Vanáezae awoke and found herself covered in hay. Vanadessë was leaning over her. She had a grin that made Vanáezae suspicious.

"Did you throw this hay on me?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just to see how fast you would notice and because I was wondering what you would do."

Vanáezae nodded. Honestly she would do the same thing. She got out of the hay and began to brush herself off, trying to get as much off as possible. She noticed that most of the company were beginning to gather near a doorway. Vanadessë brushed some hay from Vanáezae's hair and the two were finished. Before Vanadessë could go to the rest of the company she was stopped by Vanáezae calling her name. She turned around and was met with a large handful of hay to her face. Vanáezae laughed and hurried towards the company, Vanadessë following after her. When they met up with the rest of the group, she noticed Bilbo missing.

"What are we doing?" She asked, gathering everyone's attention.

"Ah! About time you two woke up!" Gandalf sighed. "We were just about to meet our host! And here we have it! Bilbo, there you are."

All heads turned towards Bilbo who had just joined the group.

"Now this will require some delicate handling. We must tread very carefully. The last person who startled him was torn to shreds."

An uneasiness passed through the group as the sound of an axe cutting wood seemed to back up Gandalf's statement. Everyone shared worried glances.

"I will go first, uh, Bilbo you come with me."

Bilbo paled slightly but stepped up next to Gandalf. "Is this a good idea?"

"Yes now the rest of you just wait here and don't come out until I give the signal."

"Right. Wait for the signal," Bofur nodded, looking out the window.

"And no sudden movement or loud noises. And don't overcrowd him. Only come out in pairs. Wait, actually, Bombur, um, you count as two so you should come out alone."

Bombur nodded in acceptance but didn't argue.

"Remember, wait for the signal."

Gandalf and Bilbo left all too early because Bofur of course had to ask:

"What signal would that be?"

Then the company arranged themselves in groups of two. Vanáezae and Vanadessë ended up together right after Balin and Dwalin. Suddenly Bofur motioned for Balin and Dwalin to go forward.

"Go, go, go!"

Balin and Dwalin hurried out the door. The two women stepped up to the doorway and waited for their own signal. Bofur told them to go almost seconds over Balin and Dwalin. They immediately stepped out the door and stood next to Balin and Dwalin. Vanáezae watched as Gandalf held out a hand and Oin and Gloin followed after them.

"Ah! Here is more of our happy troop!"

One could easily tell Gandalf was nervous.

"You call six a troop?" Demanded the very tall man.

Vanáezae recognized the man as Beorn. Before she knew it Dori and Ori joined them, then Fili and Kili, followed by Nori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur.

"Is that it?" Asked Beorn. "Are there any more?"

Vanáezae watched Thorin walk more calmly than his kin out of the doorway. Beorn narrowed his eyes at the dwarf.

**********

Beorn poured milk into Fili's large cup before he turned to Thorin.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

"You know Azog. How?"

"My people were the first to live in the mountains. Before the orcs came down from the North. The Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work, you understand. But for sport. Caging shinchangers and torturing them seemed to amuse him."

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.

"Once there were many."

"And now?"

Beorn's eyes glanced at Vanáezae and Vanadessë. 

"Now, there are only three." Beorn looked downcast but turned towards the table and sat in his own seat. "You need to reach the mountain before the last days of Autumn."

"Before Durin's Day falls, yes," Gandalf nodded from his seat.

"You are running out of time."

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood."

"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. I would not venture there except in great need."

"We will take the eleven path. That road is still safe."

Vanáezae watched as Thorin slowly got up from his chair.

"Safe? The wood elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They are less wise, and more dangerous. But it matters not."

Thorin turned to the huge man. "What do you mean?"

"These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest the forest alive." Beorn stood and slowly walked towards Thorin. "I don't like dwarves. They are greedy. And blind. Blind to the lives they deem lesser than their own." Everyone watched as Beorn picked up a mouse that was sitting on the table. Beorn looked at it, then to Thorin. "But orcs I hate more. What do you need?"

"Ponies," answered Gandalf.

Vanáezae and Vanadessë watched as the rest of the company packed their things. The two women were the only ones smart enough to not unpack their things and set them on hay. From far off Gandalf watched Beorn approach the two.

"What are two skinchangers doing amongst dwarves?" Beorn asked.

