The One I'll Never Let Go Of (Kili fanfic)

Chapter Eleven- Unexpected Help and Expected Foes

I opened my eyes, wishing I was able to keep sleeping.
Kili had his face in my neck, his breath tickling my skin, and his arms wrapped tightly around me. I found that one of my hands was around the back of his neck, and the other tucked between the two of us.
For once, I didn't wake up shivering. His warmth was enough to keep me warm, even without a blanket.
I shifted closer to him, and felt him stir. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me tiredly. He gave me an exhausted, small smile.
"Good morning." I whispered.
"Morning." He said in his deeper morning voice.
I heard the others were already awake and talking quietly. I slowly pulled away from Kili and sat up against the stall while he lay there for a moment, trying to wake up.
I pulled my fingers through my hair and picked out several pieces of straw. I rubbed the dirt from my eyes and leaned back, tired.
I sat up, panicked, when the nausea washed over me.
Kili looked up at me, confused. "Are you alright?"
"I'm going to be sick."
I stood up and stumbled out of the pile of hay and hurried for the side door that led into a small clearing with a few trees. I tried not to run, and I tried to keep the bile down that built up in my throat.
"Well, good morning, Isola!" Bofur called.
"Morning." I said stiffly as I hurried out the the door that was already open. I barely noticed some of the dwarves who were outside, and I didn't pay attention to what they were doing.
I quickly rounded the corner of the barn where I was releived to find a cluster of bushes. I knelt down right as I felt my throat start to burn.
There wasn't many contents in my stomach, but what there was, all came up. And after it did, my body still tried to empty itself which left by back and ribs aching.
I sighed, and hung my head while my body shook.
This was miserable.
Once again, I covered the pile with as many leaves and as much dirt as I could. I wiped my face and was thanful to not find anything.
"Isola?" I turned my head to find Fili.
"Oh." I said. "Morning."
"Are you alright?" He asked concerned.
I stood up and dusted my dress and hands off. "I'm fine. This happened yesterday, too."
He still looked worried, so I walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Really. I'm fine."
He nodded. "Alright. If you ever need anything, let me know."
I gave a weak smile. "I will. Thanks."
Just then, I saw Kili walk out of the barn, and look around. When he spotted me, he hurried over.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine now."
Fili looked behind him. "Gandalf is trying to convince Thorin to let us ask for Beorn's help."
I paused. "What-"
"He's turned back into a man, now." Fili said.
Kili and I glanced at each other.
"What has Thorin said?" I asked.
"Nothing yet." He turned to look behind him. "But I think Gandalf is winning the argument."
I looked around the brothers to find Thorin basically glaring at Gandalf.
I glanced up at Kili to find him watching me, but he looked away quickly.
I was about to speak, when Bofur came up running.
"We'll be heading out soon to meat this man bear." He said out of breath, and then looked at me. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I just felt a bit sick."
"Oh." He nodded. "Do you want to eat?"
I hesitated. I did, but I didn't want to be sick again. I shrugged. "Maybe a little."
"Well let's go, then."
The four of us walked towards the others where they went back into the barn. Thorin and Gandalf continued to argue.
I looked around the group. "Where's Bilbo?" I asked.
"He's still asleep." Fili answered.
"Should I wake him...?" I said.
"Let him sleep. He seemed pretty tired last night." Bofur said.
"Speaking of, where were you last night?" Fili looked at me.
"And you?" Bofur looked at Kili with a mischivous grin.
Kili and I glanced at each other, just long enough to know neither of us were sure what to say.
"Kili was just patching up my back again. It got infected and took a while to clean up." I tried.
"And it took all night?" Fili joked.
I felt my face warming, and the awkward silence only made it worse.
I had no idea what to say.
"Well?" Fili prodded.
Kili walked past him, pushing a hand against his face. "Shut up, Fili."
I tried to cover my laugh.
"I say we should leave. Slip out the back way." I turned my attention to Nori.
Dwalin stepped in front of him and shoved him back. "I'm not running from anyone. Beast or no."
"I-" Nori shouted, attemting to fight.
"Theres no point in arguing." Gandalf said firmly. "We cannot pass through the wilderland without Beorn's help. You'll be hunted down."
Some dwarves groaned and rolled their eyes, unhappy.
