A Voice From The Future

Wading through the water, I made my way towards the shore. I went for my bag and opened it, searching for clean clothes to wear. I was also looking for a hankie to get rid of the drying mess the trolls had left behind, which was on my bag.

I finally found the clothes I wanted to wear and a hankie. I kneeled down and placed the hankie in the water before returning my attention back on my bag. I then scrubbed this mess of my bag and carried on until I was certain there was no more traces of what had recenty transpired.

When that was done, I quickly got changed in my clean clothes. I was now wearing, dark blue jeans with a chunky red belt, a red shirt that had short sleeves and my faithful pair of brown boots and lastly my black jacket.

My blonde hair was still wringing wet but I knew I had to get a move on. I picked up my dirty clothes and placed them in my bag. I then went back to the others who were busy eating their breakfast. I rinse the water out my hair as I walked up to Aragorn and Legolas. My eyes never left those trolls.

"Are you hungry Lady Katrina?" asked Dori "We have plenty of food left."

I look at him and smile.

"Not really," I admitted to him "but thanks for asking."

Bifur walked up besides Dori and started talking in khuzdul to me. I was rusty with this langage and it showed.

"He said, thank you for saving us all," said Thorin, walking up to me "you have Bifur's gratitude and you have mine as well."

"What exactly did you do?" asked Gandalf, leaning on his staff.

Sighing, I bent down and opened up my bag and rumaged in my dirty trousers pockets, in search of my iPod. I find it and hand it over to Gandalf.

"And what my dear, is this?"

"It plays music and-,"

"And captures monsters!" interrupted Kili.

His grin was contagious as I found myself smiling back.

"No it doesn't, I only said that to stall these three idiots here," I point at the trolls "When I heard one of them mention dawn, my plan came into action!"

I then explain to Gandalf what really happened while he was elsewhere.

"These trolls are slightly different to the ones I have come across!" I muse.

"That do you mean?" asked Thorin.

I glance at the stone trolls and noticed there were bigger then the ones in Camelot.

"The trolls I knew, used to play riddle games, not put living people in sacks or being tied up on the spit!" I reply, dryly.

"Are you saying, the trolls from your world are intelligent?" Thorin asked me.

I snorted out a laugh.

"Not really," I began, looking at Thorin "Trolls from the other world, used to trick anyone that got in their way..In the end my father had to intervene and turn a troll into a tree."

"A tree?" Thorin asked me, with a smirk on his face.

"Yes, a tree. The message was to show other trolls, that this is what would happen, if they try anything funny."

I look back at the trolls, something just did not fit here. What were they doing here in the first place? That made no sense to me.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" asked Thorin to Gandalf who was inspecting my iPod.

"Mmm," Gandalf looked up "To look ahead."

"What brought you back?" asked Thorin, once more.

"Looking behind," Gandalf looks at the trolls "Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

Thorin, Aragorn, Gandalf and I were all looking at the trolls. Even in stone form, they were bloody ugly to look at.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." remarked Gandalf.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" asked Thorin.

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." confessed Gandalf.

I find myself shivering at that and again I saw that strange tower with that fireball eye, ever searching for something.

"Shadow in the South!" I whispered, unaware that Thorin and Aragorn had heard me.

"They could not have moved in daylight." said Gandalf catching Thorin's gaze.

I was now standing next to Aragorn who I noticed was looking at me with a very perplexed look on his face.

"Those trolls had help, I'm sure of it." I remarked to Gandalf.

"We don't know that Katrina" replied Gandalf.

"Oh come on, those trolls behind me, were completely thick," I heard laughter around me "I'm sorry Gandalf, but someone was with these three dimwits. Who that is, I have no idea!" I confessed, feeling an uneasy feeling course through me.

I noticed Thorin's face light up and I wondered what set that of.

"There must be a cave nearby!"

Now I knew why.

"You've certainly cheered up." I smiled at Thorin and I could have sworn I saw his mouth twitch a little.

Gandalf handed over my iPod and I quickly placed it in my back pocket.

"Very peculiar box Ms Ambrosius," smiled Gandalf "Maybe I could look at it again sometime."

