An Unexpected Journey

Chapter 21

•Tanna•

Beorn led us outside to where his ponies were, per request of Thorin. We threw our bags onto them haphazardly, getting ready to head out as quickly as we possibly could. I stood on the ground and stared at the pony I had been given with wary eyes.

"Do you not like the pony?" I heard Beorn say from behind me, his honey colored eyes gazing deeply into mine. I averted my eyes quickly by looking down at my feet and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say.

"I lost my horse while we were running from the orcs. I have not seen him since. I have never ridden on any other beast." I confessed, petting the pony's white mane that reminded me of Alqua's. Beorn seemed to understand, nodding his head.

"He will find his way back to you. She," He stepped next to me and stroked the mane of the pony. "Will you treat you well. Rosie is one of my best ponies." I smiled and leapt onto the horse, feeling my stomach turning in angst.

As soon as I was on Rosie, we began to ride away. I looked back and waved to Beorn, who was checking the surroundings for any sign of danger. "Go now while you still have the light. The hunters are not far behind."

We began to ride, the ponies moving fast. I was used to walking, so it was nice to feel the wind whip across my face. I had missed riding, and I especially missed Alqua. Much of the company refused to look me in the eye while we rode, almost completely in silence.

"Tanna." I heard Fili say as we began to ride across a large plain. I ignored him, pretending not to hear. In the distance, I could see trees start to appear and I knew we were getting close. The landscape was shifting into a forest- Mirkwood Forest.

Mirkwood was dense and overgrown, crawling with creatures that could make even the fiercest warrior run scared in seconds. It was vast, dangerous, and the air played with your head. Even though I had hunted with Legolas in the forest for months, I was not immune to the air. It was thick and heavy, descending upon you like a sheet.

"Tanna." I heard Fili say again. I forced a smile and looked over at him, instantly met by his eyes. "Are you alright?" he murmured in a low voice. I looked down at my hands which were white from gripping the reigns that were unused and looked new. They were nothing like Alqua's which had been worn by time and use.

"I'm fine." I muttered, trying to shake off the sadness. He opened his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off with a gasp. I could see it. The dark, dead trees with the sharp, twisted branches. Everything seemed dead; there were no leaves on the trees, they were all rotting and dead on the ground. A pain began to throb incessantly in my head as we got closer to the sickly trees.

I slowed Rosie and watched as Gandalf stopped his horse, dismounting quickly, and took large strides towards the gloomy looking forest. "Tanna?" I heard Bofur speak up suddenly as we watched Gandalf walk to the edge of the forest. "How did you know what the elves of Mirkwood are like?"

A small murmur of agreement arose from the others and I looked to my left to see Kili looking at me, his expression like Bofur's: one of extreme curiosity and a bit of unwanted distrust. I bit my lip and tried quickly to think of a way out of the situation, but I couldn't.

"I was tracking a group of thieves a while ago. They went into Mirkwood and I ran into a few elves from there." I stopped talking, signaling I was done conversing about the subject. "Beorn was right, we should not take this path." I whispered to myself. I could feel the sickness of the forest; it didn't breathe normal, it was labored and heavy. Something dark lay upon it.

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf called from the woods, standing on a small stone pathway.

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin with a slight smile as he dismounted the pony.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf ordered, staring at something in the distance. We dismounted the ponies and began to strip them of our supplies, making sure we had everything we needed off of them.

I shuddered as a cold breeze blew past. "This forest...it's sick. It is diseased." I murmured. I heard Bilbo saying the same thing to Gandalf, a few steps in front of me.

"Is there no way around?" the burglar asked, his gaze stretching up to the darkening sky above us.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south." Gandalf answered, following the stone path further into the forest. He disappeared and we finished taking the supplies off of the ponies, chatting quietly as we did.

"Need help?" Kili asked, appearing on my right and taking the saddle off of Rosie for me. I thanked him quietly, running my hand through Rosie's mane again. "Alqua will be okay. He's a strong horse." Kili murmured, taking the last bag off of the pony.

"I am not worried about him." I replied, my voice short and quivering. "I am worried about this forest. Kili, it is sick. Can't you feel it? Can't you feel it in the air and in the trees? It is diseased; a dark force that I do not understand is laden upon it. We should not be here. We should not go through this way."

He nodded slowly, standing close to me. "It is the only way." he said, reassuring me softly. "I will be near you the whole time."

Rosie began to trot away, as did the other ponies. Nori was about to let Gandalf's horse go when the wizard burst out of the path. "Not my horse! I need it." he called suddenly, making all of us stop and look at him in shock.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked, his voice shaking a bit.

"I would not do this unless I had to." he replied, his voice radiating a sense of urgency. The dwarves began to murmur amongst themselves, not sure what to do. I turned to Kili, my eyes full of fear. He pulled me into a tight embrace, squeezing my waist with his hands as it began to rain.

He released his grip after a moment, and we both walked towards Thorin and Gandalf. "I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and the key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me." he warned loudly.

The wizard turned and looked at me as he got onto his horse. "This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." His eyes were focused on me and I nodded my head, understanding what he meant.

"You must stay on the path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." Gandalf turned and began to ride away. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!"

With that, we turned and faced the dark forest. "Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin said, heading towards the path, and the rest of us following.

"This is our one chance to find the hidden door."

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Ooh into Mirkwood they go! Vote, comment, tell me what you think :) love u guys lots!!