Where Your Heart Lies

by thatskasterborous

Their worlds had merged momentarily, reality shattering at a single point. The walls of the two worlds melting together until something broke through. 20 year old Leah Orrison was camping with her Mother when an unexpected visitor crashed into their camp site. Now she has to deal with the fact that Middle Earth is very real and that there is a very real dwarf who needs her help.

33. Bridge over troubled water

Now in the story, all the dwarves had escaped during the feast of starlight. While everyone was distracted. However, for obvious reasons, that didn't happen this time. The company wouldn't need to escape in barrels and spend several days undercover in Laketown. Instead they could take a straight road to the mountain. All with an elven entourage in tow.

This meant that the company spent an extra week in the Elven halls. Gathering strength and discussing battle plans. The dwarves were now fitter and healthier than they had been since the quest had started. Having ample sleep and the availability of meat also boosted their morale.

It made me feel more hopeful about the future of the quest. If they had managed to complete the quest when they were fatigued and near starving, imagine what they could do when they were at full strength. Surely they would all be more likely to survive.

Right?

The plan was that the company will be escorted by the Elven army to the mountain. Any roving orc packs that attempted to attack the dwarves along the way would be in for a nasty surprise. Once they were at the mountain, the elves were going to set up battle stations and distractions; as a way to lure smaug to where they wanted him to go. Mum informed everyone that we would need to find a man in Laketown by the name of Bard. It was only he who could wield the black arrow. We didn't want to tempt fate by having someone else make the killing blow.

Hopefully, if everything went according to plan, then Smaug would not decimate Laketown. Ensuring that thousands of people don't end up either dead or homeless.

Then we would have battles to contend with.

Thorin was not pleased to hear about the extent of his Orc problem.

"A War!?" Thorin exclaimed "You did not tell me of this"

This was in one of the meetings I had finally been able to attend. It consisted of Thorin, Balin, Dwalin and Kili. Along with Ada, Mum and Legolas.

I shrunk back against his shocked voice "I told you that Orcs would be after the mountain. Did you think that they would stop just because you reclaimed it?"

Thorin sighed down his nose. "No, I didn't. But I did not realise their magnitude. If this is true then we are going to need more than elves" He directed his distaste towards Ada, who merely narrowed his eyes.

"Dain will come," I reassured him. "If you send a Raven once the mountain is reclaimed then he will come"

I decided to leave in the part about the mountain being reclaimed first. Dain had already said that the Iron Hills would play no part in reclaiming the mountain. Instead he would offer aid once Smaug was dead. Which seemed like a cowards move to me. 'Oh I'll only help you once you've completed everything'.

At least they would show up when the battle begins. Unless something drastic happened that is.

Everyone was to leave with three days to go until Durin's day. It would give us time to set up and aid in evacuating the town. The elven army would settle near the foot of the mountain. Around the ruins of Dale. Then the company would go on ahead to the hidden door.

Thorin had refused any elven presence from coming with them . Which was perfectly reasonable to be honest. This was their home. They felt like they had a duty to protect it. A responsibility. The elves wouldn't really understand that.

I wasn't sure about whether I would be allowed to join the company. While I was still an elf, I also had a contract with them. I had travelled with them for months now. Traversed through dangers and helped them along the way. Surely that would count for something. I wanted to help them. My place should be with them.

My answer came on the day we were due to depart.

There was a nervous yet excitable energy in the air as we were finally moving. Everyone was busy preparing. With armour, weapons and horses being the main priority. The dwarves weapons had been repaired after their tumultuous journey. So that they were now in top condition. Fili was raving about the new knives he had received. Though where he would put them was beyond me.

I was helping to load a cart up with essentials. The elves had tried to dissuade me but ultimately gave in when I wouldn't stop lifting up the boxes. Though there were a few that were way too heavy and I should not have been lifting. However, I was making a point and I stood by that.

The company were also sorting their belongings out. They tied their pack to the horses and adjusted the saddles. They were not best pleased about the lack of ponies. There were only full-sized horses in the stables as the elves had no need for smaller horses. Though they were given the smallest horses available, if that meant anything. The dwarves probably didn't see that though.

Some were braving a full sized horse while the rest would be riding in a cart.

"The King wishes to see you and Kili before you depart, your Highness," a voice came from behind me.

I put down the box I was carrying with a grunt. Once again it was a bit too heavy. Another elf was immediately there to pick up the box again. Though they looked like it was barely an inconvenience.

When I turned, I saw the serious face of Gwaenir. His armour was donned in preparation for us leaving.

"Ada wants to see both of us?"

"Yes, your Highness" he nodded.

I guess I would have to help finish packing later. My body turned back to face the crowd. Searching through the throngs of people. I spotted the top of Kili's head, peeking out from behind a horse.

"Kili" I shouted over to him.

His head swivelled as he tried to find the source of the sound. When his eyes met mine he smiled at me. I beckoned him over with a hand gesture. He ducked around the horse and made his way over to me.

"You called" he smirked.

"Yes, apparently Ada wants to speak with you" emphasising the 'you' part.

Kili's face fell and he went fractionally paler. "What? why does he want to speak with me?"

"Okay that was a bit mean" I backtracked "He wants to speak to both of us"

"Oh okay" said Kili, seemingly relieved that he wasn't going on his own. Then his eyes furrowed "But why does he want to speak with us?"

"Well we'll find out when we go" then I turned to Gwaenir, who looked amused at our interaction. "Lead the way Gwaenir"

Gwaenir guided us back into the mountain. We walked through the serpentine corridors until we reached Ada's study. Gwaenir knocked on the door first, waiting for an answer.

