✓ | 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ♡ Legolas Greenleaf

2.2 | Mirkwood Spiders

"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," Gandalf warned as Maristela stopped him, her hand resting on the horse. "Father?" Maristela's voice was as soft as the whispers in the wind, her worried eyes focused on Gandalf pulling on his heartstrings; for a moment, he saw the little girl who loved picking flowers and running through the halls of Rivendell, giggling. "I will see you soon, Marisol. Do not let the shadows lead you astray. And be wary of the halls," Gandalf told her, he patted her hand before bowing his head.

"You must stay on the path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again," Gandalf warned the Company as Maristela stepped back from the horse, falling into step with Fíli and Kíli. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!" Gandalf called back as he rode off into the distance, Maristela took a steady breath. No matter how many times she and her father parted ways, it always hurt to see him leave; she hoped that he would be okay. "Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's day," Thorin instructed the Company, Maristela nodding before following the Dwarven King.

⊱ ──── {⋆ 🌌 ⋆} ──── ⊰

As the Dwarves, Bilbo, and Maristela keep following the path through Mirkwood, it twists and turns over all sorts of terrain such as bare ground, high ledges, fallen tree trunks, and more. Dwalin continues to thump the handle of his axe on the ground to find the paving stones of the trail, Maristela felt light-headed within the sick trees but it was nothing compared to the effects on the Dwarves and Bilbo. "This way," Dwalin informed them as he lead the way. "Air. I need air," Bofur spoke up desperately. "My head, it's spinning," Oin voiced in a tired voice. The Dwarves suddenly run into each other as Nori, who ended up in front, stops abruptly.

"What's happening?" Oin asks in confusion while Maristela looks around, she felt uncomfortable and as though something in the distance was watching her. "Keep moving, Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked in a deep tone. "The path... it's disappeared," Nori exclaimed to the Company causing them to panic, Maristela turned her head back towards the strange presence. She hadn't realised that the Dwarves had scattered to find the path nor had she noticed Bilbo step up next to her with worried eyes turning to her for help. "Mari?" Bilbo spoke as he pulled on her sleeve, she turned to him and realised what had happened.

"Oh, Dwarves..." Maristela muttered before motioning for Bilbo to follow her, he stayed by her side as she managed to herd the Dwarves into a group before they lost any of them. Her focus had turned from the Dwarves to the pressure on her mind, she knew the dark presence of the forest was trying to overthrow her natural energy. Whispers pulled her attention to the right, she stopped and turned to the area losing the Dwarves in the process, however, Bilbo had climbed up a tree in hopes of locating exactly where they currently were.

Maristela made her way cautiously towards the presence, her dagger in hand rather than her sword; But she should have known better. A large spider dropped from the branches above Maristela causing her to hit the ground, her dagger was knocked from her hand as the spider worked quickly to wrap her in its webs. Maristela was trying not to hyperventilate over the large spider currently preparing her for its dinner, she really didn't like large spiders. However, taking steady breaths wasn't easy when you are wrapped up in dense spider silk.

All of the Dwarves have also been captured by giant spiders; the spiders have hung them upside down from tree branches. A spider tows a web-encased Bilbo toward the Dwarves, then reaches for him with its jaws, presumably to adminster its poison. Bilbo had woken up and quickly realised what is happening; so just as the spider bends towards him, he manages to swing his sword, which he had been holding, straight up from his body through the web and into the spider. He guts it and flings it over the edge of the branch he had been lying on, sending it crashing to the forest floor onto the spider dragging Maristela.