The three were silent as their horses trotted away from the mountain, heading northwest to go around the top of Mirkwood. Agarwaen's breaths were shaky, and periodically, a tear would fall as she thought back to the mountain. Bilbo was also quite somber, feeling like this had all been just a very long dream.

The chill of winter had them pulling their cloaks and furs tighter around them whenever a breeze blew by, and the cold air only made Agarwaen feel more hollow. She longed for the playful banter that had been behind her for the entire journey, or even simply the sound of their boots or occasional sniffles.

"They meant a great deal to you, didn't they?" Gandalf asked when they'd finally decided to set up camp a few hours after the sun had set.

"You don't know the half of it." She murmured as she set up a fire and waited for Gandalf to light it with his magic. He started the flame with only his finger, and the three sat around the warmth, Agarwaen and Bilbo munching on their rations.

"Will you go back?" Bilbo asked, breaking the silence.

"I can't." She shook her head.

"Why not? I'm sure they'd love to see you again." Bilbo responded.

"There's more to it than that, Bilbo..." She smiled lightly. "I fear that if I go back, I might not be able to leave."

"And an elf under the mountain is unheard of." Gandalf mused quietly as he took a breath through his pipe.

"Exactly." Silence overtook the area again, but this time no one broke it. Agarwaen and Bilbo soon laid down to rest, and the trio continued on in the morning. Few words were said between them for quite some time, but occasionally Agarwaen would tell Bilbo a story or Gandalf would start humming a tune, which the other two would sing along to as well.

If she thought this journey was quiet and somber, what would it finally be like when she was officially alone again? That question plagued her every hour of the day and filled her with unrelenting dread. Perhaps she should stay in Rivendell for a while. But even that place was rather quiet for her newfound taste. Bree? Bree might be nice. And she could go and visit Bilbo often if she stayed near him, too.

It was nearly Echuir* when they reached Beorn's house, and Agarwaen wanted to pay the skin-changer a visit and thank him for aiding in the battle. The three stayed at the man's home, telling him stories and sitting around his warm hearth for nearly a week due to snowfall being particularly bad at the time, but eventually had to move on to the mountains. They took a much safer path this time in terms of goblins, but their journey was not without perils of its own.

"Be quiet, Bilbo." Agarwaen whispered as their horses and pony walked single file through the knee-deep snow on the mountain. She was in front with Gandalf and Bilbo behind her. The passageway was silent save for the whistling wind and the snorting of the horses.

"Why?" The hobbit whispered back.

"Unless you would like to be buried in snow, it would be best to refrain from making any kind of noise." Gandalf answered quietly, pointing up at the snow gathered at the top of the pass, looming over them threateningly. Bilbo didn't speak after they'd pointed it out, and they continued on still. A howl in the distance made the small group freeze and bring their steeds to a halt.

"Was that a warg?" Bilbo whispered worriedly from behind them.

"Luckily no, but wolves are still not something I want to come across." She replied, taking her bow off her back and notching an arrow without drawing it back yet. She prompted her horse to continue forward cautiously as she kept her eyes open for any sign of movement.

They'd travelled for another hour along the mountain, wincing every time the wind whistled as it flew between the mountains or a clump of snow or rock fell from somewhere above them. It was when the horses began acting up, that Agarwaen knew something wasn't right. They could sense danger ahead, and it wasn't far. Agarwaen stopped the line again, this time drawing back her arrow. The first wolf that pounced around the corner fell with an arrow through its skull, but it's pack was soon to follow, and Agarwaen tried her best to keep her horse still to have steady aim, but the mare's fright overruled Agarwaen's comforting touch. The animal backed up frantically as Agarwaen continued to fire arrow after arrow, causing Gandalf's horse to take a few steps backwards into Bilbo's pony, who in turn let out a high pitched whinny. Agarwaen could feel the mountain rumble beneath her horse and sighed. So much for a safe journey. She shot the last wolf, and urged her horse forward.

"Hurry!" She whispered harshly, sparing a nervous glance up. Nothing had fallen yet, but she could feel the panic of her horse who felt rumbling sensations beneath her hooves. Now trotting as fast as they could through the deep snow, they tried their very hardest to outrun what they knew was coming, but were not fast enough.

"Come close, both of you!" Gandalf called as an avalanche made its appearance above them, tumbling down with great speed. Bilbo brought his pony up beside Gandalf and Agarwaen just in time for Gandalf to hold up his staff and create a bubble around them. Within seconds, they were in complete darkness as the horses panicked beneath them. Once the wizard's staff began to glow, they could finally see around them, but the horses did not settle.

"What now?" The elf asked as Gandalf looked around, trying to figure that out for himself. He tried moving the orb forward or up, but it was stuck in place, completely packed in. Bilbo shrieked when Gandalf suddenly let the bubble disappear, but the spherical dome around them didn't collapse as the snow was packed tight and secure all around them.

"Now, we must tunnel." Gandalf answered, dismounting his horse and holding the tip of his staff in the direction they were supposed to be going. It glowed as if on fire, and the snow before him began to melt. Agarwaen jumped off from atop her horse as well, put on a pair of gloves she'd thankfully taken with, and began to dig where Gandalf was melting the snow.

"A-are you sure this won't cave in?" Bilbo asked as he joined them.

"Probably not." Agarwaen looked back at the dome and shrugged. "I'll wager you thought this adventure was over." She smiled at the hobbit.

"Well, I didn't expect getting back to go perfectly, but...I didn't expect this."

"Adventure is never over." Gandalf said. "Not even when one is in the safety of their home. You'll do well to remember that." He nodded to the both of them.

They slowly tunneled for quite a ways, making a thin passageway just big enough for the horses, who were strongly against going through. Agarwaen luckily managed to calm them enough to enter the tunnel, and after a few hours of digging, they decided they needed to rest.

"Why isn't it cold down here?" Bilbo asked, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Because heat can't escape." Agarwaen answered. "Neither can air, so I do hope that bubble of yours had enough to get us out of here."

"The air does seem a bit thin." Bilbo pointed out with concern.

"Get some rest, both of you. I shall keep melting, else you will never get out of here." Gandalf instructed as he continued melting the path before them.

It wasn't another day until they'd finally gotten through the incredibly large avalanche, and could finally breathe fresh air once more. The sun was setting before them, and they all breathed a sigh of relief to finally be out of there.

"It feels almost like leaving Mirkwood." Bilbo said with a smile.

"It does, doesn't it?" She filled her lungs and sighed. "I do hope your pony realizes that this is all his fault." She glared at the little gray animal who pawed at the ground, wanting to be moving again.

"He was just a little scared." Bilbo defended. "I would be too, quite honestly. Those were some nasty wolves, yes they were." He scratched the pony's nose, offering him some oats from a sack on the pony's rear. Agarwaen shook her head and smiled.

"Let's keep going until it gets too dark. I, for one, am looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed once we reach Imladris." She mounted her horse, and the other two did the same.

"Rivendell sounds lovely." Bilbo agreed as they pressed onward.

*Echuir is also known as stirring, the season between winter and spring according to elves.