Chapter 7

Barrels OUt of Bond

The next day, Bilbo Baggins walked through the Elvenking's halls. He was relieved Violet was recovered by the next day. He kept searching for the keys until one hour in the afternoon he found them. Bilbo hid and listened to them talking.

"we're running out of drink. These empty barrels should have been sent back to Esgarrouth hours ago. The bargeman will be waiting for them," Elros said as he followed Galion drinking. Elros was the captain of the guard.

"Say what you like about our ill-tempered king, but he has excellent taste in wine. Come, Elros, try it," Galion said as he drank.

"I have the dwarves and their female companion in my charge," Elros said, holding the keys.

"They're locked up; where can they go?" the Butler asked.

He took the ring of keys from ELros and hung them on a hook. Then Bilbo realised that was their way out. When he saw the two elves knocked out from too much drinking, the hobbit took the rings to free his friends.

"I'll wager the sun in on the rise," Bofur sighed, bored. "Must be nearly dawn."

Fili sighed in frustration while leaning next to the side door.

"We'll be stuck here for eternity," Violet said quietly. Thorin had his hand on her shoulder for comforting her. Violet was still weak that Thorin had to take care of her for the first four days of their capture.

"We're never gonna reach the mountain, are we?" Ori questioned from another part of the dungeon.

"Not stuck in here you're not," Bilbo said. He held up the keys in front of Thorin and Violet who both looked up. Every dwarf was at their cell door.

"Bilbo!" Balin cried. The other dwarves in fact called his name. Bilbo was startled as he inserted the key into the lock of Violet and Thorin's cell.

"Ssh! There are guards, nearby!" Bilbo hissed. He heard the key click.

"Bilbo!" Violet said in a whisper. she went into his arms and embraced him with a hug.

"If you two would be so knd to not display affection right now, we still got to get out of here," Thorin said. They sheepishly stepped away from each other. Bilbo went to Balin's next and unlocked the door. Balin chuckled at Bilbo's deed as he continued to unlock all th ecells. He looked at Violet and then at the sword he had on him.

"And my lady, I believe this is yours," Bilbo said. VIolet smiled as she strapped Orcbane back to her waist. The dwarves started going in the opposite direction Bilbo wanted them to go.

"Not that way. Down here, follow me!" Bilbo called and the other dwarves started following Bilbo and Violet down the hallways. He led them to the cellars where a bunch of barrels were being kept at and also two drunken, passed out elves.

"I don't believe it, we're in the cellars!" Kili exclaimed.

"You're supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur snapped.

"I know what I'm doing!" Bilbo snapped back but he shoved right past the Hobbit. They filled in the barrel room.

"Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly!" Bilbo told them. Dwalin shoved through the crowd of dwarves to where Bilbo, Violet, and Thorin were standing.

"Are you mad? They'll find us!" Dwalin snapped.

"No, no. They won't! I promise you. Please, please, you must trust me!" Bilbo begged.

"Bilbo, I love you like a brother, but this has to be one of the most ludicrous plans you've ever came up with, Violet said, agreeing with Dwalin. The other dwarves started arguing between themselves. Bilbo gave Thorin a pleading look. The dwarf turned and snapped, "Do as he says!"

The dwarves stopped their groaning and got into a barrel alone. Bilbo lift Vi into one on top of another dwarf. They peeked their heads out of the barrels.

"What do we do now?" Bofur asked.

"Hold your breath," Bilbo answered. Before anymore questions where asked, Bilbo pulled the lever with all of his strength. They were able to roll out successfully into the water. Bilbo turned and realized every last barrel was taken. He searched for another one, but he could not. He heard them approaching and then as he backed away, Bilbo fell into the water. He clawed at the water for finding himself when Violet grabbed onto Bilbo and had him holding on to the other side of it all.

"Need a hand?" Violet asked and Bilbo laughed at her. Nori seeing her distress actually allowed Bilbo inside his own.

"Well done, Master Baggins," Thorin appraised him. Bilbo gave him a "don't mention it" wave as Thorin demanded that they continue on with their journey. It was quite a bumpy ride that Vi had the feeling she needed to regurgitate the breakfast Thranduil had provided for them. A while back, Tauriel had to look for their prisoners. Instead, she found them gone.

The sound of the horn had echoed to the gate, which was the company's only escape route. The elven guard at the gates closed them and made the barrles clash in with each other. Looking back at the elves, an arrow hit the guards from the back. An Orc snarled as it went over the gates.

