Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Nine]

 Freya had no idea how long it had been since the dwarves had gone into the woods to fight the trolls that had a hold of her cousin and thought they would be back by now. She wasn't sure how much longer she could wait. The hobbit had begun to dread terrible thoughts that the trolls had captured the dwarves, and would become the trolls dinner; if they haven't been already.

The hobbit finally couldn't sit around any longer, not knowing if the dwarves and her cousin were alright. She ran in the same direction as Thorin and the others had run into the forest to rescue Bilbo. Freya could smell the stench of troll and as she wondered a little further into the forest she could see the light of a fire going.

She ran towards the light and hid behind a tree and sure enough her worst fear had been realized. The dwarves had been captured by three monstrous troll and tied up in sacks, while another group was tied on a log above the fire. On the brighter side at least her cousin was alive, but for how long? Knowing she was their only hope of getting out of this alive, her immediate reaction was feeling around for her sword when she remembered Thorin had taken it from her.

Freya crept over to a tree closer to the trolls and the dwarves. The hobbit glanced around the area and saw the dwarves weapons were in a pile next to the fire, including hers. If she could get to the weapons without the trolls seeing her, the Halfling might just be able to free these dwarves before they become troll food.

" Wait! You are making a terrible mistake." Bilbo shouted to the trolls making them stop to think and look at the hobbit that spoke.

" You can't reason with them, they're halfwits!" Dori pointed out, who was just one of the few dwarves tied to the log over the fire that was being turned by two trolls.

" Halfwits? What does that make us?"

Bilbo manages to stand up, although still tied up in a sack. He faces the tolls, trying to stall them.

" Uh, I meant with the, uh, with, uh, with the seasoning." Bilbo pointed out, as the trolls looked down at this tiny person who had so dared to speak to them about there cooking.

" What about the seasoning?" The cook questioned, as he came closer to the hobbit. Making Bilbo stumble back.

" Well have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up." Bilbo insisted as the dwarves started yelling and cursing at Bilbo.

" Oh no, Bilbo. Don't encourage them." Freya whispered to herself.

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" Another troll snapped as he continued to turn the log of dwarves, who were getting hot from the heat of the fire and struggled to get loose.

" Shut up, and let the, uh, flurgaburburrahobbit talk." The cook told the other troll as he turned his attention to the hobbit waiting to know what they were apparently doing wrong.

" Uh, th-the secret to cooking dwarf is, um" Bilbo stuttered, trying to find the write words to say.

" Yes? Come on?"

" It's, uh" Bilbo continued and Freya waited wondering what her cousin was trying to say.

"Tell us the secret." The cook urged, wanting to know what this secret was.

" Ye-yes, I'm telling you, the secret is....to skin them first!" Bilbo exclaimed seeming please at first that he had come up with a wonderful idea, hoping to save these dwarves and his expression changed when he realized what he had just done. Freya's hand flew to her face as she shook it, wondering what in Middle-Earth gave her cousin this idea, as the dwarves continued to utter threats of what they would do to him, if they managed to escape this terrible situation they were in.