The Path Through Mirkwood: 16 - Decisions
Characters/Pairings: Fíli/Bofur, Thorin, Thorin's Company
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Warnings: Body Horror, Oviposition, Medical Procedures, Character Death, Hallucinations
Summary: The things Thorin’s company encounters in Mirkwood are beyond their worst nightmares. As Fíli’s uncle says, the faster they travel, the sooner they will leave the forest and all its horrors behind - if they manage to....
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit.
Chapter 16: Decisions
“I don’t want to be cut open,” Bofur said.
“We should get back to the path as quickly as possible first,” Fíli said as he quickly freed Kíli and Ori from their bonds. “Then we can think about what to do. I don’t want the elf trail to disappear, you never know in this forest.”
He looked at Thorin pleadingly. Thorin hesitated and then nodded. “We find the path first.”
Bilbo helped Bofur up. “I’m sure it won’t be necessary, don’t worry.”
They all quickly picked up their weapons and the supplies the elves had left them. Then they hurried towards the trail Legolas had shown them, Dwalin and Kíli leading the way. Bilbo, Bifur and Bombur stayed close to Bofur, trying to calm him and cheer him up. Fíli noted that the others kept glancing at Bofur and that Nori made sure Dori and Ori kept their distance from him.
Fíli wanted to hurry to Bofur’s side to comfort him as well, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Wait,” Thorin said quietly and called Óin over with a motion of his head. Balin joined them as well. They followed a little bit behind the others.
“What do you think about what the elves said?” Thorin asked Óin.
Óin sighed. “I know you don’t trust them and I don’t either, but there is something to their words. There is clearly something moving beneath his skin. I’d have to take a closer look, but we shouldn’t completely disregard what they said.”
“I don’t think they would just have let us go if what they were saying weren’t true,” Balin said. “They were clearly terrified.”
Thorin nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”
Fíli closed his eyes unhappily, only to trip over a root. He was only prevented from falling by Thorin catching him in time.
“He is terrified of a healer cutting him,” Fíli said. “He fell down a mine when he was little and had to be stitched back together. He has been afraid of such things ever since.”
Óin sighed. “I’m afraid we might not have much choice. But we’ll have to see.”
“Here’s the path!” Dwalin’s voice came from ahead. They all hastened their steps and soon enough, the trail met the path they had been travelling before they had run into the forest to join the elves’ feast. Fíli hadn’t thought he would ever be glad to see the dreary forest path, but he was.
“Alright everybody, we’ll take a moment to look through what supplies we have and pack them properly,” Thorin announced.
Óin went over to Bofur. “May I take a look at the bump on your face? I won’t hurt you; I just want to see if it is something serious.”
Bofur hesitated.
“Go on,” Bilbo urged him. “When I was young, I once fell on a pile of wood and my hand hurt so horribly I thought they would have to amputate it. I didn’t even dare to look at it. My mother took one single look at it and got some tweezers. Turned out there was only a splinter in it. Better get it over with and then be able to relax, because chances are it’s nothing bad.”
Bofur nodded. “Alright. Take a look at it then.”
Fíli smiled at Bilbo thankfully. Óin examined the bump, carefully prodding at it and watching as it squirmed.
“Do you have any more of these?” Óin asked.
Bofur hesitated and scratched his nose. “No, I don’t think so.”
Fíli had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Bofur had never been a good liar. Apparently, Óin caught it as well, since he squinted his eyes in scrutiny.
“Are you absolutely sure about that?”
Bofur nodded. “Of course I am. It’s harmless, right? So when do we go on travelling?”
Óin sighed. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. There does seem to be something living under your skin and we should take it out. You won’t feel a thing thanks to the sedative the elves supplied us with...”
“No!” Bofur shouted and backed away, reaching for his mattock. “You can’t cut me open!” He looked at Fíli helplessly.
“Please, Bofur,” Fíli said, reaching out a hand to Bofur. “You heard what the elves said. It’s dangerous if you don’t let Óin take out the larvae. You might die.”
Bofur shook his head. “They are elves! Since when do you trust elves? And you might as well be hallucinating this... this... thing. Who said we ever stopped hallucinating?!”
“I’m pretty sure this is real, Bofur,” Fíli said. “Please, you won’t feel a thing.”
“Only because I’ll be dead!” Bofur said, running away from them. Fíli was prepared to go after him to make sure he didn’t get lost in the forest, but to his relief, Bofur only ran to the edge of the group. Fíli watched him pace up and down.
“I’ll go,” Bilbo said and followed after him.
Óin, Fíli and Thorin, who had joined them sometime during the discussion, looked at each other.
“It’s like the elf said,” Óin finally said. “I don’t think Bofur is telling the truth when he says that is the only one. We have to take them out.”
