Daughter of Azog (Kili x Reader)

Chapter 12

The company rode through the grassy plains swiftly. Luckily, they didn't encounter any orcs along the way, and arrived just outside the gates of Mirkwood around sun high. Gandalf swung himself off his horse and approached the entrance of the forest. He gazed uneasily upon the white wood archway with a stone fountain in the middle.

"The Elven Gate. Here lies our path through Mirkwood," The wizard declares.

"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side," Dwalin comments as he climbs off his pony.

Gandalf spots Beorn standing upon a cliff in the distance. "Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master," he instructs.

The dwarves obey, climbing off the ponies and unloading their supplies. Urzoth is happy to get off her steed. She still doesn't like ponies. They don't move as smoothly as wargs do, and she constantly feels as if she will crush the peaceful beasts.

"This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilbo asks nervously climbing off his pony.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north or twice that distance south," Gandalf replies as he ventures further into the forest.

Urzoth wanders towards the entrance and a pit grows in her stomach. It reminds her of a place she hasn't been to in well over a year; Dul Guldur, the location where her father is helping Sauron regain his strength. It sends a shiver down her spine to think that he has enough strength to have an effect on this place.

"You okay?" Kili asks, setting a hand on her shoulder, making her jump.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She answers quickly.

"No your not, what's wrong?" He presses, grabbing her hand and turning her to face him.

"It's just this place. Bilbo is right, it feels dark."

Kili opens his mouth to reply, but Gandalf speaks before him. "Not my horse! I need it!" he calls, exiting the forest.

The company exchanges surprised and worried glances. "You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asks for all of them.

"I would not unless I had to," Gandalf replies, pulling the hobbit off to the side.

Urzoth is slightly relieved to have Gandalf leaving. With him gone, there is no longer a risk of him revealing who she really is. But all the same, she will miss the wizard. He's wise and provides good protection.

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Do not enter that mountain without me," Gandalf announces. "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."

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo wonders aloud.

"You must stay on the path! Do not leave it! If you do, you may never find it again," Gandalf warns as he mounts his horse. As he rides away, he calls, "No matter what may come, stay on the path!"

"Come on, we must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day," Thorin grumbles before trudging into the forest.

The company follows in suit, gazing around the dead and decaying trees. As they travel deeper into the forest, the trees as foliage get thicker, making the path harder to see. As they travel, Urzoth becomes more and more uneasy as she begins to feel more and more at home. The air is thicker, hotter and drier. Its nearly as dark as a typical summers day in Mordor. The scents are foul and the noises are ominous. It makes her want to run to the nearest exit, though there is none in sight.

"The path goes this way," Thorin announces as he brushes aside some leaves.

The stony path they follow becomes darker and dirtier as they go, making it harder for them to tell it apart from the roots and dirt in the forest. Dwalin pats his axe on the ground until he hears the familiar sound of metal on stone.