The first thing that brought Bofur back to consciousness was the lack of air to breathe, and he gasped instinctively, which immediately brought him around. He opened his eyes-how exactly could they feel so heavy?-and jumped as he saw only a strange, thick white substance he instantly recognized as spider webs. Spider webs!

"Oh, Mahal-what-" he blurted out incoherently, and began to struggle with the stuff...he was encased in it too! Bofur took a moment to realize how he had gotten there, and recalled the monstrous spiders that had attacked Bombur and him (luckily, they hadn't been separated when the lights had gone out) with a start. First he kicked out ineffectively, but the web was too thick to be torn like that. He tried to turn his head, but he still felt so weak...which, of course, instantly reminded him of his hunger. He growled when he felt too stiff to turn-his hat! Where was his hat? Where was everyone else, for that matter? He shifted in his encasing again, and yelped when he felt himself to be far above the ground, probably hanging on a tree. His mouth was too dry and numb to call out any words, so he moaned out incomprehensibly for help. He would never admit to the incredible fear he felt-spiders! Bifur, before the accident, had once placed a spider inside his favorite hat when he was a child. He had still beaten him when Bofur had tried to get even, but Bifur hadn't meant wrong. Since then he disliked spiders deeply, but never felt frightened by them. That could change after this attack, though.

He felt pressure on the top of his bundle, and cried out in fear when he realized it was the tip of a gigantic spider leg. He wriggled and writhed desperately all he could to try and get the monster off him, but it wouldn't budge. He pushed his side of the net hard, but it wouldn't budge at all. Oh, if only he had had the sense of bringing a knife with him instead of only the mattock! It was probably lost somewhere in this demonic forest by now.
Then he heard the first sound outside his cocoon, and he brightened at the vigor in it. It was a loud, muffled scream, and then a sharp kick. It could only be from one dwarf only-Bombur. His relief was short-lived as he realized that even though Bofur was alive he was as trapped as him. Then he flinched in loathing and cried out at the following noises: hissy laughter and words, as if spiders could speak. He uttered another unintelligible cry, in case Bombur or any of the other dwarves could listen to him. A spider leg poked him on the shoulder, which made him moan. Really, did they have to poke where they had stung him?

Then a lashing sound made him perk up. Was that a stone being thrown? If so, it was no spider doing so: it meant one of them was free! Bofur jerked around, hoping to attract the attention of whoever was out there. Rustling followed the noise, and Bofur squirmed even more as the spiders seemed to be climbing down the web his pod was attached to.
The next sound heartened him greatly, and his fidgeting increased as his strength returned.
"Old fat spider spinning in a tree! Old fat spider can't see me! Attercop! Attercop...!" By the end of the song the performer was no longer within earshot, but Bofur could easily tell who that was. Bilbo had gotten free! Most of them would have had doubts on depending on the burglar, but not Bofur. He had seen Bilbo's quickness in action at the wolves, and at the trolls. He could definitely rely on him for his release...and with only an elvish dagger? Here Bofur grimaced. Maybe Bilbo wasn't in the best position...yet.
The ear-shattering death cries of the spiders continued to encourage Bofur, and he had no doubt he would be free soon from the webs...and he better be, otherwise he would suffocate, he thought.

After a few minutes he felt pressure somewhere on the web, and Bofur smiled at the sound of another high-pitched scream and a plop on the ground. Now something else climbed the web, and Bofur greatly hoped Bilbo would free him first. He frowned instead when he heard a cocoon falling on the ground, and the subsequent moan of whoever had been freed relieved Bofur at least a bit. If he wasn't wrong, that was Fíli and not Kíli.
He could hear Fíli's complaints and groan as Bilbo proceeded to tear away the webs from him, and even managed a laugh when he heard Bilbo say: "Hold still, I have to cut some of your hair and beard off."

Finally, when Fíli's gasps for breath had subsided, and could stand (according to what Bilbo was saying), they began to climb the web. Bofur tried to call out to them again, but it only came out as a faint wail to them. Instead, he grumbled with envy as another pod fell to the ground, and after he heard the shell stripped away he could hear Bifur's indignant khûzdul to them. As Bofur listened closely, he roughly translated it to: "The axe cut the web and I had some air." The rest was too muffled to listen, but Bofur sighed in relief at his brother's good luck.
"Was that a sigh from that pod over to the right?" Bofur could hear Fíli wonder, and Bofur wriggled in answer.

