Coming Home

Enchanted

 So, this is a rather short chapter, but I really didn't want to go into to much because I wanted to combine the spiders and the elves into a longer chapter. Be prepared for a twist in the story!

 Robin

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            As they progressed through the woods, the dwarves began to grow extremely hungry, though they were very careful with their provisions. The days that followed seemed to be filled with the growling of half full bellies and lighter packs, and still the forest seemed just the same. They began to get anxious, for their stores would soon run out: it was in fact already beginning to get low. Many of the dwarves tried shooting at the squirrels, though they missed more than they actually hit. Having superior eye-sight to her companions, Authora was left to taking down as many as she could, making sure that they landed on the path. But when they were roasted, even with her spices and herbs she had taken from Beorn's garden, they proved to be horrible in taste, reminding them of rotten meat. They stopped attempting after that.

They became thirsty too, for they had very little water at this point, not having passed a stream or spring in the entire time that they had been moving along down the path. This was their state one day when they found their path blocked by a stream of running water. It flowed right across the path strong and fast but not very wide right across the way. It was black, or it looked it in the gloom. The dwarves rushed to it's edge, grabbing their canteens and water-skins as they went they were so thirsty.

"Stop! Don't drink the water! It's enchanted!" She shouted at them, grabbing the nearest dwarf and yanking him back from the water. "Do you not remember the warning that Gandalf gave us about this place?"

"Away from the water, Zu!" Thorin snapped. (Now!)

The dwarves scurried back from the dark water, and grouped around their leader, mumbling. She and Bilbo crouched on the brink and peered forward into the gloom.

"There's a boat against the far bank!" The hobbit shouted with glee.

"Now why couldn't it have been on this side?" She sighed, running her hand through her tangled hair.

"How far away do you think it is?" asked Thorin, for he knew by now that both Bilbo and Authora had the sharpest eyes out of the whole company.

"Not at all far, I shouldn't think it above twelve yards."

"Twelve yards! I should have thought it was thirty at least, but my eyes don't see as well as they used to a hundred years ago. Still twelve yards is as good as a mile. We can't jump it, though Authora might be able to, and we daren't try to wade or swim." Balin stated ask he squinted at the opposite bank.

"Can any of you throw a rope?"

"What's the good of that? The boat is sure to be tied up, even if we could hook kit, which I doubt." Kili questioned, also squinting at the opposing bank.

"I don't believe it is tied," she said, "though of course I can't be sure in this light, even with my better eye sight; but it looks to me as if it was just drawn up on the bank, which is low just there where the path goes down into the water."

"Dwalin is the strongest, but Authora has the best sight," said Thorin.

"I think I can make it, does anyone have a long rope and a hook perhaps?" She said turning to the group.

After much digging around numerous ropes were found, and on the end of the longest they fasted on of the large iron hooks they had used for catching their packs to the straps about their shoulders. Taking this in her hand, she balanced it for a moment, and then flung it across the stream with all her might.