I. The Meeting

Gandalf and the company waited for their hobbit to return to them. They were growing weary, others more so than the rest, while the wizard among dwarves searched the forest around them.

Thorin Oakenshield noticed his distracted behaviour and turned his gaze to the trees behind him. Nothing. Wizards, all mysterious and confusing.

"Is there something we should be worried about Gandalf?" The dwarf questioned, catching the attention of his companions.

The older man raised an eyebrow, "Of course not, Thorin," He croaked, turning towards the opening in the bushes where Bilbo Baggins had run off into, "Unless you think a Wandering Wizard and skin-changer is something to be worried about." The wizard mumbled, being heard by Thorin only.

The hobbit popped up from behind the trees, looking quite concerned.

Thorin stepped forward with a frown, "How close is the pack?"

"Too close," Bilbo breathed, "A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it."

"Have the orcs picked up our scent?" Dwalin, another dwarf, asked with a rush.

Bilbo shook his head, "Not yet, bet they will do. We have another problem."

"Did they see you? They saw you." This time Gandalf questioned.

The hobbit huffed, feeling a little frustrated with his friends, "No, that's not it."

"Good, what did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material."

The dwarves quickly agreed with the wizard, ignoring Bilbo for the moment. It seemed they weren't very worried about his expression and what he was trying to tell them. Why were dwarves and wizards so dismissive?

"Will you listen!" Bilbo interrupted, "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."

Gandalf frowned, "What form did it take? Like a bear?"

"Ye...yes, but bigger. Much bigger." It was clear Gandalf knew more then he was letting on, but when didn't he?

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur wondered though not getting an answer in response, "I say we double back." He turned to Thorin.

The dwarf shook his head, "We'll be run down by a pack of Orcs." He told his company calmly.

"There is a house," Gandalf suggested, "It's not far from here, where we might take refuge." He was a dangerous man but only in one of his forms, when he was in human form he could be quite agreeable. The wizard just hoped he was in a good mood when he changed back.

But there was someone else that was staying with the skin-changer, someone like him that he had not seen in a while. He also hoped he was in a good mood.

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked, concerned for his company's safety.

"Neither. He will help us or he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?"

In the distance, there was a roar of an animal nearby and it sent the group into a quiet frenzy of fear. First Orcs and now bears? What was next?

"None," Gandalf spoke before they all set off into a sprint, following the tall wizard as best they could. Yes, he had the body of a sixty-year-old man but he could run like the wind.

Something chased after them with inhuman speed causing adrenalin to course through their veins and momentarily forget the fact that they weren't fit to run a marathon at all.

"This way you fools!" A voice calls from their right. A man with dark features and a green coat stood rigidly amongst the trees waiting for them to run towards him and into the safety of the house nearby behind him. Who was he? And where did he come from?

Gandalf changed his course, "Do as he says!" They were hesitant but followed him, trusting the man enough to listen to him, hopefully, it won't get them killed one day.

The door was held open and the company all ran inside, "Into the house! Run!" Once everyone was inside, the stranger shut the door and locked it tight, pushing himself against it when a force almost knocked it down. His friend had quite a temper on him. Hopefully, he will forgive him tomorrow morning.

"What is that?" One of the younger dwarfs muttered, eyes wide with fear and shock.

"That is our host," Gandalf answered smoothly and a little too nonchalantly. "His name is Beorn, he's a skin-changer. 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."

Dwalin cleared his throat, "And this one?" He pointed to the boy who was still holding the door closed and looking through the window, trying to get a glimpse of the supposed bear outside. Long dark hair hung down to his shoulders and a dark green coat fell to his ankles. The boy was tall, though not as tall as their dear wizard.

Gandalf grinned, clapping a hand on the stranger's shoulder, gaining his attention, "This is Lucien. Lucien the Green."

Lucien turned away from the window and eyed the shorter ones in front of him, his eyes as black as coal but not as cold. They were warm and mischievous and bright, something the colour could never hold.

The boy bowed, "At your service, small ones." A smirk playing on his lips effortlessly.

There was a few grumbles and shouts of offence, "Now, see here-" The one known as Bofur piped up.

"Oh, I meant no offence young and kind sir's," Lucien quickly countered, "I was merely stating facts, you see? You are considerably shorter than me and my friend here." He looked to the other wizard who was both amused and trying to put an end to his teasing behaviour.

Ori stood straighter to get a look out the window, "He's leaving." But his brother pulled him back.

"Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious, he's under some dark spell."

Gandalf and Lucien frowned. They didn't take too kindly of people accusing their friends of dark magic, Lucien more so. And before he could speak up, the older man beat him to it, giving him a stare, "Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own." The wizard took his hat off and slumped into a chair.

Lucien huffed and soon followed suit as he sat on the floor, resting against the legs of the chair Gandalf sat on. He didn't know any of these other people so who else would he trust?

"So," What looked to be a hobbit spoke up, it was clear with his large feet what he was, "You're a wizard?" His gaze was curious as he sat not too far away from him. Lucien found the creature adorable, he had met a couple of hobbits in his many years but not one as strange or different as this one seemed to be.

"Aye, I am," He smiled kindly.

Balin peered up from his bed that he was in the middle of making, "You are the Wandering Wizard, aren't ya?"

"I here they describe me as legendary as well." Lucien chuckled quietly, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. He was an attractive boy and appeared many years younger than Gandalf, maybe around twenty-five. Curious to see such a young wizard.

"I thought Gandalf was the Wandering Wizard." Fili frowned.

The boy pointed, "Are you calling me a liar?" He spoke with a serious tone which caused the company to turn silent for a moment before Lucien let out a loud laugh.

Gandalf rolled his eyes, "Don't mind him, lads. He's not quite right in the head." He dismissed their shocked expression with a wave of his hand. This was why he didn't want people knowing who Lucien was, he either scared them away with his teasing and sudden mood swings or he mistakingly gets people so enamoured with him that when he leaves they are utterly heartbroken, he couldn't win with the boy.

"Yes, that is very clear," Thorin grumbled.

Lucien, noticing the taller dwarf standing in the corner, looked him and down, "Gandalf, you didn't tell me you had handsome friends," He peered up at the wizard, "I thought someone like you only had old friends."

And so it begins.

Thorin looked quite taken back by this comment. How could someone be so bold? Did this boy not know who he was? He guessed not because if he did he would surely be bowing at his feet by now. Just imagining that made the dwarf smirk almost smugly.

"Your comment is much appreciated, Lucien. Thank you." Gandalf sarcastically spoke with another roll of his eyes. The boy only shrugged and surveyed the rest of the dwarves in the room, there were quite a few, he would never remember any of their names whatever they were.

Gandalf had already told the boy of the journey before he even went to find Thorin Oakenshield himself. They were close, he told him almost everything. He also said they would find each other through this journey and that Lucien could join them, for what reason? He didn't know. Gandalf liked to be mysterious and sometimes it really irritated him.

Feeling like it was time to get some rest, Lucien picked himself up from the ground and made his way to the guest bedroom where he had been staying for the past week and a half.

Now that Gandalf was here, Lucien could leave and pursue his never-ending need for adventure.