Okay! Here's Chapter 14! I hope you like it! Please comment, vote and follow! I follow back! :)

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*Cassy's POV*

The forest path before us was narrow and dark. We ended up walking in pairs to give us enough room to walk, I was in front of Fili and Kili beside Bofur. We walked deeper into the forest, the small light from the forest gate slowly getting smaller and smaller the further in we walked until we could no longer see the entrance.

My mood had hit rock bottom after walking for five minutes. I didn't feel comfortable walking through this forest and I wasn't the only one. Everyone was silent, occasionally choosing to strike up a conversation but it didn't last long. Even Bofur, who was usually joking and messing around, was unusually quiet and distracted. The forest was too dark, too stuffy and far too quiet for my liking.

Occasionally a squirrel would run across the path, their fur as black as night. They were quite creepy if I was honest. One of the most disturbing things I could see were that the trees along the path were covered in large, thick cobwebs. Luckily none of them reached the path. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching us.

I tried to distract my thoughts on jumping to conclusions about the monstrous creatures that could be watching us by starting up a conversation with Bofur.

"This forest gives me the creeps." I muttered.

"I know just what you mean, lass." Said Bofur as he glanced into the forest.

"Do you get the feeling that something is watching us? Or is it just me?" I asked.

"No, I feel it too. I'm not sure what it is." He replied.

"I've heard stories that the forest can play tricks on people. It's something in the air, I think." I said.

"It wouldn't surprise me. I already miss the sun, this forest is just so dark and... dead." He said.

"It looks as though it's sick. Or dying." I replied as I glanced at a weird blue gunk covering one of the black coloured trees.

"I think you're right." He said as he looked at the trees as well.

We continued to follow the path for a few more hours until it turned so dark that we couldn't see very far in front of us. Thorin ordered for us to stop for the night.

"Well camp here, but no fires. We don't want to attract any creatures to the camp." Said Thorin. We all agreed and laid down our bedrolls. Thorin offered to take first watch and the rest of us fell asleep.

Some time later I was still awake, it was incredibly hard trying to relax and rest when numerous glowing eyes belonging to all sorts of creatures watched our camp. I was paranoid about what would happen if I went to sleep, even though I knew Thorin was keeping watch. I huffed and laid on my back glaring into the darkness. I could feel Thorin staring at me now, questioningly.

"I can't sleep with all those eyes watching me." I mumbled as I looked into the forest and saw the glowing eyes still staring at our camp.

Thorin nodded slightly. The big yellow glimmering eyes moved around up and down the edge of the path, some closer and others further away but they were all still watching us.

"You should still try to get some rest." Thorin said.

I sighed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep. "Thorin?" I suddenly whispered and I saw him turn his head to look at me.

"Aye?" He replied questioningly.

"What was Erebor like?" I asked lowly. I've always wondered what it was like, Lord Dain and the other dwarfs in the Iron Hills told me numerous different stories about Erebor, all of which sounded fascinating. But I couldn't help but wonder what Thorin really thought about his home.

Thorin remained silent for a minute, raising his eyebrows at me in the dark. I could tell that he was surprised at my question. After a long moment of silence he finally replied.

"It was beautiful." He said, probably thinking back to the time before Smaug's attack. "Great halls and mines, hand-carved into the stone, reaching down further than the roots of the mountain itself, beautiful, tall, handcrafted columns ran the full length of the ancient halls. Every wall was lined with precious gems and lit with torches that made the jewels in the walls dance with light. It wasn't just a damp dark hole in a mountain. It was a home. A home to all dwarfs."

His voice was filled with resentment as he continued. "It was a home fit for kings but it was taken from us. We were once a noble people, not tinkers and merchants but noble dwarf lords!"

"You dwell on the past." I couldn't help but mutter lowly beside him and Thorin huffed slightly.

"Do not tell me the past does not matter." He grumbled causing me to roll my eyes.

"I'm not saying the past doesn't matter, of course it does. I should know." I said quickly, my voice soft. "Our past is what makes us. I merely think it's of no use filling your heart with so much sorrow. I used to dwell on the past each and everyday after my family was killed. I'm just saying that you shouldn't."

"Are you saying that I do?" Thorin asked quietly, I could hear the lurking tone in his voice.

"I think your heart is filled with the grief and anger of a whole people." I said after a moments silence. "And I think that something like that might be too much to bare for one person alone."

"Rest now. You will need your strength once morning comes and we move on." He said then, clearing his throat quietly. "No harm will come to you in your sleep, I will see to it."

I nodded through the darkness and turned over on my bedroll until I was comfy. I closed my eyes and once my breathing evened out, I eventually fell asleep.

