Disclaimer: I do not own any characters other than my own five.

Rating: K+ now, T later in future chapters (due to gore and blood).

A/N: Greetings! Wow, another update xD Never thought this would happen, did you? Sorry for missing three months worth of updates, but life has its way! Now I should be updating regularly, except I won't set any exact dates because life is unexpected and I feel like that's too much pressure for poor ol' meh XD

But without further-a-do, chapter 7!

Chapter 7

Two monstrous trolls sat atop two great tree-trunks that had been turned over onto their side. A great fire burned in front of them, sending ash and sparks spiraling high into the dark night-sky. Upon the fire was a rather large, black metal pot that held a liquid no-one could be quite sure of; some stew, they all guessed later on.

"Only two trolls?" Fili said with a delighted and a bit of surprised tone. "You can take them on nicely, Mr. Baggins!" Which sounded like 'Boggins'. "If you get caught," he added quietly.

Bilbo's face turned a sickly white as he looked at the trolls. He had never seen anything so hideous (besides Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, of course) or so enormous. And he was so small that the trolls seemed to double in size. "A-Are you sure about this? I-It can't p-possibly be s-safe!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Bilbo, it'll be fine," reassured Jess, knowing that no harm would come to him.

"That's all fine and grand for you to say! You're not going to rescue ponies under the keep of two trolls!" Bilbo snapped, his eyes widening with fear.

"Now isn't that odd," pondered Jess, taking no offense in Bilbo's tone. She leaned over to Zoe's ear and whispered, "Aren't there supposed to be three trolls? I only see two."

And just then another large troll hobbled into sight. It was carrying two ponies, one under each arm.

"Nevermind," added Jess, seeing the other troll. They were, in truth, much larger than she ever would have imagined. As she thought back to the movie, she thought of how Peter Jackson should have really made them a few feet taller - but there was no way for him to know.

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Baggins?"

"Three trolls!" squeaked Bilbo. "You want me to face three blundering trolls! Dear sir, are you out of your mind!"

"Not face them - just steal back our ponies which currently are behind the trolls," said Kili. "Perfectly out of sight!"

"Also," added Fili, "you're the smallest of us all - and aren't hobbits light on their feet, not making any sound? Besides, you are the burglar!"

It was now even darker than it had been before. Up in the sky was a gorgeous blue moon that was full; and the stars were like delicately placed diamonds. Everyone agreed later (that is Zoe, Jess, and the others) that Middle-earth nights are much more breath-taking than ours.

"What if something goes wrong?" Bilbo said, crossing his arms.

"Hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a screech owl," said Kili confidently. "We'll be right there in a matter of seconds. Now off with you!" And he gave the trembling hobbit a gentle push (gentle in a dwarf's eyes), which almost knocked him clear into the plain sight of the trolls. He froze for a moment, but then slowly drew back into the darkness. He turned around to the others, about to say he didn't know how to hoot like anything, but he saw no-one there. Confused and rather frightened, Bilbo paused for a moment to think out his strategy. Almost a minute had passed, and the hobbit had finally made up his decision. He was mad and confused and almost couldn't think straight. It was times such as these that he wanted to appear back in his warm cozy hobbit-hole, in front of a roaring fire (inside a fireplace) with a good book in his hands.

He began to stalk around the beasts, keeping away from the bright firelight and the trolls, who appeared to be having a discussion about their not-so-appetizing dinner. Bilbo eventually approached the rope-lined pen that had been keeping almost seven of the ponies entrapped. As he placed his small hands on the enormous rope, the ponies began to neigh and shriek with delight at seeing the hobbit and his attempted rescue. However, Bilbo did not seem at all pleased with their behavior - not in the least. His eyes grew wide with fear and he snapped his hands back and off the rope. Then he fell to his knees, assuming the trolls were going to turn around and see what had gotten the ponies so riled up.

