Homeward Bound Part One: An Unexpected Journey

Chapter Fifteen

In an instant all of Bilba's newfound courage fled and she found herself ten years in the past, twenty once more, cowering before monsters as they slaughtered everyone she ever loved.

Time seemed to stretch, an Age passing between every beat of her heart.

Bilba felt as though she were in another place, watching events as they happened to some else instead of her.

The Troll's eyes widened.

Everyone had gone on without her.

The creature said something but all sound had vanished, save the noise of her own harsh breathing and ragged heartbeat.

Fleeing into shadow, where she could never follow.

The Troll began to get up, looming over her to the point where nothing existed but it and its monstrous shadow falling before it, swallowing her up.

Leaving her lost.

It began to stride forward, each step sending the very earth to trembling.

And alone.

An arm reached out.

Bilba closed her eyes.

Good-bye.

Something small whished past each side of her head, so close on the left she felt a slight snick of pain as it sliced the tip of her earlobe.

The pain snapped through her, fire vibrating through her nerves and her eyes opened in shock. Sound rushed in, the Dwarves screaming at her to run, screaming at the Troll to leave her alone.

Dwalin fought like one gone berserk, wrenching at his bindings so hard it was a wonder he didn't break bone. Gloin had somehow managed to get to his feet and was attempting to hop to her side.

Before her the Troll shrieked in pain, lunging back. Its hand clutched its face and thick blood spurted between several fingers.

Another object whizzed past her head, light breeze brushing her hair and suddenly the creature had an arrow lodged in the center of its throat.

The Troll jerked its hands away and now Bilba could see an arrow lodged firmly in its right eye, while the left sported one wedged between the crease of the eye and the ridge of the brow.

The Troll made a strangled, gagging sound. It staggered a foot or two and then collapsed on the ground, its hands pawing weakly at its throat.

The entire thing took mere moments; the other two Trolls were still in the process of getting up.

Bilba stumbled back as they did. Her heel hit the pile of weapons and she fell, landing in the pile. Pain sliced up her left calf as the edge of a blade grazed her.

More arrows flew past her, catching each Troll solidly in the eye. As with the first they both lurched backwards, their hands instinctively going up, and quickly found themselves with arrows lodged dead center in their throats.

It wasn't enough to kill them, but it put them on the ground, strangled, gurgling sounds coming from deep inside as they fought to breathe with blood slowly filling their lungs.

The entire thing probably took under a minute.

Bilba stared, pushed up slightly on her elbows.

Footsteps and then Thorin knelt behind her, stepping right onto the weapons in his heavy boots. Kili, who'd lost his boots when captured, stood slightly to the side keeping an arrow at the ready in case one of the Trolls got up.