Chapter 9: A Gracious Host
As the first rays of dawn filtered through the windows of Beorn's house, Daeron slowly opened his eyes. He felt the soreness in his body from the previous day's exertions, but a sense of refreshment had settled upon him. He sat up and stretched, relishing the warmth of the cozy room.
Looking around, Daeron saw that the other members of the company were already awake and gathered around a large wooden table. The tantalizing aroma of a hearty breakfast filled the air, and his stomach grumbled in response. Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves were engaged in lively conversation, their faces reflecting a mix of weariness and anticipation.
Daeron approached the table, joining his companions. Bilbo greeted him with a smile, and Gandalf nodded in acknowledgment. The dwarves made room for him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and tiredness. A seat was pulled out for Daeron, and he gratefully settled into it.
Plates were laden with steaming food—thick slices of bread, fried eggs, roasted mushrooms, butter, and cheese. Jugs of warm milk and honey sat within reach, inviting the company to partake in their bounty. Daeron's mouth watered at the sight, and he eagerly filled his plate, savoring the fresh and rich food, which was a nice change from the rations they had grown accustomed to.
The conversation at the table revolved around their host, Beorn, and his absence. Daeron couldn't help but notice the empty seat at the head of the table, where Beorn had been the night before. His absence created a void, and the company wondered where their gracious host had gone.
"He must have his own matters to attend to," Gandalf said, sipping from a mug. "Beorn is a creature of his own ways, and his ways are not for us to question."
"I wonder what he does in his daily routine," Bilbo mused, cutting a piece of cheese with his knife. "Taking care of the animals, I suppose?"
"That is quite likely," Gandalf replied. "Beorn has a deep connection with the creatures of the land. His horses and dogs seemed to regard him with great respect and understanding."
"Perhaps he is out patrolling the borders of his domain," Thorin suggested, his gaze focused on the food in front of him. "Keeping an eye on any potential threats or disturbances. And who knows what other foul creature might have followed us. He was gracious but he seemed slightly suspicious of us."
"Like I explained yesterday Thorin, he's not particularly fond of dwarves, but he hates goblins and wargs more. Besides, if he wanted us dead, he would've killed us last night," Gandalf replied, slightly annoyed.
"It's true," Daeron said, taking a large sip of fresh milk, "I saw him last night as a large black bear."
"He was a bear?" Bilbo asked, looking at Daeron, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Indeed, I suspect he was worried that we were being hunted and followed after our tale," Daeron replied.
The dwarves began to speculate where Beorn had gone off to. Daeron looked at Gandalf, his gaze off in the distance. He remembered that Gandalf would be leaving them in search of answers and that he was trusting him to look after the company. This wasn't like home or the North where he'd spent months on end wandering about the wilderness, training new rangers, and leading small parties across treacherous paths. He knew those places like the back of his hand. But Mirkwood, he'd only heard tales of the darkwood. He'd never crossed it before.
"We are running out of time," Balin stated after calling for everyone's attention, "Durin's Day will catch up to us sooner than we like, and we've yet to cross Greenwood."
"Indeed, we only have one chance to find the hidden door," Thorin spoke. "We must hasten our pace."
"Haven't we forgotten about the dragon Smaug? Say we find this hidden doorway; there's still a fire-breathing dragon residing inside," Kili said.
"No one has seen any signs of the dragon. He could be dead for all we know. Our wealth lies inside, waiting to be claimed. Everyone has kept Erebor in their thoughts, eying and assessing the risk of trying to reclaim it," Thorin replied, his voice growing stronger with each word. "We will have the advantage; it's our kingdom, and we'll be prepared to fight him, should that serpent still be alive."
Midway through their discussion, the door swung open, and Beorn walked in. His presence filled the room, his massive form towering over the company. His thick black beard and hair framed a face that seemed to hold an aura of both gentleness and strength. The horses and dogs trailed behind him, their eyes reflecting a sense of loyalty and companionship. His eyes twinkled and he broke out laughing.
"Well, it seems your tale is completely true. I was intrigued by your adventure that I had to see for myself whether Gandalf here had been exaggerating your tale. I made my way to the misty mountains last night and you've got those goblins both terrified and angry." Beorn took a seat at the head of the table and began to help himself to some of the food, "I managed to capture a few stray goblins and they told me everything, seems you gave them quite the fright. Anyway I killed a warg and hung him on the edge of my territory as a warning. Should keep them away from my lands and buy you some time."
"Thank you." Thorin said bowing his head respectfully,
Beorn waved off Thorin's gratitude with a dismissive gesture. "Think nothing of it, Thorin Oakenshield. The goblins and wargs have plagued these lands for far too long. It's about time someone taught them a lesson."
"Beorn we are planning on crossing Mirkwood, do you have any advice for us?" Daeron asked.
"Indeed ranger, Mirkwood is quite perilous these days. The forest is thick and dark and all manners of dark things lurk within the woods. There's an old path known as the Forest Road, said to have been made by the elves who use it to navigate through the realm."
