Chapter Seven

An Evening with Trolls

In hindsight, Kate should have seen it coming.

After all, it was one of the major plot points of the book. How could she have forgotten so easily? Perhaps she had become complacent in their so-far-uneventful journey, had imagined that their safety would have lasted longer. But that was all shot to hell once she stared into the faces of three ugly, very big trolls.

Well, Kate, you've got yourself in a right mess now.

Earlier That Day

The storm of yesterday was now a long-forgotten memory in the minds of the company. The day had dawned bright and cheery, with birds chirping in the trees and the air cool and fresh against their dirty, travel-wearied skin. The good weather lightened their moods considerably, and there was much talk and merriment as they prepared for their ride that day.

Kate found herself humming to the tune of 'Africa' by Toto, of all things, as she packed her belongings, tuning out the dwarves around her and focusing on the song in her head. That was one of the things she missed most about her world (behind indoor plumbing and the Internet, anyway) – the music. She often found herself thinking of songs she knew, running them through her head just to see if she could remember the lyrics. Other times, random songs would pop into her head and be stuck there for days (such as the entire week where she couldn't think of anything else besides Taylor Swift songs). It was always a relief whenever she was able to recite a song word-for-word, but it also made her homesick for the life she had left behind, and she always wondered what she was missing out on.

You'll find out soon enough, she reassured herself. Once this quest is over, you'll be able to go home again.

"That's an odd tune."

Her humming turned into a strangled grunt of surprise when she turned to see Fíli and Kíli standing over her, the former gazing at her inquisitively while the latter seemed to be looking anywhere but at her.

"It's, uh, something I came up with," she said to Fíli, figuring that was her safest answer. She raised an eyebrow at him, still bent over her pack. "Can I help you?"

Fíli pursed his lips, looking away from her and nudging his brother in the ribs with his elbow. Kíli shot him a glare of utter betrayal while Kate watched in bafflement.

The younger dwarf turned to look at her, meeting her curious gaze with a small degree of abashment, and she suddenly had an inkling of what was coming.

"We," he said, emphasizing the word and shooting a glance at Fíli, who only scowled, "came to apologize."

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to Bilbo instead?" she asked. "It was him you frightened last night, not me."

The two dwarf princes looked confused.

"We already apologized to Master Baggins for our behavior," Fíli said, "but we also came to make amends with you for the way you have been treated."

Now it was Kate's turn to be confused.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You're a part of the Company now," Kíli said in a rush. "And, well, we haven't really acted like you were."

Kate had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "You don't have to apologize for treating me for who I am – a stranger." She turned back to her rucksack, throwing a pair of socks into it. "Trust me, I get where you're coming from."

"Still," Kíli protested, "it is unbecoming for two princes to treat a lady as such."

"And I've told you already that I am no lady, and that I understand," she said, getting to her feet and meeting their gazes head-on. She was only a few inches taller than them, so it was easy to lock eyes, and she crossed her arms. "I know you two have to act your part and be all chivalrous and gentlemanly or whatnot, but can we just cut the shit and get to the part where you actually treat me normally and not like some kicked puppy you found on the side of the road? I think all our lives would be easier for it."

Fíli smirked at her. "Balin warned you had a sharp tongue. I guess we can only blame ourselves for provoking it."

She assumed that the elder prince was perfectly fine with her statement as he was no longer looking at her as if she would put a knife in his back at any moment, and she turned to Kíli, quirking her brow.

"Thank Mahal," he said, immediately letting his shoulders drop. The air of princely respectability he had draped over himself vanished in an instant, and an easy grin lit up his face, making him appear younger and more mischievous. "I hate acting like a stuffy prick all the time. I dunno how Uncle does it."

Fíli snorted. "Because he's not you, for one."

Kíli rolled his eyes. "At least I'm the fun one."

Kate watched the two brothers bicker, a soft smile making her lips curl upwards ever so slightly. Their antics reminded her of Dylan and Charlie from the group home in Boston – the two teenage boys had been inseparable, always on another wavelength that was so different from everyone else's that only they could understand. Kate wondered where they were now.

"Er, Miss Miller?"

She was torn from her musings when Kíli waved a hand in her face, capturing her attention.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked. I really gotta stop doing that…

"We're leaving now," said Fíli. He watched her curiously. "Thorin wants everyone on their pony."

"Right." She nodded. "I'll be right there."

