The smell of breakfast wakes me up. I sit up, stretching as the dwarves woke up to the smell. Dwalin yawned as I got up and went to follow the smell.
"Your not a dwarf." A gruff voice said as I saw a huge table with food on it. A very tall man looked down at me.
"I'm actually a fairy. The dwarves took me in after I lost my people." I said. The man eyed me and then nodded. "I'm Celeste."
"Beorn. The dwarves should be joining us soon." Beorn said. The dwarves ran in. Dwalin helped me get onto the bench as we sat down and ate. Beorn pours milk into Fili's cup as we finished eating. Dwalin sat next to me. Beorn looks at Thorin as he sits leaning against a pillar. I picked up my mug of milk and take a drink.
"So your are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn asked
"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin asked.
"My people were the first to live in the Mountains, before the Orcs came down form the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved." Beorn said. I looked at his wrists and saw manacles still on his wrists. "Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him.
"There were others like you?" Bilbo asked.
"Onc, there were many." Beorn said.
"And now?" I ask. He gave me a sad look.
"Now, there is only one." Beorn said. We sat in silence. Beorn sits down. "You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?"
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf said.
"You are running out of time." Beorn said. Thorin stands up and walks away. I watch him.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said.
"A darkness lies upon the forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need." Beorn said.
"We will take the Elven Road. The path is still safe." Gandalf said.
"Safe? The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn said. Thorin turned to look at Beorn.
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked.
"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." Beorn said. I had a feeling he was trying to warn us something was coming. Beorn stood up and turns to face Thorin. "I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind of the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." Dwalin brushes off a mouse that crawled over his hand. Beorn grabbed it and holds it as he apporaches Thorin. Thorin gives him a look. "But orcs I hate more. What do you need?"
Fili, Kili, and I head outside. Beautiful black ponies were running around. One ran over to me. I rub its head as the dwarves come out bags and strap them on the ponies. I saw Beorn and Gandalf talking as I helped the dwarves. Dwalin got on one and pulled me up behind him as Gandalf came and jumped on his horse.
"Go now, while you have the light. The hunters are not far behind." Beorn said. I took one last look at him as the ponies took off towards Mirkwood. We come to a stop as we approach a gloomy looking forest. Gandalf dismounts.
"Mirkwood. It looks sick." I said. Dwalin nodded.
"Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf called. Dwalin looks around.
"So sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said. I turn as he dismounts. I saw Beorn in his bear form keeping a watchful eye on us.
"Thank you." I whisper as Dwalin turns and helps me down as Gandalf enters the forest. I smile at him as we pull our bags off the ponies. I walk towards the forest and look at it. I close my eyes as I could feel the sickness washing over the forest.
"Lass you alright?" Dwalin asked putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm..." I never finished as a fiery eye flashe in my vision and I nearly fall over as Dwalin catches me.
"Celeste." Fili called as I clutch onto Dwalin's shirt.
"Something isn't right." I whisper as he held me close.
"Yer alright. I got ya." Dwalin said. Fili and Kili came over.
"I'm alright." I said. We watch the ponies run away as Nori finishes unsaddling Gandal's horse. Gandalf runs out.
"Not my horse! I need it." Gandalf said. Dwalin and I look at the Wizard.
"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo said.
"I would not this unless I had to." Gandalf said. Dwalin gently pulled my courting braid. I looked up at him.
"Ye alright." Dwalin asked. I nod.
"Aye. I'll be alright." I said. Dwalin pressed a kiss to my head. Gandalf gets on his horse as Dwalin let me go.
"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter the Mountain without me. 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 said.
"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked. It begins to rain lightly even though the sun was out.
"You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." Gandalf said. He turns the horse around as Thorin starts walking towards the path. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!" I watch Gandalf go before turning towards the forest.
"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin said. I saw Dwalin towards the front of the Company with Thorin.
"Durin's day. Let's go." Dwalin said.
"This is our one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin said. We enter Mirkwood. We followed the paved path that started at the Elven Gate. Thorin was leading as we went one by one. I was behind Dwalin with Fili behind me. The path turned. "The path goes this way." Thorin siad. We keep following the path through the forest. It twists and turns over all sorts of terrain. We went over bare ground, high ledges, fall tree trunks, and more. Dwalin thumps the handle of his hammer on the ground to find the paving stones of the trail.
"This way." Dwalin said. My head was starting to spin as we continued to walk.
"Air. I need air." Bofur said.
"My head its spinning." I said. I ran into Nori and grunt as the the dwarves ran into me.
"What's happening?" Oin asked. Thorin pushes his way to the front.
"Keep moving. Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked.
"The path... It's disappeared" Nori said. I looked and was that the path was gone.
"What's going on?" Dwalin growled.
"We've lost the path!" Oin yelled. We were standing in front of a steep cliff.
"Find it. All of you look. Look for the path!" Thorin yelled. We wonder the forest.
"I don't remember this place before. None of it's familiar." Balin said. I was sitting on a trunk with my head in my hands.
"It's got to be here." Dori said.
"What hour is it?" Thorin asked. I looked up.
"This forest is making us sick." I whisper.
"I do not know. I don't even know what day it." Dwalin said.
"Is there no end to this accursed place?" Thorin asked. Bilbo was sitting next to me. He plucks a spiderweb and it vibrates. Bilbo plucks the spiderweb again. I heard a strange whispering noise.
"What is that?" I ask.
"Not sure." Bilbo said. We continue walking. Ori picks up a tobacco pouch.
"Look." Ori said. Dori takes the pouch.
"A tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods." Dori said. I grab Dwalin's arm as I almost fall. He steadies me. Bofur takes the pouch from Dori.
"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine." Bofur said.
"Because it is yours." I said.
"You understand? We're going round in circles. We are lost." Bilbo said.
"We're not lost. We keep heading east." Dwalin said.
"But which way is east? We've lost the sun." Oin said. The dwarves started bickering as I move away from them.
"The sun." I said.
"We have to find the sun. Up there. We need to." Bilbo turned as the dwarves started fighting and pushing each other around.
"Bilbo go." I said. Bilbo started climbing. I heard a whispering sound and I turn around. Thorin was listening.
"What? What's that?" Thorin asked. We listened. The dwarves were still bickering and Thorin turns on the dwarves. "Enough! Quiet! All of you1 We're being watched." We all stood in silence. Spiders fell on us and knocked me down. I screamed as I was pinched and the dwarves were yelling as blackness took me.
AN: And we are in Mirkwood. Hope you enjoyed. Till next time