The Company's venture through Mirkwood was slow and confused. The dark enchantments of the forest were taking a toll on everyone; while Davina and Bilbo found it somewhat easier to keep hold of their wits, they still struggled.
Davina found herself wishing time and time again that they would have just been able to go around the forest rather than through it. Her inner eye seemed to feel a bit fuzzy, as though her precognition abilities were temporarily invalid while within Mirkwood's forest. This caused her to wonder about her other abilities, as well; so when Dori snagged his arm on a branch and scraped it, she attempted to heal it -- to no avail. And during the first night they stopped to try and rest, she failed to use her astral projection, too. It was decided: Davina hated this place more than any other she had been in before, simply because it made it impossible to use any of her abilities. She knew not how -- perhaps the dark enchantments affected her -- but nevertheless, most of her interactions with the others were few and far between, since she spent most of her time seething over how useless she felt.
"We found the bridge!" One of the dwarfs called out. Davina and Bilbo followed Bofur up to the edge of the bridge, only to find that there was a large portion missing. Unfortunately, the gap was too large to be able to jump across. "We can try and swim it," Bofur suggested as the three of them stared down at the murky waters. Davina swallowed and looked away from it, not liking how her mind seemed to go even hazier.
"Didn't you hear what Gandalf said?" Thorin demanded, immediately vetoing the idea. "A dark magic lies upon this forest. The waters of this stream are enchanted."
"Doesn't look very enchanting to me," Bofur grumbled bitterly.
"We must find another way across," Thorin continued, ignoring him.
There was a few groans throughout the Company, as multiple members detested having to spend any more time in this forest than they already had. Davina and Bilbo exchanged a look as they tried to find any way to cross the stream, but they weren't having much luck until Kili got everyone's attention. "These vines look strong enough," he said.
"Kili!" Thorin reprimanded his nephew, who had started to climb the vines. The youngest Durin stopped and turned, confused. "We send the lightest first," the leader explained.
Almost immediately, all eyes turned upon Davina and Bilbo. Seeing that he'd gathered unwanted attention, the hobbit turned his gaze upon his companion as well. Although Davina was an inch or two taller, she still weighed about he same as him; and anyway, Bilbo just didn't want to have to go first.
The Viator huffed. "Alright," she said evenly, not hesitating to walk over to where Kili stood by the vines that crossed the stream. During her years of wandering Middle-earth, Davina had grown accustomed to different regions and landscapes; this was nothing new to her. For that reason, the woman easily scaled the vines, careful not to look down at the water at all. As soon as she made it to the other side, Bilbo was on his way across. But something was eating at her mind, scratching against her inner eye -- she felt as though it was some sort of warning, although she didn't quite understand any of it. "Bilbo!" She called out to her friend, trying to gain his attention. "Bilbo, wait, don't --"
But it was too late. The hobbit had lost his footing and nearly fell into the water, and for a moment Davina worried the enchantments would ensnare Bilbo's mind, but he snapped himself out of it and crossed the rest of the way. "Something's... not right," he murmured to himself as Davina helped him to his feet. He blinked rapidly and turned, telling the Company, "Stay where you are!"
"It's no use," Davina said with a sigh. She hadn't bothered trying to tell the dwarfs not to cross, as Thorin and Dwalin began doing just that as soon as Bilbo made it halfway, and even if she had they wouldn't have listened.
Thorin was the next to reach the other side of the river. Even in his disoriented state of mind, he still stopped and gave Davina a small glance just to make sure she was alright; although, she didn't notice. She was too busy focusing on the strange whispering inside her head, trying to figure out what it was trying to tell her. When a small chill crept up her neck, she pivoted on her feet to look behind her -- and that was when she saw it: a large elk with a coat the color of snow. It was staring at the three of them, but the moment it made eye contact with Davina, the strangest thing happened; a flash of an unfamiliar elf reverberated through her mind in the briefest of moments. He was tall and regal, with long ashen hair and a strange crown made of twigs, berries and red leaves. His features were sharp, his eyes cold, and Davina had an eerie feeling that he could somehow see her even though he wasn't actually there.
