Chapter 24: The Mirkwood Encounter Part I

There was something wrong with those that fell within the spectrum of the younger generation in their group. While emotions and tempers had been strained and challenged in the past months, Thorin was perplexed as to what had happened in less than a day to cause such tension. They were all over the place.

Fili and Thyra, who seemed to had created a delicate bond, seemed to have severed it as they each kept a wide berth from each other. Each of them constantly exchanging looks of anger.

Then there was Thyra and Thrade. The latter who seemed to have his eyes fall upon the maiden at least every few minutes or so for the past several weeks would not even glance in her direction. He seemed glum and if Thorin weren't mistaken, he was sulking.

And then there was the interaction between Thrade and his oldest nephew. The pair had always been companionable. But now, they looked like rivaling clan members. The looks exchanged between the pair reminded him of the ones that one's familiarly shared between a Durin and Brimir. Then again, that was exactly what they were. It was a thought that brought dread to the throneless king. He was not keen on such relationships being resurrected between his people and Asha's.

Kili, who had seemed to be blissfully on cloud nine last night was now seemingly in the pits of despair. He was quiet and gloomy. Even when Sigurd approached him and tried to speak with him he failed to smile. Which only seemed to dampen Sigurd's usually happy aura. It was as if someone had put something in their water to make them all sulky, gloomy, and agitated.

One contrasting theme to the others was the happy companionship between Sigurd and Thrade. But even that was an altered interaction. The pair had always seemed to have a good relationship but there was always a measured distance that Thrade seemed to always keep wedged between them. Now they were like two peas in a pod in the way they laughed and confided with each other.

Thorin shook his head at the bunch. He did not have time to be bothered by the woes and fraternizing of youth. So long as they followed command and did not let their emotions and contention affect this quest they could all remain the rainy clouds of gloom all the way to Erebor for all he cared. They were so close, if they had no delays they could be there in less than two weeks.

The path was only a small opening cut through the thick walls of the forest. It looked like the gaping jaws of a monster, and they were about to willingly feed themselves to it by walking into its mouth. Sigurd did not like the looks of it nor the smell. She always loved the forest, its bountiful flora always providing so many ways in which she could save lives and take away the pain. But not this one. This one only seemed it would bring death and suffering.

Gandalf approached the crumbled gateway that marked the beginning of the path, Thyra and Bilbo following after. Gandalf pushed aside some foliage growing on one of the pillars that still supported half and arch. He stepped back and frowned before looking deep into the forest as if searching for something. He muttered something inaudible to himself and made his way back towards Thorin. Fili caught sight of this action and watched Thyra investigate what Gandalf had been looking at. The moment she pulled away the vines she dropped them as if they had burned her.

Fili watched her grab onto her left wrist as she took several quick steps back. His eyes squinted as he focused on her. Her face had lost its usual color as she looked in his direction and found him watching her. She quickly looked away and moved to where the group was gathering.

"The path will lead you straight through," said Gandalf.

"A gate with no door is an entrance with no welcome." Thyra spoke as she stared at the trees and crumbled gateway. When there was no response, she looked around to see that no one had understood her words. "A gate with no door is an entrance with no welcome," she repeated in Westeron this time. When no one seemed to understand what she was speaking of, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Not good place to go into. Another way there is?" she questioned, her words coming out wrong as she focused more on the trees than proper sentence structure.

Gandalf looked at her, surprised by her question. Thyra was not one to question the group's decisions. She took instruction and command obediently. "No. Not unless you want to travel 500 miles south to which you would never reach the mountain in time. If you were to go north, I fear there is a darkness there that you would pass by. A darkness that would not allow you to pass by." He looked intensely at Thyra who shivered under his stare but nodded anyways.

"What about Asha and her group?" Thorin asked, a shallow tone of concern in his voice. "They are passing in the north, will they be okay?"

Gandalf nodded. "She will be alright," he assured. "She has an army, not a company."

"Very well," Thorin accepted.

"I will meet you at the base of the mountain," Gandalf said before bending close to Thorin and whispering in his ear. "Do not enter that mountain without me."

Thorin nodded in agreement with his request. Satisfied, Gandalf moved to his horse.

"Wait." Cried Bilbo. "You are not going with us?"

"I am afraid not," Gandalf said as he looked at the hobbit and smiled compassionately. "Though I would if this was not urgent. But you have changed Bilbo. Something in misty mountains changed you."

As Gandalf disappeared into the horizon, the group began moving towards the path. All members slowly fell into a single line as they began to enter into the forest. Fili followed at the back of the line, pausing like the others before him to take a last breath of fresh air before entering through the ancient archway and into the forest.