“But we can’t force him to let you take the larvae out,” Fíli protested.
“You heard what the elf said about the larvae making him do what is best for them,” Óin said. “I think she may have been right. Bofur usually isn’t one to lie.”
“Maybe he isn’t lying,” Fíli said, looking at the floor. “And even if he is, telling one lie doesn’t have to mean he is behaving strangely and being changed by larvae.”
“Fíli,” Thorin said softly, “we talked about this even before we knew what was really going on. You said yourself that there have been situations lately in which you barely recognised him. I know you don’t want this to be true; I don’t either. But we have to face the reality.”
Fíli glanced around and noticed Bifur and Bombur hovering close by. He waved them over.
“You heard what we were saying, didn’t you?”
They both nodded.
“You should probably have a say in this as well, as his kin,” Fíli said.
Thorin and Óin nodded in agreement.
/Something has been going on with him,/ Bifur signed. /If it is the wasps, they need to be taken out, if there’s any safe way to do it./
Óin nodded. “It didn’t seem to be too deep under the skin, so it shouldn’t be too risky. Probably only a small cut for each one and some stitches, if the larvae aren’t too difficult to pull out. I have the elves’ other tincture and enough salves to make sure the cuts won’t get inflamed.”
Fíli shook his head. “I don’t feel comfortable making this decision against his will.”
/Bofur and Bombur had to make decisions for me when I was injured,/ Bifur signed. /I could only thrash and scream and I would have died if they had let me have my way. I think this is the best for him./
“The elf said Bofur would probably die if we don’t cut the larvae out,” Bombur said quietly. “We can’t let that happen.”
“And if we don’t cut the larvae out, but... I don’t know... just squish them?” Fíli asked.
“If they were smaller, it would be worth a thought,” Óin said. “But I don’t think it’s possible with this size of larvae. We would only risk an inflammation.”
“It’s an uncomfortable decision, but it’s for the best, Fíli,” Thorin added. “I don’t like how nervous the elves were either. They are cowards, but they usually aren’t afraid without a reason. This isn’t only the best for Bofur, it is the best for the group as well. I don’t want to think about what will happen if we do nothing and the larvae hatch.”
Fíli gazed into the forest for a few moments before nodding. “Alright. If there really is no other way.”
“There’s one more thing,” Óin said. “I need to make sure you aren’t also affected, if that’s alright with you.”
Fíli nodded and took off his clothes, shivering in the cool autumn air. Óin carefully examined Fíli and finally nodded.
“You were lucky. No sign of any larvae.”
Fíli quickly dressed again and the company started travelling again, their spirits lower than ever.
Early that evening, after Dori had handed out their share of elvish bread, Fíli took a water skin over to where Bofur was sitting.
“Look, I’m sorry about earlier.” Fíli swallowed against the lump in his throat. “I should have listened to you and accepted your decision. I thought I’d bring you a little peace offering. Water with a tiny bit of ale added. You don’t want to know what I had to offer Dori for it.”
Bofur smiled at Fíli and took the drink. “Thank you.” He drank some and then held the water skin out to Fíli. “Do you want some as well?”
Fíli shook his head. “I couldn’t go drinking my own peace offering to you.”
Bofur grinned. “I guess it’s all mine then. I had almost forgotten that this is what ale tastes like.”
They sat in silence as Bofur drained the water skin. Bofur crumpled a leaf in his hand and Fíli noticed with a shudder that there was a larva moving in his hand. He wondered how he could have missed this for so long.
Bofur yawned and leaned against Fíli. “Too bad we didn’t have that feast. The elven way bread is better than the maggot-ridden stuff we’ve had lately, but I could have done with a full stomach.” He yawned again. “It is so much nicer to fall asleep with a full stomach.”
He closed his eyes as Fíli wrapped his arms around him.
Fíli thought Bofur had fallen asleep when Bofur suddenly sat upright again, struggling to keep his eyes open.
“Why am I so tired? None of you is falling asleep yet. You... you put that elvish poison in my drink, didn’t you?!”
Bofur struggled to his feet, only to lose his balance and nearly topple over, his hat falling to the ground. Fíli caught him as his knees gave way.
“You poisoned me! How could you do that to me?” he grappled at Fíli’s hands as Fíli guided him to the ground as gently as possible.
“I’m sorry, love. There is no other way. Don’t worry, it will all be alright.” Fíli stroked Bofur’s hair, trying to calm him down.
“Don’t let them kill me,” Bofur whispered, grasping at Fíli’s hand. “Please don’t let me die.”
Fíli took Bofur’s hand in his and kissed it, trying not to flinch back from the larva pulsating under the skin.
“I won’t,” Fíli said, blinking back his tears. “Don’t worry, I won’t. I promise.”
