Into the Fire: Book 2

5

We set out into the forest and right away I understood what Bilbo meant. The air felt thick and I didn't want to breath it in. We walked in a single-file line with Thorin and Dwalin at the front. I stood further back with Bofur and Bilbo. I trusted that the dwarves ahead would be able to guide us safely through the sickened wood.

"Hey how's your ankle holding up?" Bofur asked me, not taking his eyes off the path.

I shrugged, "I don't know. It doesn't hurt that bad anymore but I am scared to put too much strain on it. Hopefully there won't be too much running for the next day or so."

"I wouldn't count on that las," He laughed.

He was probably right. I should never start a day with expectations because I would always be disappointed. After days of walking, or maybe just a couple of hours, I started to feel my lungs get heavy.

"Air. I need air," Bofur said, pulling at the collar of his shirt.

I only nodded in response, drinking some water in hopes of helping my breathing. It didn't work and I only felt like I was drowning. The air in the forest had gotten thicker and my whole body felt like it was a thousand pounds. Thorin had stopped to walk with me but he too looked almost drunk when he walked.

"My head. It's spinning," Oin called out from the back.

Thorin put his hand on my shoulder to steady himself, "Keep moving!"

We followed his instructions and kept walking. Suddenly, I bumped into Dori who had been walking in front of me. Thorin sighed in annoyance and pushed his way to the front where Nori had been leading the group.

"Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked him, searching the dwarf's face for an answer.

Nori only pointed straight ahead, not bothering to look at Thorin, "The path, it's disappeared."

"It is a path Nori! It doesn't just get up and walk away!" I said in frustration.

He pointed again and he was right. The path was gone. The dwarves broke out into chatter.

"What's going on?" Oin called up.

"We've lost the path!" Bofur responded.

"Find it! All of you!" Thorin yelled at the dwarves.

"Wonderful. Now we are all going to die," I whispered.

Everyone branched out, searching for the stones that were supposed to guide us safely through the woods. I groaned and put my head in my hands, sitting down on a tree stump. Bilbo sat beside me.

"I don't remember this place. None of it's familiar," Balin sighed.

"It's got to be here!"

"What hour is it?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what day it is!"

"Is there no end to this accursed forest!" Thorin screamed, looking up in frustration.

I ignored them all and instead watched Bilbo as he pulled on what looked like a large spider web. It vibrated up the tree trunk, creating a noise similar to that of a tightly pulled cord. He did it again and we both looked up to watch it. The illusion was pulling me into a high and I felt dizzy. Thorin came over and guided us towards a dirt path. This was not the right path. I looked around me. Something felt off. The trees felt like they were mocking me. Their branches pointed at me and with every small breeze, their leaves laughed at me. I flipped them off. My feet looked like wagon wheels and I was pretty sure I had little pinecones for fingers. In front of us, Ori stopped. I looked down at my feet and hands. Everything seemed to be back to normal but I made a mental note to keep an eye on them. I pushed my way to the front to see what the hold up was.

Dori had grabbed a tobacco pouch from Ori's hand and was inspecting it closely, "Look. A tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods!"

"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains no less," Bofur said, taking the pouch and holding it up for everyone to see, "This is exactly the same as mine."

That was funny. Another group of dwarves in the woods? What were they doing here? I hope they didn't think they were going to go to the Lonely Mountain, because we already called that.

"Well they better not take our mountain!" I chimed in.

A few dwarves looked at me and I looked around too, "Who said that?" I asked, "Was that you?"

"It is yours. Don't you understand?" Bilbo was telling him, "We're going round in circles. We are lost."

"We're not lost!" Thorin replied quickly, "We keep heading east."

"But which way is east? We've lost the sun!" Gloin said, kicking a tree and causing Dwalin to turn around.

"I thought you were the expert."

"I'm not the one who lost the sun!"

I was pretty sure we were supposed to be going east so I wasn't sure what the confusion was. Pick a point and go straight. We would have to get out eventually right? Where did Bilbo go, I should tell him my idea.

"Enough! Quiet!" Thorin yelled at the dwarves who had started pushing each other around in anger.

"Use your words! No violence," I called out.

Everyone stopped and looked towards me. I looked behind me to see what they were looking at but only saw empty forest. Wow, they must be sick. I pointed at them and laughed a little, "You are all so silly."

Thorin put his hands on my arms, bringing my attention to him.

"Oh hi! Do my fingers look like pinecones to you? I don't think that's normal," I told him, holding my hands up for him to see.

He didn't respond but instead tried to get me to quiet down.

"No," I said pushing off of him, "It's simple. Look, I say we go this way. So let's just walk and then we will find the exit."

It seemed very logical and I saw Fili nodding along.

"See! Goldilocks agrees with me!" I said, pointing at the blonde brother.

"Sh," He told me, putting a finger to my lips.

"No shove off! I'm being logical and you are just being annoying. Stop being such a grump. I am the only cool one here."

Finally fed up with my talking, Thorin put his hand over my mouth and looked out at the group, "We are being watched."