A/N: Hello and welcome to 2020. This fic is being written at a ridiculous speed and I already have ideas for sequels. A couple of things. This is actually my first time watching the extended editions at all and OMG they are so much better. A lot of stuff makes A LOT more sense. I did however, decide to skip the bit about Bombur falling into water asleep, as it's a bit silly and there's no need for it. Also this chapter is another long one, sorry, they just seem to get away from me but i hope you enjoy them nonetheless.
This chapter takes things in a slightly different direction than I originally planned but I wanted to see what might happen with the story. I also know I haven't mentioned much else of Riley and Maggie's Numenorian bloodline, but there'll be some more backstory to that in here as well. Also what do you guys think of the potential Bilbo/Riley pairing? Anywho, I ramble as much as Riley so without further ado, enjoy.
Chapter Fifteen: Of the Parting of Ways…
Since taking off from Beorn's house a few hours earlier, the company had been riding in silence. All of them were acutely aware of the orc pack not far behind them and sometimes, Riley could hear the wargs howling in the distance. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it wouldn't be long before the orcs caught up with them. As there weren't quite enough ponies for all of them, Riley had to ride with Gandalf as he was the taller of the siblings and Maggie (naturally) went with Thorin. Eventually, a vast forest beckoned before them and they came to a halt. Riley's eyes examined Mirkwood and instantly felt frightened. Ever since reading the book as a child, Mirkwood had always terrified him. He was well-aware that the Mirkwood elves weren't as friendly as the elves of Lorien or Rivendell. They were far more selfish and only cared for themselves. For being set in a children's book, Riley thought, there was a lot more darkness to Middle-Earth than one would first believe. Even though him and Maggie knew the events, everything was so unpredictable and he didn't dare relying on his knowledge of things to help them. Riley dismounted the horse before Gandalf and found himself strangely drawn to the edge of the forest. The dwarves were more wary and lingered for a while before they too dismounted their ponies.
"Maggie." Riley said in almost a whisper. "Is it me or are you getting a Forbidden Forest kind of vibe here?"
On any other occasion, his attempt at lighthearted humor would have worked but not this time. The forest, Riley thought, was definitely alive in a way that he couldn't quite explain or place his finger The wind that passed through the trees sounded to him, like whispers. Something in there knew of their arrival and it wasn't happy. Maggie joined him at his side.
"Yeah, except I don't think Hagrid is here to save us." she said "Merlin's beard, I don't like this at all."
"Merlin!" Gandalf said with sudden and somewhat misplaced excitement. "There's a name I haven't heard in a while. I wonder whatever became of him."
"Oh wonderful, Merlin's real." Maggie sassed. "Of course he is." Riley raised an eyebrow at his sister because by now, there wasn't much that could surprise them. If Middle-Earth was real, there was no telling what other realities thought to be fiction, also existed. Riley had given a lot of thought to that lately, alternate realities and how they came to be. Scientists had, of course, been researching such things for years but it was all mostly thought to be pure theories with no solid evidence to back up their hypothesis. If only those scientists knew, Riley thought.
"Well yes." Gandalf said matter-of-factly. How could anyone dispute the existence of wizards, he was living proof of their existence. "He used to be quite the respectable wizard in these parts." Gandalf said
"You hear that Maggie?" Riley said "Merlin was quite the respectable wizard."
"Sod off, Ri!" Maggie sighed. "You're such a Slytherin sometimes."
"A slyther-what-now?" Bilbo asked who had now also dismounted his pony. For somebody who didn't like horses or ponies that much, Riley mused, Bilbo had taken to it quite well.
"Ouch!" Riley said "Coming from the Hufflepuff."
"I do not understand these words." Thorin mumbled as he joined them, staring at the entrance before them.
The longer Riley stared at the forest, the stranger he begun to feel. He wasn't so much afraid of it, as he was intrigued. There was a different kind of magic in there, unlike the kind they had come across so far.
Riley watched Gandalf as he wandered to the edge of the forest. Riley stopped just before the entrance by Gandalf walked in. Huge trees a path leading into the dark depths of Mirkwood. He felt an unease churn in the pit of her stomach. The architecture was ancient and Gandalf seemed to admire it. From his place Riley examined the small clearing and his eyes fell on the elven statues that seemed to guard the entrance. They were undoubtedly ancient and Riley felt drawn to them, by this invisible force that hung over Mirkwood.
