Arranged Fate

A/N- This chapter will be two sided for most of it. Hoping this chapter was worth the wait everyone, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I really am.

Disclaimer- I don't own the Hobbit 'or Lord of the Rings, but man do I own my OC's and the story in this.

'thoughts'

'Khudzul'

Please root for the boys as they rescue their girls!

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Chapter 10:

Delving Deep

-Far Underground in Erebor-

With shaking hands Ochre dabbed at Falin's forehead. The other had come down with a fever late the night before and with the poor conditions they had been kept in, she was surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

She was worried about her friend, it had been far too long since either of them had been able to bathe properly. Looking over at one of their captors, Ochre spoke in a pleading tone. "Please, my friend is sick. She needs clean clothes and water. If we mean that much to your lord it would be in your best interest to keep us both healthy."

The dwarf who was currently assigned to watch them narrowed his eyes, he didn't speak but Ochre could tell her words had effected him. Considering that both of them were female as well as in the condition they both were, she knew that was a big reason he would listen to her. Their culture just worked that way, the women and children were to be protected. She just wished he would have released them but it seemed his sense of duty to his lord was stronger than his cultural sense.

The dwarf left them without a word, returning a good half hour later with a large bowl of steaming water and a waterskein. A rag was drapped over the edge of the bowl, he reached it out to her and said, "this is all 'ya get. Be happy we 'ave this much."

Ochre didn't even hesitate, she took the offered bowl and set it on the floor next to her friend. "Thank you all the same for this, even such a small thing is a blessing." She took the waterskein and bowed her head to the dwarf. She then turned to her friend and began the painstaking proccess of bathing her as best she could considering their curcomstances.

-In another part of Erebor-

Wringing her hands, Dis stared at the emptiness of the room before and around her. She knew her brother and sons would be returning today, the raven they'd sent had informed her of such. That didn't mean she would be able to wait paitently.

The newest information that had been gathered on this particular tunnel was anything if not discouraging, it was a very old and very deep tunnel. This made it extremrly unstable, there had even been a small earthslide when her men had scouted it out the last time. She knew they didn't have the luxuary of time in this situation.

It had been almost a year now since the abduction and even she was loosing what little paitience she had with Dain. He had been approaching her these last few months for a settlement, always the same one too. She had to make Fili marry one of his daughters and the hostages will be returned. Everytime she'd turned him down, growing angrier and more determined to make Dain pay each time.

Standing she began to pace her sitting room, a path she'd paced many times over the last few months. There even was a wear mark in the floor. As she was about to contimplate having the floor replaced, she heard a loud knocking at the door to her chambers.

"Come in!" She started to sit down when in walked her son, her eldest, Fili. Within a split second, maybe less she was across the room and embracing her son. He returned to embrace before stepping asside to let her pull Kili into her arms as well. Gripping them both by their beards, Dis tugged their heads down low enough so that she could kiss them both on the forehead.

"My boys, my Bannô. Welcome home, now where is that brother of mine?" She felt a poke in the back and remembering an instance like this when they were young, Dis slammed her elbow backwards, making sure to hit hard.

Hearing the grunt behind her, Dis turned with her hands upon her hips. "About time you showed up Thorin. Things haven't exactly gone well here, we need to move quickly or else we could loose Ochre and Falin." Fili and Kili gripped her shoulders hard, "explain what you mean Amad, how could we loose them?" Fili's voice was hard.

Dis sighed as she finally sat down, she pulled out the much folded and re-folded map that had been provided to her by Balin. It was a map that had been drawn of all the tunnels and mines throughout all of Erebor. She'd spent so much time looking at it and going over it that there were many tunnels, paths, and mines that she'd marked off.

She pointed at a large cavern that had several tunnels that branched off from it, as well as a few mines labeled as unstable. Some of the tunnels were marked off the map as well, Dis looked at the three men around her and let out a deep sigh. "I've sent men into each of these tunnels and had no luck, then just a few months past we encountered a group of Dain's men headed down this path."

Dis stabbed her finger at the tunnel entrance to a mine labeled unstable. "This is where they caused a collapse and killed some of their men with our own. It is still quite unstable but I've been having men clear away what debris they can."

