The rushing of footsteps broke the eerie silence that had enveloped the night. Riswynn followed Kili as quickly as her legs would allow to the area on the outskirts of camp, her keen eyes scanned the ponies with a frustrated grunt. She spun on her heel and looked at Bilbo who was panting behind her, she could tell he was counting under his breath,
"Bilbo did you not secure the ponies?" she growled out clenching her fists.
He stood up and nodded "I did, you saw me, I swear they were tied off"
She nodded and turned to Kili "Two ponies are missing, did you or Fili find anything when you went scouting?"
The black haired Dwarrow shrugged his shoulders "Nothing interesting no, forest seemed quiet"
She bit her lip and looked for a vantage point, spotting a large, tall pine tree, its branches looked thick and hearty easily strong enough to support her weight. She snapped her fingers "Kili give me a boost, I'll climb that tree there and take a look"
Kili nodded and wrung his hands together grunting as he tossed the dam into the lowest hanging branch. The bark bit at the tender flesh of her palms and she groaned in discomfort as she pulled her weight up and steadied herself on the branch, she spaced her legs out to distribute her weight and jumped for the branch above her, making short work she gripped the tree limbs and scaled the tall pine. Breaking over the canopy of the surrounding woods she searched for signs of the ponies, perhaps they had been tied too loosely and moved on to find better grazing. She took a breath, the smell of the pine was strong around her, but a gentle breeze carried a new scent, smoke. She inhaled deeply and peered out into the darkness, a small flickering light just a few minutes from their current location. She could see the tiny flames from her vantage point and the plume of smoke rising high into the air. She dug her hands into the tree and began to slide downwards, using her boots to slow her descent she hit the ground with a thud, grunting at the impact.
"There's a fire, just over the hillside, we should go investigate" she said, smearing the sticky pine sap on her tunic with a frown, turning to the hobbit "Bilbo you are the smallest and quietest out of all of us, perhaps you can sneak up and see what is camping there, don't engage them just find out and report back"
Bilbo wrung his hands nervously looking from the dam to Kili who was watching him, a smirk on his face "She's right Bilbo, off you go"
Bilbo sighed and nodded pushing through the tall grass and crawling over the fallen trees, his heart sinking in dread as more and more uprooted trees littered the forest ground the closer, he drew to the mysterious fire light. His palms began to sweat, and his knees shook in fear as he crept to the outskirts of the fire, he sucked in a breath and ducked patting his chest lightly as his heart threatened to burst from his chest. Trolls, two enormous stinky mountain trolls, they were huddled around a large fire, a pot bubbling between them. He frowned looking for the ponies, biting his finger to keep in a surprised yelp as one Troll came crashing through the tree line holding two more ponies. The poor nags were neighing in terror, trashing and kicking as the troll threw them haphazardly down into a tiny makeshift pen. He contemplated going back and letting Riswynn know, perhaps she could go get Thorin and they could overwhelm the trolls and get back their ponies. He was about to leave when one of the trolls went to grab for a pony, but the other stopped him smacking him rather hard with a crude looking wooden spoon.
"Hands off, I aint finished yet" the largest troll grunted, standing up to sniff his concoction in the stew pot. It was a horrid smell, offensive and oppressive it enveloped the entire area, the smell of rotting meat and dung coated his nose and mad him want to gag. He blew out a breath and clenched his teeth, he needed to free the ponies, perhaps he could get them to run and make it back to camp safely. He crept around the trolls, sticking to the shadows stopping at the pen that held the ponies.
"Hang on I'll get you out" he whispered.
…..
Riswynn was growing impatient, Bilbo had been gone for too long, she paced back and forth arms crossed over her chest, eyes glowing as she investigated the distance waiting for the little hobbit to arrive.
"He will be back" Kili said, sitting down a bowl of stew in hand, she grunted and rolled her eyes, she didn't like his attitude, if it was one of the Dwarrow out there it wouldn't be a question of going to look for them it would be instant, Bilbo was a part of the company as much as she, and she needed to ensure his safety.
"I'm going to go look for him, if I don't arrive in five minutes get the others" she said slipping her hands into her belt pulling out two long curved daggers.
"I'll come along" Kili said determined but stopped as she held up a hand "No stay I won't be long"
"I can fight" he grunted annoyed.
She turned and offered him a weak smile "Aye I know lad, but if something happened to you Thorin would kill me, and I quiet like my head"
She left without waiting for an answer, silently treading the same path the hobbit had disappeared down, she could hear shouting the closer she drew, could smell the fire on the wind, and the disgusting foul scent of trolls. Her breath hitched and she rushed through the surrounding forest, her feet cracking branches and smashing through dried leaves, she didn't care for stealth her heart was hammering in freight for her companion. Bursting through the tree line Riswynn stopped short, her eyes wide as Bilbo was clutched in a troll's meaty hand, his body covered in a thick slimy substance, she gagged and narrowed her eyes as the trolls turned to face her
"Who do we have here" the largest said, sweeping low to strike her with a wooden spoon.
She ducked and rolled out of the way, shouting a feral battle cry in Khuzdul she lashed out at the exposed fleshy ankles, her daggers barely leaving a slice in the tough hide. The troll screamed in outrage, swinging a fist down on her location and she smirked barrel rolling under him stabbing up into what she hoped was his groin. It screamed out and she cackled as she removed her dagger and rushed away, eyes wide as the trolls' brethren rushed to grab her.