The two princes exchanged an indecipherable glance before retreating to where their own things lie scattered near their bedrolls, telling her they'd speak to her later once they got on the Road. Kate smiled politely before shaking her head, cursing herself under her breath.

If you want to keep the allies you make, then stop making such a fool out of yourself.

She had a feeling that that would be easier said than done.

Fíli and Kíli kept their promise and rode with her for much of the day, entertaining her with stories and jokes. Kíli seemed to chatter on for hours by himself, to the point where Kate began to wonder if he had an 'off' button somewhere. Fíli, though not nearly as talkative as his brother, answered her questions politely and asked a few of his own, which put her on her guard, but he only seemed curious, not suspicious as he had been before.

"Thorin said you were left an orphan after your father's death," the blond dwarf said to her as their ponies clopped along in formation. The sun had climbed higher in the sky since the morning, and Kate could feel her clothes beginning to stick to her from sweat as she slapped away an inquisitive insect that had flown too close to her face. Kíli had ridden ahead to tell the joke he had just shared with Kate about a troll, a dwarf, and a rock, and from the way several of the dwarves groaned, she guessed he had told it. However, that had left her alone with the ever-persistent Crown Prince.

Ah, yes, she thought at Fíli's question. My nonexistent miller father. Thanks for that, Thorin Arse-shield.

"That's right," she said shortly, hoping that if she kept her answers snappy and simple he'd get the hint and back off. Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten the hint yet.

"I'm sorry to hear about that," he said, sounding genuine, and she ignored the flare of guilt in her chest. "And your mother…I take it she's not around anymore either?"

"Died in childbirth," she replied, keeping her eyes trained forward.

"But you have kin in Lake-town, aye? That's why you're traveling with us?"

"It would appear that way," she said drily, and he frowned.

"Forgive me, Miss Miller. I don't normally pry, but…"

"Kate," she said, turning back to him and forcing a smile. "I think it's safe enough to drop the formalities, Fíli. Unless you want to be referred to as 'My Lovely Lordly Liege', then by all means—"

He chuckled, and she grinned at the unexpected sound. He looked a lot less severe when he smiled, and Kate thought him rather handsome when he did.

"Fíli is fine," he said, "Kate."

The name sounded foreign on his tongue as if he were saying ket, but she nodded encouragingly, and he grinned slightly.

They lapsed back into silence, and Kate had just begun to think how lucky she was to have escaped his scrutiny when he asked, "Why do your kin live so far from here? Lake-town is across the Misty Mountains; it seems unusual for a family to be so far apart."

Kate felt like bashing her skull into a tree.

"It's a long story," she muttered, shifting in Molly's saddle and avoiding eye contact.

Fortunately, before he could interrogate her further, Kíli decided to make a reappearance at their side.

"Done bothering the rest of the Company with inappropriate jokes?" she asked quickly, grinning at the dark-haired dwarf, and he snickered.

"It seems so," he said, feigning sadness. "Alas, no one appreciates my sense of humor. Tragic, really."

"My heart bleeds for you," she assured him, and he chuckled. It felt good to have someone to laugh with again, and Kate looked forward, smiling, only to lock eyes with Thorin.

He had turned halfway in his saddle, presumably wondering where all the laughter was coming from, and he now watched her and his nephews with a brooding brow, his mouth pulled into a puzzled frown.

Kate dropped his gaze quickly. It seemed that their small truce the day before did not also apply to today, and she sighed, hoping that every day wouldn't turn into some sort of test to see if she could gain Thorin's trust for another twenty-four hours before he went back to keeping her at arm's length again.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. By the time they were ready to settle down and make camp for the night, the Company had lost their merriment and energy from that morning, and Kate could hear them begin to groan and complain from soreness as the sun fell.

Thorin finally called for a halt just as the sun had disappeared behind the tree line, pointing out a suitable place to make camp just over the next ridge. Kate looked to where he pointed, frowning when she saw a rundown farmhouse that had long since been abandoned. She disliked the idea of any empty houses out in the woods after the number of horror movies she'd seen, and Gandalf seemed to share her sentiment when she rode by and caught the brooding look on his face.

"Everything all right?" she asked him in a low voice.

He didn't answer her, lost in his own thoughts, though the skin around his eyes tightened as he rode after Thorin. Assuming the wizard was about to lay some sort of Middle-earth smackdown on the dwarf king, she left him to it, following behind at a slower pace.

