A/N: It's official! I'm making this into a Tauriel/Solana pairing! The only reason I hadn't done so yet is because I didn't know how to incorporate it, but a few days ago while walking to our village's baker I was suddenly hit by an idea, and I am a bit ashamed to say that I immediately took out a notepad, which I always keep on me for such occasions (it's happened in the past), and started scribbling it down right in the doorway of the shop…

*Ahem…* In any case, a bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I thought that it would fit better to cut off where I did instead of somewhere where it wouldn't make any sense.

Is that okay? It isn't?

Well, I don't give a shit.

Enjoy.

But when they were come into the Void, Ilúvatar said to them: 'Behold your Music!'
And he showed to them a vision, giving to them sight where before was only hearing;
and they saw a new World made visible before them, and it was globed amid the Void,
and it was sustained therein, but was not of it.
And as they looked and wondered this World began to unfold its history, and it seemed to them that it lived and grew.

- Excerpt from Tolkien's Morgoth's Ring, the tenth instalment of The History of Middle-Earth. A piece from the Ainulindalë, the Great Song, recited by Pengoloð to Ælfwine.

Chapter 12: Goodbye to Gandalf

"Well, here is Mirkwood!" said Gandalf jovially. "The greatest of the forests of the Northern world. I hope you like the look of it." Solana grimaced.

A few hours earlier, the land – which had, prior to that point, been a pleasant mix of grasslands and forests; during the four-day-trip they had even come across a beautiful dale filled with flowers in every colour the company could think of – began to slope up steeply, and it seemed as if a silence began to draw in upon them. Birds began to sing less. There were no more deer; not even rabbits were to be seen. By the time it was nearly afternoon they had reached the eaves of Mirkwood, and they now were resting almost beneath the great overhanging boughs of its outer trees. Their trunks were huge and gnarled, their branches twisted, their leaves were dark and long, and creepy Ivy grew on them and trailed along the ground.

"Now you must send back those excellent ponies – and your horse, Solana – that you have borrowed." Gandalf continued, and even as the dwarves opened their mouths to protest, Gandalf cut them off by saying, "You fools! Beorn is not as far off as you seem to think, and you had better keep your promises anyway, for he is a bad enemy. Miss Solana's eyes are sharper than yours, if you have not seen each night after dark a great bear going along with us or sitting far off in the moon watching our camps. Not only to guard you and guide you, but to keep an eye on the ponies and horses too. Beorn may be your friend, but he loves his animals as his children. You do not guess what kindness he has shown you in letting dwarves and Istari ride them so far and so fast, nor what would happen to you, if you tried to take them into the forest."

Solana nodded in agreement; as soon as they had left Beorn's hedges through the eastern gate, she had spotted Beorn slipping out of his compound in bear-form – though how he was able to slip away as a bear, she would never know – and, when she checked a few hours later, the large shape-shifter was still behind them. She had no doubts that, should the dwarves be foolish enough to try and steal the ponies, Beorn would swoop down and attack them, undoubtedly causing a few nasty injuries if not outright killing some dwarves, which would be quite inconvenient, considering the distance they still had to cross.

"What about your horse, then?" Thorin asked gruffly. "You didn't mention sending it back."

"I didn't, because I am not sending it."

"But what about your promise, then?" Nori asked, and Gandalf smiled a bit.

"That will be fine, for it is not as if I am planning to take the horse for myself, or go somewhere else with it; no, I am riding it back!"

It was then that the company realized that Gandalf was going to leave them right then, before they entered Mirkwood, quite possibly the most perilous part of their journey, Smaug notwithstanding; immediately, everyone began to protest, but Gandalf stood firm against their complaints.

"Now, we had sorted this all out before, when we landed on the Carrock," he said. "It is no use arguing. I have, as I told you, some pressing business away south; and I am already late through bothering with you people. We may meet again before all is over, and then again of course we may not. That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense; I am sending Miss Potter with you, and you all know that she has more about her than you guess." Gandalf shot a wink at Solana, who smiled back softly as the dwarves save for Thorin all suddenly looked much happier. "So cheer up, and don't look so glum! This is your expedition, after all, and not mine. Think of the treasure at the end, and forget about the forest and the dragon – at any rate, until tomorrow morning!"

The dwarves all cheered at the thought of treasure – Well, all except Thorin, because he was always grumpy, though even he still cracked a smile, Bombur, because he never said anything, and Bifur, who had learned long ago to stay silent unless everyone became angry at him for bursting their eardrums; the latter two were clearly extremely happy, however – and the rest of the night was filled with happy talk and thoughts about treasure and reclaiming Erebor, and, under a magical dome made by Solana to prevent the smoke from rising above the trees, Thorin, Solana and Gandalf blew smoke rings for what could possibly be the last time together.