"The elven gate." he said "Here lies our path to Mirkwood."
Riley turned around to see Bilbo standing by Maggie, and he looked less than impressed as he stared into the forest. "It's alright," Riley assured him
"No sign of the orcs." Dwalin said and dismounted his pony. "We have luck on our side."
Riley caught the worried look on Gandalf's eyes and he didn't like it. If a wizard was frightened, there was a good reason for them to be scared too. After standing in the clearing for a few moments, they rejoined the group. .
"Set the ponies lose." Gandalf commanded. "Let them return to their master."
"This forest feels...sick." Bilbo said as he took careful steps forward. This was not like the safe and warm forests of the Shire. "As if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?"
"Not unless we go 200 miles north." Gandalf replied as he entered the forest. "Or twice that distance, south."
"Master Riley, come with me." Riley placed a gentle hand on Bilbo's waist as he walked past the hobbit and followed Gandalf into the forest. He sensed Bilbo's worry and wanted to assure him that nothing would harm him, but Riley knew there was no truth to it. With some apprehension, Riley walked into Mirkwood, and just as he had felt outside, he was greeted by the strange power that was hidden within its branches. The same whispering voices appeared as gusts of wind and Riley looked around, but could see nothing that would be the source of the voices.
"You can feel it, can't you?" The wizard said, it was a statement rather than a question.
Riley nodded and reminded himself to stay calm. Gandalf walked ahead and stopped for a moment. There was a tree in front of them, whose leaves covered the bark and something seemed to draw Gandalf to it. Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul...Riley spun around. The voices were clearer now and even though he did not speak the language, he would recognise those words anywhere.
"Gandalf…" Riley said, beginning to feel frightened and then he saw what had drawn them to the tree. It was a large mark. A red eye painted on the bark. Now, Riley was the frightened one
"You know whose sign this is?" Gandalf said, once again as a statement of the obvious.
Riley nodded and then whispered words that he hoped the others would not hear. "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."
Silence fell between them for a while and Riley felt a shiver down his spine. The wizard turned to him with a serious look on his face. The oldest Spencer knew that he had forfeited the one rule Gandalf had given them; to not reveal too much of their knowledge. Gandalf didn't seem upset though and Riley figured there was a time and a place for everything.
"So you know." Gandalf said. "I see now that yours and your sister's fate is tied to the fate of this world on a much grander scale than we can possibly understand. It is dangerous for both of you to be here."
"It's true isn't it?" Riley asked "He is back and you have to leave?"
Gandalf merely nodded. "The High Fells." Gandalf said. "So be it."
They quickly returned to the company, who had set the ponies free. Riley had a feeling that things were going to change and he wasn't entirely sure he liked it.
"Not my horse! I will be needing it!" Gandalf called out
The company turned around, surprised at his sudden change of heart. Riley exchanged glances with his sister, who also seemed confused about everything.
Bilbo spoke up, his voice slightly panicked. "You're not leaving us!"
"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said.
Riley looked at his sister and knew instantly that she understood what Gandalf had seen. Suddenly, Riley felt bad because up until then, everything had been going pretty much according to plan as far as they were concerned and now he felt like he had altered the direction of things, by revealing his knowledge of Sauron to Gandalf.
"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf said. "You're not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire."
"I was going to tell you, that I found something in the goblin tunnels."
This sparked both Riley and Gandalf's attention. So far, Riley knew that he was the only other person aware of the ring. Bilbo hadn't told anyone and he kept it close to him. In all honestly, the ring unsettled Riley and he wished he could rid them all of it but, he knew it wouldn't be possible to do so.
"Found what?" Gandalf asked. "What did you find?"
Bilbo considered what to say for a moment and glanced at Riley with a hint of a smile. "My courage."
Gandalf relaxed and so did Riley. "Good, that's good. You'll need it." he said "I'll be waiting for you at the overlook. Before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe."
Gandalf turned to Thorin and warned him. "Do not enter that mountain without me."
The warning was clear and not even Thorin Oakenshield argued with Gandalf on this one. They needed the wizard and if that meant they had to wait for him, so be it. He had been of great help to him so far and it would be foolish, Thorin knew, to not heed his advice.
