Thorin knew that his men had much faith and trust in Mona and that she would do anything to help them to defeat the dragon. But the more he thought about all this, the more it hurt deep inside his chest. He loved her too much and it was painful for him to think about the dragon. He did not want to lose her. He wanted to reclaim Erebor, rebuild it and bring life back into his kingdom, into his home. And he wanted that she was by his side until his own dying day.

He was deep in these thoughts as Fili placed a hand on his shoulder. Thorin winced a bit and looked at his eldest nephew. Fili seemed to see the sadness in his uncle's eyes and whispered,

"We will win this fight, together. And in the end you will marry her and you will live a peaceful life. I trust in her ability to fight Smaug. You do that as well, right?"

Thorin nodded. "I just can't bear the thought about losing her."

"You won't lose her. You won't lose any of us," and with that Fili embraced his uncle tightly. Mona watched them with a warm smile on her lips.

They packed their bags and had lunch with Beorn before they finally left his house. They rode up north because Beorn had told them there would be an entrance to a barely used path straight through Mirkwood which would lead them directly to the Lonely Mountain.

Silence surrounded them the closer they got to the forest and the sun was setting lower and lower until the landscape was bathed in golden light. It was that time they left their thoughts about being hunted by orcs behind and began to sing and laugh again. Barbas trotted next to Mona's pony.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked in his silent voice.

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't your fault."

The others were now used to that strange kind of conversation and so they didn't really pay much attention to them anymore.

"I just think it might be a good idea if you keep it in mind to call for help if needed."

Mona kept silent for a moment and replied, "I don't know how to call."

"I'm certain you will know once the time is right."

She simply nodded and they fell silent again, both just listened to the songs of the dwarves.

It was evening already and they set up a camp in the shadow of a huge oak tree. Fili and Kili were the first to guard while the rest lowered down for sleep.

Fili watched his uncle and the girl who were both cuddled up close together. He thought back to that conversation a couple of hours ago in which Thorin had revealed his true inner feelings to him.

Kili watched his brother and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

"I thought about Thorin and Mona."

Kili's gaze drifted to them and he smiled. "She is perfect."

"Aye. And I've never seen him like this before. Back in Beorn's house, as he turned away from us, I walked up to him and we had a little talk. His eyes had been teary-wet. Can you believe that?"

Kili shook his head for he had never seen his uncle, that majestic and proud king, crying. "Why had he tears in his eyes?"

"He was thinking about the end of our journey. The dragon and that Mona might be our only chance to defeat him once and for all. He is afraid that he might lose her in that fight."

Kili once again looked towards his uncle and her and replied, "I'm certain this journey will end well for all of us. He deserves to be happy."

They both fell silent and listened to the sounds of the night.

The Company moved on for two more days without much rest. Mona was now riding next to Thorin at the head of the group. It was an uneventful ride and the only things they saw on their way was grassland, some flowers, birds chirping in the trees and sometimes a pack of deer.

On the third day they didn't even make a camp and rode on through the night. Bilbo had a strange feeling that he had seen a huge bear trotting alongside with them through the bushes and as he asked Gandalf about it the only answer he got was,

"Be quiet and don't stare at him!"

Their next rest was short again and they moved on before the break of dawn. In the light of the uprising sun they could see the forest of Mirkwood draw closer and closer like a huge and dark wall in front of them.

Bilbo once again felt a strange feeling; just as if a heavy silence settled upon them the closer they got to the forest.

It was afternoon already as they finally reached the edge of Mirkwood and they rested under a huge tree.

"Now this is Mirkwood," Gandalf explained and added, "Biggest forest of the northern world. I hope you like its sight. And now you have to send the ponies back."

The majority of the dwarves began to protest but Gandalf sharply cut them off, "Beorn is not as far away as you may think and it would be the best for all of us if you keep your promise, because he is a fearsome enemy if he must! Haven't you seen the huge bear night over night walking with us? Bilbo, at least, had seen him."

Barbas looked up. "And I scented him," he said calmly.

Gandalf nodded with a smile and continued, "He was protecting you but he also wanted to make sure that you keep your promise and now, please, send those ponies back!"

"And what about the horse?" Thorin asked and added, "You haven't said a word about sending it back as well."

"No, and I won't send it back."

"So, what about your promise keeping?"

"That is my business. I said I won't send it back. And that's because I will ride it back."

'So, that's it,' Mona thought; 'Now he's leaving us.'

Gandalf seemed to have read her mind as he said with a warm smile,

"It would be needless to try and change my mind. We already discussed it at the Carrock. Like I said, there are important businesses in the south I have to care about. And I am already late because I was caring about your business, but maybe we will meet again before the end is near. Or maybe not, it depends on your luck and your courage. And you have Master Baggins. I already told you that there is more on him than meets the eye. As well as Mona and Barbas. Now, be a little more jolly, Bilbo! Don't look so upset! And you, Thorin and Company, be a little more confident and not so sad. It is your journey after all and please forget about the dragon and that forest at least until tomorrow morning!"

