I do not own any of the characters or The Hobbit (Just the AU storyline and my OC). Those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fanfics would not be in existence.

As always, please review, favorite, and follow -it is really encouraging :D

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bilbo could not help but worry as he looked down the path, hoping to see a glimpse of the two young princes. They had left just after breakfast to scout ahead, on Thorin's orders, and had yet to return to the company. It was abominably difficult to determine what time it was, given that the dense foliage and entangled boughs of the enormous trees blocked out most of the sunlight. But, if he had to hazard a guess, it had been at least two hours since they'd left.

The hobbit glanced over at Dwalin, whose expression was very grumpy indeed as he leaned against a dark oak trunk. There were small, but visible burns around his eyes, and a few spots on his beard and eyebrows that definitely looked a little bit singed. The exploding log had awakened the entire company, almost all of them reaching for their weapons as the burly dwarf threw himself backwards from the fire with a loud cry. It was quite unsettling for Bilbo as he watched the strong, fierce warrior curled up on the ground, cradling his burnt eyelids with his rough, calloused hands.

Oin had used some of their precious water supply to wash the cinders out of Dwalin's eyes, but the evidence of the unexpected incident last night still showed itself in the bright red welts on his upper face. An exploding log was a rare phenomenon, but it seemed to be just their luck. As far as the hobbit was concerned, things had just been utterly miserable since the wizard's departure at the elven gate.

He wondered what had been so urgent as to make Gandalf leave them. The wizard had definitely been hasty in his departure, so it must have been something rather serious. He didn't know, but Gandalf had definitely felt…off somehow. As though something had suddenly struck fear into his heart. Bilbo looked at the treetops around him warily.

Was it the forest? He thought to himself, feeling rather on edge. I sense something…though I do not know what it is. But something's not right. I can feel it.

He had little time to ponder that last thought, for in that moment, their young scouts suddenly appeared on the path ahead of them.

XXX

Cira listened apprehensively as Fili and Kili reported their findings to Thorin. She knew darn well what that stream was, and her anxiety just increased one hundred-fold.

The other side of that stream is where the spider attack happens, she thought to herself, trying not to visibly panic. Spiders…the size of Volkswagens…Her face must have gone very pale then, because Bofur looked over at her curiously.

"Lass, are you all right?" he asked, reaching out to gently place his hand on her shoulder. "You look very pale, like you've seen a ghost!" To his credit, he kept his voice low, which she greatly appreciated.

"I…" she began, trying to think of a plausible reason for her sudden pallor. Suddenly, her sharp ears heard the words 'broken bridge', and solved her problem. "I'm…just nervous, that's all. How are we supposed to cross an enchanted stream without a bridge?" Bofur gave her a blank look.

"I'm not sure," he said. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Cira. I'm sure we'll find a way across." She nodded, just as Thorin turned toward the company.

"Thus far, there are no sign of elf patrols," he stated, keeping his voice down. "But be on your guard. You are to follow Fili and Kili as quietly as you can, and keep your weapons sheathed, but at the ready. However, you are not to engage an elf, unless I give the order. Move out!" The young woman and miner fell in line somewhere in the middle, and the company headed down the elven path.

Cira's eyes kept darting toward the treetops. There were no signs of webs as of yet, but that didn't mean anything. They could still be out there. They are still out there, she was sure of it. She walked as softly as she could, though she doubted it did any good. Not only were the dwarves' feet less than stealthy, though she was sure they did their best, but she was absolutely certain that her heart was beating loud enough for all of elvendom to hear it anyway!

Everything she'd read in the book came flashing through her mind, from the beginning of the tale, to Bilbo's unexpected 'party', the trolls, Rivendell, their journey over the mountains, Goblin-Town…she shuddered as memories of that terrible day flooded her mind, and shut them out. Her anxious mind wouldn't be quelled so easily, however, and it flashed forward to that terrifying moment in Meril's house, when Breglin had her pinned to the ground, and the only thing that stopped him from shaving her face, and quite possibly worse thereafter, was Kili's interference.

She looked up over Bilbo's head at the young dwarf's back. He and Fili were leading the group, followed by Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, then the hobbit and herself. She could hardly see him around the others, but she knew he was there. The thought that he was nearby seemed to comfort her in that moment, though she wasn't sure why.

He makes you feel safe, a small voice whispered in the back of her head. He saved you from that horrible man. You are safe with him. Somehow, her fear lessened a little bit. She was still utterly terrified of the spiders, but…maybe he would be able to defend her? Maybe, with the training she received from Kili and his brother, she might actually be able to…defend herself?

Her mind suddenly remembered that part in the book. No, none of them were able to defend themselves from the spiders. None of them, except…the little hobbit in front of her. That was Bilbo's hero moment, the moment where he would slip on the ring, defeat the spiders, cut them down, and his sword would earn its moniker, Sting. Her eyes suddenly widened in terror.

What if he didn't get the ring? Cirashala thought to herself, panicking once more. How is he going to defeat the spiders? How is he going to get us out of Thranduil's Halls? How is he going to get the Arkenstone to Thranduil and Bard? How is he going to get the ring to Frodo?! Frodo has to get the ring! Without it, Sauron will destroy everything, and everyone will die!

She wasn't even aware she was hyperventilating, until the most awful smell imaginable assaulted her nostrils. All thoughts of the ring vanished as her face just about turned inside out at the horrible stench permeating the air.

What…In Durin's name…is that smell?!

