Chapter 3: The Second Encounter

"This little Ferret is taking us for fools!" Yelled Tom.

"Ferret!" Cried Bilbo in indignation.

"That's it! I am done with this deceit," said Bert as he reached down and grabbed Bilbo.

He opened his gaping mouth, his putrid hot breath hitting Bilbo in the face and making him crinkle his nose in revulsion. The dwarves stopped their claims of having parasites and began attempting to dissuade the troll from swallowing Bilbo whole.

There was a rustle in the trees above Bert and he hesitated. He set Bilbo down on the ground who immediately rolled out of his reach. Bert's mouth hung to the side making him look even more stupid as he looked up at the rustling limbs.

"Ruddy birds," he said glaring back down to the space where he had set Bilbo down, only now to see him gone. "What the…" His bloodshot eyes scanned around and settled on Bilbo who was attempting to hop away. "Oh no you don't!" He said moving to grab Bilbo again.

There was a snap of a branch followed by a loud roar of pain as a body dropped from the trees and onto his back.

Fíli watched from an inverted perspective between Gloin's and Bombur's feet as Bert arched his back and turned in a circle. His pudgy arms fumbled and stretched as he attempted to reach behind his back.

As the trolls back came to face the pile of dwarves, Fíli saw what had caused him such pain. Hanging from his back was Thyra, two knives imbedded in his tough skin. She gritted her teeth as she swung wildly back and forth with each jerky movement that Bert expelled in an attempt to throw her off.

"Get it off of me!" Cried Bert as he danced around.

Tom grabbed a large log, holding it up like a club as he focused on Thyra.

"Hold still Bert, I will get it."

He pulled his arm up and swung towards the other troll's back where Thyra was hanging.

Fíli watched Thyra as she caught sight of club swinging towards her. Her eyes grew wide and released her hold. She dropped down to the ground just as Tom swung the log. Bert let out another cry of pain as the log smashed against his back and sent him falling forward.

Meanwhile, Thyra hit the ground, tucking her legs and head as she rolled away. She came to a stop in front of the pile of dwarves who were all watching in astonishment. As she stood up and faced them, she pulled the sword strapped to her back and spun around to face the three trolls.

"You idiot," cried Bert as he hit Tom on the top of the head.

"I was just tryin' to 'elp," he defended stupidly.

"Where did it go," he cried.

"It's over there!" Said William as he pointed towards Thyra.

Bert spun around and set his angry face to her. The ground shook as he took furious steps towards her, his pace quickening as he grew closer. Thyra did not wait for him to clear the entire distance as she pushed herself forward. She dodged his grasp as he grabbed for her. Weaving through his hands and legs she swung her sword, slicing a deep cut on his calf muscle. The troll let out another furious cry of pain as he fell to the ground.

As Bert struggled to get back up, Tom swiped at Thyra, who rolled out of his reach. But as she stood to her feet, William snatched her up and began shaking her violently in his hand.

Fíli watched as her head whiplashed back and forth as the troll shook her. Her sword fell from her hand and landed on the ground with a clatter.

"I got her Bert, I got her," he said victoriously, raising Thyra above his head.

There was a loud whistle from the bushes and out came Asha wielding an axe.

She swung it towards William who let out a wail as he stepped back to avoid the heavy blade. In his attempt to avoid Asha's axe, he tripped over Bert who was still trying to stand up and dropped Thyra to the ground.

Fíli watched Thyra fall hard onto her back, he was sure the fall would knock her out cold, but she dizzly rolled over and struggled to get to her feet. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind as her dazed eyes roved over the grass before her. The metallic gleam of her sword caught her attention and she unsteadily started to crawl towards it. In her disoriented state, she failed to notice Bert who finally managed to stand.

He came up behind her and reached down to grab her.

"Behind you," warned Fíli without even thinking.

He watched as her dark eyes looked in his direction for a moment before she turned her head.

Bert's fingers were just about to wrap around her small body when an arrow shot out from the woods and into his outstretched hand.

In the direction of where the projectile had come from, Sigurd burst from the bushes as she notched another arrow to her bow string.

The arrow did nothing to penetrate Bert's thick skin but the distraction had been enough for Thyra to find her sword and move away. With her sword raised and ready to defend herself, she faced the troll and waited.

When Asha burst through the forest undergrowth and began attacking the trolls, Thorin could not help but watch in awe. He had never seen her wield a weapon before nor had he ever been able to imagine her do such an action. She had always been such a gentle a peaceful creature. But watching her now was a testament that she truly was a Brimir, born and bred to fight.

