A/N: Greetings! Thank you to those who followed/favourited this story! Thank you, denique, Kira Kyuu, Silversun XD, queenofthefallenfics and shadewatcher for reviewing!

Reminders: I have no betas, so if you spot any mistakes, please do let me know! This story mainly follows the movieverse, although I may borrow some stuff from the book (like description). The characters are a bit OOC, and some parts of this story may be a tad ludicrous (you have been warned XD).

Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated :)

DISCLAIMER: The characters and the Hobbit universe belongs to J.R.R Tolkien (and the movie company) and does not belong to me. (It never will)

Chapter 4

The Third Age is more peaceful for the Dragonkin. Having perfected the art of living and hiding among other races, they are rarely found. The hatred between the wyrms and the Dragonkin is also most notable in this age. Both are always trying to kill each other. However, due to the obvious advantage the wyrms had in terms of brutality, strength and lack of conscience, most battles are won by the wyrms. Yet the Dragonkin continues fighting, with the elves standing with them. Some day, the Great Race will rise again.

-Excerpt, from "The Forgotten Tales of the Dragonkin".

The Company charged out of the bushes yelling and brandishing their weapons, much to Bilbo's horror. As they fought the trolls, hacking, slashing, and hammering their legs. Bilbo stood there and stared. He almost yanked all his hair out as he screamed, "what are you idiots doing!" Of course, everyone ignored him. Bilbo narrowed his eyes, temper raising. Those dwarves had to ruin everything! He was going to kill them, Gandalf be damned! Bilbo stood hidden in the shadows of the trees, hands crossed. Let the dwarves suffer for a bit, he thought grumpily, it was not like they needed his help.

The fight was going nowhere until Troll Ponystealer suddenly lunged forward, large hands swiftly(synonym) closing around Ori, the little scholar. Ori was too stunned to retaliate as he was lifted up into the air. He held Ori up by his limbs, in plain view of everyone. Immediately, the dwarves halted.

"Ori!" His siblings cried. Ori trembled, but to his credit he remained silent.

"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off."

There was a few seconds of tensed silence when it seemed like Thorin would refuse. Finally, he reluctantly set down his sword, and the others quickly followed. Bilbo watched, hidden by the darkness of the night, as the dwarves were stuffed into sacks, while some were tied onto a spit. The dwarves squirmed and yelled, creating a din that could wake up the dead, but they were still unable to escape. He felt a headache building; it seemed like now it was up to him to safe their miserable hides.

While the trolls were happily roasting several dwarves suspended over the fire, Bilbo spent his time reviewing his knowledge on trolls. If his memory did not failed him, exposure to the slightest bit of sunlight turned them to stone. He checked the sky; dawn would arrive in an hour or two. He would have to play for time for the moment.

"Why bother cooking them? Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly," Troll Daft whined, a hand reaching for a dwarf in a sack.

Troll Cook hit his hand away with a ladle. "They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage."

Time to make his presence known. Bilbo took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Without warning, the cheery fire immediately dimmed to embers. The trolls started and looked around cautiously.

"What was that?" Troll Daft whimpered.

"Aren't you making a terrible missstake? Not inviting your neighbour for a meal?" This time, Bilbo spoke in a voice that was low and silky that sounded more like a snake. His forked tongue flickered between his sharp teeth as he slurred his words.

Troll Ponystealer stood up and walked around the campsite.

"We ain't got any neighbours!"

"No neighboursss? What about me?"

"Who are you?" Troll Cook shouted.

"Do you not recognize my kind? Agesss ago, our kind used to ssserve the sssame massster," He willed the flames to spike suddenly. The fires flared without warning before dying out again; the dwarves cried out in alarm. Fearful whispers were traded.

"I am known asss fire... I am known asss a Ssservant of Mordor. Do you not recognize me?" Bilbo rasped from the shadows. His voice, deep and unrecognizable, echoed faintly through the clearing.

Troll Daft looked more frantic than ever. "It's, it's one of 'em! One of em!"

"Don't be daft, those haven' be around for ages. 'e could be lyin'." Yet Troll Cook looked extremely uneasy.