Thorin looked to Fili and Kili before he pulled out the map that Lady Vrain had given them, he laid it down on the table next to the map Dis had. All four of them looked it over and saw the exact same thing, the maps were identical. "Where did you get this map Thorin?" "From Dain's wife. This was the map that he probably used to get through Erebor's underground."

Kili cursed as he whirled, moving to the doorway he shouted into the hallway. "Dwalin! I know your here somewhere!" Moments later he heard the footfalls as the large dwarf approached, he was followed by a few others. Once Dwalin reached him Kili waved him inside before turning and walking back over to stand next to his brother.

"We are going in and none of you will stop me. I will find Ochre, even if I have to fight my way through each and every one of those traitors." Kili's voice was deep with intent. Fili gripped his brothers shoulder and nodded his head in agreement, Dwalin looked from one face to another before he finally seemed to understand what had happened.

"Milord's and Milady, I have two dozen men ready to go into the tunnels. You have but to say the word." His words were just what Kili needed to hear, he looked to his uncle and seeing the grave determination in his eyes he turned back to Dwalin. "The word is given, we enter this tunnel now!"

-Back in the underground-

Feeling worn and sore, Ochre sat upon the cot that she and Falin had been provided. Falin lay upon it, sleeping fitfully. Ochre had done all that she could with what they had, it was all in Mahal's hands now. She closed her eyes and was begining to drift off when she heard the approach of a guard.

Looking up she saw that she'd been mistaken, there wasn't one guard but three. They all looked rather grave, "what is it?" Ochre stood slowly, her back aching and narrowed her eyes in suspision. Something wasn't making sense, 'why so many guards?'

The one in the lead, the same one whom had fetched her the water and cloth earlier spoke before she could speak again. "We are moving you to a different part of the chamber, come without a fight, we have no wish to harm you."

Ochre blinked at that, more than a little confused but she moved to help lift Falin. "Stop! Do not touch her, we cannot have you catching her illness, though we've already delayed sepperating you two too long. Her sickness cannot be given a chance to spread." Those words had Ochre planting her feet, "no, I refuse. I will not leave her without anyone to care for her."

The guard shook his head and waved the other two forward, Ochre realized too late what they were going to do and they'd already hefted her by her arms. She struggled as much as she was able, considering her possition before finally giving in to the inevitable and let them take her accross the cavern. She could only hope she'd done enough to help Falin break her fever, if not she would only get worse and Ochre hoped she would be able to hold on.

'At the entrace to the tunnels-

Dwalin was hard pressed to keep back the princes', both Fili and Kili were moving with blind determination and naught much else. This alone was enough to have him on edge, he couldn't aford to let them blunder off. Expecially in an unstable area like this one.

He quickly barked orders at two of the three groups of men he'd brought with them, he sent one to 'escort' Fili and the same with Kili. The rest he kept with himself and Thorin, they all gathered together to take one last long look at the map before setting out down the tunnel. It hadn't been fully scouted after all, but an order was an order and Balin understood the pain both princes' were going through.

Dis had remained behind with the lady Vela, they were taking this time to prepare for the return of Ochre and Falin. Thorin called everyone's attention to himself and spoke gravely. "We must each be ready if we find the women, I want to know the moment this occurs. Word must be past between all three of our groups, am I understood?"

His eyes flashed between Fili and Kili with those last words and both grumbled out their agreement. "Good. Now, Fili take this side and Kili this one." He pointed to the corresponding spots on the map, he wanted to make sure they covered as much ground as possible so spliting up was the best available option they had at the moment.

"Dwalin and I will cover here and here. The moment you see Dain's men, stop and pass the word back to the rest of us. Then we all with converge on that spot, we don't want a single man getting out to warn Dain. Let's move." Thorin rolled up the map and watched as Fili and Kili moved off, "I hope we find 'em quick Thorin. I donna trust this tunnel to hold up to so much activity."

Nodding Thorin clasped Dwalin upon the shoulder, "this is my hope as well. Let us be off."

-In the underground-

Groaning at her persisting back pain, Ochre paced back and forth. She'd been moved alright, right into a rather large cage. She could walk from one end of it to the other in less then twenty steps and all that sat within it was a cot.

'At least I can still see Falin from here, her color looks better and she doesn't look to be sweating much.' This was a paltry consolation though from being sepperated, in the last eleven and a half month's she'd grown quite fond of her future sister-in-law. She hated being kept from her side when she needed help.

