Hola! Sorry for this chapter taking longer that usual, school is not giving me a break this week. I hope you enjoy!

It was three days or relative success travelling through the wild when things went to shit.

The rations of bread and cheese that I had stolen from the Bree had quickly ran out on the second day, due to me waking up ravenous and stiff the second day, still crammed into the tree. I slept most of the second day, however, and only woke mid-afternoon. Pleased to see that the rain had decreased into a slight drizzle. Even though my clothes remained soggy for the next days.

I was now trekking over mounds rocks, ignoring the protesting in my knees. The shoes I had bought surprisingly sturdy. My cloak had been shoved back into my pack, allowing the steady breeze to caress my bare shoulders and cause my blouse to billow around my torso. The sun had finally broken through the heavy cloud cover and beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I clambered over rocks.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess of where I wanted to travel to, as I was simply following a path, no clue where it would lead. The morning's walk had brought a rockier landscape than what I had been used to, forcing me to scramble up sides of the small mountain, panting and heaving. I found some amusement in imagining what the company would have to do to get the ponies up here. Glad that I hadn't stopped to collect Bryn, no matter how much I had taken a liking to her. I couldn't help but miss my little pony.

And the company.

I stumbled over the top of the jagged mound I was clambering over, wincing at my traitorous thoughts. So far, my initial depression of being alone had left me. But I could still feel the echoing silence waiting for me to succumb to it. Somehow, I doubt it would ever truly leave that darker park of my head, continuing to grow and shrink like the flame of a candle.

The injuries covering my body hadn't been looked at since I left Bree, it would take too long. I still hadn't stopped for long enough to remove the now filthy bandages and when I did stop I would instantly be dragged into sleep. The wound on my face had become itchy and puckered. Blood had seeped through some of the bandages and had been plastered to my skin. Which was one of the reasons I hadn't bothered to check my wounds.

The worst was the long cut going up my thigh that was now a constant throb, the bandage had become an alarming yellowy red shade. I knew what an infection could do, but there'd been no sign of fever so I'd carried on. Because I was an insufferable idiot, it seems.

After a few hours of scrambling up and over rocks the landscape began to even out into forest like conditions once again. Glad that my aching body could now rest from all the climbing. Unlike that fateful night, the trees were a comfort to me. Shielding me from the open area I had been walking through not long ago. This time the trees were shorter than the ones outside Hobbiton, with thicker trunks and lighter green leaves. Having just sprouted in the early spring. I smiled slightly, now used to half smiling to avoid hurting my scar, remembering the reason my name was now May. Then frowned once again, remembering that I was with the company then.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear the booming footsteps coming in my direction, shaking the trees and bushes surrounding me, until it was too late. Quickly, I dived into a nearby bush. Letting out a slight oof as my body hit the ground. I scanned the trees trying to see what was the source of the now louder booming, unable to pinpoint its exact source. My heart began to race at the thought of what could be making such loud bangs. Terror causing my hands to shake as they gripped the branches of the bush I was crouching behind. The booming stopped. Behind me.

"'ere Bert look what I found!" It's equally loud voice came from behind me. I whipped around and fell onto my backside at the creature, attempting to stumble away.

A troll. No, not a troll, three trolls.

They were hideous. All sporting thick, dry, wrinkled skin and squished pointed noses beneath tiny evil looking beady eyes. The only thing covering their fat covered bodies was a tiny scrap of filthy fabric over their nether regions. I couldn't hold my gag as I went to leap over the bush, flight instinct kicking in. But found that I was stuck.

A large hand gripped me around my torso and I was whipped upwards, a gasp being ripped from my mouth at the tight grip. I kicked and punched, trying my goddamn hardest to get out of its grasp. I wouldn't be captured again. Yet I was unable to get out of its grasp as the trolls began to walk away from the path. I couldn't scream because of its hand crushing my ribs and lungs, making it hard to breathe.

And this, was when things went to shit.