"You challenge my claim? Perhaps I can prove myself through a sssmall test. How would you like to go up in flames, troll?" Bilbo purred, voice sickly sweet.

"No no no," Troll Daft spoke, cowering, before Troll Cook could reply, "Please, we ain't mean to make ya mad. Here, we caught some dwarves, we'll cook some for ya."

There was a pause.

"I expect my portion to tassste good, trollsss. The dwarvesss ssstink; I can sssmell their ssstench from here. Get rid of it firssst."

"How, oh Great One?" Troll Daft asked quickly.

"Sssoak them in sssage for an hour. It ssshould remove the sssmell." The dwarves began fighting their bounds, yelling obscenities and denying that they smelt bad. Bilbo really wanted to bash their thick skulls together to knock some sense into their tiny brains. Just be glad someone's prolonging your lives for now, he thought irritably.

"What a load of rubbish!" Troll Pobystealer scoffed softly.

"What wasss that, troll?" Bilbo snarled sharply. He did not know how long he could keep this up without then being suspiscious. He looked up; a few more minutes would do. At the side of his peripheral vision, he saw a flash of a tall figure, inching his way towards a large rock above the clearing. Bilbo grinned: Gandalf was here.

"I say, yer a fraud! Not daring to show yerself to us!"

Bilbo watched the sky brightened and kept silent.

"What have yer got to say?"

The Sun was rising. Bilbo smirked, and replied lowly, "Once again, you dare challenge me. It isss a pity, I would have helped you had you not doubted me. Alasss, it isss too late; Enjoy being statuesss."

The confounded expressions on the face of the trolls were priceless. "What?"

Gandalf, on that cue, made his appearance on top of the rock. Looking majestic and regal, he boomed, "The dawn will take you all!"

The trolls squinted at him.

"Who's that?"

"No idea."

"Can we eat him too?"

Fools, all of them. Bilbo watched with a savage glee as Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, splitting it into two. Sunlight poured into the clearing and onto the trolls. They howled in pain, their skins slowly hardening into stone. A few seconds later, three ugly stone statues stood in the middle of the clearing.

Game over.

The dwarves cheered loudly in response.

"Well done, Bilbo," Gandalf called out as he freed the dwarves. The dwarves paused and looked around, searching for their hobbit. From behind a tree, Bilbo stepped out, grinning widely. The golden rim around his blue eyes shone exceptionally bright, and his canine looked sharper than before.

"Where have you been, burglar?" Thorin growled.

Bilbo stared at him, unperturbed. "Saving your miserable hides."

"Lies, you weren't with us! There was this- dangerous being- we should find it before-" Thorin gripped his weapon tightly, eyes darting around the clearing, searching for a monster that was not there.

"You mean me? You challenge my claim; perhapsss I can prove myself through a sssmall test?" He tried to use his previous tone and voice, but had to alter it slightly so that his now-normal tongue would be able to produce similar sounds. It was not as deep nor as smooth-sounding, but Bilbo doubted the dwarves could tell the difference. Thorin blinked a few times, before exhaling and relaxing his grip on his weapon.

"That was you."

"Indeed," Bilbo looked pleased with himself. He smiled. "It worked, didn't it?"

"How did you do that? That voice?" Fili asked in wonder.

Bilbo smirked, "It's a skill."

"The fire? How did you control it?" Balin enquired.

"I trusted Gandalf to, of course." Bilbo stared meaningfully at the wizard.

The dwarves turned their curious gazes to Gandalf. With barely a pause, the wizard nodded and played along.

"That was an ingenious plan, and we thank you," Thorin admitted gruffly. Bilbo glared at the king in response.

"You! You brought me so much trouble! I thought my instructions were clear! Attack only when necessary! Why - did - you - attack?" He hissed, jabbing a finger at Thorin's chest for emphasis. Thorin pulled himself to his full height and loomed over the hobbit.

"The trolls were dangerous, and must die," he replied stiffly. Bilbo garbled a few unintelligent Words before making an obscene gesture with his hand. He knew Thorin was right, that the trolls made these lands unsafe and had killed innocents, but the dwarf king was so rash and impulsive, it irked him. It was clear they had no plan when they attacked the trolls!