"The Orcs are upon us," Violet cried. An orc came closer ot her and she slashed it with her sword. Dwalin threw his head back and smashed the Orc on its cranium.. One orc was about to kill Nori, until Bilbo took his sword and stabbed it in the chest. Thorin never knew Bilbo had it in him when the dwarf king saw Bilbo taking sting and the Orc fall into the water, dead.

"What?"

"The lever that wil get us out fo here," Kili said. He got out of his barrel and Violet got out of the water and waded through it. She saw several orcs coming nearer. Violet ook Orcbane and slashed across the Orc's chest and the next ones leg.

"Kili! Violet" Dwalin shouted, throwing the sword to Kili. Said dwarf ha dbeheaded one of them Violet followed behind. She threw the dagger she found and killed the one about to kill him. He stopped when Kili was hit in the leg.

"Kili!" Violet shouted.

She went down to her friend who groaned in pain.

"Kili!" Fili shouted for his brother.

"Kili," Thorin said underneath his breath.

"Stay still," Violet said as she pulled the arrow out of Kili's leg, which made him cry in pain. "Sorry."

"Vi, look out!"n Kili shouted. She looked behind herself and saw the Orc approaching her and Kili . Before the hobbit could do anything, an arrow flew into its head and it dropped dead. That arrow was Tauriel's, saving Kili and Violet from that terrible fate.

"Kill her. Kill the she elf!" Bolg shouted. Orcs are coming to kill the elves.

"Come on!" Violet said.

She went to the lever and started pulling. Kili came to her aid and pulled the lever which all of them fell out. He puts Violet in his protective embrace as they jump from the balcony and into the empty barrel.

"Ow! Kili!" Violet shouted.

He looked down at her and lifted her up to his height.

"Sorry," Kili apologized as he embraced her with one arm. The barrels containing Thorina nd Company fell out the water fall and down the river. They weren't having a really good time. Most of the dwarves had tried paddling. The current was too strong for anyone to change course.

If we get through this, I'm going to strangle Bilbo! Violet snapped in her head as the water went through her nose. Taking her sword, Violet used it to kill the Orc coming towards her and Kili. Elves chased the Orcs through the trees and shot them as the went along the waters. From the side, Bombur with his container bumped into thousands of Orcs as it went down the hill. It was a wreckage by the time it made to a stop, enough for Bombur stick his appendiges out and fight the oncoming orcs.

Legolas was fast on his feet, or on the Dwarves' heads. He balanced himself on Dori's and Dwalin's heads and lept of of them, which made Dwalin sneer. On the shore, Legolas started killing orcs simultaneously. Thorin took his sword and killed the one about to kill the Elven Prince of Mirkwood.

Legolas looked back and watched as his savior and the Company go through the rivers. Unknown to the Prince, an Orc had his arrow and bow pointed at Legolas and fired it at him. Another arrow collided with the Orc's and Tauriel came out to attack it and almost kill it.

"Tauriel! Stop! Lgolas cried. "This one we keep alive."

In the High Fells, Gandalf was alone. He came through a halt in the falling rock on the walkway. He slowly walked through the tombs and carefully slid on accident and to the tomb. A bird flew through scaring the old wizard. He turned to find only his cousin, the brown wizard, Radagast the Brown

"Oh, it's YOU!" Gandalf said.

"Why am I here, Gandalf?" asked Radagast.

"Trust me, Radagast. I would not have called you here without good reason."

"This is not a nice place to meet."

"No, it is not."

"Theses are dark spells, Gandalf, old and full of hate. Who was buried here?"

"If he had a name, it's long since been lost. He would have been known only as a servant of evil. One of a number. One of nine." He took his staff and showed it down to other eight crypts. The two wizards had left the mountain.

"Why now, Gandalf? I don't understand," said the brown wizard.

"The Ringwraiths have been summoned to Dol Guldur."

"But it cannot be the Necromancer. A human sorcerer could not summon such evil."

"Who said it was human?"

"The Nine only answer to one master. We've been blind, Radagast, and in our blindness, the Enemy has returned. He is summoning his servants. Azog the Defiler is no ordinary hunter. He is a commander, a commander of legions. The enemy is preparing for war. It will begin in the east. His mind is set upon that mountain."

"Where are you going?" Radagast said as he watched Gandalf leave.

"To rejoin the others," Gandalf explained. "I started this; I cannot forsake them. They are all in grave danger."

"If what you say is true, the world is in grave danger. The power in that fortress will only grow stronger."

"You want me to cast my friends aside?"