The day's journey had been long listening to Gandalf and Thorin argue whether or not to go to Rivendell, Thorin maintaining he had no intention of the Company stopping there. As soon as a spot was picked for a campsite, Emily went to hunt game for more provisions after Gandalf had stormed off. She understood her foster father's frustration, just as much as she knew why Thorin wanted nothing to do with the Elves. Thranduil hadn't held up his promises to Thorin's people, nor given them aid of any kind and yet even with the assurances that Elrond was nothing like Thranduil, Thorin wouldn't even consider the idea. She'd known Dwarves were as stubborn as the rocks they mined, but had thought Thorin was less so. He'd at least listened in their previous conversations, whereas today he didn't seem to hear reason and had actually suggested she wished to go to Rivendell because of her feelings for Elrond.

Though made in anger, that comment had given her pause. She hadn't replied because denial would have supported the accusation and his remark had hit a little too close to home. It was true she'd been infatuated with Lord Elrond as she became a woman during her visits, but had known it would never go anywhere. He had been married for several centuries to Lady Celebrían and she'd sailed away to the Undying Lands ahead of him, unable to bear living in Middle Earth after being recued from her orc captors by her sons Elladan and Elrohir. Arwen had confided in Emily her mother had never been quite the same upon her return after her father had healed her, so it hadn't been a surprise when Celebrían announced her departure, but that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye. Even without that knowledge, it still didn't change the fact Elves only fell in love with and married one person, their souls bound together forever.

Time let her crush wash away like sand by the tide and Emily had felt grateful she'd listened to Gandalf and not done anything rash, therefore preserving her friendships with Lord Elrond and his family. Her thoughts were interrupted by rustling of leaves and she loosed an arrow as a deer came into view. The arrow found it's mark and her prey fell to the ground dead. "Thank you for your sacrifice, my friend." She said in Elvish as she knelt by the stag, pulled the arrow out, then shouldered and carried the prize back towards their camp. She'd wandered longer and farther than she'd intended while calming down and reflecting on the past, so it was nearly dawn when she arrived to find no one there. She set down her kill and followed the tracks of heavier Dwarf boots to find three trolls arguing about how to cook them with Bilbo as the sun crept over the horizon. She smiled at how clever the Hobbit was to stall for time, no doubt due to a remark made by one of the trolls. They might not have been a very bright race, but they did have a sense of self preservation unless distracted by the need to be right. They turned to stone as the sun touch their forms and she stepped out into the clearing. "Well played, Master Baggins. When you cannot beat a troll in physical strength, they can always be out witted."

"And where have you been?" Kili asked as she cut them down.

"I found more food and came back to see you all gone. Tracking you wasn't hard, fortunately."

"Any sign of the wizard?" Fili rubbed his wrists.

"He's the one who helped the sunshine save you faster." Bilbo pointed to the approaching figure.

Emily smiled. "Surely you noticed, Master Dwarf."

"Admittedly we were all a bit worried about being eaten." Balin stood when untied. "It's good to know that you were spared the humiliation."

Gandalf tapped his staff against one of the frozen trolls. "And it is nice to see you all are still alive. It's a good thing our burglar here was courageous, or else you might be part of this stew. Not that adding any of you would have improved the taste by the smell of it. What do you think, Emily? Mountain trolls?"

She studied them for a moment. "I'd say so from their build, though none have been seen down this far for a long time."

"Indeed. Even traveling by night is considered uncommon for them, since there are no designated shelters outside of their lands they'd know about to hide in during the day. I would say they stumbled on this cave through sheer dumb luck." He peered inside the entrance as he lit his staff. "And by the amount of their horde, they've been living here comfortably for a while."

"Too bad there's only so much we can carry." Dwalin said as he stuffed a chest of coins in his pack.

Emily resisted rolling her eyes as something familiar caught her attention inside. She walked over and picked up a sheathed blade. "It cannot be..."

"What did you find?" Thorin asked as he joined her.

"Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver..." She dusted off the jeweled handle and held it out for him to examine. "Said to be the sword of Echthelion, an Elven lord of Gondolin who defeated three Balrogs with his weapon. During the Goblin Wars, it was nicknamed the Biter by the enemy and was lost ages ago."

He took it from her and unsheathed it. "I thought no sword could harm a Balrog."

"Not forged by Men, at least. The High Elves of Gondolin forged many weapons that felled powerful beings in times when Melkor's beasts and Sauron's powers threatened to make the world fall into darkness. All their blades glow blue when orcs or goblins are close."

"How can you be sure of it's identity?"

"If anyone outside the Elves can it would be Emily or Strider, another Ranger who also spent a great deal of time learning from the countless books in Lord Elrond's library." Gandalf picked up another sword. "This looks like Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer. To think after being lost for ages, two such monumentally historical blades became part of a troll-hoard."

Thorin resheathed Orcrist and handed it back to Emily as Gandalf answered questions the other Dwarves' had. "I owe you an apology for last night." He said quietly. "My past experiences with Elves have not been pleasant, but what I said was uncalled for. I had all night to regret them and think on how I should listen those in my Company. If both you and Gandalf say Lord Elrond can help our quest, then we will go see him. My only concern is whether or not we can trust him."

She studied him for a moment. "Do you trust me, Thorin son of Thrain?"

"Yes."

"Then try to trust one of the few men I consider to be like a father."

He sighed ever so softly as he watched her strap the sword to her waist. "I will do my best."