31

"The Elven Gate." Gandalf said, halting at the edge of the forest as the Company did the same. They milled about the entrance and were met with a small archway, fashioned with elegance out of grey bark from everlasting tree.

Thorin and Talia took in the gate's architecture from their position at Gandalf's side. Although the Elven Gate was beautiful, it was wildly unkept. Unruly vines wound all over the stone and further down the path, which was also masked by thick piles of leaves. When they peered into the forest, there was no sunlight to be seen. As the rulers knew well, the forest was sick. However, they had a deadline to meet; if Gandalf deemed the Elvish path safe, then they would have no choice but to trust him.

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood." The wizard continued, addressing the Company.

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side."

"Not luck, Dwalin, but a Skin-Changer." Talia replied, noticing her friend in the distance. "He has granted us safe passage through the plains."

"Set the ponies loose." Gandalf commanded, dismounting his own steed. "Let them return to their master."

But Bilbo wished he didn't have to do so. Upon seeing the forest for the first time, the hobbit was beginning to think Beorn was right about Mirkwood. "This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?"

Talia, however, was no longer invested in the conversation. Something else had caught her eye, and so she walked through the gate and entered Mirkwood. She felt as though she was in a trance, one that was pulling her closer and closer to the evil within the forest.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance..." Gandalf paused, seeing Talia move further into the forest. "South."

The wizard followed the Queen into the forest, narrowing his eyes at the sight before him. Talia stood before a statue overtaken by moss and vines. When she looked into the woman's eyes, she stepped closer, reaching a hand out. Although she did not know who the statue imitated, Talia could tell she had once been beautiful.

But Gandalf was more wary of the statue than Talia was. He knew that she had gained something more than scars during her time in Dol Guldur, something that bridged a connection between her and the darkness. As he watched her move, another voice filled his head, one that was also worried of the scene that was unfolding. The Lady of Light spoke to him soothingly, yet with a tone of great urgency.

Then, Talia pulled aside the vines to see a red eye painted on the statue, her fingers brushing the mark. She cried out as she stumbled back, her vision clouded with the symbol of the darkness itself.

Luckily, Thorin had rushed over and was ready to catch her. She fell into his arms, panting as she refocused on the present. Gandalf raced to her side, kneeling and meeting her eyes.

"What did you see?"

"Him." She gasped, nodding to confirm the wizard's suspicions. "I knew there was a nastiness festering in Dol Guldur, but it is clear to me now that it is far beyond the Necromancer." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "It is him. Our enemy has returned."

As Gandalf listened to her, he also heeded the instruction of the Lady of Light within his mind. Feeling her presence vanish, he nodded to Talia, knowing what he must do. "The High Fells. So be it."

Thorin helped Gandalf lead her back to the Company, following the wizard. The dwarves were almost finished freeing the horses, but they looked up from their work, shocked to see their Queen so debilitated. She had grown enormously pale, and sweat was beginning to form on her brow. Thorin's worry was palpable, and he would address it.

"What happened? Is she alright?"

But Gandalf only had time to spare the King a weary glance, turning back to the others. "Not my horse! I need it!"

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked as Gandalf walked towards his steed. Thorin could only narrow his gaze in agreement, for he did not like the vague situation that the wizard deemed more worthy than the Company.

"He hasn't a choice, Bilbo." Talia agreed with the wizard, giving him a nod to take his leave. She spoke lower than normal, for she felt as if her strength was taken by the red mark. However, for the Company's sake, she retained some firmness in her command. "There are other matters in Middle Earth that he must attend to, ones that trump his necessity on our quest."

"Indeed." Gandalf nodded his thanks to the Queen. "I would not do this unless I had to."

Then, the wizard stopped to talk to the hobbit, intrigued by his sudden boldness. Meanwhile, Thorin turned to Talia, still supporting her with one arm. "Talia, are you alright?" He had already asked the question to the wizard, but he had not yet received an answer.

She nodded half-heartedly, looking at Thorin. "I will be. You know that sensing the darkness has been an ability of mine since Dol Guldur."

"Has it gotten worse? Worse than the troll hoard?"

"No, but the feeling is staying with me." She replied, looking around the Company wearily. Then, her eyes fell to Bilbo, who had a hand in his pocket as the wizard talked to him. "Some other evil lurks in the dark... something that hides within us."

"What?"

She sighed, still staring at the hobbit. "I don't know."

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor." Gandalf concluded his conversation with the hobbit, addressing the King and Queen. "Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me."

Talia could only cock her head at the wizard. "We have a deadline, Gandalf."

"One that you will not meet without my assistance." He fired back, turning to the rest of the Company. "This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion that will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?"

"You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." Gandalf answered the hobbit, mounting his horse and beginning to ride. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!"

