"Veili!" A young voice called out, catching the attention of the young woman whom they were calling. Two young boys ran towards a much younger Sveilrun; one boy, the elder of the two, had shaggy blond hair that fell in front of his face and bright brown eyes, and the other much shorter boy had dark brown hair that was just as messy as his elder brothers.

"Ronan stole my rabbit again!" The younger boy, Favian, wailed with a long pout jutting out his bottom lip, clutching onto the female skin-changer's leg and looking up at Sveilrun with tear filled blue eyes.

"I did not!" Ronan yelled back with an embarrassed flush burning his cheeks, "I didn't touch his stupid rabbit!"

Favian, who couldn't have been older than five, buried his face in the back of Sveilrun's leg and let out a whine that was muffled in Sveilrun's dress, "Veili, he won't give it back!"

"I said I didn't take it!" Ronan shouted, "He's not listening to me!"

Sveilrun sighed and picked up the small boy that had shoved his face in the skin-changers legs, perching him onto her hip, and said in a soft voice, "Maybe your rabbit is just playing a game with you, Favian, I bet if you go look around the juneberries you'll find him hiding?"

The young boy sniffled, the long pout remaining, but asked, "Think so?"

"Hey, you're talking to me," Sveilrun teased, "Am I ever wrong?"

A small smile pressed at the younger boy's face and he shook his head, "No. Thank you, Veili!"

"You're welcome," Sveilrun replied and set the small boy back onto his feet, brushing her hand over his head to move his hair from his eyes, "Now go find your rabbit, he's probably missing you."

The smaller boy nodded before trotting off towards the berry picking spot. The elder boy, who couldn't be older than ten, stayed for a moment and asked in a hushed voice, "Did father take his rabbit again?"

Sveilrun nodded before saying, "I managed to snatch it before he could destroy it and hid it where Favian can find it easily. Don't let him see Favian with his rabbit again, you know how he can get."

"Why don't you just let him take the dumb rabbit?" Ronan grumbled, "It's not worth the effort-"

"Go find your brother, Ronan," Sveilrun said, the hint of a growl on her tone, "Make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble."

Ronan dropped his eyes to the ground, his cheeks burning again in embarrassment and shame from getting scolded by his older sister, but nodded compliantly. Sveilrun sent him a thankful smile, and brushed her hand over his head similarly to the way she had the youngest of the three siblings, pushing away the hair that fell in front of his eyes.

"What would I do without you?" Sveilrun asked with a teasing tone.

A cheeky smirk spread on the young boy's face and he shrugged, "Go crazy, crash and burn, something like that."

Sveilrun shook her head at the blond skin-changer, but a giving smile pulled at her lips, "I think I would be much worse than that without you and Favian to keep me company."

The next time Sveilrun awoke, she was still bound tightly in some form of sticky, almost string-like material. She could barely see anything around her, just a blurry array of colours and shapes. She could faintly pick up different sounds coming from all around her; an odd clicking sound she had never heard before, and the light steps of many feet. The trapped skin-changer could see many large shapes moving all around her, but she couldn't see them clearly enough to make out what they are until a sudden realization hits her. Many steps, sticky, string like material, and the cocoon like contraption that the material has trapped her in. Spiders. Even worse, giant spiders. And if she's the one in the cocoon, that makes her dinner.

Sveilrun quickly found a newfound reason to thrash and twist against the web that clings to her form, pushing herself to her limit as she fought against her bindings. She only stops when she spots a small form running towards her, a flash of a blade, and suddenly she was falling. The woman could feel her stomach do flips as she fell to the ground. Her descent was thankfully slowed by a series of cobwebs, but not enough as she felt the wind get knocked from her lungs as she slammed onto the forest floor. She could faintly see and hear others all around her, in the same webby predicament as her, and she began fighting against the disgusting material once again.

The shape-changer could faintly hear what sounded like one of the dwarves say, "Come help Sveilrun, she looks stuck," and felt a growl form in her chest.

