Reverie - 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓷 𝓞𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝔁 𝓞𝓒

Chapter 10 - Smile

"How many?" Thorin quickly asked.

"Just three, we think," Fili said.

"Just three?" Gloin shouted.

"How did a troll steal the ponies while you both were watching them?" Dwalin grumbled.

"There's your answer, they weren't watching them," Nori stated. Fili and Kili glared at him.

"We need those ponies," Thorin said.

"And our other burglar," Balin added. This caused multiples sighs and mutterings as each dwarf went to grab their weapons.

"Speaking of," Ori spoke up, looking around.

"Where'd Blair go?"

Thorin immediately whipped his head towards where Fili and Kili said the trolls were. The sun had already fully set. Only the campfire was their source of light, leaving everywhere but a few feet around them to be covered in complete darkness.

"Great, now both our burglars are gone," Dori complained.

"Quickly," Thorin said, grabbing a sword. "Fili, lead the way." The company of dwarves stalked through the darkness towards the troll camp as quietly as they could. Fili lead them through the trees, until they reached the point where faint light was shining through. Incoherent arguing could be heard coming from the area around the light.

"What's our next move?" Balin whispered to Thorin. "Thorin?"

He followed Thorin's gaze to a small figure closer to the troll camp. Suddenly, Thorin gestured for the dwarves to huddle up.
"Slowly surround them in groups of two or three. Stay hidden until the signal," Thorin whispered to them all.

"What signal?" Bofur questioned. Thorin looked at Kili, causing everyone else to turn towards him.

"Oh, come on. Why does it have to be me?" Kili groaned, causing multiple hushes to follow.

"Kili will confront them first, and once they're up, we charge, got it?" Thorin said. Everyone gave various murmurs in agreement and started pairing up. Thorin immediately turned back to where he was looking before.

"I'll stay with you, uncle," Fili said.

"No, go with Balin. I have to do something," Thorin whispered back, starting to walk closer to the camp.

As he got closer to the light, the voices became clearer.

"Hey! That's my grog!" one loud, obnoxious voice shouted. A loud thud slightly shook the ground beneath Thorin's feet. He paid no attention, searching the trees for who he thought he saw. Then he spotted her, peering from behind a bush, watching something intently. As quietly as he could, Thorin walked towards her, occasionally stopping to hide behind trees at the sound of one of the trolls' voices in his direction.

Blair watched from behind a bush, just large enough to fully cover her, as Bilbo crept up to one of the trolls.

"What is he thinking?" she muttered, praying he would glance in her direction. He looked like a bug compared to the massive trolls. Three of them sat around a fire, a big pot in the middle, no doubt for the freshly caught ponies to be cooked in. If she could get to Bilbo, she could drag him away quickly and quietly before the trolls spotted or heard them. She started mapping out her route in her head, when she suddenly felt a hand around her wrist.

"He-" she yelped, before a hand was clamped on her mouth.

"Who's that?" one of the trolls bellowed. Thorin quickly hid both him and Blair behind a tree, pushing them both against it. Blair's heart pounded against her chest. She glanced up, Thorin's face inches away from hers, his hand still on her mouth. He watched the trolls closely, holding his breath.