But she recognized him. She just didn't know how, or from where.
Just as quickly as the short vision came it had left, for Thorin had stepped in front of Davina and shot an arrow at the elk. However, the animal easily evaded the attack and took off running in the opposite direction, leaving Bilbo to turn to Thorin with accusing eyes whilst Davina still struggled to try and make sense of what just happened. "You shouldn't have done that," the hobbit said as he glanced over to see if he could catch sight of the strange creature. "It's bad luck."
"I don't believe in luck," Thorin grunted. "We make our own luck."
The next few hours were spent with some of the dwarfs carrying a sleep-enchanted Bombur on a make-shift raft, while they all struggled to make sense of their thoughts and stay on the path. Unfortunately, this didn't happen; the dwarfs' minds were too affected by the forest, and Davina was too busy trying to make sense of the strange static sounds of muffled whispers in her mind to even attempt to keep looking for the path. Bilbo was the only one who had half of his wit left, but since no one would listen to him, he ended up following them anyway.
"Look!" Ori suddenly exclaimed as he bent over and picked something up off of the ground.
Dori took it from him and dusted it off. "A tobacco pouch!" He informed them. "There's dwarfs in these woods!"
"Dwarfs from the Blue Mountains, no less!" Bofur added, taking the pouch out of Dori's hands. "This is exactly like mine!"
Even in her hazy state of mind, Davina managed an eye roll at that one.
"Because it is yours. D'you understand?" Bilbo snapped, marching over to the three dwarfs. "We're going 'round in circles. We are lost."
"We're not lost," Dwalin grunted. "We keep heading east."
"But which way is east?" Oin asked. "We've lost the sun."
As the dwarfs began to bicker once more and Bilbo grew quiet with thought, Davina stumbled off to the side a little bit. The static in her mind was growing louder, to the point of pain, and she clutched at her temples to try and make it stop. "Davina." A hand fell onto her shoulder when she didn't respond, causing her to flinch away and whirl around defensively. Thorin frowned at her response to his approach, not liking the hazed and haunted look in her eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"
It took her a few blinks, but after a couple of moments Davina managed to make sense of what Thorin was asking her. "Something isn't right," she said. "I... my inner eye has been blinded, but I keep feeling like..." She shook her head, unable to put the strange feelings into words.
The whispers seemed to grow louder just then; and although she still couldn't make sense of them, Thorin had heard them too this time. "Quiet! All of you!" He commanded everyone, causing the dwarfs to shut up instantly. "We're being watched." Turning his attention back to Davina, he asked, "Have you seen anything at all? Do you know anything that could help us?"
But she couldn't hear a word he had said, because the static was so loud it was the only thing that could capture her focus. Davina shook her head, trying to convey that she didn't understand; the moment she opened her mouth to tell Thorin she didn't know what was happening, there was a sudden, sharp pain in the back of her neck -- and then everything went black.
+ + + + +
Davina woke with the sensation one would get if they had fallen from their bed in their sleep and crashed against the floor -- only it was on a much larger scale. Her eyes shot open and, upon realizing she was bound tightly in some sort of web, she began struggling to free herself. It wasn't until she managed to pull her dagger from the hidden sheath underneath her sleeve was she able to cut the web open. Someone pulled it apart the rest of the way and helped her to her feet, and Davina had just enough time to send a grateful nod to Gloin before everyone was surrounded by ginormous arachnids.
And suddenly, she knew what the strange whispers of static in her mind were: it was the spiders interacting with each other, as the sounds would get louder each time they hissed even though Davina hadn't a clue what they were saying to each other. However, she managed to put the massive headache aside and draw her weapons alongside the Company, all the while keeping an eye out for Bilbo.
"Has anyone seen Bilbo?!" Davina exclaimed as the lot of them ran around, fighting against the spiders. She still hadn't caught sight of her friend, and she was worried.
"Over here!" Bilbo shouted from somewhere in the distance, calming her worries just a tad as the crimson-haired woman dodged an attack from a spider and cut off the leg of another.
