The Path Unseen

Mutton and Monsters

I woke early again, this time leaving my room and fixing a great big breakfast. The dwarves woke up when I had finished, gathering to have a quiet breakfast as they woke up fully. Thorin watched me closely as I bustled about serving the dwarves, but I resisted the urge to question his staring.

Gandalf joined us shortly, and we stayed for awhile waiting for Bilbo. We did have to leave eventually, and I left a single page of paper on the table before following the dwarves and wizard. The dwarves began placing bets upon whether or not the hobbit would join us, and I said he would come betting ten silver coins, the same as Gandalf. We were the only two who believed he would come, and I smiled to myself as we traveled along the road. 

I had even brought a handkerchief, knowing Bilbo would forget it in his hurry. At the edge of Hobbiton a shout was heard, and I laughed as Bilbo came running waving the contract the dwarves gave him. "I signed it!" He kept shouting as he approached. The dwarves had checked it and picked Bilbo up, setting him on the pony behind me. I rode a black mare, Gandalf had brought her for me as I needed a horse for the journey. 

Coin purses were opened and closed, tossed around as the dwarves gathered the winnings for Gandalf and I. Gandalf had just finished explaining it to Bilbo, who asked what outcome he had bet upon. I was tossed the two coinbags with Gandalf's silver and mine. I tossed his to him and he caught it, assuring Bilbo that we believed in him without a shadow of a doubt.

I tied the purse onto a loop in my pants, hiding it in my pocket as we rode along the dusty road.

.-=-..-=-.Time skip brought to you by the skipping of monotonous travelling.-=-..-=-.

I rubbed my neck, having slept peacefully sitting up until the cold rain startled me awake. I looked around at the dwarves and company, all of them appearing miserable. "All of these long faces won't due, leave that to the horses." Everyone turned as I spoke, but I simply hopped down from the horse and looked around for somewhere dry to leave the horses. 

I led the party of drenched travelers to some large pines, and helped the saddle-stiff Bilbo down. "Come and rest beneath the tree's sheltering arms, it does no good for you to be in the rain." Gandalf laughed and stayed upon his horse, while the dwarves set about making camp.

He left when no-one was looking, but while I waited for things to calm down I noticed a red glow. The rain had begun peetering out, and the brothers Fili and Kili noticed what drew my gaze. "Is that a fire?" After a small debate, wherin I sighed impatiently for them to decide on who will go and see, Thorin said Bilbo and I should check it out.

I felt like this was familiar to me, and I ghosted along behind Bilbo deep in thought. Bilbo stopped behind some bushes and I hopped into a tree, peeking out from the leaves. Oh wait now I remember this is where Bilbo gets caught by trolls. I looked down and noticed Bilbo wasn't below me, but over by one of the trolls. I wanted to scream out for him not to touch the wallet, but that would be really bad. 

"Mutton today, mutton yesterday, and blimey if it don't look like mutton t'marra." Well then, they sound even worse in person then in the movies. I crept closer as they discovered Bilbo and held him prisoner. I was so focused I didn't notice the dwarves gathering below, getting ready to attack. (I apologise but this is partially like the movies, partially like the book and then well you understand.) 

One of the younger brothers, Fili or Kili, I get confused which, ran out and attacked one of the trolls. His war cry sent the other dwarves running out, and they began battling. I heard a whinny and saw that three of the ponies were tied up in a haphazard corral, and I hopped down to free them. I cut the ropes and opened the gate, they ran out and back the way we had come from. I turned and saw Bilbo running away from the stomping feet of one troll, straight under anothers!

It was probably stupid, but I jumped onto one of the trolls knees and launched myself at Bilbo. I tackled him and curled around his body protectively, rolling away from the trolls giant foot. When we stopped rolling Bilbo was in my arms, like a child who fell asleep lays in a parents arms. He was looking at me in shock when I felt a large hand pick me up, and Bilbo was handed to the other trolls.