As he passed through he glanced at the carved statue Gandalf and Thyra had been looking at. It was a depiction of a woman bowing her head with a vase of flowers. Her face had been smashed away on one side and on her chest, was a depiction of an eye, painted red with blood.

A sick feeling came into his stomach and the acid taste of bile rose in his throat. It was a disturbing image and the eye seemed to stare at him, evil emanating from its pupil. He had seen this depiction before but he could not quite place it. The image of Thyra looking at the eye flashed through his head. The way she had grabbed at her forearm, the look of panic. And it hit him. The image was the exact image that Thyra had burned into her left forearm. After everything that he learned over the past couple of days, knowing what that mark stood for, unnerved him.

He looked ahead and noticed he was falling behind and began a brisk walk to catch up. He saw Thyra turn her head slightly and watch him as he caught up. Her face still looked haunted as she gave him a quick look then turned her head forward again. Fili had only uncovered a minuscule portion of who Thyra really was. After yesterday she had yet to say a single word to him. Which was fine for him as he was still frustrated with her enough to be angry. But as the morning dragged on, he couldn't ignore the niggling itch to know more, to have more. There was no explanation for why he felt so curiously drawn to her. If he didn't know any better he would think he had an unhealthy obsession with her.

There was no day and night, there was no sunlight or moonlight. Just dim and darkened forest where the concept of keeping time seemed pointless.

With no way of distinguishing how much time was passing, the company resorted to walking as far as they could until their feet could go no more. And there they would rest for however long they dared. The feeling of always being watched made these times as short as possible.

They followed the cracked and sometimes nearly indistinguishable path that Gandalf had instructed them to stay on. So far, despite the circumstances, things had gone well. Until they reached the bridge, or at least where the bridge once was. Now there was nothing but rubble. The entire center was gone and all that was left of the bridge was the crumbled remains of the abutment on either side of the stream. Between them was a lazy stream that was mirrored beneath the swirling fog that veiled the reflective waters.

"We can try and swim it?" Suggested Bofur.

"You heard what Gandalf said," Thorin remarked from behind. "A dark magic lies upon this forest. The waters of this stream are enchanted."

"Doesn't look very enchanting to me," Bofur mumbled under his breath.

"We must find another way to cross it," Thorin remarked as he began to lead the group farther down the water's edge to study a different route.

"These vines should be sturdy enough," commented Kili as he gave one of the many hanging vines a firm tug. "He moved towards an exposed tree root that stuck out of the side of the bank and prepared to begin a cross over.

"Kili," Thorin commanded, stopping Kili before he began to make his way. "We send the lightest first."

Bilbo brook his eyes away from the stream and turned around to see everyone looking at him. His mouth opened and closed several times. Instinctively he wanted to turn to Thyra and volunteer her. She couldn't be much heavier than himself and she was certainly the most agile. But it was but a fleeting thought and he realized that the task was his. It was why he was here.

He approached the side and began plotting out a course. Taking in a deep breath, he took his first step on a hanging branch and grabbed onto a vine. Trying his weight on it, he stepped forward then moved to the next step.

It was not easy but it went by quickly and without too many missteps. All seemed okay until about halfway over. It was then he lost his balance and slipped from the branch he was on. He caught himself between a vine and half submerged log just in time to keep himself from falling face first into the water.

As he hung over the surface of the water that was too still, he got caught up in his reflection. It was not right. Something about it was strange and he felt his mind go fuzzy as he stared transfixed at the reflection. He felt his fingers begin to loosen but caught himself before he fully let go. Shaking his head to regain a clear mind he continued onward and finished navigating the last part of the crossing before coming to a hard tumble on the shore of the opposite side.

He let out a small groan before pushing himself back up. Now that he was no longer suspended over the foggy water his mind seemed clearer and he realized something truly had not been right.

"Somethings not right," he whispered to himself as he pushed himself onto his feet. "Something is not right at all."

He flipped over and sat down on the stony bank. "Stay where you are," he exclaimed loudly as he looked up. "Oh…"

He drifted off when he took in the sight of the entire group of dwarves all haphazardly tangled in vines, jumping from one branch to another, and dangling upside down.

Thyra was the first to land next to him after giving a small leap from the overhanging vines. Following behind her came the steady stream of dwarves as they all individually made their own ways over the bubbling yet eerily still water.

They were all nearly done. Everyone had safely touched down except for Bomber. All of them stood gathered around and near the shore as they watched the overly large dwarf sleepily move from one vine to the other. Immediately Bilbo knew something was off but was at a loss of what to do. His mind was too muddled and groggy to even begin to form a thought. And then it happened. Bomber landed on a vine as a loud snore erupted from his mouth just before he toppled over into the shallow water.