"Mirkwood elves!" Thorin spat like an unpleasant taste.
"It is your only way to cross, the forest is thick and many have strayed off the path and have wound up meeting some unpleasant fate. You must stick to the path at all costs, should you stray but a little, you will surely become lost." Beorn warned, "the ranger here should be able to keep you all on track."
Daeron nodded his head, it seemed simple enough. Follow an elven road and not stray from it. Perhaps sections would be overgrown but he was certain that his keen eyesight would be able to find the path with little trouble. That being said, Beorn's warning seemed to hint that some magical spell plagued Mirkwood, otherwise not many people would end up dead.
"I will provide you with ponies and horses to take you to the edge of Mirkwood, and enough supplies to keep your spirits up. But you must leave them at the edge of the forest."
Thorin and the other's gave their thanks to Beorn once again for his generosity and they began to pack up their supplies. They headed outside to find Beorn talking with the horses and ponies, his strange language intrigued Daeron who noted that some words seemed to resemble some elvish to them.
"Beorn, what of the Mirkwood elves?" Daeron asked curiously as he mounted his horse.
"They are strange folk, they keep to themselves, they have a large fortress but they have a strong mistrust for Dwarves…" Beorn replied, looking back towards the dwarves who were finishing loading supplies onto the ponies.
"Why doesn't Thorin like them?"
Beorn laughed slightly, "Seems like you know very little about your leader. You see when Smaug the terrible swept down and took over Erebor the elves arrived with their army. But upon seeing the destruction of Dale and Erebor, King Thranduil of Mirkwood turned his forces back despite the plea from the dwarves. Thranduil didn't want to spill countless elven blood on a dragon that had already won. I suspect Thorin hasn't forgotten nor forgiven them for that fateful day."
Daeron looked at the dwarf leader whose expression had grown darker ever since Beorn had mentioned Mirkwood. He wondered if there was a way in which the elves and dwarves could resolve their issue and maybe reclaim Erebor. Afterall, a dragon, no matter what size, would surely require more than their small company of sixteen, no fifteen to kill.
As they rode towards Mirkwood, Daeron found himself lost in his thoughts, contemplating the possibilities that lay ahead. He had seen the strength and determination of Thorin and his fellow companions but he'd never fought a dragon before. Arriving at the edge of the dark forest, the company halted. The air felt heavy, and an eerie silence enveloped the surroundings. The dense foliage of Mirkwood seemed to close in around them, casting long shadows that played tricks on their minds.
Daeron dismounted his horse and whispered his thanks in elvish. His stead shook her mane as if understanding what he had said. A little ways off Daeron could make out Beorn in his bear shape.
"We leave the ponies here." He called, "Our host is making sure we uphold our bargain."
Thorin looked behind him and nodded his head, "Indeed, leave the ponies." He called dismounting and grabbing the supplies.
Once they had grabbed all their supplies the ponies ran off in the direction of Beorn. The bearman gave one roar before turning around and heading back to his homestead.
"What about you?" Dwalin asked Gandalf who remained on his horse.
"I'm afraid this is where I must leave you all." Gandalf said.
"Leaving us!?" Everyone exclaimed.
"Unfortunately yes." The wizard replied, "I have some matters that I must urgently attend to. But fear not, I shall return and catch up like I always do."
"How are we supposed to cross this foul forest?"
"Master Daeron, is a ranger and an excellent tracker. He shall guide you through. Remember to heed Beorn's warning, stay on the path and Thorin… Trust Daeron."
Thorin looked at Daeron and nodded his head, "He's proved his worth already, come ranger lets get this over with."
Daeron gave one look at Gandalf who winked at him, he took a deep breath and made his way slowly towards the edge of the forest, trying to spy the old road. There was a tangible darkness in the air that Daeron could feel, something unnatural lurked inside.
"Gandalf, I haven't told you something…" Bilbo called, "When I was in the Misty Mountains, I , well, found something." He began to fidget with something in his jacket pocket, drawing suspicion from Gandalf.
Daeron turned to see Gandalf staring intently at Bilbo.
"What did you find?"
"I found…" Bilbo paused, "My courage. I found my courage."
Gandalf smiled, "good, you will all need it."
Gandalf bid farewell to them and rode off, towards the north.
"We must keep our wits about, there's no telling what lays in the forest." Daeron said, "Let's stick together and we mustn't be in a hurry."
"Lead the way." Thorin called.
With that Daeron took one deep breath and took his first step into Mirkwood. His hand rested on his sword. The air felt different inside the forest, it felt thicker, almost suffocating. It seemed alive, and that countless eyes were watching them. He took several more steps before calling for the dwarves to follow. Thus they began to cross through Mirkwood. Within a few minutes they were completely surrounded by thick forest on all sides. The path they followed was overgrown in certain areas but the clear cut stones were unmistakable. But the further in they went the dark it became. The thick trees blocked the sunlight from penetrating the forest floor completely.