After Thorin wrote that his eyes went to Kili and under his breath he whispered,

"I'm sorry Kili..but this is best."

He rolled the note, handed it to Tauriel and that was that.

"Excuse me?"

Tauriel stopped and turned to see Erin talking to her,

"Yes? And it's Tauriel."

"Is Kahlan okay?"

Tauriel smiled,

"She is in my room safe and sound. Do not worry."

Then she left and headed back.

She kindly handed Kahlan the rolled parchment, Kahlan's heart beating against her chest.

Thoughts went running through her mind,

"Does he still love me?"

As soon as she read it, it was like her world fell apart. Her fears were confirmed and she knew it was over.

Fili put his arm around Erin,

"See? She's fine."

Erin smiled,

"Yeah I know. She's one of my best friends. I just worry about her."

Fili smiled comfortingly and said,

"I know."

After the last couple days, Kahlan wasn't broken anymore- she was angry, depressed, confused and sad- but she wasn't heart broken. For days, she and Tauriel talked about it and helped Kahlan sort out her feelings.

She had gotten really close with Tauriel and she trusted her

Meanwhile

Thorin was getting a bit impatient now,

"Ugh- where is Bilbo?"

Kili had been pacing back and forth in the cell all day.

"Uncle, I'm sure everything's fine."

Thorin looked at Kili,

"Kili I know you're upset with me but it's what's best."

Kili ignored him. All he desired to do was see her, kiss her, hold her, love on her and from the bottom of his heart- beg her forgiveness. He didn't care what his Uncle said.

Still having the ring on, Bilbo made his way down in the king's wine reserve. The elves were down there carrying cases of elvish wine for their Feast of Starlight.

One elf said,

"Say what you want about our king, he has excellent taste in wine," as he continued getting cases.

One said,

"These empty barrels can be sent back to Esgaroth."

Bilbo had happened to overhear one of the elves hang the keys on a hook and said,

"I have the dwarves in my charge."

He crouched low behind a beer barrel and waited until all elves were out, then he went for it and proceeded to quietly exit the reserve, memorizing how to get there as that reserve would be their way out.

First, he decided to go and get Kahlan, he knew she was with Tauriel.

Both girl and elf heard the knocking. Tauriel opened the door to find nobody standing there- except she felt someone kind of shove her back.

Then, he took the ring off.

"Kahlan, get your things. I'm getting you out if here."

Kahlan looked at Tauriel, who sighed, smiled and nodded her head in approval. Kahlan was sad to say goodbye to Tauriel but they both knew it had to be this way.

Tauriel knew she had to play like she was mad and going to punish but she waited until Kahlan was out of sight and until someone reported that the dwarves were missing.

As Bilbo and Kahlan made their way to the cells, she knew she would be seeing Kili! For some reason, had held onto the parchments she had gotten back from Tauriel.

As they entered the dungeons, they heard dwarves convers.

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise," Bofur said,

"Must be nearly dawn."

Ori could have cried,

"We're never gonna reach the mountain are we?"

Just then Bilbo came up with the keys and said,

"Not stuck in here you're not."

Right at that time, it was like a river of hope and joy flooded the dungeons. All the dwarves jumped up- so ready to leave Thranduil's halls.

Kahlan caught Kili's eyes from across the room but when he winked at her she looked away...

Balin excitedly cried,

"Bilbo!"

As Bilbo went about unlocking all dwarves he warned,

"Ssh! There are guards nearby!"

After every door had been unlocked, Bilbo instructed the dwarves to follow him to Thranduil's wine reserve. He knew there were empty barrels they could climb into.

There were not enough for every dwarf but he figured a couple could share a barrel.

They made their way down and Kili got a little panicked,

"I don't believe it- we're in the cellars!"

"You're supposed to be leading us out- not further in!"

Frustrated, Bilbo said,

"I know what I'm doing!"

As they came upon the empty barrels, elven guards had just learned they escaped.

"Are you mad? They'll find us."

"No no they won't. I promise you. Please, please- you must trust me. They weren't budging so BILBO m sent a pleading look to Thorin.

"Do as he says," Thorin said with urgency. So all the dwarves got into barrels. The only ones who had to share were Dwalin and Balin, Fili and Erin and Kahlan and Kili.

Little did they know, all the barrels were sitting on a trap door. Kili had to sit down with his legs spread and knees up, Kahlan sat in between his legs.

She had to sit cross legged- there faces facing each other. She looked down and said nothing, while he was looking at her face. He knew something was wrong, he just didn't know what.

Fili was in the same position Kili was but Erin sat with her back turned to his chest, she leaned against it and turned her head to the right.

Her nose was in perfect position to get his scent. For someone who spent more than overnight in a cell, he smelled great.

After the dwarves were all in their barrels, Bofur asked what to do and every head poked out from the top of the barrel.

Bilbo said, as his hand went to push the lever down,

"Hold your breath," the door opened and the barrels fell. Kili tightly wrapped his arms around Kahlan, looked in her eyes and said,

"It's okay, stay in my arms."

She obeyed even though it was like a spear turning and turning into the already broken area in her heart.

Then all the barrels dumped into the water and the trap door closed again.

Before Bilbo knew it, it was just him...standing them...over the door...right in someone's eye view.

He jumped and did everything he could to open it for himself. He heard voices from above and knew it was the guards.

Bilbo started walking backwards. As he did that, he started to slowly open the door until he fell in the water with the barrels.

Tauriel and the guards got there just in time to see the door close again.

"Well Don, master Baggins."

All the dear s barreled down a river.

While they did so, however, guards ran through the palace, alerting everyone the dwarves had escaped.

As the dwarves went down little waterfalls, they ended up soak and wet. Kahlan was freezing by now. She had black trouser shorts on and a grey shirt with spaghetti strap. Kili held onto her- not letting her go.

Legolas ran out and ordered an elf to shut the gate, preventing the dwarves from totally escaping the palace.

They almost made it out where the gates closed. They were stuck. Right then, an elf was shot- the orcs had arrived. Kili looked up and noticed orcs and elves fighting. Bolg was their leader. Orcs were climbing over the wall to where both elves and dwarves were.

Kili noticed that the lever that would open the gate was unguarded.

"Now's the time," he thought. He looked at Kahlan, put his hand under her chin and lovingly kissed her lips and then proceeded to jump out. All the other dwarves were fighting the orcs, while they were still in the barrels.

They sliced, plunged arrows, fists and sword to the orcs. Kili landed on the part next to the stars which was next to the lever, defeating some orcs on the way.

From across the way, Bolg saw Kili fighting the orcs to get to the lever. He took his bow and poisoned- a morgul blade- and hit Kili right in the outer thigh- just above his knee.