Chapter Ten
Later that afternoon, the company departed from Beorn's home. Beorn loaned the company his ponies on a condition that they must be returned once they arrive at the entrance of Mirkwood Forest. As the company ridden that day, DJ dreaded at the thought of entering the forest, worried on the encounters they could face, and only knows she may end up face to face with her betrayer, who once was her closest friend. Thorin kept looking at DJ the entire time they had ridden, knowing that something was wrong with her. "DJ, whatever it that is troubling you, don't worry about it. If its Ariella you worried about, forget her. She's not worth getting upset over." said Thorin gently.
"I know." said DJ. Later by night fall, they arrived at the entrance of the forest. Thorin decided to make camp for the night, and they would enter the forest by morning. That same night while they camped, Gandalf announced to all of them that he would be leaving the Company for a while to take care of important matters. "No, Gandalf! You cannot leave! We need you!" protested DJ. DJ was not all happy about Gandalf leaving the company. "Trust me, DJ, this urgent matter I must attend to. For your safety, and everybody's safety." said Gandalf.
Gandalf also advised Thorin and the dwarves not to enter the Mountain without him, that he will catch up with them in Lake Town. The next morning, before entering Mirkwood, the company bid farewell to Gandalf, and to the ponies, which Gandalf will lead the ponies himself back to Beorn's. After the wizard departed the company, they entered the forest. DJ already felt very uncomfortable of being in the forest, as the atmosphere started to feel thick and heavy. The further they went into the Forest, the more miserable everyone felt, to the point where they would start bickering with each other.
DJ hated the Forest with a passion. It made everyone moody, fighting with each other, even Thorin and DJ broke into a few quarrels themselves, and it ached her. She had half the mind of turning around, but she couldn't. She made a promise to Gandalf, and to Thorin she would help the dwarves on their quest. And she couldn't leave her Thorin. "Is it me, or did we just walk around in circles?" asked DJ. "We walked around in circles, DJ." growled Thorin. "This is all your fault! Gandalf told us not to stray off the path, and what you do? Lead us off the path!" snapped DJ.
"Hey! I didn't ask you to join this quest for your constant bitching, DJ!" shot back Thorin. "Constant bitching?! You shouldn't be the one to talk! You constantly bitch about Bilbo all the time!" yelled DJ. "I thought we had dropped that subject along time ago?!" barked Thorin. "DJ! Thorin! This isn't a time for the two of you to fight! That will be enough!" scorned Balin. "Balin, this isn't your conversation!" snapped Thorin. Balin groaned in frustration. "You need to keep your big mouth shut!" shouted Thorin. "Make me!" snapped DJ. Thorin was to the point where he wanted to strike her, but he couldn't. As he raised his right hand to impact DJ's face, DJ backed away in fear, tears in her eyes, as she could see he was about to strike her.
"Thorin-don't please-!" said DJ, turning away from Thorin. Thorin slowly calmed down, lowering his hand. Thorin turned away from DJ. "We will make camp right here. Gloin, no fires tonight! Mahal only knows what is lurking in these woods." said Thorin. Everyone stopped to make camp. DJ decided to isolate herself from the company after the fight she had with Thorin, and the incident where she nearly got struck by him. Oin approached Thorin. "Thorin, don't let me catch you, or even see you attempt to strike a woman!" warned the grey haired dwarf, who witnessed their fight. And Oin walked back over to sit with his brother.
As DJ sat alone, tears fell non stop.
She not only felt depressed and hurt from the fight between her and Thorin, but her concern on how she was going to act when she could possibly encounter Ariella. DJ hoped no one would hear her weeping. She could hardly sleep. As for Thorin, he took up first watch. As Thorin sat quietly, he could hear the weeping from DJ from behind her. It was to the point where Thorin couldn't take hearing the weeping anymore. Thorin stood up and he quietly walked over to where DJ is sitting. Thorin sat down. "If that's you Thorin, go away. You broken a promise, I don't want to see or speak to you." said DJ.
"DJ-!" began Thorin. "Don't 'DJ' me, Thorin! You promised me you would never hurt me again. You nearly struck me a few minutes ago!" cried DJ. Sadness and guilt clouded over Thorin. Thorin remembered the words he told DJ in the Misty Mountains. And indeed he nearly broken the promise he made to DJ. "Deej, I restrained myself. I didn't even struck you at all. When I saw the tears in your eyes, and you backed away from me in fear, I knew what I was about to do was wrong, and I lowered my hand. DJ, we cannot continue being mad at each other like this forever. I love you, DJ." said Thorin gently, taking DJ's hands.
"Oh, Thorin. Its this stupid forest! Its getting the best of all our tempers. I wish we never came in here." said DJ softly. "DJ, we had no other choice. It was the only route we had to take. We'll get through this." said Thorin softly, and he took DJ in his arms, pulling her close to his chest. "Here, I know something that can cheer you up! Rest on me, love." whispered Thorin, gently placing DJ's head on his chest. Thorin started to sing softly, because he knew DJ loved his voice, and he knew his singing would relax her.