"Sure." I chuckled.

o0o

We were now walking, in search of this cave. I could tell everyone was weary, thanks to those trolls. As we were near a stream, I saw many of my friends, refill their flasks with water before we continued on our way. A few minutes pass before we come across a large cave.

Walking up to this cave and I knew at once it stank.

''Oh my god,'' I whispered, covering my nose with my hand "No wonder those trolls smelt so bad!"

I walk alongside Gandalf as we carefully head inside. The smell was ten times worse inside than it was outside.

"Oh, what's that stench?!" asked Nori, holding his own nose.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." replied Gandalf, walking ahead of me now.

"Or walk on!" I exclaim gaining glances from every dwarf that came inside "This smell could be troll mess!"

"Yuk! remarked Bofur "Thank's for the tip." he winked at me, making me chuckle at him.

We walk in the cave and I hold my hand over my nose again as the smell seemed to worse as we venture in deeper in the cave. I don't notice the gold around the cave at first.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." I heard Bofur say and I finally saw the gold lying on the ground.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." replied Gloin.

I walk up to Thorin who is holding two swords, he gives one to Gandalf.

"These swords were not made by any troll!" exclaimed Thorin looking down at the sword in his hands.

Gandalf who was now inspecting his own sword looked up.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men," agreed Gandalf "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age."

I watch in amusement as Thorin was about to abandon his sword.

"You could not wish for a finer blade." said Gandalf who was also watching Thorin.

"Thorin, Gandalf is right," I whisper to him "You shouldn't judge this sword just because it was made by elves."

I step closer to him, his eyes never left mine.

"This sword was meant to be found by you."

Thorin draws the sword out of its sheath and looks at it thoroughly, before resheathing it. I smile at him as I know he will hold onto his new sword.

"Katrina," came a voice I recognised "Hear my voice."

"Kilgharrah?" I whispered. "Is that you?

"Follow my voice Katrina!" The voice said again.

Against my better judgement I did listen to the voice of Kilgharrah and I walk past Ori when the voice suddenly stops and I notice a beautifully crafted sword. I pick this sword up and somehow knew this sword was meant to be found by me.

"How did you touch that sword without getting hurt Katrina?" asked Gandalf studying the sword in my hand "Some of the weapons here are cursed?"

"It's hard to explain it without sounding like I have gone loopy," I began seeing Gandalf and everyone else watch me " I could have sworn I heard the voice of Kilgharrah, he guided me to this sword!"

I felt my cheeks go red as I saw Legolas give me a baffled look.

"You heard your friends voice?" asked Thorin.

I nodded my head.

"Kilgharrah you say Katrina?" asked Gandalf, I nod my head "Have you heard his voice before?"

"Only in Camelot." I admitted to him.

"Whose Kilgharrah?" asked Bofur.

I look at the ground, unsure on how to answer him.

"A dragon that is not evil," Thorin spoke up for me "Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori!"

I follow Thorin out relieved to be out of that smelly cave. I sat on a rock. All my thoughts was on Kilgharrah. That was definity his voice I had heard but that couldn't be right. He would have to be close by.

'He would have to be here,' I thought 'Kilgharrah has never traveled to other relms though. This is very strange!'

"Are you alright?" asked Thorin.

"I'm fine." I lied to him.

From the look on his face, I knew he did not believe me, which baffled me, normally I was quite good at hiding my emotions and feelings from others, but one look from Thorin and I knew, he knew I was lying. Thorin frowns and sits besides me.

"I'm not a fool Katrina, I know there is something bothering you. Please tell me!"

"I never said you were a fool Thorin," I took a deep breath " I know I heard Kilgharrah's voice but that should be impossible!"

"Why?"

"The only way I can hear his voice in my head, is if he is nearby. In all my life, Kilgharrah has never traveled to other worlds."

"And you think he is here?" asked Thorin, listening intently.

"He must be, but the question is why?"

Why did his voice want me to find this sword. I glanced down at the sword I was holding. It was finely crafted it had three little swirls across the sword.

"More to the point," I continue "where is he, if he is indeed somewhere around Middle-earth?"

"I er I do not know Katrina!" replied Thorin.

We stay in slience for a little while.