Thorin looked to Talia, making sure she was ready. "Will you be alright in the forest?"

In that moment, Talia wished Thorin's innocence was true. She would be venturing closer to the very fortress that had almost killed her, and the forest was sick. If anything, she would only become worse. Still, Thorin's worrying would get them nowhere; she would have to fight it, just like everything else.

She offered him a small smile. "Only one way to tell."

Thorin nodded in understanding. "Come on," He began to address the Company, leading them to the Elven Gate. "We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day. Let's go; we've but one chance to find the hidden door."

So the Company walked through the gate and into Mirkwood, staying sharp. Dwalin began to lead the way as he felt for the path with the bottom of his axe. The Company was relieved each time the metal hit stone, for it was the only sense of time and direction they had.

But before long, the sickness of the Mirkwood had gotten to their heads, especially Talia's. Thorin had passed her to the nephews to look after her, but none of the dwarves were equipped to handle any responsibility. As they wandered through the forest, their minds became more clouded and hazy by the minute. Everything blurred together. All of their senses were melded into one confusing jumble that no one could understand. It was no surprise when Nori discovered they had lost the path, for they lacked their usual wits. Still, they could do nothing but search for the path, aimlessly and in vain.

Bilbo was one of the few who was less susceptible to the illness of the forest. Because Thorin had noticed this, he had tasked his trusted hobbit to remain with Talia. Bilbo helped her sit on a rock while the dwarves searched for the path, dabbing at her forehead with a cloth. She smiled weakly, for it had become difficult for her to form any words, even those of thanks.

As the hobbit sat next to her, he noticed a web of some sorts, one unlike any other he had seen. Talia followed his gaze as the hobbit reached his hand out, her eyes widening with the realization that only one beast could make such a thing. But before she could stop him, his fingers touched the web, sending a vibration running through it. The echo felt sinister and unnatural.

Quickly, and with a speed that was shocking in her current state, Talia grabbed Bilbo's hand and wrapped it in her own. He looked to her as she gripped him tightly. The sudden clarity in her eyes contrasted enormously with her weakened state.

"Don't." Talia said, shaking her head. "We don't want to wake them."

"Wake them? Wa—wake what?"

As Talia opened her mouth to answer, both shot up at the sound coming from a small group of the dwarves. They could see that Ori had found something, something intriguing, on the forest floor. Exchanging a glance, the hobbit helped Talia up as they hobbled over to the scene, ready to inspect the dwarves' treasure.

"Look, a tobacco pouch." Dori said, taking the leather piece from Ori. "There's Dwarves in these woods." He observed, eyes wide.

Bifur took the pouch from Dori, allowing Bofur to get a glance at the item over his brother's shoulder. "Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine."

"Because it is yours!" Talia and Bilbo exclaimed simultaneously, but the simple act had exerted the Queen's strength. Bilbo passed her back to Dwalin as Thorin and the others surrounded them, allowing Bilbo to speak. "Do you understand? We're going around in circles. We are lost!"

"We are not lost." Thorin stated firmly, more irritable than ever. "We keep heading east."

"But which way is the east?" Dwalin asked, frustrated. "We've lost the sun!"

The dwarves burst into argument at Dwalin's statement, discussing amongst themselves whether or not they were in fact lost. Talia, being too weak to do so, could only try to think of a solution through in her muddled mind.

"The sun." Bilbo said, looking to Talia. He was thinking as well. It was like a riddle from one of his books back home, one with the simplest solution that always evaded him. "We have to find... the sun."

Talia watched as the hobbit looked down and tapped his head, eyeing him carefully. "Bilbo?"

"Up there." Bilbo pointed to the tops of the trees, addressing the others. Talia was watching as their argument grew more heated, push coming to shove amongst their ranks. "We need to..." But the hobbit trailed off, for he knew that in their current state, it was useless to try to reason with them. Instead, the Queen cast her gaze after him as he scaled the nearest tree, yearning for the sunlight. She too greatly desired an end to the accursed forest, and perhaps the hobbit would find just that. Staring after him, she made up her mind, forcing herself away from the Company as he climbed.

Bilbo finally reached the top of the tree, staring at the great expanse of nature surrounding him. When the fresh air first hit his chest, he breathed in, and it was as if he was himself again. Laughing gently, he watched as butterflies flew around him and into the air above. Their bright blue wings rustled his curly brown hair and tickled the red leaves of the trees. In his bliss, he couldn't even hear their argument cease as Thorin realized that they were being watched. The wind drowned out the eerie silence below him, leaving the hobbit was completely unaware. In a way, his temporary leave from the disturbed forest was another one of it's tricks, one that would surely separate him from the Company.