"Yes it was," declared Bilbo. "Cut him loose, Fíli, and, yes, thank you, Bifur: we'll give Bofur his hat as soon as he is free." His hat!

Fíli was incredibly indelicate at the job; all he did was cut the rope above and let the capsule fall. Bofur grunted at the sharp impact upon collision, but at least Bilbo was there ready with his dagger to open him up.

Bofur gasped for air as soon as it rent, and looked at Bilbo in wonder. He looked nothing like when they had been languishing in the forest, ready to die of starvation. He looked fierce and bold with only a black-stained blade beside him. Bofur groaned as he stood up with difficulty.

"At least he can move," remarked Fíli, coming into view. He looked grim and angry, and most of his beard and some of his hair had been sheared off by Bilbo.

Bofur managed a frail chuckle. "Well, you look like a sheared sheep."

Fíli looked unamused, and instead pointed to the nearest and thinnest bundle of them. Now Bofur (after having rubbed his eyes vigorously) could easily the network of nine other cocoons tied to the web. They seemed to be in a particularly bright part of the forest: the trees were beginning to look green and they were under a slightly lit glade where the spiders had put them to hang.

Fíli climbed the tree nearest to the pod he had pointed at, and sawed at the connections with the web. Down came the next dwarf, but he made no sound at his impact.
"Why is he not conscious? You all were," pointed out Bilbo as he walked toward the silent one, and as he cut it open you could see the mortally pale face of Kíli, whose eyes were just beginning to flutter.

Fíli ran towards him. "Kíli! What's wrong with him?" he called out.

Kíli managed to sit up very feebly, and brought his hand to his forehead in confusion. He turned around sharply, and Bofur winced in sympathy as he vomited a frothy white liquid with a weak retching.

"He was probably more poisoned than you," deduced Bilbo. "Go on, Fíli, you too, Bofur: you can cut the rest loose now," he ordered with an authoritative tone Bofur would have never known as his, and Fíli gave him one of his swords for him to begin.

Fíli released Dori (who had to catch his breath because of the stuffiness in his shell) and Bofur let out Nori, who was more or less fine except he couldn't stand for more than a few instants, and then wobbled to the floor. By this time Kíli was much improved, and except for a slight dizziness could manage standing up. Bifur had raided the spider's empty nests and had found one or two useful objects: a few swords and spears of theirs, Kíli's bow with a few stray elf arrows, Ori's slingshot, and most important, Bofur's hat, which he put on gladly once it was handed to him. Then he climbed the nearest tree to Bombur's pod, which he loosened by throwing his knife expertly at the chord that kept it up. Although Bombur let out a surprised yelp when he fell, he made no attempt to get up. Bofur chuckled and walked over to him to cut the webs apart with the knife he picked up from the ground.

But the spiders had to return some time, and when the grisly spider laughter returned, everyone was suddenly nervous. Bofur looked around. They weren't ready yet! There was still Balin, Ori, Óin, Glóin and Dwalin-they could use their general now-to free from their cocoons!
The spiders cursed Bilbo and threatened him angrily, but weren't looking the least afraid. He motioned the rest to keep freeing the others, and although Bofur glanced at his brother in regret he ran and climbed his tree, followed by Dori and Nori, to cut the others loose. He went to the seemingly largest-Dwalin-which was kicking restlessly to get off, and winced when he cut the restraining web that held Dwalin up. Nori cut Óin and Glóin free both in a few moments, and Fíli released Balin almost as quickly. Dori, instead, when he cut off Ori, looked terrified when he made no noise as he fell.

Then Bombur began to scream and flail around when more spiders cornered him and tried to tie him up again, but Bilbo took care of them in the blink of an eye.
Bilbo yelled at the dwarves to come down, and Bofur was only too happy to oblige, as he scrambled off with Dori, Nori, Fíli and Kíli. They all took up the weapons Bifur had given them, and were cutting the others open quickly.
Bombur needed both his and Bifur's help, much to his annoyance, but he wasn't the real problem. Dori was trying to bring Ori around unsuccessfully: and cried out to Óin to help as the rest started to fend the spiders off with whatever they had.