I stood between Kili and Fili when I noticed Bilbo had woken up and slipped in next to Thorin.
"Ah, Bilbo. There you are." Gandalf said. "Now, this will require some delicate handling. We must tread very carefully." He walked over the the main door and looked out a window.
He turned back to us. "The last person who startled him, was torn to shreds."
I swallowed and noticed Kili and Thorin shared a look over Bilbo's head.
"Now, I will go first, and uh, Bilbo?" He pointed. "You come with me."
Bilbo hesitated. "Uh, no." He said quietly.
Thorin urged him on by tilting his head.
He walked foward. "Is...is...is this a good idea?"
"Yes, now the rest of you, just wait here, and don't come out until I give the signal." He said, mostly ignoring Bilbo's concern.
"Right, wait for the signal." Bofur nodded from the window.
"No, sudden moves, or loud noises, and don't over crowd him." Gandalf instructed. "And only come out in pairs."
We all nodded.
He moved to walk out the door when he turned back. "Actually Bombur, you count as two, so you should come out alone."
He nodded.
"Remeber, wait for the signal." He said before walking out the door with Bilbo.
"What signal would that be?" Bofur asked.
We all looked at each other, unsure.
I listened to the sound of wood being split as Bilbo and Gandalf walked out.
"Good morning!" We heard Gandalf call, but the sound of an axe meeting wood continued. We heard him try again, and then I only heard low voices which I couldn't make out.
It was quiet in the barn for a few minutes as we waited for the next group to go out.
After a while, Bofur spoke. "There it is, go, go!" He said.
And Dwalin and Balin walked out together. I heard them indroduce themselves.
"Go!" Bofur said.
And Oin and Gloin stepped out.
"Are you sure he's giving you the signal?" I whispered. "It seems a bit too fast."
"I'm sure. Go!" He waved on another duo which was Dori and Nori.
"Dori, and Nori, at your service." I heard Dori say.
"I don't want you service." Beorn raised his voice.
I stiffened.
I could tell this wasn't going well.
"Go, go!" Bofur said again.
Kili and Fili started walking out when Kili stopped and grabbed my hand.
I pulled back. "He said groups of two." I hissed.
"It's fine, come on." Fili stated.
I reuctantly followed the brothers out into the morning light.
"Oh, Fili, Kili and Isola. I almost forgot." Gandalf said.
I clenched my jaw at the sight of Beorn. He was by far the tallest man I had ever seen. He glared at the brothers for a moment, and then his face softened when he looked at me.
"Another halfling?" He asked.
"Oh yes, the cousin of Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf smiled and pat Bilbo on the back.
And just then, the other three dwarves stumbled out of the door way.
"Ah yes, there's Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur."
Beorn looked on our group with a hard look. "Is that it? Are there any more?"
And just then, Thorin walked calmly out of the door.
Beorn looked almost shocked to see him.
"Thorin Oakenshield." He said stiffly.
Gandalf looked uncomforable. "Yes. About that, we were wondering if we could possibly have your help."
Beorn looked over our group. "Come inside. I'll get some food for you and then we can talk."
Beorn turned and leed us to the main door for the house. When we walked in, I found his home very rustic, and cozy. A warm fire in the hearth was crackling in the corner.
We all took a seat at his table, and I sat between Kili and Fili at the end of the table. Beorn started pouring us all milk into large mugs.
"So you are the one they call Oakenshield." Beord said as he walked around the table. 'Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you."
I watched Thorin and Beorn carefully.
"You know of Azog. How?" Thorin turned to look at Beorn.
"My people were the first to live in the mountains. Before the orcs came down from the north, the Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work, you understand. But for sport."
I looked down at his wrists where metal cuffs were still fasntened tightly.
My heart broke for him.
"Caging skin changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him."
"There are others like you?" I looked over at Bilbo.
Beorn poured Ori some milk, then looked at Bilbo.
"Once there were many." He said and turned away.
"And now?" Bilbo asked.
"Now, there is only one."
Azog killed them all.
I looked at Kili, and he looked back at me.
Maybe Azog was more powerful than I had thought.
I remebered back to Balin's words. That Azog's goal was to wipe out the line of Durin. At the time, that meant Thorin. But now, since he was still alive that meant Fili.
