Erebor's Guardian

Chapter: 15

The sound of branches breaking caused me to stand up. I was about to expand my wings until a white stag appeared from over the hill. Bilbo looked at it as well.

"Are you seeing a white stag?"

"Yes, seems this is no illusion."

Thorin stood behind us and looked forward at the stare at the stag, he started to raise his bow to the creature.

"What are you doing?" Bilbo asked as he looked down at the bow.

Thorin lowered it slightly and the stag stared straight at us. Thorin looked at it as if he were frightened of the beast. Bilbo and I turned our heads to it when suddenly Thorin shot an arrow, missing it.

"You shouldn't have done that. It's bad luck."

"I don't believe in luck, we make our own luck."

After a few moments of rest, we continued through the forest. We still could not find the path, the others started to stagger.

"I don't remember this place before. None of it's familiar."

"What hour is it?"

"I do not know. I don't even know what day it is."

"Is there no end to this accursed place."

The dwarves all started to mutter and ramble as they wondered about. Bilbo sat down and saw a few webs and absentmindedly pluck them. Bilbo then looked up and saw a bit of light through the tree canopy. He started to climb the tree, I followed after him. He turned to me.

"The sun, if we find the sun. We can find our way."

Bilbo and I broke our heads through the trees and into the air. Suddenly as if the spell had broken, our heads started to clear. Bilbo breathed deeply and saw the way to the lonely mountain. He started to fell down to the others.

"We-we can see a lake! And a river. And the Lonely Mountian. We're almost there!"

We heard no reply from the dwarves. I called out as well.

"Can you hear us? We know which way to go!"

We looked down, trying to see the dwarves. We started to hear a thumping noise in the distance and looked up. In the distance, trees moved under the weight of something approaching. The movement was coming straight toward us. Bilbo and I climbed down, Bilbo suddenly tripped and fell several feet and was able to catch a branch.

"Bilbo!"

Suddenly a massive spider crawled over to Bilbo. Bilbo yelled and fell again landing in even a bigger spiderweb. I tried to open my wings but quickly retracted them. The webs would catch me. I climbed slowly and quietly to the branches and saw the spider wrap Bilbo in its web. It grabbed the end and dragged him to the others who had hung them upside down. After a few minutes The spider grabbed Bilbo and was about to bite him, I pulled out my sword to attack. The spider shrieked in pain as Bilbo was able to cut the cocoon and stab the spider. He guts it and flung it over the branch he was laid on. I jumped to the branch and helped him out on the cocoon.

"Paephan, oh thank my luck."

"Shhh, we must be quiet."

We looked up to see the dwarves wrapped up and hanging. I carefully hid Bilbo behind the tree trunk as a spider climbed up the other side of it.

"Bilbo you climb through the tree's and try to cut them down, I will distract them."

Bilbo nodded as he started to climb up through the trees. I came out from hiding and yelled toward the spiders.

"Seem's you missed one."

I quickly jumped through the tree's as I turned around I could hear Bilbo cutting the others down. I jumped up above the tree's and was able to stab one through the head. I looked behind to see three coming after me and two toward Bilbo. Bilbo was able to stab one in the head as it called out in pain. I grabbed a branch and swung in the air to a higher branch and ran toward Bilbo, I caused the spiders to ram into each other and fall to the ground. I smiled as the spiders crawled over each other trying to stand. I quickly helped Bilbo with the others. They landed on the forest floor and proceeded with getting the webs off of them.

"Where's Bilbo. Paephan is gone as well."

"Bilbo! Paephan!"

"We're up here," Bilbo called.

Suddenly a spider jumped up on me and pinned me underneath, luckily Bilbo was able to stab it. It cried in pain of the blades sting. Bilbo helped me up as I pushed the dead spider off as it landed on the others.

"Sting. That's a good name."

"Sting?"

"For the sword."

I smirked as Bilbo gestured to it. Suddenly the others called for us. The spiders had returned as one knocked Bombur to the floor. I picked up Bilbo and grabbed a vine and swung us down to the ground. Bilbo went off to fight the other spiders.

"Grab its leg!"

The dwarves grabbed each of the spider's legs and pulled, they managed to pull its legs right off its body. The spider fell on its side as Bombur got up. The dwarves continued fighting as one of the spiders managed to grab Kili.

"Kili" Fili yelled

I pulled out my bow and shot at the spider's eye. As the others defeated their spiders, they started to run through the woods as others case. Bilbo came back covered in blood and webs. He looked as if he had done something horrendous. He had a look of shame and disgustedness. I was about to ask what happened until we heard a sound. I looked up to see a blonde elf running through the treetops then swinging down the spider's silk in order to land on it and kill it. He slid down to the forest floor with a notched arrow pointed at Thorin. Several other Mirkwood elves appeared, they drew their arrows and pointed them at us.

"Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf. It would be my pleasure."

The others looked around to see the elves surrounding us. Suddenly we heard Kili shouting as a spider grabbed him by the foot.

"Help!"

"Kili!"

I was about to launch myself until Bilbo stopped me.

"Look."

A female elf ran through the forest. She killed three of the spider with her bow and dagger, she then killed the spider pulling Kili with an arrow. She turned to attack another spider behind her, and yet another spider rushes toward Kili.

"Throw me your dagger! Quick!"

"If you think I'm giving you my weapon, dwarf, you're mistaken."

The elf killed the spider in front of her and then the one that was attacking Kili. I looked at her in amazement.