It rained the next day, the company was miserable and soaking wet.
'Mister Gandalf, won't you do something abput this deluge?' Dori asked sourly.
'It is raining master dwarf and will continue to rain until the rain is done.' Gandalf insisted while Dori rolled his eyes.
'Are there other wizards who could change the weather of the world?' Bilbo asked curiously.
Kassandra knew the five wizards. Saruman the white, Gandalf the grey, Allatar and Pallando the blues and...
'The fifth would be Radagast the brown.' Gandalf finished with a warm mile.
'Is he a great wizard...or more like you?' Bilbo asked inncently, causing Kassandra to giggle under her coat.
'He is indeed a great wizard, he prefers the company of animals above others.' Gandalf smirked.
After this really wet and annoying day the company set camp on a clearance by the ruins of a farmhouse. Gandalf looked troubled, Kassandra heard him mutter that it should be wise to move on. But the dwarves had alredy started to unpack and Thorin walked up to the wizard and Kassandra.
'We should go for the hidden valley.' Gandalf suggested.
Thorin grumbled 'I already told you I will not go near that place.'
'But Thorin, there we could get rest, food and lord Elrond could help us with the map.' Kassandra insisted softly.
'When the dragon attacked Erebor, what help came from the elves? They stood by and did nothing while orcs plundered moria and disgraced our sacred halls. They betrayed my grandfather and my father..' Thorin stubbornly interfered.
'You are neither of them.' Gandalf stated firmly. 'I did not give you the key and map so that you could hold on to the past.'
'I did not know that they were yours to keep.' Thorin snarled looking up to the wizard.
'Curse the stubborness of the dwarves!' Gandalf turned around and stormed off.
Kassandra frowned and looked at Thorin. She was torn between understanding and irrittation. Thorins feelings towards elves were totally understandable after how they betrayed him and his kin. But his stubborness would stand in his way as king under the mountain. And they had to find someone who could read the map, lord Elrond was the only one Kassandra knew who could read ancient dwarvish. How ironic, she thought, that only an elf could read the map written in dwarvish. The dwarves did not only lose their home, they were on their way losing a part of their culture because they did not value anything else but riches.
Kassandra watched Gandalf ride away and heard Thorin order Bombur to cook some food. She saw the dark look on Thorins face and walked over to him. 'Don't you think you should reconsider?' she asked softly.
Thorins eyes darkened even more 'Why should I? Do you also think we should crawl to the elves for help?'
'What of the map, Thorin?' Kasssandras irritation grew. 'Nobody can read it. If your pride stands in the way of asking for help then we can give up right now.'
'You do not understand, woman.' Thorin snapped. 'I saw the elves turn their backs on us as Erebor fell to the dragon. I will never forget, nor forgive.' With a last furious glare he stormed off to the campfire.
Kassandra frowned and looked after him. 'Stubborn hothead.' she thought angrily.
She stayed by the ruins a while longer to cool down her own temper. Taking a deep breath she returned to the camp after a few minutes.
Balin smiled as he saw the pricess return to the camp, her face clouded like a thunderstorm. A perfect match for the young king, he thought.
'May I help you with the stew, master Bombur?' Kassandra asked. She wanted to do something to deviate her thoughts. Bombur nodded and gave her a knife and a few vegetables to cut into the stew. Kassandra managed to calm down while one vegetable after another landed in the kettle.
~
Bombur was a good cook, his stew was tasty and filing. The dwarves ate in silence, Fili and Kili were watching the ponies and Thorin and Kassandra only stared into their food. Bofur asked Bilbo to bring some of the soup to Fili and Kili and scolded Bombur for wanting another bowl of stew. Kassandra smiled at Bombur, she liked the fat dwarf who could never stop eating. He was so adorable eyeing at the remaining stew in the kettle.
Having finished her stew Kassandra took a few of the bowls to the nearby fountain to clean them. Kneeling beside the water she heard steps behind her. 'You removed yourself from the camp alone again.' a deep voice made her jump. Recognising the voice she continued cleaning the bowls.
'What of it?' Kassandra snarled. She was in no mood for another fight, she was still angry because of Thorins stubborness.
'I told you not to do so.' a gentle grip pulled Kassandra to her feet and she faced Thorin who frowned at her. 'You stubborn woman.'
Kassandra was about to flare up as she felt his grip tighten and his lips on hers. Her protest got stuck in her throat as Thorin kissed her roughly but passionate. His tongue forwardly explored her mouth and Kassandra let out an irritated moan. She was still angry, but his passion made her melt into his arms. Fighting against her longing, she managed to bring her hands to his chest and pushed his away. Panting heavily they stared at each other. Growling Thorin grabbed Kassandras waist, pushed her against the rocks behind her and pressed his body against hers. He had enough of her insubordination, but at the same time it made his blood boil and his passion for her grow painfuly.
Kasandra could not think clearly. His tongue ravishing her mouth, his broad shoulders and hard chest pressing her against the cold rock. His hands grasping her waist moved upwards leaving a burning trail up her body. Her moan almost made Thorin lose control, he felt her hands moved up his arms grasping his neck. One of her hands moved over his neck and softly stroked his jaw and his beard before moving downwards stroking his chest. He broke the kiss and moved down her jaw, to her pulse and gently bit the soft flesh, causing Kassandra to hiss. Kassandra tilted her head backwards, savoring his lips on her skin. Arching her back she pressed her body back against his, their fight fading into oblivion.
'Thorin!' Filis cry ripped them out of their embrace.
Quickly seperating Thorin and Kassandra focused on the young dwarf running towards them. Kassandra leaned against the cold rock for support, her knees were jelly.
'What is it?' Thorin asked alarmed, trying to focus.