That meant Kili.
The thought bothered me to the deepest part of my soul and body.
"You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn." Beorn old us.
"Before Durin's day falls, yes." Gandalf agreed.
"You are running out of time."
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf stated.
Beorn watched Gandalf. "A darkness lies upon that forest." He looked to the rest of us. "Fell things creep beneath those trees."
"There is an alliance between the orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldar. I would not venture there, exept in great need." HE continued and looked back to Gandalf.
"We will take the elven road." Gandalf gave a half smile. "That path is still safe."
I noticed Thorin shift in his seat, uncomforable with what I figured a possible encounter with more elves.
"Safe?" Beorn nearly scoffed. "The wood elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They are less wise and more dangerous."
Thorin walked away and faced the wall.
"But it matters not." Beorn added.
Thorin turned. "What do you mean?"
"These lands are crawling with orcs. There numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive."
I looked to Gandalf, unable to read his expression.
This wasn't good news, and I didn't have to look behind me to know that Thorin would not be pleased."
Beorn stood up, and ducked under a beam. "I don't like dwarves. They are greedy. And blind. Blind to the lives they deem lesser than their own." He said, picking up a mouse.
If Beorn was wrong about one thing, I knew it was what he had just said.
The dwarves were anything but greedy, and they cared.
They cared so much it could be dangerous.
He walked up to Thorin with the mouse in his hand. For a moment I though he would crush it in his hand of eat it, but he gently set it down.
"But orcs I hate more." He told Thorin. "What do you need?"
Thorin looked at Gandalf with what seemed to be a releived look, then he turned back to Beorn.
"Food, ponies, fresh water."
Beorn nodded. "That I can do." He looked around the group, his eyes resting on me and Bilbo for just a moment longer.
"I have one question." He looked at Gadalf. "Why the halflings?"
For some reason my heart started racing at being the center of the topic.
"Well." Gandalf gave a slight smile and tilted his head. "For one, their scent is one that is unfarmiliar to the beast in the mountain. They will be a great help in sneaking past the dragon. But they have also served to be a gift to the company in more than just taking back Erebor. They are quite pleasant to have around."
I smiled and looked down at his words.
He thought of us as more than just a tool.
Beorn nodded and looked back at me. "You have much courage, I can tell."
I was suprisedby his words at first. "Oh, thank you. But I think Bilbo's the one with more courage." I looked at him. "I wanted to come along. But Bilbo was the one who wanted to stay home, yet he left eveything behind for the sake of reclaiming Erebor." I smiled at Bilbo. "He's the courageous one."
He looked between us. "You both are selfless. That kind of behaviour does not go unnoticed."
He turned to Thorin. "I'll show you to the ponies."
As he walked out the door, we all stood up and followed him the the back of the barn where maybe two dozen ponies were grazing in a pasture.
After we had rounded them all up, we saddled them and loaded Fili's with a few sacks of food.
When we had mounted, Beorn looked at us. "Set them free when you get to the edge of the forest. They will find their way home."
Gandalf nodded. "Thank you for your help."
"Good luck." Beorn said, and we let the ponies start walking.
After we had ridden for a few minutes, I looked behind me to see Beorn in his bear form watching us from this hillside.
I gave him a small wave as a silent 'thank you.'
After a while, Kili rode up next to me and gave me a smile.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm good." I answered with a small grin before looking foward, where I could just barely make out the tree line. "What do you think the forest is like?"
He looked ahead. "I have no idea." He said. "It sounds almost posessed."
"It does." I agreed.
"Oh, I almost forgot." He starting digging through the pockets of his cloak. "Where di I put it?" He mumbled to himself.
"Ah." He pulled out a purple flower and handed it to me.
I smiled. "Thank you."
He gave me a cheeky smile.
"What?" I laughed.
"You know when and where I got it?"
I gave him a hesitant look. "What? Beorn's garden?"
He chuckled. "I did think about that, but no. When we were running from him through the meadow full of flowers yesterday."
I laughed and pulled out my book to put it away.
"So it was picked in danger." I smiled. "Thank you."
I tucked it into the pages as Kili looked away, seeming embarassed.
We rode for quite awhile in silence, probably dreading what we would find in the forest. I knew Thorin was anticipating an encounter with the elves, but I knew there was something else in everyone's minds.
