(A/N: I'm so sorry I've failed you guys in updating :( But I am going to try again and pick up on everything and try really really hard to update as much as possible, so here is chapter 21 and I hope that you all like it. Also, I will not be insulted in the slightest if anybody would want to take up the task of reminding me to update should I forget to, or leave it to long. Please enjoy and feel free to review ^.^)

The sun had already began to set behind the dark twisted trees that formed Mirkwood, Elill looked around at the darkened boarders, shadowed by the large gentle touch of the trunks. She could sense the darkness of the area and shuddered, finding it crawl into her and clasp her lungs tightly to the point she was struggling to breath. She slid off the pony and began to load the food and what little water they had left on her back, the things that they needed. Bilbo slid off next to her and looked around worriedly.
"This forest feels...sick, like there is something about it. Is there no way around it?" He asked the Company, none answered, all still sat securely on their ponies. Elill walked towards Bilbo, still carrying what they needed and helping him unload his things, and giving him much less than what she was carrying. She didn't want the poor little hobbit to carry more than even he weighed.
"Not unless you want to travel two hundred miles North or twice that distance south." Elill told him, walking forward, looking around, she looked at the large wooden archway that was curved toward them. "The Elven Gates..." she muttered, touching them, she was feared to go any further, the idea of setting foot into the woodland seemed wrong to her.
"This path will lead us through Mirkwood." Gandalf told them all for her, climbing from his horse and walking through the gates, looking around the forest as though it were an easy task. Dwalin grunted from behind them as he sat up straight on his pony, smiling brightly.
"It is good, not an Orc in sight, we must head forward so it seems!" Elill glanced at the balding Dwarf, it was clear he hadn't quite heard what she had said about the situation, or willing ignored it for the sake of it. Elill looked around her and turned to Gandalf, pointing up at a large cliff face.
"Gandalf, look." She told him, nodding forward, Gandalf glanced up, and tightened his lips. The great black bear stood high, looking around, and every now and then back down at the company, Gandalf seemed to nod at Elill silently and turned back round to the Company.
"Let the ponies go, let them go back to their master." Gandalf ordered the Dwarves, with a sigh they leapt from their ponies, and began to unload their ponies, Elill smiled quite happily, finding that she didn't have to say a word to the Dwarves who, with no complaint, began to shift through their luggage for the essentials. From the corner of her eye she caught Bilbo gently placing his hand in his waistcoat pocket, his face set as though he were concentrating deeply on something, and seemed to pull his hand out. Gandalf was moving too deep into the woods for Elill's liking and caused her to shudder as he got further out of her sight, she knew that Gandalf could easily care for himself, but she felt too much of a duty to protect the elderly man. She walked closer to the edge, and peered in, she heard Gandalf mutter something, but struggled to catch it. However, his tone was daunting and it frightened her. She turned as all the ponies left, she stood close beside Kíli, and although they didn't mutter a single word about their relationship to anybody but Fíli who found out by accident, he still brushed her hand gently, and looked at her concerned. Elill shook her head lightly, and smiled a small smile at him, hoping that this reassured him, however the look in his eye told her the exact opposite. Gandalf came hurrying out of the forest as Nori began to undo his saddle.
"Not my horse!" Gandalf shouted, causing the others to glance up, Elill's forehead creased and now a new found worry filled her, and she grasped the fabric of Kíli's jacket tightly. He too seemed to look confused, but she knew that her worry didn't extend to anybody else.
"You are not leaving us?" Bilbo asked, but it seemed he was trying to be reassured more than anything, his tone was begging, and he seemed frightened without Gandalf there. Gandalf walked towards them, his eyes shadowed by his hat.
"Under these circumstances, I have to." Gandalf told them gravely, Thorin at first seemed angry, but one look at Gandalf told him that it must have been important and his face instantly softened. Gandalf sighed and patted Bilbo lightly on the shoulder. He walked past Elill who quickly rushed forward and blocked his way. She looked up at Gandalf, her eyes filled with fear.
"Gandalf, what is it?" She asked him, he just shook his head at her, and climbed onto his horse.
"Elill, I wish I could tell you, but I cannot, all that I ask of you is that you take care of them, and especially Bilbo, although I think highly of him, I am greatly concerned for the little hobbit from the Shire." Elill nodded her head in a promise, and then as Gandalf went to ride away, he quickly glanced at Elill and smiled slightly. "Oh, and Elill, congratulations." Gandalf told her lightly, before goading his horse forward. The horse took off in a gallop, and Elill watched him ride off before turning back the Company.
"Looks like we're on our own on this one." She told them all, and the Dwarves nodded, she smiled at Bilbo kindly, so as the poor hobbit wouldn't feel uncomfortable or frightened.

Xxx

How long had it been? Elill began to worry, she had been in the Woodland area for way too long, and she was sure they had lost the path long ago, going around in circles, and yet Thorin was far too stubborn to tell them that they were lost. She stumbled along behind the Dwarves, they had run out of water and she could feel the tightening pain of thirst fill her, and she found herself weakening with every step, leaning on Kíli and Fíli for support despite her pride. Each time they stopped to rest she would close her eyes, only to force them open moments later so she could concentrate on what was going on.
"Hey! Have we not already passed that mushroom?" She glanced up to see Oin, pointing innocently at a mushroom that was growing just under a tree. Elill glanced up, and tried to blink a few times, she wasn't sure if they had or not, and she felt as Kíli wrap a tight arm around her waist to keep her upright. Elill had felt stupid now giving Bilbo the majority of her water, and not drinking as much as the others had done, and not saving it.
"Thorin! Thorin! The path ends here!" She heard Bofur shout from the front, and her eyes widened. If the path ended then there was no way of continuing, but however, Thorin had decided to press on, and turn as the path had done so. Elill had followed reluctantly, she had only wanted to turn back, she wanted to go back to the life she had before she was dragged into this mess, and now, walking through the woods, she just wanted some place to rest.
Another few hours passed and then Thorin stopped, causing a few people to stop with him also. Everyone had begin to weaken now, sitting down as soon as Thorin stopped their course. He looked around before giving out a growl of annoyance, turning around to everyone, his eyes flashing.
"We are lost! What way do we go! Elill, we have been walking in circles, have you any clue which way to go?" He asked her, she flinched, her head pounding and looked at him sternly.
"You need the sun as a compass, but we cannot see it, without the sun, we are forced to deal with a difficult situation. You can work it out while I rest, seen as you are the leader and all." She shut her eyes and leaned back against a small ledge of dirt that had upturned dew to something. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pounding in her head and tried to focus on something, anything, that would help her forget the thirst. It wasn't long until the fighting broke out, and Elill could hear it, causing her to cover her ears with her hands, so she didn't have to hear them any longer, wanting to rest easier.
"Bilbo!" She heard someone shout, her eyes opening a crack to look around, she could see the others running around looking to see if she could see the little hobbit. She saw no sight of him, and quickly scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide. She ran over to Dori, who was looking behind a tree for the little hobbit.
"Where is Bilbo?" She asked him, worry in her face, Dori glanced up at her and shook his head, he too seeming worried.
"I do not know, one minute he was there, next he was gone." He told her innocently, then his eyes widened, as though he had seen something that wasn't quite real, his hand reached out for Elill in an instant, like he was reaching to save her. He seemed to be about to shout something, but Elill couldn't quite hear, something hard hit her, causing her to fall forward, her world turning a thick dark.