The sun had only just risen when the company found themselves readying fourteen ponies. After spending the previous day lazing about Beorn's home and then getting another night's worth of sleep, they found themselves quite reenergized and eager to continue on with their quest. They also discovered that Beorn had packed them a great deal of food, much of it consisting of nuts, dried berries, twice-baked honey cakes, and even pots of honey. All this should last them until they came out the other side of Mirkwood—maybe even farther. He had also packed them bows and arrows to help keep any enemies they may come across at a distance.
"Until you reach the forest, you will not have trouble finding water," he told them as they finished loading the ponies with their bags. "But once you reach the forest, be sure to fill your skins! Water is not easy to find there, nor is food. The time is not yet come for nuts and nuts are about all that grows within that forest that are fit for consumption. In there, the wild things are dark, queer, and savage and I doubt very much whether anything you find in Mirkwood will be wholesome to eat or to drink. There is one stream in there, I know, that is black and strong which crosses the path: You should neither drink of it or bathe in it, for I have heard that it carries a spell of great drowsiness and forgetfulness. But most importantly, you must not stray from the path, no matter what."
"I don't like the sound of that," Baylee murmured, standing on her tiptoes as she tied a bag of honey cakes into place on the back of the pony she and Bilbo would be sharing. "I already didn't like the sound of the place when I learned that it's now called 'Mirkwood' instead of 'Greenwood'."
Bilbo nodded in agreement. "Let's hope getting through the forest doesn't take us too long," he sighed. Turning his head slightly, he stole a look over at Bofur, who was lightly smacking Bombur's hand as he tried to steal one of the twice-baked honey cakes from his pony. A small chuckle left his mouth and he shook his head.
"I do not advise you to take the forest path," Beorn said, speaking more to Thorin and Gandalf now. "The orcs have started to use that road quite often and I have heard that its eastern gate has fallen into disrepair—so much so that it is nearly impassable. It would also leave you hundreds of miles south of your destination."
Thorin frowned. "Then how are we to cross the forest? That's the only road through it."
"This is another road," Gandalf told him, "one that is not nearly as well known. It will take us practically straight towards the Lonely Mountain."
Beorn nodded in agreement. "It will be a few days ride to reach the gate, but the orcs do not know of it, therefore they will be watching the Forest Road more closely than anything. But don't let that fool you into a false sense of security: There are patrols of warg riders who will come this far north occasionally, though they dare not come near my house." He looked down at the pony nearest to him—the one that Thorin was to ride—and gently ran his enormous hand down its mane. "My ponies will carry you without rest if need be," he then said, "though I must ask that you set them loose once you reach the forest."
"I promise they will be set free," Thorin told him, giving the skin-changer a solemn nod. "I thank you again for your help, Beorn. It is most appreciated."
"As I told you: I do not like dwarves, but I like orcs even less. Whatever I can do to help bring an end to the terror those foul creatures bring, I will do it." Looking past Thorin and Gandalf, his brow rose; Bilbo was struggling to get onto his pony. It was taller than the ponies they had used prior to Rivendell, but even those he hadn't been too good at mounting.
Shaking his head slightly, Beorn walked over and, plucking Bilbo up by the back of his jacket, set him atop the pony's back. "When you stop for the night, I suggest you try to find a rock or stump to use as your ladder," he told him, amusement on his lips as he saw the hobbit's cheeks reddening.
"Y-yes, I'll be sure to do that, thank you," Bilbo replied, doing his best to not sound as embarrassed as he felt. Holding onto the saddle, he then leaned over, offering his hand to Baylee.
Before she could grab hold of it, however, Beorn picked her up as well—though, he was gentler with her. "I find it curious that one so small has chosen to go on such an adventure," he said, setting her down sidesaddle. "You are no bigger than a child who has just learned to walk…"
Like her father, Baylee's cheeks turned bright red as she was lifted and set down. "The group needed a Mouse-Lass and I was the only one small enough to work," she replied.
Beorn's brow rose and he smiled in amusement. "You have been given an apt title then, little Mouse-Lass." He reached down with his large hand and gently patted her head as if she were an actual mouse before turning and heading towards the front gate. "Go now while you still have plenty of light," he told the group. "Your hunters are not far behind and you will want to put as much distance between you as you can."
After thanking him once more for his help, the dwarves, hobbits, and wizard rode off. Gandalf, knowing the road that Beorn had spoken of, took the lead. At first, no one spoke—they were too scared of the possibility of being caught by Azog and his riders. But as the day wore on and no sign of their enemies could be seen, the company started to relax a bit. By the time they stopped for the evening, they were all in fairly good spirits.
"Do not let yourselves grow too comfortable," Gandalf warned as they sat around the campfire that night. It was small and had been built into the ground so as to shed as little light as possible. "Our enemies are out there somewhere and if they were to find us because someone sang or laughed too loud would be a shame."
As she nibbled some twice-baked honey cake, Baylee glanced around at the group. Despite Gandalf's warning, they were all smiles and laughing quietly amongst themselves. She found that Bilbo and Bofur had chosen to sit a little way away from the group; her father was curled up in Bofur's lap, his eyes shut as they quietly talked. Once more she found her feeling both happy for them and envious of them.
'Don't get jealous of your own da', Baylee,' she mentally scolded herself. 'Between the two of you, he's far more deserving of cuddles.' She took one last bite of the cake before standing up to go put the rest of it—a good three quarters of it—back in the bag. Brushing the crumbs off her dress, she glanced over her shoulder; no one had seemed to notice her get up and walk over to the ponies. 'Just as well,' she thought, walking a little way further from the group. 'Some alone time would be nice. I haven't gotten much of that lately.'