She yelped as something crashed into her body, sending her crashing to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. She opened her eyes, head spinning as curly brown hair came into view, Bilbo was struggling to get off her, the sticky substance coating her chest and neck and she grimaced rolling him off with a grunt. She leapt to her feet pulling him along with her as shouts came from the trees and the others burst onto the scene weapons draw. The trolls were too large and stumbled about camp never able to capture the Dwarrow, the swung their club's spraying dirt and smashing their cooking pot to bits. The liquid in the pot soaked the ground, the bubbling fluid was hot to the touch and smelt most foul and she slipped trying to rush to Bilbo's aid as he was picked up and squeezed.
"Drop em or this burglar hobbit gets it" the troll grunted.
She looked to her comrades and frowned, if they lost their weapons, they were going to be eaten alive, her eyes found Thorin's, and he nodded once dropping his sword. Slowly everyone followed and she reluctantly dropped her daggers, taking a step back as the smallest troll lunged for her and stuffed her in a large sack. She was tossed with the others in a heap, groaning in discomfort as knees and elbows dug into her sides, she was laying partially on someone, turning her head she offered Ori a sympathetic smile, glad at least she wasn't fat like Bombur.
The trolls made a spit and began tying the dwarves up, slowly rotating them over the open fire and she panicked.
"Bilbo" she whispered.
The hobbit turned and looked at her she grunted gesturing to the rising sun in the distance "By us some time, I might be able to get my hands untied"
He swallowed hard and nodded, struggling to sit up he cleared his throat interrupting the squabble between the trolls. She flashed him a smile of encouragement while she shifted her body trying to grab the hidden dagger in her boot. Her muscles screamed in protest as she bent at an odd angle, the sack constricting most of her movements.
"What are you doing lass" Balin grunted as she kneed him.
"Trying to get my dagger" she grunted as quietly as she could, yelping in surprise as she was grabbed roughly by her long hair.
"I say we just eat them" the troll that held her up shouted, holding her over his mouth, his breath washed over her, and she gagged, thrashing wildly, her hair pulled taunt.
"Give me that one" the troll with a club in his hand growled, pushing the smaller out of the way snatching her from him, she felt her body being squeezed as air was forcefully expelled from her lungs. He pat her on the head hard with his heavy hand, and she groaned in pain "I think this one is female, can't I keep her"
The largest troll grunted and swung his spoon at them "Last time you tried to keep one as a pet you ended up killing it"
She was shaken back and forth, her head spinning as the trolls began to argue "I will not, this one is pretty, I like her yellow hair" he grunted pulling her hair back causing her to scream out in pain.
"See there you are going to kill it" the other grunted.
She was clutched harder and brought into a leathery chest, her face to close to the beast, its foul breath washing over her, she felt lightheaded, her vision going in and out, as the life was squeeze out of her. She could faintly hear the others screaming about parasites, before beautiful golden sunlight washed the area, surrounding her in a soft golden hue, the hand holding her became increasingly hard, she sucked in a breath and pried her eyes open watching as the grey skin turned to stone, the troll groaning in pain as he died. She was wheezing, the hold was so tight she couldn't get a breath of proper air, she turned her head in panic trying to get the others attention, the fire was being put out and the Dwarrow cut from the spit.
Bilbo noticed her, hanging limply from the stone fist of the troll, her head lolled to the side, her long golden hair spilling over the edge of the troll's hand, he squinted her face looked oddly red and he yelped pointing to her "Get her down, she can't breathe"
Thorin raised his head up looking to the hobbit before his eyes settled on the dam and he jumped up rushing to her, he couldn't reach her feet dangling just over his head
"Dwalin, Kili, Fili, Dori, help me smash the troll's fist" he grunted, climbing on their shoulders as they formed a body bridge swinging Dwalin's battleax against the stone fist, it shattered on impact and Riswynn slipped from the grasp, falling in a heap on top of them.
"She dead" Dori grunted a scowl on his face as he stood up and brushed the dirt from his trousers looking at the dam, her hair was a tattered mess scattered around her, she wasn't moving.
Thorin knelt and picked her up cradling her head, he brough his ear to her chest and listened for the beating of her heart. it was steady and strong, echoing against his ear and he let out a relieved breath, walking back toward the others, Bilbo rushing to his aid, trying to brush her hair out of her face. Thorin grunted and moved her away from his prying hands "She's fine just knocked out Master Baggins"
"Aye give her here then" Dwalin said, shouldering his battle axe reaching out to take the unconscious dwarrowdam, but Thorin grunted and pulled her back into his chest "I've got her, Fili, Kili get those ponies back to camp, the rest of you pack up what you can we are leaving this god forsaken forest" he grunted adjusting his hold on her, he began the walk back to camp, trying to walk as carefully as he could without jostling her around. She was surprisingly light, tucked into his chest, he could feel her soft breath coming out in little puffs as it tickled his neck, her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes were closed, her face pack to its pale color. He scanned her as he walked looking for any obvious wounds, she wasn't bleeding, but there was some bruising along her temples causing him to clench his teeth in frustration, damn the hobbit for getting caught. He grimaced stalking toward camp without paying any mind to the others, when he reached the fire, he gently placed her beside it, brushing the loose strands of her hair from her face as he knelt beside her. She grimaced in her sleep, groaning out before her eyes shot wide, glowing a vibrant red, her hand shot out and clutched his wrist so tight he grunted in pain, caught hovering just above her face.