The next morning, I find myself enjoying a good breakfast, one I did not have since leaving the Shire. I get up and poor everyone some more milk as their cups empty with speed. "You'll make a fine wife one day Therith." Dwalin says with a mouth full from across the table. His words make me look up at him, brows quirked. "I am no house lady master dwarf. One would do well not to forget."
"She's right, I almost feel sorry for the fool that will lose his heart on this spitfire. He won't know what hit him." Kili chuckles, making me scowl, putting my hand on my hip. "Well I've never…" I mutter indignantly as they laugh at my expense. I put the jug of milk on the table. "Well you can help yourselves." I say, sitting back down in my spot sulking.
"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn asks Thorin. He came in during the night and provided us with this breakfast. "You know of Azog? How?" Thorin questions. "My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved." Beorn states, his voice laced with sadness and anger.
"Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." "There are others like you?" Bilbo asks the very tall man. "Once, there were many." is his answer. "And now?" "Now, there is only one." he states, silencing us all. My heart aches at the thought; it could very well be the same for me so I feel for the man, understanding the loneliness it brings.
"You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?" Beorn asks. "Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf confirms. "You are running out of time.", Beorn states. "Which is why we must go through Mirkwood."
Beorn shakes his head. "A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need." "We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." "Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn states.
"What do you mean?" asks Thorin. "These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." is Beorn's answer, making Thorin look up at the man in shock. "I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." Beorn starts, picking up a mouse that crawled by and lets it run over him freely as he is caught in thought for a moment. "But orcs I hate more. What do you need?" he asks, offering his help.
After breakfast, we stand outside, saddling Beorn's ponies, who he kindly lends to us. "Go now, while you have the light. The hunters are not far behind." he says, looking around wearily. And we do as he say, hurrying onward until we reach the border of a grand and dark wood. The feel of it makes me shiver and not in a positive way.
"The Elven Gate." Gandalf states, looking at a tall archway in front of us. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood." "No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin states. I shake my head. "I doubt luck had much to do with it." I tell him, looking over my shoulder. In the far distance looms the figure of an overgrown bear.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf order. We do so, put the dwarves are certainly reluctant. "This forest feels...sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" asks Bilbo, visibly feeling uncomfortable by the forest. "Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south." Gandalf says. "I don't believe I would mind." I mutter to myself. But I have easy talking I suppose.
Gandalf follows a path a few feet further into the shadows and approaches a plant-covered statue. He seems to hesitate before he quickly yanks off the vines, revealing a painted-on Eye of Sauron. This makes my blood run cold. "Gandalf…" I start worriedly.
Gandalf nods as if to himself. "The High Fells. So be it." he mutters before turning to us. Halting Nori from unsaddling his horse, he says; "Not my horse! I need it." "You're not leaving us?" Bilbo wonders as Gandalf passes us. "I would not do this unless I had to." he answers, mounting his horse.
"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire." he says, looking down upon the forlorn looking hobbit. "I was going to tell you; I...found something in the Goblin tunnels." Bilbo starts. Gandalf leans forward curiously. "Found what? What did you find?" "My courage." Bilbo answers after a moment. "Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it." Gandalf says, now turning to me. "Therith, keep a good eye out. At the first sign of danger, do all you can to keep them alive." he says, making me nod dutifully before he turns to the dwarves.
"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me." he tells us before giving some last advice. "This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray. You must stay on the path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." he says. "Gandalf, please be safe.", I tell him, making him nod before driving his horse into a quick gallop. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!" he calls, disappearing into the distance.
I bite my lip, not liking this at all. I do not know where Gandalf went off to, but a feeling of unease crawls within my mind. Now that he left the company, a lot of responsibility will fall on my shoulders. I must not let Gandalf down. I know it will be hard as dwarves have a great ego, Thorin most of all I believe and it will be unlikely that they listen to me if I'm not stern and confident. "Well…so be it." I think, turning to the company.
"Listen you all!" I call out to them, getting their attention. "I will scout ahead to see if we will come across any dangers ahead. Listen to what Gandalf said and do not stray or you will not reach the other end of the forest alive. The Woodland Elves do not appreciate trespassers and they are not our only worry. I will find you again if you just stick to the path." I tell them, spreading my wings and with a gust of wind, I'm soon above the forest, hoping I will not come across any problems.