My Prince, My King, My Love

Chapter Twenty-One

"This forest. . . feels. . . sick," Bilbo said with an unhappy tone that I could relate with, "As if a disease lies upon it." 
I walked up behind Bilbo, standing next to him as I looked up at the forest as well. 
"Yes, a disease it is. Though I regret to inform you young hobbit that the disease does not lie upon it, as it does in it," I said in what started out as a simply sad emotion turned angry and scornful. 
"Indeed, and because of this disease, the forest now houses great and harmful trickery to the mind. The journey through the woods will be a difficult one, if not nearly impossible," Father informed everyone. 
"Then how are we expected to get through all in one piece and in time to reach the mountain?" Bilbo asked in confusion and near exasperation. 
"With someone who has already been through the said forest of trickery and come out the other end alive and in the proper state of mind as our guide," Father said in his tone of riddles with a small smile splitting his lips; he was looking right at me. 
I scowled at him and crossed my arms over my chest. The others were now looking at me in confusion and recognition. 
"I already am fully against being here Father," I seethed at him. 
"We need a guide who knows the tricks of the forest so as to avoid them. Not to mention you know the paths to take that will keep us safe and out of the forest quicker than anyone else," Father tried to reason with me. 
"Absolutely not," I said in a short, cut, and finalized tone. 
However, seeing that I was not budging, Father decided to pull a string that he knew I couldn't fight with. 
"You seem to be missing the fact that at your lead, we could be in and out of this forest before anything or anyone knew that we were even here, thus avoiding any unwanted confrontations with any undesirables," Father said with a tone of temptation. 
I looked at him in the eyes to see that he was very confident in my taking the offer now. I scowled deeper before sighing. 
"Very well," I relented. 
"Is there no way around?" Bilbo asked in desperation, obviously not liking the idea of going through the forest. 
"Not unless we go two hundred miles north," I informed, "Or twice that distance. . . south." 
My voice trailed off upon something crossing my mind. It was an image, but a thought at the same time. It reminded me of Mother's power of telepathy. As though someone was trying to project what they were thinking, seeing, and feeling to me. But who was it? What was I seeing? What was I feeling? What did I have to do with it? My mind seemed to be taken over, and I watched as images, words, and thoughts crossed my mind. It all happened so quickly I didn't know what to make of it. All of a sudden I find myself standing right back where I was before the sudden overrun to my mind. The images and words were still fresh in my mind so I know that I hadn't imagined it, but it didn't seem to make any sense and the whole experience had left me rather disoriented. 
I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of Father's voice shouting, "Not my horse! I need it!" 
Everyone turned to look at him as he rushed past us all and to his horse. I frowned in confusion, but my still being disoriented kept me from rushing up to question his having to leave us. 
"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked in more of a statement of pleading. 
"I would not do this unless I had to," Father said regrettably. 
I tuned out the conversation they continued and began to focus on trying to re-orientate myself. I closed my eyes but that didn't help much, made it worse if anything. I felt an arm wrap itself around my shoulders as the body heat of the person was radiating off them and into me. 
"Are you alright dorzada?" I heard Thorin's concerned voice ask me. 
I didn't want him to worry about me so I merely nodded, before walking away from him and over to Father just as he was mounting his horse. 
"This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray," Father said as he mounted his horse. 
" 'Lead you astray'? What does that mean?" Bilbo muttered in confusion. 
"You must stay on the path do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." 
"I will keep them on the path Father, you do what you must and we shall away your return," I said to Father as I looked up at him. 
Looking down at me through the rain that had begun to pour down at a steady and rather heavy pace, Father's brows seemed to crease in confusion for a moment, before nodding. 
"No matter what comes, stay on the path," he called to us as he rode off. 
After that, I turned to look at everyone to find them all already looking at me. 
"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day," I called them as I walked past them all and towards the forest, "it's our one chance to find the hidden door."