Angel On Fire

Chapter 12 - Fucking Spiders

Chapter - 12

I smile softly at Beorn as I thank him for allowing me to use one of his horses. She was a dapple-grey mare named Sophie. I smile as I run my hand over her soft coat her head resting against my chest. She was a beautiful soul. Leaning my face against her forehead I take a deep breath and suddenly I am brought back to the stables of Asgard. The golden brick reaching even there making it a marvelous spectacle. My chest tightens at the memory of Surtur destroying it all. I feel her nose nudge me gently in the stomach pulling from my memory and I push the pain down.

"Are you ready?" I hear Gandalf ask and I nod. I look toward the woods and my heart soars in my chest at the possibility of meeting my brothers along the way.

"What makes you smile (Name)?" Thorin asks pulling me attention from the woods and towards him.

"The thought that soon I may be home." I reply keeping my brothers a secret. Though I knew not why I did. I could tell Thorin and the rest of the company that somehow Thor and Loki had come for me; but something deep inside me told me not too. He offers a sad smile as he gently pats my shoulder.

"I hope you are able to return to your home. Though we will miss you." Thorin says his eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer than he usually would have. He opens his mouth to continue but instead shakes it and offers me a stiff smile.

Before I have a chance to reply he has walked away from me and to his pony. I stare after him for a moment before Gandalf calls for us to saddle up and be on our way. I give a wave to Beorn and surprisingly he gave one in return. We are soon galloping over the fields the sound of Beorn's roar echoing over them. In what seemed like no time at all we reach the forests edge.

I stare in concern as I feel the sickly aura it gives off. I didn't know why; but something told me I shouldn't go inside it. As the horses come to a stop the Dwarves dismount them and I find myself frozen atop my little mare, my hands clenching tightly to her reins. I hear Tony's words fill my head about how Thor and Loki are here and somewhere in these woods and it makes me force myself to dismount.

I turn to Sophie and pulling the bit from her mouth I set the bridle upon the saddle horn and giving her a quick pat on the head let her turn and return to Beorn. I watch her run back the way we had come for a moment silently hoping she made it back safely. Then turning back to the woods, I reluctantly walk up to it and placing my hand on what Gandalf called the Elvin Gate feel a deep dread fill my body. There was something terribly wrong with this wood.

"Not my horse! I need it!" Gandalf calls as he exits the wood passing by me a worried expression filling his face.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo says voicing our curiosity.

"I would not do this unless I had too." Gandalf adds making me feel worry and fear fill my body. I turn back to the trees and gulping down a breath of air I walk over and touch a tree. I could feel its pain and sorrow causing tears to sting my eyes. What was going on here? I feel the tree shudder and I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around it and tell it everything was going to be okay; but, how could I?

"Come on, we must reach the mountain before Durin's Day." I hear Thorin call and I turn to see that Gandalf riding away.

I watch as one by one the Dwarves walk into the woods and follow the path. When it was just Bilbo and I, I wait for him to go in first before I follow after. I groan outwardly, displeasure clear on my face. We walk for hours and hours, along the path. We walk overnight, well at least it felt like overnight since no light was able to peak through the branches. The dwarves start to whine about the effects of the forest when finally, we come to the bridge. The bridge however is broken leaving no way to pass over it.