"Master Riley." Riley turned around to the wizard, whose ancient eyes seemed to pierce his very soul and Riley did not like what he feared was coming. "You must come with me."
"What?!" Bilbo and Maggie both asked.
"Where I must venture is dangerous and I cannot go there alone." Gandalf explained. "You were sent here by the request of the Valar. I believe now that this is part of that quest. It will test your strength of both body and mind, but I believe you are very capable."
"Riley.." Maggie whispered. "Should we really split up? I mean come on, any movie ever tells us that splitting up is never good."
Riley wished he could stay, help the dwarves and keep his sister safe. In his heart though, Riley knew that he had to leave with Gandalf, wherever this new path lead them. His sister hugged him tightly, with the uncertainty of when they would next see each other weighing heavily on her heart.
"I'll be fine, sis." Riley assured her as well as himself. He leaned his forehead on hers. "I'm with Gandalf the Grey, after all. I will see you again. I promise."
Riley turned to the company. "Look after my sister."
"I will." both Thorin and Bilbo spoke at the same time, much to everyone else's surprise and Maggie raised an eyebrow.
Gandalf mounted the horse and Riley after him. "This is not the Greenwood of old. There is a stream in the wood that carries a dark enchantment. Do not touch the water. Cross only by the stone bridge. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."
"Lead us astray?" Bilbo asked, feeling scared. "What does that mean?"
"You must stay on the path." Gandalf explained. "Do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again. No matter what may come, stay on the path."
Maggie then heard Gandalf's voices in her mind. You know what lies within these trees. Do not let it consume you. Be on your guard Maragaret. The wood elves of Mirkwood care not for dwarves or for humans. Particularly not a kin of Amandil and the House of Andunie. King Thranduil did not get on well with your father. He believes that the elves who were friendly with him and his kin are frail and weak. Do not reveal your true identity to him, Gandalf warned, For I fear his temper and hunger for revenge.
"Come on." Thorin said, his voice wary. "We must reach the mountain before then sun sets on Durin's day. It is our one chance to find the hidden door." He took Maggie's hand in his and walked into Mirkwood
Maggie watched as her brother galloped into the distance with Gandalf and everything suddenly felt very uncertain.
Maggie hated Mirkwood. Bilbo was right, there was a sickness to it which made her nauseated. The good mood from earlier that morning had all but disappeared and the company were on their guard. Thorin lead the way, followed by Dwalin and Balin. Maggie stayed in the middle with Fili, Kili, Bilbo and Oin. The other dwarves were at the back. They walked in a straight line and the path was difficult to see, barely visible and mostly covered by leaves.
"I wish I'd taken orienteering in school." Maggie whispered. Of course, there wasn't really a need to whisper but it felt like the sensible thing to do. Mirkwood was unlike any forest Maggie had ever seen, it was huge, ancient and she swore it was somehow alive. The absence of her brother and Gandalf made her worried. Splitting up was a bad idea but Gandalf had insisted on it and all she could do was trust him. Bilbo, Maggie noticed, was also nervous and she couldn't quite figure out if it was because her brother wasn't there or because of the strange air in Mirkwood.
"The path turns this way!" Thorin said and they made a left turn.
They followed the path for hours, or at least so Maggie thought. It was difficult to tell time and there was no daylight to speak of. It was as though they were passing through some kind of voidspace, with no real sense of direction or idea of where they were heading. The second thing that unnerved Maggie about Mirkwood was the lack of animals. Usually, there would be the sound of birds chirping or sights of woodland mice or other small creatures. But there was absolutely nothing. Hardly any wind seemed to pass through. There was, Maggie thought, almost a haunting beauty to it. In the old growth forest, the trees seemed to rise upward forever, the canopy above is distant, like clouds of green. Even with arms out-stretched Maggie would never even be able to reach even a fraction of the way around their gnarly bark trunks. She carefully stepped over the roots that knot the pathway, watching bits of what seemed like freshly fallen rain seep into the soil. Suddenly, Maggie was struck by a wish to melt in with it and to become one with the environment, never to leave its sacred space and watch time fleet by.
How beautiful, she thought, to simply become one with nature. In here, there would be no need to worry about the outside world. No need to concern yourself with the troubles of love, material things of their world like bills, work and everything that made adulthood so difficult. If she just allowed herself to become one with the earth, she would be safe. All she needed to do was to take one small step out into the world ahead of her and all her troubles would be forgotten.