Finding a small boulder to sit on, she brought her knees to her chest and looked up at the cloudless night sky. The moon was almost full, bathing the lands in its cool light. A small smile came to her lips and she started to search the sky for any familiar constellations, though she had little hope of finding one. They were too far east for her to recognize anything in the sky aside from the moon—but even that somehow seemed different.
"Takin' watch already, are you?"
She blinked, looking over her shoulder only to find Fili coming towards her. "Not quite. Just enjoying some quiet," she replied, turning her attention back to the sky. "It's been awhile since I could stargaze like this."
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the boulder. "I wouldn't have figured you for a stargazer, t' be honest."
"It's a recently acquired hobby."
A soft laugh left his mouth. "I can understand that." Then, glancing at her, he asked, "So…when did you an' my uncle get together?" He saw her cheeks turn bright red, which only made him chuckle.
"We-we're not 'together'," she stammered, pulling her braid over her shoulder and running her fingers along it. "…If I may be honest, I don't really know what we are."
"He braided your hair in front of everyone. That's as good as him staking his claim on you."
Her brows furrowed in slight confusion. "I thought braiding was only a form of flirtation?"
Fili nodded. "It is," he said, "but it's also used t' tell other dwarves t' back off."
"That's the first I've heard of that…" she murmured. "Though…how are you supposed to tell that the braids were done in a flirtatious manner? They look like normal braids to me."
He reached over to grab her braid, but paused halfway. "May I touch your hair?" he asked and, when she nodded, he picked up her braid. "Do you see how the individual plaits aren't as long as normal? They're a wee bit short an' chubby?"
"Yes. I've been thinking how they look like cute little hearts." A look of realization then came over her face. "Oh…"
An amused smile appeared on his lips as he put her braid back down. "Aye, that's how we can tell. An' with how many uncle put in your hair…" He lightly shook his head and he let out a soft laugh. "Makes me wonder if I should start calling you 'Auntie Baylee'."
Her eyes shot open and her face grew as red as a strawberry. "N-now, don't you go thinking that far ahead!" she squeaked. "W-we haven't—we haven't even really talked about any of-of-of this, let alone decided we wo-would get married!"
In an effort to keep himself from bursting out laughing, Fili instead snorted loudly. "Y-you are so easy t' get flustered!" he wheezed, his amusement all too evident in his voice. After a few more moments of holding in his laughter, he finally managed a triumphant sigh. "You don't have t' hide it, you know—everyone already knows you're going t' end up as mine an' Kili's aunt."
She pursed her lips in a small pout. "We-well, everyone's th-thinking much too far into the future," she said, a bit of a scolding tone to her voice. "Like I said, we haven't—we haven't even talked about anything. It's been just him braiding my hair and us exchanging the occasional, semi-flirty look."
"Are you serious?" His laughter faded and a rather serious expression came to his face.
"Why would I lie about something like this?" she questioned, her brow rising. Her cheeks were starting to cool off, much to her relief. "T-to be honest, I don't think either of us really even realized we fancied one another until just a few days ago," she continued, sighing. Her fingers went back to running over her braid and she looked out at the horizon. "It…might be for the best that we haven't discussed anything yet, though. We're still on a dangerous quest—one that he's the leader of. I…I wouldn't want him to get distracted."
Fili's brow rose, though she couldn't see it. "Distracted?" he repeated. "Baylee, my uncle's been wanting t' reclaim Erebor since the moment Smaug took over. Even if you are his One, he's not goin' t' let himself lose focus on getting that mountain back." Shaking his head, he quietly chuckled and looked to the east. "Though, we'll have to be careful once we're in Mirkwood. We wouldn't want t' run into any o' the elves in there."
"Why's that?" She, too, looked eastwards only to frown as she saw a large, black mass moving slowly along the horizon. 'Is that Beorn?' she thought. 'I hope so…I wouldn't want something unfriendly of that size to stumble upon us during the night…'
"It was the king o' Mirkwood who abandoned Erebor in its time o' need," he explained. "He helped Dale and its survivors, but not Erebor." A small sigh left his mouth; he remembered how sad his mother and uncles got whenever they spoke of just how many lives were lost that day and in the subsequent weeks.
Baylee frowned, her brows furrowing. "So that's why Thorin hates elves so much," she murmured, more to herself than to Fili. "Why didn't he help them?"
"No one's quite sure why, but uncle believes it was because he had a quarrel with my great grandfather over some jewels." He brushed some of his hair behind his ear. "You would think the two kings could set aside their differences long enough t' slay a dragon an' save the majority o' people from two separate city-states, but no one ever claimed that elves an' dwarves weren't stubborn."
She nodded slowly in agreement. "I take it that Thorin will be pushing us to get through Mirkwood as quick as possible, then?"
He shrugged. "More than likely. But from what the maps say, we have over two hundred miles to cover in order t' reach the other side o' the forest. An' from there, another fifty or so miles to reach the mountain."
"Over two hundred miles?" Her nose scrunched up slightly. "I know we've covered more than triple that amount already, but we had ponies for a good portion of that and then eagles for another portion."
"At least we'll be going through a forest," he chuckled, his brow rising as he glanced at her. "Hobbits like forests, don't they?"
"It depends on the forest, to be honest. There are lovely forests back home where the trees are green and the sun filters down through them…but there are also dark, scary forests that no one dares go near because they're awake and try to harm people."
Fili couldn't help but snort at that. "Forests can't come be 'awake', Baylee. They're just trees."
She pursed her lips. "I'll have you know, the Old Forest in Buckland is very much awake!" she told him. "There are many accounts of the trees moving when there was no wind and the trees whispering to one another. Not to mention how often they try to lead travelers astray."
