'Master Baggins! What are you doing?' I asked. Bilbo was wandering off the path and I couldn't have that. 'We shouldn't follow this, we should leave the path behind and find our own way!' the hobbit shouted. Everyone started mumbling. I had a bad feeling about this forest. There was something in here that clouded my mind, even though we had only been here for a few hours. I heard voices everywhere and I saw things that I knew weren't there. 'Why do you think we should leave the path?' I asked, my eyes crossing as I tried to find out which of the two hobbits in front of me was the right one. 'It said so on a stone! We should listen to it' Bilbo said and it echoed through my mind. 'We don't know who wrote that down lad' Balin answered before I could say anything.
It hold on to a tree near the path and lowered myself on a rock. 'What's happening?' I growled when my heart started spinning violently. Balin was right, we didn't know who had written it down but leaving the path couldn't be worse then staying on it. 'Follow the hobbit!' I declared. Everyone got up from the ground and followed the hobbit into the forest. 'Where are we going?' 'I don't know. I can't see the sun.' Someone snorted. 'The sun? Who cares about the sun? We need food!' someone shouted. There were so many trees. They popped up all around me. When I thought I was following closely behind Bilbo he suddenly appeared a few feet away from me. 'What is wrong with this forest?' I asked but got no response. I could see my Company walking in different directions.
Not one of them followed another. We were all splitting up. 'Stay together!' I tried to shout but it sounded more like a whisper to my own ears. Bilbo frowned and stopped in front of me. I didn't realize and bumped into him. He looked up at me with glassy eyes. We had made the wrong decision. 'Bilbo, what did the message say exactly?' I asked. Bilbo started chuckling. 'You know you look silly when you are trying to sound serious? You should see your face right now.' Before I knew it I was laughing along with him. I couldn't help it and I didn't know what was wrong with me. Bilbo tried to catch his breath. The Company had gathered around us and was laughing along. 'Y-you know... You know what?' Bilbo mastered to say. I wiped a tear away from my eye. 'What is it burglar?' I asked.
'It said to leave the path and not to climb the trees... but I I I... I think we should climb them just to have more fun!' he blurted out. And without thinking I walked towards a big tree and started climbing it. 'What are you doing? Bad dwarf! Get your ass down here!' Bilbo tried to sound stern with me. 'Try to catch me master hobbit!' I shout back and continued upwards. I was close to the top and when I stuck my head up above the leaves the wind hit me in the face. The sun was almost down and I could see the Lonely Mountain from here. My mind wasn't as clouded anymore and this was the first time I felt how tired and hungry I really was. I took a deep breath of fresh air and I felt like myself again. I could feel something pulling on my leg and I pulled the hobbit up by his collar.
As soon as he breathed the fresh air in as well his eyes weren't glassy anymore and he frowned. 'I think the person who left the message tried to trick us' he stated. I nodded in agreement. Apparently my whole Company had followed our lead because soon they were all up here with us. 'What else did that message say lad?' Balin asked, a concerned look on his face. 'Apart from leaving the path and not climbing the trees... Let's see... Oh, I remember. That we should kill the white stag.' 'Then we shall leave the stag in peace when we see it. We better not take any risks from now on.' The Company mumbled their agreement. I turned my head and saw something moving down, into the forest. It looked like an eagle, but it had something on it's back.
I rested my hand on my chest. The pain was back. I hadn't felt it when we were down in the forest, but up here I could feel the pain once more. I could swear there had been something, or rather someone, on the eagle's back. And then I realized she hadn't left Middle-Earth. That could be the only explanation for the ache in my chest. When the woman had arrived here in our world there had been a bright, green light. This time, in Rivendell, it had only looked like a green cloud. That wizard was up to something, using my One for one of his plans. 'We keep moving!' I shouted and climbed back down.
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The eagle landed in the middle of a circle of elves, their arrows pointed at our faces. A red headed elf came forward, lowering her weapon. 'What business do you have in Mirkwood?' she asked suspicious, her eyes looking twice at you and Marriet. 'I've send a message to your King, King Thranduil, to let him know I have to speak with him immediately' Gandalf said. The red headed elf waited a minute before she ordered the elves to lower their weapons. 'Follow me' she said. The guards turned around and stayed in a circle while you followed the elf. You looked around at your environment and realized that Mirkwood looked exactly like it did in the movies. It was dark and unpleasant. This wasn't a place where you would like to live.