But the hobbit paid it no mind and took in his surroundings, spotting the edge of the forest. "I can see... a lake! And a river! And... the Lonely Mountain!" He said, to no one in particular. "We're almost there!" He laughed, hopeful from his breakthrough. "Can you hear me?! I know which way to go!"

The third time he got no response was enough to put him on edge. "Hello?!"

Then, Bilbo felt himself being pulled away from the serenity of the scene by none other than a spider's web, bound around his feet tightly. He sighed and mumbled some semblance of a curse as he began to scream, rolling down branches and over bark at breakneck speed. But before he plummeted into a larger network of webbing, he crashed right into a thick boot, stopping his fall and causing him to let out an involuntary squeak.

"Talia?"

She smiled down at the hobbit. Compared to the last time he had seen her, the Queen looked much healthier and able. Immediately, she bent down to offer him a hand. "Come on. Let's get you up."

With a lot of trouble, Bilbo eventually stood, despite his feet still being bound by webbing. She let him rest a hand on her back as she whipped out her dagger, beginning to saw Bilbo's feet free.

"Where did you come from?"

"I followed you up the tree once I saw you. Seeking daylight has never been a better idea."

"But... where are the others?" The hobbit asked, glancing around at the quiet forest. From their higher vantage point, Bilbo could see the vast expanse of the webs, yet could not see their source or the Company.

"The beasts that you asked about before," Talia began, sheathing her dagger and standing, "Are spiders. Their unusual sized-webs stem from their unusual size, which is because they were bred from the darkness itself. They are part of the sickness of the forest. The others," She looked to Bilbo carefully, "Are in their grasp."

"They—they're all wrapped up? In the webs?" Bilbo spun his hands around frantically to demonstrate the motion.

"Yes."

"And... just how unusual is their size?"

Bilbo had his answer when a spider screeched from behind them, opening it's pincers and staring at them with beady black eyes. Considering the length of it's legs and body, the spider was easily as large as a horse, maybe even bigger. Talia spun around to the threat and decapitated it in a single motion, moving effortlessly. They watched as the head and body were caught by the webs below, muffling the sound of their fall and ensuring that Talia and Bilbo remained undiscovered.

"That unusual." Talia replied, returning her gaze to Bilbo. "The Company is just below. Help me cut them loose."

He nodded, and the two of them were off, splitting apart to cover more ground. Talia slid along the branches as if she were born within these woods, swiftly cutting the webs that suspended the encased dwarves. Bilbo, on the other hand, was much more clumsy, and sliced haphazardly at the string to lower the dwarves to the ground. The wrapped members of their Company fell noiselessly, thanks to the other webs that had saved their dead spider.

Once they were all on the forest floor, Talia and Bilbo clambered down to meet them, cutting them free and helping them navigate their webs. The dwarves all gasped as they bid good riddance to their confinement, enjoying their mobility once again.

However, the spiders were not as thrilled about their dinner escaping. The Company unsheathed their blades immediately once they heard their screeches, looking up and watching them fall all around them. Thorin barked out orders as he fought alongside Talia, helping the others fend off the beasts when he could and accepting help when he needed it.

But just as the Company cleared the first wave of fell creatures, they were greeted with another guest when even more of them appeared. In the midst of fighting, Talia could see the Wood Elves firing at the spiders, killing the beasts and twirling through the motions with ease. Though Talia appreciated the help, she and Thorin glanced at each other when they saw the prince himself, groaning simultaneously. If their journey had led them to Legolas, then it would surely lead them to his father; the one Elf they wished never to see again.

All of the spiders were vanquished in a matter of minutes, but the Wood Elves were more cunning than to focus on only one enemy. It only took them seconds to surround the Company, notching their arrows and pressing them to their chins.

"Do not think I won't kill you, Dwarf." Legolas began, pressing the tip of his arrow into Thorin's neck. "It would be my pleasure."

But before he could do so, another cry for help alerted all present company. "Kili!"

Fili's scream caused Talia to whirl around to her nephew, who was being dragged away by a spider that had slipped past the Wood Elves. But Kili saw another Elf, a female with hair as red as fire, that was spinning about nearby. She killed one last spider before giving her attention to the one that held Kili, burying her weapon in it's head.

"Throw me a dagger! Quick!"

"If you think I'm giving you a weapon, Dwarf," She pulled her blade from the dead spider and began to turn, "You are mistaken!"

Naturally, her aim was true. The dagger embedded itself right between the eyes of the spider, allowing it to release Kili and collapse, dead. The She-Elf walked over to Kili, wrenching her blade from the beast and pulling him to the others. She had a fire within that was much different than others of her kind, which he saw in her violent motion. Normally, the Dwarf would have thanked her for saving his life, but something told him that he didn't want to risk her fury.