"We've found the bridge!" Kili called out ahead of them. Fear was replaced by the most sarcastic, snarkiest thought to ever enter her mind.

"Oh, yay." This is gonna be just peachy, isn't it?

XXX

Bilbo stared at the broken bridge, his brow furrowing in confusion even as his nose wrinkled. This 'enchanted stream' couldn't look less enchanting if it tried! The black water…yes, it was black…was bubbling unnaturally, and filled with sickly-looking, half-rotten lily pads, many bug carcasses, and edged with white, frothy foam. The wretched smell emanating from it had to be the worst stench he'd ever smelled in his life! Compared to this, the troll cave smelled heavenly!

"We could try and swim it," Bofur suggested. Thorin gave him a stern look.

"Didn't you hear what Gandalf said?" he asked grumpily. He clearly wasn't happy about the broken bridge, either. "It's enchanted. We cannot touch it." Bofur's eyebrow raised, and he looked at the disgusting stream below them.

"Doesn't look very enchanting to me," he muttered under his breath. Bilbo wholeheartedly agreed.

Not enchanting at all, he thought to himself. His eyelids strangely felt a little heavy as he stared at the water, and he blinked it back.

"These vines look strong enough." Kili's voice was rather vague in his ears as he stared at the murky water. A slight trepidation began to stir in his heart, almost as a warning of some kind. He wasn't certain what it was, but something was definitely nagging at him.

"Kili, wait!" Thorin barked. Bilbo glanced over as the young dwarf froze. "Send the lightest first." Suddenly, the hobbit felt fourteen pair of eyes right on him.

Why are they looking at m…oh.

"Oh," he said aloud. Glancing at the water again, he felt trepidation welling up in him once more. Hesitantly reaching for a vine, he took a deep breath.

"A-all right," he stammered nervously. "Here we go!" Stepping off the riverbank, he placed his hairy feet gently upon a more horizontal vine. It swayed beneath his foot, and he grasped a vine above his head very firmly.

Hand over hand, he slowly began to make his way across the black water. After a few minutes of feeling quite like a bird on a perch during a windy day, he glanced over his shoulder.

"It's all right!" he called out, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice. "Can't see any problem!" Suddenly, he lost his footing, and had to catch himself right before he hit the water.

"Uh," his eyes grew wide as he stared at the dark water. "T-there's one! E-everything's fine!" As he stared into the water, the hobbit suddenly felt what seemed like a deep and profound exhaustion wash over him. It was as though the stream held a pull against him, mesmerizing him, beckoning to him.

Suddenly, he managed to snap out of it. Blinking fiercely, he righted himself, and continued on. After another tense moment, he just managed to jump off the vines, and onto the far riverbank.

What on earth was that?

"Something…something's not right!" he said, still very, very addled as he drunkenly wagged his finger. "Not right at all!" Slapping his cheek, he called to the others over his shoulder.

"Stay where you are!" Turning, his heart sank, as he saw the entire company now climbing over the vines.

"Oh." He kept slapping his cheeks and blinking, in a desperate attempt to ward off the strange sleepiness. The hobbit hadn't slept that poorly last night! Moreover, he had been perfectly awake, prior to crossing the disgusting stream! Bilbo was now very confused, and more than a little concerned.

What was in that water?!

He had to admit that the dwarves looked utterly ridiculous as they scaled and traversed the thick, twisted vines. Once, in the Prancing Pony in Bree, he had heard tales about a strange, tree-dwelling creature from the far south. It was furry, small, had hands strikingly similar to a hobbit's, and a long tail. He was told that they were very good tree-climbers, and would move from vine to vine with practiced ease, gripping them with both their hands and feet!

He didn't believe the very drunk man at all, even after the man had shown him a very well-done sketch of the creature amongst the vines. But he could not help and think about it now, because the way the dwarves moved through the vines, with their thick beards and hair, reminded him greatly of this odd creature that had been described to him! It would have made him chuckle, had he not been fighting so hard to simply stay awake!

His eyes traveled to the young woman. Cirashala looked very, very nervous as she stood on the opposite riverbank. The young woman stared long and hard at the water, and he hoped she wasn't being taken in by its strange allure as well. Her gaze moved upward toward the branches the vines were hanging off of, then back down to the ground. Drawing her sword, he watched in surprise as she sliced through the bottom of a strong, yet more slender, vine that was entangled with another near the ground. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"What is she doing?" he muttered to himself, his curiosity now piqued. She tugged hard on the vine as she looked up at the boughs again, and he followed her gaze. His eyes widened in alarm, and he looked back at her.

Surely she isn't going to…she wouldn't…

The young woman wound the vine around her torso, and tied it securely at her waist. His eyes widened even further as she grasped the length above the knot, and backed away from the stream.

"Cira, what are you—" he cried. Before he could finish his question, she took off running. The young woman jumped off the far bank, and he watched in surprise as she deftly sailed across the water, her body suspended securely from the vine. She stumbled a bit as she landed on the opposite side, but quickly regained her footing, and untied the knot at her waist. The stunned hobbit watched as the now-unencumbered vine fell back into the water with a surprisingly loud splash, too tired to make sense of what he just saw.

He didn't have time to wonder at her ingenuity, however, as the dwarves suddenly shouted in alarm.

"Bombur!" Bofur cried. "Bombur's in the water!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please review, favorite, and follow! You guys give me so much encouragement, and it is MUCH appreciated! :D