One Ring to troll them all

Troll Caves, News & Arrival

We were close to the camp when Bilbo saw something.

"Kael! Does that look like a cave entrance to you?" He asked, pointing at a spot between some trees.

I hummed contemplatively. "Yes, that is precisely what it is. Let's take a closer look."

After our conversation, I had hidden my light again, and we had both started walking back towards our group when we stumbled upon the troll caves.

The place didn't reek at all. In fact, it seemed as if it had been abandoned for hundreds of years. Everything was filled with spiderwebs and dust, and there were only some human bones that seemed to be really old.

The place was full of trinkets, though. Armors, weapons, treasure chests... I instructed Bilbo to hide some of the chests in a crevice between some rocks, which he covered with some spiderwebs - if Bilbo came through here in the return trip, he would be able to keep them for himself - while I looked around, trying to find a very specific something.

Well, some things.

I actually found them in quite a humorous way. It happened when I was walking towards the end of the cave, and I tripped over a small weapon that was on the ground, covered with dust, and I leaned against a stack full of old weapons so that I wouldn't fall.

And there, I found two elven blades.

Orcrist and Glamdring.

Heck yeah.

"Oh! What is that?" Bilbo asked, having reached me, and he leaned down to take the thing that had made me trip.

I laughed uproariously when I saw it was Sting, the future weapon Bilbo would use, and would later on be owned by Frodo Baggins - or not, who knew?

Anyway, what were the chances?

"What?" Bilbo frowned at me.

"Nothing, nothing at all," I chuckled, and I took the two elven swords from the stack to bring them with me, "you should hold onto that," I nodded at Bilbo's small sword, "it is the perfect size for you, and it is of Elvish make. The blade will glow blue if there are orcs or goblins nearby."

Bilbo looked at the weapon with a newfound appreciation. "Huh. That is handy, I suppose. Alright, then. Although I do not know how to use it."

"And I hope that you never have to, Bilbo. But sometimes, there is no choice for us but to fight. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

Twenty minutes later, we were back at the meeting place.

Gandalf was visibly flustered, puffing on his pipe while he paced all around. When he saw us, he looked a mix between relieved and angry.

"Where were you? You have been gone for hours! The dwarves were getting antsy, and I cannot say I was any better! Of all the irresponsible things to do -!"

I looked over and saw all the dwarves were still wide awake, some more worried than others, although Balin looked as calm as always. In fact, he seemed as if he was going to fall asleep at any second.

"I told you they would be back, laddie," Balin addressed Thorin, who merely looked at Bilbo and me and grunted.

"At least they did something useful," he grumbled, gazing at the pile of wood for the fire Bilbo was carrying that we had collected before going back.

I bounced on my feet excitedly and smiled at Gandalf.

"You will never guess what we found! Ta-da!" I exclaimed, holding the elven swords, one in each hand, and lifting them above my head like some sort of preacher, or Rafiki holding Simba.