Chapter 21
Escape in Barrels

Nori helped me get my weapons on with Orcist strapped to my back as Bilbo started unlocking the cell doors. He unlocked ours and we quickly stepped out. Nori kept an arm wrapped around me. The dwarves started walking in a direction.

"The stairs. You first. Ori!" Dwalin said.

"Not that way, down here. Follow me." Bilbo said. Bilbo leads us through the Realm. We whisper and Nori kept me close to his side with Dori in front and Ori on my other side. I soon realize we were in the wine cellar. I raised an eyebrow. We were led further in.

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

"You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur said.

"I know what I'm doing!" Bilbo said.

"Will you shut up and trust him for once." I snapped.

"Shh!" Thorin said. We come into a large room where there were several barrels.

"Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly." Bilbo said.

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

"No, no, they won't, I promise you. Please, please, you must trust me!" Bilbo said. The dwarves grumbled. I turned hearing commotion.

"Thorin." I whisper.

"Do as he says!" Thorin said. Nori helped me get in a barrel. He kissed my forehead.

"I'll be right below you." Nori said. I nod as Nori disappeared. I stuck my head out and the other dwarves did the same thing as Bilbo passes us, counting.

"What do we do now?" Bofur asked.

"Hold your breath." Bilbo said.

"Wait what?!" I ask. Bilbo pulled the lever and I let a yelp of surprise as the floor tilted up and I felt my barrel roll with the others. I heard splashes and closed my eyes as I plunged deep into the cold water.

"Ella. Ella!" Nori's voice came. I came up to see Nori holding my barrel. I chuckled at his messed up wet hair. He smirked as he touched my check.

"Wait. Bilgo!" I yell.

"We're waiting for him, lass." Dwalin said. I heard a splash and saw Bilbo come out of the water near Nori's barrel. Nori grabs him and helps him get on his barrel.

"Well done, Master Baggins." Thorin said. I shot Bilbo a smile.

"Go." Bilbo said, waving his hand in thanks.

"Come on, let's go." Thorin said. I start paddling with my hands as the dwarves did the same. I saw sunlight in the distance. "Hold on!" Barrels started disappearing and I saw a waterfall. I let out a squeak as we are plunged into the rapids. I run my fingers in my hair to pull hair out of my face. A horn in blown. I swore in elvish. We were caught. I saw metal gate close to block us from going further. "NO." Thorin grabs the bars and pushes on the gate. Our barrels pile into each other. I saw the elven guards draw their swords, but one suddenly falls and I see an arrow sticking out of its back. I turned to see orcs start emerging from the trees and guardpost, killing the elves. I pulled my sword out.

"Watch out! Those are orcs!" Bofur said.

"Slay them all!" Bolg yells in the black speech. Orcs jump at us and I nearly get knocked out of my barrel by one. I stab it right through the chest. I jump out of the barrel and onto the ledge with ease.

"ELLA!" Nori yelled. I ignored him as orcs came running at me.

"Not my day to die, buddies." I said as I slashed and killed them one by one.

"Kili!" Dwalin calls. I saw Kili coming to help out of the corner of my eye as Dwalin tosses him a sword from one of the elves or orcs. Nori looked mad that I was not in my barrel.

"ESTELLA!" A familiar voice yelled. I spun and saw an elf with long blonde hair and instead of green eyes, they were brown. He was aiming an arrow right at me that was an orcs arrow.

"Byron." I said. The arrow was shot and a body slammed into me. I hit the ground as Kili groaned in pain.

"Kili!" Fili and I yell as he collapses. I ran to him.

"Ella. I'm sorry." Kili said.

"You won't be when I'm done with you." I said.

"ELLA!" Dwalin and Nori yelled. I turned to see and orc running at us, but an arrow flies into its head. I see Tauriel coming out to help us. I push Kili towards the side.

"The lever." Kili said.

"I got it. Get to your brother and get the dwarves to go. I'll join shortly." I said. Kili fell towards the barrels as I grab the lever and pull. I watch as all the barrels floated away.

"Kill the She-Elves." Bolg yells in the black speech. Legolas and other elves soon join us. I help with the fighting.

"You have Orcist. Why?" Legolas asks in elvish.

"Do we have to go over this AGAIN!" I yell angrily.

"After them!" Bolg yells in the black speech and the orcs and Byron run after the dwarves. I run with Tauriel and Legolas along the shore after the orcs as they go after the dwarves. I pulled Orcist into my hand as we killed orcs as we ran. I spun with ease and killed four at once.

"Again. This sword in my kins and I'm giving it to the right owner." I said. Legolas gave me a glare as he jumped hard and fast over the river and landed on Dwalin and Bofur's head and started shooting arrows at the orcs. He jumped to other dwarfs heads and I ran and jumped. I landed easily on Dwalin's head, balancing with one foot.

"Lass!" Dwalin said.

"Sorry. THORIN." I said, throwing Orcist and he caught it, sending me a smile as I bend back with flexibility, pulling my bow out and started shooting orcs as they came. I jumped and flip landing on Fili's head and jumped while I shot orc as I went jumping from dwarf to dwarf. I saw Nori and he held his arms out for me. I put my bow back on my back. I jumped and Nori caught me, putting me in his barrel.

"Love. You do that again and I will tie you down to our bed when we reach Erebor and not let you leave." Nori said, pulling me against his chest.

"I love to see you try." I said with a smirk. I saw a twinkle in Nori's eyes as he kissed me. I saw Thorin toss an axe at an orc that was attacking Legolas. We went through the rapids. I kissed Nori's check as we drifted to a slow.

"Anything behind us?" Thorin asked.

"Not that I can see." Balin said.

"I think we've outrun the orcs." Bofur said.

"Not for long, we've lost the current." I said.

"Bofur is half drown." Dwalin said.

"Make for the shore! Come on, let's go." Thorin said. Nori and I work together and get us to the shore. Kili fell out of the barrel and onto the rocks, yelling in pain. I was out of the barrel in an instant and run over to my friend with Fili.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." Kili said.

"You're in pain." I said.

"Its nothing." Kili said. Fili and I shared a look.

"On your feet." Thorin said.

"Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili said.

"There's an orc pack on our tail, we keep moving." Thorin said.

"Don't you care for your nephew. He'll injure his leg more if we don't do something with it." I said.

"To where?" Balin asked.

"To the mountain, we're so close." Bilbo said. I facepalmed, because I was so frustrated with these dwarves.

"A lake lies between us and the mountain. We have no way to cross it." Balin said.

"So then we go around." Bilbo said.

"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves except for Thorin, Ella, and Nori." Dwalin said.

"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." Thorin said. Fili and I got to work binding his leg. Nori hovered close to me. A shadow suddenly falls on us and Nori pulls me to my feet and shoves me behind him as Dwalin jumps in front of Ori with a stick in his hand. He raises the branch and the man shoots his arrow that embeds itself in the middle of the branch as Dwalin charges. Kili holds up a rock to throw but the man shoots the rock out of his hand too. I clutch the back of Nori's tunic.

"Do it again, and you're dead." The man said.

AN: And I end it there. I'll update as soon as I can. Till next time. :)