"Kili!" Fili hollered, causing Davina to turn and see that the youngest Durin had been grabbed by a spider. She hurriedly pulled out her bow and shot an arrow straight through its head, running over to help Kili pry the legs off of him.
"Watch out!" Bofur yelled to the two of them. Davina quickly jumped to her feet turned with her sword at the ready, but Thorin was already there, his own sword decapitating the spider that had thought it could attack the Nymali and his nephew. She breathed out a quiet thank you before helping Kili to his feet, and then the Company began to run.
Just when they were beginning to think they were getting somewhere, an arachnid dropped to the ground right in front of them. Thorin pulled to an abrupt stop and flung his arm out, causing the others to halt as well. Before anyone could attack the spider, however, a movement out of the corner of their eyes caught their attention. Davina looked up to see a lithe elf with platinum hair jumping through the trees, using the thick web as a rope to drop down to the ground; he landed on top of a spider and used it to skate down a hill, where he slid underneath the one approaching the company and sliced it straight across its belly. Thorin hardly had any time at all to raise his sword by the time the elf had stood to his feet gracefully and aimed an arrow straight at his face. Multiple other elves appeared out of nowhere as well, all with their arrows aimed at the Company. "Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf," the blonde elf spat. "It would be my pleasure."
A cry for help rang throughout the forest, causing Davina to stiffen as she and Fili both turned to look behind them. "Kili!" they shouted together.
When the Viator moved to try and help her friend, the blonde elf lunged forward and grasped her arm tightly. "Let me go!" She snapped, trying to tug her arm free. "He needs help!"
"Do not fight me," he hissed, "or I will allow my men to shoot you straight through that pretty face of yours."
"You will do no such thing!" Thorin roared, though Balin and Nori stopped him from moving forward.
Davina stopped struggling, although the glare she fixed upon the elf's face was filled with hatred and disgust. "Amin feuya ten' lle," she snapped venemously.
Taken aback by the woman's ability to speak elvish, he released her and pushed her back toward the Company. "Mani naa essa en lle?"
"Davina," the Nymali answered proudly, her voice stubborn as she lifted her chin to look him straight in the eye. "Davina Roswell. Who are you?"
The elf's eyes widened a small fraction, though he tried not to show his surprise. "I am Legolas Thranduilion... My father would be most pleased to make your acquaintance."
"I'm afraid I cannot say the same for him," she said rather bluntly, her gaze shifting over to see an elf-maiden leading Kili toward the group. Legolas noticed the way her shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly now that she knew her friend wasn't in danger, but her stature was still rigid and her eyes still roamed, as if looking for something -- he dismissed it as the woman making sure no other arachnids were going to attack, when in reality Davina was trying to see if she could catch sight of Bilbo.
Legolas pursed his lips, not particularly happy with the crimson-haired Nymali's attitude. "Search them," he ordered his elves.
Davina stubbornly swatted at the elves that approached her, even though they seemed to be trying to be gentle as they took away her weapons. She paid it no mind, too busy being thankful that the ore pendant had somehow slipped underneath her tunic and was therefore hidden; it was the one thing she did not want taken, although she was still pissed that she no longer had her weapons.
A soft brush against her hand caused Davina to turn her stubborn gaze away from the trees in the distance and instead to her left. Thorin's cobalt blue eyes met her hazel ones, and they somehow managed to calm her down a bit as he slid his hand the rest of the way into hers and squeezed it lightly. Davina returned it briefly before they separated again, not wanting the elves to see any show of affection between them. It was just in time, too, for Legolas suddenly walked over to them after one of the elves handed him the sword they had just taken from Thorin. "Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin... Magannen nan Gelydh," He said, his eyes accusing as he stared at the dwarf lord. "Where did you get this?"
"None of your business," Davina snapped.
"I was not talking to you."
"I don't care."
"You should."
"Your opinion means nothing to me."
"It should --"
"It was given to me," Thorin interrupted, knowing that if he didn't Davina would most likely try to attack the elf standing before them.
