The company was up before dawn. Bella woke up to see Thorin resting in the chair across from her bed and she threw a pillow at him. The Dwarf king let out a grunt as he shoved the pillow off his face. "You awake now sleepy head?" She smirked
Thorin groaned in annoyance and gave a slight glare. "Well aren't you just in a delightful mood."
"Would you prefer I be grumpy like you? Lighten up a little Thorin. You are allowed to have fun once in awhile." Bella pressed.
"We are not on this journey to have fun. Bella. Perhaps the wizard forgot to inform you of that when he mentioned this quest to you."
"Okay then. I see you're really in a mood this morning." The half-breed hissed.
"We need to get going. We have to get as far of a distance from Azog and his pack of filth as we can. Now, can you walk? And be honest. We can't afford anymore delays Bella." Thorin pressed.
"I'm fine Thorin. I can walk. Oh wait? You don't believe me right? I guess i'll show you." Bella growled.
"Well go on then." He encouraged. Deciding to humor the young woman as a smirk formed on his face. The young woman glared at him for a short second, wondering why he was suddenly acting like this. He seemed fine yesterday when they talked. Why the sudden change in attitude towards her? She watched the dwarf lean against the wooden table and indicated with his hand for Bella to continue. She rolled her eyes, and tossed the blankets off of her and pushed herself off the bed.
"Oh look, i'm walking." she taunted coming around the bed towards the leader.
"Hmm, so you are. But how good are you're reflexes?" He challenged. Without warning Thorin pulled out Orcrist, Bella barely getting her own sword in front of her to block the leader's harsh swing as there metals crashed. The woman could tell Thorin was really holding back. She could hold her sword with one hand if she wanted to.
"You know. An enemy wouldn't hesitate to apply it's full strength on me just because i'm a woman." She stated.
"So i'm you're enemy, am I?" Thorin smirked.
"I don't know. Are you?" She challenged. With that, the dwarf King no longer held back and Bella's grip tightened around the handle of her weapon. The woman wasn't sure how much longer she was going to keep this up, she could already feel the beads of sweat coming down her face. Thorin had barely twitched an eye. This was nothing for him. He glanced down at her stance, seeing her legs beginning to shake, she was growing exhausted, just trying to keep his blade from striking her down. Finally Bella's strength gave out on her and she fell on her back. The leader expected the half-breed to just give up but she still held onto her sword.
"Give up yet?"
"I'm stubborn remember." She grunted.
"Right. How could I forget." Bella smirked, raising a brow when they were interrupted.
"What is going on here!?" Oin yelled. Thorin looked, relieving some of the pressure on her blade and she took this opportunity and kicked the leader in the shin and he fell backwards. "Are you trying to injure her all over again!" The medic asked, looking at the leader in particular.
"I was just making sure she was still sharp." Thorin told him, getting up from the ground.
"And you!" Oin turned to point a finger at the woman still lying on the ground. " You that stupid to undo all the progress you've made to get where you're at now?" Bella looked at the ground and then back at the medic.
"I was just making sure I was still capable holding my own." She muttered at him.
"Hold your own." The medic rolled his eyes and walked passed them both. " You both should be staying behind." Oin muttered out the door. The king walked over to Bella and pulled her up from the ground when Dwalin came in.
"Everyone is ready to go when you are." Dwalin declared.
"That was fun handsome we should do it again soon." Bella teased, sheathing her weapon and walking out of the room, leaving Thorin to feel his cheeks heat up from embarrassment and he saw out the corner of his eye, Dwalin barely able to contain the smirk that had covered his face. The leader turned around to look at his warrior, his face all tense and hard.
"After you. Handsome." Thorin stopped and turned his head to the side and glared at Dwalin before stomping passed the door, ignoring the chuckles coming from behind him.
The company gathered outside the skinchanger's home. Beorn was generous enough to give along with all the supplies, his ponies for them to use to gain some distance from the orcs and warg's. Gloin, and Bifur were helping the others climb onto the backs of the animals. Bella was tying her satchel to her pony when a giant shadow appeared beside her and she looked up to see Beorn.
"Thank you again, Beorn. For everything."
"Just promise me the next time we meet. It won't be because you're injured or on the edge of dying." Beorn told her.
"You know I can't promise that." She retorted with a grin. The skinchanger lifted her up from the ground and placed her on the back of the pony.
