Everyone and everything has a time to die.

road was a sloppy mess, it had begun raining just moments after the company had awakened and packed. Their clothing was soaked and they all appeared cold and tired, none looked more miserable than Bilbo. Arethusa, however, quite enjoyed the rain. She found the way the drops of water kissed her skin to be refreshing and welcome, Fili looked to his side as she trotted along with Mazey, almost smiling. "Fairies," the word was muttered under his breath in exasperation but Arethusa had heard him and shot the blond dwarf a scowl.

"Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" She couldn't quite recall the name of the dwarf that had spoken, she believed it was Dori but wasn't entirely sure.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." She shared a small laugh at the response and fell back to ride next to Bofur. The rain soon passed and when the sky cleared the sun was near setting. All halted on an open plain, nearby was an old farmhouse that had been burnt, nothing but pieces of the wooden frame remained along with the stone hearth.

An ill omen fell over the home, Arethusa slipped off of the back of her pony and walked next to Gandalf. Hesitantly she placed her hand on one of the wooden boards that had been charred but instantly she pull back her hand, cradling it against her chest as if it had been struck by a serpent. "I feel death here. We should move on, Gandalf. Something is amiss." Her violet eyes searched over the wizard's face as Thorin approached.

"Quite right, Arethusa." The fairy lowered her head and moved on to rejoin the rest of the dwarves. "I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf's voice projected over the mumblings of the company. Bilbo's attention was caught at the mention of Imraldis, Arethusa longed to see Elrond and Arwen again, it had been too long since she had seen them. Elrohir and Elladan she had seen while visiting with the Dúnedain Rangers.

The wizard nearly trampled over the small fairy as he stomped away from the company. "Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo trailed behind him for only a couple of steps, Arethusa did not like the thought of being left alone with all the dwarves without his company.

His reply made the fairy glower at the back of his head, "To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense."

The fairy gave Bilbo a look that said not to say anything more, but of course, he did not heed her words. "Who's that?" The curious hobbit asked.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day." As have I, Arethusa bit back in her mind. She turned and faced the company before wondering off herself, unsheathing her dirk, the fairy knelt down beside a patch of kingsfoil. Tucking the herb into her pouch, Arethusa stood and wiped off her hands before looking up at the canopy of trees only to see red fruits with shining skins. Apples. The branch was too far above her head, had Gandalf been nearby he could have easily reached one of the lower fruits.

A twig crunched to her side and on instinct she turned, holding out her small knife in warning. Dwalin stood with an armful of kindling material and long branches. "Aye, don't wander off like that lass." She nodded as he picked up a few more pieces of wood from the forest floor.

"Would you mind? I need a boost." Arethusa pointed up to the apples and rather begrudgingly Dwalin sat aside the twigs in a pile and stepped over to the lowest branch. The dwarf laced his hands together and nodded for the fairy to step up. Her foot was so small and delicate within his hand he feared she would break, but she latched onto the branch and scaled the tree until reaching the ripened fruit.

Some she picked and some she stuffed into her sack, others fell to the ground and at a peculiar sound she looked down to see the dwarf giving her a dirty look, one had fallen on his head. "Sorry." With three more apples picked she hopped down from branch to branch, landing gracefully on her feet. "Thank you." A gruff noise came from his throat.

Dwalin turned to gather the firewood back up into his arms and Arethusa stuffed the fruits into her bag, already biting into one. It was dark when the pair returned to the gathering, Bilbo was being sent off to give Kili and Fili their ration of supper. There was little space around the fire but she sat between Thorin and Bifur on a flat stone. "Why did you not go with the wizard?" The question came as a surprise.

Arethusa looked around at the dwarves and lifted her eyes to meet Thorin's, they were bluer now, with more warmth than she had ever seen before. "My place is here now." The reply was low, only Thorin could hear it.

"You owe us no loyalty." There was something in his voice she could not make out but it suited him. The warmth of the fire kissed her skin in a way the sun could not, she pulled her cloak around herself tighter.

"I know, but I made a promise. Fairies do not break their promises. Thorin, I-" He was completely absorbed in her words but what she was to speak next was lost when Kili and Fili came barreling out of the woods. "Trolls! They've got the ponies!" The company was on their feet in seconds, grabbing up their swords and axes.

Arethusa picked up her bow and quiver before catching Fili by the sleeve. "Where is Bilbo?!" His eyes widened as he looked down at the fairy, her expression nothing less than fierce.

"We sent him to get the ponies out," Kili responded and with an exasperated groan, Arethusa knocked each of the brothers on the back of their heads.