There had been a delay with the fishing of Bomber from the stream and then another when he seemed to not be able to wake up. It was finally decided that they could not wait. So Thorin managed to form the instruction to fashion a stretcher in which they took turns carrying the large dwarf. And onward they pressed, deeper into the forest where the air about them grew heavier and heavier.

The air was thick, too thick. Every time Sigurd's chest opened to take in a breath, the air seemed to lodge in her throat, too thick to be inhaled into her lungs and too heavy to push out. She was panting heavily as she followed the person ahead of her. She thought it had been Dori in front of her but as she looked at the figure in front of her, her vision blurred.

The dwarf shaped silhouette was nothing but a fuzzy blob in front of her. She stopped to try and let her eyes focus but something ran into her back. She turned around to see another blurry face nearly nose to nose with her. His face came in and out of focus. It was Kili who was looking at her.

Concern was written on his face but she could not place as to why. His lips were moving but it was like listening to someone speak when submerged in water. Only muffled sounds reached her ears and her eyes were too tired to focus on his lips to read them. She felt him touch her arms but it was as if they were numb. The pressure of his grip was there but nothing else, no other sensation that a normal touch to the skin brought. The warmth of his body, roughness of calluses, nothing.

"Siggy, Siggy!"

As if a bucket of cold water was dumped over her head, clarity and rejuvenation washed over her. Sigurd shook her head as if to rid herself of the remaining effects of what had put her in such a state.

"I am fine," she said quickly before turning around and moving to catch up with the front of the line

Kili watched her back as she moved forward. Something was not right with her. Her face had been vacant, as if she was struggling to register whom she was speaking with or even focus on the topic. Even he himself found his mind wandering.

It was as if there was some sort of drug in the air. Not only was his mind clouded but his senses seemed to be off as well. Everything echoed, the smallest of muffled sounds seemed to travel unnaturally farther than they should be heard. And there was something wrong with his eyes. It was as if his brain could not register what his eyes were taking in. Even now as he watched Sigurd walk away he could have sworn her steps were backwards.

And it seemed everyone was experiencing different symptoms. Bilbo was not far off, asking no one in particular if they too could hear the voices. If Kili was not mistaken, the person he was directing his conversation to was a tree. But then again, Kili's eyesight was off it could have very well been Bifur and the oddly shaped branch was the axe in his head. Next to where Kili stood Thorin was mumbling the opposite. That he heard nothing. No wind, no birds. In the next sentence he was questioning the hour. All the while, Bombur was loudly snoring as Fili and Dwalin carried him in the stretcher.

From the high perch of a large boulder, Thyra watched the rest of the group make their way down the path towards her. She had scouted ahead and was waiting for them to catch up. As she watched their slow progress she noticed they were all acting strangely. They were all walking aimlessly, several of them getting close to wandering off the path. And their movements were sluggish and stumbled. All of them. It was as if they had all ingested herbs used back in her home land for special ceremonies.

One by one they reached the rock that she was perched where they gathered for a rest. Some sat down while others vacantly stared off into the wilderness. Sweat poured from all of them, their coats shed long ago. Thyra herself had a layer of sweaty grim over her body as the humidity of the forest seemed to rise and fall throughout the day, the only indicator of what was day and night. At the moment, the sun must have been as its hottest point.

Thyra wiped the beading sweat from her brow before climbing down to report to Thorin. He seemed to have a somewhat clear mind which gave her a peace of mind to know. She herself felt a small effect of whatever was in the air but it seemed not to the same extent as others. She assumed it was not necessarily because she had a tolerance to it, but more so that she knew how to mindfully maneuver when under the influence. She knew to ignore the shadowed figures that looked unnatural and the random lights that were appearing here and there.

As she walked towards Thorin, she caught Fili watching her, his eyes staring lazily as if he was finding it difficult to focus. Abruptly he grinned sappily at her, his face morphing into a nearly boyish harmony.

Yes, Thyra thought to herself, something was definitely wrong. Since Beorn's she had only received the familiar old glares of accusation and anger. She hated that look now and she hated herself for hating it. Because it was what she needed. She needed Fili to hate here because she could not trust herself enough. Or in more accurate terms, she could not trust fate.

He was taking his turn to carry Bombur with Dwalin and Bofur. The other two looked just as dazed and confused as Fili. They set the slumbering Bombur down, Dwalin and Bofur collapsing where they stood. Fíli on the other hand, stepped forward, blocking Thyra's path to Thorin.

