Treasured Love | Thorin Oakenshield.

11 - spiders

Beorn offered us some steaks to ride our way to Mirkwood.

As we all gathered outside the skin changers home, Beorn pulled me aside gently by my arm.

"You're a strong one, you're no hobbit," Beorn states and my eyes pry open in shock.

"I am. Though not completely," I whisper and peer out to the dwarves who are saddling horses. "I'm half elf." I reply and look up at the tall man.

He sighs and rubs his hairy chin. "That would explain it."

"You must not tell the others. It is my secret to keep and for me to decide whom I tell," I dared Beorn who nodded his head.

"Your secret is safe with me, young Keena Gredan,"Beorn replies with a smile, but the smile soon disappeared. "You must be mindful Keena for the next part of this journey. The White Warg has marked you, and since you came out alive it will hunt you down until you're dead. Stay close with the dwarves as they will protect you, don't wander," Beorn warned me. My heart beat quickened.

"The warg marked me.... hunt me down.... what says you by this?" I question the skin changer.

"Just know the warg will do everything in its power to see you be dead," Beorn finished before turning on his heel and heading back into his home.

I felt my hands become sweaty. The white warg is hinting me. It bit me and now wants me dead. How could he be so sure? During my train of thought I heard my name be called from behind me.

"Keena, we must begin moving," Gandalf called out to me. I jumped to the sound of his voice. I turned to him, my face scared. He knew something was wrongs

What is wrong my dear, I heard the wizards voice In My head.

The white warg is hunting me, I replied in my head and the wizards eyes grew wary.

With that said, I didn't get a response from Gandalf but only a look of concern from him.

I saw Thorin with his horse come near me and I felt his hand grab mine.

"I'll help you up," he said and guided me up onto the horse

Thorin helped me up onto one and much to my surprise he climbed on behind me, grabbing the reins in front of me and steering the horse himself.

"I wouldn't want you falling off," he spoke into my ear just as we all began to ride off.

"Go now, while you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind," Beorn instructed us as we began riding off in the direction of the forest.

"I can ride a horse on my own," I told Thorin as he steered us just behind Gandalf.

"Mustn't risk it," he cooed into my ear. "You can lean against me if you want," he added as he noticed I was sitting up fully in front of him. I took that into consideration and leaned back into the dwarfs chest that was covered in armor. Though it was stil comrtable.

Soon I saw the first off in the distance. The dark looking forest that had a haze of black covering it. It looked sick. Very sick.

"The Elven Gate," Gandalf preaches as we neared the forest.  He looked back at us as we got off our horses. Thorin got off first then scooped me off next to place me gently down on the ground. I hopped over closer to Gandalf with Thorin still close next to me. I looked up and saw a stone arch with Quenya written on it. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood."

Símen i acsa -o i runda (here lies the path of the wood elves), I told myself as I read the Quenya on the arch. My kin were at the end of this path.