*Aurora's Perspective*

Mirkwood. I really hated that place. Everything in the forest was either dead, deadly, or dying. I mean, how was anyone suppose to actually live in this place? Gandalf was gone. Bombur fell into the river and fell fast asleep, leaving me to try and cook something for the lot without a fire since we didn't know what was in the forest. Kili and Fili were acting more childish than usual, wandering around like drunken idiots (and the rest of the company). Bilbo was tripping over everything and whining about the lack of food. The only one who was left with any sanity was myself, but I could feel it draining and fast.

"Th- Thorin?"

"Yes, Lass?"

I relaxed slightly upon finding him in a good mood. He had been rather rude with the other dwarves, and I didn't know what to do if he was still upset. Instead of responding to Thorin, whose eyes remained fixed in the distance, I simply tugged at his coat and raised a bowl of stew above my head.

"It- It isn't much, but it was all I could manage under the circumstances," I stammered, but he cut me off with a simple smile and a ruffle of the hair as he finally met my gaze. It was a small gesture, but it made the work so much worth it.

"Thank you, Lass. See to it that you are fed as well. We cannot have you dropping on us."

I jutted a thumb over my shoulder. "Like Bombur?"

Thorin sighed heavily, nodding slightly. He was rubbing at his head, eyes shut as he took deep breaths. "Yes, like Bombur. Now go on, Lass. I'll be with you in a moment…"

I had just finished dishing out bowls of stew when I saw eight beady eyes staring at me through a bush, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. My mind was spiraling out of control, trying to think of ways we could possibly get out of the next fight alive, but I could only come to one conclusion: the ring. I had barely noticed it was in my pocket ever since I took it, in all honesty, but I still hesitated to give it back to Bilbo in fear it might control him like I knew it later would. Still, if my calculations were correct, the ring was our only chance of survival, and I rather did enjoy living.

Tearing myself away from the dwarves, I darted towards Bilbo, slipping the ring into his vest pocket while I tackled his leg with a cry of, "Spiders!"

"There are spiders everywhere, Aurora," the hobbit muttered with an annoyed look, but then I kicked him in the shin and stubbornly pointed towards the treetops.

"Have you ever seen those kind of spiders before?" I huffed in annoyance, crossing my arms against my chest stubbornly only to let out a squeak when I was blindsided by a wall of dwarf.

"Stay in the middle of the formation, Lass," Thorin ordered, unsheathing Orcrist after I was deposited into the hoard of Dwarves.

"Watch for the stingers! They're poisonous!" I tried to offer, pulling out my small pocketknife without hesitation, but my advice was only received after Bofur collapsed onto the ground in a pile of webbing. He was still wriggling, still kicking, and I was about to go run and cut him loose when two spiders landed right in front of me, nearly knocking me over in the process. I glanced from my knife to the pinchers the size of my torso and managed a small, "Help?" before bolting off running. I knew the poison wasn't permanent, knew I'd likely be cut out by Bilbo later, but I couldn't relent, couldn't give up and let the spiders take me. Despite my futile efforts, I felt something sharp in my back and I knew I was done for, falling near the others as my legs buckled beneath me. I had to watch myself be covered by that web, cocooned in the sticky strings to the point where I couldn't move. I remember crying so hard I was barely able to breathe, the space just getting smaller and smaller, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

"We'll get outta this, Aurora."

I felt a hand press against my stomach at the slurred voice, and I stifled a sob when the web caved even further against me.

"Not gonna let you die here. Don't you worry, now… Thorin's right 'ere. I'm right 'ere…"

I heard a thud and the hiss of crazy talking spiders, and I only screamed louder, crying for Thorin to come back, but I knew he was finally being wrapped up in the web, succumbing to the poison. I could feel everything going, the way my vision was swimming and my head spinning, and it wasn't until I cried myself hoarse that I finally fell unconscious.

"Come on now, Lass. Lean your head forward- That's a good girl…"

I did not protest it as I was carefully lifted out of the thick coating of web around me, a large hand picking at the sticky strands in my hair.

"Keep your eyes shut, Pundurith, you need not see this." I obeyed without question, unable to help the whimper that escaped when I felt the spiders' silk being carefully pried off of my skin.