His brow was raised and he wore an amused smile—it was clear he didn't believe her. "I'll take your word for it," he told her, chuckling. "But I highly doubt Mirkwood's going to be 'awake'. If elves live there, then it can't be too bad o' a place."
"Beorn told us that it's not a very pleasant forest," she reminded him. "Remember? He warned us that the only thing that's edible in there are nuts, that there is a magic river we need to avoid, and that we mustn't stray from the path, no matter the reason."
His amusement faded slightly. "That's right…he did tell us all o' that, didn't he?"
She gave him a long look. "He wouldn't have given us so many bows and arrows if the forest was a safe place to be."
He nodded, letting out a small sigh. "At least it'll still be safer than being out in the open like this. I don't like the idea of possibly gettin' caught by Azog and his riders all because we don't have any shelter out here."
"Good thing we'll be at the forest soon enough, then," she said, feeling a yawn come on. A few seconds later, she covered her mouth as the yawn arrived.
Seeing her yawn made Fili yawn in turn. "We should probably get some rest," he sighed. "We're going to have another long day of riding tomorrow."
"That is a good idea," she agreed. Putting her hair back over her shoulder, she slid off the rock only to quietly squeak as she nearly lost her balance on the uneven ground. From what she had seen, it looked even enough, but upon setting her feet down, she found that it very much wasn't the case.
"You alright?" he asked, looking at her with concern.
"Y-yes, sorry. The ground's a bit uneven," she told him. "I'm fine, though. I promise." After brushing the back of her dress off (not that it was of any use, since the majority of it was missing and her petticoats liked to let dirt and bits of moss cling to them), she followed Fili back towards the group. Normally, she would tell her father goodnight before turning in, but when she saw that both he and Bofur looked to already be fast asleep by then, she decided against it.
She went over to the spot where she had laid out her bedroll; it still baffled her as to why Beorn had had so many normal-sized bedrolls when he was, most certainly, not normal sized. Regardless, she was thankful and enjoyed the little bit of cushion from the earth. She wrapped herself up in the blanket before curling up in a little ball and closing her eyes.
'Fili and Kili better not start calling me Auntie Baylee,' she thought.
As she drifted off, she thought she could hear someone laying down beside her, but before she could even contemplate turning around to look, sleep had ensnared her in its grasp.
Two days later, the group approached the forest. Even from afar, they could tell that this forest was not a friendly place: It was dark and, from what they could see, no birds flew overtop the trees. As they drew nearer, they could see enormous trees, their trunks twisted and gnarled in their ancient age. Ivy clung to them and lichen hung from their branches, slowly strangling out what little life was left in them.
Soon, they could see a gap in the trees—it was a sort of natural archway made by two enormous, leafless trees. Looking down the path, they could see that it was going to be a dark, gloomy trek through the forest.
"Well, here is Mirkwood, the greatest of all the northern forests!" Gandalf said as the dwarves and hobbits started to dismount the ponies. Getting only quiet grumbles in reply, his brow rose. "I hope you like the look of it," he added with a bit of sarcasm. "Now, you must send back these borrowed ponies."
"Do we really have to?" Dori questioned, his silver brows furrowing. "We'd certainly get through the forest much quicker with them." He shrank back somewhat as Gandalf threw him a scolding look.
"Don't be foolish! Beorn is not as far off as you seem to think and, if you don't want to see his disagreeable side again, you had better keep your promises to him!" He shook his head, sighing. "Our hobbits have keener eyes than yours, for they have noticed the great bear going along with us or sitting far off in the night, watching our camps! Not just to guard you and guide you, but to also watch over his ponies. He loves his animals as if they were his children and you should feel honored that he was willing to let you ride them at all!"
"And what about the horse, then?" Thorin questioned, his brow rising. "You haven't said a word about sending that back."
"I haven't, because I do not intend to send it back just yet."
"What about your promise then?" Dwalin growled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I will look after that," Gandalf told replied sharply. "I am not sending the horse back because I am intending to ride it!"
"Y-You're not coming with us?" Bilbo squeaked, his eyes wide.
The wizard shook his head again, making his grey hair sway about his shoulders. "I wouldn't do this unless I had to," he said. "I have pressing business away south and I am already late because I've been watching over the lot of you." With a small sigh, he turned his gaze southwards for a moment before looking directly at Thorin. "I'll be waiting for you on the Outlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me."
He then looked at the rest of the group, looking each member over in turn. "This is not the Greenwood of old," he told them. "The air is heavy with illusion and it will seek to trick your mind and guide you away from the path. No matter what, do not leave the path! If you do, then the odds are a thousand to one you will never be seen again. Now, goodbye! I will see you again before your quest has reached its end."
Before anyone could delay him further, he spurred his horse and rode to the south.
A heavy sigh left Bilbo's mouth and he slouched forward. "What sort of business does he have that's more pressing than helping us get through this forest?" he grumbled. Standing upright once more, he resumed unpacking his and Baylee's pony.
"Hard to say," Baylee sighed, standing on her tiptoes as she helped unpack the pony. "He is a wizard after all, so it could really be anything." She quietly grunted as she lifted a particularly heavy bag off of the pony. 'I wonder if this one contains the jars of honey?' she thought, carrying it over to the pile of supplies.
Once everything had been unloaded, the ponies were turned loose; the group watched as they trotted off. Off in the distance, they could saw a large black mass dart out from the shadows of the forest, following the ponies from afar.
In an unconscious effort to delay entering the forest for as long as possible, the group then spent nearly half an hour evenly dividing the supplies up between them all. Bilbo wasn't too much of a fan of this, as it meant he and Baylee would have to carry more weight than they were used to.
"Don't worry, laddie," Balin told him. He took one of the water skins that were being doled out by Fili and Kili. "We'll all be wishing they were heavier soon enough."