Bofur was already asleep.
Previous Chapter <> Chapter Index <> Next Chapter
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Warnings: Body Horror, Oviposition, Medical Procedures, Character Death, Hallucinations
Summary: The things Thorin’s company encounters in Mirkwood are beyond their worst nightmares. As Fíli’s uncle says, the faster they travel, the sooner they will leave the forest and all its horrors behind - if they manage to....
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit.
Chapter 16: Decisions
“I don’t want to be cut open,” Bofur said.
“We should get back to the path as quickly as possible first,” Fíli said as he quickly freed Kíli and Ori from their bonds. “Then we can think about what to do. I don’t want the elf trail to disappear, you never know in this forest.”
He looked at Thorin pleadingly. Thorin hesitated and then nodded. “We find the path first.”
Bilbo helped Bofur up. “I’m sure it won’t be necessary, don’t worry.”
They all quickly picked up their weapons and the supplies the elves had left them. Then they hurried towards the trail Legolas had shown them, Dwalin and Kíli leading the way. Bilbo, Bifur and Bombur stayed close to Bofur, trying to calm him and cheer him up. Fíli noted that the others kept glancing at Bofur and that Nori made sure Dori and Ori kept their distance from him.
Fíli wanted to hurry to Bofur’s side to comfort him as well, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Wait,” Thorin said quietly and called Óin over with a motion of his head. Balin joined them as well. They followed a little bit behind the others.
“What do you think about what the elves said?” Thorin asked Óin.
Óin sighed. “I know you don’t trust them and I don’t either, but there is something to their words. There is clearly something moving beneath his skin. I’d have to take a closer look, but we shouldn’t completely disregard what they said.”
“I don’t think they would just have let us go if what they were saying weren’t true,” Balin said. “They were clearly terrified.”
Thorin nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”
Fíli closed his eyes unhappily, only to trip over a root. He was only prevented from falling by Thorin catching him in time.
“He is terrified of a healer cutting him,” Fíli said. “He fell down a mine when he was little and had to be stitched back together. He has been afraid of such things ever since.”
Óin sighed. “I’m afraid we might not have much choice. But we’ll have to see.”
“Here’s the path!” Dwalin’s voice came from ahead. They all hastened their steps and soon enough, the trail met the path they had been travelling before they had run into the forest to join the elves’ feast. Fíli hadn’t thought he would ever be glad to see the dreary forest path, but he was.
“Alright everybody, we’ll take a moment to look through what supplies we have and pack them properly,” Thorin announced.
Óin went over to Bofur. “May I take a look at the bump on your face? I won’t hurt you; I just want to see if it is something serious.”
Bofur hesitated.
“Go on,” Bilbo urged him. “When I was young, I once fell on a pile of wood and my hand hurt so horribly I thought they would have to amputate it. I didn’t even dare to look at it. My mother took one single look at it and got some tweezers. Turned out there was only a splinter in it. Better get it over with and then be able to relax, because chances are it’s nothing bad.”
Bofur nodded. “Alright. Take a look at it then.”
Fíli smiled at Bilbo thankfully. Óin examined the bump, carefully prodding at it and watching as it squirmed.
“Do you have any more of these?” Óin asked.
Bofur hesitated and scratched his nose. “No, I don’t think so.”
Fíli had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Bofur had never been a good liar. Apparently, Óin caught it as well, since he squinted his eyes in scrutiny.
“Are you absolutely sure about that?”
Bofur nodded. “Of course I am. It’s harmless, right? So when do we go on travelling?”
Óin sighed. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. There does seem to be something living under your skin and we should take it out. You won’t feel a thing thanks to the sedative the elves supplied us with...”
“No!” Bofur shouted and backed away, reaching for his mattock. “You can’t cut me open!” He looked at Fíli helplessly.
“Please, Bofur,” Fíli said, reaching out a hand to Bofur. “You heard what the elves said. It’s dangerous if you don’t let Óin take out the larvae. You might die.”
Bofur shook his head. “They are elves! Since when do you trust elves? And you might as well be hallucinating this... this... thing. Who said we ever stopped hallucinating?!”
“I’m pretty sure this is real, Bofur,” Fíli said. “Please, you won’t feel a thing.”
“Only because I’ll be dead!” Bofur said, running away from them. Fíli was prepared to go after him to make sure he didn’t get lost in the forest, but to his relief, Bofur only ran to the edge of the group. Fíli watched him pace up and down.
“I’ll go,” Bilbo said and followed after him.
Óin, Fíli and Thorin, who had joined them sometime during the discussion, looked at each other.
“It’s like the elf said,” Óin finally said. “I don’t think Bofur is telling the truth when he says that is the only one. We have to take them out.”
