Four years later...
Warm, early morning sun slanted through the trees as I walked a lone patrol through the forests around Ered Luin. I had become used to rising with the dawn, strapping on my armor and heading out the gates, breakfast in hand. Summer was beginning, blossoms falling from the apple trees dotted through the forest, making way for the brilliant green of growing leaves. The ground was a riot of color, woodland flowers scattered over the forest floor, leaving the air heady with scent. I paused at times to examine my favorite ones, the white snow bells and bright red paintbrush flowers. In my spare time I would take to drawing them in a small book, adding it to the volumes I created about my old life. I had grown to love my home here, especially at this time of year when all things were growing anew.
Hearing the rush of water coming closer, I diverted my course away from the river and headed back towards the town. I had no desire to come near the river as it thundered along the valley. The waters were deep and fast, and while I didn't doubt my ability, I disliked swimming and chose to avoid it whenever possible. So far it had not become a problem, for which I was grateful. The woods around me were calm, as they had been for over a month, not an enemy in sight. Rigorous patrols had seen to that, the goblins giving up on their attacks all together some two years back. These days I was only ever forced to confront the odd bear or wolf, animals that would likely always come back to these lands no matter how often I chased them away.
Soon enough the walls came into view, my friends among the guards calling out greetings at my return. I waved back, skipping through the door that had opened for me in the wall and clapping Dwalin on the shoulder before giving my usual report. That done, I was off home to change before heading over to my position at the tannery. There I would report to Karn, my good friend and the one in charge. He was a cheery dwarf, his twinkling brown eyes always lit up as if at some joke, his grey hair braided in five plaits before joining up at his back to keep out of his face. He kept his beard braided in much the same fashion, a heavy clasp holding it in place. Today was going to be especially pleasant, as we were done with the hard part of the job for the moment and I was able to sit out front turning the finished leather into various items that had been ordered. I spent the greater part of the morning and afternoon here, carefully embroidering intricate patterns into belts, coats, and scabbards. I was just rising to bring the finished works inside when the sound of running feet had me bracing myself in place.
"Alanta!" Two small forms cried with muffled voices as they crashed into me. Steadying them with a laugh, I smiled down at the grinning faces of Fili and Kili. Dis was not far behind them, out shopping from the looks of the basket on her arm, and a resigned expression on her face.
"I don't suppose you're up for watching them for a bit?" she asked by way of greeting. "It was all I could do to get them to eat lunch before racing over here." I nodded, chuckling as I ruffled their hair. Kili was unperturbed by this action, while Fili ducked back with a yelp, quickly trying to straighten his mussed locks.
"Oh, don't. You'll mess up my braids and then uncle will be upset!" He had only recently begun adding braids to his golden hair, and took it with great pride that he was old enough to do so. Kili, not yet old enough to understand this, began mercilessly teasing him while Dis smiled fondly.
"Sorry lad, it won't happen again." I replied seriously. His scowl lightened, displeasure forgotten in moments as he moved on to other thoughts.
"Did you see anything in the woods today?" they both asked excitedly. I knew they were hoping I would say no, having been asking recently to be allowed outside the walls for a night or two on the condition that it was safe. I kept my expression blank for a minute, gazing down at their upturned faces, so full of hope.
"Nope, nothing. Not a single track or trace." They cheered at the news, turning now to Dis.
"Mama, does that mean we can go camping? Please?!" Dis sighed, not wanting to disappoint the boys, but knowing that Thorin would have to agree.
"Only, if Uncle says yes." The boys sobered quickly, wondering what his answer would be.
"Since I will be taking them if this comes to pass, I will go ask him. You go ahead and get your shopping done, the boys can come with me to plead their case." I put a hand on their shoulders, leading them inside the tannery for a moment to deposit my finished items with Karn. Dis left to get the shopping done, comfortable knowing her sons were in good hands. Guiding Fili and Kili around bins of leather and drying racks, I made my way to the back of the building where Karn was working on another project. I tossed my bundle on the counter beside him. "I'm all done for the day, off to see Thorin about a camping trip now." Karn glanced up with a smile, not halting his work as he greeted my young charges.
"Well hello there you two. Out causing mischief I see." He gave them a wink and a nod. "Good work here Alanta, you be off then and I'll see you tomorrow." I thanked him, guiding the boys back outside so we could head to the forges where Thorin would be working. The two broke away from me, running up the street and dodging people left and right. I stepped up my pace, hurrying to keep them in sight.