He was impressed with all three dwarrow maids as they fought the trolls. But to be fully accurate, he felt more grateful than impressed, especially for Thyra and her timely interruption of his burglar being ingested.

Unfortunately as they fought on, it became obvious that despite their skills, it was not enough to stop the trolls. He watched in horror as Asha was backhanded by one of the trolls and fell back several feet. A rage built inside of him as he watched her body tumble to the ground and fall still while he remained helplessly tied up in a potato sack.

Sigurd shot another arrow at the troll who had sent Asha flying as it was making its way to the fallen women. As the arrow sunk into the trolls left shoulder it turned around and began advancing on Sigurd instead of Asha, causing her to retreat back.

The other two trolls were advancing on Thyra. She let out an enraged growl as she watched Asha being hit and began weaving in and out of their legs to get to her still body. She made it past one but as she was just about to get past the second troll, he reached out and caught her cloak. She let out a strangled gasp as he lifted her into the air.

"I have had enough of you girly," Bert growled at her. "It's time we put an end to this."

"The dawn will take you all," came a loud voice from above Thorin.

Thorin looked up to see the silhouette of a tall man with a pointy hat and large walking stick. Gandalf, he thought in relief.

Gandalf raised his staff and struck down on the rock he was standing on. A thunderous crack echoed through the air as the stone split in half. Sunlight poured through the break and fell upon the three trolls who were stunned into silence. As the sun hit their skin, they began crying out and shielded themselves with their arms in an attempt to block the sunlight. But their efforts were to no avail.

Within moments of the sun hitting their skin, their screams were cut off as they turned to stone.

An odd silence fell upon the clearing only to be broken by the grumblings of the dwarves tied to the spit. Gandalf began helping the dwarves out of their sacks and bonds along with Bilbo who had managed to free himself with a knife he had found when he escaped after Thyra's intervention.

Thorin watched as Sigurd moved over to Asha's body and started to check on her. Anxiety filled his body as he remembered how she had been knocked back. But when the young girl helped Asha sit up and stand to her feet, he was filled with relief. She looked a little shaken, but seemed to have no harm done.

His attention was drawn away from her when Gandalf came up to him and began helping him out of his bonds.

"Where did you go off to, may I ask?"

"To look ahead," stated Gandalf simply.

"And what brought you back?" Asked Thorin.

"Looking behind," he responded again in a simple tone.

Fíli, being one of the first to be free, quickly dressed back into his clothes and gear before making his way over to help the ones who were still tied up to the roasting spit. As he passed the once trolls, now statues, he looked up to see an amusing sight.

Thyra hanging in the air, her cloak still caught in the Bert's outstretched stone hand. She moved around like a mouse caught by its tail. Her legs kicked out as her arms pulled at the cloth in an attempt to loosen herself. But after several forcefull tugs, it became obvious that the cloak would not come loose.

Fíli stopped below her and watched her struggling. He knew the right thing would be to help her. Especially since she had possibly just prevented his and the entire companies early demise.

And had it been anyone else, he would not have hesitated.

But as the image of her flipping him onto his back that resulted in the still healing bruise that ran down his spin, causing many sleepless nights of struggling to lay down without feeling pain, he faltered. He did not like the girl. And seeing her now, in such a situation where she was at his mercy, he could not help but feel a slight hunger for revenge.

A small laugh of mockery parted from his lips.

At the sound of his amusement, she stopped struggling and looked down at him. Her eyes narrowed at his ridicule. Fíli responded with a sly grin.

"I would help, but last time I tried that, I ended up flat on my back," he commented up to her.

He knew she would not understand a word he said, but he hoped his tone would at least relay some of the meaning. Taking note of her deepened frown and eye twitch of annoyance, he knew that she had understood at least a small part of what he wanted to convey to her. He let out another breathy laugh then took a step to leave her to her own devices of freeing herself.

However, it was the only step he managed to take before he saw movement and heard the slash of metal against fabric. Following immediately after, something slammed down on him with great force.

The pressure of the impact caused him to fall forward and his face was forced to meet the grass as a body fell on top of him.

She was not heavy but the force was enough to push all the air from his lungs like a sudden gust of heavy wind. Before he had caught his breath he felt himself being flipped over to his back and his line of sight was greeted with silhouetted hand of a troll, grasping a green piece of fabric that was torn and frayed.

Confusion washed over him for a moment before a face framed by wheat colored wisps of hair and two black orbs, shining with mirth, came into his view.

Thyra's mouth curled into a satisfied smirk as she crouched over him. He slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows, his eyes narrowing in annoyance at her. There was no denying that what she had done was on purpose.

