Chapter Five - The Trolls
Bilbo was welcomed to the company, and they rode all day, eating simple food given by Thorin, bread and apples, at night they made camp and Bofur made food, the best mouthwatering meat Winter ever had, although she didn't know what it was.
A crescent moon shone upon them, making her notice how bigger the moon appeared in that realm.
Thorin provided empty flasks and containers for Winter before leaving Bang End, so before she went to bed, she was preparing some anti-inflammatory ointments from white willow bark, and made powder from her belladonna berries.
They were standing up in a huge rock covered with grass above a forest when coming from below, a noise reached them, it was something that seemed to attack, something big, Winter and Bilbo never heard such a noise.
"What was that?" Said Bilbo worried.
"Orcs." Replied Kili in a serious tone, but then smiled, making Winter understand he was teasing.
"These roads are crowded with them, they wait for the small hour when everybody is asleep, quick and quiet and no screams, just lots of blood." He added.
Then Fili and Kili bursted out laughing, making Thorin angry.
"Do you think this is funny?" Said Thorin.
Balin concerned about the worried looks around the company, proceeded to explain about the war, when they tried to retake the mountain, but their enemy got there first, and the giant Orc, Azog, beheaded the king, making Thorin's dad mad, from his grief, the enemies taking him prisoner or killed, it wasn't known.
Baling talked about how Thorin faced the pale Orc, using only a three for a shield in battle, cutting off Azog's arm, showing everyone that the line of Durin was not easily broken, defeating the enemy, but the dead were so beyond the count of grief after the battle, there was no celebration that night.
"What about the pale Orc?, what happened to him?." Asked Bilbo.
"That filth died of his wounds long ago." Replied Thorin, with a dark look on his face.
The company got quiet, and it became more clear the seriousness of their journey.
"And what do you think of that?" Said Baling looking down at Winter, being one that disapproved of a woman in that mission.
Winter raised an eyebrow, got up grabbed one of Kili's arrows, and placed it´s tip on her belladonna powder, she knew what she was doing, it was a trick taught by her mother, one that ancient hunters used, the belladonna would paralyze the animal, making it an easy target, she thought of using it as only an emergency or to be drinked with plenty of water to help with digestive problems for the company in case it was needed but even that made her fearful because she didn't have her measurements like she had at home, but Baling's worlds hurt her, making her want to play a little prank on him.
"I am ready for whatever or whoever threatens me Mr. Balin, I just wonder if you are." She said with a grim, winking at Kili behind Balin's back.
She stood up and tried finding any small living thing, terrified on the inside, she really was afraid of insects and frogs, almost never joining her mom on camping trips, she considered using one of the other dwarves but that was too risky.
Suddenly her ear caught a familiar terrifying noise, she ran after it, it was the sound of a snake slipping through the grass,it was getting terribly close to Fili, who was sitting close to the fire eating, it was long and had a dark blue color that reflected the light of the moon.
She didn't have the time to reflect upon what she was doing, stabbing its tail with the arrow, making it paralyzed, a small amount of blood dripping as she held the arrow up, tossing the snake into the fire, making it turn to ashes instantly.
She looked up, feeling her heart had dropped to her stomach, looking at the pale faces of the Dwarves looking at her, she didn't have the pleasure to enjoy her revenge, she felt too scared.
"You really are a witch." Said Kili looking ill.
"T-thank you." Said Fili perplexed.
The only one who seemed amused by the situation was Gandalf, who was impressed, smiling to himself remembering her mother who also used this trick on him many years ago.
Winter ran to the woods just to get out of being the center of attention, placing her hands on her knees trying to catch up to her breath, she stood still and calmed herself, but started to listen to footsteps getting closer to her, it was Kili.
"I am fine, I just needed a moment." She said letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Thank you, for saving my brother's life." Kili stepped closer to her.
"That's what I am here for." She said forcing a smile, but feeling like a fraud, what had happened was only an accident, and she had never been more scared.
He grabbed her hands with both of his, bringing them together and placing a soft kiss over her right hand, she shivered at the feeling of his warm lips in her skin, wishing for more, until Fili yelled at them, from a distance, he needed Kili to watch the ponys.
"We should go back." He said softly.
"Stay." She whispered.
He let go of both of her hands and walked away, while she stood still looking at him leave, she waited a while and returned to the camp only to find everyone was gone, the fireplace still lit, she decided to wait, she was sure they would come back.
She found herself waking up, not knowing how long it had been, laying by the fireplace that was now, all burned out, and no sign of dwarves, Gandalf, or Bilbo, where they afraid of her? had something bad happened? She instinctively grabbed another one of Kili's arrows, put powder on it, and walked through the woods, until the sun was almost appearing in the sky.
That's when she found them, close to a huge fire, some captured and put inside cloth bags tied up with ropes, others almost being cooked by tree creatures, with at least five meters each, with grey wrinkled skin , grey eyes, and fat bodies, Bilbo tried to talk their way of the situation, with much success.
She saw those creatures and they looked very familiar, they were trolls, she could identify them from drawings made in one the pages of her mother's books, she at that moment realised that her mother had to have been in that realm before, otherwise, how could she have known?, and why had she never mentioned that while she was still alive?
Winter was hidden in bushes, thinking about what she could do, but with only one arrow there was nothing she could think of, until Gandalf appeared from the trees, standing on a huge rock.
" The dawn will take you all." He yelled, bringing smiles to everyone's faces.
Gandalf, using his staff, split the rock in two, letting the sun reach the tree Trolls, making them squirm in pain, getting petrified almost instantly.