"Search them!" Legolas barked, sending his warriors to pat down the dwarves and strip them of their weapons. For some of them, their weapons were their pride and joy, which was obvious when Fili groaned at the loss of his many daggers. But for others, their dignity extended beyond their blades. Gloin roared when Legolas took a locket from him, one containing images of his wife and son. When the pretty prince mistook them for goblin mutants, the red-haired dwarf decided he had never hated Elves more than in that moment. 

As Legolas turned to Thorin, wielding Orcrist in his hands, the She-Elf that had saved Kili took to dealing with Talia. She grumbled to herself as the Elf took her sword and other blades on her person, though she was relieved it was another woman searching her.

"You are familiar to me." The She-Elf said, finally getting a good look at the Queen. Then, her mind clicked with recognition, taking in her captive with hazel eyes. "Talia Rue Ashenstone."

"What gave me away?" Talia asked, reluctantly letting her take another knife from her sleeve.

"Well, you are a Dwarf without a beard. Which would be impossible, except if you were more than a dwarf."

"There are many Half-Bloods in Middle Earth."

"But only one who wears the Queen's jewel," She gestured to the ring on Talia's finger before looking to her neck, "And only one who carries the pendant of the Lady of Dale."

As much as she hated to admit it, the She-Elf was right; the sapphire ring was a dead giveaway. But Talia had not known her necklace revealed her status, too. She took in the small metal bar dangling from it's chain, finally understanding it's meaning to her mother—the Lady of Dale. After all these years, she had learned it's value from an Elf, of all creatures. She palmed it absentmindedly before dropping her hand to her side, remembering her annoyance with her captor.

"If you know my name, don't you think it's only fair that I know yours?"

Talia wasn't expecting an answer from the She-Elf, but she knew that the question would deflect the subject from herself. And she could tell that the woman was more than she seemed, for she would recognize her noble garb from anywhere. "Head of the Guard, I presume?"

The She-Elf only smirked, tilting her head slightly. Talia could see that her vivid red hair hung all the way down her back, spilling over her shoulders and meeting her calves in loose rivulets. "Do you need any more of a title than that?"

Talia rolled her eyes as the She-Elf removed another dagger from her hip. "No, but I did not ask for your title; I asked for your name."

Now it was her captor's turn to become annoyed with her forthrightness. Still, what harm could come of it? Her encounter with the Queen Under the Mountain had been the most interesting part of her week, and she could allow herself some amusement from the retort that her reply would earn. "Tauriel."

"An absolute pleasure to meet you." Talia's voice was dripping with sarcasm as Tauriel took her favorite blade. Nevertheless, a small part of her was enjoying their banter. She couldn't remember the last time she met another woman, let alone one that could wield a blade. She knew Tauriel would be able to handle whatever insult she could think of. "How did you manage Head of the Guard? Seduce a few princes along the way?"

Tauriel narrowed her eyes at the suggestion, but brushed it off as Legolas called her name. "You'll never know." Tauriel raised an eyebrow and walked off. Talia watched her leave, intrigued by her mannerisms. Something was different about that Elf, for she was made of iron wits instead of ethereal grace. Tauriel seemed almost human to Talia, and that was when she knew she had one more question that needed to be answered.

"Why did you save him?"

Tauriel turned back to her, only a few footfalls from the prince. In truth, the She-Elf did not know. Something had drawn her to the Dwarf, something unbeknownst to her. But with Legolas watching her so intently, she knew she could not be anything but sour to the Queen Under the Mountain, for allowing a prisoner to leave her speechless would not go unnoticed by the prince.

"Sport."

Talia caught her gaze, shocked at the response. She read something in Tauriel's hazel eyes, something that she wanted to call a lie. Still, Tauriel had said her piece, no matter what Talia wished to believe. Whatever small understanding Talia thought they had was dead. She scoffed at her own stupidity, at her trust in a Wood Elf to care about a Dwarf. The thought of any Wood Elf being different was naïve; all within Mirkwood's domain were heartless and cruel, indifferent to the lives of others in Middle Earth. The anger with the She-Elf finally caught up with Talia and seethed through her body, but before she could do something stupid, Bofur caught her and her husband's attention.

"Thorin—where's Bilbo?"

Thorin looked to Talia, who could only growl as they were pushed along. In truth, the alarm in her eyes had not gone unnoticed by Thorin, who spared one more glance behind them before he was whisked away. The hobbit had been with her, and she had lost him; if he didn't turn up, she would blame herself for it forever.

"Close the gates!" Legolas barked in the Woodland dialect, shoving the dwarves into their dominion. But the glance he spared behind him was enough to allow the Company's last hope to slide through the doors, creeping past the prince as the gate slammed shut behind them.