"Next time, I'll leave you all to roast over the fire!" With that, Bilbo stormed off with the wizard to go admire some troll statues. Oh, how he hated dwarves and their obstinate ways.

"The trolls must have come down from the Ettenmoors." Gandalf said.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" His Royal Stubbornness had decided to Grace them with his presence, much to Bilbo's displeasure.

"Not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Gandalf and Thorin exchanged meaningful glances.

"They could not have moved in daylight." Bilbo commented.

Thorin nodded. "There must be a cave nearby."

They were going to find for a troll cave which most likely stank ten times worse than the trolls themselves. Bilbo truly fear for his nose.

He was right. The cave smelt like rotting flesh and smelly trolls, only ten times more concentrated and acrid. Bilbo refused to enter the cave; he would probably throw up the moment he was inside.

"What's that stench?" Nori choked out.

Gandalf barely looked affected by the smell. "It's a troll horde. Be careful what you touch."

Bilbo took pleasure in knowing that he was not the only one who thought the smell unbearable; many of the dwarves were coughing and fetching at the pungent. The dwarves ventured into the smelly hell-hole, the elated shouts a sign that they had found the treasure hoard. Bilbo sat outside the cave and waited for them, humming under his breathe, half alert for any dangers around.

In the cave, the dwarves were entranced by the amount of gold coins and treasure in caskets just lying around.

Bofur surveyed the treasure longingly. "Seems a shame just to leave it lying around. Anyone could take it."

Gloin nodded. "Agreed. Nori, get a shovel."

In front of them, Thorin held up two cobweb-covered swords. He wiped the grime off one of the sheath, and admired the fine quality of it.

"These swords were not made by any troll," Gandalf commented, and Thorin handed him one of the sword.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men." Gandalf drew the sword out a few inches. "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age."

That explained the fine quality, Thorin thought in disgust, and barely managed to stop himself from throwing the sword onto the floor.

"You could not wish for a finer blade," Gandalf said. Unwillingly, Thorin held on to the sword. It would be a waste to abandon the sword here, Elven-made or not.

"Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori!" Gandalf called out. The dwarves were still burying the treasures they found.

On his way out, Gandalf stepped on something metallic. He brushed aside the leaves with his staff, revealing a shorter sword - more like a long dagger than an actual sword. Gandalf picked it up, scrutinizing it. It could fit Bilbo, he decided.

Outside, he handed Bilbo the sword.

"Bilbo, here. This is about your size."

Bilbo raised an eyebrow. "I don't need a sword, Gandalf. I have my arsenal of teeth, claws and dagger, remember?"

"Just take it," he insisted, "There is never enough weapons. Furthermore, the blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby."

"I can smell the danger before it arrived!"

"You may be too distracted to, or your nose clogged with the smell of dwarves."

"If I'm too distracted to pay attention to my surroundings, won't I be too distracted to look at the sword?"

Gandalf gave a long-suffering sigh. "Just take the sword, Bilbo! You're as stubborn as those dwarves!"

Bilbo bristled at that insult, and grudgingly took it. "I don't even know how to use it; it'll just be a burden. What's wrong with my daggers?" He grumbled.

"Your daggers are mostly for short-ranged fighting, unless you throw them, but then you'll risk losing them; the sword allows you to fight medium-ranged." Gandalf lectured.

Bilbo scoffed. He wanted to reply, but the sound of something racing through the forest reached his ears.

"Something's coming!" He warned.

"Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves." Gandalf commanded.

Bilbo sniffed the air, ignoring the queer looks the dwarves were giving him. "It smells wizard-y, definitely not orcs, and rabbits?" He said confusedly.

A brown wizard on a rabbit sled promptly burst out of the forest.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" he screamed, seemingly to no one. An awkward pause of silence followed.

Gandalf was the first to react. "Radagast! Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"

The wizard known as Radagast looked surprised. "I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?"

Radagast opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. He opened his mouth again, then paused, looking bewildered. Bilbo rolled his eyes.

Radagast held up a finger. "Just give me a minute. Oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was right there, on the tip of my tongue."

