The group was quiet as they settled around the campfire, eating their dinner. Fili and Kili were watching the ponies, staying alert for anything that could come along. Everyone seemed to be calm except for Bilbo, who kept looking around for Gandalf who had yet to return.

"He's been a long time", he said.

"Who?" Bofur asked serving soup.

"Gandalf."

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favor. Take this to the lads."

Clill watched Bilbo as he was sent to give the food to Fili and Kili. She looked back at Thorin who sat by the fireplace, smoking his pipe.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked putting her hand over his.

"Trying to figure out our path", he answered. "I won't accept help from any Elf."

Clill looked at him worried about his grudge. She sighed as she wrapped her fingers around his hand, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Dearest, I understand you hate Thranduil", she said. "I do too. I know you have your pride to protect. I understand all of that, but you need to remember that it's more than just your and my lives at stake. We have other lives in our hands. We need to get to Erebor before winter settles in. We won't be able to survive."

"I will not risk our safety to seek help from traitors", Thorin said with a glare.

"So, you'll risk our safety because to protect your pride?"

As much as Clill loved Thorin, she also had her limits. At the moment, he was getting ridiculous and her patience was wearing thin. As she sat up, she looked around, seeing Bilbo hadn't returned from delivering dinner to Fili and Kili.

"Where's Bilbo?" she asked.

"I told him to give food to the lads", Bofur said as he smoked his pipe.

"Shouldn't he be back by now?"

Thorin sat up as he and the other Dwarves looked around for Bilbo. They seriously hoped he hadn't wandered off to find Gandalf or something. Clill stood up as she looked for the Hobbit.

"Do you think he's wandered off?" she asked.

"Go look for Gandalf", Thorin ordered. "See if he's with him. We'll check with Fili and Kili."

She nodded, picking up her mace as she got up, leaving the campsite. Clill turned back to see Thorin and the others get up to look for Bilbo. Hearing yells in the woods, she backed away, tightening her grip on the weapon. She hoped Thorin would be okay, along with the others.


"Gandalf!" Clill whispered. "Gandalf, where are you?"

In the distance, she could hear the yells of the Dwarves, mixed with louder voices of others she had never heard before. Running back to the campsite, Clill found it to be completely deserted. The ponies that had been tied up were now running loose.

"Thorin!" she called out. "Bilbo! Father!"

Clill picked up a branch and held it to the fire, making a torch. She ran into the woods, hoping to find Gandalf. There was something happening to the Company and they needed help.

"Gandalf!" she called.

She turned back to suddenly have a hand clamp over her mouth. Clill gave a muffled gasp and struggled against whoever kept a firm grip on her.

"Shh!" Gandalf said as he looked in the direction the yelling was coming from.

"Gandalf!" Clill whispered looking up at him. "What's going on?"

"Trolls", he said.

The two of them walked toward the yelling to see three large trolls. The Dwarves were either stuffed into sacks or tied to a branch, cooking over the fire. Bilbo stood up as he talked to the trolls.

"What do we do?" Clill asked seeing Thorin and Balin in the sacks, struggling to get free and Dwalin tied over the fire.

"Wait", Gandalf said. "Daylight is approaching. A little bit longer and then they'll turn to stone."

She looked at the sky seeing the sun beginning to rise. Clill turned back with a sigh and listened as Bilbo tried stalling the trolls from eating them.

"The secret to cooking Dwarf…" he said. "Is…to…skin them first!"

Clill covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a gasp as everyone started arguing. The trolls looked at the Company, not buying Bilbo's words.

"Gandalf, hurry!" Clill said as one of them picked up Bombur, holding him over his mouth to eat.

"No, not that one!" Bilbo said. "He's infected. He's got worms…in his…tubes…"

The troll immediately dropped Bombur onto the rest of the group.

"In fact, they all have", Bilbo continued. "They're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business. I wouldn't risk it."

"Did he say parasites?" Oin asked as everyone started to feel insulted.

"We don't have parasites!" Kili said. "You have parasites!"

"Thorin…!" Clill whispered, waving her hand, trying to get his attention.

Thorin raised his gaze, seeing her above the hill. He could see the sunlight over the hill and understood what was happening. Looking at Kili, he kicked him to get him to stop talking. It was obvious this was a ruse to get the trolls to stand in the sunlight.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm", Oin said going along with the ruse.

"Mine are the biggest parasites", Kili said. "I've got huge parasites. We're riddled!"

Clill covered her mouth as she giggled. She watched as everyone yelled about the so-called parasites they had, trying to get the trolls to let them go.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf announced as he stood on top of a large boulder.

Using his staff, he broke the boulder in half, unleashing the sunlight. The trolls yelled in pain, trying to cover themselves as the sunlight reduced them to nothing but stone. The Dwarves looked at Gandalf in amazement and cheered, knowing they were free to live another day. Thorin turned his gaze to Clill, giving her a smile. Clill smiled back, knowing she saved him for once.