A/N: I know, you guys get tired of reading these silly author's notes... but I can't help it, I just want you guys to know how grateful I am for your continued support. Thank you again to all those that have reviewed, and to those that have been so kind to me through PM.

As always, enjoy! Review and let me know what you think, dearies. :-*


Chapter Twelve: Don't Look At Them

"Couldn't there be another way we might go?" Bilbo had asked Rhu as they walked under the old, gloomy looking trees that leaned together, making what looked like a gate at the edge of the forest. Rhu shook her head at the hobbit when he turned to look at her, and tried to offer him a comforting smile. "I'm afraid not. It will be fine, just stay close to me." The light faded slowly, leaving a strange glow of green to surround the company.

They walked in a single line with Thorin leading. Dwalin followed, and Bilbo and Rhu fell in behind him. Kili walked close behind the woman, reaching down to pick up a twig. He leaned forward and tickled Rhu on the ear, causing her to shriek. "Stop that!" she growled at the playful young prince. Fili stepped closer and smacked his brother in the back of the head.

They were only a few minutes in, and already they could hardly see anything. A ray of light occasionally peaked through the tops of the trees, but soon disappeared. And they tried their best to pay no mind to the scuffling and rustling sounds from the woods around them.

Bilbo found it difficult, especially when he caught sight of the dark, nasty cobwebs that stretched from tree to tree. None graced the path, which gave the halfling some reassurance. Whether it was by some kind of magic or not, he didn't care.

The company had already grow tired of the forest, wishing they could breathe fresh air for it was uncomfortably stuffy. Rhu wanted nothing more than to see sunlight, to feel it on her skin. She thought of Rivendell as they ventured further along the path, imagining herself back at the Last Homely House, sitting near the waterfalls and listening to the birds sing.

And when the night came, which almost seemed no different, it was equally dreadful if not more. They laid their sleeping mats down on the path and huddled as closely as they could together. Bilbo waved his hand in front of his face, hoping to see at least something. With no such luck, he took up the first watch, wishing he hadn't when he saw the yellow eyes that watched him from a distance. They would disappear, only to reappear and watch him from the brances above.

What bothered the hobbit the most was the bigger eyes, bulbous things that sent chills over his skin. "Bugs ... confounded bugs," he whispered to himself, knowing that it could only be insects that watched them through the night.

Rhu noticed them as well. No matter which way she turned, she couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. She tried not to look up, to see the eyes. And she nearly jumped out of her skin when something touched her arm. "It is only me," a voice said quietly.

"Fili?" she responded, taking a deep breath. "I cannot sleep … not with those things watching. I can't…" her voice was weak, and Fili knew she was likely to panic at any second. He slid an arm under her and pulled her closer to him. "Don't look at them. Shut your eyes, my lady. You are safe."

His words were genuine, and Rhu knew she was safe. She didn't know whether or not anything would make its way onto the path they took, but she knew she was safe enough in his arms and that no harm would come to her that night. Rhu turned over onto her side and buried her head in the fur of his coat, closing her eyes as sleep finally took over.

They traveled on for two more days, and with each second that passed, they grew to hate Mirkwood even more. And when night fell, a few begged for a fire. "Surely it wouldn't do any harm," Oin claimed, a few others chiming in until they'd convinced Thorin it was a good idea.

But a good idea it turned out not to be. No sooner had Gloin and his brother gotten the fire going, disgustingly huge moths were drawn to it. They flapped about, whirling around the dwarves and proving to be much of an annoyance. Rhu swatted them away when they got close, grumbling as she had been the first to protest against a fire.

The fire was put out and everyone began to settle down. "Get some sleep, we have an early start," Thorin said, although many of the dwarves had already fallen asleep; Fili being among them. Rhu took up watch, unhappy that she would be forced to look upon the creepy eyes that surrounded them instead of sleeping soundly at Fili's side, to bury her head away and push out any unpleasant thought that crept into her mind.

"Oh ... yes, right there." Fili smirked widely hearing Rhu's words, as she sat in front of him. He gently kneaded the tightened muscles in her back, moving up towards her shoulders where her shirt had been loosened and her skin was bare to him. The muscles there were even tighter, and the dwarf urged her to relax. "You're so ... tight," he said in a low voice, trying not to snicker as she looked back at him with a raised brow. "Relax." Fili rubbed a little harder in an attempt to loosen the muscles up. The others were sound asleep, their snores a clear indication. Fili and Rhu were left alone by the fire, the orange glow of the flames dancing across their bodies.

