Kili

It took a time to explain the severity of the situation. By time I finished the story, the sun had rose. All the while, I ensured that every part of her I could touch without undressing her was dry. One by one the rest of the company awoke. Bilbo took a look at her and agreed with my assumption of her race; he also thought she may be a Hobbit.

Not once did she stir.

"So," Thorin announced once everyone woke and was gathered around, "our journey has come to a minor bump. We must build a sleigh of sorts so that we can transport her with us. This… woman is Kili's companion forward on. Once we reach a town we will assess her condition and see if she is fit for this journey or not."

Most of the dwarves jumped to action, going into the woods and gathering materials.

Once I explained to him of the dream—and the one that happened just before she fell from the sky—he agreed that it was no coincidence that I have been seeing her for years, and she suddenly appear to me. As for how she got here; not even Gandalf was able to come up with an explanation.

In a matter of hours the camp was packed and ready to move. Dori and Bofur got Nori to help them compose of the simple sleigh. It was big enough for Laurel to lay on and someone else to keep an eye on her. Though I wanted nothing more to ride with her, I felt it would have been better for Oin to keep watch of her health. We were able to dry her clothes, but a chill still ghosted over her skin and a fever on her forehead was starting.

Throughout the day when we took breaks for the horses to rest or to refill our water skins, Ori would sit in front of the sleigh and draw pictures of Laurel. One time I stood above him and watched as he tried to capture her likeness.

"What sort of tunic is this," Ori pinched the various hued green short tunic. "I haven't seen anything of the sort before. It's hard to draw it. The runes are very odd as well."

I knelt down beside him, looking between her and the forest around us. Was this the clothing she wore when she hunted? "I think this is her hunting attire," I murmured, "it allows her to disappear into the trees."

Dwalin was watching from a distance, "I dunno how she'd hunt in tha'. Too heavy."

I also pinched the material, amazed at how thick it was compared to my own jacket I wore.

"Let's continue forward," Thorin called from the line of ponies.

At the end of that day we were camped for the night once more. Thorin tried to stay in an abandoned home that appeared to have burned down, but Gandalf insisted to camp closer to the woods.

When a conclusion was not met, Gandalf stormed off into the night leaving us. Glolin created a fire in a matter of minutes. I gathered Laurel placed her in front of the fire with blankets surrounding her.

"Brother, watch over her while I take watch of the ponies," I muttered. "Have Bilbo bring me some soup when it's ready."

There was a big enough pasture on the edge of the woods that the abandon house had to keep the ponies mostly kenneled while they rested for the night. My body sagged against a tree trunk, eyes dropping with tiredness. Now that Laurel was actually here I didn't really want to sleep anymore, I much rather stay with her until she woke. Alas I couldn't fight the need for sleep.

The sound of a snapping branch in the woods startled me. It was quite loud and very close. I rose and glanced at all the ponies to see if they were startled as well.

There was two ponies missing.

Before I could go look to see if they were the ones that made the noise in the woods, Bilbo was climbing up the hill with a bowl in his hand. "I brought you some of the soup that Bombur made," he forced a smile.

"Bilbo," I muttered, "we are missing ponies."

A loud unfamiliar laugh crackled through the night. In the distance a large fire could be seen in between the tree trunks, one that was not ours. Each of us slowly crept through the woods, trying to get a better look at what was happening. In-between a couple of trees was our ponies, tied in a rope barrier. Next to the fire were three large trolls.

Bilbo chirped, jumping behind me. "Bilbo," I pushed him towards the commotion. "Take this blade and cut the ponies free. This is one of your burglary moments!"

"What if they catch me," he urged more importantly, "what then?"

"Go ahead and start," I motioned, "I will get the rest of the dwarves. We will defend you if anything happens."

Without a second look to him I jumped to action, running past the remaining ponies and to the camp we had set up. Everyone turned to look at me while I started to catch my breath, "Trolls. Stole the ponies!"

"We left them alone for only a few moments," Balin grunted, "how is it they stole all he ponies in just a few moments? Without making any noise?"