The journey to the forge was short, the large building coming into sight as we rounded a corner past some shops. Smoke billowed out the top and around the the edge of the roof at the front. The building only had three walls, leaving it open to the air so those working would not be overheated. I could hear the clang of hammer on anvil as we drew near, and stopped at a respectful distance to watch Thorin finish the edge on a sword. He was shirtless, skin gleaming with sweat from the intense heat around him, and I was momentarily startled to find myself somewhat enjoying the view. I shook my head, snorting at the turn my mind had taken and drew nearer when he noticed us and placed the finished weapon aside. Gathering his nephews up with a smile, he nodded in greeting to me. I hurried to broach the subject of camping before the boys could overwhelm him with chatter.
"Thorin, it's good to see you. Dis has given permission for the boys to go on an outing for a couple days if you are agreeable, so we came to speak to you about it." He immediately looked wary, and I thought he was going to refuse outright.
"Are you sure that is wise? They are young, and the forest can be dangerous." I tried to reassure him as best I could, seeing the crestfallen look on their faces at his words.
"There has been no animal activity of a worrisome nature this past month. I think we should be alright on that front. And as for them?" I smiled. "If I can't handle two dwarflings for a couple nights I would feel awfully ashamed indeed."
"Hmm," Thorin deliberated. Fili and Kili were uncharacteristically silent, trying to show how good they could be while they turned pleading eyes to their uncle's stern face. "Alright," he relented. They cheered instantly, unable to restrain their enthusiasm when he cut them off with a wave of his hand. "If...Dwalin goes with you." Their happiness not curbed in the slightest, they hugged Thorin wildly before jumping up and down and chanting.
"We're going camping! We're going camping!" Ignoring their celebration, I continued hashing out the details of their trip.
"Very well, that is agreeable. Say, two nights? We will leave day after tomorrow, barring bad weather. I would make it sooner but I promised Karn I would finish a few more things next day." Thorin nodded in acceptance, turning back to his work and leaving us to inform Dwalin of the plans.
"Two nights?" Momentarily surprised, Dwalin quickly collected himself with a smile. "Aye, that ought to be fine. My men can manage without me for a bit, I'll just put Gloin in charge while I am gone." Turning to one of his men, he bid him fetch the dwarf in question so he could give his orders. He faced me once more, continuing to keep one eye on the boys with me as we talked. They played nearby with a couple of my animal friends I had summoned to provide them a distraction. "What did you have in mind for activities?" he asked, a thoughtful look telling me he was already planning things we could do.
"Well, there are the basics of course. Teaching them to build a campfire, how to find water. I thought they might be old enough to learn to fish if we head for a spot close enough to the river. That would put us only a couple hours walk from here, and in safe enough territory. I had considered showing them how to hunt, but I think they're a bit young for that yet, not being able to hold weapons." Dwalin nodded, pleased with the thought I had put into my suggestions.
"That sounds like a good plan. We'll still be close to the town, but far enough that they can't see it. Oi, you two!" he called to Fili and Kili, startling them out of one of their games. Running over with the animals trailing behind, they looked up expectantly. "You two ready to have some fun in the woods?"
"Oh yes!" they cried. "Are we going now?" Dwalin let out a bark of laughter.
"Not quite lads. We have a few things to settle up here, plus supplies to pack. We leave day after tomorrow."
"Yay!" they cheered, before racing off again, beginning a frenzied dance with their companions.
The day we were to leave dawned bright and clear. I spent the morning going over supplies with Dwalin and reassuring Dis and Thorin that we would be just fine. The boys were sitting on a bench near the gate, fidgeting anxiously as they waited to be allowed to go. Finally, we were all set, goodbyes had been said, and we headed out the front gates. Since the boys were too small to ride a pony yet we didn't bother to bring any, deciding instead to spend the afternoon walking to our destination. I had promised that in case of an emergency Luna would be more than able to get them home safe, and it saved us the trouble of having to watch over another charge. I was already beginning to see how much of a handful these two could be as they wove between the trees and crashed through bushes. They would be filthy long before we made camp.
The afternoon was warm, sun glimmering through the broad leaves of the oak trees we walked under. It began to have a gradual calming effect on our young charges, and after an hour or so they slowed to a steady walk. Dwalin and I strode along in companionable silence, just enjoying the fresh air and listening to the soft bird calls overhead. Several of my companions joined us on our walk, most of them birds and butterflies, giving the atmosphere a dream like quality. We casually meandered our way towards the river, stopping after another hour in a clearing far enough away from the water to keep out the damp.
