After putting his clothes back on and briefly instructing his people to clean the battlefield, Beorn walked over. Seeing Levi, the Eagle-king, and Gandalf together, he felt a little dazed.
"I did not expect a small skirmish to bring the lord of the free cities, the King of All Birds, and a wizard to our yard. Truly an honor."
"We happened to be discussing matters at the eyrie," Gandalf said, stepping in with a small smile. "It surprised us as well. The Eagle-king noticed the disturbance first, and then Levi dashed off ahead, leaving us far behind."
His tone was helpless, but his eyes were amused.
"I imagine the orcs now understand the new tribe of the Anduin Vale is not to be trifled with."
Proof of it lay everywhere underfoot. Gandalf prodded a couple of corpses aside with his staff to clear the way.
The Beorning settlement settled back into its rhythm. Villagers moved to deal with the orc and warg bodies, while Beorn hauled a sturdy table into the timber hall's yard. With the Eagle-king present, the three could hardly go indoors and leave him outside.
"No need for ceremony," Levi said with a wave. "We had nothing pressing. We saw and lent a hand."
"Your help, to my mind, is not something that can be called 'lending a hand,'" Beorn answered, glancing toward the faint band of stone that was the Sky Road. "Through that road, much wealth has flowed here. Its help is real and unquestionable."
"Let us continue where we left off before the battle," Levi said. "If you need anything, say it. We are happy to do our part."
"Nothing special. You are already doing it." Levi recalled the reports he had read in Lake-town a few days ago. "In fact, you have done quite a lot."
Once the road reached the Beorning lands, they had voluntarily taken on responsibility for maintaining the stretch from Mirkwood to the Misty Mountains. It benefited both sides.
"Right, about the hives and those large bees. I would like to bring some back and keep them."
Beorn's bees were remarkable. They were huge, nearly half a fist in size, and fairly gentle, rarely stinging. Yellow and round, with a contented hum as they hovered in the air, they reminded some dwarves of Bombur.
"Of course. We had already discussed it," Beorn said. "Where do you want to keep them? I will send them over." He added, "I should warn you. These bees differ a little in habit. I can explain the differences and what to watch for."
"Do not worry about that. I have some special ways."
Seeing Levi so confident, Beorn nodded and let go of the idea of lecturing him. Perhaps he did have a touch like Radagast, the brown-robed wizard who loved all living things and could commune with them, fierce or gentle. Wargs excepted.
"Very well. I trust you will manage. It seems the beekeeping manual I have been writing will not be needed," Beorn said with a hint of regret. "It might be one of the few things I do better than you. A shame I cannot give you a few lessons."
Lessons?
A small chill walked down Levi's back. He smiled and changed the subject. "It is getting late. We should eat."
Beorn glanced at the dropping sun and sensibly let the topic go. "Indeed."
Moments later, firelight rose in the yard. The Eagle-king settled nearby, eating the fresh cuts Levi had brought, content and unhurried.
That endlessly fresh, clean meat. Never mind the Eagle-king; sometimes even Gandalf felt the urge to sneak a taste. But Levi never let him.
"If you think your teeth are up to it, you can try." Levi set down a basket of Beorn's special honey-cakes along with wild fruit, vegetables, and dairy, then turned to the fire and showed his cooking skill.
Clack.
Before long, a plate of roast sat before Gandalf, with a small piece of raw beef on the edge. The crimson color and gem-like marbling were too tempting. Gandalf speared the morsel and chewed.
Gulp.
"Not much flavor," he judged, "but not unpalatable either."
"In some urgent moments when I had no time to cook, I would eat it raw," Levi said, recalling his early, rough days in the field. "Chicken excluded."
Raw chicken carried a risk he refused to take.
"What situation could deny you time to cook?" Gandalf asked, then waved the question away. "Best not to imagine it. I will not pry. Leave it to your memories."
Curiosity sated by raw meat, his eyes wandered across the table. The leaf Beorn was chewing looked good, so he tried a bite. That single bite left Gandalf silent for several seconds.
Why must I dine between one who eats only raw meat and one who eats only greens?
Even so, Beorn's honey-cakes were excellent, almost a gentler form of lembas. One piece added real satiety and tasted wonderful.
Levi tried one and smiled in surprise. It excelled as a travel ration, far better than jerky or plain roast.
On the other side, Beorn noticed the shift in Levi's expression and said, "This cake is a secret of our people. But you are an exception. If you promise not to spread it freely, I can teach you how it is made."
"Delighted," Levi said at once. Though the recipe had technically been unlocked the moment he examined Beorn's oven and cakes, he did not mind hearing it from the source.
The haul from this trip was substantial. A Beorning specialty, baked honey-cake that restored more satiety than roast, and a large hive.
Naturally, the hive should be filled with bees, but before leaving, Levi took only two. Two were enough. The rest would be left to a certain miraculous breeding system.
As they were parting, Beorn looked at Levi. Several times he drew breath to speak, only to swallow the words.
"What is it?" Levi asked.
Beorn glanced at the wide road spanning forest and valley and piercing into the Misty Mountains. He thought of the wonders of Levi's domain and of the rumors about how he recruited his people. On that rough, resolute face, hesitation crossed like a passing cloud.
"No. Sorry, it is nothing." He sighed. "Please give me some time to consider."
"Consider?" Levi studied him for a moment and could not tell what lay behind the request. "Alright. Whatever it is, take your time. Speak if you wish. If not, I will not pry."
"There is plenty of time."