"Enter" a single command from the other side.

The door was quickly opened and we were escorted inside. Within I could see Ada, Mum, Legolas standing close to one another while Thorin and Balin stood on the other side of the room. Everyone in the study turned to face us when we entered.

I immediately felt like something wasn't quite right. My senses were picking up on something before my mind could comprehend what. It could have been the despondent faces or just the general air in the room. All I knew was that something was wrong and that I did not want to know what it was.

If Kili's heart rate was anything to go by, I would say that he could sense it too.

"How are we faring Gwaenir?" asked Ada, breaking the silence.

"We have nearly finished loading all the supplies, Sire. We should be ready for the journey within the hour" Gwaenir nodded his head respectfully.

"Good" said Ada "Keep me informed should anything change"

Gwaenir seemed to sense the dismissal in Ada's voice "Of course, my lord" he bowed before leaving the room.

As soon as he closed the door I felt the suffocating air fall around us once more. Mum smiled encouragingly at me from Ada's side. However I could see something was worrying her by her eyes. There were a few moments of agonising silence before anyone spoke.

"Liriel. Do you know why I summoned you here?" said Ada.

I did not but now I was starting to fear exactly why he did.

"Is it to do with the quest?" I asked, looking around the room. Thorin avoided my eye when I looked his way. That sent up so many red flags.

"Aye. It is lass" said Balin, his face was downtrodden.

"I do not wish to make this harder for you so I am not going to evade the matter at hand." I turned back to Ada when he started to speak.

"Liriel." he paused for a moment before resuming. I felt myself holding my breath. Waiting for the blow to strike. "You and Kili will not be continuing on with us. You are to remain here until the battle is over"

All the breath rushed out of me as if I had been hit in the chest. It felt like a physical blow.

No no no no. They had to be joking right? They couldn't expect me to stay here while people were potentially dying. My panic would eat me alive. Even now I felt my stomach twist painfully at the thought of being left behind.

"What!" Kili bellowed

"You can't be serious"

"I would not joke about something like this" Ada cut in.

I could feel pin pricks of tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. My frustration was bubbling over before I could stop it. " why? I've already come this far"

I couldn't come this far and stop right before the end.

"Yes and look what you have had to do to get here" Ada gestured between Kili and I "Liriel, you have bound yourself to another. If one of you were to fall then so would the other. Thus you would be in twice the amount of danger than anyone else out there"

Kili was shaking his head "But I can't not go. I need to come with you. I have to protect you" Kili's voice broke on the word 'protect'.

"Kili" Thorin finally spoke up, "It is not your job to protect me. It is mine to protect you"

"Did you agree to this Thorin?" I asked.

Thorin nodded.

It felt like a betrayal. How had he agreed to this?

"Is this a punishment?" I didn't elaborate further. Feeling that Thorin knew exactly what I meant. Was this his way of punishing me for not telling him about my father?

"No, Leah" he sounded annoyed by the accusation. "As much as it pains me to say" Thorin gritted his teeth as if the words were actually painful. "Thranduil is right. Having you with us will be a liability. If we are going to war-as you say we are-then all our lives will be in danger. I could not stand by while both of you were lost"

He spoke like it was an inevitability. Wow, who knew he had such confidence in us.

"Ada please" I pleaded, feeling all control slipping through my fingers.

"No, Liriel. This is final"

I felt like there was nowhere left to turn. My jaw clenched tightly as I tried to hold back on my anger. I couldn't have come all this way to not see it through. A feeling of nausea was also creeping as a byproduct of my frustration.

Mum approached me tentatively. Placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Leah. I know how much this means to you."

I was caught between wanting to shake off her hand and needing it to ground me. She must have known about this. About what Ada had planned. She had known and she hadn't told me.

Ada then turned to my brother "Legolas, you will also be remaining here"

Wait what?

Legolas reeled back in shock. "Adar, surely you jest"

"As I have already told you this is not a time for jokes"

"But you know of my skills in battle. I would be of use to you"

"That is precisely why you must remain here." Ada gestured towards the back wall where I knew a balcony lay. "Orcs are gathering outside our borders. I need to know that this kingdom will still be well protected in my absence"

Legolas looked like he wished to argue further. Instead he grit his teeth and left the room.

I also felt like I wanted to flee. I couldn't bring myself to look in Ada's direction. If I did, then I knew angry tears would fall down my face. An anger was swirling in my stomach like a snake. A familiar tingling sensation began to build up in my hands. I crushed my fists closed as tightly as I could. Eager to keep a lid on the power building up. A faded light started to peak between my fingers.

Mum, seeing my predicament, squeezed my shoulders "Come on Leah, I think we could all do with some fresh air"

I would do anything to leave this suffocating room. She turned us around and quickly led us out of the room. I was too focused on containing myself to see where she was taking us. The magic was crawling under my skin, like ants. It felt like I was ready to burst. At one point Mum opened a door that led us onto a large balcony. My legs cleared the doorway in a few bounds. Just in time for me to yell out.

The strained, coiling power finally exploded out of me. A circle of light leaving my body. There was a sound of a crash. Something crumbling to the ground. It felt like such a relief to not have its invasive presence crushing down onto me. With the final release of magic I felt some of the sickness I had been feeling be alleviated. My magic must have been exacerbating my feelings of anger. Because now that it was gone I no longer felt like I wanted to tear my own hair out in frustration.