"You fools! How do expect a hobbit to fight trolls?" She was storming off to find Bilbo before Thorin could tell her to fall back and look for the wizard. The Kili ran out of the woods and into the clearing first, demanding that the three fat trolls release the hobbit and they did. One of them tossed poor Bilbo atop Kili as the remaining dwarves ran with swords raised into the clearing.

Arethusa scaled one of the trees with lower branches and perched on the bough closest to the commotion. She pulled an arrow from the quiver and drew back the string, her sight set on the trolls' eyes and neck. The arrow caught the heavy jowls of one and with a howling hoot he pulled it out and searched for where it had come from, the fairy remained hidden behind the leaves. Thorin and Balin had seen her though and they fought harder. She had the last arrow drawn back when two of the trolls gripped onto Bilbo's arms and legs, spreading them out in midair. "Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off."

Immediately her bow lowered and after a second's hesitance, Thorin drove his sword into the ground but not without frustration, the rest of the dwarves did the same. She stayed out of sight, watching as half of the company was tied to a wooden spit and strung above the fire in nothing but their undergarments, the others, including Bilbo, had been wrapped up in canvas bags. Arethusa knew she had to buy time, the sun was their only hope. Drawing in a breath, she stood on the branch and aimed at one of the troll's knees, when the arrow was released she slipped back behind the leaves and thick trunk, the shrill howl of pain permeated the discussion on how best to cook the dwarves.

"There's still one of those boogers out there." Bilbo saw the sky blue fletching on the arrow and knew who it belonged to, wiggling to stand he hopped over from the rest of the bound group. The fairy slipped down the tree, landing silently on her feet. One of her arrows was nearby and in a flash she had recovered it and notched it again, this time aiming at one of the ropes that were pressed against wood holding the dwarves to the roasting spit. The metal tip wedged itself into the wood but did not sever the rope, she had been spotted, though. "What's that o'er there?"

The fairy lowered her head, set aside her bow, and unsheathed her dirk. The sun was rising, they would need just a few more moments. She stood from behind the brush and thicket. The bound dwarves followed the trolls' gaze. "And what do you think yer doing?" One of the trolls leaned forward on his seat and poked her firmly in the chest, she stumbled back and fell to the ground at the force. Then she was lifted into the air by her ankle and shaken about, the pouch on her hip slipped off over her head but she held tightly to her small blade, slicing at the large fingers that held her.

The troll tossed her atop all the dwarves at the stinging pain. She landed with a dull thud atop Thorin. "Arethusa, no." Bilbo wiggled and hopped over to his friend as she rolled off the dwarf.

She looked up at the lightening sky, "The sun, Bilbo, stall them." The pain in her ankle was enough to tell her it had been injured when she reached forward to touch the tender skin it had already swollen within her boot. The hobbit finagled his way with the dwarves until Gandalf came to stand atop a large boulder. "The dawn will take you all."

Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, splitting it in half and allowed the morning sunlight to pour into the clearing. Sunlight touched the trolls' skin and they began turning into stone with loud screams and howls of pain until the sounds stopped and only stone statues were left.

The fairy hobbled to a log before sitting down on the splintery surface while the dwarves resituated themselves. Thorin and the wizard were speaking to each other when Ori came to sit next to Arethusa. "You can lean on me." As he spoke he looked down at her ankle, the bruise was ugly and peeking out of the top of her boot. She knew that it would be best if few knew of the injury else she would be considered a burden and hindrance to the quest, even if it was sustained while trying to save the stubborn dwarves.

"Thank you, Ori." The troll hoard was several fathoms away, nestled down in the ground with a terrible stench surrounding the opening. The pungent odor made Arethusa stumble back in shock as she neared the opening. A handful of the company descended into the depths of the cave, Thorin included. Ori and Dori had helped the fairy off her horse, the only other to take notice was Kili but he grinned at the petite member of the company with the twinkle of youth in his eyes.

"Arethusa! Bilbo! Come." Gandalf strode from the hoard with two swords in hand and one strapped to his belt that had not been there before. To the hobbit he presented a short blade imprinted with elvish designs, Arethusa could tell by the way the metal glimmered it was elvish. The wizard placed a blade, slightly larger than Bilbo's, in her hands. She withdrew it from its sheath and held it up to the sun. With a hilt of dark polished wood and golden inlays of vines and an amber gem at the pommel, the silver sabre shone in the light. It was elvish as well and she knew where it had come from. Rivendell.