Maureen
We thanked and left Beorne's house on his ponies. He had asked us to leave his ponies before entering the forest, they'll come back home.
"Hurry" he said to Gandalf, "They are on your heels."
My heart sunk.
We were on our way to the forest and a bear followed us behind the trees. We let the ponies go once we reached the forest. It was early evening and the sun was setting. We decided to spend the night at the edge of the forest and enter early in the morning. Beorne was going to guard but only Gandalf knew about that.
The dwarves made a fire and Bombor started to cook dinner. The forest had an eerie feeling to it. It seemed heavy, so heavy that it oozed danger. I knew none of us would be able to sleep that night. I also knew I would not be able to meditate inside the forest, the magic was going to mess with our heads and I just would not be able to see anything. Thorin was talking to Gandalf and I thought it's the perfect time as he is clearly uncomfortable with these visions. I cleared my head and went under.
Spiders, not the tiny house ones but huge monstrous spiders. Me alone, looking for Thorin, him looking for me. Elves, pointing swords and arrows at the dwarves. My eyes flew open, Thorin was standing right in front of me a frown on his face.
"What did you see?" His voice tight.
I looked up at him and patted next to me. He came and sat, "I saw a lot non sensical things. Giant spiders.... I've been here before and hadn't seen any thing like those monstrous spiders but I guess it's called the 'Sick Forest' for a reason "
Thorin's shoulders were stiff, "Why didn't you tell me before going under."
"Because you were busy with Gandalf and I know you don't like it." There... I told the truth.
His frown got deeper. "What else?" I looked at him, he knew I saw more and was not coming clean, "Don't hide anything from me ever Maur, if something happens to you under my watch I would not be able to recover from it."
I swallowed, the lump in my throat rising again, "I saw you looking for me and me looking for you." I whispered, "Something is going to happen in the forest Thorin, we might lose each other or may be nothing would happen at all but I don't know." My voice cracked.
He looked at me, "No, no, no" his breath getting faster, "I will not lose you, ever." I put my hand over his, "I won't, even if I have to tie you to me, I won't lose you."
"It might never come to pass Thorin if we are careful, remember Gandalf said we have the power to change it."
"When were you here? And why were you here?" He asked, I could feel the wheels churning in his mind as he tried to stay calm and think ahead.
"When Gandalf took me out of my village, he brought me here first but Thranduil is not the kind of person who does something for someone out of the goodness of his heart unless he's getting something in return." I replied. He went still, his jaw ticking, "Not that kind of something" I continued, "Something like a favour for a favour. He knew about my powers and the people I belonged to and Gandalf knew that if I stayed here he would abuse my ability no end, so he took me from here and brought me to you "
He looked at me his eyes blazing with emotions, "Never go under without telling me again, ever." He said and I nodded. It was getting late and we had to get a little sleep if not a lot. "Sleep" I said placing my head on his shoulder and felt him relax.
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Thorin
We entered the forest after the wizard left in the morning. My mind was ill at ease and the feeling of an impending doom was on me. The forest closed on us as soon as we entered, the air was thick and heavy, breathing was hard. Gandalf and Beorne had both insisted that we stay on the path and that's exactly what we intended to do. The first three days went without anything changing much except the air kept getting musty and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. We had decided to take turns to sleep, when Maur slept I stayed awake and when I slept she stayed awake but knowing what she had seen neither of us could get a proper sleep.
On the fourth day of our journey we finally found the river. We needed to get across without bletting the water touch us as it was enchanted. There was a bridge going across but it had broken due to the wear and tear of time. There were thick vines hanging from the trees over the stumps of trees jutting out from the water. "We need to use the vines to cross over." Balin said standing next to me. I nodded.
"I'll cross first, I'm the lightest and the I'd be able to test the vines too" she said. I shook my head. "Why not?" She inquired.
"The vines can break, I don't want you testing them " I said resolutely.
"They won't break Thorin, besides someone has to be first and it only makes sense that the lightest one goes first." She didn't wait for a reply before jumping on the stump in the river. She pulled herself up and swung herself to grab the other vine. My heart was in my throat but she passed to the other side without falling. 'I think they are strong enough but I would suggest Bombor comes last." She said.
Bilbo went next and then one by one we all crossed the river. She pecked my cheek when I landed on the other side, she knew I was fuming at the stunt she pulled. "Smile" she whispered and I huffed.
The food and water is almost gone and I can see how Maur has started taking lesser and lesser portions, it's taking its tole on her body, she's getting frail.
"We need to hunt" I say to Dwalin, she's taking a nap. "She's not eating properly and her portions are getting smaller by day"
"Why are her portions getting smaller? If anyone should be taking smaller portions it's Bombur." Dwalin hissed.
"Stop being so mean to him all the time Dwalin the only reason anyone of us is getting any food is because he cooks it" she whispers.
"I see a rabbit." Bofur shouts and all the dwarves take out their bows betting on who would hunt the rabbit first, they are getting louder and louder.
"Quiet! we are being watched." says Thorin loudly.
I hear a branch snap and look up in the tree, this is the only warning we get as we are swarmed with giant ugly looking spiders. I plunge my sword in one's eye as I scan for her, I see a big one on top of her as she plunges her knife in it's belly when suddenly everything goes dark.