As darkness falls the dwarves, Gandalf, and I wait for Bilbo to return from his scouting. I suddenly become aware of a body next to mine and smile inwardly as I turn to Fili and say, "I never got a chance to thank you for before." He raises an eyebrow as he says, "Thank me for what?" 

"Protecting me while we were falling; it has been a while since anyone has done anything like that for me, so I thank you." He smirks as he says, "Anytime."

For the first time in centuries I felt my heart skip a beat. It hadn't done that since, well since Thranduil. Feeling my face flush I quickly turn back toward the rest of our company who are waiting for Bilbo. When Bilbo returns Dwalin asks him, "How close is the pack?"

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it."

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?"

"Not yet, but they will; we have another problem."

"Did they see you? They saw you!" Gandalf says to Bilbo suddenly worried.

"No, that's not it."

Gandalf smiles and turns to the rest of us as he says, "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." 

The dwarves chuckle loudly in appreciation of Bilbo. Bilbo looks exasperated that no one is hearing him out and suddenly hollers, "Will you listen- Will you just listen? I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." The dwarves suddenly look worried.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asks and Bilbo looks at him surprised as he says, "Ye...Y- yes. But bigger, much bigger." 

Bofur turns to Gandalf as he says, "You knew about this beast?" Gandalf turns and walks a few steps away. "I say we double back." Bofur says turning back to the rest of us. 

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin says as he shakes his head.

Gandalf suddenly turns back to us and says, "There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge." Thorin raises an eyebrow suspiciously as he says, "Whose house? Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither. He will help us, or he will kill us." Gandalf says making the dwarves look at each other in dismay.

"What choice do we have?" A roar splits the night behind us; it is the bear.

"None." And once again we are running. Running across plains and streams until suddenly an ear-splitting roar sounds nearby making us stop. "This way, quickly!" Gandalf calls out causing the dwarves to panic. Bombur looks on in shock until I grab him and pull him along after us. "Bombur, come on!" 

As we exit the forest, we spy a house surrounded by a hedge in the middle of a plain. "To the house! Run!" Gandalf says we run across the plain; Bombur, the fattest dwarf, outruns all the rest of us in his fear. I would have laughed at his sudden swiftness but the sound of roars draws closer.

They run through a gate in the hedge. "Come on, get inside!" Gandalf cries as he stops and waits for us all to make it through the hedge. We run to the front door of the house; it is closed. Bombur, who reaches the door first, throws himself against it but falls flat on his back when the door doesn't budge. The rest of us catch up and begin throwing ourselves against the door, trying to open it. Gandalf looks back as a massive bear breaks out from the edge of the forest and runs toward us.

"Open the door!" Gandalf cries and I turn to see it rushing toward us causing me to freeze in my stance. 

"Quickly!" I hear Thorin cry out as he pushes through the dwarves pressed against the door, manages to raise the exterior bolt, opening the doors. The dwarves bolt inside and I feel someone jerk me inside the house as they try to slam the door shut, but the bear has already gotten its head in the door. As the bear roars and tries to push the door open, the dwarves yell and strain to close it. Bilbo pulls out his sword and points it unsteadily at the bear.

Gandalf looks on in apparent amusement. The dwarves yell as they press against the door. "Come on, lads!" Dwalin says and I am instantly pulled from my fear. I run back to the door and along with the dwarves give it a final heave, managing to close the door and drop the bolt across it. We all sigh in shock, fear, and tiredness. 

"What is that?" Ori asks as I stare at the door. 

"That...is our host." Gandalf says and I instantly feel my head jerk toward him in bewilderment. "His name is Beorn, and he is a skin-changer." Gandalf says and I look over to see Oin check his hearing trumpet to make sure he has heard Gandalf correctly. "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. However, he is not overly fond of dwarves."

The dwarves look at each other in dismay. Ori peaks out a crack in the door and after a few seconds he says, "He's leaving!" Dori pulls him away from the door as he says, "Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious: he's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool; he's under no enchantment but his own. Alright now, get some sleep, all of you. You'll be safe here tonight." Gandalf says causing the dwarves to start spreading out through the house. I suddenly feel something touch me and I jump back in fear only to see Bombur standing there staring at me. 

"He wants to thank you." Bofur says as he walks up beside him. 

"For?" I say a curious look on my face. 

"For not leaving him behind." 

I smile softly and then leaning down gently place a kiss on Bombur's cheek as I say, "Anytime." I am too amused by the shocked look on his face that I don't see Fili staring at me with loving eyes until I turn to glance at him. As our eyes meet he quickly turns his gaze to his brother who silently laughs at him. I walk over to an empty space near a window and smile as I look out over the night sky. Even though we were being stalked by Orcs and hiding from a host who may or may not kill us I felt safe; safer than I had in years. Subconsciously I find my eyes glancing over to where Fili was laughing with his brother and smile.

I didn't want to admit it but I was becoming rather fond of him. Every time I was in danger he was the one to save me. Maybe it was just a hero complex but I found myself thinking of him quite often. I knew Thorin would never approve and if my father was alive he wouldn't have approved either. Father would only have approved of one person and that was Thranduil; but he was married so there went that thought. I smile as I watch Fili walk over to me and handing me a wet clothe says, "You have blood on your face, I thought you might like to wipe it off."

I reach up and feel the now dried blood on my face and instantly feel like vomiting. Thanking him I take the wet clothe and start rubbing it on the dried blood. "Here allow me." He says as he sits down next to me and taking the cloth back gently rubs the blood away. As one hand wipes the blood away, his other hand is gently propping up my chin. I feel myself staring into his blue eyes and see that they have little specks of green in the as well. When he finishes wiping the blood away he looks down into my eyes and forgetting himself gently rubs his thumb along my jaw line.

"There, good as new." He says causing me to look away and smile. I look around at our companions and my eyes fall upon Thorin who is sitting on the other end of the room looking at his hands.

 "I know his pain." I say making Fili follow my gaze. 

"What do you mean?"

"To learn that your father is dead and you don't even have time to truly mourn is a very painful thing. To this day I have no idea what happened to my father's body." I feel his hand gently touch mine as he gives me a reassuring smile. Letting out a sigh I lean my head down against his shoulder and say so only I can hear, "If only I had met you before."