By the time she reached the house, the dwarves had already gone about setting up camp. Óin and Glóin were building the fire while Bombur took out his cooking supplies, and she could see Fíli and Kíli herding their ponies off to tie them up for the night. She smirked; it seemed Thorin hadn't let them off easy after their comments the night before.

At the thought of the dwarf, she looked around the camp and saw him standing within the ruins of the farmhouse with Gandalf. The two seemed to be in a heated discussion, and she wondered what Gandalf was so upset with Thorin about. Deciding that it wasn't her business, she turned to lead Molly after the other ponies but stopped when she caught a snippet of their conversation.

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place," said Thorin angrily.

"Why not?" Gandalf countered. "The elves could help us! They could give us food, rest, advice!"

Kate froze at the mention of elves. As it did whenever she thought about elves, her stomach clenched uncomfortably. Ever since she had first read Tolkien's books as a teenager, she had always loved the elf characters the most; but after being dumped into Middle-earth, it was like something had flipped inside of her. Her fascination for the elves had turned into fear, and no matter how much she tried to rationalize it to herself, she couldn't. Hobbits and dwarves were one thing; she could rationalize their existence. But elves? They were eerier than a Vala and a wizard, and she had faced both.

"Do you have something to say, Miss Miller, or are you just going to stand there for the rest of the night?"

She winced, turning to see Thorin and Gandalf both staring at her where she stood, clearly eavesdropping. Thorin was scowling, arms crossed, while Gandalf frowned deeply from beside him, but their anger wasn't directed at her, she was relieved to see.

Since her cover was blown, she left Molly to graze outside the ruins while she joined them within the structure, stepping over fallen beams and loose stones until she stood with them amongst the rubble.

"What's the issue?" she said, copying Thorin and folding her arms.

"The wizard wants to take refuge with the Elves of Rivendell," Thorin said, nearly spitting out the words.

"And I'm guessing you don't like these elves?" When Thorin's scowl deepened, she shrugged. "Can't blame you."

They turned to stare at her questioningly, and she held up her hands defensively. "What? They're creepy. All immortal and all-knowing with their voodoo nature magic and shit. It's weird. I vote we steer clear."

Thorin eyed her appraisingly while Gandalf looked like he wished she had never run him down in Bree.

"But," she continued, "I have to agree with Gandalf. We should go for…supplies."

She had almost said the map, but she remembered at the last second that she wasn't supposed to know about the map Gandalf had given to Thorin. And as much as she wanted to avoid the elves (preferably for the rest of her tenure in Middle-earth), she knew that they had to decipher that map if they were going to make it into the Lonely Mountain, especially since she couldn't recall what it said for the life of her.

Thorin's look of approval had turned into one of betrayal, but Gandalf turned to him almost smugly.

"Indeed," he said. "And we have a map we cannot read; Lord Elrond could help us."

Kate cringed at the mention of the Lord of Rivendell. She wouldn't deny that Elrond was a total badass character, but there was something about meeting the real-life version of him that made her queasy. She had a clear picture in her mind of what she thought the elves looked like and how they acted from reading the books, and she didn't want that image to be ruined by waltzing into Rivendell and facing her new reality. The book-elves were sacred to her; she had always wanted to be one (she had even used to imagine herself as Arwen's sister and having Aragorn fall in love with her instead), and she didn't want the real-elves to take that away from her.

"Help?" Thorin spat. "A dragon attacks Erebor – what help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, while the elves looked on and did nothing!" Thorin was seething, glaring up at the wizard with hard blue eyes. "You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and my father? For help?"

"You are neither Thrór nor Thráin," Gandalf snapped. "Besides, it was not Lord Elrond who abandoned you at Erebor. That blame lies with King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm." Kate sucked on her teeth, standing awkwardly while the two argued, but she saw a shadow pass over Thorin's face at the mention of Thranduil. She was surprised to hear the elf's name herself; she knew he played a part in the story, but she had no idea he had played that significant of a part. "I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past, Thorin Oakenshield."

"I did not know they were yours to keep," said Thorin coldly.

Gandalf looked on the verge of arguing further before abruptly turning and striding away. Kate watched him go, thinking that the wizard was being rather childish before she realized that she had been left alone with a none-too-happy Thorin.

She cleared her throat, making to move away, but he shook his head at her. "Stay."

She frowned, wondering if it was a royal thing that made Thorin so prone to commands or whether that was just his personality, but she stayed where she was.