Oo0oO

When morning came the next day, Gandalf still said the same, despite feeble last-minute protests. So now there was nothing left to do but to fill their water-skins at a clear spring they found close to the forest-gate, and unpack the ponies. After the packages were charmed to be weightless, they distributed them as evenly as they could – it wasn't fair for someone to be carrying only a single bag while someone else had tons upon their backs, after all – and, despite Solana's protests, she ended up not carrying anything.

"Don't you worry!" Fili piped up eventually. "Because of you, the packs are weightless, so it's really no problem!"

"No, indeed!" Kili chimed in. "And you need to be free to fight if there is need to, right?" After quite a few more logical reasons for Solana to not be saddled with packs, she acquiesced and went back to helping them pack.

Then at last, they said good-bye to the dwarves' ponies and Solana's horse, who turned their heads for home. They trotted off quickly, seemingly very glad to put their tail-ends to the shadow of Mirkwood. As they went away Solana spotted a bear leaving the shadow of the trees and shambling off quickly after them. She watched Beorn go with a smile, suddenly realizing that he was a lot like Hagrid, only with an Animagus form and a bit of a temper.

Now came the time for Gandalf too to say farewell. The dwarves all sat around gloomily, and Solana had to fight the urge to giggle, though she ultimately failed, after spotting Thorin throw an adult version of a temper tantrum against Gandalf out of everyone's earshot.

"Good-bye!" said Gandalf to the company, astride upon his horse as he looked at them. "Goodbye to you all, good-bye! Straight through the forest is your way now. Don't stray off the track! – if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood; and then I don't suppose I, or anyone else, will ever see you again."

"Do we really have to go through?" groaned Solana, already imagining the state of her dress when they exited the woods – even though she was a rather badass magical killing machine of a woman, she was still a woman, and wanted to look good when she killed a few more goblins.

"Yes, you do!" said the wizard with a frown, "At least, if you want to get to the other side. You must either go through or give up your quest. And I am not going to allow you to back out now, Miss Potter. I am ashamed of you for thinking of it. You have got to look after all these dwarves for me," he laughed.

"No, no, no!" Solana said quickly. "I didn't mean that! Of course not! I meant, is there no way around?" She shot a glance at the woods. "It… doesn't exactly look inviting."

Gandalf chuckled. "There is, if you care to go two hundred miles or so out of your way north, and twice that south. But you wouldn't get a safe path even then. There are simply no safe paths in this part of the world, unless you find a way to go through the air, and even then there are unfriendly Eagles around. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go. Before you could get around Mirkwood in the North, you would be right among the slopes of the Grey Mountains, and they are simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description. Before you could get round it in the South, you would get into the land of the Necromancer; and even you, Solana, won't need me to tell you tales of that black sorcerer. I don't advise you to go anywhere near the places overlooked by his dark tower! Stick to the forest-track, keep your spirits up, hope for the best, and with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day and see the Long Marshes lying below you, and beyond them, high in the East, the Lonely Mountain where dear old Smaug lives, though I hope he is not expecting you."

"Very comforting you are to be sure," growled Thorin. "Good-bye! If you won't come with us, you had better get off without any more talk!"

"Good-bye then, and really good-bye!" Gandalf said as he turned his horse and rode down into the West, waving behind him only once. But before he had passed completely out of hearing he turned and put his hands to his mouth, and called to them. The company heard his voice come faintly: "Good-bye! Be good, take care of yourselves – and for the Valar's sake, DON'T LEAVE THE BLOODY PATH!"

Then he galloped away and was soon lost to sight. "Yes, goodbye and go away!" grunted Thorin, all the more angry because the dwarves were all really filled with dismay and, even though they would never admit it, fright at losing him, for now began the most dangerous part of all the journey. They each shouldered the heavy pack and the water-skin which was their share, once more told Solana not to worry about carrying stuff, and turned from the sun to plunge inside the darkness of Mirkwood Forest.

Review Replies!

JohnyS: Hmm... you know what? You are absolutely, completely, and utterly correct. I hadn't thought that much about it until now, but you described it perfectly. As for the being desperate enough stuff… I have other ideas about that, but they would be in the far, far future, during the gap in time between the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring, most likely.

Perhaps during the Battle of the Five Armies, she will use some of the dark arts, or if (yes, I said if, because I'm not sure if I will follow canon on this) Kili, Fili, or Thorin die and she is nearby and wants revenge by torturing the killers to death. I don't know yet.

Guest: I might deviate from canon, but I don't think I will – at least, not that much. The battles will all be different, of course, and the Tauriel/Solana pairing will of course make things different, and I have ideas for all the way at the end of the Hobbit, how stuff will go there, but I'm not sure about anything beyond that. The Hobbit is really well written, remember, and there are no loose ends that Gandalf went after with which Solana can help – at least, not without skipping past Mirkwood and Tauriel, which I definitely don't want. If an idea suddenly comes at me, I'll incorporate it, but I haven't gotten anything planned.

And, of course, thanks to the rest of the reviewers. It's really nice to see that so many people are interested in this.