“But we can’t force him to let you take the larvae out,” Fíli protested.
“You heard what the elf said about the larvae making him do what is best for them,” Óin said. “I think she may have been right. Bofur usually isn’t one to lie.”
“Maybe he isn’t lying,” Fíli said, looking at the floor. “And even if he is, telling one lie doesn’t have to mean he is behaving strangely and being changed by larvae.”
“Fíli,” Thorin said softly, “we talked about this even before we knew what was really going on. You said yourself that there have been situations lately in which you barely recognised him. I know you don’t want this to be true; I don’t either. But we have to face the reality.”
Fíli glanced around and noticed Bifur and Bombur hovering close by. He waved them over.
“You heard what we were saying, didn’t you?”
They both nodded.
“You should probably have a say in this as well, as his kin,” Fíli said.
Thorin and Óin nodded in agreement.
/Something has been going on with him,/ Bifur signed. /If it is the wasps, they need to be taken out, if there’s any safe way to do it./
Óin nodded. “It didn’t seem to be too deep under the skin, so it shouldn’t be too risky. Probably only a small cut for each one and some stitches, if the larvae aren’t too difficult to pull out. I have the elves’ other tincture and enough salves to make sure the cuts won’t get inflamed.”
Fíli shook his head. “I don’t feel comfortable making this decision against his will.”
/Bofur and Bombur had to make decisions for me when I was injured,/ Bifur signed. /I could only thrash and scream and I would have died if they had let me have my way. I think this is the best for him./
“The elf said Bofur would probably die if we don’t cut the larvae out,” Bombur said quietly. “We can’t let that happen.”
“And if we don’t cut the larvae out, but... I don’t know... just squish them?” Fíli asked.
“If they were smaller, it would be worth a thought,” Óin said. “But I don’t think it’s possible with this size of larvae. We would only risk an inflammation.”
“It’s an uncomfortable decision, but it’s for the best, Fíli,” Thorin added. “I don’t like how nervous the elves were either. They are cowards, but they usually aren’t afraid without a reason. This isn’t only the best for Bofur, it is the best for the group as well. I don’t want to think about what will happen if we do nothing and the larvae hatch.”
Fíli gazed into the forest for a few moments before nodding. “Alright. If there really is no other way.”
“There’s one more thing,” Óin said. “I need to make sure you aren’t also affected, if that’s alright with you.”
Fíli nodded and took off his clothes, shivering in the cool autumn air. Óin carefully examined Fíli and finally nodded.
“You were lucky. No sign of any larvae.”
Fíli quickly dressed again and the company started travelling again, their spirits lower than ever.
Early that evening, after Dori had handed out their share of elvish bread, Fíli took a water skin over to where Bofur was sitting.
“Look, I’m sorry about earlier.” Fíli swallowed against the lump in his throat. “I should have listened to you and accepted your decision. I thought I’d bring you a little peace offering. Water with a tiny bit of ale added. You don’t want to know what I had to offer Dori for it.”
Bofur smiled at Fíli and took the drink. “Thank you.” He drank some and then held the water skin out to Fíli. “Do you want some as well?”
Fíli shook his head. “I couldn’t go drinking my own peace offering to you.”
Bofur grinned. “I guess it’s all mine then. I had almost forgotten that this is what ale tastes like.”
They sat in silence as Bofur drained the water skin. Bofur crumpled a leaf in his hand and Fíli noticed with a shudder that there was a larva moving in his hand. He wondered how he could have missed this for so long.
Bofur yawned and leaned against Fíli. “Too bad we didn’t have that feast. The elven way bread is better than the maggot-ridden stuff we’ve had lately, but I could have done with a full stomach.” He yawned again. “It is so much nicer to fall asleep with a full stomach.”
He closed his eyes as Fíli wrapped his arms around him.
Fíli thought Bofur had fallen asleep when Bofur suddenly sat upright again, struggling to keep his eyes open.
“Why am I so tired? None of you is falling asleep yet. You... you put that elvish poison in my drink, didn’t you?!”
Bofur struggled to his feet, only to lose his balance and nearly topple over, his hat falling to the ground. Fíli caught him as his knees gave way.
“You poisoned me! How could you do that to me?” he grappled at Fíli’s hands as Fíli guided him to the ground as gently as possible.
“I’m sorry, love. There is no other way. Don’t worry, it will all be alright.” Fíli stroked Bofur’s hair, trying to calm him down.
“Don’t let them kill me,” Bofur whispered, grasping at Fíli’s hand. “Please don’t let me die.”
Fíli took Bofur’s hand in his and kissed it, trying not to flinch back from the larva pulsating under the skin.
“I won’t,” Fíli said, blinking back his tears. “Don’t worry, I won’t. I promise.”
Bofur was already asleep.
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