With Gandalf gone, some of the anger had dissipated from Thorin's demeanor, but he still looked tense. He tore his eyes away from the spot where Gandalf had disappeared over the ridge, looking back at her with an inscrutable gaze.

"You do not like elves," he stated. "Why?"

Kate sighed; she knew Thorin would have caught on to that.

"It's nothing," she said, scuffing her shoe in the dirt and grime on the floor and shrugging. "Stupid, really…"

When he continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer, she shook her head, scoffing.

"As you know, this world is very different from my own," she said. "Hobbits and dwarves…while a shock, I got used to them. But elves…" She inhaled deeply. "There's nothing like them in my world – nothing real, anyway."

"They frighten you?"

"No, I – it's complicated," she said, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "There's no way to explain it."

"You crave normalcy," he said, and her head snapped up when he spoke. He was still looking at her, but he seemed ponderous now as if she were a difficult math problem he had been asked to solve. "Everything about this world is vastly different from yours, it sounds like, and you wish it wasn't. For you, the elves" —his face soured at the word— "are the embodiment of what you cannot have – normalcy."

And now I'm being psychoanalyzed by a dwarf. Thanks, Mahal.

She shrugged again, but she couldn't help feeling a bit…violated. Thorin had reached inside her and plucked out one of her greatest insecurities and laid it out like she was an open book. It was disconcerting.

"Do you think Gandalf will be back anytime soon?" she asked in lieu of replying to his statement. "If not, I call dibs on his dinner portion."

Thorin seemed annoyed that she had changed the topic, but he nodded nonetheless. "Trust me, the wizard will return." He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "I hope" before raising his voice and saying, "We should settle our things before all the soft patches of dirt are gone."

Kate looked at him with raised brows at his wry tone. "So, he does joke?"

He didn't look at her when he moved off, but his lips twitched. "Occasionally."

Kate stood by herself in the ruins, stumped. If Thorin kept up his civil attitude towards her, then perhaps persuading him into letting the other dwarves know of her true purpose wasn't so far out of her reach as she had predicted. But if Thorin Oakenshield continued to make jokes…

Well, then she might be in trouble.

"He's been a long time."

Kate stopped scarfing down her stew long enough to glance up at Bilbo, who had been pacing anxiously at the edge of their campfire circle and casting nervous looks to the ridge for the last thirty minutes. Though Kate and the rest of the dwarves were still eating, Bilbo had finished half of his stew and dumped the rest into Kate's chipped wooden bowl in favor of being a twitchy ball of anxiety.

"It's Gandalf," she pointed out between bites. "He's a free spirit."

"Aye," Bofur agreed from beside her, who had unabashedly been listening in on their conversation. "The wizard does as he chooses. There's no need to worry, Mister Bilbo."

Bilbo looked as if he wanted nothing more than to worry, and Bofur seemed to recognize this too, for he got up and approached the pot of stew over the fire. "Here, this'll give you something to do. Take some supper to the lads before it's all gone."

He jerked his head toward the forest beyond, where Fíli and Kíli had taken the ponies earlier, and though Bilbo looked like he wanted to object, he accepted the two bowls Bofur handed him with a polite nod before scampering off.

Kate watched him disappear into the trees; night had fallen already, and the shadows were thick in their little nook above the Road. The farmhouse stood eerie and dilapidated in the distance, and it was hard not to imagine it being haunted. She wondered what had happened to the people who used to live there, if they had moved somewhere else and left their old home abandoned, or if they had vanished because of some monster in the woods.

What is wrong with you? she demanded of herself. Five years you've lived here and suddenly there's one creepy house by the woods and you turn into a scared little girl.

"How are ya tonight, Miss Miller?"

Bofur had returned to his place beside her, smiling at her with his signature grin and dimples. She swallowed the large bite of stew in her mouth with some difficulty, as it was still quite hot, and Bofur chuckled as she began to cough, her eyes watering.

"No need to be so hasty," he said jokingly, passing her his water skin. She accepted it gratefully and took a few sips until it no longer felt like she was choking before handing it back to him.

"Thanks," she rasped.

He nodded, still looking highly amused as he turned back to her.

"Now," he said cheerfully, "let's try that again."

"I'm all right," she said, shrugging. "How are you?"

"My arse has been sore for the last two days and there's an itch on my back I can't reach, but other than that, I've been enjoying myself," he said, and Kate marveled at how he was always able to put a positive spin on the worst things.

"I can scratch your back if you'd like," she offered, and his face lit up.