As much as he missed his mattock, Bofur was glad to have a real weapon in his hand instead of sticks and stones. Dwalin roared in rage and taunted the spiders to dare come near him. Luckily, the spiders couldn't take his war hammer from him, which he wielded menacingly. The others bellowed just as furiously to challenge them, and they attacked.

At least three spiders came his way, which he cut through and wounded with ferocity, and stabbed a fourth to death in an instant. Bombur was beginning to reign himself in and took care of a spider behind him with an enormous branch he had lifted off the floor.
But when a particularly enormous spider leaped at them, a stone hit it from behind Bofur and Bombur, and it screeched and plummeted on the ground before them. They turned and looked in surprise at the one who had cast the stone-Ori, who had somehow regained consciousness during the battle, and now wielded both his slingshot and a large stone for any spider.

But no matter how fiercely they fought, there seemed to be too many spiders for any of them to take, and they were now weaving webs to pen them in the glade they fought in.
Bilbo turned to them, and in a quick whisper, said to them, "I am going to disappear. I shall draw the spiders off, if I can, and you must keep together and make in the opposite direction. To the left there, that is more or less the way towards the place where we last saw the elf-fires."

"You WHAT?" shouted out Bofur, busy slashing through a small but too nimble spider. He was more muddled by the venom that he thought, and he could barely understand the burglar.
But Bilbo looked at the end of his rope, and from his pocket pulled out a gold ring that seemed to shimmer even here where little light came through, and then vanished.
The dwarves began to call out, completely dumbfounded, to Bilbo. Balin, however, was more levelheaded than the rest; and when he began listening to Bilbo's cries of "Lazy Lob" and "Attercop" he pointed at the left side of their pen, and they all attacked the spiders in that direction.

They were running too slowly, though. Even Bofur had to stop and catch his breath for a moment, only to be terrified at the sight of the spiders that were gaining on them. Kíli tried to shoot them and failed: being much too confused by the venom to take proper aim. But sooner or later they had to keep running. They were too tired, thought Bofur pessimistically. Everyone was famished, poisoned and stiff. They couldn't outrun at least fifty spiders anxious for food and revenge. Just when Bofur was about to fall to his knees, and Kíli threw another arrow that misfired, Bilbo's voice popped up behind them.

"Go on, go on! I will do the stinging!"

Bofur was still mystified by Bilbo's strange invisibility, but he instantly found the strenght to dash on to the clearing-there! The clearing where the elves had feasted in was there, sunlit and perfect. Why had they disappeared when they had approached before? What guarantee was there that the clearing itself wouldn't disappear again? But when he turned his head for a single glimpse at the spiders, hissing and spitting furiously, and falling to the blade of an invisible Bilbo, he immediately strengthened himself to keep running with all the energy he could, and even caught hold of Bombur when he was about to fall. Bombur, now aided by Bofur, ran for dear life never looking back.

Finally, Balin entered the threshold at the head of the dwarves, and the rest followed eagerly into the sunlit circle, Dori having to pull Ori inside after being at the back of the crowd. But the spiders would not continue and instead sulked and hissed angrily. More spiders were invisibly wounded and killed, and the rest had no choice but to flee at the blade that cut them and the good magic that lingered in their little circle. One by one, they proceeded to flee desperately and crying out curses at the stinging fly that had evaded them so cleverly.

Every stopped to catch their breath. They were all in terrible shape. The least affected (Óin, Balin, Fíli, Dwalin and him) stopped for only a minute. Nori, Dori, Bifur and Bombur collapsed from the exhaustion only. Glóin vomited at the edge of their ring, being one of the most poisoned, and Kíli fell dead faint on the floor a few moments after their victory over the spiders. Ori just sat down, trembling, shocked at what they had just been through.

Finally, the figure of Bilbo emerged from the darkness, having taken off his ring, and Balin pounced on him immediately over the ring.

"Mr. Baggins, I think you owe us an explanation about this entire disappearing business..."