"I know, I know, but I'm almost done, Aurora. Just remain calm-"

"My head hurts," I whispered when I felt him stroke the hair from my face, brushing his fingertips across my forehead. "Hurts a lot."

"Spider venom will do that to you, especially in as high a concentration that you received," Thorin informed quietly, and I let out a squeak when he accidentally tugged at my hair, yanking my head in the process.

"You're alright, Lass. Don't you fret now. I'm sorry, but I needed to get out that strand."

I opened my eyes, squinting when two Thorins appeared in my line of sight. I swayed slightly, toppling forward into his lap when I tried to sit up on my own.

"Just focus on me, Aurora," he prodded, carefully laying me his lap more properly. "Look at me."

I blinked in confusion, reaching a hand up to pat his cheek only to miss completely. "Which one of you?"

"Close your eyes then, Lass. It will wear off in all good time."

I did not bother to protest no matter how much I wanted to, simply resigning myself to curling in closer to Thorin's cloak and trying not to black out.

"It is done, Pundurith," Thorin spoke up a while later, and I found myself squirming restlessly when I was suddenly lifted up from the warmth of his lap.

I found my face pressed into a warm neck, and I blinked tiredly, raising my gaze to find myself in the hold of Kili. He looked fine, in all honesty, save for a slight paleness in the cheeks, but he kept me cuddled close with his usual protective air so I didn't fear anything was wrong.

"Thought you were never going to wake up, Lamb," he mumbled into my hair, pulling me just a bit closer. "Every time you opened your eyes, it was only for a few moments, and then you were gone again."

"Sorry, Kee."

"I am just glad you're alright-"

"SPIDERS!"

I jolted at Bilbo's call, my poison-ridden brain only then remembering that there was another spider attack to come and then, if Tolkien was correct, there'd be a slew of elves too.

I was set down before I could protest, and it wasn't long before I was running away from yet another spider, shrieking in horror when I ran face first into some sort of green, cloth covered tree. I stumbled backwards a few steps and fell back on my rump from the force of my "collision," and I was soon staring up in wonder at an elf I had never thought to truly see.

Legolas Greenleaf.

He ignored my awe in favor of simply stepping over me, bracing himself in front of my pathetically small form to plunge his sword into the spider's gullet. He swept me up into his palm, and I let out a surprised shriek at the distinctive size difference. It was like being held by a giant, a graceful, blonde giant, but a giant nonetheless.

"And what might your name be, then?"

I was set down on the ground as soon as the immediate threat was over, and I scrambled backwards into the trunk of the tree when the chance arose, refusing to answer the question. He was not supposed to be in this book, this time, yet. He was impossible, well, plausible, but never actually written and-

"Get away from her, ya filthy tree-shagger!"

I looked up at Dwalin's snarl, the distraction serving the purpose of letting me see that the rest of the Company was in fact alright despite the new addition of elves threatening to slit their throats.

"I will do no such thing." A large, yet oddly slender hand reached out and stopped my progress towards the dwarves, and I was unwillingly prodded further from my destination. "The child is obviously none of yours, and, unless you have any claims on her, she is to be cared for more properly, in a place where she will be warm and fed."

Thorin looked like he wanted to protest, but a sword was soon at his throat, forcing him to remain where he was. "She is ours."

"All of yours?" My captor scoffed in disbelief. "I did not think dwarves reproduced in that way. The stone story is much more likely. Besides, the child has pointed ears, a trait none of you possess." Legolas shook his head, carefully picking me up into his palm before I could dart away again. "No, I think not. Until it is proven otherwise, the child shall remain with me."

I was held securely against the elf's chest, my head tucked on his shoulder as if I were nothing more than a babe. I met Thorin's gaze as we were led further into the forest by other elven guards, and I think we both shared something along the same thought.

Schist.

Hello, fellow Tolkienites! (Is that a thing? Not quite sure in all honesty, but I think it's a thing...) Anyways, I'm not dead! Yeah, shocking, I know, but I've just been going through a lot of stuff that needed my attention. Enough of that. As usual, I love reviews! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I'd love to hear them! Your reviews keep me going and honestly mean the world, so I hope you leave one. 'Til then, read on!