Legolas's gaze narrowed at the dwarf, clearly not believing it for a second. "Not just a thief, but a liar as well," he mused. To his men, he ordered, "Enwenno hain!"
The elves all pushed the Company forward, herding them back to Mirkwood. "Thorin," Davina whispered as the two of them were pushed closely together. "Where's Bilbo?" The dwarf king had no answer for her, as he too began looking around with wide eyes when he realized the hobbit wasn't present.
The static in Davina's mind grew fainter and fainter until it left her completely once they had exited the forest, although she wasn't exactly happy to be in Mirkwood either. She now knew who the elf was that she had caught a glimpse of earlier: Thranduil. If he would be 'pleased' to make her acquaintance, as Legolas had said, Davina was almost certain that meant he would want something from her -- which no doubt involved her abilities.
One by one, the dwarfs were shoved into multiple cells deep in the dungeons of Mirkwood. Just as two elves were about to push Davina and Thorin into cells of their own, Legolas spoke up: "Not those two. Take them to the king."
Davina grumbled under her breath, clearly unhappy with the prospect of seeing Thranduil. She didn't remember very much about him from her childhood, but she knew one thing was true: he was a selfish elf who only held his best interests at heart, and no one else's. That was the reason her parents had always had more to do with the elves of Rivendell, instead.
From the look on Thranduil's face the moment he laid eyes on Davina, she knew he had immediately recognized who she was. However, he neglected to acknowledge her further, instead turning his attention onto Thorin as he inquired about the quest the Company was on, and what their motives were.
"Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand -- a quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon," he drawled. "I myself suspect a more prosaic motive: attempted burglary, or something of that ilk." Thorin didn't budge as the elf king examined him closely, refusing to speak a word. "You have found a way in. You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule: the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure... I understand that," Thranduil said, attempting to relate with the dwarf. "There are gems in the mountain that I, too, desire: white gems of pure starlight." Thorin merely stared at him blankly. "I offer you my help."
The dwarf lord glanced over at Davina, as though the mere sight of her helped him think. "I'm listening," he said finally, turning back to the elf in front of him.
Thranduil's lips pulled up into the faintest of smirks. "I will let you go, if you but return what is mine."
Thorin frowned and turned, walking away a bit as he clasped his hands behind his back. "A favor for a favor," he mused.
"You have my word," Thranduil told him. "One king to another."
Davina knew just by the way Thorin's shoulders were tensed that there was no way in hell he was going to take this elf up on that offer -- she didn't need a premonition to tell her what his response was going to be.
The dwarf stopped suddenly, his voice growing louder as he spoke. "I would not trust Thranduil, the great King, to honor his word, should the end of all days be upon us!" He exclaimed, turning to point an accusing finger at the elf. He was now shouting, unable to contain his anger. "You, who lack all honor! I've seen how you treat your friends! We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help -- but you turned your back. You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! Imrid amrad ursul!"
Thranduil leapt down and glared at Thorin, his face mere inches away from the dwarf's. "Do not speak to me of dragon-fire," he hissed. "I know its wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the north." As he spoke, his face shivered slightly; and suddenly, there were terrible burns and scars on the side of his face that were visible to Thorin and Davina. It only lasted a brief moment before Thranduil used his magic to conceal it again, but the message had been conveyed. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen. You are just like him." The elf-king turned on his heel and marched back up to his throne as he continued. "Stay here if you will, and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I'm patient -- I can wait."
Two guards grabbed Thorin and began dragging him back down the stairs. Two others yanked Davina toward the stairs as well, even though she would have followed Thorin anyway; but Thranduil stopped them. "Leave her," he ordered the guards, who both immediately released her and stepped away.
Thorin met Davina's gaze, the former of the two wondering what on earth Thranduil could want with the Viator and not coming up with any pleasant ideas. The crimson-haired woman sent him a small, almost imperceptible nod; it assured him that she would be okay and not to worry, although the dwarf would do so anyway.
"Davina Roswell," The elf king said thoughtfully once the guards were gone with Thorin. He turned back around to face her and smiled, although Davina thought it seemed more like a sneer; as if the king was unfamiliar with the sensation of smiling, or even being happy. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance?"
