SoulBlind

Chapter 9

Beorn had come home at some point in the night and when we woke he was kind enough to feed us. After that Gandalf and I managed to convince him to help us. With the orcs on our trail we wouldn't make to Mirkwood. So just like in the movies he gave us horses. I had never...in my life...ridden a horse. But I managed. There were a few near accidents, and the dwarves mocked me but we made it to Mirkwood just fine.

Bilbo was very hesitant and so was I. I could feel the sickness, like it was thick choking fog.

"Can we not go around?" Bilbo asked.

"No. And trust me this....is going to be a tough ride. But we will be fine. Maybe with me we won't lose the trail." I said.

"You don't want to lose the path." Gandalf said hopping back onto his horse.

"Wait are you leaving?" Bilbo asked a bit panicked.

"He has to. There's more going on than meets the eye. And if he doesn't go...we will be doomed in the future." I said before Gandalf could reply. "Be careful." I warned him before he took off.

I shuttered as I looked at Mirkwood. I hated spiders. I honestly hated them.

"Come on. We should dally any longer."  Thorin said, taking lead.

I walked behind Thorin.

"Maybe you should lead. You would know the route wouldn't you?" Thorin said, looking at me over his shoulder.

I scoffed. "First off, we got lost in the movies so...no. And two I'm colorblind, all this is grey. The trail? Yeah it just blends in. The only thing I think I can help with is making sure you stay in your right mind so you not lose it."

"You haven't met your soul mate yet?" Thorin said intrigued.

I sighed...coma dream, just go with it. "No. I haven't."

"I have." Thorin said glancing to Bilbo.

"Oh?" I pretended not to notice but the fan girl in me was screaming. "That must be nice."

"Yeah." He said before going quiet.

I glanced between them both. Bilbo must know. His colorblindness would have gone away too right? And if so... oh my god. That's why Bilbo changed his mind and came running to be part of the company. And Thorin must be a bit weirded out so he resents him. I'm pretty sure my inner fan girl had just fainted at this realization. I let out a sigh and just did my best not to freak out.

We were quite a ways in when I noticed my eyes felt heavier than normal and it started to feel a bit like I was drunk.

"We're still on the path right?" I asked.

Dwalin tapped the ground, to find the hard stone path. I let out a sigh of relief at the clinking sound.

"Okay...good." I smiled.

As we walked the feeling only got worse, and I found it hard to focus. I kept drifting in and out of a day dream. It was nothing in particular, mostly movie scenes. I kept telling myself I needed to mention the path and then I'd get sucked into imagining I said it and how that might go. Then I'd wonder what it was going to be like to meet Thranduil. And then I'd remind myself we were avoiding that by not getting lost. And then the loop would start again.

The feeling and the loop was just starting to get sickening when Thorin stopped.

"What is it?" I asked shaking my head to try and shake this feeling.

"The path. It's gone."

"What?" Ori said fearfully.

"Quick! Find the path!" Dwalin yelled.

"Damn it.."I mutter to myself. I had to sit down. I had to get my bearings.

I sat and tried deep breaths, then popping my ears, massaging my temple, etc. nothing helped. Bilbo sat next to me in a daze. He was plucking at something. It took a few head shakes for me to realize what it was.

"No.." I grabbed his hand. "Don't touch that."

"Why not?"

"The spiders...they'll come..." I said swallowing hard as my body ached to vomit. "We need to climb. We need to find a direction." I said laying back and closing my eyes.

"We have to find the sun...." Bilbo said.

I heard Bilbos steps wandering away as my drifted again. Then it started spinning, everything was spinning. Why was I spinning? Was I waking up from my coma? I don't want to. I'm not ready...