"That's not very reassuring," the hobbit mumbled as he shifted his pack again, trying to get the straps to rest comfortably on his shoulders.
Bofur leaned over, kissing his temple. "Cheer up, Bilbo. We'll be on the other side o' this forest soon enough," he said. He thanked Kili as the prince handed him a freshly-filled waterskin. Tucking it away in his pack, he then shouldered the pack with a small grunt. "Anyway, you should be happy: You're not carryin' nearly as much as Dori or Dwalin." Those two had offered to take the bags of honey pots, which were heavier than all the rest.
Another sigh left Bilbo's mouth, betraying the fact that he didn't find this to be too reassuring. "I suppose you're right," he admitted. "I guess I just don't like the thought of us actually going through this forest." He looked up at the trees, his stomach churning slightly at the sight of them. Everything about Mirkwood just looked and felt wrong. "It feels—it feels sick. As if a…a disease lies upon it. I wish there were another way around." He looked down in confusion as someone took his hand only to find that it had been Baylee.
"It's going to be alright, da'," she told him, giving his hand a small squeeze. "It can't be any worse than the Old Forest back in the Shire, right? These trees aren't about to wake up and try to hurt us."
A fond smile came to his lips as he gave her hand a small squeeze in return. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he agreed. "That forest feels far worse than this one, but it's always seemed to be more—more angry."
Bofur looked at the two of them, his brow raised slightly. "What're you talking about? Forests don't get angry," he told them, a bit of amusement in his voice. "Forests are just trees an' trees are, well…Trees." He shrugged.
"Fili said the same thing a few nights ago," Baylee chuckled. She then playfully waved her finger at him in a scolding manner. "Just you wait until we go back to the Shire—we'll have to go past the Old Forest and then you'll see just how angry and awake that forest is!"
Bilbo laughed, his brow rising as well. "She's right, you know," he told Bofur. "Younger forests may not be awake, but ancient ones like the Old Forest and this place…they're definitely awake. I'm not sure how or why, but I think it may be because they were here before all other life."
"That could be," Bofur said, moving to take Bilbo's other hand. By this point, the rest of the group had shouldered their packs and were begrudgingly getting ready to enter the forest. From what he had seen, the path would quickly grow dark and he didn't want to lose track of his beau.
Unable to find any other reasons to delay the inevitable, the company gathered their courage and started their trek into the forest. For the most part, they walked in single file; not much was said between them. Before long, the entrance to the forest was barely a bright speck behind them and they were engulfed in darkness.
As their eyes grew used to the dimness, they found that it wasn't entirely lightless under the trees: There was a sort of greenish glow about the forest, allowing them to see a few yards in all directions, though they quickly learned to keep their eyes on the path due to how unpleasant the forest looked. Once in a while, they spotted the rare sliver of sunlight that had managed to find its way down from the ancient boughs above them, though the further the company walked, the number of sunbeams grew less and less.
The air, too, was utterly still. There was no breath of wind, making it possible for them to hear all sorts of noises around them. Scraping, crunching, scuttling, grunting—all were sounds that reached their ears, making them feel even more uneasy. It also left the air feeling heavy and warm; it almost felt like they were being smothered.
By far, one of the worst parts of journeying through that wretched forest was when night came. It grew to be so dark, they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces—even when they were just barely an inch away. The first few nights, they solved this by lighting a watch fire, but that in itself quickly because a nuisance. Not only did it attracted enormous moths and even larger bats that feasted on the moths, but the light also reflected off of hundreds of eyes that peered out from the shadows.
"They're most definitely insect eyes," Bilbo murmured on their fifth night in the forest. "There were no pupils—they were just solid, glossy orbs." He took a small nibble from one of the honey cakes, though he didn't feel particularly hungry.
"Don't tell us that!" Dori quietly whined from beside him. Being too nervous to sleep apart, the group decided that it would be safest to sleep huddled together; it was a bit of an awkward arrangement, but it left them feeling safer. "After seein' those moths, I don't want to even begin to think about what other sorts o' insects are out there."
"I hope there aren't any spiders," Baylee sighed. Like her father, she didn't have much of an appetite and she was finding it almost a chore to chew even a small bit of dried fruit.
"So long as we stick t' the path, we'll be fine," Balin assured them all. "Whatever evil lies within these woods seems t' be staying clear o' the path."
Though no one could see it, Gloin nodded. "Aye. An' the path has been, thankfully, easy enough t' follow thus far. If we keep up this same pace, then it shouldn't be more than two weeks until we reach the other side."
"Two weeks?! That's much too long for us t' be stuck in this place," Nori argued. "Especially when we've been told there aren't many places t' find water in here. Not only are we goin' to have to ration the food, but we're also going t' have t' severely ration our drink as well!"
"Do you hear that, Bombur?" Dwalin spoke. "No more snacking! We need our food t' last."
"We could send the hobbits off to look for water at some point," Bombur argued, a large, unseen pout on his face.
"D-Didn't you hear Beorn and Gandalf!?" Baylee squeaked. "If we stray from the path, there's a chance we may never find it again!"
"No one will be leaving the path," Thorin spoke. "We will continue going as far as we can while we have the light. We can only hope that our supplies will last us."
"…What if we try running?" Kili suggested. He frowned as the group collectively groaned at the idea. "It'll get us much farther than just walking—we've learned that twice now!"
"No more running!" Gloin argued. "It'll only make us drink more water an' feel more tired by the end o' the day. And we'll be needin' our strength come the time we get t' the other side o' the forest!"
As the others continued to argue about the best course of action and how to best preserve their food and water supplies, Baylee took another nibble of her honey cake before tucking it away into her pocket for later. 'I hope everything goes alright,' she thought, closing her eyes. 'There surely has to be some sort of fresh water source in this place—it wouldn't be much of a forest if there wasn't.'
