Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the wonderful world of Harry Potter or LOTR.
A/N: Hi guys! I know, it has been two years but I am back. I lost my creative spark and just lost sight of where I wanted to go with this story. So I took a break, albeit a pretty long break, but I got the writers bug again. So thank you to those who have liked my story and asked for me to continue writing. I am glad that you have enjoyed the story so far and thank you especially for the encouragement to continue. Now I have tried to search for an elvish translator online for all the elvish that will be in this story, but alas no luck. In my previous chapters I was able to find certain phrases online that was already set in elvish. But for this chapter and future chapters, I will be writing the elvish in italics from now on save a few phrases (basic greetings and phrases). Now without further ado, here is the newest chapter!
-Chapter 14-
"So, let me get this straight. In the few days I was gone to scout out Dol Goldur, you managed to fall right into a goblin's den, fight your way out, and met a…werewolf?" Hermione stared at Gandalf with wide eyes.
"Well, when you put it that way, dear…" Gandalf huffed, embarrassed.
"I leave you men for but a few moments…" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"But did we die…?" Gandalf smirked.
Hermione scoffed. After their brief reunion, they had made camp for the night to regroup and recount the past few days while they were separated. Hermione had briefed Gandalf on what she found in Dol Guldor and vice versa.
"We might as well be, Gandalf! Might I also mention that we now have targets on our back with this pale orc hunting down Thorin? I do not even want to delve into how that happened either." Hermione scowled.
"Ah-hem…" Gandalf looked away, smoking his pipe.
"Why did I ever think this was going to be a straight forward quest?" Hermione sighed. "So what next?"
"We must make our way through Mirkwood unseen and unheard. If you thought Thorin's rage at you was ridiculous, it is nothing compared to what he feels towards the elf-king of Mirkwood, Thranduil." Gandalf frowned.
"Great. More enemies." Hermione looked towards the dwarf in question, who sat at the fire staring off into the distance.
"During the siege of the Lonely Mountain, Thorin looked to Thranduil and his kin for aide. But none came from the elf-king, for he would not risk the lives of his kin and his subjects when faced with the wrath of dragon fire." Gandalf said.
Hermione frowned. While she did understand the elven king's decision, she could not help but feel disappointment in him as well. To see first hand someone suffering and not offer a hand – it was something that she would never be able to do. It was not in her nature. This was a rare moment where she felt almost an inkling of sympathy for Thorin.
"Then we better make haste. I feel a sickness in the air. The forest is damaged, Gandalf. I do not think Thranduil is the only thing we have to worry about…" Hermione said as she looked around the dark forest.
Gandalf grunted in agreement. "Rest, my dear. We set out at first light."
They got up early the next day and quickly packed up camp to set out. 'If it really is morning…The forest is so dark, I can't even tell if the sun has really risen up or not.' Hermione thought.
"This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." Gandalf instructed as they started making their way down the path. "You must stay on this path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again."
Gandalf lead the group as Hermione brought up the rear. They walked and walked along the winding path, through dark forest and largely spun webs. Everyone was on edge from Gandalf's earlier instructions. It felt as if they were walking around in circles and Hermione's mind was starting to go blank.
"Air… I need air…" Bofur muttered.
"My head… It's spinning." Oin followed next.
"Gandalf, perhaps we should stop for a rest…" Hermione muttered.
"No, we must keep moving. We cannot stop now." Gandalf replied, but even he was starting to waver on his feet.
The company started bumping into each other and looking around as if lost. Bilbo tripped over a tree root and Gloin headbutted Kili.
"What's happening? Keep moving! Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin rattled.
"We've lost the path!" Oin shouted.
"Find it! All of you look! Look for the path!" Thorin shouted.
That caused more panic as all the dwarves started separating and heading off on their own. All earlier warnings from Gandalf were forgotten.
"Wait! Stop! Do not separate!" Hermione tried to gather her wits. The forest was starting to affect her too. 'What magic is this?!'
"Stop wandering, you fools!" Gandalf tried to round up the company. But those words fell on deaf ears and the dwarves scattered.
"Look, a tobacco pouch! There's dwarves I these woods!" Dori shouted. "It looks exactly like mine!"
"Beause it is yours! We're going around in circles. We are lost!" Bilbo retorted.
"We're not los. We keep heading east!" Dwalin replied.
"But which way is east? We've lost the sun." Oin muttered.
"The sun…" Hermione's brows scrunched together as she tried to shake the fog out of her mind. "The sun! We have to find the sun."
She looked around them before her eyes went up to the top of the trees. As the company started arguing around her, she walked towards the closest tree and started her climb. These trees had nothing in height when compared to the trees she would climb in Lothlorien when she walked with Hadlir, Rumir, and Orophin to their posts. She made it to the top in no time and her golden head popped out of the forest's top. The sun setting immediately blinded her, causing a redish gold hue to run across the sky. Hermione took a nice deep breathe of the fresh air and relished the feel of open sky. This immediately cleared up her head as she looked towards the setting sun – east. Hermione looked down to shout that she had their heading, but she was met with silence. No arguing dwarves, no rustling or shuffling feet.