"Katrina, could I have a word with you?" I heard Gandalf say.

I got up and brushed myself of before walking towards Gandalf.

"What do you make of this?"

Gandalf was holding out a smaller sword. I placed my own sword on my belt before holding the one Gandalf had. This sword looked magical and I knew at once, the elves had made this as well.

"This was made by the elves!" I say out loud.

"Yes," nodded Gandalf "Is there anything else you can see?"

As I continue looking at this sword, an image of Bilbo filled my mind.

He was holding onto this very sword and Gandalf was by his side. I could not hear what was being said and that bothered me. Bilbo was standing where me and Gandalf was standing on now.

I snapped out of my trance and shook my head.

"What did you see?" asked Gandalf.

"I saw Bilbo in this very spot. You were speaking to him, but this never happened. He isn't here!"

"What you saw, was something that should have transferred between Bilbo in his original timeline."

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

I was getting very confused.

"It means that the enemy has made a blunder. That sword in your hand is connected to the future and it also means, that Bilbo is still in Middle-earth," I just listen to him in stunned silence "We have found a clue Katrina and that is a good thing indeed."

"We still have no idea where Bilbo is though!" I pointed out to Gandalf.

"True but always search around, this enemy is not the brighest it seems!"

I try and hand back the sword Gandalf found but he shook his head.

"Place this in your bag, this sword will one day be with the rightful owner. The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby."

I bent down and opened up my bag and carefully placed this sword in my bag.

"Seems there are a lot of elvish weapons in this cave, those trolls must have enjoyed stealing other peoples processions, after eating them of course!" I said, as I redo my bag up once more.

"Something's coming!" shouted Thorin.

I run up to him and see something in the distance. It was coming closer to us.

"Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves." shouted Gandalf.

I pulled out my sword and ran alongside Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf towards the forest. I stop when I recognise that sleigh. It was Radagast.

"Why are you stopping?" shouted Thorin.

"Because I know who that is," I reply smiling at Thorin "It is Radagast the Brown."

As soon as I said his name, the wizard himself stopped his sleigh in front of us all.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" shouted out Radagast.

I noticed everyone watch him with suspicion, except Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf.

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong." exclaimed Radagast, catching my gaze "Katrina Ambrosius, it can not be and yet here you are!"

"Hello Radagast," I smiled at him "It's been a while."

"Yes, yes it has." smiled Radagast, before looking back at Gandalf who was watching him back.

We all watch Radagast as he opens his mouth, but just as we all thought he was about to say something, he shuts it again. A few seconds later he opens his mouth again then closes it again. It is obvious he has forgotten what to say.

I step back and bumped into Thorin.

"I am so sorry."

All Thorin did was smile at me.

"Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." said Radagast, making me return my attention back on him.

His tongue comes out and he curls it and looks surprised.

"Oh, it's not a thought at all, it's a silly old-,"

I thought I was going to be sick as I saw Gandalf take out a stick insect out of Radagast's mouth. It was so bad, I turned away.

"Stick insect!" I heard Radagast say.

Looking at everyone else, I could see they thought Radagast to be disgusting. I watch as Gandalf and Radagast walk of to speak in private and I had a feeling it was not good news.

"I adore Radagast," I began "but he can be a little-,"

"Disturbing?" interrupted Dwalin.

"I was going to say eccentric. He means well."

"How long have you known him?" asked Aragorn.

"A very long time. I used to help him with his plants and feed his animals. I am really surprised to see him so far from home, something must have happened."

Thorin started pacing behind me and I just watch him. He was watching Gandalf and Radagast.

"We have to get a move on!" snapped Thorin.

I walk up to him.

"Thorin calm down, you wear yourself out."

Thorin stopped his pacing and was now watching me.

~~Dwalin's POV~~

It was completely obvious that Thorin had feelings for Katrina. I have never seen him being so patient and protective with any other woman (besides Dis that is) before. Since Katrina's return, my close friend has been more down to earth and even smiles more than he usually does.

I had a feeling that Katrina has no idea of Thorin's feelings for her, but the way he is watching her, I think it won't be long before she realises his love for her. Glancing at Gandalf and that strange wizard, I hoped they would hurry up so we could all move on.