Then, remembering her father's words about how the eyes he had seen belonged to insects, she shuddered. 'Yavanna help me if there are spiders out there…I can handle any other sort of bug, whether they're large or small, but if there are giant spiders out there…' She shook her head and, pulling the blanket closer to her chin, she curled up into as small a ball as possible.
For ten more days, the company ventured forward without incident. Their already-low spirits were quickly dropping even more, however, as their supply of food began to dwindle. Even worse, the further they traveled into the forest, the stranger they began to feel.
It started with their heads feeling heavy as if they were exhausted. Walking in a straight line became hard; they would often stumble and nearly knock over the person in front of them. More than once, Bilbo and Baylee were knocked over only to be picked back up again with muttered apologies. With only one working eye, Baylee stumbled more than the others and she soon had scraped up palms and knees from all the times she fell.
Then came the bouts of confusion. At different times, the members of the company would forget where they were and try to stray from the path or they would argue with someone about a conflict that they had imagined. More than once in a day, a pair would have to be physically separated lest their argument come to blows.
On the eleventh day, they saw the webs.
It was Ori who first spotted them, as he had been the first to awaken come morning. As he opened his eyes and blinked away the sleep, he thought he could see ropes strung across the trees on either side of the path. At first, this elated him, as he thought it meant they were getting close to either the edge of the forest or some sort of civilization. But when he rubbed away the remnants of his slumber, he came to realize that they weren't ropes at all, but lengths of spider silk as thick as his finger.
His panicked yelping quickly woke the others, who were just as startled to see the webs. They were thankfully, however, to find that the strands of spider silk didn't stretch across the pathway; in fact, the webs that they could see were set back a few yards from the path.
"Even better a reason for us t' not stray from the road," Gloin stated as he haphazardly rolled up his bedroll. "There must be some sort o' spell protecting it from those foul creatures."
"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad we didn't get cocooned up durin' the night," Bofur grumbled. He broke a honey cake in half and then half again before offering a quarter to Bilbo.
Gladly taking the honey cake, Bilbo took a small nibble from it. "Y-yes, I agree. Ending up as food for spiders would be a poor way to end this adventure…" Looking at his daughter, he frowned; she was pale and kept her head tilted down. 'Oh dear…that's right. She's terrified of spiders,' he thought. Walking over to her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze.
"It'll be a better fate than starving to death," Bombur pouted. With how severe their rationing had become, famished wasn't even close to how hungry he felt. "These blasted trees just keep goin' on an' on an' on! When will we reach the end o' them? Will we reach the end o' them?!"
"Calm down, Bombur," Thorin said, his voice stern. "Now isn't the time to fall into hysterics." He looked down at the path, where he had dug an arrow into the ground, pointing them in the direction they needed to go. To him, it looked as if the path began to slope downwards, though it was hard to tell in the eerie light of the forest. The longer he stared, though, the more it started to feel like he was sinking into the ground; he closed his eyes and shook his head, clearing both his mind and his body of the sensation.
"We need to find water soon," Balin sighed. "An' we need to try t' shoot down some of the squirrels we've been seein'. Otherwise, we can't go on for more than a few days."
"He's right, uncle," Fili said, stumbling his way over to Thorin. "Even with how careful I've been, my waterskin's nearly empty. An' these honey cakes don't make things any better, given how dry they are."
Thorin turned around and looked at his companions; barely any of them could walk in a straight line thanks to whatever the forest was doing to their minds. "I want everyone to have their bows out and at the ready," he then ordered. "If you see any squirrels, shoot them. Even if we have to leave the path to fetch them."
It was around noon the next day (at least, they thought it was noon) that they ran into an enormous problem. The group had finally reached the river that Beorn had spoken of; at the sight of it, Bifur started to rush forward in order to get himself a drink, but Dwalin and Bofur had to hold him back.
"We can't drink that, Bifur!" Bofur told him. "Remember what Beorn said? The water's o' this river are cursed."
Bifur grumbled, saying some very choice words in Khuzdul about the river.
"We can't get across!" Dori cried. He pointed at the remains of what had once been a bridge, but it now lay in crumbled ruins. "The bridge is gone! There's no way for us t' cross!"
"What're we supposed t' do now!?" Dwalin growled. "We don't have enough food or water t' turn back, but we also can't keep goin' forward! Not unless we want t' get put under some spell."
Fili scratched his bread. "We could have the hobbits carry a rope across," he told them. "They're light enough—I'm sure they can climb their way across through the trees without any branches breakin'."
Bilbo's eyes widened and partially hid himself behind Bofur. "Wh-what!? Why not just tie the rope to an arrow and shoot it across? That seems like it'd be a safer option!"
"Because an arrow stuck in a tree wouldn't be able to hold any of our weights," Gloin answered.
"Except the Mouse-Lass's," said Nori. "She's lighter 'n a feather—surely an arrow with some rope on it could support her?" He looked over at Baylee in time to see her disappear behind Dwalin.
"We can't send her across like that!" Balin argued. "What if the arrow were t' break? The poor thing would end up in the drink an' be cursed because o' us."
"Everyone, look!" Kili pipped up. "On the other side—there's a boat!"
"A boat?" Thorin questioned, his brows furrowed. "Are you positive, Kili?"
He nodded. "Bilbo, come over here and tell me I'm not seein' things."
Doing as he was told, Bilbo stepped forward until he stood beside the prince. There was indeed a boat across the river from them; it looked as if it were pulled up onto the shore to avoid being swept away. "He's right," he told the others. "There is a boat. But how are we to get it over here? And even if we do get it over, we don't know how good of condition it's in."
"We can shoot an arrow with some rope into it," Dwalin suggested, "an' then we can pull it back."