Instead, I placed my head into my hands. Trying to take deep breaths. My magic was coming more readily to me. While it was a good thing because it meant that I needed to waste less energy, it also meant that I needed to be more careful. I couldn't just 'blow up' whenever I got angry.

Mum had thankfully ducked behind the door when I had my 'moment'. Now she had come out and was next to me in an instant. Her arms wrapped around me. "Oh Leah, I'm so sorry"

I could tell by her voice that she genuinely was. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to explode like that" I turned my head to try and see what I had broken. Half a statue now lay on the floor with the other half nowhere to be seen. A good chunk of stone railing was also no longer there. It must have careened off the edge during my outburst.

Hopefully not onto anything important.

I felt mortified by what I had done. What if I hadn't left the room in time?

"I think it's understandable really" said Mum, her arms still around me.

"Did you know?" I asked, leaning back. "Did you know that he wouldn't let me go?"

Mum reached up and moved a strand of hair from my face. Placing it behind my ear. "He only informed me yesterday of his decision"

I guess that wasn't as bad as if she had known the whole time. But I was still annoyed that she had let me prepare for travel the whole time.

"Mum I can't stay here while everyone else goes off to fight. We're supposed to be trying to keep Thorin and Fili alive. How can I do that if I'm here?"

"I know, I know Leah. I tried to convince your Adar to let you come but he was adamant." Mum sighed.

On Earth it had been nearly 3 years since I needed to get explicit permission to do something. Mum trusted me to make my own decisions.I shook my head, dislodging Mum's hands from my face. I stepped backwards.

"I'm not a child anymore" I spoke while gesturing with my hands. Trying to nail in my point.

"I know this Leah" Mum's voice was no longer as gentle. "I know this because I was there. I saw you grow. Every development, growth spurt or awkward teenage phase. I was there through all of it. I saw you become the caring and determined adult you are today.

But your Adar didn't get to see any of that. The last time he saw you, Leah, you were a little girl. A little girl that died in his arms because he failed to protect you from the very creatures that we are going to face."

I felt my breath catch. "But it wasn't his fault I died"

"I know that. But this is your Adar we're talking about, Leah. Of course he thinks it is his fault. He is blaming himself that much that he is refusing to put you in any form of danger. Even if you are more equipped to handle the situation, he couldn't stand to lose you again. He is going to protect you in every way he knows how"

Mum breathed in deeply "It's going to take some time for your Adar to differentiate between the child that he lost and the adult in front of him."

Mum's voice was soft again "I must admit that I'm struggling myself. Whenever I see your brother my first instinct is to mother him. He was my little boy, who always needed his naneth to protect him." There was a shine to Mum's eyes "But he's all grown up now. He doesn't need me anymore"

"Oh Mum" I reached back out to her "Of course he still needs you"

As much as I hated to admit it, what Mum said made sense. When Ada looked at me, he saw all of the missed years. All of the years that we should have spent together as a family. He has blamed himself for losing me this whole time. Of course he would try to stop me from running headlong into danger.

However, just because I understood why he did it, did not mean that I was happy with the decision.

"Are you still going?" I asked.

"Yes, Leah, I'm still going"

"So Ada's protecting me but he'll let you run straight in there" I said, slightly annoyed.

"Well for one I'm quite a lot older than you and have in fact fought in battles before." Touché "And two, your Adar can never say no to me"

I giggled a little at that, despite myself.

"I still don't know how I can stay here while you're all out there. I think I'm going to lose my mind"

Mum gave me an odd smile. "Leah I know that you are a very determined person. Should you choose to still help, I'm not sure that many could stop you"

oOo

We gathered along the front gates to see the procession. It was a little after midday and everything was prepared for departure. The elven army stood to attention in long straight lines. Golden armour gleaming in the sun. Waiting for their King's command.

The dwarves were milling around, making their reluctant goodbyes to us. I hugged them all and wished them luck.

"I can't believe yer no' comin' with us, lass" said Bofur as he hugged me. His hat managed not to knock me in the face this time. "It won't feel the same without yer"

"I know, I'm sorry"

Fili was hugging Kili. "I'm going to stay here brother, with you. My place is by your side"

"No Fi, you should go. They'll need you. Uncle will need you" said Kili.

"But.."

I butted in before he could say more. "Fili, we will probably see you a lot sooner than you think" I whispered as quietly as I could.

Kili gave me a look of confusion but I didn't elaborate.

After my talk with Mum I felt more determined than ever to find my way to that mountain. She had pretty much told me that I should try to escape.

We would follow them to Erebor. Now, we just needed to figure out how.

"Trust me" was all I said.

Fili seemed to accept my cryptic message. Albeit a little reluctantly. Both Fili and Kili made their way down the steps towards the rest of the company. Helping to prepare the horses.

Bilbo hadn't moved yet though. He was still lingering near the door. Wringing his hands in a worrisome manner. He tried to smile at me as I approached.

"I. er I think I might have a way for you to sneak of here..If you wish to" Bilbo's hand flitted to his pocket, the movement a little too rapid.

My mind immediately clued into what Bilbo was offering and I felt a horror rise within me. " thank you Bilbo" A hint of fear in my voice. The thought of taking the ring made me feel ill. I did not want to know what kind of dark thoughts it would try to leach into my head. The more power someone had the easier it corrupted them. With the energy I could feel pooling beneath my skin, I did not want to risk even touching the thing.

Though the fact that Bilbo was still offering it freely was a good sign. It hadn't dug his claws in too deep yet.

"I don't really have time now but when this is all over we need to have a long discussion about what exactly that thing in your pocket really is Bilbo"

Bilbo's eyes widened fearfully, his hand closed around something in his pocket. "Is it..Bad?"