"Not all," I remarked, "just two. Bilbo is going to try and cut them free. We must go aid him!"

One by one they rose, grabbing all of their weapons. One glance at Laurel told me she was asleep and wouldn't wake for a while still yet. A few tree branches and leaves were lying on the edge of our camp, so I gently laid them across her to try and hide her from anyone who happens to walk by. It would be good enough until we returned. Dori put out the fire to hide our location.

Together we rushed to the tree line quietly to watch. The three trolls were large, eight dwarves tall and about five dwarves wide. Bilbo was the size of their hands. He crept behind the one, where the ponies were standing and tried to cut through the rope.

In the center of their area was a tall fire underneath a pot and spit.

"I 'aven't ate ponies in a long time," one of them exclaimed. "Tonight will be a good supper indeed."

"Tom," another called, "grab one of the ponies and prepare it. The pot is almost ready for meat."

Just as the troll called Tom turned around to grab a pony, Bilbo yelled and fell into the rope dropping the knife. A groan left me softly, what kind of burglar drops his weapon and gets caught?

"What's this," Tom shouted as he picked Bilbo up by the leg, dangling him high for the other trolls to see. " I've never seen one of these bafor'!"

All three started to argue about what he was. "When do we attack," Dwalin asked quietly.

"We wait to see if he gets away first, or if the sun will rise before," Thorin stated.

"He don't smell bad," the troll that was stirring the pot muttered, "might as well throw him in as well."

The last troll drew a long blade from his waist and pointed it at Bilbo.

"Attack now," Thorin muttered disdainfully. At once all the dwarves surged forward with a cry of battle. The trolls were startled, the one dropping Bilbo.

The arrows at my hip were made of wamara and plentiful, along with the strong sword at my hip. Fili and I jumped the nearest troll, stabbing it and shooting it with the weapons we had. It flinched and started to swing it's large hands. The rest of the pack of dwarves were similarly attacking the other two monsters.

Suddenly I was knocked to the ground, air leaving my lungs and me breathless for a moment. With another arrow knocked I took aim for the nearest trolls throat.

"Drop all yer weapons," one called out loudly, "or I rip 'is arms and legs off."

In-between two fingers on each hand was one of Bilbo's. The beast was pulling on his hands and arms causing our Hobbit friend to groan and fidget. "I'll do it," the troll muttered again, "drop all the weapons."

Begrudgingly each of us dropped the weapons in our hands.

One by one we were tied at the feet and wrists, then bagged to our necks and tossed into a pile off to the side. Our weapons were collected and tossed in a pile next to the ponies.

"William, how many dwarvies do we want ta start cooking," Tom exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know," the cook muttered, "but do we want to skin them, chop them up, or boil 'em alive?"

Time seemed to drag along as the trolls argued back and forth on how they were going to cook us. Half of us were picked up and tied to the spit to turn and cook slowly.

How were we going to get out of this mess? Closing my eyes I prayed to the Valar that no one was messing with Laurel and she was alright.

Bilbo stood quickly in his sack, eyes darting everywhere. "You don't want to be doing this. Very bad business, eating dwarves and Hobbits."

"It is very good business, and food," William muttered, poking Bombur with a branch as he turned over on the spit.

"No very bad business, especially the lot of us. Infected, everyone," Bilbo stuttered, eyes still raking the woods around us.

Infected with what? No one here has aliments! Some of the dwarves agreed with me, muttering about nonsense. The trolls were bickering back and forth about eating something infected. Dwalin grunted about being as healthy as a horse. Thorin kicked him and gave him a look.

"I've got parasites as big as me arm," he changed his tune, rolling over and looking ill.

The rest of us joined, moaning and groaning about being sick.

"Don't listen to them you fools," William muttered, "they are trying to trick us into freeing them. We're going to eat every last one. We better hurry before the sun comes up."

A small gasp could be heard faintly before one of the trolls, Bert as he was called, grunted. "Ow, something bit me," he muttered, looking all around for something that could have bit him. A tree branch shook, causing all of us to look towards it.

As quick as lightning, something shot out from between the leaves.