Comes Around Again (Gigolas & Bagginshield)

A Memory of Flies and Spiders

Beorn woke them all the next morning with booming good cheer, picking up a still half-asleep Bilbo and poking his stomach, which was not quite so small as a few days ago. "This is good to see," he said. "Come, eat some more." He put Bilbo down, and Thorin stepped forward, placing himself between Bilbo and Beorn. Beorn didn't notice, however, as he had already turned towards the table. Bilbo tugged on the front of his waistcoat, smoothed his hand over his new buttons, and placed a hand on Thorin's elbow. Thorin looked at him, eyes searching, and nodded, visibly calming.

Their host was in an unparalleled good mood, telling them all funny stories until they were hooting with laughter, their previous reticence forgotten. They pounded on the table, threw their heads back, and stomped their feet. Soon, once their good humor had eased, Beorn told them where he had been.

"I have been traveling," he said. "I, and a few of my kin, went West to the mountains. We found there a burnt glade, still smelling of charred wolf-fur, and also we found a Warg with his goblin rider. They were part of a hunting party, one that was hunting dwarves. They hunt you," he said, "for you killed their king. It was not easy, getting him to tell this." Beorn grinned, and it was full of teeth. "But he spoke to me when I bid him." He looked to Thorin. "But there was something off, with this goblin's story. I do not trust it completely. There is more wickedness afoot, Thorin son of Thrain. You must be cautious."

Thorin nodded, accepting the warning. "So you believe our tale?" he asked.

Beorn waved his hand. "It was a good story, that of yours, but I like it better now that I am sure it is true. You must forgive my not taking your word. If you lived near the edge of Mirkwood, you would take the word of no one that you did not know as well as your brother or better. As it is, I can only say that I have hurried home as fast as I could to see that you were safe, and offer you any help that I can." He grinned. "I shall think more kindly of dwarves after this." He chuckled fiercely to himself, saying, "Killed the Great Goblin," over and again.

"What did you do with the goblin and warg?" Bilbo asked, and Gimli could only imagine.

"Come and see!" Beorn said, and stood. They quickly stood to follow him around the house. A goblin's head was stuck on a spike outside the gate and a warg skin was nailed to a tree just beyond. Beorn was a fierce enemy.

"Remind me never to get on his bad side," Óin muttered.

"Indeed," Gandalf said. "You have true friends in this Company." Gandalf said to Beorn, and looked at Thorin, who nodded. "It is time you heard the rest of our story." Then there, in the sunlight, Gandalf told Beorn the rest of their tale, including the purpose of their quest—Erebor, and the dragon within.

Beorn nodded. "That is a true tale," he said, "and a noble purpose. A dragon is no good neighbor, but I remember the bounty of Thror's halls. A neighbor like that is good to have. This I will do: I will provide ponies for you and a horse for Gandalf. I can give you food for weeks, if you do not waste it, and skins for water." He looked to Thorin. "Make sure that you fill them before the forest, for there is no water that runs clean of the darkness that now dwells there." Thorin nodded, and Gimli felt his excitement rise. They were finally going to depart.

The rest of the morning was spent in readiness. Beorn did provide them with ponies and his helpers stocked their bags with provisions aplenty. Soon, the Company was off into the great plain between Beorn's house and Mirkwood.

They made camp that dusk in bright spirits, though they kept a wary eye that night, and in the morning, they continued on as dawn broke.

They reached the edge of the wood in the early afternoon and Gandalf bid them to unburden the ponies and send them back, as asked.