Chapter 10
Mirkwood
We rode across the land, slowing down as we come up to a gloomy looking forest. Gandalf dismounts and walks into the edge of the forest through an ancient archway. I dismounted and followed him. My elf eyes scanning the woods. Its been years since I was here and it has changed in a bad way.
"The Elven Gate." Gandalf said. Gandalf turns to the others as my eyes land on something. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood." I turned to the others.
"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said, as he dismounts. I saw something in the distance and see it was Beorn in his bear form, watching us from a distant ridge.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf said. I head over to help Fili to help him.
"Your very pale." Fili said, touching my face.
"The forest is sick. Its making me sick and I see spider-web." I said. Bilbo was talking to Gandalf and then Gandalf heads into the shadows as we all got the packs off the ponies. I pet the pony that I rode one last time as the ponies rode away. Nori was finishing with Gandalf's horse, but Gandalf comes running back.
"Not my horse! I need it." Gandalf said. We all turn to him in surprise.
"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked.
"I would not do this unless I had too." Gandalf said.
"Gandalf? What's wrong?" I ask. He ignores me as he looks at Gandalf and then back at Bilbo.
"You changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire." Gandalf said. I raised an eyebrow as I pulled my bag onto my shoulders.
"I was going to tell you. I found something in the Goblin tunnels." Bilbo said.
"Found what?" Gandalf asked. I saw Bilbo fumbling with something in his pocket. "What did you find?" Gandalf leans closer curiously and suspiciously.
"My courage." Bilbo said. I knew he was going to say something else, but wasn't ready to tell anyone. I shook my head. I took Fili's hand and he pulled me closer to his side.
"Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it." Gandalf said. Gandalf walks towards his horse. "I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me." Gandalf looks hard at Thorin then continues to the horse. "This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."
"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo said, looking at Dwalin. Gandalf gets on his horse.
"You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again. No matter what may come, stay on the path!" Gandalf said. Gandalf turns the horse around and rides away. We turn towards the forest. My stomach was turning.
"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin said.
"Durin's Day. Let's go!" Dwalin said.
"This is our one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin said. We enter Mirkwood. Thorin leads the way as we followed the path. "The path goes this way." As the path goes one way. The path seemed to twist and turn. Dwalin thumps the handle of his hammer on the ground.
"This way." Dwalin said and we continued walking. I felt a wave of dizieness and collapsed to the ground.
"Nes!" Fili said, hurrying over.
"I don't feel so well." I murmur. Fili picked me up bridal style and carried me.
"Air. I need air." Bofur said. I laid my head on Fili's shoulder and closed my eyes as my head hurt.
"My head, it's spinning." Oin said. Suddenly everyone ran into each other. Nori, who was leading, came to a stop.
"Keep moving. Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked.
"The path...it's disappeared!" Nori said.
"What's going on?" Dwalin asked.
"We've lost the path!" Oin said. We were standing in front of a steep cliff and there was no path ahead of them.
"Find it. All of you look. Look for the path!" Thorin said. Fili helped while he carried me. We wandered around the forest trying to find it.
"I don't remember this place before. None of its familiar." Balin said.
"It's got to be here." Dori said.
"What hour is it?" Thorin asked.
"I do not know. I don't even know what day it is." Dwalin said.
"Is there no end of this accursed place?" Thorin said. I knew the forest was playing with our minds. I heard a vibration and look to see Bilbo had picked at a spiderweb. My eyes widen. I heard a strange whispering. We continue walking. I closed my eyes as my head spinning got worse.
"Look." Ori called. I opened my eyes to see Ori holding a tobacco pouch.
"A tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods." Ori said. I rolled my eyes. Bofur takes the pouch from Dori.
"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine." Bofur said.
"Because it is yours." I said.
"We're going round in circles. We are lost." Bilbo said.
"We're not lost. We keep heading east." Dwalin said.
"But which way is east? We've lost the sun." Oin said. The dwarves begin to bicker. Bilbo look up and sees a bit of sun through the tree canopy far above us.
"The sun. We have to find the sun. Up there. We need to..." I was the only one that heard Bilbo as the dwarves started fighting. Fili set me on my feet and joined the fight. Thorin stands apart listening and we both hear the whispering.
"What? What's that?" Thorin asked. The whispering continues and Thorin turns to yell at the fighting dwarves. "Enough! Quiet! All of you! We're being watched." No one noticed that Bilbo goes up a tree. We stood listening. I stood next to Fili. I didn't like the whispering. Suddenly, somehting sticky hit my back and I scream as it pulled me into the darkness.
"NES!" The dwarves yell. I felt something sting me in my arm. I blacked out to screams of my friends.
AN: There's the new chapter. Hope you liked. :)
