Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Twenty Four]

The wizard climbed off his horse and walked towards a stone pathway with an arch hanging over it that led the way into Mirkwood.

" Here lies out path through Mirkwood." Gandalf informed.

" No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin stated feeling hopeful that they had escaped Azog and his pack for now. The wizard starred off in the distance. The dwarves and the two hobbit's dismounted from the ponies and gathering their supplies, s

" Set the ponies loose! Let them return to their master." Gandalf demanded, remembering he gave his word to the Skin-Changer.

" This forest feels sick. " Bilbo stated as he approached the gate into the forest. " As if a disease lies upon it." Freya quickly joined her cousin's side starring into the forest. The trees bent in disturbing, unwelcome shapes and forms, sending warnings to not enter. " Is there no way around?" Bilbo dared to ask, not wanting to go any further.

" Not unless we go two hundred miles north. " The woman interrupted and her cousin gave her a weary look.

" Or twice that distance south. " The wizard added as he walked under the arch, and down some steps. Bilbo sighed realizing their fastest route was through the forest. The dwarves started removing their satchels from the ponies. The dwarves released the ponies and they started galloping the way back home. The young woman saw Gandalf was hurrying out of the forest with a determined, serious expression. Nori was about to release the wizards horse.

" Not my horse! I need it!" Gandalf shouted. The dwarves started murmuring their disappointments about the wizard leaving them.

" You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked in a worried tone. The wizard approached the two hobbits.

" I would not do this unless I had to. " Gandalf insisted, Bilbo looked down in frustration. The wizard noticed and turned to face him. " You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire. " Bilbo thought about this for a second. Did the wizard know something about what he found when he was separated from the dwarves and his cousin in Goblin Town.

" I was going to tell you." Bilbo began, Freya was only a few feet away, but listening to every word. " I-I found something in the goblin tunnels."

" Found what?" Bilbo was hesitant, feeling the ring that laid safely in his pocket and it changed his mind. " What did you find?" The wizard pressed.

" My courage." The hobbit stated as his hand finally came out of his pocket. Freya looked up to the cloudy sky when she felt a rain drop land on her forehead and it started sprinkling. The wizard looked a little disappointed knowing that wasn't what the hobbit initially was going to say.

" Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it." The wizard stated and Bilbo half smiled. Freya turned to her cousin and looked at him oddly. Something in the wizards tone hinted that he knew more than what he was saying. Gandalf made his way over to the group of dwarves. " I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe." The wizard pressed, looking directly at Thorin. " Do not enter that mountain without me."

Thorin nodded to Gandalf that he understood. Some of the dwarves began to protest to the wizard abandoning them again. " How are we supposed to find our way through this forest?" Dori shrieked. The wizard turned to look at him.

" Encase you all have forgotten, their is someone among you that is familiar with this forest and knows what path to stay on." The wizard stated. Thorin and the others immediately look in the woman's direction.

" B-but--" Freya begun only to be cut off by Gandalf, not giving her a chance to speak. The woman knew of the dark enchantments that lingered over this forest and that it was easy to lose your way, but that was only what she read in books.

" This is not the Greenwood of old. There is a stream in the woods that carries a dark enchantment. Do not touch the water. Cross only by the stone bridge. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." The wizard explained.

" Lead us astray"?" Bilbo repeated looking at the wizard and then at his cousin confused. " What does that mean?"

" You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." The wizard warned, looking at them all. Gandalf begins to gallop away and shouts behind him. " No matter what may come, stay on the path!"

" Come on. We must reach the mountain. Before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin insisted, making his way through the dwarves and stopped beside Balin and Freya. " It is our one chance to find the hidden door."

" Lead the way Miss. Brandybuck." Balin said as he gestured with his hands, pointing towards the path with a smile. The woman was nervous, she wasn't a leader and her gaze turned to Thorin and he nodded for her to lead on and followed behind her with the others and they began there journey through the forest.

Freya kept her eyes on the stone path, making sure she was still on it at all times. The woman would brush away the leaves with her foot so she could see the stone path. It turns a corner and she points for everyone to go up it. Freya notices Ori keeps going straight and she grabs him by his clothing.

" It's this way." The young dwarf nods to her and quickly follows the others. She walks beside her cousin while Thorin took lead for awhile knowing as long as they stayed on the paved path like the wizard warned they magic in this forest wouldn't lead them astray. Bilbo let out a sigh looking around this dark forest, feeling like something was watching them. They continued deeper and deeper into the forest following the path as weaved in different ways.

Freya kept running her fingers in her hair, she had a strange feeling go through her the deeper they went. The dwarves would hear the odd creaking of the trees and the light was slowly disappearing from the sky making it harder for them to see the path. Dwalin would tap the handle of his weapon against the path, making a clanking noise to make sure they were still going the right way.

" This way." Dwalin pointed out and he started leading the way. The forest had become even darker and the company had started to lose track how long they had been walking for, when they last ate and what day it was. The further they travelled the heavier the air seemed.

" Air. I need air." Bofur insisted, suddenly feeling like he had no breath in him.

" My head, it's swimming!" Oin shrieked feeling like something wasn't right but none knew what. They continued through the entire night, exhaustion was slowly taking over their minds as daylight began to creep through the trees to light their way again.

" We found the bridge." Kili shouted

" Bridge!" Bofur exclaimed, stumbling towards it when he realized the bridge wasn't fully there and he suddenly felt dizzy looking into the stream. " Ohh." The company sighed wondering what they were going to do now and how they were going to get across. " We could try and swim it." Bofur insisted

" Bilbo stay back!" Freya shouted, yanking her cousin back, fearing he would fall into the stream.

" Didn't you hear what Gandalf said?" Thorin spoke from behind the others. " A dark magic lies upon this forest. The waters of this stream are enchanted." The prince reminded them all of the wizards words.

" Doesn't look very enchanting to me." Bofur stated, looking into the stream.

" We must find another way across." Thorin demanded. They started looking for some way for them to get across safely. Kili walked over to the side to check to see if they could get across from there.

" These vines look strong enough." Kili insisted, tugging at the vine about to make his way across.

" Kili!" Thorin yelled. The youngest nephew looked at his uncle wondering why he stopped him. The others looked at Thorin for an answer. " We send the lightest first." The dwarves knew that ruled them out and looked at Bilbo, who didn't like the sound of this, but the dwarves had shifted their gaze from him, their was one lighter then him and Freya's eyes went wide realizing she was the lightest and she looked at the stream feeling dizzier then ever.