"Bella I know you are hesitant when it comes down to who to trust, but you did learn to trust me and i'm telling you. As much as I despise your race, you can trust him." Beorn stated looking in the direction of the Dwarf leader.
"I know...but he doesn't need to know that yet."
"Bella, if you don't start trusting the ones around you, your going to be alone forever. Their will come a time when you need them and who's going to be there if you don't show that you trust them with you're life? It's clear that the mountain king trust you with his life, though he's just as stubborn as you to admit it. He would have left you here, otherwise." The woman looked down at the ground, when she felt her chin being tilted up. " Just be careful out there. Especially when you reach the forest. It won't be just the orcs and warg's you have to worry about." He said, placing a hand on her cheek.
Beorn left her side and walked over to the wizard to discuss other matters on his mind. " What was that about?" Thorin asked, coming up to her side with his pony.
"Nothing you need to worry about handsome." She chirped.
"Don't call me that, Bella." He ordered lowly. The woman watched him trying so hard to keep the smirk from forming on his face, but it was their, revealing itself in the corner of his mouth.
"Why? It seems to make you smile, so it can't be a bad thing."
"Bella, I mean it." Thorin said, getting slightly offensive. The last thing he needed was the others to be like Dwalin and laugh at him. Though he didn't mind hearing her voice call him that, this was not the place, nor the time for this foolishness. Sure he thought she was beautiful. Even if he did feel some sort of affection for this young woman, she was way to young for him. She was just above the maturity age for Dwarves. Her life had barely begun. Where his life was already half over. His thoughts of ever having a wife and child, died long ago. No matter how tempting it was, he couldn't afford to give into them. It was the price he paid long ago when he put his responsibilities to his people over his own desires.
Thorin had been silent for a very long time and she could only guess that either he was thinking real hard to say something rude so she would never speak to him again or he got the idea that if he ignored her long enough she would leave his side. " Fine. How about i'll just call you, Thorin. As long as you still show that wonderful smile of yours you hide so well."
The king shook his head with a grin on his face. " I guess that's a fair trade." He said smiling at her, but it quickly fell when the sounds of bird cry's came over the trees, causing there mounts to become distressed by the warning.
"Gandalf. We should leave immediately." Bella called out to the wizard. Gandalf nodded and climbed onto the only horse and the company nudged there ponies to get moving and they were galloping across the land. The reached the forest mid afternoon on the second day.
The company dismounted from there ponies and grimaced at the sight before them. " Here lies our path through Mirkwood." The wizard declared.
"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said, letting out a sigh of relief that they could take a moment to not feel like something could jump out at them from anywhere.
"Set the ponies loose! Let them return to their master." Gandalf ordered, seeing the giant bear keeping watch from up high on a slab of rock.
"This forest feels sick. As if a disease lies upon it." Bilbo said to no one in particular. Bella came up beside the hobbit. The trees looked like something had sucked the life out of them, which gave it even more of eerie feel to it.
"Please, tell me there is another way we could go?" Bilbo dared to ask.
"Not unless you want to go 200 miles North or twice that distance south." The wizard explained to her, and then went to check things out.
"We don't have the time to go around." Dwalin insisted coming over to woman.
"It would be better then entering that." Bella growled, pointing at the ill, dark looking forest they were about to step foot in.
"There's no point in arguing about it." Thorin interrupted them. " Bella. Dwalin is right. Durin's Day is upon us. This is our one and only chance to find the door on time."
Bella turned around to see the ponies running loose back to their master. Nori was working on releasing the horse when the wizard came rushing out of the forest. "Not my horse! I need it!"
The hobbit furrowed his brows at this. "You're not leaving us."
"I would not do this unless I had to." He admitted. Bella grumbled under her breath and walked back over to the others to pick up her satchel and slung it over her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Thorin asked her in concern.
"I'm fine." She hissed lowly.
"Bella, your not the only one on edge. I don't like this anymore then you, but this is our fastest way. I won't let anything happen to you, while were in there." Bella looked up from the ground, to his eyes, hearing this, but couldn't respond before the wizard rudely interrupted.
"This is not the Greenwood of old. There is a stream in the woods 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." Gandalf informed.
"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bella questioned.
"It means, you must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again. No matter what may come, stay on the path!" He shouted in warning as he made haste in another direction.
"Come on. We must reach the mountain. Before the sun sets on Durin's Day. It is our only chance to find the hidden door." Thorin said, as they begun the journey through the forest.