As the sun was setting they sat gathered around a fire. Bombur had just snatched some nuts out of the bag as Bofur grumbled,

"You can't just eat the nuts! We have to be careful with the supplies! You're fat enough so you won't die of starving!"

Mona could see that his words hurt Bombur and said, "Bofur, don't be that mean with him."

It seemed as if the normally merry dwarf just realized what he'd done and regreted his outburst immediately. "I am so sorry; it was not my intention to hurt you!"

"You are good in calming people down," Balin said and lowered down next to Mona. She sent him a smile and replied,

"I had to learn many things back home and the art of speaking was the most important one. I had to negotiate very much."

She fell silent as Barbas placed his head on her lap and fell asleep. She gently stroked his soft fur and looked at Balin again as he said,

"May I tell you something?"

"Aye," she said and watched him curiously.

"I know Thorin almost his entire life and he went through so many battles and he had to build a new home for his folk and family up in the Ered Luin. He created something new, a good life for all those lost dwarves, but the thought about his home, about Erebor, was always deep inside of him. It was always his greatest desire to reclaim his home and get the treasures and the gold back. That was his only impulse to go in this quest. Until he met you. And I don't mean that in any negative way. I must say: thank you."

That surprised and confused her a lot. "Thanks for what?"

"For showing him the meaning of true love. Showing him that there is more than just the gold. Since he met you, since he fell in love with you, the gold is not his greatest desire anymore. He would take Erebor even without the gold when he only got you by his side in the end."

Mona couldn't believe how deeply Balin's words moved her and she could do nothing else than smile at him and replied, "I'm a bit speechless right now."

He smiled and said, "There is no need to say anything. I just wanted you to know that."

They could see Thorin who approached them and Balin got up. "Good night, Mona."

"Good night, Balin. And thank you."

Barbas just woke up and trotted away towards Kili and Fili. Balin winked at Mona and nodded at Thorin as they passed by each other.

"Seemed you had a nice talk," Thorin said and lowered down behind her, placed his arms around her and kissed her neck. She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoyed the warmth of his body and the soft scratching of his beard on her skin.

"Yes, it was quite nice."

He tucked her hair behind her left ear and whispered, "I can't stop telling you how much I love you."

She smiled again and turned to face him, placed a hand in his neck and pulled him down into a soft kiss. Of course, a quiet whistle rang through the air from Kili but it seemed that his brother shut him up.

As they broke the kiss she whispered, "I'm very tired."

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Then you should sleep."

She cuddled up against him, placed her head on his chest and mumbled, "Hold me close."

"I will," he replied, leaned his back against a tree and pulled her even closer. He wrapped his fur coat around her and soon both were deeply asleep.

Mumbling and grumbling filled the morning air on the next day. Gandalf hadn't changed his mind, of course, and so they had to divide their bags. They filled the waterbags at a clean spring nearby. Bilbo was the only one muttering that he had the most baggage on his back which upset him and the thought that he had to carry it for a long time now didn't relief him the slightest.

"Don't mind that," Thorin said, "It will become lighter soon. It won't take long and all of you will wish for heavier bags as soon as the food runs out."

They finally sent their ponies back and Bilbo had the feeling that the shadow of a bear was walking close next to the ponies.

Then it was time for Gandalf to finally say goodbye as well. The Hobbit sat on the ground and looked quite miserable for he wished he could go with Gandalf.

"Goodbye!" Gandalf said to Thorin and turned to look at the whole Company as he added, "And goodbye to all of you! Now you have to go straight through the forest. Never leave the path! If you leave it I am certain that you won't find it again and you will never get out of Mirkwood. And then neither I, nor anyone else will see you again!"

"Do we really have to go through?" Bilbo sighed.

"Yes, you have to," Gandalf replied. "If you want to reach the other side! You have two choices: Cross that forest or surrender. And I won't allow you to go back, Bilbo! I am certain that Mona would be angry with you for she made a promise to protect you!" The wizard's gaze drifted to her and she sent him a tired smile.

"I am ashamed that you even have such thoughts, Master Baggins!" Gandalf added sternly.

"No, you totally got me wrong. I was just curious if there is no other way around?" the hobbit said still a bit ashamed.

"There is a way around if it is no matter for you to walk up two-hundred miles to the north or four-hundred miles to the south. But even then you won't find a safer way. Though there are no safe ways in this part of the world anyway. Stay on the path, be brave, always think positive and with much luck you will find the way out of this forest. And then you will overlook the marshes and in the distance there you will see the Lonely Mountain where good old Smaug is hiding –and I hope that he does not await you."

"That's a great comfort—," Thorin grumbled and added, "Goodbye! If you won't come with us now, you should really leave us then."

"Fine, farewell my friends!" the wizard called merrily, turned his horse around and rode off towards the west but he turned his head again as he was just in shout distance and called a last goodbye and that they should never leave the path and with that he was gone.

"Yes, goodbye and get lost!" some of the dwarves mumbled angrily.

Thorin took Mona's hand and said, "This is the most dangerous path of our quest now. We have to stay close together!"

Reluctantly they took their bags and waterskins just to leave the light of the day behind and finally immersed into the darkness of Mirkwood.