THE CELESTIAL AND THE COMPANY *A Hobbit fanfic*

Chapter 14; Travel through Mirkwood

*Author's note*

Now this was certainly an interesting chapter to write because I really tried to get the strain of dark madness magic that's affected Mirkwood and have it be affect Hela as well without her realizing it, in case if anything's unclear, the next chapter will hopefully clear the air as to why a random fight scene is added here. Hope you enjoy this chapter and the next chapter after that my dears.

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We rode over the hills of the Wilderland and within several hours we finally reached the forests of Mirkwood. The woods I once saw as a child that was filled with lush green leaves during the summer, and in the autumn it's beauty could rival that of Rivendell's autumn glow. But since the start of the 3rd Age, the forest has greatly changed and not for the better.

The trees were barren of even a single lush green leaf, and the trunks sucked of any rich nutrients. The whole forest had fallen sick and had an aurora of darkness about it. Gandalf got off his horse and together the two of us walked and stood at the Elven gate.

Any leaves that were there had been dried and left there to rot on the ground like an infected wound. Dried up vines twisted over the stone statues, including over the very figurine of Thranduil's beloved Queen, Calen.

"The Elven gate." Gandalf softly spoke.

"It's a shame of how greatly this once lush forest has fallen." I said to Gandalf in Elvish.

"Yes. Especially after Thranduil's wife was lost to him. She was the caretaker of this forest and all its creatures." Gandalf said back to me in Elvish. He turned to the company and said, "Here lies our path through Mirkwood."

"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said as he unmounted himself from his pony followed by the rest. Gandalf and I looked outward and saw on top of a cliff Beorn in his bear form.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf told the company. He walked further into the gate and I heard Bilbo say as he walked up to me.

"This forest feels—sick. As if a disease lies upon it."

"Yes Bilbo. This forest has greatly suffered through this pass Age. If Cersei were to see what became of this once greenwood forest, she would be heartbroken. For she helped forge the Greenwood to be as grand as it once was when Oropher first settled here."

"Is there nothing you could do to heal this forest? I mean, you-you do have your sister's elemental magic after all." Bilbo asked me.

"Yes. However to heal this entire forest would drain every ounce of my strength. Even if I could help heal this forest I do not have the strength to do so. Remember back at the Misty mountains? And that was just with one tree alone." He looked down solemnly remembering that night when we first ran into Azog. I patted his back comfortingly.

"Well if Hela's healing magic is out of the question, is there no way around?"

I do not blame Bilbo's hesitance for entering this forest. For the sickness is oozing out a dark energy that was even making me hesitant to walk through. I could hear the trees creaking and groaning and dark whispers echoing through the darkness.

"Not unless we go 200 miles north or twice that distance south." Gandalf told Bilbo as he stepped further into the Elven gate. I looked into the forest and could hear the whispers growing louder, some were even calling my name. My mind went fuzzy as they kept saying my name along with some words I could barely make out.

"Hela? Hela?!" I snapped out of my daze to see Fili at my side. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yes Fili I'm fine." I said with a tight smile. He looked at me skeptically before returning back to Kili and gathering his weapons. I walked over to the brothers and said to Fili. "You should really teach me how to hide that many weapons on my person. I still don't understand how you've managed to do it."