What were the fell things?
So far, there had been no sign of orcs anywhere, but regardless, we kept as steady pace and did not plan to stop and eat. I felt my stomach growling, but decided not to say anything.
I would be alright until we got the the forest.
But a small voice in the back of my head told me to eat, and for a short minute, I confused myself, until I remembered.
I had another body to feed.
I moved my pony up next to Fili's who carried the bags of food.
He smiled at me. "Isola."
I smiled back. "Normally I wouldn't ask this, but I need to eat something."
A bright look of understanding came over his face. "Oh right! I should have asked you." He turned and grabbed a sack. "What dod you want?"
"Just a handful of whatever."
He gave me a joking look of disaproval. "Just a handful?" He handed me the whole sack. "Just take it and eat what you want. When you're done, keep it with you."
I chuckled. "Alright. Thanks Fili."
"Well I would like some food, too, thanks for offering." Bofur whined.
Fili glared at him. "You're fine. Isola's got a whole other stomach to fill."
I laughed and dropped back to ride next to Kili.
"Are you feeling alright?" He asked me.
I nodded and smiled. "Just hungry."
I opened the sack and found it fill mostly with some apples and dried fruits.
Glancing around, I whispered. "Kili."
When he looked over, I tossed him an apple.
He caught it and gave me a look before tossing it back. "You keep it, I don't need it."
"Yeah, but you're hungry." I tossed it back to him.
A small smirk grew on his face. "And how would you know?"
"I can just tell."
He threw the apple over. "Keep it. You might need it later."
I was about to open my mouth and toss it again when Bofur turned and gave us a fake scowl. "If you keep arguing over an apple, I will come back there and take if for myself."
Kili and I looked at each other and tried not to laugh.
I took a bite out of it, seeing Kili wouldn't take it. I was slightly soft and bruised, but nontheless, it satisfied my current hunger pains.
"You two, I swear, act just like children." Fili remarked.
"Exept when they don't." Bofur winked at us.
I covered my embarassed smile by taking another bite of apple. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kili's cheeks turn pink.
"What? Nothing to say to that?" He taunted.
Kili and I shared a look.
"Have you ever been with a woman?" I challenged jokingly.
Bofur hesitated. "Well, no, but-"
"Then Kili is already ahead of you."
Fili and Bofur laughed, and then stopped, turning to stare at Kili.
"You made it offcial, then?" Fili whisper shouted.
Bofur's smile grew.
I covered my mouth.
Oops.
When no one said anything, Fili looked at me. "He did, didn't he?"
I glanced at Kili to find him struggling to hide a smirk.
I shrugged. "Well-"
"He did!" Bofur said and laughed.
Fili shook his head and smiled at me.
I turned to Kili with a slight smile. "Sorry." I mouted with raised shoulders.
He let out a breathy laugh and shook his head. "If it wasn't now, it would have been soon anyways."
Bofur and Fili dropped back to ride next to us.
"We're happy for you." Bofur said.
"I knew the whole time." Fili said proudly.
"Did you?" Bofur leaned foward to look at Fili.
Fili a gave a slight, smug nod.
I felt my face grow hot from being the center of attention. "Is there anything else you guys want to talk about?"
Everyone laughed.
"But in all seriousness, Isola, we're lucky to have you." Fili said.
I smiled. "Thank you. I'm just glad Gandalf asked me to come. I can't imagine what my life would be like without all of you."
My eyes rested on Kili for just a second longer than everyone else.
Bofur was about to open his mouth, when we noticed everone slowing down, and eventually stop. We all looked foward to find that we had made it to the edge of the forest.
As soon as I laid eyes on it, I could feel a differance in the air. It was dark, and heavy, and if it had a smell, if would be foul and bitter.
When we stopped, we all dismounted and looked into the woods.
I noticed old rotten remains or an arch, which GAndalf walked up to.
"The elven gate. Here lies the pathe through Mirkwood." He said and turned to face us.
"No sign of orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master."
We all unsaddled our horses and took all of the gear off, and Bilbo looked into the forest.
"The forest feels sick. Like a disease lies upon it." He turned to Gandalf. "Is there no other way around?"
"Not unless we go two hundren miles north, and twice that didstance, south."
