The company left Rivendale sooner than Annie would have liked. It was the one place where she felt safe, but she also honored Thorin's leadership. They traveled by foot in silence, crossing streams, walking over mountains and through waterfalls. For three days they walked, and on the fourth they found themselves in the midst of a mountain battle. As terrified as she was of falling, Annie found the giants fascinating. It wasn't until Thorin nearly fell to his death that she truly became frightened and began to pray that Gandalf would find them again soon.

They finally found refuge within a small mountain cave. Annie sighed in relief, at least they were out of the rain. She was soaked to the bone, and shivering. Thorin saw her shiver, and handed her his extra blanket, "Get some sleep." he told her, "We leave at first light." he told the rest. As the company nodded off, Annie found herself restless. Finally she sat up, wrapping Thorin's extra blanket around her. She missed Rivendale, and Bag End and Gandalf. The dwarves were pleasant to her, but she still felt like an outcast.

"Feeling homesick?" a voice said from behind her. Annie jumped and turned around and saw Bofur, keep watch. She nodded.

"A little, even though I really don't have a home to think of as mine." she told him, he nodded then asked "What do you mean? You had a lovely home."

"Bag End? To tell you the truth, I was just a guest there. Mr. Baggins was kind enough to take me in until I had found a place of my own."

"Oh. I see. Were you raised in the Shire?" he asked lightly, happy to have somebody to speak with. Annie shook her head, "I was born into the world of men, on a plantation farm."

"Did you like it there?", and too his surprise she shook her head. "No, I ran away from there, and I am never going back." she said bitterly, then to change the subject she asked

"Do you remember much of Erebor?" she asked him, but he shook his head. "I was born not long after the dwarves lost the mountain." Annie nodded, and was just about to answer when the earth began to shake.

"Wake up!" Thorin shouted, jumping to his feet as a huge crack formed beneath them, and then they fell.

Annie woke to darknes. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. She looked up and saw the dim lights of Goblin City. "I must of fallen further than the rest." She thought, and then sat up. She realized she was not alone. The red presence had returned, glowing brightly in front of her. Frightened, Annie jumped up, watching it with a a fearful eye. In the darkness it glowed brighter and brighter, until finally it took the shape of a child. Annie watched fearfully as it became solid, sparkling with light. She was frightened by this figure. She knew who it was, it was her beloved. Annie stood in awe in front of the child. The figure looked at her and smiled. Annie had finally found her, she had found her in the darkness of the mountain. Annie reached out to her, and the child took a step forward. Then Annie spoke:

"Tell me the truth. Didn't you come from the other side?"

And then presence answered in a soft low voice, unlike anything of this world. "Yes. I was on the other side."

"You came back because of me?" Annie asked.

"Yes." It answered.

"You remember me?" it asked.

Annie nodded. "Yes. I remember you."

"You never forgot me?"

"Your face is mine." Annie answered. "Do you forgive me? Will you stay? Your safe here now." she told it.

"Where are the men without skin?" it asked

"Out there. Way off." Annie answered, pointing up.

"Can they get in here?"

"No. They tried that once but I stopped them. They won't ever come back.." Annie told told her.

"One of them was in the house I was in. He hurt me." the spirit told her.

Annie shook her head, "They cant hurt us no more." she whispered. Then, "I loved you too much to let them hurt you."

The spririt glowed brighter, "I will protect you." it told her.

"Why?"

"I have found you again; you have come back to me."

Annie smiled, "You are my beloved."

"You are mine."

"I loved you."

"You are mine"

And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished into the darkness but Annie still felt her. This time it was different, no more did the red presence feel like a haunt but now more of a blessing. It glowed inside of her, giving her strength. Never before had the presence made itself known to her like that, and it gave her hope. Maybe, just maybe her baby had begun to forgive her. "I will never know through if I don't find my way out." Annie thought desperately, "and find the others. If I only knew where I was!".

She started walking in what she hoped was the right direction. Every now and then she would glimpse the red presence in front of her. It flickered in and out like candlelight. She followed it the best she could, but she still felt hopelessly lost. Suddenly, her toe touched something cold, and round. She looked down, and in the dim light she saw that she had stepped on a small, golden ring. She picked it up, "What's this?" she asked, holding it up to the light. She pocketed it, and kept walking. Soon she came to an underground lake. She dare not wade out into the darkness. She could not swim: she she thought too, of nasty slimy things, with big bulging blind eyes, wriggling in the water. There were strange creatures who lived in these dark mountains. Then she heard a whispered hiss:

"Bless us and splash us my precious! I guess its a choice feast: at least a tasty morsel it's make us gollum!"

Annie nearly jumped out of her skin, and suddenly she saw pale eyes staring down at her. "Who are you!" she said, thrusting her dagger in front her of. " What is he, my precious?" whispered Gollum. "My name is Angeska Sandybanks. I have lost the dwarves and I don't know where I am; and I don't want to know, if only I can get away."

"What's he got in his handses?" said Gollum. It had been so long since he had seen a female of any race that he had forgotten them completely.

"A sword, a blade which came out of Gondolin!" Annie told him

"Ssss" Gollum answered, and then became quite polite. "Praps ye sits here and chats with it a bitsy, my precious. It likes riddles, praps it does, does it?" he asked, for he was anxious to appear friendly at the moment.

"Very well" Annie answered, who was anxious to appear just as friendly, until she knew what this creature wanted. "You go first." she told him, for she had not time to think of a good riddle.

So Gollum hissed:

What has roots as nobody sees,

Is taller than trees,

Up, up it goes,

And yet never grows?

"Easy!" said Annie, "Mountain, I suppose."

