Chapter 9: Barrels Out of Bond

The day after the battle with the spiders Dawn and the dwarves made one last despairing effort to find a way out before they died of hunger and thirst. They got up and staggered on in the direction which eight out of the thirteen of them guessed to be the one in which the path lay; but they never found out if they were right. Suddenly sprang the light of many torches all round them, like hundreds of red stars. Out leapt Wood-elves with their bows and spears and called them to halt.

There was no thought of a fight. Even if the dwarves had not been in such a state that they were actually glad to be captured, their small knives, the only weapons they had, would have been of no use against the arrows of the elves that could hit a bird's eye in the dark.

Dawn walked to the front of the dwarves and held up her amulet. "Do you recognize this?"

One of the wood-elves nodded. "Yes, my lady."

"Take us to whom you answer to," Dawn said.

The elves bound and blindfolded the dwarves in a long line, one behind the other and led them off. Only Dawn was left unbound and unblindfolded.

Dawn followed them into a cavern. The dwarves were led off in one direction, she in another. Soon she stood in front of Thranduil, the ruler of the wood-elves.

"Who do we have here?" he asked.

"I am Ariel," Dawn said as she held up her amulet. "Daughter of Elrond of Rivendell."

"My Lady," Thranduil said. "What were you doing in the company of dwarves? Were you their prisoner?"

"No," Dawn said. "I was not their prisoner. I accompany them on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug. A quest that is approved of by my father, Elrond of Rivendell."

"And why was I not informed by Elrond that you intended to travel this way on your route to Erebor?" Thranduil asked.

"Events beyond our control led us astray," Dawn said. "After leaving my father's company. We were waylaid by goblins in the mountain pass. Then we were led astray by the fires in the woods. We would not have left the path if not for hunger."

"The fires you mention were made by my people," Thranduil said. "And we did not know your intentions."

"I apologize," Dawn said. "But if your people had not doused their fires so hastily we would have explained ourselves."

Thranduil nodded and then turned to an elf at his side. "Legolas take Lady Ariel to a room so that she can eat and rest. And make sure the dwarves are fed and watered as well." He looked back at Dawn. "We will continue this discussion tomorrow after you have rested."

Legolas led Dawn out of the hall and down a corridor.

"May I ask," Dawn said. "You look …"

"Like my father," Legolas said. "Yes, Thranduil, king of the woodland elves is my father."

Dawn stopped and looked at Legolas. "Tell me, Legolas. Does your father have a hatred towards dwarves?" she asked.

"Yes," Legolas said as he stopped and looked at Dawn. "But only because he fears that should the dwarves manage to wrest the Lonely Mountain away from Smaug that they would claim what is rightfully ours. There are treasures that Smaug has taken that belong to us."

"You don't share his opinion," Dawn said.

"No," Legolas said. "While there are treasures that belong to us in the Lonely Mountain. If the dwarves are honorable they would return them."

"They are honorable," Dawn said. "Please help me to free them."

Legolas thought long and hard and slowly nodded. "This way," he said as he led Dawn down another tunnel.

They came upon Thorin first.

Thorin was not the least bit surprised to find Dawn standing before his cell.

"Thorin," Dawn said as she hugged the dwarf as Legolas let him out.

"We must flee," Thorin said.

"Agreed," Dawn said.

Thorin looked to Legolas and then back at Dawn. "Can he …"

"I can be trusted," Legolas said. "I do not agree with my father's thinking. He is afraid you will claim the treasure within for yourself and not return what Smaug had stolen from us."

"And you do not think that way?" Thorin asked.

"No," Legolas said.

"I know it will put us at an odd number," Dawn said. "But since helping us, pits Legolas against his father. I would like him to accompany us on our quest."

Thorin thought about it as they released the other dwarves and then nodded. "He may come. For how can I deny your request Ms. Summers for if not for you we would likely rot in those cells."

"This way," Legolas said after a moment's thought. Dawn had been right he was sure; this would pit him against his father. "The gates will be guarded. You would never escape that way. But there is another exit. An underground stream flows beneath these caverns. It is a route we use when shipping empty barrels to a merchant downstream. If we use the empty barrels as rafts. Then we could escape that way."

"We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain!" the dwarves muttered. "We thought you had got some sensible notion, Ms. Summers when you got this lad to let us out. This is a mad idea!"

"Very well!" said Dawn very downcast, and also rather annoyed. "Go along back to your nice cells, and Legolas will lock you all in again, and you can sit there comfortably and think of a better plan. But don't suppose Legolas shall let you out again, even if he or I feel inclined to try."

That was too much for the dwarves, and they calmed down. In the end, of course, they had to do just what Legolas suggested, because it was obviously impossible for them to get past the guards in the upper halls. So following Legolas, they went down into the lowest cellars.

There was little time to lose. Before long the elves would find the dwarves gone and herself as well and come looking. And so they got enough wine barrels for the dwarves, Legolas and Dawn both would have to ride them as if they were rafts.

Only a minute or two after Balin's lid had been fitted on there came the sound of voices and the flicker of lights. A number of elves came laughing and talking into the cellars and singing snatches of song. They had left a merry feast in one of the halls and were bent on returning as soon as they could.

"Where's old Galion, the butler?" said one. "I haven't seen him at the tables tonight. He ought to be here now to show us what is to be done."

"We must hurry," Legolas whispered. "They are coming not in search of us but to do exactly what we are about to do ourselves."

Dawn pulled a level opening a trap door and she and Legolas pushed the barrels into the water. As the elves came into view from the other room they hopped through the trap door on the last two barrels.

Out they went under the overhanging branches of the trees on either bank.