Rhu moaned quietly, hoping not to wake the others, for she enjoyed the rhythmatic pattern of Fili's hands on her skin. And from the sounds that escaped her lips every now and then, the blonde dwarf knew he was doing something right. The longer Fili had his hands on her, the more his mind wandered. He remembered the soft glow of her skin, beautiful dark waves of hair draped down her back, her breasts, when he'd stumbled upon her bathing in the river. Inching closer, he moved her hair to the side and touched his lips to her neck in a soft kiss. He allowed his tongue to swirl around her skin, and when she didn't object, Fili moved his hands down to her waist. He began to nibble on her earlobe while his hands slipped underneath her shirt, his calloused fingers brushing the skin of her stomach. They continued to inch up desperately...

Though he was still asleep with a smile on his face, Fili's hand reached out, thinking it was Rhu who slept beside him as she had the night previously. "Oi! What are ya doin'? That's my eye you're pokin'!" The deep voice of Dwalin jolted Fili awake, causing him to draw his hand back from the elder dwarf's face quickly. He didn't make a sound as he turned over, thankful when Dwalin stopped grumbling and returned to his sleep. Though Fili groaned to himself when he realized the front of his britches were now wet.

Morning found them all too soon. Their food supply was dwelling on the minds of a few of the dwarves, wishing they could have more but knowing that they were already running low. The squirrel they'd managed to shoot down was less than appetizing, as Beorn had mentioned. So they shot no more of the fowl tasting creatures. Water was becoming an issue as well, as their skins would soon enough be dry.

"Do you see that?" Bilbo asked, pointing a finger forward. They could all hear the sound of water, and came to a stop in front of a stream which flowed fast and strong, and looked black as night. "Stop!" Rhu cried out when Nori stepped closer to the water, thinking he might try to fill his water skin. "Do you not remember what Beorn said?"

It was then that the big man's words came back to mind. The dwarves pondered on what to do, for they knew they wouldn't be able to just simply wade through the water and get to the other side. "There!" Bilbo exclaimed. "A boat, on the far bank."

"And how far away do you think it is?" Thorin asked.

"Not far, I should think maybe twelve yards."

"Twelve? I thought it might've been at last thirty yards." Thorin squinted his eyes, trying to see the boat. After a moment of silence, they'd formed a plan. A rope with a hook was brought forward, and Thorin instructed Fili to try and hook the boat.

Fili made several attempts to secure the hook, but to no avail. He growled impatiently and decided to slow down, throwing the rope on more time. And it paid off, as the hook finally caught on. The dwarves took hold of the rope and heaved, falling onto their backs as the boat came to a skidding halt before them.

"Who will cross first?"

"I shall," Thorin said. "You will come with me, as will Fili and Balin. The boat will not hold many at a time. Kili, Oin, Gloin, and Dori will follow; and then Ori, Nori, Bifur, and Bofur. Dwalin, Bombur, and Rhunia will come last."

Bombur huffed at that, throwing his arms up as Thorin prepared to get into the boat. "I'm always last and I don't like it! It's someone else's turn!"

Thorin was quick to scold the bigger dwarf. "Then you should not be so fat! You must come with the lightest load."

The biggest dwarf wasn't the only one who was unhappy with the plan. Fili shook his head, and stepped closer to his uncle. "I think Rhunia should go first. I will go with the last load." He spoke in a lowered tone, but Rhu still managed to hear some of what he said. And then she remembered what Thorin had said to her days before, the thought causing her to sigh heavily.

"No. She will go last, and I will hear no more of it," Thorin hissed to Fili, climbing into the boat and ordering the others to follow.

Before long, most of the company had crossed over the black stream. The last load made their way to the opposite side, Rhu grabbing onto Dwalin's arm to hold on as the small boat rocked back and forth a bit from Bombur's movements.

Dwalin was the first out as the others held onto the boat. Rhu was next, taking her time so that she would not slip. And Bombur was quickly behind her, urging her to get onto the bank. She had barely gained her balance when something came flying overhead. A deer charged into the group of dwarves, knocking most of them to the ground. Fili hurried forward in time to catch Rhu by the wrist and pull her to him before she could fall into the water. The creature had no trouble leaping across the stream. Thorin managed to loose an arrow at the animal.

If it hadn't been for Bilbo, they would have praised Thorin for taking down the deer. "Bombur had fallen in! Bombur is drowning!" the hobbit cried out, jumping up and down as he pointed to the water. And sure enough, they could see the top of Bombur's cloak.

Their boat disappeared from sight, leaving them with no way to cross back and look for the deer. And they now had to deal with fishing one of their own from the stream. The dwarves tossed a rope into the water, which Bombur managed to catch. They heaved with all their strength, pulling the hefty dwarf back onto the bank.

By the time they'd gotten him away from the water, they saw that Bombur was already fast asleep. The dwarves cursed him for such clumsiness, though he still remained asleep with a smile on his face. "We will go no further today," Thorin said. They were all too tired, and knew now that they would have to carry Bombur.