Don't own the Hobbit. Oh, it's about to get interesting. And more difficult to write.

Thorin pulled the company to a halt in a clearing with a ruined farmhouse. Aster was grateful for the respite. As they all stretched and groaned, she looked around with curiosity. The ruin of the farmhouse made her a little wary, but she was as quick as the dwarves to strip her gear off her horse. As Thorin started handing out camp chores, she staked out an area for her bedroll and moved to help with getting the rest of the ponies unburdened and brushed down.

She watched as Thorin and Gandalf seemed to argue about something. She was rather startled to see Gandalf start storming away, and turned her surprised gaze to Thorin. He looked back at her, taking in her ears and looking a little guilty. He turned to the rest of the others to pass out some more orders and camp assignments. She watched Bilbo follow Gandalf, probably asking where he was going.

As she finished up the last pony and hurried to catch up to Bilbo, she only caught the tail end of their conversation. "I've had enough of dwarves for one day!" Bilbo turned back, giving her a distressed look as he caught sight of her. She decided to interrogate him about the whole thing when camp was finished set up and they had a moment to talk. She smiled at him comfortingly.

"Come on, Bilbo. Let's help the others."

As Bombur finished preparing dinner, she pulled Bilbo aside for a quiet conversation. As he told her all about it, she found herself surprised by Thorin's words. She knew dwarves didn't generally get along that well with elves, and she had seen the shock and in some cases distrust when she had shown them her ears, but they had all seemed to accept her so quickly! Sure, some of them still kept a watchful eye on her and Bilbo but it felt more like a reflex than actual suspicion.

Still, it explained that brief guilty look. She found herself actually cheered by that, in a strange way. It meant that Thorin was seeing her for herself, and not her Race. She could tell by Bilbo's expression that he didn't understand her cheer. She did her best to explain it to him. When she was finished, he had a reluctant agreement on his face. She could tell he wasn't sure of her recognition and interpretation of Thorin's facial expressions, but he at least understood why she might be cheerful.

It didn't change his concern about Gandalf's continued absence. She told him if he was so concerned he should ask the dwarves when they thought he would be back. After all, they supposedly knew him a little better than she did. He smiled at her, then headed off to do just that. She watched him head off to talk to Bofur, then turned back to her bedroll. She had a shirt that needed a button sewed back on, and she wanted to check over her weapons, too. She and Bilbo had been taking turns with Kili to shoot rabbits and the like to help with meals.

As she checked over her bow, checking the draw and overall condition, she saw Bilbo heading off in the directions of the ponies with two bowls of stew. Looked like he'd volunteered to bring the boys their dinner. She turned back to her work, getting lost in the homey mundane tasks. Just as she started to think that Bilbo had been gone a little too long, Fili came crashing into camp heading straight for his Uncle.

As she started to understand what was going on, she jumped up and headed back the way he'd come, bow in hand and strapping her sword to her hip. She spotted the light of the trolls fire and paused on the edge of the clearing, just in time for the others to catch up. Thorin gave her an angry look, telling her without a word that he would prefer she'd stayed at camp. She just gave him a Look back, then looked meaningfully at Bilbo, who was...what did he think he was doing?! Where were his weapons?! As the truth of the matter came to her, she shuddered. He must have left them in camp, too preoccupied with thoughts of the wizard.

Why he'd decided that trying to steal the horses back without any weapons or backup was a good idea, however, she hadn't a clue. As Bilbo was caught and used as a handkerchief, her heart jumped into her throat. Only years of training with the Ranger's kept her from jumping out right then. Unfortunately, Kili didn't seem to have the same patience. Instead of staying back and coming up with a plan, he jumped forward ordering the trolls to "Drop him!" She closed her eyes briefly.

She wouldn't have wanted Bilbo's toes toasted anymore than Kili did, but now the element of surprise was lost. As the troll tossed Bilbo onto Kili and the rest of the dwarves charged in, she took in the situation and came up with a plan. As two of the trolls continued to fight the dwarves swarming around their legs, she took an arrow and shot the third. Only an unexpected turn on his part kept it from entering his eye. It barely scratched him. Seeing this, and how little effect the dwarves were having, she knew she would have to be fast and accurate. She would need to avoid his blows, and aim for his eyes and mouth, which would hopefully be more vulnerable.

As he bellowed in outrage and turned his gaze on her, she realized it was time to move. She sprinted back into the trees, both exhilarated and terrified as he came after her. On the one hand, one less troll for the others to deal with. On the other, giant angry troll chasing her through the woods and gaining on her. She felt that same recklessness inside her rise to the challenge as her blood seemed to sing. Pushing any worry away, she let the feeling take her.

Hearing the troll roar from far too close, she suddenly jumped to the side, off of a tree and back directly at the troll. She held her bow in front of her and let an arrow fly while she was still in the air. As the first arrow hit the eye it had been aimed for, a second pierced the other eye and then she was bouncing up the troll's flailing arm. Now blinded, the troll staggered forward swiping about himself angrily. As he bellowed again she let an arrow fly into his skull from inches away. It didn't go in very far, and she jumped off quickly as he finally realized where she had gone.

As he thrashed around, she silently placed herself directly in front of him and waited for her shot. When it came, she took it. This time her arrow went a lot further than his eye socket, penetrating his brain. As his movements slowed and eventually stopped, she turned back the way she came hoping desperately that everyone else was all right. That fight had taken much longer than she had hoped it would. As she hurried back, she felt the reckless joy she'd been fighting with fade.

She had never moved like that before. What had she been thinking, jumping for the troll's arm? What if it had caught her? As she thought about what could have , should have, happened she felt a little sick. She turned her focus from what had happened to her friends. She could freak out later. Right now, she had to help them. She hoped they had been able to defeat the other trolls. She hated to think what might have happened otherwise.