Chapter 13

Through the Mirkwood Forest

It was early, before dawn when everyone was awoken. Bilbo quickly handed out food and they had a quick meal.

"Thorin, it's time to send away the ponies," Gandalf said. Thorin nodded and then the ponies all ran south, except for a horse.

"Why do you still have yours?" Thorin asked Gandalf.

"I have business to take care of."

"You can't just abandon us!" the Dwarves protested.

"I must! I have to go deal with another evil that is coming back into Middle Earth. Unless you want to deal with an army coming after you I suggest you stop arguing with me." He gives the Dwarves a stern look. They nod.

"Pack up we will go through that cursed forest soon," Dwalin said.

Gandalf leans down and places his hand on Enda's shoulder. He smiles softly and turns to the group.

"Listen to Enda. She knows this wood better than any other creature save for the Elves. But she can help you through the forest. I have every faith in her abilities. She is wise in the ways of this forest. I will try and meet you at the Lonely Mountain. Be safe."

Enda nods. "I will. The path I intend to lead them down will get us out of the forest within five days rather than nine on the main road. I will keep them all safe. Do not worry about Bilbo he'll be perfectly fine."

"Do not enter the mountain without me." Gandalf orders all the Dwarves. "Meet me at the overlook. And follow Enda's wisdom." The Wizard then rides off.

Enda shoulders her bag and looks to the others. "Come along. We need to get going before the Orcs chase us down." Enda looks to the Hobbit. "Stay close Master Bilbo." She then takes the lead through the dark forest. Her eyes dart around the trees. Everything is dying and the air feels fouler and heavier. She moves the vines off one of the Elven statues that stands by the gate. A flash of light enters her mind and she sees a fiery eye, a sharp pain shoots through her arm. She cries out but as soon as it starts its over and she looks at the symbols on the statue. One of them is distinctly an eye and one matches the scar the Goblin King left on her arm.

"Come on everyone. We don't want to lose the sun yet.

Enda then lead them to the main road and they all got in before the wargs were able to catch them. "The Elves were wise when they put the magic boundaries. The wargs should never get into the forest."

"What about Orcs and Goblins?"

"I don't know about Goblins but the Orcs got in once, hopefully it's only in a small place and they won't come seeking us."

"It's awfully dark," Ori said.

"Don't worry. Once the sun rises it'll be a little better." Enda then looked at everyone. "If you must light torches then do so but the light will attract moths."

Óin and Glóin then made a few torches and then everyone could see better for a minute. Then clouds of moths came down.

"Extinguish the torches, the moths are as bad as the darkness," Dwalin shouted.

"The sun will rise shortly. I suggest that we stay put until there's enough light so you will not lose sight of each other." Enda then looked at the shadowy silhouette of Thorin. "If you want to make a fire I will have to get proper wood that will not attract bugs. What do you say, Oakenshield?"

"The sun will rise in less than an hour. We can stick it out in the dark."

"Alright." Enda then sat down and she heard the others do likewise.

"How long will it take to get through the forest?" Thorin asked Enda.

"Taking the road it takes roughly nine or ten days. Of course it may take longer since we have a larger group and it wouldn't be advisable to travel at night but I can lead us down a different road when we get past the River. It will cut the travel time down to five days."

"How far do you think we'll make it today?"

"It depends. The road curves a lot and it gets very narrow. It's going to be critical that you don't lose the road right now."

They sat and waited for dawn and then the forest lost some of the darkness. It was still dim but they could all see each other.

"Everyone up…" Thorin said and everyone obeyed. "Go ahead." Thorin indicated Enda to take the lead.

They walked all day winding around trees that were rather frightening looking. No birds sang but they were there, watching them curiously before they flew away. The silence was only broken by their feet against the ground in a steady march.

"The sun is setting. Here's as good a place as any to set up camp," Enda said. "I'd rather not break into our rations so I'm going to go hunting; also I want to get firewood… Anyone up for joining me?"

All the Dwarves grumbled about being tired except for Fíli and Kíli. "We'll go," Fíli told his uncle and Thorin agreed. Enda led them off the road and pointed a dead tree and told them to collect its branches and to find certain leaves for kindling and tinder. She then went a little ways off while they were chopping the tree down. She had her bow ready to fire at any animal that they could eat. She waited for half an hour along a game trail knowing it was a popular one.

"Where are all the animals?" she said to no one. She knew that she had to hurry and get to the other Dwarves before darkness fell. Tonight the moon wouldn't rise until later and the spiders would be coming out sooner. She quickly rushed to where her companions were and she helped them carry the wood back to camp.

"There was nothing." Enda said before Thorin could ask her about her hunting. "Not anything and I was by a popular trail. I didn't see or hear any creature and this is the time they'd be out. I fear something must have scared them off."

"We have rations…"

Enda then started to set a fire and the others started complaining about the moths would return. Enda explained that the smell of the smoke would keep them away. They then ate but it wasn't as cheery as it was the night before. There were a few who whispered while a few Dwarves glanced warily into the forest.

