Chapter Fifteen: Acceptance, Refuge and Skin-Changers

Amara's POV

As we rode the Eagles through the air through the night, I clutched to Thorin's shield as if it would vanish if I let go. I looked out as the sun rose over the horizon and the scenery of the beautiful mountains was so breath-taking, but I looked to the other as I hear Fili voice call out:

"Thorin!"

I turned to see the eagle that held Thorin in its talons, his limb body bathed in the morning sun as I felt my heart tense up as I watched the Eagles fly over the mountains that were covered in cloud before reaching a waterfall the overlooked a beautiful wooded area. 'Yavanna. Aule. Please let him be alright.' I prayed as I watched the eagle the held Thorin fly near the front of the flock, soon the sight of a familiar rock crept into veiw as the eagles began to fly us around it.

I watched as the eagle that held Thorin gently placed him down on the rock before the eagle that had Gandalf landed and allowed to get off before flying off.

"Thorin!" Gandalf creid as he raced and knelt down next to the unconscious dwarf king, the eagle the held Bilbo and I landed on the rock. We quicklt slid off and I raced over to check on Thorin along with Gandalf as more and more members of the company were droped off on the rock by their eagles and gathered around.

Thorin's eyes then fluttered open as he looked up at me then to Gandalf, I felt that a giant weight had been lifted from my heart Thorin turned Gandalf and asked.

"The halfing?" His voice was hushed as if he was slowly regaining his strength once again.

"It's alright. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe." Gandalf said as he turned to Bilbo, whom was standing a few feet away, as Thorin struggled to get up Dwalin and Kili then assisted him to his feet before being shrugged off.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Thorin scoled as he stared at Bilbo with a look of both anger and disappointment. "Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild? That you have no place amoungst us?" He said as he stepped closer and closer to Bilbo with every question, I saw the sad look in Bilbo's eyes as he looked like he was in for a dissapointing lecture.

"I have never been so wrong in all my life." Thorin said before he then embraced Bilb, which caused Bilbo to be shocked while the dwarves then began to cheer as their king had finally accepted Bilbo as one of them.

I smiled as I watched the two pull away from each other before Thorin then looked at Bilbo before saying. "I'm sorry I doubted you." He looked so apologetic even with a face full of wounds.

"No, I would have doubted me too." Bilbo shook and he looked around. "I'm not a hero or a warrior." He then turned to me and Gandalf. "Not even a mage or a burglar." I couldn't help but smile at that, as then the eagles the made a final flight around the rock where we stood before heading back over the mountains.

I turned and looked at the edge as I saw a scene that I knew the other need to see, I turned around to the other and said. "Guys, look." I pointed out to the horizon.

"Is that... what I think it is?" Bilbo asked as Thorin then started to walk toward the ledge of the rock, struggling to walk straight I took hold of him and assisted him, to which he didn't shrug me off as we walked. Once near the ledge, I held on to Thorin as I tried hard not to look down before I felt his arm wrap around me to hold me closer to him.

Gandalf then stood behind us and declared: "Erebor. The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf kingdoms of Middle-Earth."

I turned to look up at Thorin as I saw the signs of pride on his face and joy, "Our home." He said as he looked on at the mountain, I knew he was thinking of the end of the quest when we reach the mountain and reclaim it from Smaug.

"A raven!" Oin cried as a small bird flew by us, the look of awe on Thorin's face showed clear in the morning sunlight. "The bird ar returning to the mountain."

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf then clarified as we watched it fly towards the lonely mountain.

"But we'll take it as a sign. A good omen." Thorin said as he turned to look at Bilbo and then to me.

"Indeed. I do believe-" Bilbo started but then I interrupted.

"Bilbo Baggins, if you even think about finishing that sentence, I swear to all the Gods, I will throw you back over those mountains with my magic. Cause we do not need you jinxing us right now."

Bilbo's face turned slightly pale as he then cleared his throut before stating. "Very well. Shutting up."

Thorin seemed a little confused as he turned to andd asked. "Is that really necessary?"

"It is, it really is." I nodded as I didn't understand how they had forgotten what happened in the goblin caves when Bofur had said something silimar.

Gandalf then cleared his throat before stating. "I believe it is time we make our way down from here."

"I agree." I said as we all then started making our way down from this high rock.

000

By the time the sun was going down over the horizons again, we were off the rock and had made it a good distance away across the lands before we then heard the sounds of the warg's howl.

Bilbo went off to see how far off the pack was and get back to us, I stayed close to Thorin so I could keep an eye on his wounds as I worried that they would soon become infected after being in a filthy warg's mouth like a chewtoy.

