The Dragon's Curse

Mirkwood Part 1

"Say nothing of this to the others.....not until we know what more. But in the mean time be careful in the forest, you know it will try and lead you astray more than the others because..."He began as he saw her stiffen and her back straightened as her face turned to a bitter glare.

"Because I am a monster?" She asked harshly as pained flickered in his eyes but he hesitated. She could see that was exactly what he was going to say as the rain slowly started to fall. Shaking her head angrily she stepped away and drew her hood as it slowly got heavier.

"I'll be waiting for you in the overlook before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me. This is not the greenwood you know. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion which seeks to enter your mind and lead you astray." Gandalf warned as Thorin nodded but Bilbo perked up at the thought of being lead astray. Artemis crossed her arms over her chest and angled her body way from the group slightly.

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo squeaked.

"You must stay on the path. Do not lose it, for it you do you will never find it again." Gandalf spoke as everyone saw he tried to make eye contact with Artemis who turned her back before he sighed and turned on his horse to head back the way they came.

"No matter what STAY ON THE PATH!" He shouted once more as Thorin starts to lead the company into the forest.

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before sunsets of Durin's day" He encouraged. The whole company starts to follow him into the forest. Once Artemis was lead in so far, she took a step back as she felt the power of the thick air invading her thoughts and body already. Bilbo who stood behind her frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder making her jump slightly.

"You alright?" He asked as she only nodded. The further they walked the darker the rings under her eyes grew and the more her eyes seemed to become lifeless. They keep walking in the forest, ensuring they stay on the path as Thorin finds it suddenly changes direction.

"Path turns this way" His voice echoed in Artemis's ear as she followed silently. Following on after each other they see how sick the forest is. Going deeper into the forest, round bends over logs, and across pathways, they keep winding further into the forest. Dwalin uses the base of his axe to ensure they are sticking to the path.

"This way"

The path itself was narrow and wound in and out among the trunks. Soon the light at the gate was like a little bright hole far behind, and the quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along while all the trees leaned over them and listened. Occasionally a slender beam of sun had the luck to slip in through some opening in the leaves far above. But this was seldom, and it soon ceased altogether. There were black squirrels in the wood. As Artemis's changed her eye sight to dragon form, everything was sharper in detail and her hearing picked up the slightest movement yards away. There were queer noises too, grunts, scufflings, and hurryings in the undergrowth, and among the leaves that lay piled endlessly thick in places on the forest-floor; but what made the noises she could not see or smell which made her grow anxious. As they kept going the other soon began to feel claustrophobic as Artemis did.

"Air, I need air" Bofur gasped.

"My head is swimming. What's happening?" Oin questioned dazed.