The Wind Fell Silent

5. Troublesome Troll Purses

Third Person

The group argued for a long while, trying to decide whether or not they should investigate the mysterious light. The fact that Gandalf had inexplicably disappeared greatly fueled the arguments of those in negation of exploring the distant glow further. After much debate, the dwarves decided to send Bilbo forth to examine the light ahead, much to Arenna's disapproval. "Thorin, you cannot send Bilbo, it could be dangerous" she said, protectively standing in front of the hobbit, who could not agree with her more. "Is he not our burglar? Is this not why we hired him?" Thorin asked. He then approached the hobbit, "You must go on and find out all about that light, and what it is for, and if all is perfectly safe and canny. Now scuttle off, and come back quick, if all is well. If not, come back if you can! If you can't, hoot twice like a barn-owl and once like a screech-owl, and we will do what we can." *Direct quote from the Hobbit* With that the small burglar was sent to inspect the enigmatic light alone, still trying to explain that he couldn't even tell the difference between barn-owls and screech-owls, much less imitate them. The dwarves listened to nothing of his stammering, but instead pushed him on, earning many of them a severe glare from Arenna. With one last frightened glance behind him, Bilbo continued on, towards the light. He walked through the woods, absolutely noiseless, the hobbit's passing did not disturb even a sleeping mouse. As he approached the light he found that it was a campfire, a campfire with three large trolls seated around it.

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The company was silent, awaiting Bilbo's return, listening for the hoots of a barn and screech owl. All were on edge, all were worried for the small burglar, even Thorin, though he would not admit it. "It has been far too long, I am going to see what has befallen the halfling." Arenna whispered to Thorin in the gloom. "Not yet, we have not received the signal that he is in peril." He whispered back to the anxious girl in front of him. Just then there was commotion ahead, too far for the company to discern what had happened, but close enough for them to know something had indeed happened. Almost simultaneously, fourteen heads turned to look at the direction of the light. The dwarves halted, straining to hear anything else, "Wait" Thorin said, to Arenna more than anyone else, but the sprite did not heed his instruction. She whipped around in the direction of the now ominous light, running down the same path that Bilbo had followed. She ran agilely, swinging through the low branches of surrounding trees as she went. For a moment the dwarves merely watched her in amazement, as she ran through the trees as if she was nothing more than a breeze. *That kind of rhymed... weird*Arenna ran as fast as her feet would allow, praying that the hobbit was alright.

"Renn!" Kili called as he ran after her as fast as he could. "Renn, it may be dangerous." But he could no longer see her figure swinging through the trees. The young dwarf tore after her, hoping that he would reach her before she recklessly ran into a hazardous situation. Eventually Kili approached the light, seeing no sign of Arenna, but what he saw instead was a troubling scene indeed. A giant troll held Bilbo's trembling form securely in his hand, "Hold his toes over the fire; make him squeal!" one of the three hideous creatures yelled with a perverse grin. However before the trolls could do such a horrible thing, they were interrupted by a rather angry dwarf.

Kili ran into the firelight, slashing the nearest troll's leg as he did. The giant beast howled in pain, and stumbled backwards.

"Drop him!" Kili yelled.

"You what?" the troll holding Bilbo asked slowly. "I said, drop him" Kili replied, his voice low and rough, a menacing smile creeping onto his face. Arenna smiled at the dwarf's tenacity from her perch in a nearby tree, for that is where she was, perched in a tree waiting for the optimal moment to attack. Her smile faded when the hobbit was thrown at Kili, it was then that Renn leapt from the branch and onto the closest troll. Needless to say that the trolls were confused at the sudden action, especially Bert, who had a furious sprite hanging onto his shoulders. With several massive shakes, Bert managed to send Arenna flying across the small campsite. "Renn" Kili yelled from underneath Bilbo, sure that a fall of that magnitude would certainly break a few bones, if not kill her. But, as the dwarf was about to see, sprites are not so easily bested.