This forest was massive.
As we continiued to unload, I noticed Gandalf wandering into the treeline a bit.
I slung my bow and quiver over my shoulder and refastened my belt and sword. I dug through my bag to make sure I had all of my things.
Nori had started to release the ponies when Gandalf hurried out of the trees.
"Not my horse! I need it!"
"Are you leaving?" I asked, worried.
He was really the only one I felt could get us through the forest.
"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said, and stopped in front of Bilbo, looking down at him.
"You have changed, Bilbo Baggins. You are not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire."
I could see Bilbo tense up. He looked at Gandalf for a moment, frozen, before speaking.
"I was going to tell you."
I tilted my head, watching him carefully, wondering what he was going to say.
Gandalf waited.
"I," Bilbo started, then gave an awkward, uncomfortable smile. "I found something in the goblin tunnels."
"Found what?" Gandalf asked, leaning in. "What did you find?"
It took Bilbo a minute to speak. "My courage." He finally said.
Gandalf pulled back, and a slow smile grew on his face.
But I knew Bilbo was lying.
"Good, well that's good! You're going to need it." He said as he turned away, and Bilbo's smile fell.
It had started to rain, so everyone pulled their hoods up as Gandalf made for his horse. I glanced over at Bilbo and him and I met eyes.
I could tell that he knew I knew he was lying, but neither of us said anything.
"I'll be waiting for you at the Overlook before the slopes of Erebor." Gandalf told Thorin. "Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me."
Thorin nodded, but somehow I felt he was going to ignore Gandalf's orders like he did in the Misty Mountains.
"This is not the Greenwood of old." He continued. "The evry air is heavy with allusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."
Gandalf mounted his horse.
"Lead us astray...what does that mean?" Bilbo asked.
"Stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again."
He wheeled his horse around and started riding off. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!" He called.
After he left, it was quiet and we all looked at each other, unsure of what to say or think.
Thorin spoke. "Come on. We must reach Erebor before the sun sets on Durin's day. It is our only chance to find the hidden door into the mountain. We have three days to cross the forest."
Reluctantly, we all followed him into the trees with our gear. I walked behind Fili and in front of Kili.
I somehow always managed to end up in between the two.
As soon as we walked in, I felt the air change, and get heavier. It already seemed to be playing tricks on my mind, but I played it off and told myself it was just my imagination.
As we walked deeper in, the light from day grew dimmer until it was a sick color of green through the trees. We passed through tunnels carved into tree trunks, and walked on a stone path covered in fallen leaves.
Up ahead, Thorin called out. "The path turns this way. Follow me."
Like any of us plan to do anything else.
I paused.
I didn't usually think like that.
"Excuse me?" Thorin turned and glared at me.
"What?" I asked, confused.
Oh.
I had said it out loud.
"What?" He jeered. "Since when do you talk like that?"
I looked down. "Sorry, I didn't think I had actually said it."
"But you were still thinking it, which is a problem." He shot back, and started walking towards me.
I backed up, when Dwalin stopped him.
"Give the lass a break. Let's just keep going."
Thorin gave me another angry glance before he turned and kept leading us down the path.
I blinked a few times, confused at what had just happened.
I could have sworn I had only said that in my head.
What else was I saying out loud?
We walked through the thick vines of the trees and down a small ravine.
"Air." Bofur said. "I need some air."
"My head, it's swimming. What's happening?" Oin added.
I felt exactly as they had said.
Suffocated and confused.
"Keep moving! Nori, why have we stopped." I heard Thorin.
I wasn't even aware that Nori had taken the lead.
"The path, it's dissapeared."
It couldn't have just dissapeared, it was obvoiusly lost.
Several dwarves looked back at me.
I stopped realising what had happened, again.
I covered my mouth. "Sorry."
"What's going on?" Dwalin called.
"We've lost the path." Oin answered.
"Find it, all of you, look! Look for the path!" Thorin said urgently.
I started walking away to look when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
"I would rather if you didn't" Kili said.
"And why not?"
He tilted his head. "Because, you're not thinking right."
"Well, no one else is either."
"Just come with me. We'll look together."
We walked away from the others, just enough to look in a new spot. We cleared leaves and branches from the ground, but didn't find anything.