Dwalin headed to the river to get water for supper while I showed the boys how to gather firewood, guiding them to the twigs we would need to get one started. Once we had a sizable pile, we headed back to the open area, smoothing out a space for the fire. I showed them how to clear the space of grass and make a ring of stones so the fire would stay where it was wanted and not spread to the trees, and then had them practice making teepees with the twigs in the correct formation for a proper fire. They were careful learners, even Kili making an effort to perfect the lopsided shape they had created. Dwalin grinned at their efforts, wrapping steadying hands around Kili's to help him place the last few twigs needed. They flushed with pride at the finished result, stepping back a pace so I could light it.
"Now boys, this part is something you will learn when you are older, but for now I want you to watch. Fire is a very dangerous thing, and I don't want you putting your hands anywhere near it. Understood?" They bobbed their heads, faces solemn with understanding. Taking out a flint, I set the bundle of twigs ablaze, hurriedly adding larger branches that Dwalin had gathered to keep the fire going. Evening shades were darkening the sky by this point, and we hastily unrolled our bedding, keeping it in a close group with the boys in the middle. Going back to the fire, I was pleased to see that Dwalin had found a large fallen log and dragged it over so we could sit.
Settling ourselves on the log, I dug into my bag for the surprise I had tucked inside. Treat in hand, I reached back for the smooth sticks I had gathered and took the soft white dessert and speared them on the ends.
"Marshmallows!" the boys shrieked in delight. They went to eat them, stopping when I tugged them back with a grin.
"Not yet. We're going to do something special with them." I pulled out some flat cookies and small shards of chocolate, placing them together on a plate before handing the boys their sticks. "Hold them over the fire like this," I instructed, demonstrating. "Turn them slowly and they will start to melt. Once they begin to change color you can take them and put them between the cookies." The two were fascinated, carefully holding the sticks over the open flame. They were almost finished when Kili began to get distracted. He was gazing up at the sky, not noticing that his marshmallow was beginning to slide dangerously towards the fire. I glanced down to check their progress just in time to see it fall off into the coals. Kili let out a howl of dismay and Dwalin was forced to yank him back before he could lunge to grab the lost treat. Not hesitating, I reached into the fire and pulled it out before it could be burned, plopping it on the cookie and clapping my hands together to shake off the sparks that settled on my palms.
"How did you do that?" Dwalin cried, looking astonished at the sight of my unburned hands. I shrugged sheepishly.
"My necklace. It has strong protection against fire. Anything short of forge flame has no effect, and even that is only a little." Turning to Kili and Fili, I hurried to temper the look of awe on their faces. "You must never copy what I did. Only my necklace protected me, and it will not do the same for you, it only works for the one it was made for." Kili just grinned.
"Thank you for saving my marshmallow." I rolled my eyes, before succumbing to the urge to grin back at him. We finished the treats in silence, except for the contented sounds of the boys eating their snack. Once done, I bedded down beside them, allowing Dwalin to take first watch. Even in this part of the woods we would be taking no chances with the safety of Thorin's nephews.
As the morning dawned, I reached forward to poke the fire back to life so I could wake the others with a warm breakfast. My cooking had improved enough that Dwalin was comfortable with allowing me to prepare some of the simpler meals. I smiled to myself, silently thanking Dis for her persistence in training me in the culinary arts. I was still rather rough at it, but I could hardly ruin bacon and eggs, so I set to my task with a will. The crackle of the flames and the hiss of bacon brought the others to wakefulness, the boys sniffing the air appreciatively. Breakfast was a slow affair, talk limited as we munched on the warm food.
Once we had tidied up the dishes from our meal, we spent the morning showing Fili and Kili the various animal tracks that could be found nearby. Deer had passed by the river, and foxes had recently abandoned a burrow near the camp. Squirrels flitted through the trees, chattering loudly and competing with the birds that sang their happy melodies. When lunch time drew near, I pulled out a couple of small fishing rods and we headed for the river bank to try and catch our meal. It was nice to sit on the grass in the shade of a tree, keeping the boys far enough from the water so that they would not risk falling in.