"But, if it's safe enough to use, how are we supposed t' get back t' the other side? I can't see any oars," Kili said.
"We'll send one of the hobbits over with some rope," Thorin told them. "They'll tie their end to a tree and we'll tie ours to another tree. If the boat is sturdy enough, we can then ferry ourselves back and forth with the rope to guide us."
"An' if it's not sturdy enough?" Oin questioned.
"Then we climb over on the rope, one by one so as to not break it."
Swallowing hard, Bilbo looked over at Baylee as the others started seeing who had the longest length of rope. She had stepped out of her hiding spot behind Dwalin and was anxiously stroking one of her braids near the edge of the path. He walked over to her and set his hand on her shoulder. "If you like, I can climb over, dear," he told her, his voice gentle.
"A-are you sure, da'?" she asked. "I am the smallest and lightest…"
"Yes, but there are also spiderwebs up there, which you're scared of," he reminded her. "I have no qualms about going over, I promise."
She nodded. "Alright…just—just be careful, da'. I don't want you falling into that water." A small smile came to her lips as he kissed the top of her head.
"Trust me, I don't want to fall in either," he chuckled. Giving her shoulder a small squeeze, he walked away, heading towards the dwarves with the ropes.
A quiet sigh left her mouth as she continued to stroke her braid. 'I hope everything turns out alright,' she thought, biting her lower lip as well. 'It feels like the further we go into this forest, the more it wants to drive us out of it—or out of our minds…And it doesn't help that we're having to ration so much, either. I don't understand it, though; Beorn said he packed us enough to get us through the forest. Why did we run out so soon?'
"Mouse-Lass?"
The voice pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to find Thorin standing just a few feet from her. "Yes, Oakenshield?"
"Are you alright?" From what she could see, he wore a concerned expression as he looked down at her. "You've been awfully quiet the last few days."
Nodding, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. "There just hasn't been much to talk about, I suppose. Aside from those nasty spiderwebs, that is." Her nose scrunched up and she shuddered at the thought.
Reaching over, he let his knuckles brush against her cheek as he pushed some hair behind her ear. "You don't fancy spiders, I take it?" he asked with a quiet laugh.
"Not at all," she answered, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "Small ones are bad enough, but judging by how thick the strands of silk are that make up those webs, the ones here are gigantic." She shifted slightly, looking away in embarrassment. "I'm just glad it's only the webs we've seen so far."
He nodded in agreement. "I'm in no hurry to see the size of the creatures that made them, either." Glancing over his shoulder, he could see that everyone else was focused on Bilbo, who was getting a boost from Dwalin as he climbed into one of the trees. With their attention elsewhere, he turned back to Baylee and, leaning over, gently pressed his forehead against hers. "We'll be out of this wretched place before long," he quietly promised her.
She was more than a little surprised by his actions; it was the first time he had shown her any physical affection since Beorn's home. It was understandable, however, given how stressed everyone had been, but it had left her wondering if, maybe, she had imagined the hand holding and hair braiding. "I know we will," she murmured, her cheeks starting to burn. Swallowing a bit harder than normal, she hesitantly reached up and set her hand on his cheek. It was almost amusing, how small it both looked and felt against his face. "…And…I think, when we are out of here, you and I should have a small talk."
A soft chuckle left his mouth and he nodded in agreement. Lifting his own hand, he set it overtop hers, keeping it pressed against his cheek. "I agree," he murmured, "though, I daresay it will be more than just a 'small talk', Mouse-Lass. And it may be one that we'll have to include your father in."
She smiled, her brow rising slightly. "Which one? It would seem I've two of them now."
"Whichever one that will be least likely to want my head on a platter." Hearing shouts of encouragement beginning behind him, he let out a quiet sigh. "We should join the others."
"We should," she agreed, though there was a hint of reluctance to her voice. For the few moments that they had stood there, it had almost felt like they had been a world away from the foul forest. Her cheeks grew hot again when, before he pulled back, Thorin turned his head and placed a kiss in the middle of her palm.
Then, taking her small hand in his, he led her back towards the group. "Don't cheer too loudly," he warned them. "We don't want to attract whatever foul things that may live in these woods."
Remembering the eyes they had seen during their first few nights in the woods, the group quickly hushed up. Above them, they could hear the creaking of branches as Bilbo crawled his way across once in a while, they also heard him scold something that had dared to hinder his path or startle him. Try as she might, Baylee couldn't see far enough to tell just where her father was.
Soon enough, though, they heard Bilbo call from the other side of the river, "Alright! I've got the rope tied nice and tight! Time to secure your end!"
Taking the rope from Oin, Gloin went over to the nearest tree and, after pulling the rope taut, tied it into place. "All tied, Bilbo! Come back over now."
It took some time for the hobbit to pull the boat across the river. Not only was it surprisingly large—it would be able to hold three dwarves at the very least—but Gloin's end of the rope was also steadily getting higher and higher. By the time he reached the other side, he had to have his arms above his head in order to hold onto the rope.
"You could have put it a smidge lower, you know," he panted, stepping out of the boat once it had been pulled ashore.
Gloin gave him an apologetic smile.
"Alright," Balin said, clapping his hands together in order to get everyone's attention. "How should we go about this? From the looks of it, the boat can hold at least three o' us dwarves, but we'll need someone to play ferryman."
"No, we won't!" Kili chirped. "Now that the boat's on our side, we can tie a rope to it an' pull it back to us when its passengers have gotten off."
"That's a good point, lad," Dwalin said with a nod of agreement. "Now it's just a question o' who's goin' when."
"Balin, Mouse-Lass, and I will go first," Thorin said, "then Bilbo, Bofur, and Bifur. Fili and Kili next. Then Nori, Dori, Ori. Oin, Gloin, and Dwalin. Bombur will go last, since he counts for at least two of us."