He stuck out his tongue. A tiny stick insect rested on it.

"Oh, it's not the thought at all; it's just a little-"

Gandalf bent down to pull it out.

"-stick insect!"

The dwarves all had flustered expressions on their faces.

Bofur inched closer to Dori. "Great, a crazier one than Gandalf," Bilbo heard him whisper. Gandalf exchanged a few quite words with Radagast before dragging him off a few paces, motioning Bilbo to follow.

"Bilbo, meet Radagast. Radagast, meet Bilbo," Radagast looked at Bilbo curiously.

"One of the Dragonkin? It's been centuries seen I've last saw your kind, and the first time since one has taken the form of a hobbit, however temporary."

Bilbo fidgeted under the inquisitive, unblinking stare.

"Uh, I'm sure I'm very interesting, but what is this important issue you wanted to tell us?" Bilbo demanded. That snapped the brown wizard out of his staring. He turned his attention to Gandalf, the worried expression speaking volumes. From the eccentric mannerism and short exchange Bilbo had with him, he discerned that Radagast was normally a dreamy, flighty and happy-go-lucky person, usually lost in his own world and mostly an optimist. Only something extremely serious and terrifying could leave him so shaken.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs," Radagast solemnly reported.

Gandalf tapped his fingers against his staff thoughtfully. "Webs? What do you mean?"

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."

"Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned." Gandalf insisted, but Radagast shook his head emphatically.

"No, Gandalf, it is not." The brown wizard took a deep breath.

"A dark power dwells there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead." Radagast's voice took on an ethereal, trance-like quality as looked into the distance, lost in his memories. His hands shook slightly.

"I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come."

Radagast shuddered violently and blinked, He looked around nervously, wringing his hands, obviously distraught.

"Sorry." he squeaked.

Gandalf cleaned his pipe with his beard, and offered it to Radagast. "Try a little Old Toby. It'll help settle your nerves."

He inhaled deeply.

"And out."

With his eyes crossed and a blissful expression, he exhaled, looking much more relaxed.

"Now, a Necromancer. Are you sure?"

From within his cloak, Radagast pulled out a dagger wrapped in layers of oil cloths. Gandalf gaped ever so slightly, and Bilbo recoiled in shock. He took a step back; the contempt, evilness and undead aura the dagger oozed left him feeling sick. It was definitely sinister, as though dripping with poison.

"That is not from the world of the living," Radagast affirmed.

A howl from the distance stopped their conversation.

Bilbo tensed. "Incoming!"

From behind a nearby crag, a Warg leapt out. It barreled into the Company, knocking down one of the dwarves. Without so much as a pause, Thorin drew his sword in one smooth motion and struck. The warg fell with a howl.

Another Warg attacks from the other side; Kili shot it with an arrow. It staggered, readying itself to pounce again when Dwalin flung his battleaxe into the head of the warg. The warg fell, but this time it did not get up.

"Warg-Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind!" Thorin hollered.

Gandalf marched towards the dwarf king, eyes ablaze. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?"

Thorin shot back, "No one."

Gandalf leaned forward. "Who did you tell?" he insisted.

Thorin took a step back, retorting, "No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted." Gandalf eyed the warg bodies warily.

"We have to get out of here," Dwalin very helpfully stated.

Ori spluttered slightly, "We can't! We have no ponies; they bolted."

Bilbo groaned.

"The orc pack is near," he warned. The dwarves broke out into an argument about whether they should fight or run, where to run to, and in which direction, punctuated with whispers of "we're gonna die" and "whatever should we do?"

They had forgotten the brown wizard in the commotion until he drew himself up. "I'll draw them off," he offered confidently and loudly over the Company. They paused at their discussion.

"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you," Gandalf cautioned.

Radagast smirked in reply. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try."

End of Chapter 4.

Was that okay? Please tell me what you think of it! Do tell me if you spot any errors in the story (be it grammar, spelling, or plot holes that i have missed out)

I was pondering about the whole how-would-a-dragon-slur-his-words thing before getting lazy and just adding more 's' :D

Well then, that's all for this week! Next update will probably be on a Friday.

-littlesparrowkeet