Hi, everyone, I know I haven't updated in awhile and I'm sorry. So much has happened since the last update and I also had MAJOR writer's block… Please accept this chapter as my apology. Review and Rate please.

Chapter 25

"Spiders?!/Reunited"

Once it was determined that neither Bombur nor Torshar was going to awaken any time soon the remaining Dwarves constructed a pallet of fallen limbs and ropes from their packs. It took all of their strength to roll Bombur onto the pallet first then gently lay the minstrel beside him. Thankfully with their determination and stamina, together they all carried the pallet as they began their journey once more. Calyr led the way for a few hours until he, as well as everyone else, began to feel light headed and exhausted.

Bilbo, who had plopped down onto a fallen log, heard a strange sound that closely resembled voices. It seemed that he was the only one who heard them because none of the others acknowledged that they had heard anything other than their own groans of exhaustion and irritation.

"What is that?" he whispered to himself, "Those voices… Can you hear them?" he asked loud to no one in particular.

"I hear nothing… No wind… No birds… What hour is it?" Thorin, who sounded more tired and distraught, wondered aloud as he leaned back against a boulder.

Dwalin responded with equal exhaustion, "I do not know… I do not even know what day it is…"

"This is taking too long… Is there no end to this accursed forest?!" the prince shouted to the quiet air around them. He turned towards their "guide" who was gazing around disoriented, "You claim to know these paths, Elf! Where are we?!"

"I have not set foot in these woods in fifty years, Master Oakenshield! My kin could have easily changed the path!" the healer shouted and faced the leader. Thorin was not convinced as he pushed past the Elf to gaze ahead then decided to back track.

"Follow me!"

Bilbo was the only one who didn't immediately follow the hotheaded Dwarf lord. This turn off the path proved to be very troublesome as the company became further disoriented and confused. In fact, confusion was so bad that when Dori found Bofur's fallen tobacco pouch, the owner believed it to belong to another by saying, "Dwarves from the Blue Mountains… I have this exact same design…"

"That's because it is yours. Do you understand? We're going around in circles. We are lost!" the Hobbit lamented.

"We are not lost. We keep heading East." Thorin refuted.

Oin then threw a "helpful" fact, "But which way is East? We've lost the sun."

Suddenly, the company began to fight amongst themselves, not noticing when Bilbo disappeared in the tree tops to distinguish a direction. Along with the bickering of his kin, Thorin caught wind of what sounded like whispering in a language he could not understand. Calyr reassured him when he stepped up beside him and whispered, "I hear it too…"

Before he could turn to warn his companions, the group was quickly surrounded, subdued, and captured by giant, eight-legged, six-eyed, fuzzy creatures with pinchers that dripped with foul smelling saliva.

Bilbo, having successfully scaled a tree to find the direction of the sun, found himself able to breathe better when he breached the canopy's surface, scaring a flock of baby blue butterflies in the process. A smile spread across his face as her enjoyed the view and fresh air. As he takes in the view he relays all of the important information to the Dwarves and Elf below; hoping someone was listening.

"I can see a lake! And a river… and the Lonely Mountain! We're almost there!" when no response of any kind answered him, he began to worry.

"Can you hear me? I know which way to go!" silence answered once more, "Hello?"

This time, thick branches could be heard snapping and bending as if they were mere twigs. Bilbo's heart began to fill with dread as the sound began to draw closer and he saw the tops of the trees sway in a menacing pattern; indicating a very big and powerful beast was approaching. When he tried to begin his descent to warn the others he quickly discovered that he could not move due to a sticky, web-like substance held his feet in place. Sadly his center of gravity shifted due to his struggling so his weight carried him forward, causing him to fall; thankfully breaking the web's hold on his feet. But the victory was short lived as a giant spider caught the poor burglar, knocked him out, and wrapped him up as a snack for later.

Not knowing how many minutes or hours had passed, Bilbo awoke to his captor huddling over him; probably adding another layer to his bindings. Taking the opportunity presented to him, and not knowing if there would be another, the quick-thinking Hobbit shoved his sword that Gandalf had gifted him up into the spider's gullet; effectively killing the beast. Bilbo speedily freed himself from his web imprisonment and realized that there were at least four other spiders, who had captured his friends!

Ducking behind a thick tree trunk, the burglar tried to steady his breathing and figure out what to do to distract the arachnids. Gazing down, he found a medium sized, thick branch that he could throw but without a disguise, he would be discovered and probably devoured whole! A small whisper came to his ear, telling him to put on the ring he found in the Goblin Tunnels with the creature Gollum. Deciding on no other option and against his better judgment, Bilbo slipped the ring of gold onto his right middle finger. Immediately the world around him seemed different, distorted slightly, he quickly picked up the branch, and threw it as far as he could away from himself and the company.

The spiders became intrigued at the noise, thinking more prey was approaching and with the swiftness of a Woodland Elf, they disappeared into the trees. Once they had all vanished, Bilbo removed and pocketed the ring then set to work cutting his friends down from their prisons. They dangled upside down and were slowly lowered when the light-hearted man sliced through most of the webbing.

