His Amorem

To Eat Or Not To Eat

While the trolls started complaining about their last meals and the ponies, the Elleth caught the sound of light footsteps coming her way. Bilbo, she realised and tried to twist around to find the hobbit. Her eyes widened when she spotted him behind William trying to get the troll's knife. how had she not heard him before?

She tried to tell him to run, but it only came out a garbled mess. Tom gave her a shake, disorientating her but Bilbo had noticed and now stared at her in horror. She tried to hint with her eyes for him to run, but before he could, William had picked him up and sneezed all over him. Again, Keerla's stomach heaved.

"Argh! Blimey! Bert! Bert!" William screamed, "Look what's come out of me 'ooter! It's got arms and legs and everything."

The two trolls moved to get a better look, and Keerla actually gagged at the sight of the mucus covering the poor hobbit.

"What is it?" Tom asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like the way it wriggles around!" William squealed like a girl, tossing Bilbo to the floor.

Crouching, Tom peered at Bilbo and Keerla could feel the ground under the tips of her toes. She wiggled but was crushed in the troll's hand and a squeal of pain left her lips, muffed by the rag.

"What are you then? An oversized squirrel?"

Watching Keerla's pained expression Bilbo stuttered out, "I'm a burglar - uhh, a Hobbit."

"A Burgla-Hobbit?" William asked, confused.

"Can we cook 'im?" Tom asked, raising his free hand and Keerla's eyes widened.

"We can try!" William exclaimed and Keerla looked at Bilbo.

"MUUMMM!" she screamed into the cloth, and Bilbo knew she meant 'Run!' so he did.

He managed to avoid the trolls for a few seconds but Bert caught him by the left and lifted him into the air. Keerla wriggled, trying to get out again and help Bilbo but Tom shook her violently and she felt her brain continue to rattle in her head when he stopped.

"He wouldn't make more than a mouthful, not when he's skinned and boned!" Bert complained, eyeing Bilbo.

"Perhaps there's more Burglar-Hobbits around these parts. Might be enough for a pie, if we add the elf," Tom said thoughtfully. "Are there any more of you little fellas 'iding where you shouldn't?"

Bilbo glanced at Keera who shook her head, and he looked back at the trolls and said, "Nope."

"He's lying!" William chipped in, "The Elf is 'elping 'im!"

"No I'm not!" Bilbo said and Keerla shook her head to say she wasn't as well.

"Hold his toes over the fire. Make him squeal!" Tom encouraged, and Keerla's stomach dropped to her feet. Poor Bilbo looked terrified.

William howled suddenly and fell over, revealing Kili to everyone else. He stood by the edge of camp, sword aimed at the trolls as he looked at Bilbo and then glanced worriedly at Keera. For a second he appreciated her loose curling hair and fresh skin, then remembered the situation and anger bubbled within his blood,

"Drop them!" Kili ordered, and Keerla felt an odd fuzzy feeling in her gut at the look on the dwarf's face, it gave him a dark yet very attractive appearance. If she could have, she would have slapped herself for the inappropriate timing.

"You what?" Tom asked.

"I said, drop them!" Kili repeated.

Almost smirking, Bert and Tom looked at the two they were holding and flung them in Kili's direction. Bilbo landed softly on the bushes and Kili dropped his sword in time to wrap his arms around Keerla.