Sveilrun quickly managed to shimmy her arm up near her face before clawing upward, breaking through the thick webbing. After that she went berserk, using her hands and nails to shred the webbing open and convulsing her body until she was finally free. By the time she was up on her feet, she was panting heavily and her hair was in a tangled mess around her face. The dwarves stood around her and watched with wide eyes.

"Nevermind then," Gloin muttered, "I think the lass has it."

Sveilrun huffed angrily, pushing her hair back out of her face, and after counting out all of the dwarves asked, "Where's Bilbo?"

All of the dwarves look around thinking the same thing, and one calls out, "Bilbo!"

"I'm up here!" The hobbit's voice suddenly called out from above the group.

Just as he called, one of the large spiders jumped out at Bilbo from underneath the branch he had been standing on, pinning him down. But Bilbo managed to lift his sword just in time and stabbed the large beast right through its stomach. The spider's legs curled around Bilbo's body as it died, and when it fell from the branch it dragged Bilbo along with it. Sveilrun moved to try and help the halfling, but was stopped as more spiders surrounded her and the dwarves. The dwarves quickly took on a defensive formation, all of their various weapons raised at the ready. Noticing that Sveilrun did not carry a weapon, Thorin quickly leaped forward to grab onto her arm and tug her back so she stood in the middle of the dwarves. But Sveilrun was not one to act as the damsel in distress, and immediately picked up a rather large branch that lay on the ground to wield as a weapon. She quickly went forward, ignoring Thorin's calls of warning, and used the branch to smash in the head of an approaching spider, letting it slump onto the ground. Thorin didn't try and stop her from fighting after that. Bombur ended up knocked down, a monstrous spider posed and ready to feast on the large dwarf.

"Grab a leg!" Sveilrun shouted to the dwarves, and rushed forward to help.

A couple of dwarves rushed in and grabbed onto the spider's long, hairy legs, pulling until they ripped from the spider's body. It dropped down onto Bombur, dying almost instantly. Sveilrun quickly pushed the spiders torso off of Bombur, and with great effort, helped the dwarf stand to his feet. The moment they were back up on their feet, the battle recommenced all around them. It was as Sveilrun knocked the legs out from under one of the eight-legged beasts that she saw the youngest of the dwarven princes get latched onto by one of the spiders. Having only seen a flash of dark brown hair, without thinking Sveilrun cried out, "Favian!" before running to Kili's aid.

More spiders fell from the trees on long strands of silken web, blocking Sveilrun from her path to the distressed dwarf. The skin-changer and dwarves raised whatever weapons they possessed and prepared for another fight, but stopped at the sudden appearance of a blonde elf. The elf, who Sveilrun was disappointed to have been acquainted with once before, ran through the treetops towards the company. He swung himself down one of the spider's long strand of web and landed on it, swiftly killing it before moving onto the next one. Once completed he turned on the dwarves, pointing his drawn bow at Thorin. Many other of the Mirkwood elves appeared around the group of dwarves, following the blonde elf's lead and pointing their drawn arrows at the group.

A silent growl rolled through Sveilrun's throat at the sight of the blonde elf, Legolas, but she managed to hold herself back as there was an arrow aimed at her chest.

"Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf," Legolas practically sneered at the dwarf king, "It would be my pleasure."

The dwarves were easily outnumbered by the elves, who held them still at the threat of being shot down by one of their arrows. It was only Kili's scream for help that broke the tense atmosphere settled around them. The spider that had latched onto Kili had begun to quickly drag him across the earth floor by his foot, and he thrashed and kicked against its hold. No one in the company could leave the elven formation to help the dwarven prince, but luckily a female elf managed to shoot down the spider with her bow. Once Kili was once again safe and returned to his fellow dwarves, Legolas looked to the elves and ordered, "Search them."

