Chapter 18

Traveling Through Mirkwood

We reached the outskirts of Mirkwood at daybreak. Stacia had fallen asleep on the ride. Gandalf gets off his horse. I gently shake Stacia and she wakes up as Thorin gets off. I hand Stacia down to him and then he helps me get off.

"The Elven Gate. Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf said. Stacia clung to my pant leg.

"No sign of Orcs. We must have luck on our side." Dwalin said, dismounting. I turn and see Beorn in the distance in his bear-form.

"I don't like this." Anna said, joining me. We knew what lies in these woods after seeing the movie in theaters three times, but we kept the talk to ourselves.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf said. The dwarves started to get the packs off the ponies. I picked up Stacia.

"I hate spiders. I am not going to like this." I said.

"You'll be fine. You got Thorin." Anna said, wiggling her eyebrows at us. I elbow her as Thorin joined me and wrapped his arm around me.

"Stay close to me. You and Stacia both. Anna. Stay close to Fili and Kili." Thorin said.

"Of course." Anna said. She hurried over to Fili, who took her in his arms and kissed her forehead. Thorin pulled me close as Gandalf runs back outside.

"Not my horse! I need it." Gandalf said. We looked at him in surprise.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked.

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said. Gandalf looked at Thorin and then back at Bilbo. "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire." Bilbo looked at Gandalf. Stacia layed her head on my shoulder.

"I was going to tell you. I found something in the Goblin tunnels." Bilbo said.

"Found what?" Gandalf said, leaning forward curiously and suspiciously. I saw him fumbling something that I knew was the Ring in his pocket. "What did you find?" Bilbo hesitated.

"My courage." Bilbo said, earning an eye row from me.

"Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it." Gandalf said, turning and walks towards his horse, but talks to Thorin first. "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." Gandalf gives Thorin a hard look. "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 gets on his horse.

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked.

"You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." Gandalf said. Gandalf rides away shouting, "No matter what may come, stay on the path." We all turn to face the forest.

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin said.

"Durin's Day. Let's go." Dwalin said.

"This is our one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin said. I put Stacia on my back for a piggy back ride as we enter the forest. We followed the pathway. Thorin was leading and I was right behind him. The path turns a corner. "The path goes this way." We continue to follow the path. It kept twisting and turning.

"This way." Dwalin said. We continue walking. I suddenly felt sick and hunched over throwing up.

"Mommy!" Stacia said. Thorin turned to me and hurried over.

"I'm fine." I said, but my knees were getting weak.

"Dwalin. Get Stacia off her and I'll carry Mariah." Thorin said. I felt Stacia get taken from me and I was in Thorin's arms in a heartbeat. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on Thorin's shoulder.

"Air. I need air." Bofur said.

"My head, it's spinning." Oin said. Nori comes to a stop and we all stop. "What's happening?" Thorin heads to the front.

"Keep moving. Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked.

"The path... It's disappeared!" Nori said.

"What's going on?" Dwalin asked, coming over, holding Stacia.

"We've lost the path!" Oin said. We were standing in front of a steep cliff and the path was nowhere to be seen.

"Find it. All of you. Look for the path!" Thorin said. We were wondering the forest looking. I saw some of the dwarves stumbling about.

"I don't remember this place before. None of its familiar." Balin said.

"It's got to be here." Dori said.

"What hour is it?" Thorin asked. I knew the forest was getting to their heads.

"I do know. I don't even know what day it is." Dwalin said.

"Is there no end to this accursed place?" Thorin said. The dwarves were muttering and rambling as we wonder about. I closed my eyes and heard a strange whispering.

"Look." Ori said. I opened my eyes to see Ori holding a tobacco pouch.

"A tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods." Dori said. Bofur takes the pouch.

"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine." Bofur said.

"Because it is yours." Bilbo said.

"The forest is getting to you all. We're going around in circles. We are lost." Anna said, from behind.

"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 arguing and fighting. I sighed

"The sun we need to find the sun. Up there. We need to-" Bilbo began, but no one but Anna, Stacia, and I heard him as the dwarves started fighting. Bilbo climbs up the tree. I was set on my feet. I stood watching. Thorin hears the whispering.

"What? What's that?" Thorin said. The whispering continued and Thorin turned to the others, yelling, "Enough! Quiet! All of you! We're being watched." We all went silent. Stacia stood there. Something came through the trees. I felt something sticky on my back and I get yanked back.

"MOMMY!" Stacia screamed and I heard Thorin and Anna yelling for me as I got pulled. I got stung in the arm and everything went black.

AN: There you go. Won't be long and the movie of DOS will be out. Can't wait to see it again. Hope you liked the story. :)