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italics - elvish

"Lady Damenor." Beorn called, as the Company was saddling up. "A word if you wouldn't mind."

Alenia glanced back at Kili, before she walked over to the shapeshifter.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I just wanted to ask you if you knew much of the elves of Mirkwood. Especially considering your mother's parentage."

"I'm sorry? I'm afraid I don't understand." Alenia said. "My mother wasn't of Mirkwood. She lived with her family in a forest near the borders of Rohan, and then they died in a forest fire two centuries before she met my father."

"You didn't know." Beorn sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Your mother was of Mirkwood. Born and raised. Lanatha and I were friends, when I first came to live here."

"Then why would she lie?" Alenia said.

"Possibly so that you wouldn't think that her family was horrible. And very much alive." He said.

"Why were they horrible?" Alenia asked. "Why did she leave her home?"

"Because Lanatha met your father." Beorn explained. "And her father didn't agree, thought that it wasn't possible that she loved a human. That it wasn't natural. So he banished her."

"What?" Alenia cried. "He banished her just because she fell in love with a human?!"

"Yes, forced her out of Mirkwood. That's when Lanatha and your father, Brady, left for your house in the forest."

"Wait. Forced her out of Mirkwood?" Alenia asked. "Only one elf has the power to do that. Are you telling me the King Thranduil is my grandfather?"

Beorn nodded.

"Thank you for telling me." Alenia said, turning to head back, before pausing. "Does he know she died?"

"I don't know." Beorn admitted. "I didn't know until Gandalf told me when you arrived. I half thought my friend had come back for a visit. You look just like her."

"I miss her." She said, turning back to look at him, her eyes teary.

"I know." He responded. "As do I."

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The rest of the Company had mounted their horses when Alenia and Beorn rejoined the group, and the half-elf clambered onto her horse, near Kili and Fili.

"Go now, while you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind." Beorn said, looking around the landscape.

"Thank you for everything, Beorn." Alenia called. "May the stars light your path."

He nodded, as the Company rode off in the direction of Mirkwood.

"I have something to tell you two." Alenia told the brothers as they galloped through the grassy plain.

"Does this have anything to do with what you and Beorn were talking about for a very long time?" Kili asked.

"Why, you jealous?" Alenia asked.

Kili shot her a look.

"Fine." she said. "Yes it did. Turns out I'm Thranduil's granddaughter."

"I had no idea we were in the presence of royalty." Kili joked.

Alenia laughed, remembering when she had said almost the exact words to them back in Bilbo's hobbit hole, way back at the beginning of their journey. "Oh, shut up."

"How is that possible?" Fili asked.

"Apparently, my mother fell in love with my father, and King Pointy-Ears didn't approve. So he banished her. Was probably going to kill her if she ever came back." Alenia said.

"No offense, but I'm not really surprised. Not after what he did to our people." Kili said.

"Oh, neither am I, love." Alenia said. "But that's not why I told you. I told you because I figured I owed it to you both to tell you that I'm related to your people's biggest enemy. And because if the elves somehow find us in Mirkwood, I'm not sure what will happen to me."

"Well," Fili started. "First off, I think that Smaug, the fire-breathing dragon, the one who killed most of our people and stole our home, is a bit higher on the dwarves of Erebor's hate list, than your pointy-eared grandfather."

"And," Kili added. "You don't have anything to worry about the forest. You're a badass warrior, and we'll be there to offer emotional support."

"And snacks." Fili said.

"You guys are the best." Alenia said. "I knew there was a reason I liked you both."

"You mean, besides our good looks?" Fili asked.

"Eh, that only works for Kili." Alenia giggled.

"Back at you." Kili smirked.

"Why hang out with me, then?" Fili asked.

"Snacks." Alenia answered, snapping her reins and speeding off, as the brothers chased after her.

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"The Elven Gate." Gandalf announced.

He turned to the rest of the Company. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood."

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin commented, as he dismounted from his pony.

Alenia turned to look over her shoulder, and saw Beorn in his bear form watching over them from a distance.

"I don't think luck has anything to do with it." Alenia muttered, nudging Fili and Kili, and gesturing behind her.

"This forest feels...sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilbo asked, frowning at the trees.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south." Gandalf replied, as he moved deeper into the treeline.

The Company started to unpack the packs from the horses, lowering all of the bags onto the grass, and unsaddling the animals.

"Not my horse! I need it." Gandalf yelled, as he charged out of the forest to rejoin the group.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked.

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said. "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire."

"I was going to tell you; I...found something in the Goblin tunnels." Bilbo said, reaching into his pocket.

"Found what?" Gandalf said, leaning forward on his horse, as the hobbit fiddled with something in his pocket. "What did you find?"

"My courage." Bilbo finally stuttered, as he removed his hand from his pocket.

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

The wizard then turned and began walking to his horse, before Alenia stepped into his path, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"When were you going to tell me that Thranduil is my grandfather?" she accused.

"At Beorn's actually. Why do you think he told you?" Gandalf said.

"I dunno. Maybe because he actually thought I deserved to know the truth about my family?" Alenia snapped. "I've known you for basically my whole life. You knew and you never told me."

"Your parents didn't want you to think badly of your family." Gandalf said.

"Yeah, well, that failed." she retorted, as Gandalf looked at her sadly.

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me." Gandalf said, as he looked over his shoulder at Thorin.

Thorin nodded.

"This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." He warned, as he mounted his horse.

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked Dwalin, as rain started to sprinkle down on the Company.

"You must stay on the path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." Gandalf said.

The dwarves stooped to grab their bags, getting ready to enter the forest.

"And Alenia." Gandalf called, and she looked up, still looking miffed. "Try to keep an open mind."

"No matter what may come, stay on the path!" he finished, as he wheeled his horse around and galloped off.

"So," Dwalin said, breaking the silence, "You're the princess of the pointy-ears?"

"No." Alenia said. "They banished my mother for loving my father. I want nothing to do with them."

With that, she turned on her heel, and stepped into the forest of Mirkwood.

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day."

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a/n:

this is later in the day then i normally post... oops. i may or may not have gotten distracted by star wars: episode viii.

vote/comment if you want to

i'll see you guys next tuesday :))

- ash xx