Colliding with the unexpected

Gates of Mirkwood

The company travelled quickly by horse back, Fiona shared with Throin at the front of the company just behind Gandalf. Meanwhile Amanda was riding just behind Dwalin with Kili attached to her back. This happened after Amanda did not give him an opption but to let her sit in front. She held the reins and gracefully roded the horse.

" How far till Mirkwood?" Bofur called out to Gandalf.

" Just up ahead!" Gandalf called back as a vast line of tree began to show before them. With Amanda's skill in riding, she smiled and pushed her horse faster.

" Kili, Hold on." She smiled as they rushed past the company and then Gandalf. Kili laughed as they pulled to a stop in front of the forests of Mirkwood. Kili slipped of the saddle before holding Amanda's waists and lifting her off the pony. Amanda placed her hands onto his shoulders as they chuckled together, Kili placed her onto the ground. He quickly pecked her lips before they looked to the others.

" Only you would be able to make a horse go faster than it can." Gandalf laughed as he pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted.

" Hey I can ride. You have to know your horse and its limits. My horse still had some left in her." Amanda smiled as she ran a hands down the ponies face gently kissing its nose. It neighed and pushed its nose slightly more to her.

" The Elven Gate." Gandalf says looking into the opening of the wooded area. The statues that were there were covered in vines and moss. The gate has clearly been used very little over the past years.

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf said looking at Thorin. Dwalin looked around him as if searching for something.

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." He called happily. Gandalf looks out into the distance, Amanda and Fiona follow his gaze looking towards Beorn standing on a cliff in the distance.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf ordered, the company quickly began to do so by taking off their supplies.

"This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilo asked looking into the forests. He was right Fiona walked over to the forest and ran her hands over the statues. She was closely followed by Amanda.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance...south." Gandalf spoke to Bilbo.

" There is no warmth here. No one has passed through these gates in many years." Amanda muttered looking around and feeling the stone. Gandalf walked into the forest and looked around.

" I have a bad feeling, Fiona. You must stay be me at all times." Amanda looked to her, Fiona nodded gentle as she too knew what was about to happen. Gandalf then muttered to himself and walked quickly out the forest.

" Not my horse, I need it!" Gandalf called out, he walked past the dwarves as he stopped to speak to Bilbo. Gandalf then quickly turned around and walked to his horse.

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor." Gandalf in formed Throin as he mounted his horse. The comapny watched him as Fiona walked out of the forest gates. Amanda walked around to see what Gandlaf seemed so startled at. She saw a drawing of what looked like an eye. Amanda looked down knowingly as she headed back out the forest.

"This is not the Greenwood of old, the very air of the forest is heavy with illusion that will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." The wizard spoke informing them to be careful in the forests ahead.

" Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked, Amanda walked over to Kili and hugged him from the side. Kili wrapped an arm around her gentle as his eyes looked to her. He gave a small smile then looked back to Gandalf.

"You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." Gandalf eyes wondered to between the girls. Amanda looked to the ground and then to Fiona who had done the same. They both took in a breath with fear evident in their eyes. Thorin walked over to Fiona and place an arm around her shoulders, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to comfort her. Kili turned and kissed the side of Amanda's head gently as his eyes looked to Thorin. Thorin too looked at Kili, they looked as though they had a silent conversation saying that not matter what. They would protect Fiona and Amanda. Kili nodded to his uncle understanding.

"No matter what may come, stay on the path!" Gandalf called as he galloped off back the way they had came. With one last squeeze too Fiona, Thorin turned and walked into Mirkwood.

"Come on, we must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day. Let's go, we've but one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin spoke as everyone filed through. The atmosphere grew thicker and heavier the further they trecked into the woods. The trees were dull and had very little life on them. Fiona walks in front of Amanda as she began to stagger. Amanda placed a warm hand onto her friend to keep her steady.

"Air...I need air. " Bofur called out as everyone trudged on, but it became hard to breathe.

"My head, it's spinning! What's happening?" Oin complained, sure Fiona and Amanda were feeling faint and badly ill. But they kept it to themselves, not wanting to worry anyone.

"Keep moving." Thorin called out as they came to a sudden stop.

"Nori, why have you stopped?" Thorin asked him as he pushed forward and stopped at the front.

"The path, it's disappeared!" Nori told him with a hint of fear in his voice.

"What's going on?" Ori sked out.

"We've lost the path!" Bofur explained out loud for everyone to hear.

"Find it. All of you, look. " Thorin ordered making sure Fiona never left his view.

"Look for the path!" Dwalin repeated Thorin as everyone began to look for the path.

" Fiona can you not smell our scent on the path?" Thorin asked walking up to her. Fiona shook her head saddly.

" Unfortunatly I cannot. I can only smell on thing and that is this forest. I cannot even smell you standing there." She explained to her love. Amanda over heard them and thought that Fiona not being able to smell anything was strange.

" Amanda? What about you. Can you feel the heat of the path?" Thorin called over. Some of the company turned to her with hopeful looks in their eyes. Amanda closed her eyes and waited, everything was quiet.

" Everything is so cold. There is no heat in these woods. Not even us." Amanda shivered both with cold and fear.

" This forest is so cold." She whispered as Kili hugged her shivering frame to his body.

" So cold." She muttered again. They had lost the path and could not find it.