Adventures Of The Powerful, Strong, and Desperate

Chapter 12 Things Go South

Allie

~~~

Master Beorn it appears we have matching jewelry," I observe and hold up my cuffed wrist. Instantly a look of sympathy crosses his face.

"So Azog cuffed you too little one," Beorn states.

"Yes and no normal human blacksmith can get it off even the dwarves failed," I report and frown at it. "I've been cuffed before and this feels more permanent."

"It must have traces of black magic like mine. I'm afraid you're stuck with it until you can get an elvish blacksmith to help," Beorn explains.

"Great," I sigh.

I wake up to a fuzzy and blurry world. Slowly I get up and look around. The company is already up and on the move. I quickly rush to keep up.

The day goes on trees are evil they keep whispering to me about trolls and fairies. I also keep seeing hallucinations of Grace and Thorin talking civilly.

"Air...I need air" Bofur whines.

"My head, it's spinning! What's happening?" Oin asks.

"Keep moving," Thorin orders.

"Look a fairy," I mumble and take a few steps off the path. There's a nice fairy beckoning to me just behind that tree.

"Allie no," Thorin chides and grabs my arm. I yawn and nod before walking back on the path only to ram into Bofur who's standing in front of me.

"Nori, why have you stopped?" Thorin barks at Nori who is leading the line. Thorin drags me to the front of the line and shakes Nori's shoulder.

"The path, it's disappeared!" Nori exclaims gesturing to the pathless ground.

"What's going on?" Ori asks.

"Nothing Ori do not worry," Dwalin murmurs to Ori. Dwalin is always looking out for the young dwarf.

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

"Find it. All of you, look!" Thorin orders. I look about curiously at the trees.

"Come here there's a river," one tree whispers. I tilt my head and walk towards it after shaking Thorins arm off.

"Look for the path!" Dwalin shouts and the dwarves rush about in every direction. I just go up and look beyond the tree that whispered to me.

"I don't remember this place, none of it's familiar," Balin observes.

"It's got to be here!" Dori complains.

Seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours. A mere moment seems like an eternity.

"What hour is it?" Lacy asks aloud.

"I don't know, I don't even know what day it is," Dwalin replies.

"Is there no end to this accursed forest!" Kili screams. I look left when I hear a strumming noise and see Bilbo plucking at a huge spiderweb. I feel like I should be worried but I'm not. I just keep walking past each tree.

"Come closer," another tree beckons. So I do, I walk as if in a haze. That's when I find it, a running river. Across it I see the path continue. But there's no bridge.

"Thorin look!" I say loudly and point. Thorin instantly appears by my side.

"We need to cross it" Thorin whispers. "EVERYONE COME QUICKLY." The company one by one walks up and stares at the river.