A Sword and A Shield [The Hobbit X OC]

21 - The Forest Where Shadows Lie

Before I knew it, we approached the face of a dark forest. Even the air above the canopy exuded a gloominess that chilled my spine. Gandalf dismounted from his horse and stepped into the edge of the forest through an ancient archway. "The Elven Gate," I muttered as the rest of us stopped our mounts beside Gandalf's.

"Have you been here before?" asked Thorin.

"You could say that."

Gandalf turned back to us. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood!"

"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side," Dwalin noted.

I didn't think it was luck so much as a fearsome bear standing guard somewhere distant.

"Set the horses loose. Let them return to their master!" called the wizard.

Thorin climbed off our mount first. He released his grip on my waist, his hesitation to do so catching my attention, and let himself slide off the horse's back.

Once safely on the ground, Thorin did something rather surprising:

He held up his hand.

The gesture left me feeling particularly bothered. "I appreciate the offer, but trust I can manage off this horse just fine, thank you." I swung one leg over the side opposite the dwarf and pushed myself down. My boots hit the firm ground. I adjusted my equipment and then went to help Bilbo.

Thorin wondered why I could accept help from Ori but not him. And why did it irk him so?

After climbing down from his horse, Bilbo inspected the gloomy trees while I unloaded the supplies.

"This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it," said the hobbit. "Is there no way around?"

"Not unless we go 200 miles north," I replied, "or twice that distance south. Here. Put this on."

Bilbo slung his pack onto his shoulders.

We helped the dwarves unsaddle from their ponies, too. One by one, we turned them all loose to return to Beorn. Just before Nori and I finished unsaddling Gandalf's horse, however, he walked out of the forest in a hurry.

"Not my horse! I need it!"

The company looked on in surprise.

"You're not leaving us?!" I exclaimed.

"You can't," added Bilbo.

"I would not do this unless I absolutely had to." Gandalf meant to walk off but stopped to look at a dejected Bilbo. "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same hobbit as the one who left the Shire."

Bilbo considered his next words very carefully. "I was going to tell you." His eyes flickered between me and Gandalf. "Both of you. That I ... That I found something in the goblin tunnels."

My eyebrows rose.

"Found what?" replied Gandalf. Bilbo was hesitant, which only made us more curious. Thus, the wizard pressed, "What did you find?"

A moment passed before the hobbit said, "My courage," and quickly yanked his hand out of his pocket.

What's in his pocket? I thought to myself, feeling like Bilbo was holding something back. I looked up to the sky when I felt a raindrop land on my forehead.

"Good. Well, that's good," said Gandalf. "You'll need it."

As the wizard walked past, I oddly eyed Bilbo. He shot a half-smile back in my direction.

Gandalf made his way over to the dwarves. "I'll be waiting for you all on the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe," he pressed directly to Thorin. "Do not enter that mountain without me. Understood?" His gaze was threatening beyond normal reason, making the dwarf nod his head without any arguments.