The trek upon the Misty Mountains was long and difficult. Outside the valley of Rivendell, the winter was in full swing, which made the mountain passes even more dangerous than usual. A less skilled company would have lost a member or two to the uneven rocks and slippery ice, but Thorneth and her Company managed to avoid any serious misadventure.
Even then, the journey was far from uneventful. On the third day, a great thunderstorm hindered their progress. Thorneth attempted to press on at first, though when it became clear that the journey was growing too perilous, she had the Elves scout ahead for a place to shelter. Gelilthor found a cave within which they were forced to stay for the rest of the day, as by the time the storm had passed, the sunlight was about spent as well.
The following morning, they set out early to make up for lost time. The Company did not make it far before a boulder slammed into the mountainside, sending them running forward as a load of snow and stone tumbled down onto the path.
“Are we in the midst of an avalanche?” asked an alarmed Dínendír.
A second boulder came, this time soaring over their heads and impacting the mountain further behind them. There was no danger this time, but they could still hear a thunderous crack as the rock shattered and they felt the earth shake a moment afterwards.
“No,” Radagast said. “This is not the manner that rocks naturally fall from mountains. This is the work of stone-giants. The appearance of Zaudru’s brood has roused them.”
“If the giants are upset by the spiders, could we not ask them to assist us with our task?” Thorneth proposed.
The wizard shook his head, “They are disagreeable at the best of times. There is no brokering with them when they are agitated. And besides, they are too large to fit into the tunnels where Zaudru herself is hiding anyways.”
Soon, a stone-giant came into view before them. He was taller than even the biggest troll, and he sat right by the entrance to a mountain passage which the Company needed to use. The path behind them was now blocked by the debris of that first boulder, meaning that turning back and finding an alternate route was not an option. They had to get past the giant.
“Stay close to me,” Radagast instructed.
The Company gathered around the wizard, trusting that he had a plan. Radagast raised his staff and a wave of light rippled out from him. As the light washed over each member of the Company, it turned the colour of their clothes to snow-white. Their skin and hair too changed hues, matching the exact shade of grey from the stone around them, though the fur of Metharafel the wolf took on the white of their raiments instead.
Moving together so they would not venture too far from the wizard, the Company walked close to the rock face and blended into it. They were careful to proceed slowly and make as little noise as possible. For a brief moment, the giant appeared to notice something and glanced over in their direction. They all froze and didn’t move a muscle until he turned away.
That was how the Company snuck by the stone-giant without being spotted. They saw a few other giants after, but those were at a distance and much easier to remain hidden from. The wizard released his spell before long and their hues returned to normal.
On the fifth day, they reached an entrance to the caverns where Radagast believed Zaudru was dwelling. As they stepped inside, the wizard cast a light from atop his staff and the shadows revealed the forms of huge spiders the size of Men. The Company drew their weapons, though as the light grew brighter and illuminated more of the cave, they realised that the spiders were already dead.
“Is this the work of the stone-giants?” Thorneth mused.
“It cannot be,” Imrathien answered as she inspected one of the corpses. “They were cut down by weapons too small for a giant’s hand.”
The Company pressed on further through the tunnels. They found more dead spiders and laying among them was a body that seemed similar to a Man’s though shorter. He was stouter than an orc however and wore armour which was too finely crafted to be goblin mail.
Gelilthor, however, needed no more than the sight of the armour, “It is a Dwarf. He is armoured, and finely so—this was no chance misfortune. What brought him to this end, tangling with spiders in the dark? ”
“Whatever their reasons, it would appear they are foes of the spiders as well,” Thorneth said before turning to Radagast. “Perhaps you should have gone to the Dwarves for aid.”
“Bah. The children of Aulë have no respect for the natural world,” replied the wizard. “You are far better suited for this task, you and the Elves.”
“We do not have to share a love for the same things to share a common goal,” Thorneth stated. “Let us see if we can find these Dwarves. They may make valuable allies yet.”
And so they followed the trail of spider corpses. The Company came across another dead Dwarf before they saw a group of four living ones in a large chamber, all with different coloured hoods and wielding different weapons. The purple-hooded one held a halberd, the red-hooded one had an axe and torch, the blue-hooded one used a spear and shield and the green-hooded one was an archer with a bow.
The Dwarves raised their weapons at first, but Thorneth called out to them, “Hail friends, for friends I think you to be! I am Thorneth of Arthedain, and I have come with this Company to drive away the spiders.”
“I am Olvir Sickleaxe of Khazad-dûm,” answered the Dwarf with the purple hood. “I would ask you what brings you here, but this is no time for idle chatter. We have been pursuing the brood mother, and she should not be far now!”
Olvir was right; this was no time for idle chatter. As they were speaking, spiders crawled out from crevices and rappelled down from the ceiling. While Thorneth slew one, a second crept behind her and stung her in the leg. She cut down that one as well, though the poison soon took effect. Thorneth started to feel lightheaded and after vanquishing a third and a fourth spider, her legs went numb and she collapsed to the ground.
The Dwarf was also right about Zaudru being close by. Before she passed out, Thorneth saw a massive spider, towering above even the Man-sized ones, entering the chamber. Radagast’s light flashed like lightning and was no more. Moments later, the Dwarf torch went out as well, and darkness filled Thorneth’s vision...