Thorin P.O.V

The evening was quickly drawing in. Moon light beginning to take the place of rays of sun, signalling the end of a good day's travel, the company falling back into the well-practiced routine of the evening. I had decided to make camp a bit earlier this evening, as the perfect camp ground had come up. It was a shelled out small cottage that had clearly been destroyed a while ago. Surrounded by a small clearing in the woodland area that we had entered earlier that day. The campground was perfect, with a little shelter that the ruined house offered and grass for the company to sleep on. Gandalf had been a fierce opponent to stopping here and wanted to seek refuge with our enemy, Lord Elrond. My pride would not let me and so, Gandalf had stormed off in a rage.

Frustration rippled through me at the Wizard even thinking about going to that retched place. The hilt of my sword was, once again, a comfort to me.

I looked out towards the company from my place inside the ruin. Watching Gloin building a fire for Bombur and Bifur to prepare dinner. Dwalin sitting just away from them, sharpening his dagger whilst talking with his brother Balin, seeming completely at ease. I could hear the laughter of my two nephews as they went stumbled off into the trees to see to the ponies, as I had ordered them. The rest of my company had chosen to either gather firewood or set up camp. Or, in Oin's case, go some ways into the surrounding bushes to collect herbs.

We had still kept Bryn, May's pony. The pony was a fine mount and was good for carrying excess luggage and perhaps, perhaps some of the company wanted to keep the pony in hopes that May might return. As silly as that was. May was gone.

It had been two days since the river incident and we hadn't seen signs of May. I admit that I may have been looking hard for some. The ground of the path was compact and unable to hold footprints and the recent rocky terrain showed no sign of May.

The company had been doing well, despite their sadness at May leaving. We'd travelled farther than I had anticipated over the past few days. Especially since the ground had been uneven and tricky for our ponies. Many of us had had to dismount and heave the ponies over rocks but, due to the good humour of the dwarves, they had found the joke in their situation.

I smiled fondly at the memory and leant my weight onto my sword, feeling more at ease seeing that my company was safe and well. It had always been a worry of mine that I would have the lives of my company on my hand, but so far, we've been okay. Except one.

The braids on the side of my head trembled as I shook my head, reminding myself that she was no longer part of my company. I told myself that I shouldn't think of her, she had made her decision, however idiotic, and left us. May had left my thoughts, I tried to convince my brain. But a small part of me knew her life would be on my hands.

May would never leave my thoughts.

May P.O.V

The world drifted by me in wisps of mist and memory. My unconscious mind creating images that I could never seem to grasp, slipping through my grip. Laughing. The dwarves' laughter rang in my ears. Sadness sliced into me, I knew it was fake. Their laughter continued on in the echoes of mist and images inside my head. Everything was dark. No light entered the place I was in. Even the dwarves' laughter seemed warped and wicked and wrong. Terror cursed through me. I had to leave.

My muscles fought against a material surrounding my body, trapping me here. I forced my brain to work, to clear the mist. My tongue still felt like lead. My eyes flicked back and worth beneath my still closed eyelids, they refused to open.

And then, as if a switch had been clicked, my eyes slammed open, my chest rising with a raged breath.

I wish they hadn't.

Before me where those three large trolls, still as ugly as I remembered, sitting around a lit fire that seemed to be heating a rusty dark cauldron. The one closest to me had it's back to me and was huge. The biggest and scariest of the trio. It's back was curved and mutilated, covered in scars and that thick, dry skin that stretched over the large surface. It's head, like the others was free of any hair, and was bent over the cauldron, stirring a liquid that from my place on the ground I couldn't see. In the darkening night the glow of the fire made them look like the demons I had seen in story books, that glint in their eyes was of pure madness. And I was their next meal.

To my horror, the material holding me down was, in fact, a baggy, filth covered, itchy sack that I had been shoved in. The fabric irritating at any wounds that were exposed, which was all of them. A whimper escaped my lips as I realised that I had been stripped of all my clothes and my pack, so all I was left with was my travel stained undergarments.