"Maggie! Don't go off the path!"
Maggie snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Bilbo tug at her sleeve. She looked around her, wondering how she had moved so far away from the others. She found her foot hovering ever so slightly off the path, as if she'd been ready to walk into the deep depths of the forest and she quickly stumbled and fell backwards. Fear grasped her and she realised how she had been completely out of control. She looked at Bilbo who helped her up on her feet and she hugged her friend, thankful he had been there before she'd done anything foolish.
"Maggie!" Thorin came running back to her, his hands gently grasping her face making sure she was alright but he relaxed when he realised there was no imminent danger. "By Mahal, you had me scared for a moment. Come, let's keep moving."
The further into the forest they walked, the more disoriented Maggie felt. She couldn't tell if they were walking North, South, East or West. She wasn't sure if they'd walked halfway or just a quarter. Her body told her that at some point she ought to be hungry, but she had no need for food or for water. Her feet just carried her further into the darkness and her mind with it.
"Air!" Bofur panicked. "I need air!"
"My head is swimming!" Oin complained
The dwarves were beginning to feel frightened and Maggie realised she was tired. Not a sleepy sort of tired but a fatigue brought on by something else. The sound of Fili and Kili's voices got her attention and she looked up to see a large stone structure ahead of them.
"We found the bridge!" Kili called out
"Thank God!" Maggie said but she spoke to soon. The bridge that would have lead them over the stream was broken in half. Gandalf had warned them to not touch the water but there was no other way across. Maggie turned to Thorin, who she could tell was starting to feel frustrated.
"We could try and swim it?" Bofur suggested
"Didn't you hear what Gandalf said?" Thorin asked "A dark magic lies upon this forest. The waters of this stream are enchanted."
"Doesn't look very enchanting to me." Bofur mumbled
While Maggie agreed with him, she also knew that very few things in Middle-Earth were as they originally appeared. She walked towards the edge of the stream, looking into it and saw her reflection. For a moment, Maggie thought she saw the reflection of her father but when she blinked and shook her head it was gone.
"Christ Spencer," she told herself "Get a grip."
"We must find another way across." Thorin said
Maggie looked around her to see if there was anything that could help them get across the river, but there was nothing of use.
"These vines look strong enough!" Kili called out and Maggie looked around to see what the dwarf prince had found.
"We send the lightest first." Thorin commanded and Maggie knew that it meant Bilbo.
The hobbit did not seem impressed but did as he was told. To Maggie's surprise but not without trouble, Bilbo managed to get himself across the stream and soon the rest of them followed.
Kili had been right, the vines were strong enough to hold them, but even so Maggie hated climbing through them and she was painfully aware that her balance was not as great as she'd like. She hated obstacle courses at the gym and this was just as bad. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally made it across the stream and Maggie sighed in relief. She took a moment to catch her breath, trying to regain focus of her surroundings. Suddenly though, she heard the tightening of bowstring and looked up to see Thorin, quietly aiming his bow at a white deer.
"Just when I think I've seen everything." Maggie said to herself.
"You shouldn't have done that." Bilbo said as Thorin fired the bow but missed the deer, who run away. "It's bad luck."
"I don't believe in luck." Thorin snapped. "We make our own luck."
"We need to take a rest!" Nori said and Maggie agreed. Finally, the company decided to sit down, all of them deciding they were too tired to carry on. Maggie leaned against a tree and felt her breathing become heavier. As she looked up she felt her head spin and she struggled to focus her eyes on...anything. Things seemed to zoom in and out of focus and Maggie felt like she had too much to drink on a night out or like someone has spiked her drink. She tried calling out for Thorin but her lips made no sound. She wanted to lie down and sleep for as long as she possible could. Just a small nap, she thought, then I'll be good to go again.
"What is that?" Bilbo's voice echoed. "Voices? Can you hear them?"
"I hear nothing." Thorin replied. "No wind. No birdsong. What hour is it?"
Maggie yawned and felt overcome by a heaviness, she heard Thorin call out somewhere in the distance. "Maggie! Wake up, love!" Maggie felt someone pick her up and more voices in the background. Bilbo seemed to urge them to stop but she couldn't understand why, the only thing they needed to do was sleep.