"That god-forsaken forest you seem to be doing nothing about," she snapped bluntly. "Do you enjoy holing yourself up in your kingdom like a hermit afraid to leave its shell?"
Thranduil raised an eyebrow. "Do you enjoy mouthing off like an adolescent, immature girl?"
Davina glared at him. "About as much as you enjoy waxing your eyebrows and wearing ridiculous crowns made of twigs."
"Hmm." The elf-king actually cracked a smile at that one, though Davina was too annoyed to acknowledge it. "Tell me, Davina, what has the almighty Nymali Viator been up to in the past thirty-odd years?"
"None of your business." She seemed to be making a habit of saying that today. "Are you going to beat around the bush for a while longer, or are you going to drop the act and tell me what you want from me?"
"Well. When you put it that way..." Thranduil trailed off and turned away from her to look out over the winding staircases -- more specifically, in the direction of the dungeons. "I would like to strike a deal."
Davina snorted. "Of course, because that worked out so well for you a few minutes ago."
He turned to glance at her. "Are you always so snarky?"
"Are you always so irritating?"
Thranduil huffed; he didn't seem to be getting anywhere with her so far, so he decided to just get right to it. "I would like to offer you a few things," he said, pausing to see if he had her full attention. When she merely stared at him and waited for him to continue, he went on. "I will free you, as well as the horrible company you've decided to surround yourself with -- if you but swear to return those gems to me. I would also like you to heal my burns and tell me the future of what is to become of my kingdom; and in return, I will offer something no woman in their right mind would turn down."
Davina arched an eyebrow, curiosity getting the best of her. "Which would be?"
The elf smirked, thinking he had the Nymali right where he wanted her. "My son's hand in marriage."
The Viator waited to see if the elf in front of her was kidding, but when it was clear he wasn't, fury erupted throughout her. "Do you take me for a disloyal fool?!" She exclaimed, her normally-soft facial features sharpening in anger. "I would not turn my back on those dwarfs for anything in this world! For you to so easily assume I would betray my friends -- for you to be so quick to pawn off your son's happiness as though it means nothing to you..." Davina shook her head angrily. "You disgust me!"
"I am doing you a great service by offering Legolas's hand in marriage!" Thranduil disagreed. "It would provide you with a home and a place to belong, since you have so clearly become a poor wayfarer since the demise of your people. It would be an honor for you to be my son's wife --"
"The only great service you are trying to provide is that which would benefit yourself!" Davina exclaimed.
"As your king --"
"You are not my king!" She shouted angrily, absolutely infuriated that he would even say such a thing. "Lle naa haran e' nausalle!" Thranduil glared at her, but Davina didn't care. "I would rather rot in the dungeons alongside those dwarfs until my last dying breath than make any deal with you -- for they have more honor and loyalty in one finger than you do in your entire body!"
Thranduil was unamused. "Take her to the dungeons with the filth she calls honorable," he ordered his guards. "She can ponder over her mistake down there." As the guards grabbed Davina's arms and started towing her away, the elf-king called out to her: "I will be waiting for you to change your mind, Davina."
"Don't hold your breath, princess," she sassed back. One of the guards kicked her lightly in the leg and she smirked at him. "Is that all you got, hot-shot?"
He didn't respond.
Legolas was still in the dungeons when Davina arrived. He watched as the Viator was shoved into a cell, although she didn't seem to be resisting; it was clear she preferred to be down here, with the dwarfs, as opposed to with the elves. He wondered why that was, but figured it had something to do with Thorin Oakenshield.
The dwarf lord had been sulking in his cell across from hers, but the moment she arrived he stood and moved to clutch the bars as he examined her. "What did he want from you?"
"Nothing I would ever agree with," Davina answered.
"Did he hurt you?"
She cracked a small smile for the dwarf. "Thorin, I'm fine."
And although it was true, Davina wasn't sure how long that would last. But she wouldn't say so -- if not for herself wishing it would stay that way, then for the way Thorin's body relaxed at the knowledge that she was okay.