Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Ten]

"Oh, get your foot out of my back!" Dwalin grumbled. Freya helped free the dwarves in the sacks and her cousin. The other dwarves that were on the spit were finally released and they all gathered their weapons that were piled together from earlier when they were captured by the nasty trolls.

" Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked the wizard as he approached him.

" To look ahead"

" What brought you back?" Thorin wondered, grateful the wizard had come back just in time before they were all troll food. The wizard stepped closer before answering.

" Looking behind, and to see if you've learned your lesson." The wizard stated. Thorin narrowed his eyes at Gandalf, wondering what he was hinting at.

" What lesson?"

" That you can trust, Freya Brandybuck. That she will be a great asset to this company. She warned you about the trolls and you ignored it. " Gandalf insisted as Thorin glanced at the woman who was now helping the other dwarves gather their supplies so they could get back on the road. He turned his attention back to the wizard and nodded that he was wrong, and that he should give her a chance.

The two of them examine the statues of the trolls, as the wind picked up.

" They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." Gandalf finally said, as he starred at the mountains.

" Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin wondered. When they were joined by another and they see it is the woman.

" They haven't been seen here for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Freya explained.

" You are quite right Freya. They couldn't have moved in daylight." The wizard added.

" There must be a cave nearby" Thorin stated. The company began searching the area for caves the trolls may have been hiding in during the daylight.

" Over here!" Freya shouted, while holding her breath. The dwarves, the hobbit and the wizard ran over to where the hobbit woman was. The two hobbit's stayed outside the cave, while a few of the dwarves went in to checkout the treasure hoard with the wizard.

" Freya, we should leave while we can. We do not know what were getting ourselves into. We were almost eaten by trolls." Bilbo whispered to his cousin and she gave him a confused look.

" Bilbo, we have already been through this. We can't abandon these dwarves. Home is now behind us. It's time you accept that." Freya whispered back.

" We are not warriors Freya. These dwarves think were useless as it is." Bilbo snapped back at his cousin in a whisper and before Freya could respond back to her cousin, the dwarves and the wizard had come back out of the nasty cave.

" Bilbo...Freya." Gandalf called as he walked over to the two cousins.

" Hmm?" Bilbo mumbled.

"Here. These are about your size." The wizard stated, as he handed each of them a small sword. Freya took hers from the wizard and unsheathed it to admire the make. It was extremely light compared to the dwarves weapons she had been using to train with and she sheathed it. Bilbo, however was very hesitant to take the sword at first, but then he heard his cousins words echo through his mind. He knew she was right but he was not as brave as her.

" I can't take this." Bilbo insisted, not wanting to ever use a sword as he looked at the ground, not wanting the others to see his face.

" These blades are of an Elvish make, which means they will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby. " Gandalf said, looking at them both, as the dwarves were talking amongst themselves.

" I have never used a sword in my life." Bilbo said, feeling frightened that his cousin was right; home was behind them and he was soon going to have to face his fears. Gandalf got down to the cousins level and looked them both in the eyes.

" And I hope you two never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

The hobbit nodded, when their moment was interrupted. " Something's coming!" Thorin yelled. Bilbo panicked and looked at the wizard.

" Gandalf."

The wizard got to his full height and pulled out his sword. " Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves." Gandalf shouted to all as he runs into the woods. Freya drew her sword back out, took a deep breath and ran into the woods with the others. The dwarves, the wizard and the hobbits stopped when they heard something coming at them at full speed.

They had their weapons drawn, waiting for whatever it was that was coming towards them, when the bushes started moving out came an old man on a sled.

" Thieves! Fire! Murder!"