Understatement of the century. However, I felt like I couldn't say this to him. The ring still needed to be used or Bilbo could find himself dead.

"Right now you could say it was benign" with a very large chance of becoming malign "But further down the line it will be..bad. So you need to be careful with it. Only use it when you really need to, okay?"

Bilbo appeared to be deeply concerned but he nodded all the same "Okay, Leah".

"Good luck to you, Bilbo" I said, leaning down for a hug.

The hobbit accepted my hug readily. "I think I might need a bit more than luck. Do you have any advice for me?"

I pursed my lips in thought "Er, Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus"

"What does that mean?" Bilbo asked Bewildered.

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon" I said, recalling the Hogwarts motto. It felt quite fitting.

Bilbo laughed "Yes, I will keep that in mind"

"Oh Bilbo there's one more thing" I peered around to make sure that there was no one to eavesdrop. One particular grumpy dwarf to be precise. I leaned down so that I was closer to Bilbo's height.

"Bilbo if you find the Arkenstone I need you to promise me that you won't give it to Thorin. Hide it if you have to." I whispered.

" ? I thought the whole point of me being here was so that I could find it" Bilbo was visibly concerned.

"It is, but there's a sickness on that horde Bilbo. It will try and get into his head. Feed him lies until he can't trust anyone. The Arkenstone will only make things worse for him" I pleaded.

I don't know if Bilbo could hear the seriousness in my voice or see the sincerity on my face but he didn't call me crazy. He peered up at me, scrutinising my face, until he seemed satisfied with what he found. He gave me a brief nod.

I let out a breath I was holding.

"I can't promise anything because Yavanna knows what is going to happen." he said "But I will try"

"Thank you, Bilbo" I breathed, straightening back up.

I gave his shoulder a squeeze before letting him move on. He would have quite the ordeal ahead of him and he needed all the comfort he could get. The dwarves welcomed him onto a carriage when he walked over to them.

"I am sorry that it came to this Leah" I heard a voice from the side of me.

Turning revealed it to be Thorin. He stood, arms folded, looking out onto the hustle below.

"You're doing what you think is right" I muttered.

Note how I said what he thinks is right, not that it was the right thing to do. Thorin didn't pick up on the meaning of my words unfortunately. Or if he did, he decided not to comment on them.

I turned my body so that I faced him head on. When he felt me turn, he too turned to face me. Finally looking me in the eye.

"I need to say something before you go" I said "If this is the last chance I'll see you then I need to tell you now"

Thorin raised his eyebrows. His face taking on a more serious expression. "What is it?"

"I need to start by saying that you are not you're grandfather Thorin" Thorin's eyes darkened at the mention of his grandfather. "But that gold will still call to you."

Thorin shook his head, not believing my words.

"Now is not the time for denial Thorin. People's lives could be in danger" I pleaded "The gold sickness will try to grab you but you need to be stronger than it. You are stronger"

Thorin grit his teeth "You do not speak of the truth"

"I wouldn't lie about something like this Thorin." I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "You told me that I can't hide things that would affect the quest. This is one of them."

I sighed. "Anyway, even if it didn't happen, is it not better to be prepared for it?"

Thorin seemed to have some kind of internal battle with his thoughts. Eventually he said "Yes, I guess it would be better to prepare for every eventuality. Even if they will not happen"

I knew that that was the best I was going to get. Thorin's vehement determination to prove me wrong would probably work in everyone's favour.

"Please look after Kili in my absence," he said, looking down at the company. His gaze settled on his nephews. "It devastated him that he would not be coming. I tried to convince him that this was for the best but he didn't take it well. Though he seemed to be more concerned for my safety than his own, for some reason."

"He's worried about what's to come. The thought of not being there to help is causing him a lot of stress"

"Indeed"

I decided to surprise attack Thorin with a hug. Throwing my arms around his neck and resting my chin on his shoulder. If everything went wrong- i.e we didn't make it out of the mountain or something backfired with the battle-then this could possibly be the last time that I saw him. That thought made me a little emotional.

Thorin half stumbled with the force of my hug, making an 'oof' noise. He hesitated only a moment before his arms wrapped around me too. His arms a comforting weight.

"Be careful, Thorin" I mumbled. "And good luck"

"Thank you, Leah"

I untangled myself from him. Not wishing to make things awkward with a weirdly long hug. Finally, we bid each other goodbye and he went to join the rest. There was a rather heartfelt farewell between Thorin and Kili. After which, Kili came to join me back on the stairs.

You could tell the moment that Ada came into view because the whole guard visibly straightened as one. He entered via the door behind me. Mum and Legolas by his side. Mum was kitted out for battle, wearing an armour I had not seen before. Though it must have been hers because it fit perfectly. It was a kind of plate armour but with enough give for fluid movement.

Legolas, much to his chagrin, was wearing his normal attire. You could tell by his face that he wasn't pleased about the matter.

Ada placed a hand on my shoulder. "I do hope that you can find it in you to forgive me, Liriel. I am endeavoring to protect you at all costs."

"I know, Ada." All the anger I had felt earlier had left my voice. Now it merely sounded resigned.

"You will be well looked after here. And I will also send as many reports to the guards as I can. That way you are not kept in the dark"

"That's very considerate Ada" I said, and actually meant it. At least he hadn't been planning on letting me stew in my own panic the whole time.

I gave him, what must have been, my millionth hug of the day. Holding him tightly. "Be safe, Ada"

"I will, Liriel"

He seemed reluctant to let me go but did so eventually.