Bombur frowned. "Why must I go last?" he argued. "I'm always last! Why can't I go first for once?"
Bifur said something in Khuzdul, to which a good portion of the dwarves nodded in agreement.
"Aye, ladies an' royals always go first," Dori said. "It's the polite thing t' do."
"We also don't want him sinking the boat before the rest o' us get across," Baylee heard Nori mutter to Ori.
"Someone get a rope tied to the boat," Thorin ordered. "The longer we're stuck on this side, the more light we lose." He started to walk towards the boat, his pace just a bit slower than normal, as he still held Baylee's hand.
When they were close enough, he scooped the hobbit lass up (which had made her squeak in surprise) and carefully set her in the boat. He then helped Balin to step into it, which took a bit of work; Balin was almost too short to get his leg over the edge comfortably and he refused to let Thorin pick him up.
"I may be old, but I'm not that old, Thorin," he scolded as the king gave him a slight boost. "I'm just a wee bit shorter than I used t' be."
"Aye. And you're a wee bit wider, too," Thorin said, some amusement in his voice, "which makes you a wee bit heavier."
Both heard a snort from behind them and, looking at the prow, saw Fili standing there, a rope in hand as he made sure it was tied securely. He quickly looked back down at the rope; they couldn't see how red his cheeks had grown. When he finished tying the rope, he held onto the boat with one hand while he used the other to pull hard on the rope. Finding that it was good and secured, he grinned.
"There, all tied up," he told his uncle. "You get in and I'll help push you into the water."
Nodding, Thorin climbed into the boat and, unlike Balin and Baylee, he remained standing, his hands gripping the guide rope. Once the boat was back in the flowing water, he started to slowly drag them across the stream.
"Be careful, laddie," Balin warned him. "We don't need you t' lose your balance and fall in."
"Or for him to lose his balance, fall in, and flip the boat at the same time," Baylee added.
"I assure you both that I'm being quite cautious," Thorin replied, his voice a bit dry. "You have no need to worry about any of us toppling in." Part of him was tempted to rock the boat slightly just to startle them, but he resisted.
Soon enough, the boat lurched somewhat as it slid onto the opposite shore. Thorin pulled it up a few more feet just to be sure it wouldn't float away before hopping out. Balin was the second to get out; he needed less help than when he was getting in, though he did need some assistance when his boot got caught under the seat. Baylee was last and, like Balin, she didn't need as much help. Thorin offered her his hand and she took it before lifting her dress slightly and hopping out.
"Alright, pull it back!" Balin called out, using his foot to give the boat a good push. "We made it safely an' without incident!"
"Got it! See you in a few minutes!" came Bofur's reply.
"This hopefully won't take us too long," Balin then told Thorin and Baylee. "I don't want t' be stuck on the banks o' this river come nightfall. Who knows what creatures are able t' drink this water without ill effect?"
A shudder ran through Baylee's body at the thought. "That isn't something I'd like to think about," she murmured. Something lightly squeezed her hand and, looking down, she found that Thorin still had a hold of it. Her cheeks grew a bit warm and she smiled.
"Nor is it somethin' I want t' think about either, lass," Balin sighed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. "But with those webs above us, it's a thought that's been lurkin' in my mind since yesterday." As he glanced over at the two, his brow rose slightly when he found their hands clasped. He said nothing, however; now wasn't the time to discuss potential courtships.
"We've made plenty of noise this far," Thorin said. "If that wasn't enough to draw something nasty towards us, then I don't know what will. We just need to stick to the path." He could hear the grunting of Bifur as he started to pull the boat across the water.
Closing her eyes, Baylee let out a soft sigh; unconsciously, she started to listen to their surroundings. Beyond Bifur's grunting, she could hear the quiet talk of the dwarves who still remained on the western bank. In the trees around them, she could hear the scuttling and soft chattering of squirrels as they went about their business, gathering nuts and whatever other edible things they could find. Off in the distance, however, she thought she could hear something akin to a horn and, perhaps, dogs barking. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she wondered if she was hearing the sounds correctly; after all, who in their right mind would hunt in this forest?
"Mouse-Lass?"
Opening her eyes, she found Thorin looking at her with some concern. "Hmm? Sorry, I was listening to things beyond us."
He nodded in understanding. "I thought you may have fallen asleep whilst standing," he chuckled. "Do you hear anything of interest?"
"As tired as I am, I don't think I'd be able to fall asleep standing up," she chuckled. "And…well, I'm not sure if I'm hearing correctly, but it almost sounds like there's a far-off hunting party."
His eyes widened, but his brows furrowed. "A hunting party?" he repeated. "Why would one of those be happening in this foul place?"
"That's why I'm wondering if it's just the forest playing tricks on my mind," she sighed. "Maybe when da' gets over here, we can see if he hears them, too."
"A good idea. You hobbits have better hearing than us, after all." Looking back to the stream, he could see the silhouettes of Bifur and the boat drawing near. He gave Baylee's hand another gentle squeeze before releasing it in order to go help haul the boat ashore.
Waiting until the boat had been emptied of its latest passengers, Baylee walked over to her father and lightly tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.
"Hmm? Yes, dear?" he asked, a look of relief on his face. Like many hobbits, the two Bagginses weren't fans of boats—they weren't fans of water in general, save for when it came time to bathe—so to have his feet back on the ground was most welcoming.
"I need you to do some listening," she explained, still holding onto his sleeve. She started to guide him a small way down the path so the dwarves wouldn't take up most of his hearing. "Try and listen into the distance as much as possible."
His brow rose. "And just what is it I'm supposed to be listening for?" he asked her, a great deal of caution in his voice.