Knowing this would just wind her back up into a proverbial tizzy, Ochre took a moment to look over the dwarves that were keeping them here. She could see the main one she'd spoken with as well as a dozen others, half of which were guarding the fake wall that hid the only entrance into the rather large cavern they were in.

Not long after being brough here, they had collapsed or blocked off the other four entrances, making a choke point out of the only remaining way in or out. A smart move, she had to admit. It would just make it harder for their men to find them.

Ochre bit back tears at the thought of Kili. She missed him fiercely, wished she could just melt into his strong arms and know she was safe. This had her sighing once more, wishes wouldn't rescue her or Falin. But there was nothing she could do to free herself or her friend.

Early on in their emprisonment, Ochre had decked one of the guards, breaking his nose and had made a run for it. She hadn't gotten very far before some of the guards in the tunnel came rushing in to subdue her. Female or not, they weren't exactly gentle in their handling of her. It had take a week for the bruise on her upper arm from their rough treatment to fade. She'd kept trying to escape every chance she got though.

One thing she'd also noticed rather early on was that Dain, whom she knew without a doubt was behind this kiddnapping, never came to see his capitves. Never once in the entire time they'd been here. She wondered if it was because he was afraid of getting trapped down here or he didn't wish to sully his hands with the dirty work.

They were running out of time. She'd heard the guards speaking of unstable tunnels and had felt the aftershocks of a couple collapsing as well. It didn't bode well for them traped as they were.

-With Kili-

Moving with one thought in the forefront of his mind, Kili had almost missed a turn in the path. It was leading him closer to the cavern on the map, he could see the tunnel widening out and stalagtites and stalagmites forming. A sure sign of a larger area nearby.

One of the men with him had moved ahead just a few feet ahead came to a sharp stop and waved silently for the others to as well. Kili hugged the side of the tunnel as he moved up behind the stopped dwarf. As if sencing him, the other spoke very softly. "There are two guards up ahead, they are spaced in front of what looks to be a solid wall. Deffinitely dwarrow from the Iron hills Milord."

Kili squeezed the dwarf's shoulder before relaying the sighting those behind him, without even needing to ask or issue a command, the man in the rear turned and took off back the way they had come to inform the other's of their discovery. Kili knew at this point all he could do was wait and that had become the hardest thing to do.

Within a few long minutes, to his great relief, Fili, Dwalin, and Thorin came creaping up. Followed closely by their groups, Kili steeled himself for the coming battle and it would be a battle, of that he was sure. The two guards seemed nervous, they kept glancing about as if expecting something. Fili shifted as he whispered, "I think we've been made."

Thorin and Kili shot him matching glares before they watched more guards move to stand before the 'wall' they were guarding. Cursing under his breath, Kili looked at his uncle who after a moment gave a nod. That was all that he needed, sliding free his bow he fired off three arrows in quick succession.

Even as the three he'd struck began to fall, Fili lead the rest of them in a charge towards the remaining guards. Kili charged in after him and after a brief battle they had either subdued the guards or outright killed them. It was more than enough to gain them the ground they needed.

Once things had been settled for the moment Thorin took a moment to examine the wall before them and saw that it wasn't a wall after all. He looked to Dwalin, "this wall is a decoy, gather the men then we break through." As Dwalin called all their men back, Thorin turned to speak to his nephew's when they both ran past him towards the 'wall.'

"Wait!" But his shout was too late, Fili and Kili flew at the wall and went right through it. This had the other's rushing after them, determined to keep their princes' safe. Once inside the cavern, Thorin moved to help his nephew's up when he glanced up and froze at what he saw.

Fili shook off the rubble attop him and stood, seeing his uncle's stunned expression he looked in the same direction and froze as well. He couldn't believe his eyes. Kili coughed at the dust in the air as he got up as well, he looked between Fili and his uncle in confusion when he heard it.

"Kili..."

A/N- Yes it's a cliffhanger, yes I ended it here on purpose. I do hope this chapter was worth the wait though. The next chapter is already started, so I will do my best to update it soon.

Khudzul words are below-

Bannô- Treasure

Amad- Mother

I hope you all keep enjoying my work. Thank you all for your continued support.

May the Fluff Be with You!

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