Then it was Mum's turn. She leaned down to hug me, the metal of her armour clinking together. Her mouth was next to my ear as she embraced me. "I've left you something in your room" the words were barely a breath. Only audible to my ears.

I didn't dare reply as she was obviously saying this on the down low. "I love you, Leah," she said in a stronger voice.

"I love you too, Mum"

It didn't take long for things to swing into motion. As soon as Ada mounted his elk and gave the signal, everyone was off. Marching or riding at a brisk pace. The dwarves waved back at us from the carriage they were on. It wasn't long before they passed beyond sight. Cresting a hill vanishing behind it. The three of us had watched on in silence.

"I cannot believe that he has kept us all here" said Legolas eventually. Then he looked down at me "Okay you I could understand. But why am I here?"

"Hey!" I said, shoving him with my shoulder "No need to make this personal."

Legolas threw his hands up, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'm joking, I'm joking." Then he sighed. "But in all seriousness. I should be out there."

"I know" I said. "Ada is concerned about the Orc armies. He thinks that the kingdom will need to be defended so he chose the best" I jabbed Legolas in the arm. He seemed to understand my meaning.

"I guess that makes some sense" Legolas conceded.

"However, Ada doesn't realise that the Orc armies won't come here. They're after the dwarves not us. Now that the dwarves have moved on they'll be going for the mountain." I said.

"We need to follow them" Kili said from beside me.

"That's going to be more difficult than you think" said Legolas "Adar has informed the guards to stop the two of you from leaving these walls. They've been told to be extra vigilant"

Well that threw a wrench in our plans. The last thing we needed was an elven guard on high alert.

"I think Leah has a plan" added Kili

They both turned to look at me. I awkwardly glanced between the two of them "I do?"

"You made it sound like you knew what you were doing when you were speaking to me and Fili"

Well it's easy to sound confident. That doesn't mean that I had any idea how I was going to follow through with any of it.

"Okay, in all honesty, I currently have nothing" Their faces fell at my words. "But I think I know where to start."

oOo

After Mum's cryptic message I decided that finding out what she had left me was a good place to start. I also felt like it was probably a good idea not to be discussing escape plans while we were stood out in the open. There were literally ears everywhere. Big pointy ones with ridiculous ranges of hearing.

So we all bundled our way inside and made our way to my room. Kili felt a little uneasy when stepping in. Something about it being my private space. I think it may have been Ada's talk with him that was making Kili more concerned about propriety. I told him to stop being silly and pushed him further into my room.

The first thing that I noticed when I looked around, was a mound jutting out of the top of my bed. It was roughly covered with a blanket to make it less overtly noticeable. Though it wasn't doing the best job. It was clearly thrown on quickly before anyone could see.

I didn't hesitate as I made my way over and removed the sheet. My eyes widened at what I saw underneath.

It shone in the light from the fire in the sconces. A bright silver. Clearly brand new and never worn before.

Metal plate armour lay on the bed. With a chainmail shirt to go underneath it. When I picked up the edge of the chainmail shirt I was surprised to find it to weigh hardly anything. It wouldn't drag me down in any way.

Mum had armour made for me. The thought brought a smile to my face.

"Wow, is that for you?" Kili asked.

"I think so"

Legolas picked something up from the bed. An offwhite rectangle. "There's a note here"

I held my hand out for it and he handed it over straight away. The note simply said 'Leah' on the front of it in Mum's handwriting. I hastily unfolded it to read the rest.

Dear Leah,

Your Adar has just informed me about his plans. I know that you will be very saddened when you discover that you cannot come with us. I tried to convince him but he is terrified of losing you again.

However, I also know that not being with us will eat you up inside. You will drive yourself crazy with worry and plague your mind with all the worst-case scenarios.

I have a feeling that the guards will only be able to keep you from following us for so long. So I have had some armour delivered to you. As much as it agonises me to think of you in a battle, I also know that it is an inevitability. I just hope that this will be enough to protect you.

The mountain isn't a prison, there are still hidden passages in and out of it. Some less known to the guards. If the dwarves managed it in the story then I'm certain you can do the same.

I love you darling and I wish you the best of luck.

See you soon,

Mum

I felt my throat grow tight reading Mum's words. Dammit Leah keep yourself together.

"Right," I said, trying to shake off my sudden emotion. "Mum said something about secret passages in and out of the mountain. I assume they'll be a bit like the one Mum and I used to get in here" I focused my words on Legolas.

"She's right" Legolas perked up "There are a few passages that we could use. Though we would have to scope them out first. And we should probably leave under the cover of nightfall to give us a better chance of not being seen"

"It should probably be you who scopes them out Legolas. You're currently in charge so they won't be as suspicious if they see you wandering about. If they saw me and Kili they would probably close ranks."

"You're right" Legolas straightened up. "I will search for these passageways while you remain here. It shouldn't take too long if I'm efficient enough"

Legolas left the room with a new sense of purpose. His previous sadness had melted away.

When the door closed softly, it left only Kili and I in the room. I also realised that it was the first time Kili and I had really been alone in what felt like weeks. Ever since that day on the stairs, there always seemed to be another person around when we were together.

Kili let out a breath "Well this is not what I thought would happen today"

"You can say that again" I leaned in to rest my head on his shoulder. Burying my nose in his neck. His scent was comforting. "But we'll get to them, I promise"

I felt a small shiver from Kili as my breath glanced the skin of his neck. I suppressed a smile at his reaction.