"Oh, all right!" he interrupted him in a most disrespectful manner, when he used to be so polite. "I really didn't have any reason to tell you before, and I've done nothing wrong."

"You've done wrong in not telling us," rumbled Dwalin darkly to the hobbit.

"Well, yes, maybe I have. Just let me explain a bit. When I stayed back at the goblins..."

"When you scurried away in betrayal, you mean," remarked Nori with a glare.

"No! Don't interrupt!" said Bilbo angrily, and Bofur was surprised at the hobbit's ire. "I stayed behind for a moment, and I was determined to follow you, but a goblin caught me and I had to fight him or I would have been brought with you. We fell somewhere in the crags of the mountain, below the bridge we crossed, and I lost consciousness for a moment."

"Yes, yes, yes. You didn't have the ring before that?" prompted Balin.

"I didn't. Let me continue. So I woke up in the darkness with only the unconscious goblin and my sword, and then...a most curious creature came out of the darkness. It wasn't of any race I could recognize, but it seemed hobbit-like, pale, bony, and forlorn. Anyway, I hid behind some rocks when it crawled towards the goblin, and attacked it with a rock and knocked it out again. Out of the pockets of the rags the thing was wearing came out this." And by then he showed out the ring, and they all stared in amazement. Being dwarves, they appreciated smithing in all its forms, and the ring was particularly rare and beautiful. The only three that seemed uncomfortable, for some reason, were Ori, Fíli and Kíli. They exchanged alarmed glance and continued admiring the ring.

"He didn't realize it, and dragged the goblin away. Here I inspected were I was in...There was an underground lake, and the creature hauled it unto his little coracle and pushed it and him away to a small island in the middle of the pond, where the goblin came back again and the creature killed it with another large rock. I tried to look for any exit, but the creature was chasing me before I knew it. It kept muttering about whether I would be good to eat, and although it didn't look very strong, I had seen it was vicious. So I kept him at bay with my sword on its throat, and it spoke to itself with the queerest habit of calling himself...Gollum. So that must have been his name.

"Its more playful side asked for a game, and before his nastier side took over and tried to kill me I insisted we played a game of riddles. After having beaten him fairly Gollum was no pleased or satisfied by the game or by losing, so it tried to attack me more than once with stones. Finally, I had one more question for him. I was fingering my pocket, thinking up a riddle when I asked to it, 'What have I got in my pocket?'

"He was enraged, of course, not being a proper question for a riddles game, but I gave it three tries, and failing all of them it reached for the ring, now I know that he was going to try and become invisible to murder me, but he couldn't find it. I tried to get away but it realized what had happened and ran after me, calling for the ring his 'precious'.

"I looked around for an exit desperately, and after Gollum having lost sight of me for a moment I wriggled into a crack that seemed to be large enough for me, but I was stuck in the middle and after squirming a lot and Gollum having found me I got through to the other side, all my brass buttons spilling on the floor. I explored the remaining caves before Gollum could get in, but when he did I tripped and...and put it on.

"I didn't realize at first I was invisible. I just ran through the caves, praying Gollum wouldn't look at me, and I was mystified when it didn't. It took some time before one of the openings of the caves was suddenly streaming with sunlight, and then I could see you all running, with Gandalf at your head. I simply ran past Gollum, him not realizing where I was, and I followed you out. I decided to keep the ring on just in case, and I heard all of your comments on me."

"That was Thorin," protested Dori from the sides, but looking very curious about the story.

"Well, that is it. I took off the ring and surprised you all, and then the Wargs and Agog chased us down. I never used the ring again simply because there was no need to," concluded Bilbo, sitting down and catching his breath.

Bofur was amazed with this tale, and Balin began to press him on for details about the riddles and all, but Bofur was not interested in this. Instead, he looked at young Ori and Fíli and Kíli, who were talking in quiet whispers of something, and after that little display of the talk of the ring Bofur was determined to find out what they were speaking of.

"Was that the ring, Ori?" Fíli was murmuring solemnly.

"It was. I am sure," he answered just as gravely, looking at Bilbo in wonder. Bofur approached him from behind, trying to spook him for a moment.