But much to Mr. Baggins' surprise, the trolls didn't even flinch. They just kept talking and testing the stew. So the hobbit stood up and tried different methods to free the ponies. But minutes after attempts, he found that the rope was too thick to rip or tear, so he stopped. He spun around and began to soundlessly search for something sharp he might be able to cut the rope with. Just then something caught his eye. A sharp something had reflected off the moonlight to the right of him. It was a sword! Or, rather, a troll's knife, which could be mistaken for a sword, depending on one's size. But it was resting in the troll's fabric belt.

"What to do, what to do," thought Bilbo, tapping his index and middle finger against his right temple. He thought long and hard about how he might swiftly steal the weapon, all the while the trolls were loudly discussing what was in the pot and what might be in the pot tomorrow. At last, Bilbo decided he would just try to swipe the weapon as fast as he could, without having the troll notice.

While Bilbo and his rescue to save the ponies was happening, Fili, Kili, Zoe, and the others were hidden in the darkness, a great distances away from the trolls. The two dwarves were heartily eating their supper which Bilbo had delivered them earlier, and the humans were off a few feet, discussing what was going on and what part they should play.

"What do you think of all this?" questioned Jess.

"I still don't believe it," replied Isaac, still in slight disbelief of this whole happening.

"I know, me either," sighed Ruby.

"I mean, I've read so many fanfictions about this happening to people, so how could this happen to us in real life?" said Zoe. She grabbed Josh's hand and squeezed it.

"How long are we going to be in here...this story...I mean Middle-earth?" asked Isaac.

"I'm not sure. And I know that 'The Hobbit', at least the movies, takes about a year or so. Are we going to be here for a year?" wondered Zoe aloud.

"I think it's actually pretty neat! We get to be in Middle-earth!" exclaimed Jess, thinking optimistically. "I mean, this is what every fan literally dreams of!"

"Yeah, but-" Josh was cut off because he suddenly heard a high shriek. "It's Bilbo!" he said instead. And he was right. The miserable hobbit had been caught.

Apparently Fili and Kili had already heard this and had shot off to get the others for help. The humans advanced cautiously forwards staying hidden in the darkness, knowing that the dwarves were to be caught soon - as was Bilbo; that is, once they attempted to fight the trolls. Only short seconds later they heard cries belonging to the other dwarves and the clanging of their weapons. Shrieks and screams were heard as the dwarves' cold blades struck against the trolls' bare skin.

"What should we do?" said Jess. She looked to her right where Ruby was, hoping she had an answer.

"No idea," replied she with a short nod of her head.

"We might try saving the ponies?" suggested Josh. He scratched his messy brown hair and shrugged his shoulders.

"But then we'd be caught," pointed out Jess.

"Yet Gandalf would eventually come and save us," reminded Zoe with a grin which no-one could see in the darkness. The five began a quiet discussion as they watched the rest of the Company being thrown into dirty and horrid sacks (after they had evidently lost the battle against the trolls) that smelled as if something had died in them. After Bilbo and all the dwarves had been tied up in sacks, the trolls began to build a strange contraption over the fire using sticks - its intention being to roast the dwarves and Bilbo - alive, I might mention.

"I'm sure Thorin will be mad at us if he finds we didn't do anything to help them escape," sighed Jessica heavily. She ran her hand through her lovely blonde hair that seemed to be a bit tangled.

"I know, but Gandalf will save them. And there's nothing we could do! Besides, Bilbo will stall, Gandalf will save, and everything will be fine!" assured Zoe. Though, for some reason, deep down inside of her, she felt as if things weren't going to be all right in the end.

Just then the five heard a great voice say, "The dawn will take you all!"; and everything appeared to be a great deal lighter than it had been before. And directly in front of them, a section of light shone radiantly between one boulder that had cracked and split - which had held back the morning light.

"Look!" exclaimed Ruby in delight, pointing to the elderly wizard.

"Gandalf!" Zoe called. She then took off in a run, leaping over brambles and fallen tree branches. All the trolls had turned into stone by the daylight, and the fire had suddenly burned out. Whether it was by magic or just by luck, no-one ever knew.