"I believe you, Leah"

I stretched back up so that I could see him. My hands reached to cup his face. His eyes held worry in them but he still found it in him to smile at me. He grabbed my right hand and placed a kiss onto the palm. I used my other hand to guide his face closer. Capturing his lips with mine. It started off soft and sweet but quickly got more heated.

After so long not being able to do more than hold each other's hand, I wanted to be as close to him as possible. I pressed my body as closer to Kili's. He made a small noise at the back of his throat that made me deepen the kiss. Not only was my heart beating like crazy, so was Kili's. The sensation made me breathless.

One of Kili's hands found their way into my hair while the other circled my waist. Holding me to him. Even though I was wearing a dress, I could still feel the warmth from his hand. It sent a tingling sensation along my skin. The feel of it made me gasp.

It felt like the world had melted away and it was just the two of us in that moment.

When we broke apart we were both breathless. Kili looked up at me, his eyes seeming half intoxicated. My face became bright red with his heated gaze.

"That was nice" I breathed, struggling for words.

"That's one word for it" Kili's breath fanned out across me face. His eyes flickered between my eyes and my lips.

As much as I would have liked a repeat performance, I knew that there were more important things that we needed to focus on.

I still gave him one last kiss because I couldn't resist. Somehow, I managed to pull back before we got carried away again.

"Do you want to see what the armour looks like?" I asked.

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything more"

The armour, thankfully, was pretty easy to get on. I managed it by myself. Which was probably good as I imagine Kili would have gotten a bit flustered. Though the idea of him helping me to attach my armour was strangely hot. I had to remind myself that now was not the time to be distracted again.

Also, it turned out that there wasn't only armour for me. There was also another mail shirt tucked underneath mine. I knew it wasn't a spare or anything because it would have been way too big. That meant that it was either for Kili or for Legolas. Seeing as Legolas had his own armour it left only Kili as the recipient.

I felt better knowing that Kili would have some extra protection.

When I finally had it all on I marvelled at it in my floor length mirror. "I don't think I have ever looked as cool as I do right now"

I'd changed into some thick trousers and a long-sleeved shirt before I put the armour on. It fitted comfortably across my chest. No stupid boob-cups to be found. It was entirely practical. The mail shirt hung underneath it. Peeking out of the bottom of the bodice in a way that made it look like a skirt.

Metal vambraces covered my forearms. Lined with carved patterns of leaves. There were also long boots with shin guards. Thankfully they looked better than the plastic shin pads I used to wear to play hockey with when I was younger.

All in all I embodied an awesome warrior princess vibe.

"You look.." Kili trailed off not knowing how to finish the sentence. His eyes roved over me, taking it all in.

"I'll take the stunned silence as a compliment" I giggled

We had to wait a little while before we could hear the sound of Legolas returning. He was gone longer than I thought he would. His movements were casual and nonchalant as he opened the door and made his way inside. Then as soon as the door was closed, his face fell and his posture tightened.

"We have a problem"

Oh great just what we needed to hear.

"What happened?" I asked, urgency creeping into my voice.

Legolas paced further into the room. "I went to all the hidden exits I could think of. Adar has shown me a fair few throughout the years. However, every single one of them have guards posted near them."

So all the hidden exits that Legolas knew about were ones that Ada had personally shown him. Then of course Ada would know to place guards outside them.

I ran my hands through my hair "We need an exit that Ada doesn't know about"

"How are we going to do that Li? Adar is the King he's bound to know of every way in and out of this Kingdom." said Legolas "Also, the ones I know of are the ones that he's shown me"

I bit my lip, trying to think. My thoughts drifted back to the letter Mum had written. I walked over to where I had placed it back on the bed. My eyes skimmed the words. Once. Twice. Trying to see if there was anything else tuck away in the words.

I stopped when I read the line "If the dwarves managed it in the story then I'm certain you can do the same"

The dwarves in the story…

"Fuck" I said, barely audible "We're gonna have to go in the barrels"

Fate was a cruel mistress it seems. Once I was reunited with Ada and the dwarves were freed, I thought it would be plain sailing to the mountain. No need for the slip 'n' slide from hell. However, destiny apparently couldn't stand the thought that no one would need to escape the elven halls in a wine barrel. So here we are.

"Barrels?" They both exclaimed, confusion clear in their voice.

"The wine barrels in the cellar. They're released into the river by a trap door. The river leads out of the mountain and towards laketown"

"By Eru that's brilliant" There was a new spark in Legolas's eye. "We can use the barrels to float down the river and climb out once we're a safe enough distance away. I can't believe I didn't think of it"

His enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself becoming more happy with the plan. The Barrel riding scenes had always looked so fun in the film. "You can thank Bilbo for it later"

Kili however wasn't entirely on board. "Are you sure that this is our only way out? I'd rather avoid nearly drowning if we can."

"You won't drown Kili. I won't let you" I said comfortingly "We're also not looking good with options right now. It seems like it's either this or we're stuck here."

Kili nodded. He didn't look entirely convinced but he didn't argue any further.

"Right" Legolas clapped his hands together. Forging ahead. "Dusk will fall in less than an hour. That is probably our best shot. I don't want to leave it too late in case there's cloud cover. We need to be able to see as clearly as we can"

When dusk did finally fall, we made our way out of my room. My armour had been removed so that it made sneaking around easier. Running around in plate armour was just asking for suspicion. Also, I had a feeling that soaking wet and freezing cold armour would be a terrible health hazard. So it had been stored inside my waterproof backpack. Most of its previous contents were left in my room. They wouldn't be necessary and would just weigh me down.

