The Path Through Mirkwood: 5 - Déjà Vu
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 5: Déjà Vu
The glow of the forest was slightly less unsettling in the morning. The night had passed without any incident but still, most of the company were not well rested.
They ate their breakfast in silence. Fíli's eyebrows rose slightly when he heard Bofur quietly ask Bombur for another slice of bread as they were packing their belongings. He soon put it out of his mind again.
A couple of days later, Fíli became aware of a rustling in the trees above them. He watched uneasily. The lichens swayed slightly. Fíli stopped abruptly and grabbed his swords. Balin nearly walked into him.
"What's wrong, laddie?" He asked, following Fíli's eyes.
"The lichens... shortly before we were attacked by the wasp, the lichens were also moving."
The other dwarves had come to a halt as well and quickly shuffled into a protective circle. Their backs together, they stared into the darkly luminescent forest nervously.
"Is there another one?" Glóin asked, not having heard Fíli's answer.
"There might be. The lichens moved like they did last time."
A few trees away, the lichens swayed. Everybody tensed. The lichens stopped moving.
"Where has it gone?" Dori whispered.
Bifur grunted and gestured at a patch of lichens in the opposite direction. It too stopped moving.
They looked around.
"There!" Kíli and Bombur said at the same time, pointing in different directions.
Bilbo groaned. "Somebody please tell me there isn't more than one!"
Nobody replied. They were all too focussed on the trees surrounding them.
After a while, several different patches of lichen moved again, almost at once.
"Mahal, how many are there?" Dwalin asked.
The company continued waiting motionlessly, tensing whenever something moved.
There was the slightest shifting of air around them as more lichens moved once again.
After a few more moments during which nothing happened, Ori cleared his throat nervously.
"Um, is it possible that there's simply a breeze up there?"
They kept their eyes on the motionless forest. Then the lichens above the path east blew towards them, one after the other, before swaying back and forth. The slightest of breezes whispered across their faces.
"Oh Mahal, it really is only a breeze," Kíli said with a shaky, high-pitched laugh.
The dwarves relaxed.
"Time to get going again!" Thorin commanded. "But keep an eye open as always! I'd rather have a few false alarms than not be warned when something really does attack."
The company started moving again and Fíli let out a relieved breath. His knees felt wobbly and as though they would give in at any moment. He realised he was shaking.
Thorin stepped next to Fíli and slung a supporting arm around his shoulders.
"Let's go. You know what I always say."
"The faster we travel, the sooner we will be out of here." Fíli smiled thankfully at his uncle.
Thorin only let go of his shoulders when Fíli felt his legs were steadier again and he had stopped trembling.
As they travelled along, the luminescence of the forest began to grow less again. Fíli had thought that the breeze would bring them fresh air instead of the stale, musty air they had grown used to. Instead, it only seemed to whirl up every single spore of mould in the entire forest.
As the wind grew stronger, Bilbo, Dori, Ori and Glóin began coughing. Fíli's throat felt sore and his eyes itched. Some of the other dwarves also had puffy-looking eyes. They tried tying clothes over their mouths, but it barely helped.
All of them were glad when evening came. The wind hadn't gotten better, but at least they didn't have to move while having trouble breathing.
They ate a quick meal. Fíli gave some of his portion to Bofur as had become his habit. To his surprise he saw Bifur shovelling some of his food onto Bofur's plate as well.
Apparently, Kíli had also noticed. "Why are you getting extra food? Is this some family thing and you are trying to out-eat Bombur?"
Bifur bristled and Bofur shrank into himself.
Fíli gave his brother an angry glare. "I don't think that is any of your concern!"
Kíli stared at his brother for a moment. Then guilt flickered across his face.
"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate and I shouldn't have said it."
"It's alright, really," Bofur said.
Bifur stilled glared at Kíli, who hurried off as soon as he could.
Fíli, Bifur and Bofur sat in awkward silence for a moment before Bofur spoke up.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been asking the two of you for food. I know you need the food yourselves, but I have just been so hungry lately. I know that's not even really an excuse..." he trailed off.
Bifur patted Bofur on the back so hard he nearly keeled over and then began signing. /Do not worry. I have learnt to live with less and this is the least I can do after you nursed me back to health./
"I don't give you more than I can spare. I'm just worried about you," Fíli said.
"I'm just really hungry; I'm fine otherwise. Perhaps my body is just having a harder time than the others in coping with the constant travelling."
"I hope so. You would let me know if anything is the matter?"