It took a few moments for Maggie to collect herself and her senses but when she finally woke up, all she could see was white web. It surrounded her completely and covered almost every inch of her body. An instant panic hit her and she tried to scream, but it was useless because the sticky web covered her mouth and her arms so that she could not struggle. The last thing she remembered was feeling tired and an overwhelming need to sleep. There had been voices shouting and Bilbo had disappeared. Maggie searched her mind for a hint of familiarity and then she realised where they were. The spiders, she thought, fuck! Bilbo Baggins, I hope you're nearby. Maggie wasn't sure how long they'd been held captive, but most of her senses and her mind seemed normal. She remembered Gandalf's warning about the forest and its powers and she couldn't believe how easily it had consumed her. Maggie moved around, trying to regain the feeling in her numb legs and as she did, a bit of web that covered her face cleared. She was hanging in a tree and she could just about see similar pouches of webs spread out. Maggie assumed it was the rest of the company. She wondered where Thorin was and flinched when she heard the crawl of a spider nearby. They were hideous creatures, probably twice her size. Did they also speak, she wondered? Maybe the voices Bilbo had heard before belonged to them.
Maggie cast a glance to her side and saw a spider dragging a pouch web along the ground. She flinched when she saw an all too familiar face behind the web. Bilbo! She thought. She wanted to call out to him but the hobbit saw her and shook his head. Suddenly and to Maggie's surprise, Bilbo Baggins stabbed the spider right in its heart with Sting. The spider fell off the branches and crashed far into the ground below, Bilbo freed himself off the web and rushed to Maggie, desperately getting her out of there.
"Bilbo!" she hugged the hafling. "I'm so glad to see you!"
"I'm glad you are." Bilbo whispered. "They're not!"
A larger group of spiders had heard the commotion and Bilbo pulled Maggie next to him, behind a large tree. Gandalf was right, Maggie thought, Bilbo was no longer the same hobbit who had left the Shire those weeks ago and she was happy he was there. Out of the two of them, Bilbo was definitely the better warrior. Maggie looked around, realising they had to find a way to free the others from the spiders and quickly before things got much worse. She held on tightly to Bilbo as one of the beasts crawled up the tree they were hiding behind. She buried her face in Bilbo's shoulder, hoping the awful creature wouldn't see them.
"Maggie." Bilbo said. "Do you trust me?"
Maggie looked at Bilbo who had a new, strange expression on his face. He reached inside his pocket and showed her the ring. Their eyes met and Maggie didn't like what she knew was coming. She didn't want to be left alone with these creatures but she also trusted Bilbo and knew he wouldn't leave her unless he thought he had to.
"I trust you." she said.
:Stay here. Don't move." And just like that, Bilbo Baggins slipped the ring onto his finger and disappeared. Maggie saw one of the dwarves kick at a spider and then she heard a thud, as though a large rock or something had been thrown. It caught the spiders' attention and they left their prey. Maggie watched from her hiding space as she saw one of the spiders fight an invisible enemy and she heard the clanking of swords. The spider cried out and Maggie's question about their ability to talk was answered. The creature asked where its foe was an Bilbo suddenly appeared again, stabbing the spider right through its , to Maggie's horror, she felt something wet and sticky dripping onto her and as she turned around, another spider faced her.
"Little girl, lost in the woods." the spider hissed in its unnatural voice. "Little girls, should not stray off the path."
The spider opened its mouth to devour Maggie and she screamed but just in time, Bilbo came to her aid and stabbed the creature, also falling while crying out "STING". Maggie sighed in relief, that was the second time Bilbo had saved her life. The hobbit looked at his blade, with a new found admiration.
"Sting." he said. "That's a good name."
"We need to free the others." Maggie said
It didn't take them long to find the other dwarves and together, they were able to cut them lose and they fell into a pile on the ground, doing the rest of the work themselves. Maggie rushed to Thorin and helped remove the web from his face and she thanked the Valar that he and the others were alive.
"Where's Bilbo?" Thorin asked
Maggie was about to reply but they both heard Bilbo cry out and there was another fall. There was no time to react because more spiders were heading their way but the spiders had no idea what was coming for them. The dwarves were furious and ready for battle. Dwaling effortlessly sliced the head off one beast, while some of the others tore the legs of a spider trying to attack Bombur. Kili passed Maggie a sword and she did her best to fight off the beasts as they ran through the forest, but the more they fought the more seemed to arrive. Maggie looked around for Bilbo, but saw no sight of him. Maggie ran and then spun around to slice one spider behind her as Thorin took the lead. Another large spider cornered them and when an arrow was fired at it, Maggie thought it must have been Kili but instead, she saw a blonde elf swinging from the trees, killing the spider as he did but instead of helping them, the blonde elf aimed his arrow at the company who answered with the same gesture.