He had thought she would move away from him when he moved but she stayed still, causing him to halt in his effort to get up as he had no desire to come into closer proximity. Her smirk turned into a grin showing off two rows of straight white teeth. She leaned in closer just ever so slightly to whisper into his ear.

"Thanks, Feelig," she said in a thickly accented voice.

She then pulled away, her face showing content, satisfaction in witnessing the shock on his face. She gave him a single wink then placed a hand on his chest and shoved him back to the ground. As he fell back, she abruptly rose to her feet and promptly walked away without giving so much as another glance in his direction.

Fíli quickly recovered and scrambled to his hands and knees but Thyra was already too far away for him to retaliate. However, it did not stop him from at least glaring in her direction as she approached Sigurd and Asha.

As if sensing his glare Thyra turned back around and looked at him. She shot him another smirk before turning her attention to Asha as the older woman began to make her way towards the rest of the group.

"Fíli, what are you doing down there?" Came Kíli's voice from behind him. "Your going to get soaking wet from the dew."

Fíli looked back at his brother and shot him an undeserved look of annoyance. "Trust me, it was not my decision."

A look of confusion came across Kíli's face but Fíli ignored it as he pushed himself back to his feet. Already he felt several more bruises beginning to form on his back and rump which only served to dampened his mood further.

Without a word to his brother, Fíli moved to join the group as they all gathered together. The company in one clump while Asha and the two other dwarrowmaids stood just slightly separate from the mass of males.

Thorin was speaking with Gandalf when the wizard smiled and looked over his head at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. He turned to find Asha coming toward them, Sigurd striding next to her, while Thyra brought up the rear. All three looked tired and travel worn but any questions of how or why they were here where lost to him when Asha spoke.

"You must be more careful Thorin. You will never make it to Erebor alive if you decide to engage with everyone you meet along the road," she looked towards the spit where the, Bifur, the final member to be released, was being helped to stand. "Nor will your rations last should you feed them all. Especially trolls, don't you know they have voracious appetites?"

Her tone was light and teasing but it was not received in kind. Instead, Thorin froze as well as several others in the vicinity, the rest only looked shaken. When he recovered from his paralyzed shock, Thorin swept his eyes over the company, searching for a look of guilt or hint as to who could of told her. His eyes lingered suspiciously on the hobbit but then moved onto Gandalf who was smiling pleasantly to himself.

He bristled.

"You told her," he accused as he took several steps towards the tall man. "In your little secret meeting with her, you told her of our quest! You swore you said nothing!"

Gandalf's smile faded as he spoke. "Don't be a fool!" He snapped back. "I did nothing but discuss matters of our own personal business."

Thorin believed him but it did not calm his temper, if it was not him then who was it. Surely none of his men would disobey his direct order to say anything. His thoughts tracked down the only other possibility.

"You!" he said, pointing a finger at Bilbo. "Have you not done enough to sabotage this company by nearly getting yourself caught by the trolls which then resulted in all of my men almost being killed!"

"Your halfing did not tell me either," said Asha in exasperated voice.

Thorin spun back around to face Asha. His face growing red with fury and impatience.

"Then do me a favor and tell me who told you," he commanded.

Asha's mouth curled into an amused smile as her own patience still persevered. "In a way, you did," she said calmly.

Thorin's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I did no such thing, I spoke nothing of our quest to you, nor near you," he said gruffly. "Stop speaking in riddles and tell me who told you!"

There was a temporary stillness that settled over them. A morning bird chirped as it flew over and the rustle of leaves shivering in the wind filled the air. And then Thyra stepped forward.

"Thyra telled her."

Her words were strong and loud. Loud enough for the declaration to be clearly heard by everyone. But despite this, there was a lag of reaction to her heavily accented words after she spoke. There was no mistaking what was said or who had said it. But even with no discrepancy, thirteen dwarves and one hobbit stared wide eyed at Thyra.

She stood before Thorin without any fear or guilt on her face. Thorin stared down at the girl before him. She was just barely tall enough to reach his chest but her entire demeanor claimed that she was not intimidated by his own towering mass.

After several long moments of absolute silence, the reality of what she had revealed sunk in.

Instead of directing his rage at the small girl, he looked over the top of her head to where Asha stood behind her, her arms folded, and awaiting his reaction.

Thorin narrowed his eyes. The little foreign girls sentence may had been poorly designed but the meaning was all too clear. She had heard and understood everything discussed that night. And it was obvious that Asha had purposely kept the girl in their vicinity for that very purpose.

