Tear Me Apart- A Middle Earth Story

Sticks and Stones Won't Break These Bones

"Where did you go if I may ask?" Thorin asked Gandalf. They were walking at the front of the company of dwarves, Abigail and Bilbo close behind them.

"To look ahead." The wizard replied, looking at the shining sun through the branches. He had needed to take a break from the stubborn dwarves, only to miss them a couple of hours later.

"What brought you back?" Abigail asked, coming up beside Gandalf. Her curious eyes were gleaming with excitement, and she was too ecstatic to be mad even at the dwarf prince. She smiled at Thorin, but he looked at her sternly. That set her mood back to ordinary, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece." The warlock responded, looking at Abigail with a small smile. No one could help but be at least a little bit happy in her presence.

"Abbie, come here!" One of Thorin's nephews called to the hobbit, and she jumped over there with her bow across her back.

"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin answered Gandalf, watching the little female hobbit that he had come to respect a little bit more. She was still childish and naive, but what she had come up with earlier was very intelligent for a woman of her age.

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Gandalf replied, looking at Bilbo. To his surprise, Thorin chuckled.

"It was the girl who came up with the idea. She deserves the credit." He said, and The warlock was amused. Was the dwarf getting a soft spot for Abigail Baggins? Thorin hated the idea of a woman coming on the journey, but Gandalf had known from the beginning that there was something special with her.

"Look, there's a cave here!" Abbie exclaimed, pointing to a hole in the ground. They had left the petrified trolls only minutes ago, so she assumed that this must be where the trolls went during the day. It certainly had the same rotten egg smell as the trolls had had. She scrunched up her nose as the other dwarves came up beside her. Gandalf entered the cave first and the others then followed.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Gandalf said as Abbie looked at all the treasures. There were golden coins in there, swords, and all sorts of valuable things. She wondered what on earth the trolls would have use of that for, but had to resist the urge to touch the beautiful things.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bofur spoke, as if he had read Abigail's mind. She reached out her hand to touch a necklace, but a hand caught her arm. Thorin looked at her sternly, and she removed her hand with a glare.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel."Gloin said, and they started digging up treasures. Abbie moved towards a couple of swords, and Thorin followed close behind. There were two swords stacked up against the wall, and Abbie took one of them. This time Thorin didn't stop her, he was already examining the other one.

"These swords were not made by any troll." He muttered but with underlying curiousness. He handed it to Gandalf, who looked at the sword closely as well.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men." He said with a frown. Abigail looked at hers and noticed some inscriptions in a language she didn't know. The sword was of a beautiful silver, and her hand fit perfectly around the handle.

"These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age." Gandalf said, and Thorin put the sword back with a look of disgust. He really did hate those elves. Abbie couldn't really blame him, but she herself was amazed at how they could forge such beautiful things. Elves had always intrigued her, with their gracious ways and intelligent minds. They were all about beauty and wit.

"You could not wish for a finer blade." The wizard advised Thorin, who reluctantly took the sword once more. Huh, he wasn't that stubborn after all.