"Which ring?" he mumbled to him, and Ori's eyes widened. Kíli glared at him.

"That's none of your business, Bofur," Kíli replied, his tone threatening. Ori looked nervous.

"Why so aggressive?" he protested with his palms up, quieter than he had ever been before.

"Because you don't need to know."

"Does he need to know, Ori?" asked Fíli to Ori, who looked hesitant at his words.

"Well...now he does," he decided. He turned around suspiciously no one else could hear him. "I have been having these dreams," he began uncertainly, but then Kíli cut in.

"Premonitions," he said succinctly to Bofur, and Ori shushed him.

Bofur laughed. "You're not being serious, are you lad? Premonitions are too rare, and they are of the Elves, and some men. No one knows what will come to pass, and no dwarf will ever even get the chance," he said. "And why have you told only these two?"

"And Thorin," objected Ori. "Although he didn't take them seriously, even though I described an old enemy of his when I have never seen him, or even heard his description."

"Whom?"

"Thranduil to Elvenking of Mirkwood," explained Fíli. "You haven't had any more, now, have you?" Ori looked at the ground once again at the suggestion.

"Yes. Two of them. One of them is irrelevant and I don't even know if it was a premonition, although it was incredibly vivid, like the other one I had. But while I was under the spider venom influence I...I had another one. Just as clear as the other ones. And Bofur was in it."

"Was I now?" Bofur wasn't taking the young one's words seriously. It seemed like a writer's flight of fancy, truly. It was his duty to gently bring him back to reality.

"Bofur, this is serious," chided Fíli, looking absolutely certain of it.

"You two are Thorin's heirs. You should be ashamed of believing such a tale. Ori, no offense, but this is just not possible."

Ori looked like he regretted saying anything, and turned away. At his disappointment Bofur stopped him, and brought him face to face. "Just, what was that premonition about?"

"We were at the Mountain."

"Yes?"

"You and Bombur were in a rocky gorge or valley, and there was a rope that led up but you stayed there with supplies and ponies while the rest were up. And then the dragon came."

Just what he thought. Childish nightmares. "Ori, you know that could have been a mere bad dream. You know, it could have been because of the spider's poison," he explained carefully to him, and Ori shook his head.

Tauriel inspected the barrels happily, and looked at the elf beside her, imploring for something.

"These are the ones only for the king's table? What I would give for a taste of one of these!" She spoke in Sindarin, which Ori knew proficiently, and he could understand most of her words.

Her companion wore embellished and fine clothes, so he was obviously one of high rank or similar. Barrels were stacked everywhere in the caver they stood in. The other elf looked as excited as she was, and groped the barrel before them fondly.

"As silly as the Lake-men are, they are excellent at the making of his wine, and I've chosen the perfect one for the king's feast for tonight. But you needn't worry, Tauriel. Wouldn't Legolas grant you a little taste of his wine at the feast? But you're Captain of the Guards. You can't get in for a little drink. And after all, Thranduil dislikes you, since you spend so much time frolicking with him in the forest."

"I don't 'frolic'!" she replied, although not very angrily. They seemed to be good friends.

"But after all, you have a new admirer, do you not?" the other elf teased her.

Tauriel now darkened visibly, and turned to look at her friend. "Who told you of this, Galion?"

Galion now seemed slightly anxious to leave her alone. "No one. Just a guard."

"It isn't funny, Galion," she grumbled, and turned her attention to a cup placed on a table stacked with more barrels full of wine. "What else do you know?"

"Tauriel, I don't know-"

"What else do you know?" she repeated once again, louder than before.

Galion sighed. "Not much. I was just told that the dwarf complimented you when you drove him into his cell. The beardless archer dwarf, as it were," he added, joshing once again.

"He's irritating," she said icily, but then she lifted the goblet and looked at the barrel in question again. "Are you sure you won't even consider a goblet or two for me, Galion?" she begged.

Galion laughed. "Just tell me about the dwarf, and I will."

"After the wine," growled Tauriel, and she offered him another goblet. "You drink the king's reserve by yourself, why not are generous and give me a cup or two?"