After an hour or so, I began to feel slightly uncomfortable. The birds in the area had stilled, and I looked casually around to attempt to discern their reason for silence. Finding nothing, I shrugged it off, putting it to the warmth of the air. It was possible that they had decided to nap, and would start up again soon. Gathering up the restless dwarflings, I began to herd them back in the direction of camp, leaving Dwalin to finish up. He had professed a desire to bathe and I chose to give him privacy. Knowing he wouldn't be too long, we made the few minutes walk back alone, placing the rods against a tree and sitting near the fire to rouse it again. My discomfort returned, the forest around us utterly still, now coupled with a feeling of danger that I could not place. I had only a moments warning when a quiet growl ripped through the bushes nearby.
Turning to face the source of the noise, I was faced with a disturbingly large group of wolves across the clearing. I leaped into action, grabbing the frightened boys and tossing them up into the branches of the nearest tree.
"Hold on, and no matter what happens do not come down. I will keep you safe." They nodded, fearfully clutching the trunk of the tree and each other with equal measure. Whirling once more, I shifted, my form exploding to become that of a massive bear. I let out a snarl, hoping to scare the wolves off with my size, but looking closer I could see that they were half starved. They would not back down, hunger making them crazed and dangerous. Several lunged at me, and I barely managed to knock them back with a swipe of my paws. I had my back to the tree, but my sides were unprotected, and they hurried to surround me, taking advantage of my situation. Soon my sides were heaving, dots of blood marring the thick fur. Three lay dead at my feet, but there were many more still and I was beginning to be overwhelmed. I chanced a glance upwards, heart thudding painfully at the look of horrified terror on the boys faces.
I felt myself giving into my sudden rage at the sight, my vision blurring with the ruby shades of blood lust. Letting out a challenging roar that shook the trees, I renewed my attacks, grinning inwardly when I heard an answering roar from the direction of the river. Dwalin came barreling towards us, stopping short at the sight of a bear holding off the onslaught of wolves and protecting the dwarflings. Quickly reaching the conclusion of who it must be, and putting aside the how for later, he swung his axe ferociously. I had been buried under snarling bodies, dimly registering the sound of snapping bone that originated from my hind leg, but not able to feel pain through the continuing rage that filled my head. Dwalin finally managed to clear them off me, cutting down the last two with my help. He lowered his axe, looking me over worriedly, taking in the ribbons of blood now streaming from various wounds I had been unable to avoid. My eyes slowly cleared, the blood lust wearing off and leaving me dizzy. I knew I could not leave this form yet, I had sustained too much injury to make it back in one piece in a smaller form. I stayed still while Dwalin managed to coax the trembling boys out of the tree and into his arms before he turned to me again.
"Lass, are you alright? We need to leave now. I can carry the packs, but you will need to follow." I nodded, moaning softly when the pain in my leg flared up from the broken bone. Limping on three legs, I shambled after him as quickly as I could, trying to ignore the itch as blood trickled down my sides. We made it back to the town without further incident after about two hours, and I was ready to pass out in exhaustion, too tired to even react when the guards at first became defensive at the sight of me. Dwalin rushed to explain, and they backed off, giving me looks of wonder and slight apprehension. Someone must have sent for Thorin, because he came running, yelling for an explanation. I never heard what it was. The blood loss finally caught up to me and I passed out from the pain of running, darkness blurring my vision to nothing...
"Dwalin, what's going on?" Thorin yelled fearfully. He eyed the large bear as it collapsed to the ground behind his warrior friend with a groan. Grabbing the shaking, crying boys out of his arms, he passed them to Dis who had arrived just behind him. She stepped back, hurrying to try and comfort her sons while Dwalin explained what had happened.
"Everything was fine. We had just finished catching some fish and I was washing up while Alanta took them back to camp. Next thing I know, I hear a roar coming from that direction, louder than any bear I'd ever heard. I feared the worst, until I got there and saw her fighting off a pack of half starved wolves. She had managed to get the boys into a tree." Thorin looked prepared to interrupt the story at this point, but Dwalin held up a hand for silence. "Don't ask me how she did it, I don't know, and right now it doesn't matter. I am sure it is her, and she saved the boys." They eyed the motionless girl, (no, bear) and Thorin swore loudly, unsure now what to do. He was quick to admit that Dwalin was unmistakably right, no bear had purple eyes and tattooed markings on their fur.