And maybe this was Tauriel? But she couldn't be. She hadn't been in the books so she couldn't exist. You entered the Kingdom of the Woodland Realm. The doors closed behind you and you knew there would be no way out but with the King's consent. If you screwed this up you would have to stay here until Bilbo would find the keys and you would all escape in barrels. A small tear rolled down your cheek. 'Are you alright?' Marriet whispered. You nodded to reassure her. But frankly you didn't feel alright at all. Lately you had been feeling very emotional. You didn't know how and why but you did know that you needed a big bowl of ice cream and a good chick flick. That would calm you down. There were so many hallways and doors that you couldn't remember how many turns you had taken.
Before you knew it you stood in front of the throne. A blonde haired elf stood next to the throne where Thranduil sat. He was much taller then you had expected, and more intimidating too. It felt like he was staring straight through you, reading your soul like a book. Right after you entered a guard came rushing in. Thranduil stood up and met him halfway down the room. The guard whispered something to him that you couldn't hear. Judging by the look on Gandalf's face, the wizard couldn't hear it either. 'Bring them here' Thranduil ordered. The guard rushed off and Thranduil turned his attention back to Gandalf. 'You wanted to speak to me' he said in a low, not interested voice. He made you feel like you were wasting your time by talking to him. Anger rushed through your veins.
The guards were excused and left the room. The red headed elf was the only one who stayed behind, together with Thranduil, the blonde elf and the three of you. Gandalf mastered a friendly smile. 'I do. By now I think you know that there is a Company of dwarves walking through your woods. I must ask you to leave them at peace and guide them towards the end so they can leave it as soon as possible. They are on an important quest which will also interest you when you fail to let them go' Gandalf started. Thranduil raised an eyebrow and seemed intrigued. 'If I understand correctly you came into my Kingdom with a company of dwarves to tell me how to rule my land.' He took a sip of his wine. 'Or am I wrong?' A silence fell in the throne room. Gandalf wanted to answer but was stopped when Thranduil raised his hand.
'Spare me your excuses and filthy lies. We all know that you see Middle-Earth as your private playground but some of us refuge to play along any longer. You were once a dear friend but now you accompany yourself with that filth' Thranduil said in a harsh tone. It wiped Gandalf's smile right from his face. 'You have no right to talk about the Company like that! They are an honourable race who are just misunderstood! The only thing you do is locking yourself in this hell hole of a forest you call home and being pretty all the way up that throne up there! You're completely ignoring everything that's happening around you! Don't you know that Sauron is regaining strength? He is planning a war and he wants to claim Erebor so he has the best position here in Middle-Earth to control all of you!
So just stick your head out of the sand and realize that you aren't safe anymore! Don't you want to keep your kin safe?' you ranted without taking enough time to breath. Several emotions took over you when you opened your mouth. First there was overwhelming anger and then sadness. There was something strange happening to your body but you didn't care about that right now. Gandalf had given you the job to be the sensible one in the conversation with the elven King and keep your manners. You had failed miserably. Thranduil looked very angry to say the least. 'Who is this?' he hissed. The red headed elf looked at you. She was frowning but didn't seem to be angry with you. Gandalf sighed deeply. 'This is the girl I told you about' he stated. Thranduil raised an eyebrow. 'The one with the good manners?'
Gandalf chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. 'She normally has great manners...' '...but they somehow disappear when I'm talking to stubborn elves who don't know what's good for them' you huffed. Gandalf shot you an angry look. Thranduil's anger diminished a little. 'She has the same bearing as her One' he said. 'And it will also have the same bearing, I'm afraid.' You and Marriet frowned. What was he talking about? Suddenly he turned around and sat down on his throne. 'For now I will listen to what she has to say, but only because I know how woman can be while they're in that state.' You wanted to demand an explanation but Gandalf quickly stepped in front of you. 'Thank you, wise King, here's my plan.'