Legolas led the way. Sticking to the shadows and avoiding all the more well lit, crowded corridors. When we would hear a noise we would flatten ourselves against the wall or squeeze into small alcoves.

From the look on my brothers face, he was loving every second of it. The whole thing reminded me of the games we used to play when we were younger. Sneaking through the palace together. It brought a smile to my face too.

We were all behind a tapestry. It wasn't the best of hiding places but it was doing its job. I stuck my head around the edge to determine if the coast was clear.

"What in Eru's name are you doing?"

The voice startled me that much that I bashed my head against the wall stumbling back. Ow.

The person on the other side of the tapestry was none other than Tauriel. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows were raised in a very unimpressed manner.

"Tauriel, heyy" I tried to say casually. Rubbing the sore spot at the back of my head.

At the mention of Tauriel's name Legolas emerged dramatically from the other side of the tapestry. "Tauriel, what are you doing here?"

"I've been following you for the past 20 minutes" she said very matter-of-factly. "Legolas, you have been acting suspiciously all day. So I decided to find out why"

The fact that she wasn't afraid to speak to royalty like that was so refreshing.

However, I was also annoyed. "Dude, what were you doing?" I asked Legolas "We specifically sent you so no alarms would be raised"

Legolas looked like he was about to defend himself but Tauriel cut in first.

"He is not the most covert elf, Liriel" said Tauriel, with a shrug. "Though you should not worry. I think it was only I who was suspicious of you"

"Does this mean that you aren't going to stop us?" I asked. If she was telling us not to worry did that mean she's on our side.

"So you are trying to leave then?"

Dammit, sort of shot myself in the foot there.

"We are" said Legolas "You should come with us Tauriel. We could use you"

"I'm not sure if that is best" she said, shaking her head.

"No it's perfect" I said "You always wanted to help the people that lay beyond these walls this is your chance"

" did you know that?" She whispered.

Then she shook her head, her resolve strengthening "But you are right. I will help you if I can"

"Can you keep the guards away from us?" asked Legolas "We're heading down to the wine cellar. You can meet us there once your done"

"I will try my best, Legolas" Then she looked back down the corridor "You are best heading back the way you came and going through the servants corridor. There's a patrol up ahead if you carry on this route"

Duly noted "Thank you, Tauriel" I said.

That went a hell of a lot better than it could have done. If it was anyone else who had found us we would have been screwed. Evidently, none of us were going to make it as a spy. Espionage was not our forte. I wonder what it would be like if Nori was with us. My gut told me that if he were here we would have found a way out by now; he had a knack for getting in and out of places.

Once Tauriel moved on, we followed the newly suggested route. It made the journey quicker as there did appear to be less people along it. Before we knew it we had made it into the lower levels of the kingdom. The air was colder down here and I could detect hints of moisture. A sound of rushing water ran below us and I knew we were going the right way.

Legolas entered the wine cellar first. Scoping it out before telling us that it was all clear. Now that most of the kingdom lay outside of these walls there was less need for wine. So thankfully no one was on duty. The room was ladened with shelves upon shelves of bottles. I tried not to get too caught up on the sheer amount of it.

"The barrel run off is through here" Legolas led the way, through the maze of shelves.

I tried my best not to knock into any of them. There was an image in my head of me accidentally knocking into a shelf and sending the whole place crashing down. I shook my head and told myself to stop being silly.

The shelves were probably more sturdy than that anyway.

The sound of the river was almost deafening here. This was where it was closest. A large rectangle was carved into the floor. With cogs and wheels attached to two sides. Where the floor would pivot and send the barrels out. Speaking of barrels, there were nowhere near as many as I thought there would be. There had been enough barrels for the whole company last time. Now there were barely four.

Us leaving at a different time meant that all the old barrels were gone. While there was enough for one each, I was a little concerned that it would make us more conspicuous. They usually only sent them out when they had enough empty ones. Seeing only four could raise the alarm.

However we didn't exactly have a choice.

Legolas already had one leg in a barrel. "I can't believe I've never thought to do this. Just think of all the adventures I've missed out on"

"I'm surprised you haven't given Ada a heart attack by now," I said, edging over to my own barrel.

"Oh I've come close many times." said Legolas, now standing up inside his barrel. "One time I accidentally impaled him with an arrow"

"What!?"

"I'll have to tell you the story sometime"

I can't believe he would say something like that and then just leave me hanging. What kind of situation occurred where Ada was in firing range?

Taking my backpack off my shoulder, I made sure that it was tied securely. Then I swung it inside the barrel. Hitting the bottom with a rather loud *Thunk*. Kili was moving his barrel so that it was next to mine. I debated the logistics of climbing into my own for a second. Before realising that it would probably be safer all round if I laid it on the floor.

I was just laying it near where the opening would be when Tauriel made her appearance. All of us were startled by the sound of the door opening. I just had time to lie down flat, not enough to hide. Legolas ducked inside his barrel and Kili kneeled behind his own.

Then blessedly it was Tauriel's face that came around the corner. She did a double take as soon as she saw me on the ground. "What am I looking at?" she asked, clearly perplexed.

"Err.." I looked up from where I was about to climb into my barrel "Were using the river to escape"

"Why in the world?" she shook her head, "I did not realise that this was your plan when you told me to meet you here."

Legolas popped up from his barrel, momentarily startling everyone. "All the other passageways are being guarded. This is the only way out that Adar had not thought of"

Tauriel looked like she didn't know whether to be perplexed or amused. "You do realise that I am a captain of the guard. I could have ordered a shift change if you had asked me to. You could have slipped through any exit of your choosing"

Well shit. That made a lot more sense.