The wizard stood upon one side of the boulder that had split. The bright morning sunlight shone behind him, making him look heroic and, in a sense, different - but in in an indescribable way.

The dwarves and Bilbo finally were able to set themselves free of their flimsy "encasings". As they stood, the five humans entered into sight. They were breathing hard from their run and of excitement and their faces appeared dirty and exhausted. Though, after that night, no-one looked very attractive or well.

"Gandalf! It is good to see you!" many dwarves shouted out as the wizard stepped down from the large boulder. Questions and delightful remarks were cried out. "You are all welcome, but now is not the time for gratitude!" cried the wizard, leaning on his staff. "You there - where have you been?" The elderly wizard looked sternly upon the humans who no-one had yet noticed. No-one spoke. "Your friends were in danger and you didn't help them? I'm sure they would have all done the same for you; but that is not important now."

"No - not now," grumbled Thorin, giving the five a terrible glare that would have made a younger person shed tears. "Why did you come back?" He meant this question for Gandalf.

"I was looking ahead and now I am looking behind. And it's a lucky thing I did when I did," replied the old wizard leaning on his great wooden stuff. Just before anyone could say or ask anything else, Nori called out:

"Gandalf, Thorin! Look here! It must be the troll's cave!" The others gathered around Nori and peered into the darkness in the large mouth of the cave. An oozing, unpleasant smell emitted from the opening, and bugs of different variety flew and crawled out.

"What a horrid stench!" cried Ori as he waved his hand in front of his nose.

"This must be what the trolls used to hide in when it was getting to be light. They couldn't be hill or mountain trolls, for it would take them far too long to enter into the mountains, and I saw no trace of them when I left nor when I returned," said Gandalf. He placed a shaking cupped hand behind the tip of his staff and blew. A crystal blue light shone from the possession as everyone began to enter into the pitch-black cave.

When they were fairly far inside the cave, Gandalf held up his staff, letting everyone see what was inside the cave. They found expensive trinkets, Dwarven and Elven armor; weapons and gold. Most of the dwarves were more fascinated with the gold than they were with everything else they had found. But Thorin, the five, Bilbo, and Gandalf's attention was drawn more towards the weapons. Thorin picked up a light and long scabbard which held a well-made Elven blade called Orcrist - they found this out later. When he unsheathed it, he stared longingly at it, as the light from the wizard's staff illuminated off of it.

"That is a very fine Elvish blade," stated Gandalf with a peculiar gleam in his eyes. Thorin looked at him and hastily sheathed it. "I would not do that if I were you. That is a well-made sword - you'll never find better, I assure you." Without saying a word, Thorin quickly attached the scabbard to his belt and released a heavy sigh. Elves were his enemy and anything made by him he despised greatly. But if it would aid him in battle and taking back his homeland, then he would unwillingly accept it. The weapon with thin and unusually light. It had a curved edge and was easy to handle.

Gandalf was next in finding a sword. The scabbard was dusty and worn (much like Thorin's) and was laying on the dusty ground, seemingly untouched for possibly a decade or more. They found out later that its name was Glamdring. The sword looked like your typically sword, only it was lighter in the hand.

While Gandalf and Thorin were examining their weapons, the five were off finding their own weapons - in case the need arose. They each found themselves other Elven blades that were not as grand or special as Gandalf or Thorin's, but still well-made and light.

The Company spent nearly an entire hour in the cave, taking only necessary items and burying the unnecessary. When they were leaving the rotten-smelling cave, Gandalf and Bilbo were the last to exit. The wizard stopped the hobbit and said, "Bilbo, you may need this in the near future." And he handed the halfling a small Elven dagger. It was - by far - the nicest thing the hobbit had ever held in his life.

"I don't think I'm ready - or, rather, I don't think I want it," said Bilbo. "I don't wish to face any battles."

"Neither do any of us, my Dear Bilbo. But the key is this: courage is not whether to take a life, but knowing when to spare one. Also, the blade glows blue when goblins are close." And right after the wizard had said that, their was a rustle near them and Bilbo looked down at the sword in his hands: it glowed blue.