"Really?" he said. "Ah, lass, you're a lifesaver." He turned around eagerly and pointed to a spot just below his shoulder blade. "Right there, the little bugger…"

Kate began scratching, adjusting every so often with his instructions: "A little higher…to the left more…there."

He sighed in relief as she dug her nails in, having to fight to reach his skin through the layers he wore, but when he was satisfied, he reached his arm behind him and patted her on the head.

"You're the greatest, Miss Miller," he said. "I'm glad Thorin let you come with us."

She refrained from snorting at that; it had been more a matter of her forcing herself upon Thorin than him willing to let her come, but she didn't say that to Bofur. Instead, she patted the top of his hat and said, "Kate, please."

He laughed, spinning to face her again. "Very well. Kate, it is."

She smiled at him, and they lapsed into companionable silence until Bofur knocked her shoulder with his again, nearly bruising her in the process.

"So, Kate," he said, and she tensed instinctively at the inquiry in his tone. "What happened to all the suitors you left behind, eh? A pretty lass like yourself surely had some pining boys after ya?"

Kate laughed out loud at the absurdity of the question, garnering the attention of half the circle, and she covered her mouth quickly at the questioning looks the others gave her. Bofur looked bemused, and she lowered her voice so only he could hear.

"Oh, no," she said, "nothing like that."

"What d'you mean?" he asked. "I thought Men married around your age?"

She stared down at her empty bowl, awkward. "I just…never wanted to marry." She shrugged half-heartedly. "I've never found anyone worth the time."

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Rodric had been worth her time, but anything more than the bed they shared at night would have been impossible. He had been the son of a well-respected, noble horse-lord, and she had had to leave to go on a quest that wasn't hers to save a world she wasn't from. Marriage was the furthest thing from her mind in Middle-earth, but when she returned to her own world she would like to be married, and maybe have some children after she went back to school and graduated. But that life seemed so far away it was almost laughable.

Bofur seemed surprised. "You'd marry for love, then?"

Oh, right, she thought. Medieval times or whatever.

"It's preferable to the alternative," she said. "Getting married off to some stranger with a dowry or something like that."

"Aye," he said, nodding along thoughtfully.

"What about you?" she asked quickly. "Would you rather be married or continue to enjoy the bachelor life?"

"I'm much like you on that one, lass," he said, grinning. "I'd only marry if I found my One."

"That's sweet," she said. "But you never know who they'll be unless you get out there and mingle—but you're a dwarf, you have plenty of time for the dating scene – er, courting – and all that—"

"What?" Bofur said, staring at her as if she were spouting nonsense – which, in all honesty, she usually was. "What are ya on about?"

She paused, uncertain. "I thought people courted?"

"Well, yes…" Bofur scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "But dwarves don't normally court, not unless they've found their One."

"Their One," she repeated. "Is that like some soulmate thing?"

He gave a noncommittal grunt. "Essentially, yes. It's a sacred bond, very old – most people believe it's outdated now, a tradition best left for the past."

"But you don't think so?"

He shook his head, now looking somewhat embarrassed. "Dunno. There's just something about the idea of having a One that I like." He snorted. "Bleeding, hopeless romantic that I am."

Kate laughed.

"It's sweet," she assured him. "I think it's admirable to wait for someone you love."

He flushed pink, patting her knee as he cleared his throat. "Thank you, lass. I probably shouldn've told ya all that – sensitive topic and all," he said to her questioning look. "Dwarves don' like outsiders knowing their secrets, but I trust you."

Kate stared, touched. He trusted her?

She floundered for something to say, but he waved her off with a good-natured smile. "Don' mention it, lass." He suddenly grimaced. "But, really, er, please don' mention I told ya anything…"

"Your secret is safe with me," she promised, and he patted her knee again before turning to Bifur on his other side.

Kate smiled into her bowl, Bofur's words warming her more than the stew she had just eaten. She happened to glance up just then and met Thorin's eyes across the circle, but the dwarf-king looked away quickly, an odd expression on his face. Shrugging it off, Kate went to rinse out her bowl, when suddenly Fíli and Kíli came crashing out of the trees, pelting for their camp.

The dwarves were on their feet instantly as the two princes came into their circle, panting and looking quite panicked.

"Trolls—" Kíli gasped, clutching at a stitch in his side. "In the woods—"

"Have the ponies—" Fíli groaned, his forehead beaded with sweat and his mustache braids dangling wildly.