Vanáezae looked up at the tall man, "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"That you are the one made of Wolf and Changer while your friend here is like you but not of the same lineage?" At Vanáezae's and Vanadessë's shocked looks Beorn had to laugh. "Even those who are isolated know the tale."

The two women nodded and looked back towards their friends.

"They are among them, aren't they?"

"Who?" Vanadessë asked.

"Those you care about."

Vanáezae's eyes struck the ground like lightning. "We care about all of those dwarves."

Beorn gave them pointed looks. "That is not what I meant." Silence fell and Beorn too looked at the company. "I will supply you with ponies and food. But I must go talk to the wizard."

With that being Beorn's goodbye, the two women just stood and stared after him. They knew exactly what the man meant. And they did not want to admit it to themselves.

**********

The dwarves strapped their bags and mounted the ponies. Beorn had supplied them with honey, and bread, and berries that would not go bad for a long time. To Vanáezae's immense annoyance, Vanadessë took the last pony and left Vanáezae to sit with Kili. She could sense Vanadessë laughing behind her but she couldn't maneuver herself to face her newfound rival with a glare. Instead she flipped her friend the bird which only increased the woman's laughter. It was only when Vanadessë's laughter gained attention did she finally stop.

Then suddenly, they were off. Vanáezae had to grip Kili's waist in order to keep on the horse since the movement was so quick. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vanadessë riding beside her, giving a grin. Vanáezae turned her face towards her enemy and glared back. Vanadessë's grin only grew larger. Then she urged her pony faster up next to Fili's, more than likely to joke about Vanáezae's predicament.

They rode for hours on end until they finally reached the edges of Mirkwood. Everyone began to dismount and unsaddle their belongings. Vanáezae, however, stalked over towards Vanadessë with a branch full of leaves in her hand. She picked up the branch from a small grove of trees they had went through. She smacked Vanadessë in her side lightly with the branch and glared harshly at her.

Vanadessë giggled and continued unpacking her pony. "How else was I supposed to play matchmaker?"

Vanáezae rolled her eyes and smacked Vanadessë once more before dropping the branch and walking back towards hers and Kili's pony to grab her items. 

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood," Gandalf called.

"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side," Dwalin said.

Gandalf didn't reply, but casted his gaze towards an outcropping of rock far away. Vanáezae followed his eyesight and low and behold, there was Beorn. Of course Vanáezae knew better. She knew that Beorn was the one keeping the orcs from coming too close. She also knew that the main reason Beorn followed was to keep an eye on his ponies.

"Set the ponies loose," Gandalf called to the company. "Let them return to their master."

"This forest feels, sick. As if a disease lies upon it," Bilbo said. "Is there no way around?"

"Not unless you go 200 miles North or twice that distance South."

Vanáezae finally unpacked her sack and set it down next to Vanadessë's. The two women sat on the ground and watched the dwarves around them. Then, a feeling crept along Vanáezae's mind. It was dark, like a fog moving in and she began to feel dizzy.

"Vanáezae?" Vanadessë turned her body to face her friend. Concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?"

Vanáezae turned towards Vanadessë, the fog immediately cleared from her mind. 

"What?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"Yeah it's just...a feeling." Vanáezae's eyes became slightly unfocused before they were looking back at her friend. "Never mind."

Suddenly Gandalf walked out of the Mirkwood edge.

"Not my horse! I need it!" He called to the dwarves that were unsaddling his horse.

The entire company went silent and Vanáezae and Vanadessë stood up and walked forwards in curiosity.

"You're not leaving us," Bilbo said.

"I would not do this, unless I had to," Gandalf looked down at the hobbit.

Vanáezae and Vanadessë glanced at one another. Memory loss or not, they knew what was lurking in Mirkwood. And they knew what awaited Gandalf in the High Fells and Dol Guldur.

"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 gave Thorin a pointed look. "This is not the Greenwood of old. There is a stream in the woods that carries a dark enchantment. Do not touch the water. Cross only by the stone bridge. The very air in the forest is heavy with illusions, that'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked but no one replied.

"You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." Gandalf urged his horse forward and called back to them. "No matter what may come stay on the path!"

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day. We've one chance to find the hidden door," said Thorin.

As Thorin commanded, the company followed behind him and into the dark woods of Mirkwood. As soon as she entered the wood, Vanáezae's mind began to cloud over once again. Not as quickly as before. But just enough that if someone spoke, it would take a minute for her mind to register it.

**********

Edited!