And indeed, Thorin's sweet deep baritone, relaxed DJ. DJ fell into a deep sleep in Thorin's arms. When Thorin stopped singing, he kissed DJ on the lips. "We'll get through this, love." whispered Thorin, and he too fell asleep. The next morning, the company woke, and they continued their journey into the forest. "DJ, are you keeping up?" called out Thorin. But there was no response from DJ. "DJ, did you hear me?" called out Thorin. The company turned and noticed DJ was not with them. "She's gone! Where did she go?!" cried out Fili.
Suddenly they could hear a female scream from a distance. Suddenly several large spiders jumped out at them. Before Thorin and the dwarves took out their weapons, the spiders spun them into their webs. "BILBO!" cried out DJ, who was the first one to get tied in a web.
Meanwhile, Bilbo climbed down from a tree after he was ordered to climb the tree to see how long the forest would go. By the time he climbed back down, he noticed the company, alongside with DJ, turned up missing. "Thorin?! DJ?! Where are you?!" called out Bilbo. But there was no answer. Suddenly, Bilbo heard clicking sounds from behind him. Bilbo spun around and saw the spiders approaching him. Bilbo withdraw his sword, and his battle with the spiders began. After killing off the spiders, Bilbo could hear cries of help coming from DJ and the dwarves.
Bilbo freed DJ and the dwarves from the webs. Thankfully, none of them were poisoned from the effects from the webs. But DJ felt nauseous, because she always hated spiders. She never feared them, but she hated them. "Thank you, Bilbo!" said DJ, hugging the hobbit. Suddenly, as two more spiders approached them, the company saw some arrows flying, killing the spiders. Then, they saw two elves approach them. One elf was a male elf with blonde hair. Legolas, son of Thranduil, and the second elf, a red haired female elf, Captain of the King's Guard, Tauriel.
Legolas aimed his arrow at Thorin.
"Don't make me have to kill you, dwarf!" snarled the Elf Prince. Suddenly, Legolas turned to Gloin, taking a locket that the dwarf had been wearing from him. "Hey! That is private!" snarled Gloin. "Who is this? Your brother?" asked Legolas. "No, that is my wife!" said Gloin, sharply. "And who is this disgusting creature? An orc mutant?" the Elf Prince asked again. "That is my wee lad, Gimli!" snapped the dwarf. "Take them to my father to be questioned!" Legolas ordered Tauriel and several other elves in his language. Tauriel nodded. First, the elves searched the rest of the dwarves.
"You search the human girl, Tauriel." said Legolas. Tauriel nodded. DJ glared at Tauriel. Tauriel looked at DJ with pity, seeing anger in the human's eyes. "Something troubles you, DJ." said Tauriel. "How do you know my name?" asked DJ, bluntly. "Someone told me of you." said Tauriel. "Ariella." growled DJ. "Do you wish to talk about it?" asked the elf, as they took the dwarves to the palace "No!" snapped DJ. "Were you two friends at one time?" asked Tauriel. "We were friends." said DJ, and she remained silent. They shortly arrived in the palace, now standing in front of the Elf King.
DJ noticed Ariella sitting on the left side of Thranduil. Ariella stared at DJ.
"DJ, just stay calm okay? Don't make a scene!" whispered Balin. "How can I stay calm? I cannot stay calm! She betrayed us!" yelled DJ, pointing at Ariella. Ariella just sat in her chair, looking at DJ blankly. "How could you do this, Ariella? Why? Why did you do it?!" shouted DJ. "Wouldn't someone mind telling me what is going on here?!" demanded Thranduil. "Let me tell you what's going on, your majesty! Ariella introduced herself to me as a genie, and we became friends. She brought me here to Middle Earth, alongside with aid from a wizard. We became very close friends, up to the point where she confessed to me who she really is. Then she suddenly leaves our company! What does that tell you?!" barked DJ.
"It doesn't tell me much human. You have no business hanging around with dwarves. You really shouldn't here in Middle Earth at all!" snarled the Elf King. "That's my wife you're talking about, Thranduil!" barked Thorin. Thorin knew he wasn't married to DJ just yet, he just wanted to say it to keep DJ protected. "Thorin Oakenshield, married to a human? This is something quite unheard of." smirked Thranduil. "Oh brother!" growled DJ. Ariella approached DJ. "You want to talk about this?" asked Ariella. "NO! I don't want to talk to you anymore, Ariella! You have already caused enough hurt on me already." said DJ.
"I just wanted to do what's right. Really DJ, you deserve better than being with these dwarves I will talk my father into arranging a guest room for you to stay." said Ariella. "Ariella, I love Thorin, he's my One! And you're not going to separate me from him!" snapped DJ. "DJ, you don't know dwarves well as we do. They are greedy, selfish, and arrogant. You know once Thorin reaches the mountain, he will fall under the Gold Sickness?" said Ariella. "I already know, Ariella. That's what Gandalf sent me here." said DJ icily.
Thranduil looked at DJ. "I have arranged a room for you, DJ. As for your dwarf friends, and Thorin, will be in the dungeons." said Thranduil kindly. "I'm not going to stay in your stupid guest room in your stupid palace! I rather sit and rot in the dungeon cells with Thorin!" yelled DJ. "As you wish. Captain Tauriel, take her to the dungeons!" ordered the Elf King. Tauriel nodded. "You're going to be sorry for your decision, DJ! Mark my words! Don't come crying to me that you'll get hurt!" shouted Ariella. "SHUT UP!" screamed DJ, as Tauriel took DJ down into the dungeons.