"Wait," Kate said, her eyes searching the two dwarves and then to the trees beyond. "Where's Bilbo?"

The princes traded a guilty glance, and Kate discarded her bowl carelessly as she marched up to them. "Where the hell is he?"

"He's freeing the ponies," said Fíli with a grimace.

"You left him in there with trolls?" she said shrilly, a sickening feeling settling in her gut as she remembered something. The trolls, the goddamn trolls! Dammit, Kate, why didn't you remember the bloody trolls?

"We thought he'd be better suited for sneaking around, being a burglar and all," Kíli said defensively.

Kate turned to Thorin, panicking. He must have been thinking the same thing, for he grabbed his sword and gestured for the others to do the same. "Come. The hobbit may need our help."

He said it as if he didn't have very much confidence in Bilbo to be able to do the task, but that was the least of Kate's worries at the moment. If the Company went into the woods to confront the trolls, they would be captured, and the trolls would attempt to cook them for dinner. That was what happened in the book, at least. But what if her presence changed things in the book? What if they actually were eaten, and Gandalf never came back to save them from their fate?

"No!" Kate said without thinking, and the dwarves halted in their tracks, staring at her.

"What is the matter, Miss Miller?" said Thorin exasperatedly. "You may stay behind if that is what you wish—"

"No," she said again, shaking her head quickly. "Just…I think it would be smarter if some people stayed behind to guard the camp."

Thorin looked suspicious. "Why?"

"Maybe Bilbo managed to free the ponies already," she said. "Do you really need everyone to go check?"

Thorin turned to Fíli. "How many trolls?"

"Three," he said, giving Kate a weird look.

"If Master Baggins failed in his task, then it will take all of us to fight three trolls," he said, turning back to her. "Unless you have another idea?"

Kate squirmed beneath all their gazes, but an idea had popped into her head as soon as Thorin had spoken. It was insane, and would probably get her killed, but at least all of them wouldn't be captured.

"A distraction," she said. "Trolls turn into stone when it's daylight, right? If we can occupy them long enough to free the ponies and Bilbo – if he got caught – then we can just let the sun do our job for us."

"Dawn is hours away," Dwalin objected. "What would you have us do until then? Sing drinking songs and ask the trolls for a dance?"

The dwarves snickered at this, but Kate looked to Thorin pleadingly. He had to see the logic – however small their chances of success were – in her plan. And she knew that he would rather risk as few lives as he could versus his whole Company.

"What do you propose, Miss Miller?" he asked her.

She grinned nervously. "This might sound crazy, but…"

"This is madness."

Kate gave Thorin a sidelong glance as they trekked through the dark trees, keeping low. "You're the one who agreed to it."

He scowled. "I only agreed to keep the majority of the Company out of danger, but if your plan fails, we risk them anyway."

"If my plan works, then we don't risk anybody," she pointed out.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," he grumbled.

Yeah, me too.

They headed toward the source of light that was the trolls' fire after Fíli and Kíli had led them to their camp. Thorin had sent the two princes back to join the half of the Company that waited in the woods for their signal should anything go wrong. Nori (who was apparently the fastest of the dwarves) had been stationed within hearing distance of the group, so if they charged the trolls, he could run back to the Company's camp and rally the rest of the dwarves to be their reinforcements.

That had all been Thorin's idea, of course. Her idea wasn't nearly as sane as his.

"You remember what to do, right?" she whispered to him as they crept closer to the camp. The question was more to reassure herself than anything; she was already sweating bullets, and her heart was throwing a tantrum against her ribcage, screaming for her to go back to the camp where it was safe. She ignored it, however, as Thorin nodded.

"Yes, I remember," he said, sounding miffed that she would even think he would forget. She nodded, swallowing nervously, but before they took another step Thorin stopped her with a hand on her elbow.

"You're shaking," he said, indicating her trembling fingers, but she hid them behind her back quickly. He looked up at her, frowning. "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I'm sure," she said, wishing that it didn't sound like such a filthy lie. No, she was not sure, but she had to try. Even if she died, the Company had to go on without her to complete their quest.

Thorin searched her face, his eyes deep indigo in the night.

"Have courage, Miss Miller," he said, squeezing her elbow, "and know that you are not alone."

It wasn't the greatest pep talk in the world, but the way he said it made her resolve steady, and she steeled herself with a deep breath.

"Right." She nodded and squared her shoulders. "I can do this. Let's go."

