The Sorceress and the Hobbit- Book 2

Troll, just Trolls

Luriel walked quickly, following the path Gandalf had taken, she caught glimpse of his signature pointed hat down the hill, and she quickly clumped up the hill and surpassed him. She hopped onto a boulder he was sure to pass and sat and waited. Soon he appeared through the brush and, she tilted her head, “I did not think you to run from your problems, Gandalf,” she spoke. He jumped a little, startled, it brought a smile to her lips.

He looked up to where she sat, “I am not running from anything, I am merely trying to clear my head.”

“Oh, and by doing so leaving the dwarves in the very place you had such a distasteful feeling about?” she inquired.

He looked up at her confused, “How could you have possibly known about that?”

“Your thoughts are practically screaming it to me,” she said as she pushed herself off the rock, landing lightly next to him.

At that he huffed, “You are almost as bad as Galadriel! There is no hiding anything from her either!” he commented as he continued down the path.

Luriel kept pace with him, a smile on her face, “Hey, I did not pry it out of you, you were practically throwing those thoughts onto my lap, I could not ignore them, “ she defended herself.

“Well you cannot tell me you do not feel the same way!” he countered, stopping and turning towards her, he was only a few inches taller than her.

“I feel that way about most places, but you are right, something is off about that ruined farmhouse,” she agreed.

“Well I am glad one of the company sees reason!” he exclaimed before turning away and continuing.
Luriel sighed and followed, she would have to convince him to return or he would leave them till the morn, maybe later.

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“Are you so determined to bring them to the elves?” Luriel questioned, she hand managed to get Gandalf to stop and had been talking to him for a while before returning to the reason she had followed him.

“We both know that Lord Elrond is one of the few that would be able to decipher that map. If only Thorin would yield his stubbornness!” Gandalf said in exasperation.

“Then find a way to lead them there! You are an intelligent being, it will come to you in time!” she countered, “You convinced me to come along on this quest with thirteen unruly dwarves, you convinced a halfling to leave the comforts of home to go on this adventure,” she listed.

“Dwarves are more stubborn than any other I have met so far, they even rival you!” he said, leaning in his staff, he was puffing away on that dreadful pipe he always had.

“Then find a way they cannot resist,” she said, now sounding slightly annoyed, “I would not leave them alone for long, who knows what kind of trouble they could get into, I'll leave you to your thoughts for now,” She said as she turned and made her way back.

Gandalf did not stop her, nearly puffed out some smoke as he watched her walk away before turning his gaze to the horizon.

She walked with frustration back to camp, it took her a good while and when she did, she knew something was off. Nine of the dwarves were there, a dying campfire was the only sign they had been there. She looked around on the ground for any traces of them. She found some footprints leading into the trees next to the ruined farm. Confused she followed them, she heard a nervous nicker to her right. She looked over and saw only a few of the ponies they had from earlier. Her eyes widened when she realized her own stallion was missing. She quickly rushed over, sensing thoughts of panic flowing from the horses. She reached out and saw images of a large creature grabbing the horses, then coming back for more. It was then that a horrid stench hit her sensitive nose, one she was familiar with from her mountainous home.