He told Coraline that he was training a mouse circus.*
Word Count: 2182
Novel Progress:
Current Emotion: Three More Days Of This Maddness
Beorn puts a hand on the back of his chair but does not sit down, his gaze still on Thorin. “The wizard asks that I help you with this.”
Thorin glances at Gandalf, who nods. “And what say you to this?” he asks Beorn.
“I say you may stop here for the night, and rest.”
Thorin steps away from the table, his lips a hard line.
Gandalf leans forward, reaching for Thorin. “Now, this is still very generous -”
“Aren’t you going to help us?” says Kili, setting both elbows on the table and leaning forward. Fili winces, and eyes Beorn carefully.
Beorn turns his head slowly until he picks out the dwarf who spoke. His massive eyebrows furrow together, meeting over his forehead. “Food, shelter, and safety,” he lists. “That is help.”
“For which we are most grateful,” cuts in Gandalf, catching the argumentative look on Kili’s face. He smiles, that same ingratiating smile that he greeted Grace with. Beorn seems more won over than she was and nods to himself.
He walks around the table again and reaches over Oin’s head for the pitcher and platter. Oin ducks to the side and Dwalin sits up straighter in his oversized chair, but Grace is too mesmerized by the sheer size of Beorn’s arm and hand to move. She watches as he dips the platter a little first before picking it up, making the mouse slide off it and onto the table with a small shower of crumbs. “That one is always eating,” he says, nudging the mouse forward with the tip of his nail. The mouse takes a few steps, then shakes itself, throwing crumbs off his fur.
It is not until Beorn is gone with the pitcher and the plate that she realizes he was speaking to her.
76114 / 50000 words. 152% done!
* Neil Gaiman, Coraline
Novel Progress:
Current Emotion: Three More Days Of This Maddness
Beorn puts a hand on the back of his chair but does not sit down, his gaze still on Thorin. “The wizard asks that I help you with this.”
Thorin glances at Gandalf, who nods. “And what say you to this?” he asks Beorn.
“I say you may stop here for the night, and rest.”
Thorin steps away from the table, his lips a hard line.
Gandalf leans forward, reaching for Thorin. “Now, this is still very generous -”
“Aren’t you going to help us?” says Kili, setting both elbows on the table and leaning forward. Fili winces, and eyes Beorn carefully.
Beorn turns his head slowly until he picks out the dwarf who spoke. His massive eyebrows furrow together, meeting over his forehead. “Food, shelter, and safety,” he lists. “That is help.”
“For which we are most grateful,” cuts in Gandalf, catching the argumentative look on Kili’s face. He smiles, that same ingratiating smile that he greeted Grace with. Beorn seems more won over than she was and nods to himself.
He walks around the table again and reaches over Oin’s head for the pitcher and platter. Oin ducks to the side and Dwalin sits up straighter in his oversized chair, but Grace is too mesmerized by the sheer size of Beorn’s arm and hand to move. She watches as he dips the platter a little first before picking it up, making the mouse slide off it and onto the table with a small shower of crumbs. “That one is always eating,” he says, nudging the mouse forward with the tip of his nail. The mouse takes a few steps, then shakes itself, throwing crumbs off his fur.
It is not until Beorn is gone with the pitcher and the plate that she realizes he was speaking to her.
76114 / 50000 words. 152% done!
* Neil Gaiman, Coraline