S T A R L I G H T

C H A P T E R 3

C H A P T E R  3- The king under the mountain and no one of nothing

~Trust me not~

Simbelmynë pulled the hood around her shoulders, taking the metal mask, about to put it over her face when Thorin Oakenshield rode up next to her with a glare.

"I do not trust you." Thorin blatantly stated, staring up at the woman on her beautiful grey horse. His posture was straight making his smaller stature look larger, however, a dwarf on a pony was no match for a slender Elleth on a great steed.

"I do not care." Simbelmynë uttered, only glancing at the supposed king.

Throin's brow furrowed in annoyance, who did she think she was? He grunted, "I doubt you came on this quest for adventure. You want something and you would be wise to tell me what it is."

She laughed, her white teeth exposed, lips curling into a slight smile, "dear dwarf, whoever told you I was wise?" Thorin could not help but stare, from his shorter seat he could see her pale face perfectly, she had an unattainable beauty especially when she smiled and her bright blue eyes lit up. 

The rightful king found it a difficult task to keep an annoyed face.

"Do not play with me, elf." He demanded.

"I am not," She chuckled, "I've travelled to many lands and discovered many things, one of which is something called jokes. Have you not discovered this yet?"

Thorin could not help the small smile that found its way onto his face. He chuckled slightly although if it was in amusement or ironically. "You are not like other elves." He announced, his hold on the reigns tightening.

"They wish they could be, dwarf." She smiled one last time before covering her face with the almost haunting mask and then the dark hood, hiding every aspect of her striking features.

Gandalf's voice bellowed, disturbing the two's conversation, "we must hurry! Murderous orcs are on the loose!" With that said, her hands tightened on the reign urging her horse forward, faster and faster until Solmyr was galloping speedily towards the dark forest.

The company followed behind as fast as they could, however, much slower. Before long Simbelmynë had reached the outer edge of the Mirkwood forest.

"Stay here, Solmyr. If I do not return soon go back to Beorn." She commanded, swinging her leg over and jumping off, not bothering to tie his reign up. Mynë pulled tighter at her hood in anxiousness as she further stepped deeper into the woods. It was certainly creepy enough. A gust of wind hurtled out, escaping the forest, rushing past her and leaving a sense of recognition and familiarity. She'd been here before, just couldn't place when. Her pale hands covered by gloves slid over tree upon tree and leaves upon leaves until suddenly touching stone. Pushing away some of the green, she uncovered a stone statue. A woman. An elf. She adorned long robes and held a crown on her head, her face was carefully sculpted, smooth yet angular. Above all else she was beautiful, even in stone. Glancing down at her hands a beautiful and quite large wedding band could be seen around her second last finger, that as well as her crown led her to one thought. This Elleth was a queen.

The forest looked familiar, not just looked, but felt. Something about it made her feel as if she knew every branch and leaf personally. It made her feel warm and fuzzy, but haunted and ghostly.

"Simbelmynë? Simbelmynë!" The concerned voice of the Hobbit yelled, summoning her as if a worried owner looking for his beloved pet.

She emerged from the trees, "Mr Baggins! What took you so long?" Simbelmynë decided the Hobbit was perhaps her favourite of the entire group, he was very interesting to her. Why such a small creature with no real fighting or survival skills was on this horrible quest.. she would never really know.

"The Elven Gate." Gandalf sighed, walking and scanning the forest, "here lies our path through Mirkwood."

Dwalin spoke up, looking everywhere around the forest before looking behind at the path they came from, "no sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." From where she was standing, her eyes caught sight of a great big bear in the distance. It was Beorn.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf continued, watching as each pony was set loose, running straight to their master.

"This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it." Bilbo stated, to which the white-haired beauty could not agree more to, "is there no way around?"

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance...south."

Gandalf soon became distracted by something just behind where Simbelmynë stood. The statue. The wizard walked at great pace, pushing the vines away to see the stone carving, his eyes widening in shock at something he didn't wish to see.

Mynë stood forward, hand grasping his shoulder, "are you alright, Mithrandir?" For awhile he stood still, muttering things under his breath as if he were experiencing some vision. His head shot up, looking at the face of the statue before turning back to the Elleth. His eyes held not only knowledge, but concealed truth and something much more haunting.

"I am fine, dear friend," he spoke, walking past her in a rush. "Not my horse, I need it!"

Confusion laced their faces.

"You're not leaving us?"

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf reasoned lightly, walking up to the little Hobbit. "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire." The two shared hushed words as the dwarves and elf shared a look of complete and utter confusion.

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor." Gandalf advised, beginning to get on his horse. He continued, "this is not the Greenwood of old, the very air of the forest is heavy with illusion that will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."

Bilbo spoke up, glancing at everyone in the company one by one as if they were just as confused as him, "lead us astray? What does that mean?"

Simbelmynë looked at the halfling with a look of sorrow. "Bilbo, you said it yourself. The forest is sick, sickness spreads." She reasoned, facing away from the company and back to the forest.

"You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again!" Gandalf called, riding away. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!"

Stay on the path!