She gave him a disapproving look as he unsteadily stood gazing at her. "What do you want?"

Fili's goofy grin fell at her words. With what seemed to take great effort he lifted his hand and placed a finger to her lips.

"Shhhhh," he slurred as he changed his expression into one who would be slightly annoyed. "Always so grim and serious," he lectured before bringing his other hand up to cup her check.

Thyra wanted to move back but his actions had stunned her and he stepped closer. With both of his hands on each side of her face he suddenly pulled the corners of her mouth up with his thumbs. He stared at her for a moment, taking it in before nodding in approval.

"Much better," he said happily. "I like this Thyra! I like happy Thyra." Thyra slapped his hands away, releasing her face from his grip. "You see there it is again," he said throwing a finger in her face. "Glare, glare, glare. Always with the glaring."

Thyra rolled her eyes and side stepped him as she mumbled underneath her breath.

"Oh look, someone dropped a pipe," exclaimed Nori as he lifted the leather bag from the ground.

"Hey that's mine," claimed Dori. "How did it get there?"

"Because we are going in circles!" Shouted Dwalin in frustration. "We are lost."

An eruption of woes and complaints filled the air. It was pitch black and the torches that they had lit did nothing to dissipate the darkness. It was as if the darkness was impervious to nearly everything. Everything except the glowing red and yellow eyes of shapeless creatures that watched them from the dark.

"Hey look over there!" Balin's voice broke through the uproar, causing all attention to be drawn to him as he stood with his finger pointed out into the forest. "Look there, I thought I saw a twinkle of light in the forest."

They all looked into the mass of darkness that was lay before them. It took a moment, but soon they were all beginning to see what Balin was seeing. There was a small light that seemed to slowly grow the longer they stared at it. Burning under the trees to the left of the path, a good way off the trail, the lights twinkled enticingly.

"Do you think someone is there?" Commented Dori. "Perhaps they might have food!"

"It looks as if my dreams are coming true," Bombur whispered wistfully. The plump dwarf had woken earlier that day with a voracious appetite, only to find out that they had run out of rations the day before. He had then went about describing the great feast he had dreamt about, listing the delicacies and drinks until Thorin nearly had to threaten him to in order to stop the torture of their growling stomachs.

"A feast would be no good, if we never came back alive from it," Thorin warned.

"But without a feast we shall not remain alive much longer anyway," Bomber countered, and the majority of the group heartily agreed.

After a great deal of debating, the group slowly crept to the source of light. Peaking and crawling they peered around the trees and looked into what was a circular clearing. In the middle was a fire and all around the circle the flames of lit torches danced around to illuminate the clearing. The smell was what enticed them the most. Roasting meat wafted through the air, causing their hungry mouths to water and enchant them so much, that without consultation, all of them leapt up from their hiding places and dashed to the table of food.

Their hollars of begging for food was immediately silenced no sooner than the first of their group stepped into the clearing. As if by magic, all the lights went out. They were left in pitch blackness to spin around blindly, not even able to see each other in the dark. They bumped and crashed into each other, several of them stumbled over the same log and fell on top of eachother. It was utter chaos until suddenly they were able to see again in the dimmest of lighting.

They had but a moment to regroup and reorient themselves before Dori let out a loud shout. "The lights are coming from over there, and there are more than before!"

Thyra, who had caught on the the enchantment of the forest, watched in horror as the group began dashing towards the foreign lights again. She called out a warning but it fell upon deaf ears as her foreign tongue was the only one she could manage to recall at the moment. Instinctively her arm reached out to stop the person closest to her. Pulling at their arm she found herself bringing Fili to her face to face.

"It's dangerous," she exclaimed. "Stop them." His response was that he stared at her with an odd expression. "Why are you not stopping them!" She exclaimed.

Again he only stared as his hand moved up to touch her face. Before she could speak again his eyes drifted past her then widened with horror.

A sharp pain in her back, followed by nearly immediate numbness and loss of feeling, flooded her body. She stared back at Fili who was now looking down at her, grabbing onto her as she felt her legs give out. She kept her eyes on him for as long as she could before blurry darkness began to take over. The last her eyes could manage to see was Fili bent over her motionless body as thin, spindly legs lowered down behind him from the trees. And then like the mysterious lights before, she was out.

My bad its been awhile. Thank you all to those who are still hanging in there. I don't know why I keep going on hiatus with this story but I keep getting distracted. I did a mixture of book and movie with this chapter pulling from each of them so if you are only familiar with one or the other, the parts you did not recall were most likely in the other version. Thank you all for those who gave input and shared your thoughts! It always makes my day to read your reactions!