The Truth Beneath the Rose

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It seemed like hours had passed. She wandering around aimlessly. Truthfully, even when she left, she did not know where she was going to go. She just had to get away from him. She was so angry at him. She did not understand why his betrayal hurt so much. She came across a fallen tree and figured it was a good enough place to stop. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and began to weep. She did not have enough tears for her pain. How could she have been such a fool? She almost wished he was lying, but in her heart she knew he was telling the truth. As her heart ached, her body grew rigid. Her world stopped. Images of Dragon Fire ignited her vision. But this was different. The Company had made it into the mountain. "Here! You witless worm!" Thorin's voice roared. "I am taking back what you stole." Then, a monstrous, serpentine voice she had never heard before hissed. "You will take nothing from me." Then, the tortured cries of her companions howled in her ears. Then, nothing.

Her eyes focus in. She was back to reality, on her log, in the dark. As much as she hated it, she had to return. She couldn't just let them die. Though, she'd feed Thorin to the dragon herself if she had it her own way. Before she made a move, a twig snapped behind her. Springing to her feet, she turned to see the bear. He was ready to pounce. She only barely missed his attack. She bolted, the bear hot on her heals. He was faster than she initially thought and she was exhausted. Her body was weak from all of the stress and she was still recovering from her last altercation with this animal. He seemed to only be fueled by his rage. He chased her to the borders of the forest. She needed to make a move quickly. She was no longer a match for this beast. Knowing no creature, however fierce, would dare enter the boundaries of Mirkwood, she swallowed her fears and darted into the trees.

Her plan proved sufficient. He halted at the treeline, sniffling and grunting in frustration. Nevaeh sighed. She was safe, if only just. The bear was waiting for her to emerge from the trees. She was not far in. Close enough that she could still see the edge of the forest. She sank down into the dirt. Her anxiety grew high with every second she had to wait. For an eternity, it seemed, the bear lingered. It was early morning before the bear gave in. Dew clung to her skin and her hair was damp and sticky. Nevaeh watched the bear disappear into the distance, putting plenty of ground between them. Relief flooded her body, she gathered her self onto her feet and began to walk. The edge was just a few feet away from her, but a strangling force pulled her back in. She fell to the ground and a sword landed softly on her throat. Her eyes went black when she saw them standing around her. "No!" She cried. "Please! Please!" She tried to fight them, but she was too weak. The steel rang loudly in her ears. Her hands flew to her ears, in a futile attempt to smother the noise. The scars under her skin blazed. Soon, her convulsions took over. "Don't touch her." She heard a deep voice say before she faded out of consciousness.

The Skin-Changer had returned in the early hours of the morning. He was a man this time. Thorin did not sleep at all. His mind was too chaotic. Every creak and noise he heard caught his attention. He waited for her to return all night. But it was for naught. When the sun began to creep low in the sky, he woke the Company. He did not care to linger in this place any longer. That morning, he went through the motions, letting Gandalf handle everything with Beorn. Everyone was acutely aware of Nevaeh's absence. To their credit, very little was said aloud. Beorn had provided them with food, supplies, ponies and even some useful advice for the forest. Thorin caught the bare minimum of everything. Return the ponies, stay on the path, don't drink the water. With Beorn ensuring them safe passage to the entrance of the Cursed Forest, they began the long ride. The ride was a blur to Thorin. Nevaeh's face never left his mind, the pain in her eyes was haunting. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the Elven Gate. The Wizard dismounted his horse first and approached the entrance. It had become overgrown with vines and wild weeds. It appear that the Elves simply stopped maintaining it.