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After securing the treasure, Kael and Gandalf prepared to search for the next troll cave. This time, however, they had a significant advantage.

"Let's see where the next group of trolls are hiding," Kael said, holding the Palantír and focusing his will upon it. Gandalf leaned in, his eyes fixed expectantly on the swirling mist within the crystal.

In an instant, a scene materialized in the sphere. What it showed, however, made both of them start in surprise.

It was Thorin and the dwarves, trussed up like pigs and slowly roasting over a fire tended by three hulking trolls. Bilbo, however, was displaying a remarkable composure. He was distracting the brutes with a constant stream of chatter, warning them that the dwarves were diseased and would make them sick, all while masterfully playing on their greed to start arguments over who would get the largest share. He was stalling for time.

Gandalf, far from being anxious, watched the scene with a pleased expression. "It seems my choice was sound," he commented with a chuckle. "Bilbo truly is the perfect burglar. His brilliance shines brightest when he is with the dwarves."

Kael was not nearly as calm. He couldn't believe that even with his presence altering events, the company had still run into the three trolls from the story. He lamented the stubborn inertia of fate, but there was no time to dwell on it.

"They can't last much longer, Gandalf!" he urged. "We have to go now!"

With the situation growing more desperate by the second, the two wizards set off at a frantic pace, the Palantír allowing them to monitor the unfolding crisis as they ran.

Before long, they arrived near the firelight. They moved slowly now, creeping behind a large boulder to survey the scene.

"What's the plan?" Kael whispered. "Do we charge in?"

"Bilbo's provocations are surprisingly effective," Gandalf observed, a note of approval in his voice as he watched the three trolls squabbling so fiercely they were on the verge of blows. "Perhaps we need to do nothing at all. They might just stall until dawn." He then added with a hopeful glance, "Of course, if you had any more of those potions…"

"I'm afraid not. I'm all out," Kael said with a shake of his head. He looked at the roasting dwarves with a flicker of grim amusement. "It seems they'll just have to suffer a bit longer."

Despite his words, his hands were already moving. He quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and Gandalf, and the two wizards crept forward, their forms melting into the night.

The trolls were still arguing, their minds so consumed with greed that they were completely oblivious to the figures sneaking up behind them.

"Confundo," Kael whispered, the sound lost in the sigh of the wind.

The three trolls went slack-jawed, their already dim wits now muddled beyond reason. A single thought dominated their minds: food. A voice, not their own, whispered a tempting promise: kill the others, and all the dwarves will be yours.

It was unclear who struck first, but in an instant, the three trolls were at each other's throats. To the dwarves' astonishment, they began to fight with savage, murderous intent, tearing up trees and hurling boulders as weapons. The clearing became a whirlwind of destruction, yet the area where Thorin and the others were tied was strangely untouched, protected by an invisible barrier that deflected the flying debris.

Realizing this, the dwarves were overjoyed. Bilbo, his eyes wide with surprise, turned his head and whispered to the empty air, "Kael, is that you?"

The battle raged until it ended in a brutal, mutual annihilation. One troll lay crushed beneath a boulder, its lifeblood seeping into the dirt. Another had an arm and a leg broken, leaving it crippled and immobile. The last, the victor, was also grievously wounded.

"Heh… mine…" the triumphant troll gargled happily. "All mine…"

Before it could finish, a flaming sword plunged through its chest, its golden fire burning the creature's heart to ash. The one holding the sword was Gandalf.

The crippled troll, seeing its companion fall, shrieked in terror and tried to hop away on its one good leg. But in the next second, two daggers shot from the darkness and buried themselves in its eyes. The troll howled in agony, now blind as well as maimed, and stumbled about like a headless fly.

"Kael, catch!" Gandalf called, tossing the sword across the clearing.

Kael caught Glamdring, its flames leaping to life in his hands. He plunged the blade into the troll's back, and its screams died in a final, shuddering gasp. He then walked to the last, unconscious troll and finished it with a single, merciful strike.

As Kael was laboriously prying his daggers from the dead troll's eyes, wiping away the thick, black blood with a grimace, Gandalf had already freed Bilbo and the dwarves. They were ecstatic, their gratitude overwhelming as they realized they had been saved. Even Thorin, ever proud, offered his solemn thanks.

"Kael, what is that?" Bilbo asked, his curiosity piqued as Kael brought over the large, black crystal ball.

"A Palantír!" Thorin exclaimed, his eyes wide with recognition. As the heir of Durin, his knowledge of ancient artifacts was vast.

Seeing he was recognized, Kael smiled and nodded. "I found it in a troll's cave. It was through this that I saw you were in trouble. Gandalf and I came as quickly as we could."

Thorin's face filled with a deep, sorrowful envy. If his people had possessed such a Stone, they might have foreseen the coming of the dragon and saved their home from ruin.

After everyone was freed, they recovered their horses, which had been captured by the trolls, along with Kael's pony, Patches, and his cart. The cart, protected by Kael's magic, was unharmed, and its contents—including a pot containing a mature Mandrake—were safe. A mature Mandrake was a potent weapon, but Kael had not yet learned the spell to block its fatal cry. For now, he could only keep it subdued with a regular Petrificus Totalus charm.

Once the Palantír was safely stowed in the cart, Kael suggested they explore the trolls' cave. He remembered from the tales that both Glamdring and Bilbo's sword, Sting, had been found there.

(End of Chapter)

***

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