Flames

2.4

"This forest feels...sick," Bilbo said.

"What's wrong with it?" Azalea asked.

"Is there another way around?"

"Yes," Gandalf said. "But it would add three days to our trip, days we can't afford to lose."

Everyone stood in a slightly frightened huddle. Gandalf went ahead, scouting the place out. Azalea casually strolled closer to Thorin.

"What do you have against the Mirkwood Elves specifically?" she wondered.

"When Erebor was first taken, they refused to help us," Thorin explained. "Many people died because of their refusal."

Azalea didn't know how to respond, so she just placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Losing your land to invading forces and having no power to stop them leaves an unrelenting guilt in a heart," Azalea said.

"You speak as if you know how that feels," Thorin said. Azalea took her hand off of his shoulder.

"You don't know everything about me yet," Azalea smiled.

"I'd like to."

The dwarves began sending the ponies back. Gandalf returned, calling for his horse to be kept.

"Are you leaving us?" Bilbo asked.

"I wouldn't unless I absolutely had to," Gandalf replied. "Stick to the path! If you lose it, you'll never find it again."

Worry rooted in Azalea's heart. What if one of them accidentally strayed off the path? Would they be lost forever? Would they still be able to see the others?

The company reluctantly entered the forest, hoping against hope that they stayed on the path.

-----------------

"We've been walking for hours!"

"I swear I've seen that tree at least three times now!"

"Face it, Thorin, we're lost!"

Azalea stared at her feet and realized the path was gone.

"Guys, we're off the path!" Azalea announced. No one seemed to hear her.

"Hey, this looks like mine," one of the dwarves said.

"It is yours!" another said, hitting him. Azalea looked around distantly. She noticed something.

"Spider webs," she murmured. "Oh, I hate spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?"

"You all right?" Thorin asked. Azalea nodded, though she didn't feel all right. She couldn't breathe. Her head swam. The world spun. The forest's illness is contagious, she decided. 

"We have to go east!" Thorin exclaimed.

"Which way's east?! We've lost the sun!"

Azalea saw Bilbo thinking.

"The sun..." he muttered. "We have to find...the sun...."

Azalea stopped listening. She pulled an arrow from her recently restocked quiver and knocked it in the bow. She suddenly had the feeling that a million eyes were watching her. Apparently, Thorin had the same thought, for he said, "We're being watched."

Seconds later, spiders surrounded the company. Azalea tried to shoot one, but she felt a sharp pain in her back and fell forward. Just before she passed out, she heard Thorin shout, "Azalea!"

Then, the darkness filled her vision.

---------------------

When Azalea opened her eyes, she was looking through spider silk. She twisted and turned, trying to break free. She froze when she noticed a spider staring at her, its eight, black eyes staring hungrily at her. Fear tightened her chest. Her breathing became shallow and rapid. She tried to move away from the spider, but the webbing was too strong. It was just about to clamp its jaws down on her when something hit it. It squealed angrily. 

"Here," Bilbo called, appearing out of nowhere. He stabbed it with the sword he got in the goblin cave.

"Sting," he said after the spider was dead. "I like that name."

He cut everyone down, Azalea first. She began peeling the silk away, fear no longer clouding her judgement. She saw the other dwarves doing the same.

"Fili? Kili? Are you all right?" Thorin's voice asked.

"Yeah, we're okay," two voices chorused.

"Azalea?"

"Fine."

Everyone checked on each other for a moment before more spiders attacked. Azalea shot at them, but quickly realized this was getting her nowhere. She drew a sword and started slashing at the spiders. She heard Thorin scream, "Go for the legs!" and realized she was probably missing something important. She kept killing all of the spiders close to her, adrenaline dictating her every move.

Suddenly, they were surrounded by Elves. The Elves had their bows drawn, as did Azalea and Kili. Thorin stayed close to Azalea. A general strode up to them confidently. 

"You're coming with us."