Without waiting for an answer, she marched into the trolls' camp, coming face-to-face with the ugliest, smelliest creatures she had ever had the misfortune to encounter.

She took stock of her surroundings very quickly, analyzing; the three trolls were each about ten feet tall, with grey skin that already very much resembled rock, but fortunately for her, they seemed to have the intelligence of one, too. They were sitting around a large fire that had a bubbling cauldron so big it could fit thirteen dwarves, a human, and a hobbit in it, and a spit that was large enough to roast an elephant between them. To their right stood a makeshift corral, and she could see the Company's ponies jostling about within, their eyes rolling in fear as they let out distressed noises. And behind them, tied to the base of a tree and seemingly unconscious, was Bilbo.

"Evening, gentlemen," she said, swaggering into their clearing with false confidence even as she wanted nothing more than to fall at their feet screaming and crying. "Lovely night we're having, isn't it?"

The three trolls stared at her, gobsmacked.

"Who are you?" one of them demanded, his beady eyes comically wide.

"Why, I'm the sorceress of these woods, of course!" She curtsied as gracefully as she could (which was not graceful at all) before she straightened, fixing them with a beatific smile.

"Sorceress?" the second one said skeptically. "There's no sorceress in these parts."

"My dear," said Kate, placing her hands over her chest as if she were wounded, "who on earth told you such a preposterous thing?"

"You're not a sorceress," the third said, glaring at her suspiciously. "You don't smell like one."

"And I suppose you're an expert on what sorceresses smell like?" she asked. He seemed stumped by her question, but the first troll spoke up again.

"If you're a sorceress, then prove it," he said.

She smiled at him. "Certainly."

All right, Thorin, come through.

She raised her arms above her head, wiggling her fingers to give the signal, and the tree above her began shaking wildly, its branches snapping and its leaves rustling from Thorin moving it where he was hidden in the foliage.

The trolls stared at the tree, half-awed, and half-fearful. She lowered her arms, and the tree ceased its movement immediately.

"See?" she said brightly. "The trees are my children; these woods are their home. I came because they told me there were trespassers, and now I must ask you to leave."

"You what?" the first troll said angrily. "We're not going anywhere, sorceress!"

"Maybe we should listen to her," the second troll said, still eyeing the tree warily.

"Bollocks!" the third said, and Kate blinked; since when did trolls say bollocks? "She can't make us do anything!"

"On the contrary, I think you'll find that I can," she said, making her appearance seem as threatening as possible. "If you don't let those poor creatures go and leave right now, then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you like all the other intruders who dared disobey me."

The second troll whimpered, shrinking back from her. "Just do what she says!"

She thought for one fleeting moment that she would be victorious, but all her hopes were dashed away when a groggy voice said, "Kate?"

They all whirled to see Bilbo stirring in his bonds, gazing at Kate blearily. "Kate, is that you?"

Kate's heart stopped in dread as the trolls looked between her and Bilbo, bewildered, but she forced herself to laugh.

"Of course, it's me, my loyal subject," she said. "Kate, the Sorceress of the Wood!"

Bilbo stared at her, perplexed. "The Sorceress of…wait, what? What's going on?"

"Poor thing," she said, turning back to the trolls. "He must've hit his head so hard…"

"You're a liar!" the first troll said, pointing to her furiously. "See, I told you, she's no sorceress!"

Kate stood, openmouthed, as the trolls got to their feet, glowering down at her. She was sure she was about to be pummeled into a pulp, but Bilbo suddenly began shouting from behind them.

"Wait!" he cried, gazing at her through squinted eyes. "Is that…the Sorceress of the Wood? Lady Kate!" He struggled against his bonds, and Kate gaped at him. "My sweet lady, how good it is to see you! I got lost searching for your…woodland…jewels, and then I was taken captive by these trolls!" He faced the trolls bravely, and Kate finally realized that he was covering for her. "Mark my words, you don't want to face the wrath of the Lady Kate. Just this morning she turned a wolf into a frog because it looked at her the wrong way."

The trolls stood, uncertain, and Kate pressed her luck.

"Give up the ponies and my subject, and I will spare your lives," she said, drawing herself up to her full height and staring them down.

"Then you will die, sorceress!" the first troll roared, raising his club and charging at her before she had time to process what was happening.