"I'm not sure, which is why I want your second opinion." When she saw that he remained unconvinced, she let out a small sigh. "I can't tell you what to listen for, otherwise your mind may make it up."
Nodding in understanding, he closed his eyes and started to listen to the world around them. "I hear squirrels…the stream…the dwarves…" His brows then furrowed. "I hear…dogs? And horns?" Opening his eyes, he looked down at her in confusion. "Why do I hear horns and dogs?"
"Some sort of hunting party is my guess," she told him. "But why they'd be in this forest of all places is beyond me." Looking past her father, she saw Thorin talking quietly with Balin. "Oakenshield?"
The king turned slightly. "Yes, Mouse-Lass?"
"Da' heard the same thing I did, which means there must be a sort of hunting party somewhere out there."
Bofur, who had been making his way towards the hobbits, perked at this news. "A hunting party? If we run into them, they might be able t' show us the way out o' this place!"
"And, possibly, give us some food," Balin added. "Right now, what's more important is that we find somethin' to supplement the rations we've got left."
"I wouldn't get too excited," Bilbo warned. "They're very far off in the distance and it was hard to tell if they were coming towards us or going away from us." He frowned slightly and reached over, starting to pluck little twigs and bits of nature from his daughter's hair. "What I wouldn't give to have some proper light and a comb to tame this mess you've got going on," he murmured.
"You're one to talk, da'," she chuckled. "From what I can see, your hair looks like a bird's been nesting in it—and not a bird who's very good at making nests, either."
Bofur quietly laughed, his brow rising. "I think we're all wishin' for some downtime in order t' primp ourselves a bit," he said. He then let out a small sigh and looked down the path. "Some downtime, some food an' water, an' some sunshine…That's all we really need right now."
"We'll get all of those soon enough," Bilbo assured him. "Maybe not quite as soon as we'd like, but something's telling me that we're getting close to reaching the end of this place." He glanced over at the shore as Fili and Kili arrived. Kili gave the boat a good shove, sending it back towards the others. "We just need to have patience."
"Patience is something we're all running out of," Baylee sighed. She leaned sideways, resting her head against Bilbo's arm.
"Aye, an' most o' us dwarves already have precious little in the way o' patience," Bofur joked. A small smile came to his lips when he watched Bilbo wrap his arm around his daughter's shoulders, holding her close. "We'll know things are gettin' real bad when the two o' you start gettin' short with us."
Baylee's brow rose slightly and a bit of an amused smile came to her lips. "But when we're around you lot, we're already short."
Rolling his eyes, Bilbo quietly laughed and held his free hand out towards Bofur. "Very funny, dear…If our amounts of patience matched our heights, then you'd be the crankiest of us all!" When Bofur came over and took his hand, he gave his hand a small squeeze.
"Then it's a good thing that's not how it works." She covered her mouth as she yawned.
Bilbo and Bofur yawned in turned. "What I wouldn't give for a nice, soft bed, though," the latter sighed. "I think I could sleep for a week straight after all o' this. After spendin' an entire day eatin' an' drinkin', that is."
"That'd be so very nice," Bilbo murmured. "Maybe have a few pipefuls of Old Toby or Longbottom Leaf."
Her nose scrunched up. "Ew…"
He chuckled, his brow rising at his daughter's reaction. "You don't have to partake in any of the Longbottom Leaf. You can have your fruity tobaccos."
"Oh, the Shire has fruity ones? That's good," Bofur grinned. "I fancy myself some o' the sweeter ones; they're not as harsh as other flavors."
"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Baylee snorted. Opening her eyes, she looked over at the stream; almost everyone was on this side now. Bombur, she could see, was just about to reach the shore.
Bofur suddenly cried out and, the next thing the hobbits knew, they were flat on the ground, Bofur's arm thrown across them. They looked up just in time to see the massive silhouette of an elk leap past them. Barreling its way through the crowd of dwarves, the elk reached the shore and it leapt across, drawing out a cry from Bombur. There was then a loud splash and the sounds of panicking dwarves.
"Bombur!" Bofur cried, jumping to his feet. He raced towards the shore, leaving Bilbo and Baylee stunned on the ground.
"He's still holding the rope!"
"C'mon, lads, pull!"
"Dori, get yer arse over here!"
As she sat up, Baylee could see Dori, Dwalin, Bofur, and Bifur pulling on the guide rope. Soon, the large mass that was Bombur was dragged onto shore. He didn't move, however, making his brother and cousin start to panic even more.
"What do we do!?" Bofur cried. He started to shake him, hoping against hope that he would wake up and be alright. "Bombur! Wake up! There's a wheel o' cheese with your name on it!" Bifur came over and started to shake him as well; between the two of them, the pair were practically rolling Bombur like a rolling pin.
But still, Bombur did not stir. He did, however, take them all by surprise by suddenly—and very loudly—snoring. Everyone froze at that point, confusion overcoming their features as Bombur continued to snore, albeit quieter this time.
"He's…asleep…?" Ori thought aloud.
Having gotten to their feet by that time, Bilbo and Baylee came over. "Of course it put him to sleep," said the former. "Beorn warned us this stream will 'cast a great spell of drowsiness and forgetfulness'." He frowned as he looked down at the round dwarf only to sigh and shake his head. "Something tells me he's not going to be waking up for quite a while."
"If he wakes up at all," Bofur sniffled. Reaching over, he used his foot to give his brother one last shake, though it was to no avail. "Oh, Bombur…why'd you have t' go an' do a dumb thing like that?"
Thorin closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. "Of all the rotten luck," he grumbled under his breath. "We have no choice but to carry him," he then said to the others. "Let's find some branches…maybe we'll be able to lash something together that will hold his weight."