21. Meeting the Greenwood

The following morning, I was awaken by a soft hand shaking me off my sleep.

"Up you get, Miss Ari, or there won't be any breakfast left for you!"

I groaned. "Not now, Ori!"

Then I heard many laughs around me, and my eyes fluttered open.

When they had gotten used to the light, I made out Balin, Nori and Kili, all three looking at me with devilish grins on their lips, a good portion of bread in their hands and mouths.

I shot up at once. "Don't you dare eat all of it!"

Balin chuckled. "Do not worry, Miss Ari, you have someone taking care of that for you."

I quirked an eyebrow before getting up, but soon understood his meaning.

Bofur had protected a part of the breakfast for me from his brother's wandering hands.

After we had eaten well, Beorn and Gandalf strode inside, deep in conversation.

From what I understood, Gandalf had decided to tell Beorn the whole story of our quest, and even if it made me uncomfortable, I thought it a reasonably good idea.

The skin-changer stopped at the edge of the table, and locked his eyes with Thorin. "Well well, Thorin, son of Thrain son of Thror, this is an interesting quest you have started!"

All the dwarves stopped their talking at once. Even Bombur stopped nibbling the last piece of bread he had from breakfast.

"I will help, if I can. I will give you ponies, but you will have to send them back when you reach the gate of the forest."

Another pause, and then Thorin nodded. "Understood."

"I will give you food also. If you are careful with it, it might last weeks. Now", he stooped low and pushed his hands onto the table, and everyone was glued to his words, "some advice. You cannot drink water from anywhere in Mirkwood, or you will meet your death. There are streams and springs before you reach it, so fill your water-pouches before entering. Do not hunt anything, for nothing is good to eat apart from nuts, and it is not yet the time for it."

Gandalf cleared his throat. "Thank you, Beorn. I am sure our company will be careful."

Thorin then spoke up. "What road shall we take?"

Beorn looked back at the dwarven prince. "There is a road which brings someone all the way through Mirkwood. But if you strode from it...then...I cannot guarantee your safe passage."

Many a dwarf grumbled at that.

Surely Mirkwood seemed like a dangerous place, but weeks of food might be enough, should be enough.

No?

We ate with Beorn for lunch, and then thanked him many times before taking the ponies he had lent us.

They were kind beasts which were easily mounted without a saddle or reins. All you had to do was tell them where you wanted to go.

I was given a white mare going by the name of Ivy. I liked it.

Beorn had told us that the main road of the forest was dangerous for us to take, because it was misused and lost the further you went on it.

He told us to make for the northern border of Mirkwood, where the old forest road laid.

But he did tell us that goblins used that road from time to time.

It took us three days to reach the border.

By then, the tree trunks had grown larger, the branches began to be more gnarled, and the leaves darker.

I did not like the look of Mirkwood at all.

And then, finally, we reached the point where there was a huge gate within the trees, and a path swallowed in darkness ran into the depths of the forest.

Gandalf stopped the horse Beorn had lent him, and dismounted.

"Well, this is when you send the ponies back and our paths go their own separate ways."

Thorin shook his head. "What if I think they'd be more useful with us?"

"Then, Thorin Oakenshield, you will have to face the wrath of Beorn, for you promised."

The prince didn't falter his gaze, but Balin came to put a hand to his shoulder. "Come, Thorin, you have indeed promised, and there's not need for us to make another enemy."

We all took our packs from the ponies' backs, and wrapped them around our shoulders.

Mine, I suspected, was lighter than those of most of the dwarves, for I was not strong at all next to them. But I was a woman, and I guessed this explained that.

Thorin was still grim, and I thought he really didn't want to part with either the ponies or the wizard, but both had to go.

I was flatting Ivy's mane when Gandalf came to stand by me.

"Miss Ari, a word?"

My eyes widened at the tone he used – halfway between concerned and amused – but I nodded and followed him all the same. "What is it, Gandalf?"

"Now, I am leaving the dwarves in your care during my absence. I hope they will behave. Although Thorin is their leader, I do advise you to lead them...discreetly. Make sure the food isn't spent too quickly, make sure none approach the black stream. And for heaven's sake, stop getting closer to Bofur!"

All the while, I had nodded in approval. Except for that last sentence. "What-?"

"Everyone here has noticed how you grew closer to each other, I the first, I believe. This is not good, Miss Ari."

"And why not?" The blush that had crept on my cheeks turned from embarrassment to annoyance.

"Because he is not of your race. And because..." he looked around, making sure no one was listening, "because you are not from here!"

It could have surprised me that he'd say that, but it didn't. I had suspected Gandalf's knowledge for far too long for that, and I even thought Galadriel might have had a hand in this.

So I just crossed my arms. "I am old enough to make my own choices, Gandalf, thank you, and I am old enough to choose whom I'd want to be friends with."

The wizard's steel eyes rolled under his bushy eyebrows. "Stubborn woman! Be careful, that is all I ask! If your thoughts are too...unfocused, you might not notice danger ahead."

I made a face. "You think that I'd be lovestruck enough not to think about anything else?" I threw my hands in the air. "That's the cherry on top of the cake!" And I walked away, still grumbling.

I noticed how Gandalf's gaze didn't leave me before he said his goodbyes, and I noticed how he stared at me when the moment had come.

I just glared at him.

Me. Lovestruck.

In what world did he think I lived?