Daughter of The Darkness

Chapter 30

"Beorn, I need to leave now!" shouted Elfreda through the house. There was no reply. Elfreda huffed, of course he was not in- he never was.

She walked passed the cattle pens, the long horned cows mooed gently and munched on fresh straw. After a few moments she reached Kasper's stable, he too was happily eating his dinner. She pulled back the latch and the door swung freely open. Kasper looked up from his meal and plodded over to her nickering lightly. Elfreda greeted him and patted his snout.
"We need to go now buddy," she said.

Then she realized, Kasper's saddle and reigns were still in the care of the trees.
"Darn it! I guess it'll have to be bare back" she muttered drumming her fingers along the door. Elfreda was perfectly able to ride bare back but she always felt uncomfortable doing it. Both Elfreda and Kasper walked out of the stable and out into the open.

"You're going to need these," said a gruff voice. Beorn stood just outside the front gate, holding Kasper's tack. A huge beam of joy arose from Elfreda's cheeks. Beorn handed her the equipment and she beamed from ear to ear- now both rider and horse could go a lot faster.

Within ten minutes, Elfreda was ready to leave. She mounted Kasper and adjusted her sitting position so that she was comfortable. When sat in the saddle, Elfreda still only reached the Beorn's bicep, the Skin Changer really was tall.

"Thank you Beorn, for everything that you've done for me and the company," she smiled. Beorn's face stayed emotionless but he nodded "You have grown very fond of them, your allies are mine also,"

Beorn gave the pair his blessing and the horse and rider set off out of the gate and into the wild.

"Come on buddy, we are only a day behind, let the wind help your hooves to fly!" Elfreda chanted. Kasper understood fully and began to blot off toward the horizon. Off towards Mirkwood. The ground pounded as Kasper galloped almost as if he where flying . Even the occasional bump in the ground was glided over. All around the the land was flat and open- perfect for catching up with the band of travellers.

"This way," said Dwalin. Trees hung like spies, watching the company as they travelled through Mirkwood. Branches huddled together, hiding the light and restricting their visability. Everyone struggled to breathe- the air was not like air at all; it was like they were drowning.

"Air... I need air." choked Bofur. All of the company complained and moaned as they followed the path that would lead them safely through the wood. They had been following the stone road for only a few hours but it seemed like years. Time moved so slowly here, no wonder the race that lived here were immortal. Suddenly the line of dwarves and a hobbit stopped. Striding throught them, Thorin approached Nori who was at the front of the line, making sure that they were following the path "The path, it's disappeared!" They had lost the path. Panic rose amongst the group and the all wondered around aimlessly, trying to find where they were going. It was no use.

As they looked for the path, the woods around them became more and more confusing. None of them now knew where they were or even who they were- this forest was not a place of tranquility as it once had been.

When they stopped for a break, Bilbo noticed above his head a huge spider web. In his subconsious state, he touched it which sent vibrations running through the forest.

"Look, a tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods." said Dori picking up a pouch on the floor.
"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains. This looks exactly like mine!" hummed Bofur. Bilbo tried to explain that the pouch was actually his but failed- the dwarves had gone insane.

The sun was setting fast and Kasper had not given up. They had reached the edge of the forest. For a few moments, they trotted around the trees looking into the woods. The forest was not welcoming. Elfreda shuddered, neither where the woodland elves that lived there.

By now Bilbo had climbed a tall tree and had appeared out of Mirkwood. Out here, Bilbo could breathe. He could see the Lonely Mountain.

"We are almost there! Can you hear me? Hello?" Bilbo called down from his tree. There was no response. As he climbed down the tree, he slipped from the branch. Managing to catch himself on another branch, Bilbo watched in horror as a giant spider emerged from the leaves. It lunged at him, causing the hobbit to fall into the spiders web. It followed and as Bilbo struggled to free himself it wrapped him up in the web. Then he was carried off to the spiders web where the dwarves were also wrapped up.

Elfreda still had not plucked up the courage to enter Mirkwood. Stood by Kasper's side, she huffed and tutted to herself.
"Oh come on, Elfreda" she muttered- tapping her foot on the ground. Kasper plucked at the ground with his foot too. He nudged her in the back with his muzzle. Kasper encouraged her to move on. So together, the two dear friends walked side by side into the shadows. Instead of following the path, Elfreda decided to follow the footsteps of the dwarves( they were far easier to see than Bilbos). She was impressed to see that they walked along the right path, not many could in the woods.

"Kill them! Eat them while their blood is still running." cackled a spider. Bilbo was surprised he could hear what the spider was saying. Only a few moments ago he had escaped from the webs the bounded him and killed a giant spider. The spiders could not see him because he found something in the goblin caves. A gold ring. He did not know what it was although he did think it was extremely special. However Bilbo did know that the ring made him invisible.
"The meat is alive and kicking!" said another.
"Kill them, kill them now! Let us feast, feast!" they jeered.

Bilbo had to do something. Otherwise they would eat his friends. Picking up a nearby rock, Bilbo threw it and it a web. Both spiders turned around and one went off to see what was going on. The other carried on "fat and juicy, just a little taste!"
Bilbo lunged at the spider, stabbing it in the leg. Turning, the spider could not see what had just hit him so he lashed out everywhere but Bilbo easily dodged it.
"I'm here!" said Bilbo as he lunged head first at the spider and stabbed it in its head. As it fell to the ground it cried "it stings, stings!"
Bilbo looked at his small sword. He decided that Sting was a great name for it.

Elfreda paused at the point where the dwarves lost their path. Kasper looked at her, they both know the same thing- they had to follow them.
"Come on pal, we've come this far!" she encouraged.

Bilbo managed the free the dwarves from their webs. They all fell to the ground with thuds.

Suddenly, another spider lunged at the hobbit and he fell from the tree and lost his ring. But the company did not notice they too were being attacked by giants, creeping spiders. For a few moments he searched for the ring. A baby spider crept out of a hole and one of its many legs got caught around it.

In a sudden wild burst, the hobbit lashed out and chopped the baby spider. He picked up the ring
"Mine" he said.

The dwarves had managed to escaped from the spiders and all of them were running around without any clue about where they were going. Lots more spiders descended around them.

An arrow killed the spider and sailing down the thread it left behind where a group of woodland elves. The elf that landed in front of the company was tall. He had long blonde hair and dark blue eyes which where threatening and cold.
"Do not think I won't kill you dwarf. It would be my pleasure"