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The next day I woke up early when I felt someone shake me roughly. I growled and slowly opened my eyes and saw the familiar grinning face of my brother staring down at me.

"You never really were gentle at waking people up were you?" I said as I glared up at him jokingly whilst I rubbed my shoulder where he had roughly shaken me.

"Feel relieved that I didn't kick you to wake you up." He replied smirking.

"You wouldn't kick me, I'm your twin sister." I said.

"Oh come on! When we were younger we used to push each other off of the bed to wake each other up!" He said as he sat down next to me on the floor.

"Yes but you wouldn't kick me would you?" I said grinning.

"Of course I wouldn't, Cas." He said as he pulled me to his side and gave me a brotherly hug. "But I'd still push you off of the bed if you had been sleeping in one."

I pushed him away from me as I glared at him but I ended up smiling when he began laughing.

"Oh just shut up, you idiot." I said.

"Come on. We'll be leaving when everyone is awake." He said before he walked back to his bedroll.

I smiled and packed my belongings away whilst Bombur began distributing a small amount of food to each of us.

After we had eaten we carried on following the path through Mirkwood. We walked in usual silence and instead of walking with Bofur, I ended up walking beside Caspian.

I looked up and saw that we had finally reached the river Beorn had told us about. The dark water was cutting swiftly and powerfully through the dim forest before us. I swiftly made my way to the very edge of the bank where Thorin, Fili and Kili were standing.

I began to inspect how wide the river was, whilst Bilbo made his way towards Thorin.

"There is a boat on the far bank!" Bilbo said suddenly, squinting into the dimness from where he was now kneeling on the bank next to a still standing Thorin. We all looked at Bilbo and then peered through the darkness to try and see the boat ourselves.

"Yeah. I see it, too." Said Ori quietly.

"How far away do you think it is?" Thorin asked, looking to Bilbo for an answer. Bilbo looked surprised but he quickly answered.

"About twelve yards, I reckon." Bilbo said, getting to his feet

"Twelve? I would have at least thought twenty." Thorin muttered. "But then again, my eyes are not as sharp as they once were. And still, twelve yards are as good as a mile. We can't jump it and we daren't try to wade or swim for Beorn said the water carries a deep magic."

"We could throw a rope." I suggested, looking up at the Thorin questioningly.

"What good is that? The boat is sure to be tied up, even if we could hook it." Said Gloin.

"I don't think it's tied." Bilbo answered. "Though I can't be sure in this light. But it looks as if it was just drawn on to the bank."

"Very well." Thorin finally spoke. "We shall try it your way, Cassandra."

I smiled slightly as Thorin nodded at me. I dug around in my bag and pulled out some rope to which Caspian had tied a large iron hook. Everyone stood silently and watched as Caspian and I did all the work. Caspian threw the rope towards the boat, failing to hook the boat the first few times. On his fourth attempt he managed to hook it. He nodded to me and I quickly grabbed the rope and began to pull. We pulled in vain and only after Kili, Fili and Gloin came to help, we managed to tug the boat from the far bank, suddenly falling over on our backs as the rope suddenly gave way. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly as we all struggled back to our feet while Bilbo was quick to catch the boat with a wooden stick before it could rush down the river and out of our reach, which earned him a few acknowledging pats on the back from the rest of us.

"Who'll cross first?" Bilbo asked, looking up at Thorin who was moving his gaze over the rest of us.

"I will." Thorin replied. "Mr Baggins, Fili and Kili will go with me. After that Balin will go with Nori, Gloin and Dori; next Oin, Nori, Bifur and Dwalin, and last Bofur, Cassandra, Caspian and Bombur."

Thorin turned away to step into the boat after Fili had secured a second rope to the wood on the other side of the river, allowing us to move the boat from one bank to the other without drifting away with the current.

I stood silently with my brother, Bofur and Bombur until everyone else was on the other side and it was then our turn. I climbed into the boat with Bofur and Caspian's help and the boat creaked worryingly as Bombur sat down in it. The large redhead shot us a sheepish look but I just smiled back at him comfortingly. It didn't take long for us to reach the other side, the river not being very wide and Bofur climbed out first, followed by Caspian.

I was just getting ready to follow when all of a sudden there was the sound of hooves galloping on the path ahead. I looked up confusedly when a large dark deer came running out of the woods, charging into the dwarves and knocking them over. I felt Bombur stumbling backwards behind me and the next thing I registered was Bombur knocking into my back sending us both tumbling into the dark water, not able to hold on to anything as the boat tilted over.

I didn't really hear my own small shriek that echoed through the woods before my voice was cut short when my whole body was drawn under the murky depths of the water.