Some of the Dwarves were tied to a log over the fire and the rest of use were stuffed into sacks. I groaned as I was tossed onto Kili, feeling his knee dig into my spine and rolled off to be able to see some of the others being rolled over a spit. The Trolls were arguing over how to cook us, weather to fry us or squash us into jelly. My heart sank, and I felt like this was all my fault. I looked over at Thorin, solemn, "I'm sorry Thorin."

He looked at me in surprise, startled and I looked around to see how we were going to get out of this. It looked dim until one of the Trolls rolling the spit growled, "We haven't got all night. Dawn ain't far off and I don't fancy being turned to stone."

Lightning seemed to strike me when I realized how we were going to get out of this, noticing just then that the sky was getting lighter. Wiggling until I could hop up onto my feet I said, "Oi! You bone heads are making a huge mistake!"

Dori cried from the spit, "You can't reason with them their half-wits!"

Bofur growled at him, "Half-wits? What does that make us?"

I hopped closer and tried another tactic. In my best negotiation voice, I tried to reason with the beings in front of me that probably couldn't counts their fingers twice and get the same answer, "I mean with cooking them. Your going about it all wrong. Seasoning them is critical."

The one that was the cook came up and asked curiously, "What about the seasoning?"

I scoffed, "Well have you smelled them? Your going to need a lot more then cooking them to make these Dwarves taste better."

I ignored the yells and calls that I was a traitor. I had the Trolls attention. The one turning the spit growled, "What do you know about cooking Dwarf?"

The cook shushed him, "Quiet, let the wench talk."

Mind racing I said, "Um, well there's a secret to it, it's um...you have to.."

The Troll urged me to tell him and I finally thought of something, "You have to gut them first and stuff them with fish!"

Cries around me rang through the air. I even heard Gloin threaten to gut me but I ignored him. Then the Troll by the fire growled, "What a load of rubbish. I've eaten plenty with their guts in!"

I asked innocently, "Maybe but did you stuff them with fish and bake them?"

I glanced around and saw movement in the bush, along with a familiar hat. The younger Troll said as he came up, "He's right. Lets just eat them whole!"

He picked up Bombur and held him over his head, " Nice and crunchy." and I quickly snapped as he opened his mouth to take a bite, "No not that one! He's infected!" The Trolls froze, looking horrified, "You what?"

I shook my head, trying to look as serious and sad as possible, "Yeah he's got worms in his...organs. Parasite's all up in his..gullets."

The Troll dropped Bombur quickly onto the others and I encouraged, "Yeah they all have! Their infected! I wouldn't risk eating them, I really wouldn't."

The Dwarf's behind me yelled they don't have parasites and I rolled my eyes, shooting a glare at them. Thorin got it first because he kicked them. They looked at him in confusion, then they started yelling how huge and big and nasty their parasites were. I would have laughed if the Troll next to the fire hadn't walk up and poke me, "I know what your playing at! You just think we should let them all go?"

I shrugged as if I didn't care and he poked me again, nearly shoving me over, "Your trying to play us for fools! You little ferret!"

I scoffed, "Ferret? What kind of insult is that!?"

He seemed insulted that I wasn't insulted but I didn't care as Gandalf appeared on top of a boulder and yelled, "The dawn will take you all!" Relief filled me and I hopped back quickly.

The Trolls wondered, "Who's that?" "No idea." "Can we eat him too?"

Gandalf thrust down with his staff and the boulder cracked, shining the dawn light onto the trolls and turning them all to stone! Sighing in great relief, I called as the Dwarves cheered, "Fancy meeting you here Gandalf, and great to see you! Would you be so kind as to untie me?"

He came up with a chuckle and said, "Good to see you uneaten Ariana." and undid the sack and let me out. I grinned at him, "Good to be uneaten!" and then ran over and kicked dirt onto the fire, putting it out as Gandalf untied the others in the sacks and then we helped the others down.

Once they were down I warily tapped a Troll, just to make sure it really was stone and heard Thorin ask Gandalf, "And where did you go if I may ask?"

Gandalf said in his wise tone, "To look ahead."

Thorin asked, "What brought you back?"

Gandalf smiled slyly, "Looking behind."

I went over to another Troll to check and heard Gandalf say, "Nasty business Trolls. Still, they're all in one piece." I was behind a Troll where they couldn't see me and I heard Thorin scoff, "No thanks to your burglar."

My shoulders sagged slightly before I shook it off. I came out from behind the Troll, Gandalf looked at Thorin sternly, "She had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that."

Showing my gratitude for a moment I then asked curiously, "So if they turn to stone in daylight, and ate the farmer, shouldn't they have a camp or something around here to hide in daylight?"

Gandalf looked at me, pleased and surprised that I had caught that. He nodded, looking at the Trolls, "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." I missed the rest of what he said as I curiously went over to something like a trail that could fit a Troll and followed it. I called back when a rotten smell reached my nose and I found a big cave, "Hey, um. What's this?"

The others hurried up as I wrinkled my nose and followed Gandalf in cautiously. I looked at all the stuff in the cave and saw some of the others find the gold coins. I raised an eyebrow as they took a small chest, filled it with gold and then dug a hole. Shrugging I went over to a sword rack, curious and saw Thorin had the same idea. He pulled out two and said, "These swords weren't made by any Troll."

Gandalf came to take a look and said, "Nor by any smith among Men." He took a sword and drew it, saying in awe, "These were forged in Gondolin, by the High Elves of the First Age."

Thorin looked like he swallowed a sour lemon, about to toss the sword back when Gandalf snapped, "You could not wish for a finer blade!"