Legolas and I both gave each other a look. Maybe we had been a little hasty with the plan. But time was of the essence so it's not hard to see why we jumped ahead.

However, we were here now. No point backing down now that we're already barrelled up.

"Okay, technically we didn't realise that you were on our team when we came up with the idea. And secondly" I shuffled my butt so that I was actually in the barrel. "We're already in the barrels now and there's no time to change the plan"

I don't know why I was being so defensive about the plan. In all fairness it wasn't a great one. But at the same time I didn't want to accept the fact that we were being a bit stupid. Also I feared that Legolas's heart would break if he didn't get to do this at least once.

Tauriel looked at all three of us. Then she appeared to surrender with a sigh. "Fine, fine. We'll do it your way".

Tauriel was the one who pulled the lever to release us all into the river. She didn't give us any warning when she did. The world just suddenly tilted forwards and gravity took hold. Sending us careening down a wooden slide. I nearly yelled out as it felt like my stomach was in my throat.

The crash into the water was the biggest shock. My barrel had landed with a colossal smack and bobbed several times. Freezing water poured in where the lip had gone below the surface. I couldn't control the loud gasp that left my body. This must have been a different river than the one used for bathing. It was so utterly cold.

Kili and Legolas had reacted in similar ways. though I definitely heard Kili swearing in khuzdul.

There was an empty barrel floating next to us. It wasn't long before it was filled. As Tauriel jumped down from above, landing gracefully in the centre. The portion of the ceiling that had opened up for us settled back with a soft thud. It blotted out any light left in the tunnel. Thankfully, the river was moving quite quickly so were weren't in utter darkness for long.

I reached my arm out into the direction that I knew Kili to be. My hand just grazed the wood of the barrel. "Kili, grab my hand"

He reached out blindly before he managed to find mine. His hand gripped me tightly. I felt more secure now that we were less likely to drift apart.

The tunnel opened up until we were no longer surrounded by rock. A sunset sky hung above us with the first hint of stars appearing.

Miraculously, there were no guards looking down upon us. Our escape had gone unnoticed.

I felt a laugh bubble up. Which quickly turned into a yelp as we went down a small waterfall. It was like a rapids ride except there was an omnipresent threat of injury that you don't normally get in a theme park. Equal parts fun as hell and fucking terrifying.

I could hear Legolas having the time of his life. Laughing every time the water would spin him around. Tauriel on the other hand looked a lot more in control. Keeping herself as steady as possible.

"Do you think we can get out now?" I shouted, the river had calmed down now and it was no longer rocketing us in all directions.

"Yes, there is an embankment up ahead we can use that to climb out" said Tauriel.

We managed to grab onto the edge of the bank without being carried off by the tide. Legolas got out first and helped me to climb out of my barrel. I had to dive back in and retrieve my bag before it could get washed away.

Tauriel helped Kili out of his. As soon as he got out he turned over onto his back. His eyes were closed and he was breathless. "I can't decide if I never want to see a barrel again or if I want another go" he laughed.

"How about we all get dry before we start talking about a repeat" said Tauriel. Ever the voice of reason.

A fire was burning before I even knew it. We had moved under a copse of trees to shroud ourselves. I sat myself down on a large rock. The heat felt delicious against my freezing skin. It would have been better if I could have taken the soaked clothes off but I couldn't. I had to settle for sitting by the flames and getting dry the long way.

Night had officially fallen. The stars hung like a blanket above us.

"Apparently there is not going to be a boring day now that you are back Liriel" smiled at me from his perch on a log.

"Why, thank you brother" I giggled,

"Mahal, I can't believe we just did that," said Kili "Fili is going to be soo jealous"

"It sure was..something" said Tauriel who was sharpening her sword. I could detect a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

My sword laying next to me. I had taken everything out of my pack when we had settled. Preparing to put them all back on when I was dry.

"I think we need a team name" I said "Like the dream team or something"

"Dream team?" Kili laughed.

"How about Barrel Squad?" I added.

"We are not calling ourselves 'Barrel Squad'" said Legolas, his voice offended.

"You come up with something then"

Legolas pondered for a second, his lips pursing. "How about 'Royal runaways'"

"I like it" I nodded "But does it count if only 3 out of 4 of us are royal?"

"It counts because I came up with it" Legolas smirked.

I shook my head, laughing.

However, the camaraderie was quickly silenced by an unearthly screech. Like metal nails on a chalkboard. It sent chills down my back and my pulse racing in my ears. All of us were on our feet at once.

The sound stopped and the silence it left felt more deafening. Shadows writhed amongst the trees. Just out of reach of the light from the fire.

It was just an animal right? Just something hunting for its dinner.

Just as I was about to play off the sound as nothing serious it exploded once more. Infinitely closer and coming from more than one direction. This time it was with raspy laughter added to the mix.

"Orcs!" yelled Legolas, knocking his bow.

You didn't think that Thranduil would just let Leah risk her life to a dragon did you? That would be too easy lol
You can't have a Hobbit story without the barrels it just can't happen.

Also I don't know why but I love to write Leah and Legolas as two halves of the same dumbass. Probably because that's what happens when me and my sister are together, we just keep encouraging each other without asking ourselves if what we are doing is in fact rather dumb.
I know some people write Legolas as this aloof serious kind of character so i have a feeling that there may be a few people who don't like my characterisation of him. So I apologise if that is you.

I've told myself that there is about 7 chapters left of this story but considering how big my chapters seem to be getting that may end up being more. But we are coming to the end.