Chapter 5

Night had fallen and Gandalf still had not returned. I was not concerned for I knew he would return when he chose to. Mr. Baggins however did not share my peace of mind.

"He has been gone a long while now."

"He is a wizard! He shall do as he pleases." Bofur said.

He now looked at me.

"Miss Tawariell do you know where he has gone?" he asked.

"I cannot say, for he said nothing to me." I said.

"Here take this to the lads."

Bilbo was handed two bowls of stew and then sent off. I myself began to wonder where Gandalf had gone to. I found myself thinking of my parents once more. My thoughts were, thankfully, interrupted by Fili and Kili.

"Trolls! Three of them!" Fili said.

I immediately ran towards them.

"Where is Mr. Baggins?" I asked.

"He…..decided to try and free the ponies."

Something about his tale did not sit well with me. If we were truly speaking of the same hobbit, then he would never have voluntarily gone against three trolls.

"Lead us to him! Quickly!" Thorin said.

I snatched up my bow and quiver and ran forward. Trolls were quite simple to track and the smell may be foul but it also helped. I did not wait for the dwarves, I fear for the safety of the hobbit. I could hear them talking before I could smell them and I saw a large fire. I silently crept forward. I almost lost my lunch at the sight of Bilbo. Apparently a troll had sneezed upon him. I took a deep breath and climbed a tree. I positioned myself so I had a clear shot of the troll. However before I could take action Kili jumped forward.

"Drop him!"

"A dwarf!?"

"Drop him!" he repeated.

How is this helping any!? They are Mountain Trolls and are quite slow and stupid!

The troll literally threw Bilbo at Kili and they both fell backwards. Then Thorin and the other dwarves jumped out. I aimed my bow and fired at one. Apparently I had hit my intended target for I felt the tree begin to shake. I held on tightly to a branch, when the shaking ceased I jumped to another one. I took aim once more and as I was about to shoot I saw that two of the three trolls had Bilbo. I was above and behind Thorin and the others.

"Bilbo!" Kili cried.

As he tried to go forward Thorin stopped him. There was nothing I could do.

"Drop your weapons!" said one troll.

"And tell whatever elf or hunter to stop shooting!" said another.

Bilbo was looking at Thorin with fear plain on his face.

Do something! Anything!

Thorin sighed and stuck his sword into the ground. I returned the arrow to my quiver and dropped down from the tree. I was plucked from the ground and passed between the trolls.

"Not an elf! A woman!" said one.

I detested trolls! There were large and ugly, and had a terrible odor.

"Oh congratulations! You know what I am! Now how about you put me down you great stupid troll!" I spat.

They laughed at me.

"A fighter! Wonder if she will taste better then she sounds! Round up the others!" said the first.

I struggled against the troll's grip, but it proved in vain. I was strong but not strong enough. I watched as the dwarves were put in sacks and some were put on a spit. I myself was stripped of my weapons and now hanging from a tree. I had to do something or the others, not to mention myself, would all be dead. I personally knew nothing of trolls, Eradan had dealt with them far more then I. I had often asked him to tell me of his travels. I had been very young then, perhaps only 10 or 11 years of age. He told me how they had the worse stench any could smell and that they were not the fairest. He had told me something important but I could not recall what it was!

"…I do not fancy being turned to stone…" said one of the trolls.

My eyes widened. That was it! Trolls could not be caught in sunlight, else they would be turned to stone. At that moment Bilbo hopped up.

"You are making a very big mistake!" He said.

"What? You know about cooking dwarf!?" spat one of the trolls.

"Well actually I know a very good secret to cooking dwarf!" Bilbo said.

I looked at him with disgust. The little traitorous rat!

"Traitor!" Thorin cried.

"I will get you when I get out of this!" Dwalin snarled.

"Hush! And let the burglar-a-hobbit talk!"

"The secret is…"

"Well?"

"Yes, yes! The secret is…..to….skin them first!"

"NO!" The dwarves cried.

I struggled against the rope that suspended me from the tree desperately. To no avail of course! I heard Bilbo give a cry and I saw that one of the tolls had taken Bombur.

"Not that one! He…..he is infected!"

Now I was quite confused as to what was going on.

"Infected?"

"Yes he has got…..worms….in…..in his….tubes….parasites of the nasty sort."

The troll tossed him away.

"In fact they are all infested with parasites….I would not risk it." Bilbo said.

That was when it became clear to me. He was stalling them. I could see the sun starting to rise above a large boulder. Though not enough to save us. Of course the dwarves had not yet figured out Bilbo's plan.

"Did he just say I was infected!?"

"Yes we do not have parasites! You have got parasites you little..."

Thorin kicked Kili.

Well at least he knows!

He and the other dwarves looked to him and then to Bilbo and then to the trolls.

"I have got parasites as long as me arm!" Oin said.

"Mine are the biggest parasites! I have got huge parasites!" Kili said.

"We are riddled!" said Ori from the spit.

"Yes we are! Horribly riddled!" Dori added.

I smiled and then the trolls looked at Bilbo.

"What would you have us do then? Let em all go?!"

"Well..."

"Do you think I do not know what you are up to?"

"Would that not be a great achievement for you!?" I said sarcastically.

"I have had enough of you!"

"I never wanted anything to do with you!" I snapped.

In his anger and frustration the troll hit the branch I hung from and it broke. I fell to the ground and hit my head, though I still knew what I was doing. I found a rock and started to cut at the rope. It was no use!

"Come ere you!"

"Dawn take you all!" came a voice.

I looked up and smiled. Gandalf had returned! And not a moment too soon.

"Who is he?"

"No idea."

"Can we eat him too?"

"Be stone to you!"

He brought his staff down upon the boulder and it broke in two. Sunlight washed over the trolls and they shrieked and attempted to shield themselves but in vain. I blinked and they were stone. I sat up but perhaps a little too quickly. I felt faint and before I could utter a word I fell back and everything went black.