Rider (The Hobbit)

Chapter One: Trolls

Chapter One: Trolls

I stared at the glowing fire the trolls had made in my forest. My lip curled in a snarl as I watched them complain to one another that they were starving. I followed two of them, waiting for my moment to put the creatures out of their misery; they walked over to a group of ponies. I turned to see another fire in the distance, hearing the gruff voices and seeing Dwarven axes. "What are Dwarves doing in these woods?" I muttered, only to feel a hand clamp around my body, a large finger covering half my face. I quickly turned my golden eyes to face a rather nasty looking troll.

"Look, I found somethin'!" The troll exclaimed quietly, happy to have found me. I would have shouted at it, if my mouth weren't covered by a nasty troll finger.

"Take it to the fire; we'll put it in the stew." One of the other Trolls continued. I was then placed in a sack, my head poking from the top. If it wasn't me in this situation I would have found it comical. I sat in a fuming silence, knowing if I shouted at the beast, I wouldn't stand a chance at the moment. I focused my mind at the knot in the top of the bag, only stopping when they'd brought back more ponies. Their snorting and laughing was getting rather irritating as time went on.

"I never thought it would end like this..." I muttered, "Eaten by a troll." I would have slammed my palm to my forehead in shame. I looked up and froze to see a figure sneaking past the Troll just as the Troll began to turn into his direction. I sighed loudly, "It's amazing you survived." I said loudly, facing one of the Trolls.

"Huh?" It asked, coming closer to me.

"Oh nothing, I was just wondering how you snuck past me. I am the guardian here after all." I finished with a curious look. The troll grinned; it's yellow any black teeth glinting slightly.

"We traveled by night in the caves, found a bunch of goodies on the way we did." It chuckled before picking me up by my feet.

"Too bad you wouldn't even make a mouthful." It muttered. I didn't even dare look at the small figure; I didn't want to give these imbeciles the chance to spot the small person.

I scoffed, "Like I'd let you eat me, the only reason I'm still stuffed in this thing is because I've become rather bored." I yawned to prove my point. One of the Trolls grabbed something from behind him before sneezing into it. I stared horrified at the small figure that was now in the Troll's hand and covered in Troll snot. "Oh dear..." I muttered, mentally loosening the tie on the bag.

"Blimey! Look what's come out of me yutah!" The Troll shouted as the others gathered around him, I was dropped onto the ground, forgotten. I quickly scrambled out of the bag and behind a nearby rock, searching for my supplies.

"What is it?" A third troll asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like the way it wriggles around!" I heard the first Troll say before a loud thump was heard, they must have dropped him.

"Where'd the other thing go?!" I heard the third Troll shout. I froze, not wanting to be seen. I felt a hand grab onto my leg as I slipped a dagger into my boot. "There it is!" He cheered.

"Let me go you blithering idiot!" I shouted at it. "I have no more patience for this!" I focused my mind on a rather large tree branch above it and nodded my head. The branch swung down and with a loud, Whack It hit the troll on the head, causing him to let me go. The trolls began to panic as I held the tiny person behind me, my sword pointed in their direction.

"Kill it! Kill it!" They shouted at each other, all of them trying to make a grab for me. I pushed the tiny man out of the way before being held upside down again.

"Oh for the love of--" I was suddenly dropped to the ground as a dwarf sliced through the calf of the Troll that was holding me. I quickly rolled and stood before ducking the large hand of a troll. Many Dwarves then piled out of the underbrush and began to attack. I swung my sword at an offending Troll, guarding the little man from before, seeing as he had no weapon. The little man untied the gate keeping the stolen ponies in and I shouted, "Foolish man! Leave them be!" I swung my sword at the hand of a Troll only to be grabbed from behind.