Chapter 7
No Longer Feels Like Home
Beorn gave us supplies and loaned us a few horses and ponies. He came to me and handed me something. It was the ring Legolas had given me when I agreed to be his wife. I closed my eyes and looked down.
"He said he knew you would eventually come back. And that if I saw you, to give you this. He also left a message, to ask you to please come home."
I slowly put the ring back on my finger.
"Thank you Beorn. For everything."
"Just be certain you stay safe. And the little one as well. That forest has changed, you may no longer recognize it. You would do well to keep on the path your people made."
I nodded and mounted my horse. With one last nod to Beorn we left. I was eager to see the forest I had once called home, but at the same time I was worried. Beorn's words remained with me during the journey.
"Caladhiel?"
I looked at Thorin.
"Are you well?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded. I do not know if he believed me but he did not question me further.
We reached the forest the next morning. It broke my heart to see it. Everything looked dead, nothing like I remembered.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf said.
We unsaddled the ponies and I watched Gandalf walk into the forest. I walked to the gate and touched the stone. I smiled a bit but then I felt an evil presence. I saw Gandalf walk to a statue and he moved the foliage aside. I screamed and stumbled backwards.
"Caladhiel!?"
"Mother?!"
I fell but Dwalin caught me and set me down gently.
"You alright lass?"
Gandalf and I shared a look.
"~I thought he was gone.~" I said.
"~The Necromancer. It must be….I must go to the High Fells.~"
My eyes widened and I stood right up.
"~You cannot go there Mithrandir!~"
"~I must my dear. If he has returned we must know.~"
I sighed and looked away.
"This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air you breathe is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you stray."
"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked.
Lin shrugged but they both looked worried.
"Stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do you will never find it again." Gandalf said.
He mounted the horse and then began to ride away.
"No matter what may come, stay on the path!" he shouted back.
"Come on, we must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's day. Caladhiel…"
I looked at him.
"Scout ahead, see if you can find a safe resting place for the night. But be careful, I do not like the look of this place."
I nodded and ran ahead.
Thorin's POV
Lin was my responsibility until her mother returned.
"Lin, stay close to me." I said.
She nodded and stayed at my side. We followed the path and soon Nori was leading.
"Air, I need air." Bofur said.
"What is happening?"
"My head, is it spinning!" Oin said.
Nori suddenly stopped.
"Keep moving…." I walked up to him. "Nori, why have we stopped."
He pointed in front of us.
"The path, it has disappeared." he said.
"What is going on?" Dwalin asked.
"We have lost the path." Oin answered.
"Find it! All of you, look for the path!" I shouted.
We searched and searched but we found nothing.
"What hour is it?" I asked.
"I do not even know what day it is." Dwalin said.
"Is there no end to this accursed forest!?" I shouted.
We had no choice but to keep moving and hope we were going in the right direction. After a while Ori stopped and picked something up.
"Look."
Dori took it from him.
"A tobacco pouch. There is dwarves in these woods."
Bofur took it next.
"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains no less. This is exactly the same as mine."
"Because it is yours." Lin said.
She looked exhausted.
"Do you understand? We are going around in circles, we are lost." Bilbo said.
"We are not lost, we keep heading east." I said.
"But which way is east. We have lost the sun!" Oin lamented.
If this forest does not kill me, Caladhiel might.
Lin's POV
Bilbo and I looked up. We looked at each other and nodded. We both started to climb up the tree. The second we broke through the leaves, fresh air hit out faces. I took a deep breath and smiled. Blue butterflies began to fly around us and I smiled.
"Lin look!"
I looked over and smiled. I knew I was looking at the mountain. Bilbo started to shout down to the others but no one answered. I heard loud crunching noises and looked over. The trees were moving and whatever was moving them was coming towards us.
"Lin get down and stay in the leaves." Bilbo said.
I nodded and crouched down. I looked down but I could not see the others. I heard Bilbo shout and then he fell. I was about to go down to him, but then the branch he was holding came to life. It was not a branch at all, it was a giant spider. I covered my mouth so I would not scream. It wrapped him in a web and then began to drag him off. I knew there had to be more and they probably had the others. I carefully began to follow them.
Caladhiel's POV
The dwarves had left the path.
Thorin I am going to kill you.
I tried to find their tracks and I did, but then they just disappeared. I was getting frustrated until I heard cries. I ran in direction of the sound but was stopped by a familiar sight. My entire body froze and I could not move. As he turned to look in my direction I hid behind a tree. My heart was hammering in my chest.
"Legolas." I whispered.