Unwanted Attractions

Chapter 8

The next morning the Company woke up to a sunny day and no clouds in sight. Fili looked over to where Bilbo was and noticed Rosa gathering her things. He was happy and a little shocked that she listen to his advice on sticking around.
As the company starts their journey again Fili slowed down to ride next to Rosa gaining some odd looks from the others especially from Thorin.
"Nice to see you had taken my advice on staying."
"Well, you had a point. I'd have to admit." Rosa tells him finding herself smiling
Fili smiles opening his mouth to say something but closes it as they hear Thorin call for him. Fili slightly frowns "I will talk to you later, Rosa."
"I know." She smiled nodding towards Thorin "You better hurry before Thorin blows."
He slightly smiling riding up to Thorin.

Later in the day, the company arrives at an old, abandoned farmhouse that is in ruins. "We'll camp here for the night." Thorin tells them getting off his pony "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."
"Oin, Gloin."
"Aye?"
"Get a fire going," Thorin says walking over to the burned down house
As everyone unpacks their ponies Rosa notices Gandalf and Thorin talking in the burned-down house. Curious about what they were discussing about she started moving closer but stops thinking over her actions then realized, that none of the dwarves wouldn't care where she went, but Bilbo would. So she just tells him she'll be back then sneaks off. As she got closer she starts to hear Thorin and Gandalf more clearly.
"Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father." Rosa heard Thorin as she hides in the shadows listening
"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."
"I did not know that they were yours to keep."
Gandalf stomps off angrily. Rosa stares at Thorin shocked but not surprised at what just happened. She sighed quietly sneaks back.
"Is he coming back?" She hears Bilbo asks Blain once she's back, Balin looks at him unsure.

Later that night, Rosa goes out to where Fili and Kili are watching the ponies carrying two bowls of soup for them. When she gets there and tries to give them the bowls they just stare out into the dark.
"What's the matter, guys?" Rosa asks when she noticed the two aren't taking the bowls
"We're supposed to be looking out for the ponies."
"Only we've encountered a slight problem."
"And that being?" She asked looking at the ponies
"We had eighteen."
"Now there's sixteen."
They all examine the group of ponies.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing," Kili tells her
"Well, that's not good. Not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin about this?"
Fili waves his hand at her question "Uhh, no. Let's not worry him. As one of our official burglars, we thought you might like to look into it."
Rosa looks around and sees some trees recently uprooted and laying on the ground. "Well, uh..., it seems that some--something big and strong must have uprooted these trees.
"That was our thinking."
"Um, yes something very big, and possibly quite dangerous."
"Hey! There's a light. Over here!" Fili motions towards the light "Stay down."
The three of them quietly run through the forest toward the light Fili has seen, they hide behind a log when they realize that it is a fire. Harsh laughter sounds from near the fire.
"What is it?" Rosa asked a little concerned
"Trolls," Kili tells her
Fili and Kili run toward the fire; Rosa follows them, they hide behind a tree and sees a massive mountain troll walking toward the fire, carrying a pony under each arm.
"One of you give me a knife or something sharp please," Rosa said holding her hand out towards the brothers
They tilted their heads "What why?"
"Well I'm going to try and free our ponies" she shakes her hand "So weapon. Now. Please."
Fili sighed giving her a small dagger.
"If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl," Fili tells her as she walks away

She walks slowly towards the trolls campsite and sees the ponies as she walked closer they start making noises "Sh, hey now you're going to give me away," she whispers trying to release them. One of the trolls sees her and picks her up "Hey, put me down. you. big. ugly. troll."
"Well look what we've got here. Are there any more of you 'iding where you shouldn't?"
"Ye... no."
"She's lying."
"No, I'm not!"
"Hold her toes over the fire. Make her squeal."
Fili suddenly runs out of the bushes and cuts William in the leg, making him howl and fall down. "Alright, drop her!"
"You what?"
"I said, drop her."
Tom the troll holding Rosa throws her at him; landing on him, knocking them both down. Then the rest of the Company charges out of the bushes yelling and brandishing their weapons. They begin fighting the trolls, hacking, slashing, and hammering their legs. As the dwarves fight, Rosa manages to crawl over to the ponies and uses Fili's dragger to finally cut the ropes, freeing them. Tom, seeing this, grabs her. The dwarves stop fighting when they see two of the trolls holding Rosa by the arms and legs.
"Rosa!" Bilbo shouts trying to run to her but Bofur stops him "No!"
"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip her's off."
Bilbo looks at Rosa worried, Thorin looks at her in frustration, then plants his sword in the ground. The others follow suit by dropping their weapons.