Oh gods, I'd been captured again. Because of my complete and utter stupidity. My heart raced as I watched that huge spoon stirring around in the pot, the ominous laughter of the trolls seemed to fade into the background. These were not just men. These were huge, terrifying, merciless trolls. How could I get out of this one.

Testing the sack once again I tried to get my hands over the top but the sack had been tied to harshly, too tight. My hair flew into my face as I slammed back down onto cold, hard ground. Defeated.

Stinging in my lip notified me of a small cut on the side of my mouth. Assumingly from when I'd been thrown to the ground. Or when they'd undressed me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Dehydration stopped any tears from falling from my eyes and my tongue was like cotton. I couldn't scream. Gasping breaths was all I could manage with the sack tied around my neck and panic clenching around my heart and lungs.

I was startled by loud voices breaking through my thoughts.

"I say we save her, not more than a mouthful she is," The huge one holding the spoon pointed the object towards where I lay, wide eyes. I rolled onto my left side to try and get a better view of my captures.

"But I'm so hungry!" The smaller one, who had thinner features and longer squared of teeth, whined. Then proceeded to be thwacked over the head with the wooden spoon.

"Shut it Bert!" The large one yelled, going back to stirring the mysterious liquid. I attempted to shuffle back but my feet only slipped in the sack. The third of the trolls who seemed to be a large bit fatter than the others stood from his perch on a rock. Sniffing the air furiously.

"I smell something…" It growled. Stomping off into the trees. One down, two left.

I braced my aching body and began to worm my way backwards, as I had seen a caterpillar doing when it had crawled up my arm one sunny morning. It was slow and torturous and ripped some of my wounds open. But it was working.

Then I stopped.

The thinner troll, Bert, had turned to look straight at me. My bowls turned watery.

"Tiny worm," He squeaked and leant his great, grimy arm over towards me, on finger stretched. I continued to shuffle backwards, terror causing my limbs to shake. It took less than five seconds for his finger to collide with my ribs with unimaginable force. A crack sounded loud through the clearing. I went to cry out but all that came out was a gag. My dried mouth not cooperating.

Bert giggled loudly and turned back to face the fire.

I lay there for minutes, hours, seconds. I didn't know. All I knew was the pain flying through me from my rib. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to escape now, not now that I couldn't even move from the pain.

Oin was not here to patch up my wounds. Nor were Fili and Kili to use that laughter of theirs to make me feel that much better. Or Balin to give me words of wisdom.

I glared to the dark sky, no stars to be seen, a tear forming in the corner of my eye. I had escaped. And been captured again, now I was in a fucking sack. Anger coursed through me, then sadness, then defeat. Not even the stars would save me.

So when the darkness came to great me again. I welcomed it with open arms.

Thorin P.O.V

There was no argument that Bombur was the best chef I have ever known.

The company, apart from Fili and Kili and Bilbo who were still tending to the ponies, were sitting around the chattering fire, stuffing themselves with the stew, that never failed to warm my soul and fill my belly. The dwarves had gone mainly silent as they ate their stew, with the occasional conversation and burst of laughter. I was at my most calm in these moments. The calm did not last long.

Kili charged into the camp with Fili hot on his heels. They were both dishevelled and out of breath, panic in their eyes.

I was on my feet in an instant.

"Trolls!" Kili gasped whilst folding himself over his knees. I charged up to my nephews, already having my sword in my hand. Fili came up next to his brother.

"Trolls have taken our ponies, Bilbo is trying to get them back," Fili yelled, his voice higher than normal. Annoyance rippled through me, that hobbit can't even ride a pony how could he rob blind a group of three trolls? I growled and stormed into the direction Fili and Kili had come, the company following behind me.

Let's go face some trolls.

Kili P.O.V

We had royally messed up. I had thought that losing the pony in the river was the worst thing we had done. But letting the ponies get taken by trolls and sending Bilbo to get them back, yeah, not our finest moment.

Shame found its way into my bones as I sprinted through the trees, alongside my fellow company. The trees leant over and grabbed my hair and face as I ran, telling me to go back. Everything had become silver into the moonlight. Making the forest look haunting yet magical at the same time.