I groaned. "This is ridiculous."
"You sound ridiculous." Kili said while clearing the ground with his foot.
I stopped and looked at him.
"Well you look ridiculous." I retorted.
He turned to face me. "And you-"
Kili was cut off by Fili shouting at us. "Will you both shut up?"
We turned to look at him, and he gave us an annoyed look.
Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed. And it was funny, but at the moment I found no humor in anything.
"I don't remeber any of this. None of it's farmiliar." Balin called out.
"It's got to be here!" Dori said.
"What hour is it?" I heard Thorin ask.
"I don't not know. I don't even know what day it is." Dwalin answered.
"Is there no end to this accursed forest?" Thorin almost complained.
"Only trees and more trees." Gloin said.
We walked for a bit more, which I wasn't sure how long it was, until Ori picked up a pouch off the ground.
"Look." He said, almost in awe.
"A tobacco pouch." Dori took it from him. "There's dwarves in these woods."
Bofur took the pouch. "Dwarves from the Blue Mountains no less. This is exactly like mine!"
"Because it yours. Do you understand?" Bilbo snapped. "We'r going round in circles, we are lost."
"We're not lost. We keep heading east." Thorin said.
"Well which way is east?" Bofur asked. "We've lost the sun."
Bilbo and I immediatly looked at each other, thinking the same thing.
"The sun." We said at the same time and looked up.
"We need to findte sun." He said.
"The trees." I suggested.
"Good. Yes." He got a look of hope on his face. "We need to get above the canopy!" He tried to tell the others, but just then, they all errupted into an argument.
I jumped out of the way when they all came towards Bilbo and I, but someone still managed to trip me and I landed on my rear end.
For just a split second, Kili glanced at me and moved around Fili to yell at Ori who had accidentally knocked me down.
I quickly stood up and dusted my self off, watching the men yell and shove each other. Bilbo and I shared a look. Some even looked ready to throw fists.
I fliched when I heard Thorin yell.
"Enough! Quiet, all of you!"
Everyone stopped and looked at Thorin.
"We are being watched."
Just then Bilbo grabbed my hand and we started hurrying up into a tree. It was covered in massive cobwebs which were sticky. The large roots however, made the tree somewhat easy to climb, and we had made it far in only a minute.
Soon, we started seeing the bright orange leaves.
"Come on, we're almost there." Bilbo said from above me.
We hurried up into the leaves and came up into the fresh breeze. It took my lungs a moment to adjust to the new, better air. But when they did, I took in lungfuls of it.
Bilbo and I were both releived and looked at each other, laughing.
"Oh, this is so much better." I said.
And just then beautiful blue butterflies emerged from the leaves, and ther must have been thousands of them.
We laughed again and looked into the sky, when we noticed the sun.
"There is is." I said.
"I...I can see a lake!" Bilbo tried calling down to the others. "And the river!"
I pushed some branches down. "And the Lonely Mountain!" I said happily.
"We're almost there!" He yelled down.
But no one answered.
"Can you hear us?" I called.
"We know which way to go!" Bilbo said, exited. "Hello?"
Still, there was no answer. We looked at each other, and just then, we heard the cracking of trees.
I saw something big moving under the leaves, shaking the trees and even knocking some down.
"What is that?" I asked.
"I...I dont know." He grew stiff.
"We should go." I urged Bilbo down.
We ducked back under the canopy and looked around for a moment.
"We need to tell the others that somethings is out there." I said.
"Yes, yes we do." He answered.
But as we tried to moved down the tree, Bilbo's foot got caught in a web, and he fell foward.
"Oh no." He said. "Oh come on."
I had caught him, but onlt momentarily as his feet slipped. We both let out shouts of fear as we fell together. I felt my limbs getting caught in all of the webbing as it felt like my stomach might fly out of my body.
I felt myself crash into several branches which caused jolts of pain to go through my body. I was finally able to catch a branch juts as Bilbo did too.
We struggled to hold on, but as we did, to my right, through a thick wall of web, I saw the biggest spider I had even imagined possible creeping towards us.
I felt my blood run cold at the sight of it.
I bared it fangs and let out a loud growl.