One of the elves approached Sveilrun and roughly ripped the wolf's harness from around the woman's waist, making her snarl at them, her eyes flashing a brilliant gold. The elf took a quick step back and drew his dagger out, afraid the wolf-woman may attack him, but when she made no move to attack he continued his search of her belongings. Unclasping her bags attached to the harness, he quickly rifled through her belongings and couldn't help but scoff. Turning over the bag, he dumped her possessions onto the forest floor. From the saddlebag fell a child's toy - a worn looking rabbit, a wooden kalimba, a long rope with a pouch on the end, and it was all wrapped in a thick wool blanket. Sveilrun's lips pulled back in a snarl and she shouted at the elf, "Some of that is older than you are, show some respect!"

The skin-changer's outburst called everyone's attention to her, but she ignored them as she leaned over to pick it all up and wrap it securely in the wool blanket.

"What have you found?" Legolas asked, walking to the other elf's side.

"I don't know what possible use any of this could have," The elf soldier spouted, "The only useful things in here are clothing."

Legolas, who had seen the objects fall from the bag, merely raised an unimpressed brow before turning to Sveilrun. Recognition flashed through his eyes followed quickly by the twitch of an arrogant smirk.

"Sveilrun of the volatile wolves," Legolas greeted, "My father should be quite pleased to see you."

Sveilrun held her tongue, but kept her head high and didn't let her eyes, which were still glowing a brilliant yellow, waver from the elf's. It was only when the elf looked away first that they broke eye contact, and Sveilrun let a short triumphant huff leave her. Even if his kind didn't register breaking eye contact as a sign of submissivity, hers did, and she would stare him down for days if she had to just to prove a point. Once Legolas had walked away, she snatched her bag back from the elf who had taken it and glared at him with such ferocity that he was forced to back up a few steps and look away from the woman. She carefully placed the blanketed possessions back into the saddlebag, making sure it settled down comfortably before clasping it shut and attaching the harness around her waist - similarly as she would a belt.

One of the elves approach Legolas and hand him the blade that Thorin had been using. The blonde elf looked over the sword with a calculating gaze, searching every indent and crevice the blade held.

"Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin," Legolas spoke in his native tongue, "Magannen nan Gelydh."

Sveilrun could pick up some of the elvish words, but her knowledge of the language was dwindling and she had a hard time stringing the words together. She understood his last sentence, 'Forged by my kin,' and pieced together that he was speaking of the swords origins.

"Where did you get this?" Legolas asked Thorin, this time not in elvish.

"It was given to me," Thorin replied.

Legolas pointed the tip of the elvish sword at Thorin and hissed, "Not just a thief, but a liar as well."

Turning back to the elf soldiers, Legolas commanded, "Enwenno hain!"

Sveilrun didn't need to understand elvish to know what that meant, as the soldiers immediately followed as they were ordered and began to escort the company away. Sveilrun kept close to Fili, Kili, and Thorin as they were lead through Mirkwood towards the Woodland Realm, sending glares and hissed threats to any who stepped too close. Legolas ignored any and all of the skin-changer's threats, but the soldiers weren't so brave and would sometimes flinch or step further away.

As they were being lead away, Bofur turned to Thorin and whispered to the dwarf king, "Thorin, where's Bilbo?"

Thorin and Sveilrun both looked around, but Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. Sveilrun's brows pinched together in confusion, how could he just disappear? Had one of the spiders caught the hobbit? She had no time to dwell upon such questions as they had their own problems to deal with. The company and elves soon reached a stunning, tall bridge that led to towering gates. Sveilrun felt immense dread dropping in her stomach like a rock as they passed through the entrance and the gates were closed behind them.

The subterranean cavern that made up the Woodland Realm was built almost entirely of ginormous tree roots. They walked along a thin, winding, walkway that was raised from the ground. Sveilrun could remember the last time she had entered the seemingly unending cavern, and had hoped to never enter again. The elves split apart the company; Thorin and Sveilrun were taken to see the King of Mirkwood while the others were supposedly sent to the prison cells.