Then suddenly, the sound of a creature's roar filled the air as this caused everyone to turn to face the pathway Bilbo had went up, I heard the sound of footsteps running down the path as Thorin and Dwalin stepped closer as Bilbo then appeared running towards us.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more." Bilbo said as he reached our group then turned back toface Thorin. "But that's not the worst of it."

"Have the wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked, I could see that he was hoping that this wasn't the case.

"Not yet. But they will do. We have another problem." Bilbo said as he was about to explain but was then interrupted by Gandalf.

"Did they see you? They saw you?" He looked at our hobbit in worry.

"No that's not it." Bilbo said out of breath.

"What did I tell you?" Gandalf said slightly smug as he looked to the dwarves. "Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burgler material."

"Will you listen? Will you just listen?!" Bilbo said slightly loudly which then caught everyone's attention. "I am trying to tell there is something else out there." He turned and pointed down the path he had just returned from, this caused several members of the company to look around in slight fear.

"What form did it take? Like a bear." Gandalf then asked.

"Ye- Yes. But bigger, much bigger." Bilbo responded as he was surprised that Gandalf knew what he saw without even seeing it himself.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked as Gandalf then turned away, Bofur turned to the others. "I say we double back."

"And be run down by a pack of orcs? I don't think so." I said as this caused agreement from the others but some then argued slightly to follow Bofur's idea.

"Amara's right, we can't face them right now." Thorin said as I turned to him, I smiled slightly as I knew that he recalled what was to happen now.

"There is a house..." Gandalf said as he then turned back around to face the company. "It's not far from here where be might take refuge."

Thorin then took this moment to ask. "Who's house? Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither. He will help us or... he will kill us." Gandalf clarified, looking dead serious as he said these words.

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asked before yet another loud roar filled the air, causing all the members to turn to the mountains.

"I'd say none at this point." I said as evdryone then agreed to follow Gandalf who then lead us further down the mountains, we crossed over plains and streams all the while trying to keep a large distance between us and the orc pack.

I used my magic to give every member of the company the energy to continue running for long periods of time without getting tired, which was a huge help as he entered a woodland area before hearing the sound of the same creature's roar fill the air.

As Gandalf then urged us to continue, Thorin then grabbed Bombur's by his beard and ran with the others through the woods and down the steep hills. As the trees started to clear, I caught glimpses of the house that we were heading towards. Gandalf urged us all to run faster before I turned to see Bombur running faster than all the others towards the house, passing one member of the company after another. 'For being the fattest of the company, he sure can outrun the rest of us!' I thought before seeing him crash into the door and falling back, as more and more mebers of the company clashed against the door I ran up to it and lifted the bar the held the door close.

Soon the door opened and everyone ran in, I turned to see Gandalf and bilbo at the end of the line before noticin the giant bear creature racing towards us and cried out to them:

"Come on! Hurry!" I motioned for them to join us, as soon as Gandalf walked in I pushed the door close with my magic before the bear could reach us. once the door was closed and the bear couldn't break it down, I let out a sigh and thought to myslef. 'That was too close for comfort.' Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the fact that they were now safe.

"What is that?" Ori asked as he turned to Gandalf.

"That is our host." Gandalf said as this then caused all the members to turn to him as he then continued to clarify. "His name is Beorn, and he's a skin-changer."

"Skin-changer? You mean shape-shifter?" I asked, as I had always been curious as to see if the two were the same or different to the other.

"If you would call him that." Gandalf said as he then turned around and began to pace as the dwarves then walked around to look at the house. "Sometimes he a huge black bear. Sometimes he's agreat strong man. The bear is unpredictable but the man can be reasoned with. However..." Gandalf said as he then turned back to the dwarves as he said. "He is not over fond of dwarves." this caused some of the other dwarves to turn to each other before Ori's voice hushed out.

"He's leaving." Ori said as he peeked through the cracks in the door.

"Come away from there." Dori scolded his youngest brother as he pulled him away from the door, "It's not natural. None of it. It's obvious. He's under some dark spell."

"Hey! I take offence to that, Dori." I said pretending to be offended at his words.

"Don't be a fool. He is under no enchantment but his own." Gandalf said as he looked down at Dori and Ori before taking off his hat. "All right, now get some sleep. All of you. You'll be safe here tonight." I turned to heard Gandalf mutter under his breath. "I hope."

'Not very reassuring, Gandalf.' I thought as I then looked down at myself and saw all the dirt, ash, grime and blood on my body. I turned to see everyone else in the company and figured since we were in a safe place, now would be an excellent time to enjoy a hot bath.

I summoned two tents from my item box, one was the bathhouse tent for the dwarves and the other was a small magical tent that I had uses earlier on in the quest. I turned to the others and then suggested.