I writhed and tried to free myself from the troll called William, but he just squeezed me. I gasped and instead of going limp, which is what he expected, I bit him on the webbing between his thumb and hand. He dropped me, and I hit the ground running. I almost made it to Bilbo when William had grabbed me again, and he set me down near the fire but just as quick as I was down he set a giant pot on top of me. 

I started lifting it up, unable to stand up straight, he sat on it. I know because it sank half a foot into the ground. "Let me out you big blockheads!" I shouted at them and heard some movement and chuckling.

"Now why would we let the songbird go?" What. Songbird? "What do you mean songbird?" More laughter, and a debate on  how to cook everyone started. Wait I remember from one of the Hannibal movies that cooking songbirds was a delicacy. And Hannibal had inclined that a woman was a songbird waiting to be cooked. That is so sexist, I am going to get those trolls.

Bilbo was telling the trolls that the dwarves have parasites, and I heard the trolls getting into a fight when Gandalf's voice shouted from somewhere nearby. "The dawn will take you all!" There was a disturbance in the air, and the sound of stone on stone and then cheering. 

"Gandalf? I need a spot of help." There was some digging noises and I saw the pot lift some, I ran over and helped push it up. Soon I was surrounded by everyone and there were some comments about songbird. I explained what the trolls meant, or rather what I think they meant by the nickname.

Thorin was speaking with Gandalf, and I looked around for Bilbo. I found him sitting on a rock, staring at the piece of paper in his hands. I sat on the ground next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So how do you feel?" He looked at me and grinned. "Well I wasn't squashed or eaten, so excellent." I laughed and poked the paper.

"What is on that paper?" He looked at it then handed it to me. "Oh. The drawing I left you." It was an old picture I drew of Bilbo, he held Sting in his hands and the sword was partially buried in Smaug's heart. His face was grinning and I depicted him as if he was the conqueror of all evil. The picture had helped me through some emotional times, and I left it for him so he could see the courage within.

I was smiling softly, and I remembered that in order for Bilbo to make it he has to have Sting. Which happens to be in the troll cave, if memory is on my side. "Bilbo do you think the trolls might have had a cave?" Gandalf and Thorin were standing behind me, but I didn't know until they both replied. "That indeed may be the case." Gandalf turned to Thorin as I hung from the branch of a tree, I had managed to leap into and get stuck upside down.

"It might be worth checking out." Thorin agreed. He and the other dwarves set out to find said cave, and I wiggled out of the tree. Back on the ground I followed Bilbo and Gandalf, whistling a few notes. I'm a terrible whistler, I learned from the sparrows that lived in the trees above the bus stop. So my broken whistling sounds like birds greeting the dawn.

Thorin called for us and we followed his voice to a stinking cave half in the ground. "It smells like burnt dung in here." I unrolled the collar of my turtleneck and pulled it over my face, it reached far enough to cover my nose. Thorin was watching as the others put gold into a chest and buried it. I looked around and nudged Gandalf who followed my gaze to a basket holding two swords.

The other dwarves left to gather our stuff, but Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo and I stayed. Gandalf picked up the two swords, and I looked around for Sting. I spotted it and called Bilbo over, he walked over and I picked the elvish sword up. "This looks like it was made for a Hobbit." I whispered so he could hear. 

I handed him the sword, and we began walking out. Gandalf and the others all stood outside, and I was acting all chill to seem impressive when I tripped and fell on my face. "Ouch." I picked myself up and looked for what I tripped on, in the dirt was the edge of something made of leather. "What the?" I dug a little more to reveal a black scabbard.

It was another elvish sword, and I sat there staring at it for a moment when Gandalf called my name.  I walked out holding the sword in awe, and Gandalf stopped me. "Where did you get that?" I pulled the blade free, the sound making a peculiar ringing noise. The thin blade was darker than the sky at midnight, and a halfmoon was carved into it. There wasn't any sign of a name, and I admired the sharp edges of the pristine sword.

"What will you call it?" I thought for a bit before answering.