'Now what…' Hermione made her way down, focusing on her senses to see if she could sense what was now amiss.
As she made her way down, it was only then that she noticed all the spider webs in the treetops. All of a sudden, a web parts and a spider as large as Aragog's children came at her hissing with fangs raised. Immediately, Hermione unsheathe her sword and struck the spider in the middle of its head. She made quick of the kill and headed towards where she heard more hissing spiders. The company had been captured by these foul insects and spun in spools of their web.
But before she could be of any help, Bilbo had come from nowhere, brandishing his short sword. He sneaks up on one of the spiders about to tear into Bombur and strikes it on its rear. The spider lets out a great hiss, before turning to see what struck it. Bilbo slices at it then thrusts his sword into the spiders head, before it fell through the branches dead. He then uses his sword to free Bombur from the cocoon. One by one, Bilbo frees them all and they tried to regroup quickly lest more spiders return.
"Hermione! Where's Hermione!" Gandalf looked around, panicked.
"Here. I'm right here." Hermione sighed as she sheathed her sword and stepped out. "I was about to step in that is until brave young Bilbo here took care of that." She smiled towards said hobbit.
Bilbo blushed and looked down at his feet. "It was nothing…"
"Trust an elf to show up after all the action…" Thorin muttered.
Hermione decided to ignore that and walked up to the company. "Is everyone alright? Any injuries? I have medical supplies if needed."
When she was met with muttered assurances that no one was injured, she sighed in relief. When all of a sudden, more hissing were heard. The spiders were coming back.
"Run!" Gandalf shouted.
They all ran in the opposite direction of the hissing, but the monsters eventually caught up with their eight legs. As the company engaged in battle, more spiders showed up. Hermione was starting to begin to believe that they were a magnet for trouble. She made eye contact with Gandalf, who nodded at her. Hermione nodded back as she got ready to delve into her magic. There were too many spiders and they needed a diversion. Just as she was about to throw a fireball at a spider that was overwhelming the inexperienced Bilbo, and arrow from within the forest flew out and struck the spider. More arrows came out of the forest, followed by elves slashing their way through the disgusting creatures. It was over in a flash as the elves finished their graceful dance before turning their attention to the company. Gandalf stepped forward to offer thanks ( '…or to keep Thorin from opening his foul mouth…' Hermione thought) but was met with an arrow in his face. All the surrounding elves had their weapons up.
A single elf stepped forward. He had long blond hair braided back and strikingly clear blue eyes. But they were cold. Hard. Hermione has seen that look before reflected back at her when she was fighting the war with Harry and Ron. He was dressed in a militia uniform of dark forest green with a sword on his hip and bow and quiver strapped to his back. He walked up to Gandalf.
"You bring some interesting company with you, Mithrandir." The blonde elf said.
"Legolas, son of Thranduil, we only seek to pass through Mirkwood. We do not mean to cause any trouble." Gandalf tried to reason.
'So this is the son of Thranduil…' Hermione thought.
"Is that so? Search them!" Legolas shouted.
The elves approached the company and confiscated all their weapons. Hermione reluctantly handed over hers, but not before she gave the elleth a warning.
"Be careful with those. They were a gift and I intend to get them back." Hermione said.
Legolas's head snapped to her and ice blue clashed with golden brown. "An elleth?"
He quickly walked over to Hermione. "And what are you doing with a company of dwarves?"
Hermione lifted her chin. She was not going to be intimidated by him. "I was asked to accompany Mithrandir on his journey. I merely accepted. The details are my business and mine alone."
Before Legolas could reply, Gloin shouted in anger, "Hey! Give it back! That's private!"
Legolas gave Hermione a curious last glance before walking over to see what the commotion was.
"And what is this?" Legolas reached out a hand and a locket was dropped in his palm. He opened it up with a sneer. "Who is this? Your brother?"
Gloin glared up at him, "That is my wife!"
"And this horrid creature? A goblin mutant?" Legolas snorted.
"That's my wee lad, Gimli!" Gloing growled.
Legolas took one last look before tossing it back to Gloing. "Tauriel, are the spiders dead?"
The female elf gave Hermione an apologetic smiled before turning to Legolas. "Yes, but more will come. They're growing bolder as the come closer to the kingdom."
"Speak in a language all can understand!" Thorin shouted as he scowled fiercely.
Legolas spun to meet Thorin's eye when something confiscated from the dwarf got his attention. Legolas quickly strode over and took the sword that his men had takend from Thorin to inspect.
"This is an ancient elvish blade, forged by my kin…" Legolas said in reverence as he examined the sword Thorin had picked up from the troll's cave. "Where did you get this." Legolas pointed the swords end at Thorin's throat.
"It was given to me." Thorin glared back.
"Not just a thief, but a liar as well." Legolas snarled. "Take them!"
Without warning, everyone was bound and taken deeper into the forest.
"Gandalf!" Hermione hissed to the gray wizard just two dwarves in front of here.
Gandalf looked back.
"Where is Bilbo?!" Hermione panicked.
A/N: And there you have it! Hermione and Legolas finally meet! It wasn't much of a meeting, but there will be more in the next chapter. As always, please leave a review of what you thought!
~lalune30