Bofur nodded.
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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 5: Déjà Vu
The glow of the forest was slightly less unsettling in the morning. The night had passed without any incident but still, most of the company were not well rested.
They ate their breakfast in silence. Fíli's eyebrows rose slightly when he heard Bofur quietly ask Bombur for another slice of bread as they were packing their belongings. He soon put it out of his mind again.
A couple of days later, Fíli became aware of a rustling in the trees above them. He watched uneasily. The lichens swayed slightly. Fíli stopped abruptly and grabbed his swords. Balin nearly walked into him.
"What's wrong, laddie?" He asked, following Fíli's eyes.
"The lichens... shortly before we were attacked by the wasp, the lichens were also moving."
The other dwarves had come to a halt as well and quickly shuffled into a protective circle. Their backs together, they stared into the darkly luminescent forest nervously.
"Is there another one?" Glóin asked, not having heard Fíli's answer.
"There might be. The lichens moved like they did last time."
A few trees away, the lichens swayed. Everybody tensed. The lichens stopped moving.
"Where has it gone?" Dori whispered.
Bifur grunted and gestured at a patch of lichens in the opposite direction. It too stopped moving.
They looked around.
"There!" Kíli and Bombur said at the same time, pointing in different directions.
Bilbo groaned. "Somebody please tell me there isn't more than one!"
Nobody replied. They were all too focussed on the trees surrounding them.
After a while, several different patches of lichen moved again, almost at once.
"Mahal, how many are there?" Dwalin asked.
The company continued waiting motionlessly, tensing whenever something moved.
There was the slightest shifting of air around them as more lichens moved once again.
After a few more moments during which nothing happened, Ori cleared his throat nervously.
"Um, is it possible that there's simply a breeze up there?"
They kept their eyes on the motionless forest. Then the lichens above the path east blew towards them, one after the other, before swaying back and forth. The slightest of breezes whispered across their faces.
"Oh Mahal, it really is only a breeze," Kíli said with a shaky, high-pitched laugh.
The dwarves relaxed.
"Time to get going again!" Thorin commanded. "But keep an eye open as always! I'd rather have a few false alarms than not be warned when something really does attack."
The company started moving again and Fíli let out a relieved breath. His knees felt wobbly and as though they would give in at any moment. He realised he was shaking.
Thorin stepped next to Fíli and slung a supporting arm around his shoulders.
"Let's go. You know what I always say."
"The faster we travel, the sooner we will be out of here." Fíli smiled thankfully at his uncle.
Thorin only let go of his shoulders when Fíli felt his legs were steadier again and he had stopped trembling.
As they travelled along, the luminescence of the forest began to grow less again. Fíli had thought that the breeze would bring them fresh air instead of the stale, musty air they had grown used to. Instead, it only seemed to whirl up every single spore of mould in the entire forest.
As the wind grew stronger, Bilbo, Dori, Ori and Glóin began coughing. Fíli's throat felt sore and his eyes itched. Some of the other dwarves also had puffy-looking eyes. They tried tying clothes over their mouths, but it barely helped.
All of them were glad when evening came. The wind hadn't gotten better, but at least they didn't have to move while having trouble breathing.
They ate a quick meal. Fíli gave some of his portion to Bofur as had become his habit. To his surprise he saw Bifur shovelling some of his food onto Bofur's plate as well.
Apparently, Kíli had also noticed. "Why are you getting extra food? Is this some family thing and you are trying to out-eat Bombur?"
Bifur bristled and Bofur shrank into himself.
Fíli gave his brother an angry glare. "I don't think that is any of your concern!"
Kíli stared at his brother for a moment. Then guilt flickered across his face.
"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate and I shouldn't have said it."
"It's alright, really," Bofur said.
Bifur stilled glared at Kíli, who hurried off as soon as he could.
Fíli, Bifur and Bofur sat in awkward silence for a moment before Bofur spoke up.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been asking the two of you for food. I know you need the food yourselves, but I have just been so hungry lately. I know that's not even really an excuse..." he trailed off.
Bifur patted Bofur on the back so hard he nearly keeled over and then began signing. /Do not worry. I have learnt to live with less and this is the least I can do after you nursed me back to health./
"I don't give you more than I can spare. I'm just worried about you," Fíli said.
"I'm just really hungry; I'm fine otherwise. Perhaps my body is just having a harder time than the others in coping with the constant travelling."
"I hope so. You would let me know if anything is the matter?"
Bofur nodded.
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