The mood was a lot like that for the next few days. Enda had not seen any animals and the food supply concerned some of the Dwarves. They came upon the Enchanted River the third day. Enda was about to cross over but she stopped short as she saw that there was no bridge.

"Somebody cut the bridge!" she said angrily to really no one. "Who would do such an idiotic thing?"

"How do we get across then?" Ori asked.

"We can't!" Enda then threw her head back in frustration and punched the nearest tree. "The bridge was enforced with magic, it can't have just been cut nor could it have rotted away…"

"Where does the river end? Couldn't we just loop around it?"

"It goes a league either direction and then we'd have to loop back up and at the rate our food is going we'd starve before we would get to the end." Enda threw her hands up. "There has to be a better solution."

"What if we made our own bridge?" Ori asked. "There's wood all around us…"

"That's not a bad idea…" Enda then pointed to a skinny pine that would be long enough to cross the water.

A few of the Dwarves then chopped it down and then they all got it over the water.

"Hold it steady!" Thorin said. "Only one goes across at a time." Thorin then crossed.

"Next…" Enda said and she pulled Ori forward. "Go ahead." Ori wobbled a little bit and he quickly ran across and collapsed to the ground.

All the other Dwarves quickly crossed over leaving Bombur for last. He clumsily flailed his arms about as he crossed. Then suddenly a deer flew out of the trees on the other side. Enda quickly picked up her bow and shot the deer. The deer collapsed dead. Bombur then fell into the river. The bridge rolled and slipped into the stream before they could save it. Enda quickly grabbed Bifur's long spear and used the shaft to keep Bombur from flowing down the stream.

"Help me, will you?" Enda said as she tried to bring Bombur to shore. "Just be careful not to touch him!" Fíli and Kíli grabbed a forked branch and they helped her bring Bombur away from the water.

"Is he asleep?"

"That's what happens if you touch the water of this river. He probably will be asleep for a while." Enda sighed exasperated. "We're going to have to carry him. But we can't even touch him until he's dry. I wish I could have at least got the deer."

"At least it can't get worse…" Fíli said. Wargs' howls were then heard in the distance.

"I think you spoke too soon," Kíli replied to his brother.

"They're in the forest…" Enda said softly. "This shouldn't be possible…"

"We can't go any further for now. Everyone rest and we're going to have to run as soon as we can pick up Bombur. I think we have one advantage," Thorin then leaned over to Enda. "Wargs can jump but not as far as over this river."

"I hope you're right." They rested for two hours before Bombur dried off. They all got up and picked up Bombur. He would be carried by Dwalin, Glóin, Nori, and Ori then be handed off to Fíli, Kíli, Bofur and Bifur.

They didn't stop at sunset and Enda made a torch to lead them by. They then all had to stop by midnight.

"We have a good lead, tomorrow we're not running!" the Dwarves all muttered angrily at how tired they were.

"We did cover good amount of ground, we should be about six days away from the edge of the forest using the path."

That brought enough joy to the Dwarves and the Hobbit.

Two days later they ran out of food. That slowed them down terribly. And Enda tried to find food but all the animals were gone and even the berries on the bushes had all shriveled up.

"Something's wrong. The bushes aren't producing good fruit. The forest is sick. The animals must have sensed it and have gone further north… There's a fresh water stream not too far from here. I can check there and then fill up our water skins."

"Bombur's waking up!" Bofur announced.

Bombur rambled on dramatically on how hungry he was and how he would die here rather than walk on.

"Calm down, Bombur. I'm going hunting-" Enda then started off the road.

"Well I'm coming too!" Bombur said.

"We will all come with…" Thorin said annoyed. He didn't want to leave Enda alone with a grumpy Dwarf.

They then walked into the forest. They got to the fresh water stream and the sun started to set. Everyone drank the clear water greedily. They then heard hissing from all around.

"Look at these tasssty morselsss."

Everyone looked into the trees and saw many huge spiders. Enda would have laughed at Fíli and Kíli but she was concerned. Spiders don't come out while the sun's out.

"Come on!" Enda shouted as she loaded her bow. Everyone followed suit and armed themselves. Enda noticed that Bilbo was missing but she couldn't concern herself with that right now. She let her arrow loose and it hit a spider in one of its big eyes and it died. The rest of the spiders were greatly angered by this.

"Poissson them!" one shouted.

Kíli shot that one in the eye. The spiders then climbed down from the trees.

"Keep close!" Thorin ordered. But it was too late a few of the Dwarves had tried to attack them up close.

A spider came up and then quickly grabbed at Enda, who was drawing her sword knowing that the spiders were too close for her bow. She quickly swung at the spider who shrieked in pain and outrage as its front leg was sliced off. Enda quickly stabbed it in the eye.