Maggie knew exactly who the elf was and if she wasn't tired and terrified, she might even have been a little excited. Legolas, she thought to herself. Here we go.
"Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf." Legolas said. "It would be my pleasure."
Maggie realised then that they were surrounded by at least a dozen elf, which in her opinion was a bit excessive. Legolas' eyes examined the strange party before him and then his eyes fell on her, as if he wondered why a human woman was travelling with a company of dwarves through one of the less friendly places in Middle-Earth. It seemed liked Legolas was about to speak again when a familiar cry called out.
"HELP!" It was Kili.
Maggie and Fili both turned around and cried out at the same time. "FILI!" they saw Kili falling backwards as a spider, much bigger than the others, loomed over him and Maggie was about to run towards him but Legolas grabbed her. Instead, a female brown-haired elf single-handedly killed the spiders attacking Kili.
"Throw me a dagger!" Kili commanded "Quick!"
"If you think I'm giving you a weapon, dwarf, you are mistaken!"
Maggie watched in awe as the elf killed the remaining spider. Tauriel, she thought and breathed out. While one danger was over, their new problem was a different one altogether. Legolas ordered a search on them and the dwarfs persisted at first but then figured it was easier to just let it be over with. Maggie caught Thorin glaring angrily at Legolas as he reached inside Gloin's pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a photograph of some kind.
"Give it back!" Gloin protested. "That's private!"
"Who is this?" Legolas asked, glaring at the photograph. "Your brother?"
"That is my wife!"
Legolas ignored him and continued. "And this horrid creature?"
"That's my wee lad, Gimli." Gloin hissed.
Oh Legolas, Maggie thought, if only you knew. Maggie knew very well though, that this was not the same Legolas who would join the War of the Ring. This was the Legolas who was controlled by his father and who hated dwarfs. Thorin reached for Maggie's hand and she realised how fast her heart had been beating as it relaxed the moment she felt his skin on hers. Legolas noticed this and walked up to Maggie, glaring right into her eyes.
"Why does a human travel with such atrocious company?" Legolas queried. "All alone."
"Atrocious company?" Maggie replied. "They're my friends."
"Friends?" Legolas raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "It seems you are much more than friends, with this one. How low does one have to sink to consider a dwarf her only option for a lover?"
"How fucking dare-" Maggie started but Thorin squeezed her hand tighter, as sign to calm down. Legolas confiscated Orcrist from Thorin and examined it, speaking in Elvish.
"Where did you get this?" Legolas demanded.
"It was given to me." Thorin replied and as he did, Legolas pointed Orcrist at Thorin's throat.
"Not just a thief, but a liar as well."
"Fuck you, blondie!" Maggie cursed and surprised at how much she disliked Legolas, considering that once upon a time he had been one of her favourite characters. Now, she loathed him and his self-righteousness. Legolas ignored Maggie's swearing and called out orders in Elvish and in a moment, they were led through the forest. As the walked, Gandalf's warning echoed in Maggie's head. Beware of Thranduil
It didn't take long before the company arrived at Mirkwood palace. Despite the circumstances, Maggie did admire its structure. It was, like everything else in Middle-Earth, enchanting and terrifying all at once. They were lead over a wooden bridge which brought them to what Maggie assumed was the throne room. From a distance, Maggie saw an elegant elf sitting on a wodden throne, his blonde hair cascading down his shoulders and his bright blue eyes greeting them with a stare. Thranduil was beautiful but even Maggie could tell that there was a darkness around him and she wanted to run, but there was no way.
"Take the others two the dungeons." Legolas ordered. "My father wants a word with the girl and this one."
"Well, you can tell Hir-Thranduil, that he can take his request and show it far up his royal arse!"
There was some cheer from the dwarves but Legolas grabbed Maggie's arm, angry about how she had spoken about his father.
"Let me go, Legolas!" Maggie protested.