"It seems the lying through their teeth trait of the Brimir did not escape even you, Rashava," he said in an accusing and harsh tone.

Asha frowned at the use of her true given name. "I did not lie, you only inferred. A trait that seems to still be quite common in the Durin's," she snapped back in defense. "Perhaps you should learn to not speak so freely in front of strangers."

Thorin felt his annoyance snap as he stepped forward with his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles where bone white.

Before he could even manage a second step, he was stopped by the cold press of steel against his neck and his retort was forgotten. He looked down and his brows raised in surprise by the swiftness in which Thyra had drawn her sword.

She stood between him and Asha with her sword poised. Gone was the proud highness of her head as it was replaced with a protective stance and her eyes seeped an unspoken promise that she would not hesitate to press her sword further. An action he knew would swiftly end his life as the cold metal throbbed against the beating pulse in his neck.

The ringing of metal being drawn, along with the stretch of bowstring and sling shot sounded behind him as the company moved to act in their King's defense.

Thorin stared into the deep pools of the girls eyes as he tried to read her. He could not deny the intrigue of knowing why this girl seemed to be so fiercely loyal to Asha.

She was not a kinsman, nor was she a subject to her families previous rule, yet she was willing to put herself against thirteen other dwarves. Many of which were trained warriors with years of experience that exceeded her own years of age.

In a small way he felt a twinge of jealousy. She had managed to gain the loyalty of this small Régínn girl when he himself could not even gain the support of his own cousin.

Slowly, he raised his hand to signal for the others to lower their weapons. He heard a hesitant rustle but soon the sound of metal being slid into scabbards sounded and he knew his command had been followed.

All the while, he kept his eyes trained on the small girl before him, waiting for her to end her part in this imbalanced standoff.

"Your sword is not necessary lass, I will not bring any harm to Asha," he said calmly in the Westron.

For a moment he wondered if perhaps she did not understand. He had just found out that she could speak the common tongue no more than two minutes ago. But her capacity of fully understanding the language was still unknown. Her knowledge could still be limited.

His wonder was ceased when Asha stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright Thyra, you can trust his words," she assured the younger dwarfmaid.

Thyra did not look satisfied nor comfortable with the idea but her sword immediately dropped without hesitation after Asha's reassurance. An action that surprised Thorin.

He had expected at least some hesitancy in the girl but she seemed to practice immediate and perfect obedience as she stepped away and sheathed her long sword with a single motion.

With no one separating them, Thorin took a step forward and pointed warningly at Asha.

"Whomever you see or met, you are not to breathe a word."

Asha's brow raised.

"I am not your enemy Thorin, despite what our family histories may hint towards. I know what exposing your intentions would do, especially if heard by your true enemies. You may not believe it, but I do not wish ill fate to fall upon you."

Thorin looked at her honest face and could not help but feel a slight twinge in his chest. A miniscule desire prodded the back of his mind to extend an invitation to have her join the company. But sensibility quickly intervened.

He could not ask her of such things. She owed him nothing and he knew that it would not bode well with others of the company. Despite his need for more aid, he knew it would not make a big enough difference. He needed an army, not two and half women. He lifted his chin and hardened himself from his moment of weakness.

"Then I suppose I will only hope you will keep your word," he said strongly.

It was obvious by the look on her face his tone was not one she wanted to hear. She stiffened and narrowed her eyes. Then she let out a snort of contempt at the arrogance in his voice. Her eyes grazed around the small number that consisted of his company.

"You are attempting a fool's errand," she hissed. Thorin bristled at her words but was kept from retorting when she continued. "Now if you will excuse us, we must be on our way. Our travels have now been delayed twice by you. Once by your blinded suspicion and now by your failure to keep yourself out of trouble." She then added in a mocking tone, "I hope you do not find yourself in a swarm of goblins because next time, I will lead by your families example and won't bother to intervene."

Without waiting for a reply she turned to Thyra and Sigurd.

"Let's go," she barked in a commanding tone that Thorin had never heard her use. Not even to a servant did he ever hear her speak so abruptly. "We have wasted enough time," she added under her breath.

The moment she gave her command she began to walk away, muttering to herself about arrogant princes and ungrateful men.

Sigurd gave a shy glance to the group before waving a hand towards Gandalf and prancing off in Asha's wake.

Thyra only gave one thoughtful look over the group before following after the two at her own pace. Only when she passed by Fíli at the edge of the group did she let her eyes falter from the backs of her companions to meet his. Her eyes narrowed to return the look of dislike he was sending her way until she had passed.

And just as quickly as they arrived, they were gone.

. . . . . . . . . . . .