I didn't have time to admire the beauty of the midnight forest, however, and almost ran straight into the back of Bombur's back. Before us Thorin had lowered into a crouch, sword at the ready. Glaring at the three repulsive trolls, who, to my horror were dangling Bilbo between them.

The poor hobbit looked terrified and was squirming and stuttering from where he was upside down, being interrogated by the beasts. My uncle glanced over to me and nodded. From my place near the front of the group I was the best person to confront the three angry trolls.

I ran forwards, waving my weapon in front of me. I gave a silent prayer to the Valar I wouldn't get us all killed. Then slashed and hacked at the troll closest to me and he fell to the ground with a great thump.

"Drop him!" He yelled, coming to a stop in front of the trolls. All of their grimy heads whipped towards me, I felt awfully small facing off the huge creatures.

"You what?!" One of them asked, staring disdainfully down at the me as if I was no more than a rat. I grinned.

"I said, drop him,"

To my great surprise, they did. Well, less drop and more throw straight into my chest. We both went tumbling backwards at the force. That was all Thorin needed and he leapt quickly over the bushes, letting out a great battle cry. The company charged after him.

The fight started well. We hacked and chipped at the troll's legs, falling into the easy movements of battle. Jump and hack after jump and hack we slowly chipped away at the troll's endurance. Adrenaline coursed through me as the thrill of battle woke up my senses and cleared my thoughts. Troll limbs swung towards me and I hacked and swung. In the dim light of the fire their wrinkled faces had become orange and terrifying, but I wouldn't let myself fall into that trap. Their skin was thick and our swords weren't sharp enough, but there was fourteen of us and only three of them.

In the mass of movement around me I heard the neighing of ponies behind me, Bilbo had done it. I grinned as I lost myself to the battle.

Then everything stopped.

There, in between two of the trolls, was Bilbo. Looking petrified as the trolls came close to ripping off his arms and legs.

"Lay down yer arms! Or we'll rip his off!" The troll yelled, Bilbo whimpered as they tugged a bit harder on his already stretched limbs. To my horror Thorin hesitated to throw down his sword. However, after a few seconds of tension all of the dwarves had thrown down their weapons, even Ori, who only had a small slingshot to defend himself. We were defeated. I sighed and could only lay still as I was shoved into a scratchy, horrid smelling sack.

Well, at least we weren't being turned on a stick over the roaring fire. Which is more that could be said for the unfortunate souls who had been stripped into their underclothes like the rest of us and tied on to great wooden stick. That included Dwalin, I would've laughed at the sight of him in his underclothes if it wasn't because of three hungry trolls. Who were currently arguing over how to cook us, much to my increasing horror.

I had my head rested on Thorin's leg, unable to move from where I was thrown. He was currently squirming under my head, I assumed he was trying to find a way of escape. It would be a great blow to all dwarven pride if their company was stopped by three trolls only days into their travels.

"They would go lovely in a pie!" The one that was slightly smaller squealed, then leapt where he stood, vibrating the floor. "And with the girly!"

I turned my attention to the rope tying the sack closed as the troll went into the trees by the clearing to grab a small bundle of something. It was tied tight, if I got enough time then I could probably try to chew through the thick strands. But we might not even have any time left.

Thorin froze beneath my head.

Confused, I looked up to him and saw his face frozen in terror. My brows scrunched together as I looked over to where Thorin was looking.

My heart stopped.

There hanging from the troll's hand, unconscious and beaten and bloody, was May.

Dun Dun Dunnnnn. I was going to make the trolls one huge chapter but I love a good cliff hanger so decided to split it into two.

Updates may be a bit slower due to school work but I'll try my best.

Thank you to xoulblade, .7 and lotus20 for following my story!

Also thank you to Red Rose, .7 and Duchess1985 for adding branded to their favourites, I love you guys!

Marie0907: As always thank you so much for your review, I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thanks for reading

Ellie x