A spider from behind then shot out a web and it landed on the back of Enda's leg. No one noticed until she suddenly fell to her face and was dragged backwards. She tried to grab a tree root to stop her from going to the spider. She then was in the clutches of the spider. She tried to wiggle herself free but the spider kept tightening its grip. Enda soon was fighting to get air into her lungs, the pain from the spider crushing her brought reflex tears to her eyes.

'Naughty little fly,

Why does it cry?

Caught in my web

Soon you'll be dead!' the spider sang gleefully.

"Put her down!" Kíli yelled.

"Away put your weapons or she will die a very painful death." When everyone hesitated for a moment the spider shrieked. Everyone then had no choice but to sheath their weapons. The spider laughed at Enda. "Stop your squirming! Stop fighting me!"

"No! I will not be brought down by the likes of you."

"Be good like you're friends…"

"You fools keep fighting!" Enda screamed to her friends but they were too late for the other spiders started to wind the others up in web cocoons. Enda continued to squirm and she freed her sword arm and she then slashed the spider's skull open.

It wasn't long before she was overwhelmed by other spiders. She suddenly felt a stabbing sensation in her shoulder. She then saw the spider that was above her. She collapsed to her knees. Kíli cried out in alarm. She was only given sleeping poison but she knew that it could very well be her last moments. She locked eyes with Kíli and then she completely collapsed.

Kíli felt so useless. He couldn't save Enda and he had failed her by giving up the fight. He saw her get stabbed by the spider and now she was lying on the forest floor, dead or alive, he didn't know. He felt tears build up in his eyes.

The spiders then encased her in a cocoon and then they dragged everyone away. Bilbo was not in the number of cocoons. That comforted him because he knew his uncle would do everything he could to save them and the Hobbit might surprise them all by saving the day.

They all were hung upside down from the trees. Then everyone had been stung and they all fell into deep slumber.

When Kíli woke up he felt the sensation of falling. He was correct because Bilbo had begun to cut everyone down from the trees. He was then cut free from his cocoon by none other than Enda. As soon as his arms were free he brought her into a hug. He then noticed how her cheeks flushed.

"You're alive!" he said.

"Yes, we're all safe because of Master Baggins." Enda then freed the rest of Kíli. "Now let's free the rest."

So Kíli and Enda set about to freeing the others from the cocoons. Then they heard the spiders coming back.

"We can take them!" Enda said. "There are only a few spiders left. Aim for the eyes!" Enda then drew hew sword and she charged the huge arachnids. The fight was noble but they were hopelessly out numbered until Elves appeared and finished off the spiders. Enda caught Kíli gawking at a female Elf. The moment didn't last long because they were all surrounded by the Elves. She looked up at them defiantly.

The leader was the Elf princeling, Legolas. She glared when they all spoke in the Elvish tongue so the Dwarves couldn't understand. They all were soon tied up and taken into the Elves castle, each Dwarf was stripped of their weapons and Enda laughs noticing how many knives Fíli has piled on the table and the Elves still are pulling them from hidden pockets and from his boots. The female Elf, Tauriel, looked at Enda amazed at how many weapons she had on her own person. Enda smirked.

"You practically carry your own body weight in weapons…" the Elf says. "Some of these are Elvish make… You're a band of thieves."

"Ha! I acquired these long ago. You Elves have let your arrogance blind you. The ones of Elvish make came from this place."

"So you are the mischief causer… The daughter of the forest Dwarf."

"Obviously," Enda said dryly.

"You are cleverer than any Dwarf if you can break through our defenses…" Tauriel replied.

"And you aren't as obnoxious as the other Elves…"

"Yet you aren't so clever to escape this time…" She smirked.

"Or perhaps you are foolish enough to imprison me…" Enda smirked and raised her eyebrows. "I guess we will find out Elfling…"

"You do speak excessively…"

"Maybe I do…" Enda said.

"You do amuse me, Dwarfling. It is a pity that you are to rot here…"

"A shame indeed… But mark my words I will not rot here…" Enda looked up at the Elf. "I can promise you that."

The she-Elf shook her head and walked away. She then spoke to Kíli and Enda felt something bubble up within her, jealousy. Although she tried to rationalize the emotion away it was deeply rooted in her as she saw the Elf talk with Kíli. Kíli was too enchanted by her and Enda didn't like it at all.

Enda sat alone and sighed. She had one hope though. Bilbo was unaccounted for and perhaps he could free them from the Elves. The Hobbit was the most amazing creature Enda had met. He was braver than anyone gave him credit for but Enda knew he was going to be the bravest of them all. Now she only hoped that he would rescue them soon…

Achrâchi gabilul! I'm so sorry about the long delay! First semester of college, Christmas and all the other crazy thing that life keeps throwing at me have delayed me... I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I would like to post more often but I will give now promises on my next update date (although i want to update again by this weekend).

If you could please leave a review I would appreciate it very much and I hope I didn't lose all of you lovely readers.

~ Maethorni