"You know my name?" the prince said sharply, his eyes inquisitive. "How do you possess such knowledge?"
"Relax, 'Las." Maggie said. "I'm no threat to you,"
The Prince of Mirkwood didn't quite seem to know what to do. He searched her eyes for a hint or a clue that would reveal some unknown truth but he saw nothing.
"My father will deal with you."
"Yep," Maggie mumbled under her breath. "No daddy issues there."
"I have seen eyes as yours before, in a man who lived long ago."
The other dwarves were taken to the dungeons, while Thorin and Maggie had been taken to the king. Thranduil had a strong authoritative presence, there was no doubt about that. Thranduil stood in front of Maggie and Thorin, his blue eyes piercing into them. Thorin seemed to not be afraid and stared right back but Maggie found it difficult to look into his eyes. She felt as if looking directly at him might accidentally reveal secrets she wanted to keep. That ship had already sailed though because there was no doubt Thranduil had already figured out who she was. Maggie wondered if she should keep up the pretence and lie but there was a risk of causing more damage.
Thranduil spoke. "My father was Oropher and he was King of the Woodland Realm before me. He once fought in the same army as your...brother, Elendil. Your brother's poor command lead to my father's early demise in battle. I was unaware that Amandil had more children. There is a strange air about you. Tell me child, where do you come from?"
Maggie didn't know what to say. She didn't want to reveal everything to Thranduil and certainly not about the dwarves' quest to Erebor. She had a feeling though, that if she said nothing, Thranduil would find out by other means. Maggie wasn't sure she wanted to find out what those were. In that moment, Maggie felt afraid and uncertain. She wished Riley was there to help her and figure out something clever to say but she was alone. Alone and terrified. Maggie closed her eyes and breathed out.
"It's a bit of a strange tale." Maggie said. "But basically, I got lost in a storm one day ended up here. Thorin and his company have graciously offered to help me get back home."
By now, Thranduil was standing behind Maggie and walked around her in a circle, no doubt in an attempt to intimidate her. It was working.
"I heard whispers of a brother and sister, hailing from a strange land." Thranduil said. "A great quest bestowed upon them by the valar. They must be foolish to send a daughter and son of Amandil to help this land. Your family are cursed and you traitors to my kin. Your brother's poor leadership cost the life of many, including my father. Your father's own mission failed and banished him from Middle-Earth. Your brother died. What makes you think your fate will be different?"
"Because I'm not my father or my brother. I'm only Margaret Spencer." Maggie said and she knew that she had Thranduil's attention, if only for a brief moment.
Maggie continued. "I am genuinely sorry about your father, I know very well what it's like to lose a family member before their time. It's painful and the wound never truly heals, but we move on with life. I'm sure my..brother ...Elendil...did what he thought was right. I don't think he meant or wanted your father to die. If he was anything like my father, he was a good man. I know that the battle didn't go according to plan but it's also not my fault. Hell, until a few weeks ago, I didn't even think that Middle-Earth was real, let alone that my father was Amandil or that I have a long lost brother. All my life, I've only ever had one brother. Granted, he's a bit of a prick sometimes by family nonetheless. And now he's not here and I'm alone with these dwarves, which believe me can be extremely trying. My Lord Thranduil, do you seriously think that I am at all capable of hurting you even if I wanted to?"
Suddenly Thranduil was right behind Maggie and hissed into her ear. "I believe you are full of lies." Thranduil hissed. "Cast her back into the dungeons, where she will rot with the others, until I have figured out what to do with her. Although, keep her away from this lover of hers. I will not have my halls desecrated by something so vile and unnatural."
A guard grabbed Maggie and pulled her away from Thorin, who was left alone with the king. She struggled as the guard dragged her down the steps into the dungeons and eventually trhew her into the same cell as Fili. She heard the elf mutter something in Elvish as he walked away.
Maggie called out after him "And fuck you too!"
"Maggie." Fili helped her up on her feet."I take it things did not go well?"
"Well," Maggie brushed dirt off her clothes. "One could say that human-elf relations are currently at an all time high."
She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I hope my brother is doing better with Gandalf."
To be continued….
WHEW! Another super long chapter. Well done if you made it this far! I'm following the extended edition of the Desolation of Smaug which is a much longer version so we have a few more chapters to go. The next chapter will focus more on Riley's adventures with Gandalf. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.