All's Far in Love and War

Chapter 4: Love in Rivendell

Third Person POV:

It is morning; the dwarves, Flora and Bilbo have been freed from the spit and from the sacks.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked after Gandalf walks up to one of the troll statues and thumps it with his staff, with a pleased smile on his face.

"To look ahead." Gandalf replied.

"What brought you back?" Thorin asked.

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece." Gandalf stated.

"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin huffed, looking over his at the father daughter pair. Gandalf looked at the dwarf in front of him and noticed that he looked at Flora a little longer than he probably would admit to.

"You have feelings for her don't you?" Gandalf observed.

"What? No, I don't." Thorin quickly shot that idea down, though the thought lingered in his mind. Did he have feelings for this young female hobbit? If he did were they romantically inclined? He wasn't sure.

"By the way Bilbo had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Gandalf added. Thorin looks repentant. Gandalf and Thorin examine the statues of the trolls. Thorin was glad that Gandalf had changed the subject, even though what Thorin didn't know was that the girl he had let his eyes wonder on for a little to long was letting her eyes wonder on him a little to long as well.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." Gandalf stated.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked.

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Gandalf replied, as they both look meaningfully at each other.

"Hey Killi?" Flora whispered as she stood near a pony.

"Hmm?" he said looking at the young hobbit.

"Look at how Gandalf and Thorin are looking at each other." Flora smiled, evilly. "Looks like they could be lovers!" Kili looked at her dumbfounded and then a smile started to form on his face.

"Oi! Fili! Get a load of this." Kili howled. Flora glared at him and looked around her to make sure no one was looking at her funny.

"They could not have moved in daylight."Gandalf added.

"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin whispered. "Come on then"

"Oh, what's that stench?!" Nori asked, plugging his nose, as they find a large cave nearby. The cave is full of treasure that trolls had been hoarding.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Gandalf explained. As they had entered the cave, many of the dwarves cough and retch at the pungence. Inside, some of the dwarves found piles of gold coins and other treasure in caskets.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bofur stated.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." Gloin urged. While exploring, Thorin finds two swords covered in cobwebs. Dwalin looks down at his feet and sees a necklace with a blue heart that was surrounded by gemstones. He picked it up and examined it further. The blue reminded him of Flora's eyes. He pocketed the necklace and decided to give it to her when the time was right.

"These swords were not made by any troll." Thorin tells Gandalf when he sees Gandalf approaches him. Thorin hands one sword to Gandalf and keeps the other one.