"We still have some time before the sun goes down, so why don't we all have a nice relaxing bath afterwards I'll cook us up something quick before we sleep." I said as this caused many sighs and grunts of approval in the company.

"Sounds heavenly." Thorin said as many of the other dwarves as well as Bilbo and Gandalf agreed that a bath would be much needed, I also pulled out a healing ointment and turned to Oin.

"Oin, could you apply this healing ointment to everyone's injuries, including Thorin's? It'll help them heal faster." I said as I held out the jar with the ointment in it to the healer dwarf.

"Right you are, lass." Oin said as he then took the jar and followed the others into the bathhouse tent to enjoy a hot bath.

I made my way to my tent and stripped out of my dirty clothes before slipping into a shower, I scrubbed my body and hair before using a bit of fire and wind magic to create a warm breeze to dry off. After which, I then got dressed in a simple plain white t-shirt with a black workout bra and tights with matching ballet slippers before leaving the tent and set out everything before beinning to cook up something for us all to eat.

Bilbo's POV

As I watched the dwarves enjoy the bath and Gandalf slipped into his own private bath, I then saw Thorin looking like he was struggling with washing his back. I wrapped a towel around my waist and took up a wash basin and soft wash cloth before making my way over to the dwarf king I respected.

"Let me help you with your back, Thorin." I offered, Thorin turned around and saw the basin I was holding before nodding his head.

"Thank you, Bilbo." He said, I then took a small stool and sat behind him and took the washcloth before gently srcubbing his back while trying to avoid aggrivating the wounds and casue Thorin even more pain.

I looked around at the dazed look on his face as I ahad a feeling of what- or rather who - he was thinking of. "You know, she was very worried about you when you decided to face those orcs alone." I said casually as I gently dabbed at the wounds with a clean wash cloth.

"Who?" Thorin asked as he turned around to face me, looking confused as to what I was saying.

"You already know who: Amara." I said with a smirk as I watched a faint blush appear across his cheeks, looks like I hit the nail on the head. "You really scared her with that. Though she tried to put up a strong front." I watched as Thorin seemed to be surprised by this news, I knew both Thorin and Amara could be stubborn about their feelings but I also wanted to see Amara be happy. And if this dwarf would make her happy, then I was not going to let this chance to get them together pass me by.

"She's in love with you, you know." I said once I was done with cleaning his back.

"How can you be sure?" Thorin asked as he turned to me, looking surprised and a little... hopeful.

I smiled softly at him before responding:

"I have lived with that girl for over two years, and just as she has come to see me as her big brother, I've come to see her as my little sister. Plus I've seen the look she gives you on the faces of Shire women many times before. There's no mistaking it."

And it was true, even before Amara showed up in the Shire, I had witnessed many of the Hobbit women and maidens gaze on at the gentlehobbits that they swooned over and be wooed by their suitors throughout courtship. It was the same look I constantly saw in Amara's face whenever she looked at Thorin when she thought no one was looking.

I also saw the looks on Thorin's face when he was looking at Amara when she wasn't watching him, he had the same look on his face and was also often talking to Amara as of late.

"And I can tell by your face now that you love her too." I said as I poured the dirty water into a magic sink where it was then purified by the magic stones.

"Aye, I do." Thorin said as he stood up on his feet, the look on his face was a soft smile that I've seen in many gentlehobbits in love.

"You should tell her how you feel." I encouraged him as the two of us then slipped into the hot bath, sighing in relief as the hot water began to relax our sore aching muscles.

"Are you saying this as a means of granting your blessing?" Thorin asked curiously as he turned to me.

"I suppose I am. But be warned, if you ever hurt my little sister in anyway, I will skin you alive and leave your corpse for the wargs to feast on." I said as I pointed my finder at him, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"I don't doubt that." Thorin said with a smile on his face. "I swear I will do everything I can to make her happy." He placed his fist against his chest and bowed his head, I only hoped that this quest wouldn't cause Amara any heartbreak or worse... her death.

We all enjoyed our bath before getting dressed into our now clean and mended clothes after Oin applied the ointment that Amara had given him, and then wrapped the most sever wounds like Thorin's in bandages. As soon as we left the tent the heavenly smell of Amara's cooking filled our noses and we all made our way to the table where we ate our fill of food and drink.

Once we were all satisfied with full bellies, Amara used her magic once again to clean all the dishes and store them into her Itembox, I admitted that I was quite envious of Amara's Item Box as it made carrying bags and other things so much easier than how we were using our packs.

As we all set out our bed rolls for the night, I watched as Amara set up her bedroll by the window where I saw Thorin join her. The look on her face was evident that their feelings were as I believed them to be, I rolled around in my roll and tried to sleep as I hoped the tomorrow would go a lot better...