Thorin and Sveilrun were forcibly lead towards where the king's throne would sit. The rock that was dread resting in the skin-changer's stomach turned into a mountain. She could practically feel the blood rush from her face, leaving her a pale mess, but she tried her best not to let it show. Unfortunate for her, her eyes deceived her as they glowed a brilliant yellow. It was still daylight, and she knew that this was the wrong form to be in. She was not supposed to be a woman now, she was supposed to be a wolf. The wolf would keep her safe and hidden away. The old mantra that had embedded itself into her baser subconscious began to play; 'don't let them see you in the daytime, it's too dangerous.' The woman could be killed far easier, and she felt a flurry of fear rise in her chest. She felt as if bugs were crawling beneath her skin, begging to be released, and she couldn't help but start scratching at her forearm as if that might relieve her discomfort. She only stopped when she felt a hand clasp onto her's. She looked to her side and found Thorin watching her with confused, and almost concerned, eyes. Sveilrun looked away from the dwarf king, not wanting to appear weak and pulled her hand from his. Now was not the time to lose her right mind.

Perched on a throne surrounded by stag antlers, looking even more arrogant than his son, was the King of Mirkwood, Thranduil. He stood with an annoying amount of poise, looking completely unbothered by the dwarf king and skin-changer's sudden appearance - the only indicator of his true emotions being the slight excited glint in his pale eyes - and looked down his nose at the two prisoners.

With a tone that made Sveilrun wonder if he had practiced in front of a looking-glass first, Thranduil spoke to the dwarf king, "Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand. A quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon. I myself suspect a more prosaic motive: attempted burglary, or something of that ilk."

Thranduil stepped close enough to Thorin to make even Sveilrun uncomfortable and continued, "You have found a way in. You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule: the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that. There are gems in the mountain that I too desire. White gems of pure starlight. I offer you my help."

Thorin looked up at the elf king with hooded eyes that spoke of his poorly hidden anger and replied, "I am listening."

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine," Thranduil explain before his gaze landed Sveilrun, "Along with your skin-changer."

Sveilrun felt a growl rise in her chest, but was stopped by Thorin asking in a voice with hidden ferocity, "And why would you want her?"

Thranduil's blue eyes never left the woman before him as he replied with a venomous hiss, "She was my prisoner once before and was never given permission to leave. I simply want what is mine returned to me."

"A favor for a favor," Thorin replied, turning from the elf king and pacing a few slow steps away, but his angry tone never left. Sveilrun was left to look at the dwarf king from the corner of her eye, not sure what he could be thinking.

"You have my word," Thranduil practically purred, thinking the dwarf king was being persuaded by his words, "One king to another."

Still turned away, Thorin raised his voice to a booming level as if he wished all of the Woodland Realm to hear his words, "I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honor his word should the end of all days be upon us!"

Sveilrun was a little taken back by Thorin's sudden change in demeanor, and apparently so was the elf king. Thorin spun around and pointed at Thranduil, saying in an even louder voice that made the very air shake, "You lack all honor! I've seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help, but you turned your back. You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us!"

In his native tongue, Thorin practically spat at the elf king, "Imrid amrad ursul!"

"Do not talk to me of dragon fire," Thranduil hissed as he leapt from where he was to stand face to face with Thorin, "I know its wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the north."

As he spoke, Thranduil's face began to distort to show monstrous burns that crawl across his skin until they cover almost half of his face. One of his eyes turn a murky, unseeing blue, but just as his features become truly horrifying, the burns vanish and he returns to his original state. With even more of a malicious hiss to his tone, he turned to Sveilrun and spoke, "And do not think that you can keep the skin-changer from me a second time. I will confirm the end to her wretched bloodline even if I have to keep her locked away for all eternity!"

Fear pulsed in Sveilrun's chest as the elf king's face slowly got closer and closer to hers until she could see nothing but him, and she reacted in the only way she knew how. She punched him. Without thinking, her fist flew into the elf king's face, producing a sickening crunch as she felt some his his bone crack beneath her knuckles. Sveilrun was barely allowed the satisfaction of Thranduil's pained yelp, along with the complete shock on Thorin's face, before she felt herself tackled to the floor by one of the elf guards. Something sharp stung into the side of her neck, and within moments the world became dark.