Thorin then looked like he might keep it and I saw some silver under the dirt. Bending down I picked up what I though might have been a cross but when I tugged it free it was two sheaths in an X shape and two swords. I drew them and whistled, impressed. Gandalf nodded, "Why don't you take those Ariana? They are Elvish blades and won't bend or break."

I glanced at him to make sure it was alright and at his nod I nodded in agreement. Then found two daggers that looked to be of Elven make as well. Feeling better I went outside to get out of the stink and looked over my new blades. The twin blades were all silver, so shiny that they were like mirrors, even the hilts and looked plain of any engravings but they felt perfect in my hands. Blowing off the dust and cobwebs I strapped them to my back and then the daggers to my belt.

The others joined me outside and I heard a crash, snapping as I drew my swords, "Thorin!"

Thorin yelled, coming up beside me, "Something's coming!"

Gandalf yelled, "Stay together! Hurry now!" as we moved away from the cave to be on better footing when whatever was crashing through the trees came at us. A robin dove for my face and tweeted urgently at me, that a friend was coming. But before I could react I stared as a bunch of rabbits leaped from the bushes, pulling a sleigh like contraption made of wood. The rabbits were the size of dogs! And their rider had a big brown beard, wore all brown and screamed when he saw us, "Thieves! Fire! Murder!"

He came to a stop, looking around wildly and I saw that he wore a floppy hat much like Bofur's. And if I wasn't mistaken he had bird crap on the side of his face. Gandalf said in relief, "Radagast. It's Radagast the Brown."

He moved up to him as I sheathed my swords and the robin settled on my shoulder as Gandalf asked Radagast, "What on earth are you doing here?"

Radagast looked flustered when he said, "I was looking for you Gandalf. Something wrong! Something is terribly wrong!"

Gandalf raised a bush brow, "Yes?"

The Radagast opened his mouth and nothing came out. He struggled for a bit, and I had to stifled a giggle as he said, "Oh I had a thought and I lost it! It was on the tip of my tongue! Eh?"

I saw the Dwarves looking at him like he had lost his marbles and I began to wonder as well when he said, "Oh. It's not a thought at all." Then he opened his mouth and Gandalf pulled out a stick insect. Gandalf sighed and pulled him to the side to talk with him. I looked at the robin and asked it, "Is he always like this?"

The robin nodded and Fili, who looked at me warily, "You know you talking to a bird right Ariana?"

I grinned at him, "Yes, can't you?"

He looked startled and I chuckled. The robin chirped and flew off. I shrugged as the others stared and shifted on my feet, looking around as we waited for Radagast and Gandalf to get done talking. Then I saw Radagast's rabbits had come up to me and I knelt, seeing that they were pretty big rabbits, the size of a medium sized dog. Petting the one in the front I heard it whisper it's worry for Radagast. Cocking my head to the side it said, "Spiders bad."

Frowning I blinked when I heard something different. Standing, I looked around. I said softly to the nearest Dwarf, who happened to be Balin, "Something's out there."

He glanced at me and then we all startled when we heard something like a wolf's howl, but deeper. I drew my blades slowly as I said, "That isn't a wolf I have ever heard."

Bofur shook his head, clutching his mattock, a hammer with a spike on one end, "A wolf? No, that is not a wolf."

I saw movement and my jaw dropped at this monster of a wolf creeping up and as soon as it saw me it lunged. I ducked, it's jaws barely missing my head and I spun to take it on, only for Throin to beat me to it. But one was behind him, only to be shot by Kili. But he didn't get a vital shot and it took a snap at Thorin before Dwalin stabbed it's head with an ax. A third leaped from behind Dwalin and I was in motion before he could turn. Cutting into it's throat underneath with one sword, I stabbed it in the side, just to be sure. It fell dead at Dwalin's feet, who looked slightly impressed. Yanking out my blades I gave him a slight nod as Thorin snarled, "Warg scouts. Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."

I raised an eyebrow, and said sarcastically to hide the shiver of fear going down my spine, "Orc's have giant monster wolves? Bloody fantastic."

But this was ignored as Gandalf approached Thorin. A thunderous expression flared Gandalf's nostrils as he drew himself up to his formidable, full height, taking urgent steps from the side of the brown wizard toward Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?"

His eyes darted briefly to me, a flash of worry softening the edges of his anger. The Dwarf glanced at me as well, before turning back to Gandalf, indignation and concern marring his play for neutrality.

"No one."

"Who did you tell!," the wizard bellowed.

"No one, I swear," Thorin insisted earnestly, his honesty apparent. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

Gandalf turned his head about him to take in the gathering of Dwarves, the corners of his eyes dropping as his temper left with no one to place blame on for the company's unlucky coincidence. After a short little puff of frustration he said to the group at large, "You are being hunted."

I instantly kept an eye on the woods, shifting so my back was to the others as Dwalin growled, "We have to get out of here."

Ori and Bifur came running up and Ori said frantically, "We can't! We have no ponies, they've bolted."

I couldn't say I blamed the horses but the howls of Wargs rang in the air, they were getting closer. Radagast said, "I'll draw them off."

Gandalf shook his head, "These are Gundabad Wargs! They will out run you!"

Radagast said firmly, and proudly, "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits!" Gandalf looked at him as Radagast said, "I'd like to see them try."

I grinned wildly, "Insane. I like him." and we raced to grab our packs and then followed Gandalf towards the edge of the forest. We saw and heard Radagast shouting as he lead Orcs riding Wargs away. Gandalf barked, "Quickly now!"