Galion chuckled and took one of them, filling it with the dark-red rich wine. "Here From the south of Dorwinion, said to be legendary at giving sleep," he laughed.

Tauriel rolled her eyes merrily as she snatched the cup and drank once; breathing deeply once she had put the cup away from her lips. "Oh, it's so strong."

Galion took the other one and filled himself another cup. "So, about the dwarf...?"

Tauriel glared at him. "You knew I wasn't going to speak of that," she answered bluntly, and emptied her cup eagerly with a single gulp. Galion laughed.

"Oh, you will," he teased her. "You're not upholding your side of the bargain. And anyway, we could both have our positions taken away if we are caught, especially when you are on duty."

"Are you trying to convince me to leave?" she said saucily, and helped herself again.

"No, no! I'm only saying it's fair that I get what I want; I won't tell anyone else!" he pleaded.

"So only this guard knew?" she relented. "I don't know how Legolas found out, though. Well, I do, but my lips are sealed," she asked evasively, taking another dangerously large sip.

"The guard told me, I don't know if he's told anyone else," answered Galion sincerely, taking another drink, and flushing. "This wine is sublime. Care for more?"

"Of course, Galion," she said smoothly. Her cup was empty again.

"Well, I want word for word of the first time," giggled Galion. "And has he spoken to you again?" He offered her the cup.

"He's talked to me four times. I didn't pay a single speck of attention in any of them," said Tauriel, tossing her hair and then drinking again. "Word for word? My memory doesn't reach that far," she said playfully, helping herself with more when it was only half empty.

"Oh, what did he say, at least?"

"Oh, he told me I was brave and bold and fierce and then he said my hair was sunlit red-when everyone perfectly knows it's reddish brown-and then he said that I was good at wielding a bow. What sort of compliment is that, may I ask?" she blurted out happily.

"That's ridiculous. Did you answer?" Galion helped himself generously.

"No. Why would I? And it must have been too much spider's venom, because he had the sense of not saying anything pathetic and romantic the next time I saw him. He asked me if I would be kind enough to tell him if Thorin Oakenshield was in the dungeons with them."

Galion lifted an eyebrow. "If you had that would have been treason."

"So I did not," she replied. "I asked him if why was he a beardless dwarf."

Galion laughed raucously at her words. "Was he very insulted?"

"Oh, he wasn't extremely offended, but he did mumble out something about him being the youngest. Wonder exactly how many decades old my suitor is," she taunted at the ceiling.

"Your suitor?" enounced Galion carefully.

"My unwilling dwarven admirer," she corrected herself after Galion pointed it out. "It must have been because of the archery. You know, a beard can get in the way, and he was the only one of the thirteen with a bow."

"Thirteen?"

"Twelve. I was counting Thorin among them," she said. "Anyways, that was the second time. The third time, he didn't speak to me. I heard him speak about me to the empty cell. Something about whether I was the elf in a sort of vision...I cannot recall. Then he told himself that he was looking forward to Laketown or the sort, and I walked in with his food and replied that he would never see Laketown unless he told the king what his business was in these parts."

"He did not give in," observed Galion dully.

"No, indeed not. He was furious at the offer and said he would never speak of it or to me again. Of course he didn't," she laughed. "I am much too beautiful to be ignored."

"What of the fourth time?"

"Always so inquisitive Galion," she said. "The fourth time he was reciting the story of Lúthien and Beren, of all stories! He must be really pining for me," she said, pleased at this thought.

"So you burst in and interrupted him and laughed."

"No, actually, I just gave him his food, and then he asked if I was of royal blood. He must have thought I was royal. How flattering, although being related to Thranduil wouldn't be very pleasing at all... Then I gave him his food. He was silent after I said no, and then said that we had no quarrel, that he would treasure at least my cordiality. Rubbish."

"Rubbish it is," agreed Galion, and offered to refill her goblet again. "Not this wine, though, this is as you said perfect and sublime."

Tauriel had drifted into a thoughtful mood, yet handed him her cup when he offered, then shook off her thoughts. "Of course it is!" she cheered.

Well, what do you know? I felt like doing 5k+ on the spiders. I hope you like this chapter, all you awesome readers and followers. Even though you aren't many, you make me keep writing.