but the internal damage I sense in her is too great. Along with the infection in her blood…No. I cannot heal her. Not alone." Kili gripped her hand tightly, he could not stand this any longer. Ember had drifted off again, fever flushing her cheeks.
"Gandalf, release her power! She can heal herself!" The young dwarf pleaded. The old Wizard shook his head, but Beorn looked at the dwarf intently.
"What do you mean, young prince?" he asked. Kili hesitated, before explaining what had occurred in Rivendell. Beorn looked at Ember, deep in thought, before turning to Gandalf.
"Release her power." Gandalf stared at him.
"It will consume her. Beorn, you did not see the power she displayed against those Orcs. It will consume her. I dare not. I WILL not."
"If I heal her as much as I can, she may be strong enough to control her powers. It is the only way, Gandalf." The wizard sat down tiredly. "Or else…she will die." Gandalf hung his head, before finally nodding. He knew Beorn was right. Beorn turned to Kili. "Leave now, all of you. Once I have done all that I can…I will call for you."
"I will not leave her." Kili rose in defiance, but the giant merely smiled at him.
"To heal her means I will need to hurt her, though it will pain me to do so. Not only would you try to stop me, it will hurt her more if you are here to witness it." He came around the bed and rested his hands on Kili's shoulders. "You must be strong, young prince. Know that I treasure my little flame as my own child. I will take care of her." Every fiber in Kili's body screamed at him, telling him not to trust this strange creature who had manhandled him. But he saw how carefully and gently the skin-changer handled Ember, and he knew that he would be true to his word. He turned back to his One, pressing his forehead to hers, brushing his lips lightly to her own.
"Holdd annam, vol kaon," he whispered, "Ohr an gugun." He kissed her brow, then strode from the room. Gandalf looked down at his Yuula, worry in his eyes, before he and Oin followed Kili out the door. Beorn locked the door behind them, then turned to the young girl on the bed. He slowly approached the bed, gathering his strength and resolve. She looked so small as he knelt beside her, resting his large hand on her forehead.
"If you can hear me, little flame," he whispered in her ear, "know that I only do this because I will not allow you to leave this world. The pain will pass…But there will be pain." Ember whimpered softly. Beorn closed his eyes, reaching for his own power. A tear fell from his eye once the screaming began.
Hours passed. The Company finally had to leave the house, stepping out into the massive garden that surrounded the property, getting as far from the agonizing screams of their lass as they could. Only Kili remained at the door of the room, refusing to leave. Thorin and Fili had watched him with worried eyes. When the screaming had started, Kili had fought Dwalin and Bifur from entering the room. They were certain he had lost his mind. Thorin and Fili supported him, though they too were confused by Kili's behavior. How could he let his One be harmed like this? Gandalf finally explained who Beorn was and what he was doing.
Beorn was the last of his kind, his people being the first to live in the mountains. Hundreds of years ago, the Orcs had come down from the North, killing most of the skin-changers. Some had been enslaved, for torture or for sport. While Beorn had never fully explained how he had managed to survive, Gandalf knew that had it not been for Radagast the Brown, he too would have died. Radagast had discovered Beorn in the forest, had helped to heal him, and as such was trusted by Beorn above all others. There had been many times that Ember had accompanied Radagast to visit Beorn, who had immediately been taken with the lovely child. He called her "little flame" as he was able to feel the power inside of her. However, his magic was old, and being the last of his kind, he rarely used it beyond changing his form. To heal Ember was asking him to reach deep down inside himself, and apply his power to a being outside of his race. It would be excruciating, but if Ember managed to survive the pain of his magic, there was a chance she could be saved.
In the early evening, as the first shadows were creeping across the garden, the screaming stopped suddenly. The silence was worse than the screams. The door remained closed, and Kili struggled to keep from breaking it down. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the door to the room slowly opened. Kili rose in panic. He felt Thorin's hand on his back and his brother beside him as he looked up at the skin-changer.
Beorn's face was tear-stained, his eyes reddened and swollen. He looked haggard and tired, but he reached out to Kili, placing a hand on his shoulder. He gazed down at the young prince before him, seeing the fear and hope in his eyes. "She lives," he said quietly. Kili dropped his head in relief. "The rest is up to her…and you." Kili looked at him in confusion as Gandalf mumbled under his breath, removing the containment spell. "She will need you if she is to control her power. It is greater than any I have known in Middle-Earth." Kili held his gaze solemnly. "It can heal her…but it can also kill her. Somehow, I think you will be the light that will guide her. Go now, young prince. I fear there is not much time." With that, Beorn turned to the Company. "Stay inside for the night. Should you leave the safety of my home, it is at your own peril." With that, he strode out into the night. The Company watched silently as his form began to change shape, and a large bear soon roared his presence. Kili looked at Fili and his Uncle, before entering the room, closing and locking the door behind him.
Bu margi hum. Guri shugi khozdayil - Attack them now. Kill the Dwarf filth while they sleep
Sha. Hulim nari arangish. - No. The Beast stands guard.
Zadgarimid ru mong -We will kill them on the Road.
Gothizubu bugdlat - Our Master calls you
Holdd annam, vol kaon -Hold on blue eyes
Ohr an gugun - I will return
Okay, so felt like leaving a cliffhanger. Thoughts? There may be a love scene in the next chapter, so fair warning. I own nothing but Ember. Reviews?