As each Dwarf made a, slightly, soft landing then began to awaken. Thorin, once he freed himself, found Torshar who was slowly coming back to the land of the living. Bofur looked around for the Halfling and began to become worried when there was no sign of him, "Where's Bilbo?!"

"I'm up here!" he answered from his tree branch but quickly discovered it to be not so safe as a spider surprised him by jumping up in front of him.

Suddenly all thirteen Dwarves and single Elf were surrounded by spiders. Torshar, who had began to awaken completely, was fully aware that there was a battle taking place; she just did not know with what of whom. When her vision cleared and she was able to get a good look at what her friends were fighting, her eyes widened in fear and a scream of terror ripped through her throat, "Thorin, have I ever told you how much I HATE spiders?!"

Thorin replied as he tried to hold back said beast with Orchrist in its jaws, "It never occurred in conversation!" he shoved it back a couple of feet the stabbed it between the eyes, "So no!"

The versifier quickly raced to his side and ended up back-to-back with him as she screamed and armed herself with her bow and arrows, "I'M TERRIFIED OF THEM!" Arrows soon began flying as Torshar's fear and adrenaline fueled her body. Luckily, her shots were true and their desired targets with no issues. But the group's luck soon ran out because for every one spider killed, another three appeared to take its place. Pretty soon, the group was surrounded and outnumbered.

Torshar turned around and gently grabbed the crook of Thorin's left arm and whispered, "It has been an honor, my king…"

The Dwarf prince's heart ached at hearing those words come out of the bard's mouth. He gently placed a hand over hers as she laid her head against his shoulder, "You as well, my love…" he whispered.

Fate seemed to have a different idea because spiders began dropping dead for no apparent reason, until a head of platinum blond hair, a lithe and agile body, swung down a string of web and began to kill off more arachnids; along with twenty other agile bodies. Calyr, who had continued fighting, stopped when his gaze fell upon the blond Elf who seemed to appear from nowhere.

When all spiders in the immediate vicinity were dead, the blond Elf drew his bow and aimed it between Thorin's eyes, "Do not think I would not kill you, Dwarf. It would be my pleasure."

Once she could put a name to a face, Torshar quickly spoke up, "My lord Legolas… Is this really necessary…?" she laughs nervously, "We just lost our way through your kingdom, trying to get to the Iron Hills…"

The prince tore his gaze from Thorin and glared at the versifier, "I would like to think so, Lady Torshar. Considering how well your last visit to my father's forest went…" he lowered his bow and shouted, "Search them!"

"Are the spiders dead, Tauriel?" the bowman asked a fiery redheaded female who was dressed in a forest green outfit in Elvish.

"Yes, but more will come. They're growing bolder." She answered.

Legolas' attention was quickly pulled away from the female as his gaze fell upon Calyr as he was being searched; and his weapons confiscated. He quickly approached with anger in his eyes, grabbed the brunette by the back of the neck, and pulled him away from the crowd of people to where they could not be seen or heard. Once at a safe distance, Legolas released Calyr then pushed him back against a tree as he kissed him deeply.

The brunette was taken aback at first but slowly kissed back. Legolas pulled away shortly after and gently cupped Calyr's face in his hands, "Calyr… Why? Why did you leave?" he asked, genuinely curious and concerned.

Against his better judgment, the healer answered truthfully, "Because… I was ashamed…"

This seemed to confuse the blond haired man as he slowly pulled his hands away and took a few steps back," You… Are ashamed…? Because of me…?"

"No! Not because of you, Legolas! Your father… He found out about us and threatened that if I did not leave… That he would disown you and cast you out of Mirkwood… I could not allow that to happen!" the brunette confessed, feeling very exposed. Mirkwood's prince smiled slightly and quickly embraced his healer. Tears sprang to Calyr's eyes as he slowly hugged back; his love for the archer pouring out of his heart.

Before too long, Legolas pulled back, keeping Calyr in his arms and kissed his lips tenderly and full of love. This made the unshed tears begin to flow as the healer kissed back with equal, if not more, love and tenderness.

The blond Elf pulled away completely before losing himself because he had a duty to complete before the rest of his group became suspicious. He locked gazes with his lover and spoke quietly as he gently held his hands, "Calyr, you know what I must do…"

Nodding, the brunette kissed their conjoined hands, "Do what you must… I will always love you, Legolas Greenleaf…"

"And I love you, Calyr Vonvan… I'm sorry…"

As the Dwarves were being searched, cries of pain echoed through the trees causing Torshar to pick her head up quickly and face the direction the two Elves had gone earlier. Soon the cries got louder and filled with more pain until they turned into screams. The versifier could take no more and attempted to run towards the screams but was caught by the redheaded Elf and a brunette, "No, let me go! Calyr!"

The screams soon died away and Legolas returned with a stony expression and dragging something behind him. Torshar tried to get past the two Elves but they simply pushed her back into Thorin's arms. As the Elven prince passed he deposited what he was dragging at her feet, making the minstrel gasp in horror. The unconscious, bloody, and beaten corpse of Calyr lay before them and once more Torshar felt she had failed in protecting those she cared for most as tears poured down her face.