And then they began a competition of riddles, until Annie asked the last question "What have I got in my pocket?" and won. Annie then, as for safe keeping, slipped the ring on her finger. Much to her surprise, Gollum didn't seem to find her, so she ran. She ran until she saw light, and much her relief she found the exit without much hassle, besides having Gollum on her tale.

She reunited with the Dwarves shortly after, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Gandalf had returned. He was overjoyed to see her, thinking that she had been lost in the Goblin caves. The dwarves were happy to see her too, but puzzled, for they hadn't seen her since before the Goblins captured them.

Gandalf led them deep into the forest, and was with them for 5 more days until they finally reached the edge of the Mirkwood forest. "Now" Gandalf told them, "You are to stick to the path, do not stray from it. There is a black river that flows through, do not drink from it." he warned them.

"Are you not coming with us?" Annie asked, scared that the wizard was going to leave them again. Gandalf shook his head, "I am needed elsewhere."

"I wish you the best of luck." he told them, and then he vanished.

The company entered the forest cautiously, the dark branches and evil smells haunting them. As they walked deeper into the forest, Annie heard the cries of a baby, she tried to ignore it, but then she heard it again, this time stronger and louder than before. A wailing, the crying of a baby, right off the path. She stopped in her tracks, and then stepped forward towards the noise. It sounded so real, just like the way she used to cry at night, that Annie had to follow it. Even though she had spoken with her spirit, Annie still wanted her. She wanted to hold her baby again so badly that she forgot the dangers of the forest. The others must have heard it too because immediately both Bofur and Kili grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

"No!" she screeched, this was the loudest she had ever spoken and it surprised them.

"Its just an illusion, Miss Annie." Balin tried to reason with her.

"No, No! Its my baby, shes crying! I need to help her, I need to explain to her why I did." annie shouted at them, struggling to get free. "Let go of me, please." she begged.

Thorin watched sadly as the hobbit continued to struggle against the dwarves. he knew why she desperately wanted to follow the cries but they knew nothing of her past and it was scaring them. Bomfur gave him a look and whispered, "she better quiet down soon, all this yelling is going to attract unwanted attention." He was right, of course.

"You must not stray from the path, remember what Gandalf said." Balin told her as she struggled, "Its the forest trying to trick you, please believe me Annie." She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"You don't understand, its her, my baby, she's right there. If only she'll listen to me and understand that I love her maybe she'll find peace." she cried. The dwarves looked at each other, for this was new to them. Annie finally stopped struggling and fell to the ground, defeated and crying. Kili kneeled down next to her and touched her shoulder. She flinched away, sending him a fierce look that obviously said "don't touch me." He sighed and put his hand down, then said, "It's alright Annie, the forest of Mirkwood has been taunting us all too. Please don't cry."

"Child, what happened to you?" Balin asked softly. Annie looked around at the 13 dwarves, each one fairly concerned about her. This was new to Annie, never in her life had anyone cared this much, and now she had 13 faces looking down at her. It felt strange, but also good, to be wanted. She took a breath but she wasn't ready to tell anyone, because telling them would be admitting that it actually happened.

"It's not a pretty story." she told them, but they still looked at her with caring eyes. She shifted, now feeling very aware that they weren't the only ones watching her.

"Is this the time to tell?" she asked them, " I think we should keep on our journey." She looked to Thorin, and he nodded. "We'll go on until dusk-if we can tell when dusk is- and then make camp for the night." he told them company, then motioned for them to continue. They did, still slightly concerned about their burglar but also in loyalty to follow their leader. Kili offered Annie a hand up and she took it. He helped her up as Balin stood beside her. "Are you alright now, miss?" he asked her, she nodded shakily. "If you hear anything else, let us know and do not go off into the forest." he firmly warned her, but then his face softened, "I know you've seen hard times, we all have, if you need anything you just let me know.", then he patted her arm and started walking. Kili looked at her, "He's right, you know. We're a company and that means we support each other." He told her, she nodded again and they followed Balin.

After a few minutes of walking, Kili fell into step with her. Annie was pretty sure he was just trying to make sure she didn't bolt for the trees again, but she found his presence comforting none the less. She was slightly nervous that when he had reached to touch her shoulder, her sweater had slipped and he had seen the scars but she wasn't sure. It was hard to read his face in this light. The continued to walking in silence, Annie continued to feel the presence of something evil watching them, and it made her nervous. She hadn't felt her baby since they had entered the forest, and that scared her. She reached up to touch her locket, it gave her a small comfort just to hold on to it. Kili noticed the locket, many of times he had seen it when they camped in the fire light as she opened it and looked inside, but he had been too shy to ask. Now, his curiosity burned even brighter, until finally he decided to ask about it.

"May I ask you something, Annie?"

"Yes."

"Who's picture is inside your locket?"

Annie hesitated, and then suddenly found courage, Kili was easier to speak with than Thorin, and she had shown him. She pulled out her locket and opened it, turning it towards Kili.

"My daughter." She told him, he looked at it for a long while.

"She's lovely, whats her name?"

Annie sighed, this part was sad. "She left too soon to be given a name, she's still my beloved though." She answered, Kili was taken aback, he did not expect that answer.

"I am so sorry." he whispered, and like Thorin began to weave the threads together, Annie had had a daughter, but she died as a baby, then he finally understood her behavior in the forest. If he had heard a loved one crying, he would of done the same thing. He wanted to hug her, to hold her and tell her things will be alright, but he then remembered that she didn't like being touched so he didn't. This made him wonder even more about this strange hobbit. What had made her like this? Scared and sad, she shouldn't feel like this, he thought, she had already saved their lives, twice. She doesn't deserved anything like this all all. He looked at her, and realized that he had been silent for a while but she seemed perfectly content with the silence so he said nothing.

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Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up soon! Sorry for skimping on some of the major events, I really wanted to focus on Annie!