The Dwarf Prince

Chapter 7: The Cave

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked, turning to Gandalf.

After the trolls turned to stone, the dwarves were free from the spit and the sacks.

"To look ahead," Gandalf replied.

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece,"

"No thanks to your burglar,"

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that," Gandalf said matter-of-factly, defending the hobbit. Thorin says nothing in reply. They examine the statues of the trolls.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors," Gandalf commented.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked.

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands," Gandalf replied, looking at Thorin.

"They could not have moved in daylight," Gandalf stated.

"There must be a cave nearby," Thorin guessed. True to his guess, the company did stumble upon a large cave and they all entered it. It was full of treasure.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch," warned Gandalf.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lying around. Anyone could take it," Bofur commented.

Gloin nodded. "Agreed. Nori, get a shovel,"

Alithia wandered around the cave, examining the treasure around. Her eyes fell on the blades. She picked one up and examined it closely, recognizing the elvish design of the weapon. Although tempted to take it, she left it where she found it. She had more than enough things to carry with her. After all, she already had a beautiful sword of her own. She watched in amusement as some of the dwarves filled a chest with treasure. They then buried it in a hole in the ground for safe keeping.

"We're making a long term deposit," Gloin said.

"Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go! Bofur! Gloin! Nori!" Thorin ordered. Upon hearing Thorin's order, the company left the cave. Alithia walked beside Fili and Kili, her thoughts wandering off to the elvish weapons in the cave. If the trolls managed to find the swords, it only meant that they defeated elves and robbed them of their swords. That would imply that elvish blood was split. She would be lying if she said she wasn't scared by that. What were the odds of their group making it out alive then?

"Something's coming!" came a shout from Thorin, alarming the whole group. Alithia stood by, her eyes wide in fear. Maximus suddenly neighed in distress and kicked its feet up.

"Max!" she said, trying to calm down her horse but the sound of the fast approaching threat panicked the horse and it kicked up one final time, throwing Alithia off of him. Then the horse bolted. Alithia got up from the ground, eyes wide and made to run after her horse.

"Maximus, come back!" she shouted and ran. But someone held her back. It was Fili.

"Thia, no. Let him go. We can't afford to split the group," he reasoned. Alithia looked at the distant form of her horse, running off into the unknown.

"But...Max," she said softly.

"Thia, please. Stay," Fili pleaded softly, his hands wrapped around her waist and tugging her away gently. Alithia looked back at him, looked at her horse who was now going off in the horizon and then back at Fili. She nodded slowly, still grasping the fact that she had just lost the one living thing tying her to Mirkwood. Her mind went almost blank and she just kept nodding. Fili's hold on her waist kept her grounded and she was slowly getting pulled back into reality.