She stood rooted to the spot as the troll came for her, but before it could beat her into bloody jelly, Thorin launched himself out of the tree with a battle cry, swinging his sword. The blade slashed across the troll's face and sent it stumbling back, clutching its bleeding eye as it howled in pain.

Thorin dropped to the ground beside her, rolling to break his fall before getting back to his feet and pushing her behind him, shouting, "DU-BEKÂR!"

A chorus of "DU-BEKÂR! DU-BEKÂR!" answered from the trees, and in the next moment, the group of dwarves including Dwalin, Dori, Fíli, Kíli, and Glóin came crashing out of the undergrowth, running to meet the trolls with weapons raised.

Thorin turned to face her, still standing in front of her protectively. "Free Bilbo and the ponies and wait for the others to arrive."

She nodded, fumbling to remove her sword from its scabbard, but she looked up when he placed his hand over her own.

"Be careful," he said. "Do not be seen."

He rushed off to join the fray before she could reply, but her hand still tingled from where his own had been as she unsheathed her sword and ran toward Bilbo.

"Kate!" he said when she approached. "I'm so sorry – I tried to help—"

"You did wonderfully," she said. "Now, hold still."

She brought her sword over her head and swung it down, the blade cutting through the ropes easily. Bilbo scrambled to his feet, rubbing his chafed wrists, but she grabbed his hand and ushered him forward.

"C'mon," she said. "We have to get the ponies loose."

They dodged and weaved through the skirmish, avoiding the dwarves' weapons and the trolls' feet until they came to the ponies. They were rearing in fright and braying, but Kate brought her sword down again, splitting the pen open and slapping the ponies on their rumps to send them on their way.

"OI!"

One of the trolls had seen them and began to rush toward them, the ground shaking, but the bushes behind them exploded with battle cries, and the second onslaught of the dwarves came charging out of the woods.

"Come on!" Kate cried, pulling Bilbo after her. "We have to figure out a way to stall the trolls until dawn—"

"We don't have to!" Bilbo shouted. He pointed over her shoulder, and she followed his finger to see the sky to the east lightening with the first hints of dawn.

"We still need sunlight!" She suddenly focused on a huge rock on the outskirts of the clearing, and another insane idea began to take root. "Follow me!"

They scrambled through the trees and undergrowth at the edges of the clearing, and Kate cast an anxious look at the fight. Neither side seemed to be gaining an upper hand, but she took this as a good sign if none of the dwarves had been injured or killed yet. She saw Thorin whirling through the fray like a shadow, slashing and stabbing at the trolls with cool, concentrated skill and finesse. He was a great fighter, she realized, but she was so intent on watching that she didn't see what she had crashed into until she was sent plummeting to the ground, taking Bilbo with her as he cried out.

Kate struggled to her feet, raising her sword, but she froze when she saw Gandalf standing over her, staff in hand and watching the fight with an intrigued expression.

"Gandalf," she gasped. "The rock – can you—"

She gestured to the boulder behind him, and a knowing twinkle lit up his eyes.

"Ah, of course," he said. "A smart plan, my dear girl."

He whisked off before she could say more, and she could only pray that he indeed knew what she had meant as she turned back to Bilbo.

"Stay here," she ordered, and he nodded, looking quite happy to be out of the fighting as she waded in.

She came up behind one of the trolls and sliced her blade across the back of its knee, sending it off-balance with a yowl of pain. She avoided its trampling feet and joined Thorin in jabbing at its legs, trying to help bring it down.

"Took you long enough," he grunted, stabbing with his blade as they fought shoulder-to-shoulder.

"You're welcome," she said through gritted teeth, dancing out of the way of the troll's foot as it attempted to flatten her.

"Any more brilliant plans to get us out of this mess?" he asked her, and she shot him a grin as the troll finally sank to its knees, wailing.

"I thought I'd let the wizard take care of the rest," she said before plunging her sword into the troll's chest.

At the same time, a deafening CRACK echoed throughout the clearing. Gandalf stood atop the boulder, the butt of his staff sinking into the rock as if it were butter.

"The dawn will take you all!" he declared in a booming voice and gave his staff a sharp twist.

The rock crumbled in half, allowing bright sunlight to seep into the clearing and bathe them in brilliance. Kate covered her eyes against the light as the trolls began to scream and writhe in pain, and she yanked her sword out of the troll she had stabbed just as it turned to stone, its face still contorted in a silent roar.

The dwarves stood, shocked until Kate turned to Thorin with a smirk. "Told you it would work."

He only sighed in response.