I screamed and let go of the branch and continued falling. When I hit the ground, I landed on something somewhat soft, and bouncy. Trying to move away, I found I had landed on a web and was stuck to it. I felt my heart start racing as I watched the spider from above climbing down closer.
I tried to yank my arms free, but I found I was firmly stuck. All I could do was watch the creature come for me. And then I noticed a second spider coming down above Bilbo, and before I knew it, he was spinning Bilbo into a sack.
"Bilbo!" I shrieked, and tried even harder to get away.
But the spider jumped down above me and I screamed again. I vaguely heard voices in the distance calling out what sounded like my name, but all I could really focus on was the white web that was being thrown around me, encasing me in a thick layer.
It was getting hard to breath, and I couldn't see a thing. I felt the spider carry me and occasionally toss me, until I felt myself hanging and swinging in the air. It felt like I had been suspeneded in the trees.
My breathing sounded raspy as I tried to conserve my oxygen, which wasn't working well. It was so dark, I could even see my hands in front of my face.
I stopped.
My hands.
I could move them.
Maybe I could reach my sword.
I worked my arms down to my side and grasped the handle of my sword, and tried to pull, but I found it to be stuck between my leg and the web. I tried a minute more before the strength in my arms gave out.
I took in deep breaths, starting to panic.
I hoped the other had gotten away.
But I had a feeling they didn't.
All around me I could hear the sounds of the trees creaking and the spiders crawling around. I froze everytime one came near me, hoping I wasn't it's next meal.
I could also hear them spinning more web, which told me they had found other sources of food, which could mean the dwarves.
It was mostly quiet for a while, then I heard the most aweful shreiking noise coming from just below me. I stiffened and waited, hearing more sounds of agony, and what seemed to be the sound of a sword.
I held still, listening carefully.
I heard crashing, and then grunting.
"Bilbo!" I hissed. "Bilbo?"
"Isola?"
"I'm up here! Get me down!" I tried moving around in the sack so he could see me.
"Hold on. I'm coming." He answered.
"Hurry!" I urged, running out of clean air.
Then I heard what must have been at least six other spiders crawling towards us.
I held still.
After a few minutes, I tried talking again.
"Bilbo?"
"I'm here. I'm trying to find a way up." I heard him whisper.
I heard him throw something to distract the spiders in the distance, then I heard him coming up the tree next to me.
"Please hurry." I said.
I was running out of air.
I heard him right next to me, and then the slicing of the web. I felt myself fall a ways , and started sliding down the branch before he caught me and pulled me back up.
He tore away the the webbing that surrounded my body. I sucked in the fresh air and frantically ripped away the web.
"Thank you." I whispered as I stood up and pulled the rest off.
"Come on. We have to help the others." He said, helping me up.
I pulled out my sword, hearing a spider nearby, and also the grunting of one of the drwaves. Bilbo saw it first and slammed his blade down on it's head.
It let out a shriek of pain and tried coming at him. I swung my sword up and sliced off one of it's legs, and Bilbo cutting off the other.
It charged for us and we both shoved our blades into it's skull.
It shocked me by talking.
"Its stings, stings like poison!" It cried and fell to the ground.
We pulled out our swords as it fell and looked at each other, shock and fear evident in his eyes, and probably mine.
"Sting." He almost laughed.
"And poison." I said.
He looked at me and we chuckled.
"I think we just found our swords names." I said.
"I think so." He replied. "They are good names."
"Come on. Let's cut the others down." I said.
One by one, we found and counted thirteen bodies hanging from the trees. I grimaced as we cut them down and they fell to the ground, hitting branches on the way.
After we had found them all, we hurried down the tree and started to help pull off the webs.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked.
They all groaned and sat up, wiping the white substance off their faces.
"We're fine lass. Thanks to you and Bilbo." Bofur said.
"Isola, are you alright?"
I turned to find Kili walking towards me. He grasped my by my arms and watched me.
I let out a sigh at the sight of him.
"Just a few bruises. Nothing too bad. Are you ok?"
He nodded, but before he could speak, Thorin called out.
"We need to get out of the cursed place. Let's go!"
He started to run, and we all followed him, when another spider appeared in front of us. We all prepared to take if down, when I noticed an shiny arrow fly through it's head.
I pulled back in confusion.
It wasn't my arrow and it wasn't Kili's either.