Fili and Kili answered simultaneously 'Trolls.'
~
Trolls.
'They have Bilbo.' Kili said nervously.
'Why do they have Bilbo?' Kassandra asked running to he trolls camp with the other dwarves.
'Well...' Kili looked guilty. 'The trolls took some of our ponies. Bilbo tried to free them, because -well...he thought since he is that small...'
'Enough!' Thorin snarled. 'I knew he would get himself into trouble sooner or later.'
'It wasn't him who got him into trouble.' Kassandra thought looking into Kili and Filis guilty faces.
'Spread out.' Thorin ordered. 'We'll attack them out of many directions.'
'Mylady should stay behind.' Dwalin grumbled. 'The trolls are dangerous.'
Before Thorin could even consider it, Kassandra hissed 'Over my dead body I'll stay behind, dwarf. After this I' m gonna give you a piece of my mind.'
'Where is Kili?' Fili interrupted.
In the next moment they heard Kili let out a war cry and one of the trolls shriek.
'Go, go, go.' Thorin rushed and they attacked.
In the corner of her eye Kassandra saw Bilbo fly throught the air and land in Kilis arms. The dwarves charged the surprised trolls and stood their ground. Kassandra hacked into troll feet and legs with her daggers, not causing much damage, but distracting them enough for dividing their attention. Looking around she paused for a second - the 13 dwarves fought in an unity she had never witnessed before. Dwalin and Thorin did the most damage with their strong blows with the sword and warhammer.
'Drop your arms, or we'll rip his off!' Kassandra saw Bilbo in the claws of the trolls.
Reluctant everyone dropped their weapons.
While the trolls discussed how the company should be seasoned for cooking, Kassandra tried to sit up in the sack the trolls had put everyone in. Fili was laying on his stomach and could not move because of Bombur and Kili laying on top of him. All the dwarves were fighting against their bonds, Kassandra watched Thorin try to dismantle the rope with his teeth. 'Always the fighter.' she thought smiling.
'We should not waste time. I do not want to turn to stone at sunrise.' One of the trolls snarled at his companions.
Kassandra listened up. Yes, of course...daylight! Mountain trolls would turn to stone forever beeing exposed to sunlight. Looking over to the dwarves she saw that Bilbo had listened up, too. He stood up shouting something about the seasoning of dwarves to the trolls. He tried to buy them time, clever little fellow.
'The secret is...tooooo...skin them first!'
Oh dear...if their situation had been less dangerous Kassandra would have laughed wholeheartly about the hobbits try to play for time. The dwarves went ballistic shouting at the poor hobbit and Dwalin cursed him hanging over the fire. Thankfully the trolls dismissed this idea. But one of them grabbed Bombur and wanted to taste some raw dwarf.
'No not that one!' Kassandra shouted. 'He...he is infected.' She almost giggled as she saw both the astonished faces of the troll and Bombur. 'Say what?' the troll asked Kassandra.
'He's got worms...in his...tubes...' Kassandra tried to improvise. 'They're infested with parasites, i wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't.'
'Ew! the trolls let Bombur fall and he landed on poor Kili.
'Did she say parasites! We don't have parasites! YOU have parasites!' she hear Oin and Kili shout. Rolling her eyes Kassandra gave them a death glare. 'Deaf half the time and THAT he hears' she thought staring at Oin. Suddenly, she saw Thorin give them a kick, for he had understood her intention. 'I marry the bright one.' Kassandra smirked mentally.
After a short while of realization Oin and Kili shouted 'I've got parasites as big as my arm! I've got huge parasites, the biggest parasites!'
Kassandra needed all her will power to not burst into laughter. She had to restrain herself because the older troll came over to her.
'What do you suggest we do then? Let them all go?'
'Welllllll...' Kassandra was roughly interrupted by the trolls blow. She landed on her behind ruggedly looking up to the troll fiercely.
"You think we do not know what you're up to? You little ferret?'
Before Kassandra could answer Gandalf finally appeared on a rock nearby and splitted the rock with his staff, making way for the sun to turn the trolls into stone. Relieved laughter and cheering welcomed him back to the company.
After everyone had peeled of their sacks, Thorin came up to his future wife. 'Are you alright?' he asked softly.
'Yes, I'm fine.' Kassandra assured him.
'That was very clever of you, to play for time.' Thorin smiled at her.
'Well - to be honest - it was your burglars initiative.' Kassandras smiled widened as she saw Thorin roll his eyes in annoyance.
They were interrupted by Gandalf who wondered how the mountain trolls had managed to move that far into the lowlands.
Indeed they had soon found a cave, full of riches and weaponry. Gandalf and Thorin equipped themselves with elven swords, a fact that really astonished Kassandra. As a blacksmith he should recognise a good sword she mused, watching Thorin as he inspected the elven sword.
The dwarves outside of the cave shouted in alarm 'Somebodys coming!' Rushing outside, everyone drew their weapons only to run into a small man riding a skid pulled by rabbits. It turned out to be Radagast the brown and he had news for Gandalf about a dying valley. Suddenly they heard a howl.
'Was that a wolf?' Bilbo asked panicking.
'No, that was no wolf.' Bofur managed to say before a warg launched itself at them, but was struck down by Thorin. A second warg was shot by Kili and killed by Dwalins hammer.
'Wargs, that means an orc pack is not far behind.' Thorin exclaimed.
'Orc pack?' Bilbo was near to fainting again.
'Who did you tell about your quest? Who did yout tell?' Gandalf asked Thorin.
'No one, I swear.' Thorin was clearly surprised about this sudden attack. 'What in Durins name is going on?'
'You are being hunted.' Gandalf stated.
