Healing, Magic, And Unexpected Adventures

Chapter Four - Trouble With Trolls

I thought about smacking Fili and Kili there and then, but that wouldn't get us anywhere.

'Trolls this far from the mountains is not good,' Balin said.

'I feel the need to say "I told you so",' I said. Thorin glared at me before turning to the others. Fine, I thought, if he was going to ignore me, then he could.

'Get your weapons,' he ordered. 'Three trolls should be easy, as dim-witted as they are.'

I reached for my sword, but Balin stopped me.

'No lass, you leave this to us,' he told me. 'Someone as inexperienced as you would do more harm than good in a fight.'

I should have told him that I had more experience with brawls than he seemed to realise. I should have told them that trying to use strength against trolls was a poor move. I should have done a lot of things, admittedly.

I stayed quiet, with instructions to watch the camp. It didn't make any sense - if I was too "inexperienced" to help with a fight, then how could I watch a camp by myself with any chance of help already occupied. But I held my tongue - it was clear Thorin had almost run out of patience with me, and I wasn't ready to risk angering someone with a big sword.

I watched as the others left with their weapons, silently cursing them all for ignoring me. It should have been expected, but it still hurt to think that they could leave me behind as easily as they had.

I waited for them to return, letting the night move on. I got anxious after half an hour. When two hours had passed I tried to convince myself that they had probably found something like a troll cave and were getting supplies. Once I had been waiting for three hours, I picked up my sword and went looking for them.

I wasn't one of those people who denies that they're afraid even when they're alone. I was scared, walking in that forest, knowing that at any moment a troll could come out of the shadows and snatch me away.

Even though I knew my footsteps couldn't be audible to any troll, each time my foot landed on the ground it seemed to echo through the forest. My heart was beating quickly in my chest. I wondered if the others had felt like this. I knew they wouldn't admit it if they did.

Finally, after following a path of broken branches and large footprints, I saw a light up ahead. A few more silent footsteps and I heard talking.

'Never mind the seasoning,' one troll was saying, as I crept closer to get a better view. 'We ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, let's get a move on! I don't fancy been turned to stone.'

Stone! Of course. If trolls were exposed to sunlight, they turned to stone. All I had to do was keep them occupied until dawn came.

There was a pine cone of the ground. Really, it was almost asking me to throw it.

I aimed it at one of the trolls turning the spit. The spit that had half the company tied above the flames. It hit right between the trolls eyes.

'What was that?' it shrieked.

'What was what?' another asked.

'Somefink 'it me! Caught me right between the eyes, it did.'

'I didn't see nofink 'it ya. Now stop grumblin' and get turnin'.'

I picked up another pine cone, this time aiming it at the other troll. There were plenty of pine cones around me. I could go all night - which is precisely what I was planning to do.

The pine cone hit the back of the troll's neck, making it turn around and look into the shadows.

'What are you lookin' at?' the first troll asked.