Then I remembered, this forest was home to elves.
We all looked up into the trees, and I saw a tall, blond elf jump through the braches, kiling spiders on his way down, before he slid to a stop in front of us. He knocked and drew another arrow, aiming it directly at Thorin's face. I was froze with shock as I was shoved to the middle of the group, where I couldn't see anything over the dwarves anymore.
And before I knew it, there were several other brown haired elves that had come up and pointed their bows at us.
"Do not think I will not kill you dwarf, it would be my pleasure." Said the blond.
Just then I heard a scream from in the trees.
Fili and I looked at each other.
"Kili!" We both yelled.
I shoved my way through the dwarves bodies and ran for the directin of the sound. I heard Fili close behind me, but then he stopped, but I didn't
"Dont move!" Someone screamed at me, but I didn't listen.
I kept moving until I felt a searing pain on my calf. I dropped my my knees, and found that someone's arrow had grazed my leg.
I grit my teeth, but was brough back to reality when I heard Kili scream again.
I scrambled up and kept running, I saw him, on the ground with a spider over him. Without realizing, I pulled out my bow and knocked an arrow and shot the spider right in the head.
I nearly froze in shock, having not expected to hit the creature.
"Isola, behind you!" Kili shouted.
I turned right as another spider jumped down on top of me, sending me to my back and knocking the breath out of my lungs.
I heard Kili run towards me, but I was able to pull my sword out of it's sheath and shove it up into the spider's stomach, but it wasn't enough to kill it.
I cried out in frustration and as I felt my strength giving out.
To my releif, the weight of the spider was pulled off me and Kili brought his sword down over it's neck, slicing it almost off.
"Look out!" I screamed, and pointed behind him at an approaching spider.
He swung around and planted his sword right into it's face. It fell away, and he jerked his sword out.
He leaned his head back, out of breath, and looked at me in almost shock.
"Are you alright?" He panted.
I nodded, and leaned over. "You?"
He looked at me. "Yeah."
I straightened my back and went to turn to look for more spiders, but instead was met with a sharp arrow touching the tip of my nose.
I froze, and tried to back up.
"If you move another inch, this arrow will go through you're skull." An elf growled.
"You too." I heard another say to Kili harshly.
"Follow me." A third elf demanded.
I glanced back at Kili, who seemed to be trying to form an escape plan. He looked at me with wide eyes before I turned and follwed the elf.
As soon as we made it back to the rest of the group, the blond elf called out.
"Search them!"
Imediatly my sword was pulled from my sheath, and my bow and quiver from my shoulder. Than my bag was ripped of my other shoulder and the elf started digging through it's contents.
He pulled out my elvish book and looked at it before looking down at me with a raised brow.
"A halfling, learning Sindarin." He mocked.
"Put it back." I growled. "There's no weapons in my bag."
He scoffed, but put it back in the bag. He finished patting me down, which made me want to shove my sword that I didn't have through his neck.
Seeing I had nothing else on me, he started walking away with my bag.
"I want that back!" I snapped.
He looked at me, unamused, before turning to the blond elf, who watched me for a moment before nodding. He held it out and I jerked it out of his hands.
I didn't understand how Thorin disliked the elves of Rivendell. But we shared the same hatred for the elves of Mirkwood.
After we had been searched, someone handed the blond elf Thorin's sword. He admired it, and said some things in elvish, then looked at Thorin.
"Where did you get this?" The elf asked.
"It was given to me." He answered stiffly.
The elf watched him before swinging the blade around and putting on Thorin's throat.
"Not just a theif." He said. "But a liar as well."
I fliched as he shouted something in elvish and we were shoved and ordered to walk.
"Thorin?" Bofur whispered. "Where's Bilbo?"
Thorin and I looked around. I hadn't even noticed him slip away.
Again.
"Move!" I was shoved and almost stumbled.
I follwed the other through the rest of the forest until we walked out of the tree line and across a bridge. I looked up at the massive castle that stood before me. I felt my mouth part at the sight as we crossed the bridge.
The was the kingdom of Mirkwood.

Ok, first thing, I want to apologize for taking so long to get this out. Mentally, I have not been in a great place and have had no motivation to write. But I hope the wait is worth it for you guys.
As always, thanks for reading, and love you all!