"We will have to get her to Oin somehow, see if he can suggest what to do." Thorin strode over to her head, grunting at the weight as he tried to lift her. He swore again as her paw slipped out of his grip, losing his balance and dropping her back to the ground. "She's too heavy, it will take a group of us to carry her there. Get the strongest you can find over here, Dwalin. I don't like the look of these injuries, they would have killed a normal animal." Dwalin called to the nearest guards, snapping orders which caused them to array themselves around his fallen companion. Lifting as one, they were able to get her draped over a number of large poles. They then grabbed the ends and carried her over to the infirmary. Thorin snapped grumpily at any who stopped to stare, his worried gaze forestalling questions.
It took three beds strapped together to hold the massive animal, the guards backing off once she was settled in place. Oin was summoned, the poor healer becoming noticeably shocked at the sight of his latest patient. Once the situation was again explained to him he paused for a moment in thought.
"I cannot treat her like this. We need to try and wake her, get her to change back." Turning to Dwalin he asked, "can she understand us like this?" The warrior nodded.
"Aye. She seemed to know what I was saying well enough. I don't think we need to worry, she knows us and will not attack." Satisfied, Oin grabbed a vial of his strongest smelling salts, wafting them under the bear's nose. They all called out to her, beseeching her to wake. Their efforts were rewarded when her eyes slowly flickered open. She snorted in disgust, jerking weakly away from the horrible smell before focusing on the faces around her.
I floated somewhere in darkness. It was an uncomfortable sort, flickering with red pain and disjointed voices. I soon became aware of an increasingly awful smell, and the urge to get away from it dragged me back to consciousness. I struggled to blink away my fogged vision, bringing the faces around me into focus. After a moment I realized Oin was speaking over the sounds of relief from the others. I met his eyes, listening carefully to what he was saying.
"Alanta, I need you to switch back. I cannot help you like this, I am not accustomed to dealing with injured bears." His words registered in my mind, their meaning coming in short bursts as he waited impatiently. Understanding dawned, and I dropped my animal form, biting back a cry as my more sensitive skin was subjected to the same pain that my larger size had barely endured. There were gasps at the sight of gashes running along my sides and all down my arms and legs. One foot was bent at an unnatural angle, the bone threatening to break through the skin. I sucked air past gritted teeth, trying to heal myself and failing miserably when the pain distracted me.
"Pain killer," I wheezed, clutching at his arm. "Need to heal, can't focus..." He hurried off to find it, the space he had occupied filled by Dis as she stepped into the room. She took in the sight with disbelief.
"Oh, Mahal. What have you done to yourself girl?" I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but only managed a pained grimace from my slumped position.
"Are...are the boys alright?" I choked out, causing Dis to laugh while Thorin made a strangled noise behind her.
"They're fine. Never mind that now, you hold on you hear me? Don't you dare die on us." Her firm tone wavered slightly as she looked at me in fear.
"Take more than a pack of mangy dogs to bring me down," I gasped. "Just don't let them in here, they don't need to see this." Oin chose that moment to return, a large mug in hand.
"Enough chatter, get that down you lass," he said sternly. I tried to lift shaking hands to hold the proffered drink, but was unable to grasp it. Shaking his head, Oin held it to my lips, assisting me in gulping down the unpleasant tonic. I forced myself to keep it down, stomach rebelling, and rejoiced when the pain diminished substantially. I quickly drew access to my power, putting it to work on the worst gashes. Closing them one by one, I did not hold back this one time, getting at last to the broken bone. I was exhausted by this point, and managed to indicate with a series of gestures that it would need to be bound before succumbing to the urge to sleep at last.
Author's note: Ah for the deceptive safety of the forest. Alanta's inability to heal while in any of her animal forms is the major reason why she has not used them until now. As a bear, I envision her to be smaller than Beorn by about a third, so still relatively impressive. Karn will not really play a large role in this story, he's mostly there to give Alanta someone to work with. I didn't think any of the original company fit the role of a tanner, which is the job I envisioned for her, so I added him in. He's a likeable fellow, and may get a few more lines yet until we move on in our journey. Alanta's ability to reach into the fire is not a druid thing, it goes back to the necklace she talks about. A trinket that reduces the effect fire has on her. She would have gotten it in preparation for the battle with Deathwing, and as I see no need for it's power to wear off, it will likely continue to be useful for quite some time. A short jump taking place now, skipping ahead just a couple weeks to pass over her recovery period. Next chapter will have more explanations to the company, (especially Thorin) and some difficult conversations. Also, more action coming up and some new characters created specially for the coming segment. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!