Washed up - A Hobbit story

XVII

There will be spiders in this, so if you want to skip that part, don't read between the spiders! 🕷️

I have no idea how long we have been in the forest, but it feels like weeks. There is no way to tell, the canopy is too thick for sunlight to get through and I don't want to suggest that anyone climbs into a tree, that would possibly signal the spiders we are here and I don't want to meet them. Every crack and rustle makes me jump and look around nervously. "What is it, Bea?" Fili asks, clearly concerned. "It's nothing, it's just the spiders. I ... don't do well with spiders and I have no intention of meeting the giant ones that live here." I shiver yet again as I think about the spiders and Kili places his hand on my shoulder after appearing on my other side. "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe." He squeezes my shoulder and I turn my head to smile at him, only to turn away to say in a bleak tone, "I really appreciate that but you will be too busy defending yourselves to worry about me." They glance at each other and I take in a deep breath. The forest air is clearly becoming more difficult to breathe and know that we are closing on the spiders. The thought of them makes me shake more violently. "Not good, try and think of something else." I try to force my thoughts to go elsewhere, but they stubbornly remain on the spiders. "Kili, do you want me to tell you the Sleeping beauty story now? I never told you that?" Kili's eyes brighten and he jumps next to me. "Yes, please!" I begin telling the story. "Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who were very unhappy because they had no children. But at last a little daughter was born, and their sorrow was turned to joy. All the bells in the land were rung to tell the glad tidings..."

I have just made it to the spot where the princess hurts her finger and falls asleep when a shout came from in front of the group. "Stop! There is a river in front of us!" The path was continuing on the other side of it. "We could try to swim it," Bofur suggests and I yell out from my spot from the back. "NO! No swimming under any circumstances! The water is enchanted." Bofur turns to look at me, "Doesn't look very enchanted to me."  He throws me a look with a small smile but I just look at him, annoyed. "You know what I mean." "We must find another way across." Thorin commands and everyone is looking around them. Kili's voice comes from the beginning of the group. "These vines look strong enough." And he steps foot on one but I sprint up front and pull him off of it as Thorin yells his name, "Kili! We send the lightest first." I turn to look at him, "And that someone is me, isn't it?" I ask him, and already know the answer." Thorin looks at me, and frowns, "Yes, it's you." I roll my eyes, "Fantastic! Bilbo, come after me after I have reached the other side, not before. I don't want Bombur to fall again."  Thorin's eyes are tightly on me, "What did you say about Bombur falling in?" I turn to look at him, "In the ... visions I have seen, Bilbo is the first and makes it across safely, but then all of you make your way across at the same time. Bombur falls down and falls asleep, so you'll have to carry him as we walk across the forest." I take a deep breath and continue, "Food is scarce already, and I think carrying Bombur takes quite the amount of strength and energy," I point at the vines, "No offense." I add to Bombur. "So... Do not cross at the same time and be super careful as you cross, okay?" Most of the dwarves nod and I take another deep breath and step on the first vine. It creaks but holds. 

I slowly make my way across, careful not to touch the water and taking extra care that I don't slip. I fight to resist the fumes that come from the river, trying to force me to sleep.  I make it on the other side with a jump and turn around, gesturing Bilbo, "I'm across, you can come." I look around and keep an eye out for the fawn that made Bombur fall of the vines at the first place in the movie. Nothing shows up, and most of the dwarves have made their way across the vines. Thorin was the first one and only a few remain. Fili is still tangling from the vines and I am nervous as he is right behind Bombur. Who looks sleepy. "Someone, please poke Bombur or something so he doesn't fall asleep!" I yell from the bank where I am sitting down on a tree root and Bofur pokes him, "Get up, we have to keep moving." Bombur murmurs but starts moving forward, complaining as he goes. A crack from behind me catches my attention and a snow-white doe with two fawns appear from the forest. Thorin draws his bow, preparing to hit the mother. Before he can set loose the arrow, I clap my hands loudly. That startles them and causes them to run away as quietly as they have arrived. "Why did you do that?" I throw Thorin an annoyed look, "It was a mother. The fawns would have died without it, there was no good reason to kill them. And you would have missed anyway." I wasn't entirely sure about the last part and I turned around to see if everyone has gotten over the stream safely. They had. I let out a breath of relief and get up from the root and try and make my way forward but an extended hand in front of me holds me from moving. I lift my eyes to Dwalin and frown, "What is it now?"